I'm back!...

...and this time I'm ... whatever.
Horrible internet service provider (will not name the swines) tried to make out, during frequent "tech support-like" sessions that the fault lay in some kind of hardware or general incompetence with electronic equipment at my end. Even ended up buying a new modem, which BTW I have not even installed. Everything works just fine again...well, the phone is still "off-line", and the poor guys still climb the power poles in 100*F heat day after day.