the miracles of #@!&%! technology:
for four days, my airport base station hasn't been working. I dicked around, enlisted my roomie the superman to help me, did factory resets, got software upgrades, all to no avail.
I called around, and every mac shop told me that they're not fix-able, that I should just go buy a new one.
so, I went and bought a new one. a fancy-ass "extreme" one. more than I wanted to be spending, but it's the only way to get the DSL in my room without a million-foot cable.
it's sitting here on the table, in its box. I got home and tried the old one just one more time- and it works. perfectly. what the hell.

okay, and I do realize that I sound like a spoiled rotten yuppie-ass hipster, and I should shut up and be glad I have running water, but man, it still pisses me off.