Tried to check on the status of my DTV converter box coupon today, which last week was in the, "We've prepared your coupon for mailing," stage. As if last week's description wasn't bad enough -- what's involved in preparing a coupon for the mail, exactly, that isn't so trivially close to hitting the post office that's it's not already there? -- today, I get this.

We're sorry for the inconvenience. An unexpected error has occurred and been logged.

You will be redirected to the home page in 30 seconds.


You know some major pork dollars went into the creation of this site. If you're going to rob the taxpayer blind, I'd at least hope the site would work. And I'd expect the coupons to show up.

I've been less than impressed with the phone service here too.

The obvious message is that this system isn't about giving out coupons. It's about not giving out DTV converter box coupons. What happens to the pot of money set aside if they don't have the maximum number of requests?

Apply now, folks, but don't expect to actually get these things. And once you get them, don't expect to find one you can buy. What a joke. The airwaves, in an inverse Robin Hood move, are being stolen from the public and sold to the corporations with the passive blessing of the nearly unaffected middle and upper classes.