Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Thanks guys! Quick call to apple indicates they are experiencing some connection issues in some midwestern areas. Probably due to flooding.
 
That explains it! .mac performance is not guaranteed when accessing from underwater!
 
Apple's new local service distribution hub:

1000 Mac Book Air systems all mounted on floatation pillows with a wireless connection to their host server up in a tree.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.