[sf-lug] logwatch report

[Alex Kleider]

My logwatch program frequently reports the following (number of entries varies:)
 --------------------- Kernel Begin ------------------------ 

 
 1 Time(s): [4722550.276000] r8169: eth0: link down
 1 Time(s): [4724883.976000] r8169: eth0: link up
 1 Time(s): [4724901.352000] r8169: eth0: link down
 1 Time(s): [4724902.988000] r8169: eth0: link up
 1 Time(s): [4724905.644000] r8169: eth0: link down
 1 Time(s): [4724907.444000] r8169: eth0: link up
 
 ---------------------- Kernel End ------------------------- 

I've been told that this is the result of the network going down and coming back up. We often have times when our internet connection just doesn't work. Is this something that I should take up with the ISP or could something else be at fault? (no, no one is unplugging and replugging ethernet cables:-)
A second part to my question, directed mainly to the ThinkPython group:
the numbers in square brackets I assume represent 'unix time' and if so, is there a Python module that can help me make use of this: i.e. translate back and forth to/from human readable (read 'understandable') form?

a_kleider at yahoo.com