for now i'm trying out the hme0 card instead, the two predecessors to this
   machine had onboard le0 but used two hme0 cards instead...


further data:

since i installed the hme i've been up for over 4 days without any
problems.  i looked closer at my lastlog reboot and noticed that it
was basically in the 7-9am period of every other day it lost, 5 times
(on the 31st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th, when i installed hme1.)


new le driver bug?