Is Sam Sloan okay? Is he still alive in NYC? Did his cab get mobbed by
desperate individuals trying to get across town at any cost? Is he
busy looting the local chess shops? IS HE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
POWER OUTTAGE? Or did he get help from his nefarious assistant Larry
Parr?

just checking in,
O.K.

Is Sam Sloan okay?

Uh--Of course not.
Regards, al

Coming up on 20 hours without power here in New York City. I happened to find
my dad's old mac laptop and am raiding the power for all its worth, since I'm
going through withdrawal, and because there doesn't seem to be power on the
way. Reading the reports, I'm quite honestly sickened, because very simply the
news reports are blatantly lying about how bad the situation is here in NY.

Homeland Security doesn't mean 50 million can go without power. It doesn't mean
thousands sleeping and ****ing on 8th avenue and 34th street. It doesn't mean
hardly any functioning communications in New York City. It doesn't mean no
power in 90% of Manhattan after 20 hours.

This is really a big ****ing joke and I hope we can someday look back on this
and laugh, but it's not very funny.

John Fernandez

Even more frightening is that in 2003, that the failure of a single
power grid (regardless of how important it is), could cause the entire
eastern part of the U.S. to be blacked out for what looks like it will
turn out to be at least a full day, and may turn out to be several days
or even a week. Since New York is generally thought to be the business
capital of the U.S. and the world, it exposes just how vulnerable the
U.S. is to sabotage and mayhem.

If some type of accident could cause such calamity, what would happen if
such a thing were a systematic and carefully orchestrated attack upon
our infrastructure?

Just as 9/11 laid bare the vulnerability of air travel security systems,
an event like this illustrates how a superpower could potentially be
harmed in its essential infrastructure.

Just remember the old adage, "To err, is human. To really screw things
up requires a computer." One would have to think that the
computerization of the U.S.'s eastern seaboard powergrid is a huge
disaster waiting to happen.

On the radio today, they are talking about the "learned helplessness" of
Americans who don't know how to do anything even as simple as counting
back change or basic math without a machine to help them. Just go to a
McDonalds and watch the perplexed look on the counter person's face when
his/her computer doesn't work and he/she has to count back your money to
you.

It is indeed frightening that an entire section of the country can have
it's power systems shut down, but it is even more frightening to see
people unable to adjust to not having computers or machines to solve
their problems for them.

Best Regards,

Bruce

It would be nice if McDonalds, or any place that had food or anything was open.

John Fernandez

On 15 Aug 2003 17:26:32 GMT, eepmeep (John
Fernandez) wrote:

Break out the Hibachi! The local markets are probably giving away their
freezer meat and other perhishables at this point :-) Hope it all comes
back on soon. (A wish for you from California, the Land of the Rolling
Blackouts...)

I just took a stroll. Everything's rotten already. The city isn't allowing the
stores to throw the stuff out, so venturing into one is basically like walking
into a morgue. The city stench is really revolting.

You should learn to like lutefisk. Contact yer local Norwegian.

"John Fernandez" wrote in message I just took a stroll. Everything's
rotten already. The city isn't allowing the
stores to throw the stuff out, so venturing into one is basically like
walking
into a morgue. The city stench is really revolting.

John Fernandez

So what's changed?

Dear Bruce,

Heil Dubya!

If you really want to have fun -- or a good cry -- on this account, try to
limit the number of coins and bills you receive in change by, for example,
giving a "sales clerk" $23.17 for merchandise costing $8.67. I do that, rather
than producing a $20.00 bill alone, because I don't want a single, a tenner and
..33 in change. I almost never receive a fin, a tenner and two quarters,
without explaining the simple arithmetic. (What? Never? Well, hardly ever.)

But this ignorance of simple arithmetic -- as part of the ability and facility
to think logically -- is what our rulers want in the great majority of those
living within the military control of the U. S. A. That's why our "public"
MISeducation system is so atrociously anti-public.

On the radio today, they are talking about the "learned helplessness" of
Americans who don't know how to do anything even as simple as counting
back change or basic math without a machine to help them. Just go to a
McDonalds and watch the perplexed look on the counter person's face when
his/her computer doesn't work and he/she has to count back your money to
you.

It is indeed frightening that an entire section of the country can have
it's power systems shut down, but it is even more frightening to see
people unable to adjust to not having computers or machines to solve
their problems for them.

Best Regards,

Bruce

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Irak. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles.

Fraternally,

Jerome Bibuld


gens una sumus

--

"Jerome Bibuld" wrote in message
Dear Bruce,
If you really want to have fun -- or a good cry -- on this account, try to
limit the number of coins and bills you receive in change by, for example,
giving a "sales clerk" $23.17 for merchandise costing $8.67. I do that,
rather
than producing a $20.00 bill alone, because I don't want a single, a
tenner and
.33 in change. I almost never receive a fin, a tenner and two quarters,
without explaining the simple arithmetic. (What? Never? Well, hardly
ever.)
snip
Jerome Bibuld
gens una sumus

I'm not surprised you don't get the 10, 5, and .50 -- since that isn't the
correct change!

"sandirhodes" writes:

--

"Jerome Bibuld" wrote in message
Dear Bruce,
If you really want to have fun -- or a good cry -- on this account, try to
limit the number of coins and bills you receive in change by, for example,
giving a "sales clerk" $23.17 for merchandise costing $8.67. I do that,
rather
than producing a $20.00 bill alone, because I don't want a single, a
tenner and
.33 in change. I almost never receive a fin, a tenner and two quarters,
without explaining the simple arithmetic. (What? Never? Well, hardly
ever.)
snip
Jerome Bibuld
gens una sumus

I'm not surprised you don't get the 10, 5, and .50 -- since that isn't the
correct change!




Giving further support to the claim that simple arithmetic is too much
for certain people.

Or, perhaps, Mr. Bilbuld is simply working a small-time scam. First, he
confuses the clerk with non-standard behavior, then he impresses the
clerk with his "explanation" of simple arithmetic...and then he walks
away with an extra dollar for his troubles.

Now *that*'s the NYC that I know and love, power or no power.

--
Kenneth Sloan
Computer and Information Sciences (205) 934-2213
University of Alabama at Birmingham FAX (205) 934-5473
Birmingham, AL 35294-1170 http://www.cis.uab.edu/info/faculty/sloan/