h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Inflammatory, even.

ya you tell em

Paul as your power grid might only get a certain % *guessing here* of it's power from that supply that there may of been affects but not an outage

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"hit a vulnerable spot on a very hot and steamy afternoon"



Wow AW! You've got the makings of a great novel there!

re: the dismissed terrorist connection -

I seem to remember the IRA trying to blow up a electricity pylon by a motor way years back....

disrupt the national grid and create havoc on the roads. strategically - pretty clever.

but didn't GE put in all those surge protectors?

-- DoctorMO --

I imagine that now is a good time to be in the UPS biz

indeed, I recon that the US will definetly have to think about a proper elecy grid and stop messing around will little wires on polls with tin cans at the top.

-- DoctorMO --

Why don't they just get windmills and solar panels?

because the big bisnesses that run the US govenment would lose money, you didn't know that half the govenment is one the board of Opec or Esso or both.

-- DoctorMO --

Yes I did. Actually I had a cynical thought, in the light of the fact that the oil will run out within this decade unless they can exploit the dirtier sources like tar fields.......

Perhaps you were right after all, Dr. MO. It would appear that the source of the problem began here in Ohio when someone started messing around with our little wires on poles with tin cans at the top.



How was I supposed to know I lived in a third world country?

It should be pointed out that a system called the PJM Interconnection Grid was in place to prevent the outage from spreading any further than it did. Most of Pennsylvania was spared from the blackout because this system *worked*, and more than that, it worked *properly* - it did exactly what it was designed to do.

I don't understand the particulars of how it works, but it was set up to close down the connections between the different areas as soon as it detected an outage, in order to keep it from spreading.

don't give in AW

the problem with windmills and solar pannels is they requrire certain things

windmills- well wind for one...and another space lots of space for limited power output...to make them affective you have to have a relitivly regular windy area to put them up...I have seen some of the windmill farms up near stockten CA very pretty

Solar Pannels-well they need sunshine...which is only out about what 12 hours a day and if you live on the east coast has only been out about 1/16 of the days this year makeing it slightly unreliable in the dark and stormy areas

both cool but cannot meet the total demand

and one little theory of mine to add to bottled watter messing with the enviorment

windmills by harnising the power of wind there by draining it of power...so now this wind isn't as strong as it should of been if it didn't hit all those windmills doesn't have the same effect other winds thearby causing even crazier weather patterns to emerge 2300 miles away...eventualy killing that butterfly that's kept the wind going all these years


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I haven't given in, Tac. I was being scathingly sarcastic.

oh ok then


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hmmm, it's always interesting, 'The American Dream'

-- DoctorMO --

yes it is MO


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Well, I w**ked until about 1:30am, with the temperature slowly rising in the office to about 90°F (32°C). We got our power back on at home at around 4am ... then again around 5am.

Upon waking, I heard that 85% of Long Island had their power back, because the power authority cut themselves off from the rest of the grid in case there were problems, and were relying on their own power sources (steam-powered plants: coal!). Upon *trying* to get to w**k, I found that some of the 15% without power is right here. *sigh* So now it's gotta be well over 100°F (38°C) in the office. All non-essential personnel have been told to go home. Guess who's essential?

Oh, and about windmills: They're talking about putting them up offshore south of the Island. The rich folk in the Hamptons are having a hissy-fit because it will ruin their views. How much you wanna bet they won't be built, or will only get put up where the poor folk congregate (at the state parks)?

I have always had a problem with that "non-essential personnel" thing...especialy when I was at bragg that ment that everybody in the battalion could go home except the people in my company and usualy if not the whole company then my platoon


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I take it to mean that "non-essential" means everyone but me ... so keep w**king!