Blackout Week Continues

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Posted by michael on Sunday August 17, 2003 @11:53PM from the at-least-it-isn't-shark-week dept.

RedCard writes "Back in April of 1999, Wired magazine published an issue featuring a black-on-black cover with the title Lights Out. In it, they detailed what could've happened had the Y2K bug not fizzled. There's the cover story detailing the Y2K worries, a guide to the biggest blackouts of all time (before last week, that is), survival stories from New Zealand, and finally a look at the myth of order - how our power system is as chaotic as any complex software system. By the way, whatever happened to those backups put in place for Y2K that were supposed to prevent one grid from taking out a zillion others? Where'd my tax money go? Enjoy!" Dennis Kucinich has also written an informative piece about the energy utility that seems to have been responsible for the recent blackout.

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Heh. by Black+Parrot · 2003-08-17 23:55 · Score: 5, Funny

Maybe this was a Y2K bug. (If it blew up when it was supposed to it wouldn't be a bug, now would it.)

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
All these blackout stories.. by Gherald · 2003-08-17 23:58 · Score: 3, Funny

Okay, okay, I'm convinced!

Time to order a UPS...

Will this do?

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The unofficial /. digest
1. Re:All these blackout stories.. by timbloid · 2003-08-18 00:03 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Yeah, but getting 50 million of them's gonna cost ya... ;)
2. Re:All these blackout stories.. by Anonymous Coward · 2003-08-18 00:10 · Score: 0, Funny
  
  Shucks. Might as well build my own fusion reactor.
3. Re:All these blackout stories.. by swordboy · 2003-08-18 01:04 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Will this do? [bestbuy.com]
  
  No, but this one will do nicely.
  
  --
  
  Life is the leading cause of death in America.
4. Re:All these blackout stories.. by phurley · 2003-08-18 01:29 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Ahh but this would be so much nerdier (and quieter) :-)
  
  Fuel Cell
  
  --
  Home Automation & Linux -- now I know I'm a geek
The art of psychic maintenance by richie2000 · 2003-08-18 00:01 · Score: 4, Funny

Back in April of 1999, Wired magazine published an issue featuring a black-on-black cover with the title Lights Out. In it, they detailed what could've happened had the Y2K bug not fizzled.
Wow. Were they all psychics? Did they, back in '99, see the end of the dotcoms too?

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Money for nothing, pix for free
1. Re: The art of psychic maintenance by Black+Parrot · 2003-08-18 00:10 · Score: 0, Funny
  
  > Wow. Were they all psychics? Did they, back in '99, see the end of the dotcoms too?
  
  Yes, but unfortunately they moved their money to Iraqi oil futures.
  
  --
  Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Enron by Anonymous Coward · 2003-08-18 00:07 · Score: 5, Funny

By the way, whatever happened to those backups put in place for Y2K that were supposed to prevent one grid from taking out a zillion others? Where'd my tax money go?

I think enron was supposed to install them.
We're Safe, Congress is going to fix it by Duck2Man · 2003-08-18 00:10 · Score: 1, Funny

I heard that a bunch of lawyers in Congress are going to fix the problem. I feel so much more secure, don't you!
Re: So where did those generators go? by Black+Parrot · 2003-08-18 00:13 · Score: 2, Funny

> Hey wait a minute. I remember companies spending millions on backup generators and such. Even news bits about some companies finding it cheaper to generate their own power. Where exactly did they all that energy production capacity go?

Unfortunately they ordered all those generators from this guy.

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
black on black? by Guano_Jim · 2003-08-18 00:14 · Score: 1, Funny

I'll bet Spinal Tap is really mad that Wired ripped off their album cover idea.

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Re:Two schools of thought about blackouts... by kinnell · 2003-08-18 00:15 · Score: 5, Funny

how are you supposed to "put on" some music without ELECTRICITY
Head over to the neighbour's house and force them at gunpoint to sing for you before they jump to conclusion

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If I seem short sighted, it is because I stand on the shoulders of midgets
top priorities of our goverment by Anonymous Coward · 2003-08-18 00:21 · Score: 3, Funny

1) satisfy RIAA
2) satisfy MPAA
3) ...
4) electricity
heh, whoah by serial+frame · 2003-08-18 00:32 · Score: 1, Funny

We're all STILL on a...power (as in zap-zap fizzle 120VAC) trip!

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And the Angel said unto me, "These are the cries of the carrots! The cries of the carrots!"
Re:Two schools of thought about blackouts... by telstar · 2003-08-18 00:48 · Score: 2, Funny
"b) Head over to the neighbour's house and rob them at gunpoint before they jump to conclusion (b) as well."
- That's presuming they don't own a
- "Jump to Conclusions Mat".
Re:Get off the grid by haa...jesus+christ · 2003-08-18 00:53 · Score: 2, Funny

good thing we've all got waterfalls on our respective properties.

;)
Re:NIMBY by Speare · 2003-08-18 03:50 · Score: 4, Funny

On NPR, someone said that NIMBY is being replaced with BANANA (Build Almost Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody), and is destined for NOPE (Nothing On Planet Earth). Worth a chuckle, but I don't know how widespread they are.

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Canadian Bacon by canadiangoose · 2003-08-18 04:42 · Score: 2, Funny

I'm gonna get modded soo far down for this, but heck...
I'm living in Toronto, and about 30 minutes into the blackout, when I started to hear from my friends just how much of Ontario was without power, I started to wonder if in the morning the power would come back on and President George W. would come on the television with an announcement...
Hello Cah-Nah-Dah, I am now your supreme ruler. My closest advisors tell me that you are located somewhere North of me. After spending two hours learning how to pronounce your nation's name, I now own you!!
Turns out I was wrong. Maybe I should cut down on the caffeine a little.

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Never eat more than you can lift -- Miss Piggy