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Topic: 1st (2nd?) Annual Black-Out Day !
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Tao Jones
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5986
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posted 04 June 2004 04:40 PM
O.K. Rabble Rousers let me hear ya!I'm a newbie here (in babble) and here's my idea:
Think back, if you will, to that fateful day in July last year when so many million of us were plunged into darkness and despair... O.K. really - the wonderfully surprising thing about the Big Black-out (that we simply had to pin the blame on, well, someone) was the lack of darkness and despair. Many of us (although confused and concerned) scrambled home from work early that day in what gradually became a bumper to bumper rush-hour nightmare frantically punching our cell phones in hopes of contacting loved ones and/or information as to exactly what was happening (after 9/11 it felt as though anything was possible). When it became evident and widely known to all that there was nothing "un-toward" about the situation there was still concern, but a collective sense of relief was thick in the hot evening air. As we arrived home after a remarkably road-rage free commute of twice or three times the average length of time, we found (at least in my neighborhood) our many unfamiliar neighbors becoming familiar beyond exchanging fleeting niceties, sharing pizzas (from the gas ovened pizza joint humming with business and chatter) and (still cold) assorted beverages. It felt both odd and re-assuring to see a community acting ,well, like a community.
Of course it didn't take long for the passing acknowledgements and niceties to slowly subside over the (post- blackout) coming days.
I (and many others I've spoken to about this) couldn't help but be inspired by this anything but tragic event.
Imagine, if you will, a day, the same day in July, being observed and commemorated by millions of fellow Canadians each year by either "shutting down all electricity" from say 3pm to 1am or even lobbying with the powers that be to shut it down! (yeah,right!) Imagine the money being saved by shutting down for 10 hrs! Imagine we use this time to discuss alternative, eco-friendly sources of power. Of course there may be a better chance at winning the lottery (which most would agree to do anything for), But, I submit, Why the Hell Not!?! Let's do it!! ..........Naaaaahhh!
From: Mississauga, Ont | Registered: Jun 2004
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beverly
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5064
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posted 04 June 2004 05:08 PM
What a romantic view of the black-out. I heard on the radio folks in new york actually got to see the stars for the first time.We go camping to a place where you can see all the satellites and assorted space junk circling the globe on a clear night. I can't imagine life without stars. I however know nothing about power grids ....
From: In my Apartment!!!! | Registered: Feb 2004
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spatrioter
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2299
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posted 04 June 2004 05:12 PM
I assume hospitals and other essential services would be exempted?And how would people in high-rise apartment buildings get their water, since the pumps wouldn't be working? How would elderly people cope in the summer in the intense heat? What about the lost food through a shutdown in refrigerators? I think it would do more good to campaign for the government to invest in alternative energy resources instead of campaign for them to shut off all electricity.
From: Trinity-Spadina | Registered: Mar 2002
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Mr. Magoo
guilty-pleasure
Babbler # 3469
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posted 04 June 2004 05:32 PM
quote:
What game?
An improv comedy game. You take turns speaking, but you can only ask questions. First person to not ask a question, or to be stumped, is out. But I digress. I think that if it were possible to pretend it was a blackout, that might be cool. Problem is, it's hard to "pretend" you have to eat up all this ice cream when you know you don't, and the lit windows and humming air conditioners of the inevitable cheaters could be a damper. It's true though; I doubt there's any Torontonian who can't say they didn't meet at least one new neighbour thanks to the outage. We sat up on our roof with some younger guys from our building, who enlisted our aid in downing some beer while it was still cold. And I got the following day off work. Good times.
From: ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°`°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø,¸_¸,ø¤°°¤ø, | Registered: Dec 2002
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Fidel
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5594
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posted 04 June 2004 06:19 PM
They shut down private enterprise owned stations in the USA all the time. It creates a shortage of power, and thus, drives up prices.Another these privateers use is to make round trip sales of electrical power to one another. That, too, creates false demand ... and drives power prices thru the roof. I've got the real fix for these parasites who want to make money by shooting ducks in a barrel.
We have to remove the dim bulbs in Ottawa and the Conserviberal provinces and replace'm with some high quality NDP ones.  Either that or it's bargaining for own resources with rifles and all that Che Guevera stuff. And Canadians are too whiny for all that, so we get to have a say once every four or five or until we can bring in a more advanced form of democracy ...proportional representation as proposed by the NDP. [ 04 June 2004: Message edited by: Fidel ]
From: Viva La Revolución | Registered: Apr 2004
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Tao Jones
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 5986
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posted 04 June 2004 08:46 PM
"Conserviberal", that's a good word for it, Fidel! I wouldn't say we are "too whiny" for an uprising, of sorts. I would say we're less concerned about power and control, because we know we ain't gonna get it nor do we want it. Interesting times, these. The NDP will surely rise to the occassion. Sites like Babble (alternative sources) are becoming more and more popular now that we have the "power", through the web, to demand the truth. and they are not only giving the goods they provide a forum to be heard."the revolution will not be televised" the Last Poets, I think. How was that for digression???????????????? "The Medium is the message" M.McLuhan
From: Mississauga, Ont | Registered: Jun 2004
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steffie
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3826
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posted 04 June 2004 08:55 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Mr. Magoo:
Is anyone familiar with the game "Questions Only"?
Well... is somebody going to start a "questions only" thread...?
Could there be themed threads in which we converse only in question form...? Is anybody besides me thinking of the game of the same name played on "Whose Line is it Anyway?"...? P.S. Blackout Day was August 14th. [ 04 June 2004: Message edited by: steffie_slick ]
From: What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow / Out of this stony rubbish? | Registered: Mar 2003
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