What the hell is going on in the US there are loads of sites which are not available. I haven't been able to access my US mail server for 4 days. The sites which are still available are so sloooooow to load it is unbeleivable. Sorry for any problems you may be having over the pond (obviously I'm a brit) but I am really curious to know what's happening.

George Bush is being sworn into office this weekend. So Al Gore has started pulling all of the plugs on "HIS" internet invention over here. Afterall. It was his invention ;-) ScottA

LOL

Wicked sense of humour (humor) Scott - I love it. Shadownet - I'm probably being stupid, but what does LOL mean ? I keep seeing it and never understood. I am no wiser about the problems but I am laughing at Scotts' response. Thanx guyz.

Laughing Out Loud That is atleast my understanding of what it means and how I use it, now the real joke is going to be when someone says it means something else, like Lonely Old Loser or something like that. :o)

Thanx Shadownet, now it all becomes clear. I was indeed LOL. I could also be a lonely old loser :<{ This internet thing that Al Gore invented is wonderful. It allows me to talk to people thousands of miles away and not understand a word they say. Just like the politicians. Excellent - where would we be without it ? Bye now.

California is experiencing roveing power blackouts that are turning off servers in that region from time to time and since it takes a little time for a server to come on line the poswer blackouts are causeing problems with the internet. California hopefuly will find a answer to thier power needs.

Ahhh--I hadn't even thought of that--being snug and warm and with plenty of light in the Carolinas.

And just whom do think is causing those blackouts? Atta boy Al. Show em who's boss. ;-) ScottA

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=Vethril

*with the woodstove going full blast up here in New England* Yes, California is the base for many internet operations. Those problems out there are likely what is causing the difficulties. Ah well, California is noted for it's refusal to allow new searches for energy sources, as many of the people there are 60's folks who think energy will just appear as they need it, without considering it must come from someplace. All the old hippies probably never thought far enough ahead about where they will get gas for their Beamers and the juice to keep their hottubs and jacuzi's warm. *LOL!* Well, they put the kabosh on most new exploration, and in spite of their insistance that you can conserve your way to energy independance, now they are finding out different. *shrug* Maybe they will let George W's family come out and drill for some new oil now. *grin* Hope things get better out there, and they straighten it all out. Enjoy the day! =)

deregulation didn't help either S

grahamjames: As far as I followed that rolling blackout story it wasn't two days in a row. Everything pretty much leaves the country through MAE East or MAE West. If the transatlantic link goes down then it goes the long way around. And, all thanks to Internet for empowering people with not much to say. =) shadownet: Everybody took it for laughing out loud--upuntilnow! Thanks a lot. Vethril: Hey, lay off the old hippies. I'm here in the Pacific Northwest in a geodesic dome with radiant heat in the quarry tile floor. Take my word when I say a wood stove is as dirty as a dog. Beemer? I've got a '58 Beetle, '61 Type II panel van, '64 Type III Notchback (admittdly close to the 1600cc BMW 2002), and I'm driving a '72 Squareback. all: Dubya's oil isn't the answer. Ballard Engineeering or Dean Kamen at DEKA show the way. THE TURN OF THE CENTURY There'll be flying boats, condo's with moats cultivated oceans, floating cities in the sky living underneath our bubbles, no more toil and troubles singing about that sweet old by and by We'll all have lots of money that we won't have to spend You'll be given everthing when everyone's your friend hanging out together, picture perfect weather this time round the party never ends We won't have no tv preachers to ask how much we gave We won't need no tv preachers, see by then we'll all be saved No more fighting for our country, no child will go hungry we'll be smiling from the cradle to the grave hallelulia I can't wait to see it, hallelulia come and go with me let me show you just how great life's going to be at the turn, turn of the century. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band hippies...

What I wanna know is: Where's the flying cars? I was promised Flying cars! I don't see any flying cars! ScottA

Okay, since you brought it up. This is 2001, I want my Space Odyssey.

My point perzackly. I always wanted to do a movie called 'If the Hippies Had Won in the 60's'. My theory is that the hippies were too close to the 'leibensreform; (sp) movement that was hi-jacked by the, um, n-word volk to survive let alone achieve world domination. But--30's, 60's, 90's. You can find John Gilmore every year at the Oregon Country Faire. Let a thousand open sources bloom.

Hey, hi from the rotating blackout state...:-(....in their wisdom California voters asked for de-regulation of the power companies...(well it seemed like it worked for the telephone companies)...suddenly with de-regulation came the jump from 5cents to 70cents per billing unit...little apartments went from $40. to 150-250 bills and that my friend can cause a brain overload....or in political terms...a crisis. The electric companies went from being suppliers to distributors, the power plants were selling to the higher bidders...all spells ....lights out! ...So..after getting everyone plugged in with all electric homes, and all electric computers.....we are like electric addicts...of course now the government is getting into the power business to save us....:-O.....so get your mice going on those little treadmills....figure out how to use snow to make electricity, de-regulation spells PROFITS...and we are all hooked on electricity.... Last news was California politicians are headed to Montana to wave their arms in alarm over de-regulation idea there....watch out it is coming to your state soon!....Just say NO.... ...who put the kill in killowatt!....

Sittin here in Texas with tons of them dirty power plants and nasty oil refineries ...but plenty of cheap power and gas. Ya makes your choices and pays the price.

Viewed two rather interesting news reports yesterday. One, on the California energy situation pointed out an interesting fact - California has the lowest per user consumption of electricity in the country. Isn't it great? You do everything you can to use it wisely only to get punished for it by paying three to four times the national average ... when they let you have it that is. The second one was very depressing and shows us that just when you think you have it bad, it could be worse. It is reported that the drinkable water supply in some parts of the world is so low, so scarce that the C.I.A. expects regional wars to begin flaring within 5-10 years over water. Flash points include Turkey-Syria, Turkey-Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Israel-Jordan, Egypt and everyone south of them along the Nile, just about everywhere else in Africa and China is expected to hit a very, very major water shortage within 10 years or less. Now, where do over 2 billion Chinese go when they want a drink of water? Like I said, just when you think you have it bad ... Take care.

I know it is a nuisance when the power goes out in California. (I am originally from that golden state.) But what I think is truly harrowing is the current breakdown of energy supply in Russia. The news report I saw yesterday showed people in temperatures of -40, with no heat, no hot water, ice on the interior walls of their homes. Those who had any heat at all were getting it from ancient coal-burning stoves (as in the days of the Tsars, as the reporter pointed out). Here in Germany, when it is just below zero and the heat goes out in my flat, I get angry and move to a hotel for a couple of days until it gets fixed. These poor people have no such option. It is hardly Poser related, but if anyone else wants to remember these poor souls in their prayers, I would be grateful. Sorry. I have had this on my mind all night. Hope everyone is staying warm and healthy this 2001.

Alright Imacken. I'll behave. LOL! But I think Lorraine has it pegged about right. She's there too, and going through the blackouts with you. California will solve the problem, no doubt. They have ingenious people out there, with great imagination. They are Californians after all. =)

Interesting to hear more about the Golden State mess. I've thought for a long time that they are mostly really screwed up. Who else would demand 'pollution free' electric cars without even thinking about where the electric power to recharge all those batteries is coming from? Hence, higher demand on electric power, generated in part, I would suppose, by burning fossil fuel. We've gone the deregulation route here in Maine, but it has not changed much yet. There is no competition for supplying power, for one thing. it still comes from the same sources as before. The former power companies are now just moving all that power from the generators to the people. When our power goes out up here, we just crank up the generator and sit back and relax, watching the snow come down.

Can't have natural gas fuming up the pristine shores of Emeryville, nor nuclear fallout looming off the Santa Barbara coast, nor carbon precipitates fouling the clear green air above the tar pits of La Brea, nor bashing the brains out of the legions of condors that once sailed graceously through the wind swept valleys. And for inspiration, one should examine the natural beauty depicted in the Green Peace mural near the old Quarter Master Corps Pier in San Francisco, and see the future: it looks just like Pnom Penh under Pol Pot

Well, it is surprising to the common-folk that suddenly there is not enough power, that suddenly being coincidental to the de-regulation thing. Mostly it surprises you to open your bill to find out (with no warning or notice) that they jacked the price up 200% as a "nudge" and when people paniced they were told that the prices would go up 400% before they leveled out. So the politicians stepped in to "investigate". But that good old computer gobbles electricity and it is a matter of transition that got lost here...when you snooze you looze! suddenly when the power companies were told no to the high prices we don't have "any" power...well all of a sudden the same power is not there unless we pay the price. Not a great way to greet the morning. Luckily we have a moderate climate, no freezing blizzards, no 107degree summers. I believe most people would be better prepared if there had been some idea about the prices, but to open your bill and see hundreds of dollars when you expected the usual 20-50 dollars spells panic. I know I could not belive my bill and I am not home most of the day. The early days of the power price jump people were told oh don't go to generators you will pollute, and cause a gas shortage.... Uless I can get my computer to run on candle power I will sorely miss what I think is therapy for my stressful job....I think we really need to conserve the environment, but in a balanced way...it just seems fishy that overnight there is either no power or power that is really too expensive to use. I am not sure anyone else could handle the emotional reaction you have to a 400% increase in your electric bill over what you expect to be a seasonal spike...I am glad I like candles...!

Oh and by the way there have been two solid days of blackouts, mostly in the No California...the power "grid" operators wanted to rotate 12 hour black-outs and were told no. Southern California has not been hit with the blackouts quite yet; we are being subsidized so our bills went back to normal...but if businesses pull out there will be no jobs to employ people so they can pay any bills...it all is fishy....government watchers are saying that the power producers are just being greedy....you don't know how dependant you are on something until they price it out of your reach!

Vethril: Actually, I'm north of the border. We give thanks here evey day that the Columbia is beyond the reach of the LA Water Bureau. Anybody ever see the movie China Town? As Nicloa Tesla showed, energy blows though us like the wind. If Doerr, Bezos or Jobs invested in Dean Kamen's $1500 Stirling engine there could be good things coming out of New Hampshire. Bucky Fuller showed plans for indoor windmills (!!!) but nobody thought the all-weather maintenance was sufficient advantage. They sure wouldn't chew up birds. Innovation moves faster than corruption. Only new industries can save us. lorraine: I hear that overall demand has gone down with Internet's rise (but it's still being blamed), and the alternate source producers are getting hammered, instead of benefitting for the raid on the consumer's pocket. Seem consistent with your senario.

Yes, it seems that what we are being told is, as usual, less than the whole story. I just find it hard to believe that we have power one day and none the next. The alternate forms of power have been considered too "pricey" and not reliable enough in the past; I also am not sure how the same politicians who are waving their arms in alarm did not see this coming when they lobbied for de-regulation...what does seem clear is that just like gas prices the profits seem to be at least an obvious motive; and we will all need power to play our poser programs! :-)...

I live in Northern California. I had my power out for several hours on Thursday. Unfortunately I do all my work from my home so I was a little paniced, But my clients are in northern California too, so they understood. I'm really scared of the bill. Both my roommate and I work on computers out of our home. We can't "turn" them off and pay the bills. A catch 22 if I ever saw one. I hope they figure this out real soon. :( Okay, I griped, but I'm thankful I'm not in Russia, or back in Wyoming where it's -40 too. There are still plenty of blessings. I love my work and frankly in spite of the crazy politicians, I love California. Take care all. Boni