Blackout Anniversary

[Gannon]

So...it has been now SIX years since the big blackout.


I remember calling it a terrorist [[or hacker or both) attack, and being ridiculed over it due the government's insistence that is wasn't...even though an NPR reporter got the official talking head to swallow his tongue when she asked how they could POSSIBLY know that within 45 minutes of the outage, when he had JUST said it would be weeks before they knew the cause.

The fact that it WAS came in the rush-hour blackout in London's Tube system less than two weeks afterward ours, after their operators boasted that what happened in NYC's subway could NEVER happen in theirs. Oops!


Just this past week in the news, the government has admitted that outside forces have hacked into many computer systems that control everything from the military to basic civic systems like water and electricity! They have all but said the Blackout of 2003 was caused by outside forces...heh. Odd there hasn't been any specific follow-up to their foolish lies.


So, cheers, on another anniversary of that AND my sister's wedding, which took place that very Saturday.

[MikeM]

So, in other words, since it could be hacked, it was hacked, and the occurences which happened that day that would cause a system collapse, didn't, or they were just a coincidence.

[redvetred]

Yesterday, northwest Oakland County was without power for almost nine hours. Fortunately, it was a calm, sunny day or it have been longer. :-[[

[MikeM]

Must have been caused by those contrails.

[ccbatson]

Good old government regulated energy....stagnates at best, and in reality, slowly degrades.

Look at the bright side however...business will boom for natural gas powered home generators.

[Gannon]

Keep being a cynic on those, MikeM. I'm holding my tongue.



As for the power outage...absolutely it was caused by an outside force, and it scared the FUCK out of the powers that think they hold the switch.

I said it at the time, and say it again...until proven otherwise. All they've done is ADD to my data, not the other way around!

ALL evidence points to that conclusion, INCLUDING the London Tube failure less than a week later.


Somebody knew what they were doing, precisely...and right on time.


The only thing the government could do is provide lip-service...

[ccbatson]

Gannon...you are great and extraordinarily consistent. You are wrong most of the time, but very entertaining. BTW, I really do mean this as a compliment.

[Gannon]

Prove me wrong, Cc.

I mean that as an encouragement.

[ccbatson]

I wouldn't dare try...that would risk the loss of these very entertaining conspiracy theories.

[MikeM]

As for the power outage...absolutely it was caused by an outside force, and it scared the FUCK out of the powers that think they hold the switch.

Nonsense and paranoia with no proof whatsoever. It's been one of the most thoroughly investigated system failures which uncovered all of the classic accident-chain factors: unplanned events, system design flaws, misinterpretation of data, poor communication, stress, overloads, inadequate training, human error, oversight failures, etc. It's the largest machine in the world, extemely complex, exhibiting behaviors that aren't fully understood which must be kept in balance by a highly trained force of professionals. There are minor disturbances somewhere in the country nearly weekly. There's been plenty of follow-up after the investigation and I provided several links to industry publications as proof the last time you brought this subject up; you either decided to ignore them or have poor memory.

[gazhekwe]

Whatever caused it, I sure hope it doesn't happen again any time soon. I want my natural gas powered house generator first. Would the natural gas keep pumping though? Aren't there some electrical thingies helping that along?

[ccbatson]

I believe that natural gas is propelled to residential applications via pressure, not pumped.

[MikeM]

I believe that natural gas is propelled to residential applications via pressure, not pumped.

The pressure is the result of the gas being "pumped"[[compressed) by centrifugal or axial flow turbines or even reciprocating engine driven pumps, all of which can be powered using the natural gas they are pumping as the fuel source.

[ggores]

A confidante told me that it was a tree branch fell on to a power line somewhere in the corn country of Ohio, causing the chain reaction that blacked-out the eastern seaboard, and due west almost past Lansing too. I remember the tubes issues later on... over in London. But when all those lights went out, I went up to Pine Knob to see Iggy and the Stooges [[rip ron) and they did not play that night because there was not enough electricity. It wud a mess!

[Danny]

When Detroit was a great northeast blackout of 2003 Most of them were sitting in our houses singing, talking and laughling while others like New York City whining complaining and looting.

[Bobl]

cc:
Your entry: "...Good old government regulated energy....stagnates at best, and in reality, slowly degrades..."

Was a popular mantra on talk radio.....until Enron demonstrated and then admitted to manipulating the price of electricity through questionable and downright dishonest accounting and distribution practices.
Just as in the case of the giant financials, deregulation led to disaster.

Sane and equitable government regulation makes more sense than putting the foxes in charge of the henhouse.

[lpg]

I remember watching a couple of neighborhood kids buying a few cases of bottled water at the corner gas station for like 3.00 and selling it at 2.00 a bottle right after the power went off. The same gas station was one of the first in Wayne County to get power and sitting on my porch watching the long lines of people trying to buy gas. And the number of times the police were called to remove unruly jerks who would cut to the front of the line and refuse to move. I hate to think how it would have been if the power was off for a extended period of time.

[East Detroit]

So, was the power grid ever updated or did we spend the money on something else instead?

[ccbatson]

Unfettered free markets are not at all what we have in terms of energy delivery in this country. Want to confirm this? Why would there be an appointed federal division and secretary of something that is in the private sector? there wouldn't be...yet...

As with all things government that shouldn't be, a mess is the result. Reverse the mess by getting government out of it.

[smogboy]

I still remember the mad rush immediately of people buying up generators. And even with the few power outages that we've had due to storms the last few years, it makes me wonder if those purchases have paid for themselves or worth it. Since The Big One, the longest I've been without power has been a few hours at best.

[ccbatson]

I doubt the costs/damages from brief outages would financially warrant 5K for a whole house generator for a very long time, if ever. It is a matter of convenience.

[smogboy]

Who said anything about dropping 5K for a whole house generator?

[ccbatson]

That is the average price for a reputable company with installation for a larger residence [[3500 sq feet) when I shopped it around.

[Russix]

Anyone remember HAARP?

Atleast Mars was awesome to see those few nights.

[ccbatson]

As we bailed out our sump pumps, stocked up on supplies, disposed of smelly rotting perishable items, and sweated through the hot days without climate control...yeah, Mars was awesome....are you kidding?