IP: Forwarded because of the author.. (but also note where we are in terms of power consumption per capita...)

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2001 11:16:26 -0700
>Subject: Forwarded because of the author.. (but also  note where we are in
>         terms of power consumption per capita...)
>From: John Markoff <markoff@nyt.com>
>To: John Markoff <markoff@nyt.com>
>
>(from one of the founders of PARC...)
>
>
>
>------ Forwarded Message
>From: taylor@pa.dec.com (Bob Taylor)
>Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 11:02:29 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>  Dear Folks,
>
>      America has engaged in some finger wagging lately because California
>  doesn't have enough electricity to meet its needs.
>
>      The rest of the country (including George W. Bush's energy secretary
>  Spencer Abraham, who wants Californians to suffer through blackouts as
>  justification for drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife
>  Refuge) seems to be just fine with letting Californians dangle in the
>  breeze without enough power to meet their needs.  They laugh at
>  Californians' frivolity.
>
>      Well, everybody, here's how it really is:
>
>      California ranks 48th in the nation in power consumed per person.
>
>      AND
>
>      California grows more than half the nation's fruit, nuts and
>  vegetables.  We're keeping them.  We need something to eat when the power
>  goes out.
>
>      We grow 99 percent or more of the nation's almonds, artichokes, dates,
>  figs, kiwifruit, olives, persimmons, pistachios, prunes, raisins and
>  walnuts.  Hope you won't miss them.
>
>      California is the nation's number one dairy state. We're keeping our
>  dairy products.  We'll need plenty of fresh ones since our refrigerators
>  can't be relied upon.  Got milk?
>
>      We Californians are gonna keep all our high-tech software in state.
>  Silicon Valley is ours, after all.  Without enough electricity, which
>  you're apparently keeping for yourselves, we just plain don't have enough
>  software to spare.
>
>      And we're keeping all our airplanes.  California builds a good
>  percentage of the commercial airliners available to fly you people to
>  where you want to go.  When yours wear out, you'd better hope Boeing's
>  Washington plant can keep you supplied. There isn't enough electricity
>  here to allow us to export any more planes than we need ourselves.
>
>      And while we're at it, we're keeping all our high-tech aerospace
>  stuff, too, like the sophisticated weapons systems that let you sleep
>  at night, not worried you might wake up under the rule of some foreign
>  kook. Oh, yeah, and if you want to make a long-distance call, remember
>  where the satellite components and tracking systems come from.  Maybe
>  you could get back in the habit of writing letters.
>
>      Want to see a blockbuster movie this weekend?  Come to California.
>  We make them here.  Since we'll now have to make them with our own
>  electricity, we're keeping them.  Even if we shoot them somewhere else,
>  the labs, printing facilities, editing facilities, and sound facilities
>  are all here.
>
>      Want some nice domestic wine?  We produce over 17 million gallons
>  per year.  We'll need all it now to drown our sorrows when we think about
>  the fact that no matter how many California products we export to make
>  the rest of America's lives better, America can't see its way clear to
>  help us out with a little electricity.  You can no longer have any of
>  our wine.
>
>      You all complain that we don't build enough power plants.  Well,
>  you don't grow enough food, write enough software, make enough movies,
>  build enough airplanes and defense systems, or make enough wine!
>
>      This is your last warning, America.  Lighten (us) up before it's
>  too late.
>
>  Love,
>
>      The Californians
>
>
>
>------ End of Forwarded Message



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