Possible cancellatons tonight due to

[KhreRiovtRex 0]

Folks,

 

Try to check the boards to see if your sims, are running this evening. Right now, Talon is tentatively running, however, I know many of my crew are caught in the blackout areas. I am one of the luck few in the New England area, as the local power grid saw the cascade, and cut the inter-ties, and running on local power generation...so...I have power!!!  Though power may start coming up, it may be awhile before everyone has their phonelines/cable internet, lines back as well...be patient.

 

Talon, watch Talon boards for updates before the sim about any cancellation notices. Reaent....Watch for mail from your CO. I know he's NOT in the directly affected area, I have no idea about your XO, but others in your crew may be. He will let you know what's up.

 

Hang in there all.

 

Blu/t'Rex

[Nemesis 0]

all I can say lucky we are just out of the grid and we have a power plant in the city so I should be able to join really crazy about what happened though. The said it wasn't connected to terrorism but now we are vulerable in NA and something just my happen which I am terrorfied of being so close to top targets.   :)

[Cmdr Laura Issia 0]

The said it wasn't connected to terrorism but now we are vulerable

 

I really wouldn't worry.   You'll note that (at least in NYC), the blackouts have hardly affected people -- they've just quietly headed home on foot.  The major problem right now is not the loss of power in general, but of air conditioning.  (::pant:: Too... hot...)  Otherwise folks are staying very calm, pitching in where needed, and generally waiting patiently for the problem to get fixed.  It's not a situation in which we're particularly vulnerable, because there is no wide-spread panic, and anything relating to emergencies or major security is on generator power.  Perhaps I'm just weird, but when I heard about this terrorism didn't even enter my mind as a possibility -- too ineffective.  When the newscasters started saying the FBI had ruled it out I was like, "Well, duh."   So really, I wouldn't worry.  Any problems on that front are likely to come very suddenly and cause a lot of problems very quickly -- that's what spreads panic, not a long-term problem.

[STSF StarDust 0]

I turned the TV on at 4pm PDT, saw special news bulletins.. and then just a plain ole power outage. Got my heart pumping for a moment tho..

 

So, here I sit, in my air conditioned building, with a nice cool breeze blowing outside, my power working fine (tho we were the test dummies for the Northern half of the state on the patch for the wrom thing and had our puters going fritzo all afternoon) with a steak cooling outside on the grill and football on the TV...

 

Now only if I was at home and drinking an ice cold beer could I really rub it in!!

[Dumbass 0]

::sips an ice-cold beer in my new hot tub and is almost thankful power outages aren't just a California thing::

[Images 0]

awwww i wish i was far far away from this blackout and in a completely different country altogether. hey wait i am! :) just kidding folks, hope you all get your power back soon!  :)  

images

 

p.s

Yeah i've noticed that now whenever ANYTHING goes wrong you have to have a silly person say it wasn't terrorism. example: the other day a dolphin died in hong kong and they actually said "this was not a terrorist act". NO WAY!

[Travis Kroells 0]

::sips an ice-cold beer in my new hot tub and is almost thankful power outages aren't just a California thing::

Yea, now all you have to deal with is Arnold handling the states money...

 

On a related note, as of right now, the Reaent sim is still scheduled to be run.  

 

An other informative post by Travis Kroells

[Nemesis 0]

Well my sim is cancelled not that even matters I can't get in the Holodeck or Ready Room so all I can say is Curse you mother nature and poor engineering  :)

[Dumbass 0]

::sips an ice-cold beer in my new hot tub and is almost thankful power outages aren't just a California thing::

Yea, now all you have to deal with is Arnold handling the states money...

Well Arnold played it smart by announcing his candidacy on Leno.  I mean if he went on Letterman no one would take it seriously.   :laugh:

 

Seriously, I haven't decided which of the 135 (!) candidates for Governor I will vote for yet, but Arnold would be better than most.  He has a degree in economics (like me) and was a success in 3 different fields - bobybuilding, real estate, and acting.  He was Chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness under Bush Sr. and sponsored a ballot initiative to fund after school programs for "at risk" youth in the 2002 election.

 

Gray Davis, on the other hand, has presided over an energy crisis in which the state was forced to buy power from Enron, presided over a budget crisis that threatened to shut the state government down (Maybe that would have been a good thing.), and saw California's bonds be downgraded to junk bond status.

[2nd Lt JacobD 0]

Yannow...my power didn't flicker one bit...wait...I'm in Texas...the only state in the United States that is on its very own power grid.

 

I should be nice ;x

[LoAmi 0]

Gray Davis, on the other hand, has presided over an energy crisis in which the state was forced to buy power from Enron, presided over a budget crisis that threatened to shut the state government down (Maybe that would have been a good thing.), and saw California's bonds be downgraded to junk bond status.

Although I don't know who I would vote for in California - anyway, it doesn't matter much, I'm on the other side of the country [but with power!] - aren't we being just a little unfair to its soon-to-be-ex-governor?

 

(1) The energy crisis was precipitated by a deregulation scheme gone awry.  While Enron (and others) jacked up prices for the average consumer and limited supply, there was little anyone could do about the "free market" forces in action, without rolling it back ("reregulation!?!  how awful!!!").

 

(2) Nearly every state in the union is having budgetary issues now.  The nationwide economy is in pretty bad shape, and the Federal government is *cutting* aid to states while mandating them to provide more services.  [As a side note, you just got a $2 off your federal tax bill (enjoy your big savings!).]  California has a particularly divided legislature, and a recall process that's easier to activate than in any other state that has such a process.

 

Just my 0.02...

:: runs away from political fallout ::

[Vex Xiang 0]

The said it wasn't connected to terrorism but now we are vulerable in NA and something just my happen which I am terrorfied of being so close to top targets.

 

Yeah I'm getting tired of the whole terrorism bit, too. Everytime something happens, a prop plane crashes, a forest fire in dry summer climate, McDonalads is out of salads, people jump to the terrorist conclusion and the gov't doesn't help by feeding their fears. Reporting that it "Was Not Caused by Terrorism" just fuels people to consider it the next time.

 

I think we have to be alertful of terrorist in the recent months...mostly because of the war and they REALLY have a reason to come after us now. But you know the terrorists really did their jobs well, because we're terrified and suspicious of every common event now.

 

I think its really upsetting.

[STSF StarDust 0]

Yannow...my power didn't flicker one bit...wait...I'm in Texas...the only state in the United States that is on its very own power grid.

 

I should be nice ;x

 

Jacob...not sure where you are in the state. But... when I was living in Lubbock, about 7-8 years ago, there was a major power outage.

 

Some idiots at one of the major plants between Lubbock and Amarillo forgot to turn off a grig before doing some kind of cleaning ro something. Blew the grid, which brought down the next.... and on down the line. Took power out for northern Texas, and browned out all way to Montana.

[Grom 0]

unfair

deregulation scheme

economy is in pretty bad shape

Yep, sure sounds like a Harvard guy.  I hear the same stuff on CNN. at least for the three minutes I can stomach watching it.  :)

[2nd Lt JacobD 0]

 

Jacob...not sure where you are in the state. But... when I was living in Lubbock, about 7-8 years ago, there was a major power outage.

 

Some idiots at one of the major plants between Lubbock and Amarillo forgot to turn off a grig before doing some kind of cleaning ro something. Blew the grid, which brought down the next.... and on down the line. Took power out for northern Texas, and browned out all way to Montana.

Just outside of DFW.  The best it gets is when it rains and the winds blow a little...the power flickers, but comes right back on.

 

:)

[STSF StarDust 0]

Get out of the DFW area!! The Hill country has regular power outages due to AWESOME storms. The Panhandle either freezes everything, or blows away...leaving you with no power,or no sattalite signal.  The coast floods.... The south bakes.....

 

Ahhh.. how I miss Texas....

[LoAmi 0]

Yep, sure sounds like a Harvard guy.  I hear the same stuff on CNN. at least for the three minutes I can stomach watching it.  :)

Then it's back to Fox News, where you can sit down and turn off your brain *until* the commercials.  (Not that I'd like to defend CNN or anything).

 

PS Next time, somebody, remind me not to release real-world email addresses.

[Seiben 0]

Ahh! I finally got my power back after one day of darkness.  I'm in Toronto and the whole city was out. Was a hot night too with no air conditioning.. oh well.  Didn't miss any of my sims, or anything so no big STSF loss for me.  At least we all got one and a half days off work.   :)

[ensign_Stron 0]

Tri-County Rural Electric, The company you love to hate :D Anyway no power probs here though we get probs many other times when no one else has them, for instance once we lost power for 6 hours never did get a reason why.   :D

[Dumbass 0]

California has a particularly divided legislature, and a recall process that's easier to activate than in any other state that has such a process.

True, but even though it's an easy process to initiate it's rare we actually use it.

[LoAmi 0]

True, but even though it's an easy process to initiate it's rare we actually use it.

I'll bet it will be used a lot more often now that the cat is out of the bag.  It, like impeachment, was considered to have been something that is to be used only as a last resort, when the governor had done something illegal under state laws or the state constitution that effected his ability to perform the duties of the office.  

 

Now, it's become a normal political tool to use if you have enough money to buy signatures and want to run for governor in an off-year election.

[Grom 0]

I'll bet it will be used a lot more often now that the cat is out of the bag.  It, like impeachment, was considered to have been something that is to be used only as a last resort, when the governor had done something illegal under state laws or the state constitution that effected his ability to perform the duties of the office.  

 

Now, it's become a normal political tool to use if you have enough money to buy signatures and want to run for governor in an off-year election.

I think you might be reading into the recall a little too much.  Nothing within the California state Constitution says anything about "last resort."  Here are the specifics from the CA Constitution...

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 13.  Recall is the power of the electors to remove an elective

officer.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 14.  (a) Recall of a state officer is initiated by delivering

to the Secretary of State a petition alleging reason for recall.

Sufficiency of reason is not reviewable.  Proponents have 160 days to

file signed petitions.

  (:D A petition to recall a statewide officer must be signed by

electors equal in number to 12 percent of the last vote for the

office, with signatures from each of 5 counties equal in number to 1

percent of the last vote for the office in the county.  Signatures to

recall Senators, members of the Assembly, members of the Board of

Equalization, and judges of courts of appeal and trial courts must

equal in number 20 percent of the last vote for the office.

  © The Secretary of State shall maintain a continuous count of

the signatures certified to that office.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 15.  (a) An election to determine whether to recall an officer

and, if appropriate, to elect a successor shall be called by the

Governor and held not less than 60 days nor more than 80 days from

the date of certification of sufficient signatures.

  (:D A recall election may be conducted within 180 days from the

date of certification of sufficient signatures in order that the

election may be consolidated with the next regularly scheduled

election occurring wholly or partially within the same jurisdiction

in which the recall election is held, if the number of voters

eligible to vote at that next regularly scheduled election equal at

least 50 percent of all the voters eligible to vote at the recall

election.

  © If the majority vote on the question is to recall, the officer

is removed and, if there is a candidate, the candidate who receives

a plurality is the successor.  The officer may not be a candidate,

nor shall there be any candidacy for an office filled pursuant to

subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 16.  The Legislature shall provide for circulation, filing, and

certification of petitions, nomination of candidates, and the recall

election.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 17.  If recall of the Governor or Secretary of State is

initiated, the recall duties of that office shall be performed by the

Lieutenant Governor or Controller, respectively.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 18.  A state officer who is not recalled shall be reimbursed by

the State for the officer's recall election expenses legally and

personally incurred.  Another recall may not be initiated against the

officer until six months after the election.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 19.  The Legislature shall provide for recall of local

officers. This section does not affect counties and cities whose

charters provide for recall.

 

 

 

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE 2  VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL

 

 

SEC. 20.  Terms of elective offices provided for by this

Constitution, other than Members of the Legislature, commence on the

Monday after January 1 following election.  The election shall be

held in the last even-numbered year before the term expires.

 

 

Don't like the recall for whatever reason? The great thing about America is that you have the power to vote in officials who agree with your line of thinking. :D

[LoAmi 0]

I think you misunderstood what I wrote -- I'm not questioning the *legality* of the recall -- it's clearly allowed by the state law.  What I am questioning is its frivolous use.   When recall was put into the state constitution, I doubt very much that its use was intended to be a regular occurence - that would prevent any government from functioning.  

 

Barriers to it becoming one (it isn't one yet!) involve *requiring* either

(1) a large number of signatures to initiate a recall, showing widespread voter support for the process to be initiated (as differentiated from a vote once the recall has been initiated)

(2) a compelling reason to initiate the recall.

 

California law has neither of those.  Beyond that, the only thing preventing it is a political/social stigma that makes it something done only as a last resort; California did have that, and it has been broken.

 

Oh, and, I don't have the power to vote in California :D

[Dumbass 0]

I think you misunderstood what I wrote -- I'm not questioning the *legality* of the recall -- it's clearly allowed by the state law.  What I am questioning is its frivolous use.   When recall was put into the state constitution, I doubt very much that its use was intended to be a regular occurence - that would prevent any government from functioning.  

Now here I disagree.  

 

Someone in his first term has to think about being reelected.  He will try to govern or legislate in a manner his constituates like so as to be reelected.  

 

For someone in his last term of a job with term limits it can be very easy to ignore the voters' wishes.  If someone shows his true colors (and we don't like those colors) early in his last term we would be stuck with that person for the rest of the term.

 

Now I favor term limits, but it does set up a situation where the incumbant gets no benefit from listening to his constituents in his last term.  Without the threat of recall or impeachment we would have no way of keeping our lame-duck politicians accountable to the public.

[LoAmi 0]

Without the threat of recall or impeachment we would have no way of keeping our lame-duck politicians accountable to the public.

Not exactly true in a party-based system.  We could fail to elect the incumbent's chosen successor and/or political party.  Your argument is one of the major arguments against term limits.  (But, that's a whole other issue.)

 

Let's differentiate between impeachment and recall.  In order to initiate impeachment, and certainly for it to happen, I believe that you need *legal* grounds.  For a recall, it's up to the public to determine when it's an appropriate course.