[extropy-chat] a request for cyber-guidance

[Damien Broderick]

At 07:43 PM 4/27/2007 -0400, Keith wrote:

> >Barbara and I had our farmhouse burned to the ground a few months ago
> >in an electricity company accident.
>
>snip
>
>There must be a story behind this.  One of the more interesting articles
>Jerry Pournelle wrote for Byte was when a car hitting a power pole dropped
>4160 volt lines onto his house power.  Every light in the house went off
>like a flash bulb and he had some interesting tales to tell about surge
>protectors.

Surge protectors, ha.

A guy wire failed on a post holding up a transformer somewhere off 
our land. The thing fell over into dry grass, spilling oil (?) and 
spitting sparks (presumably) and the fire raged unobserved until it 
reached the property and the 100 year old trees surrounding it, 
burning the whole thing to the ground including workshop full of 
tools, various vehicles (couple of classic Kombi vans, etc), 
greenhouse, storage sheds full of furniture waiting to be moved to 
another house in a week or two, antiques, the dwelling itself, etc. 
Nobody was there, no animals locked in. A neighbor alerted us (we're 
an hour away to the south). Total devastation.

I don't think they have surge protectors for that.

The Bluebonnet electric company admits total responsibility; their 
insurers have not denied it. An assessor wandered by, took a few 
desultory photos and notes, rushed on the next job.

Now the sons of bitches are offering a pittance.

Luckily (in so far as one can invoke "luck" in any of this 
unpleasantness) Barbara is a lawyer sharing office space with other 
expert lawyers, if it comes to that.

Damien Broderick