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st_aurafinaThe telephone exchange that handles internet, landlines, cell phones, emergency services, and pretty much everything in my area burned down this morning. It's been fun.
We're sharing a mobile broadband kit at the moment. That's more fun. At least now I can sync my dropbox, and check my mail, and update my facebook so that my family who can't call me know that there's no zombie apocalypse. I'm not going to be online much until it all comes back. We're not sure when that will be. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe next week? Things move slow in the country.
People are coming into town, discovering they can't buy groceries or get cash or pay bills or do any of the things people who only come into town once a week do. They've mostly been wandering the main street in an aimless way looking a bit lost. They're going to be talking about this for WEEKS.
It's not a disaster. Nobody has died. Aslilacsigil says, if we're not out digging long drop toilets in the yard, it's a pretty good situation. It's just really, really annoying, and I hadn't realised how much I depended on the internet for a sheer sanity break in between customers.
BUT IF ONE MORE PERSON COMES INTO THE SHOP AND SAYS "IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, YOU SHOULDN'T BE TOO DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY!" I AM GOING TO STICK THIS BROADBAND THING UP THEIR NOSE REALLY HARD. REALLY, REALLY HARD.
I'm just saying.
We're sharing a mobile broadband kit at the moment. That's more fun. At least now I can sync my dropbox, and check my mail, and update my facebook so that my family who can't call me know that there's no zombie apocalypse. I'm not going to be online much until it all comes back. We're not sure when that will be. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe next week? Things move slow in the country.
People are coming into town, discovering they can't buy groceries or get cash or pay bills or do any of the things people who only come into town once a week do. They've mostly been wandering the main street in an aimless way looking a bit lost. They're going to be talking about this for WEEKS.
It's not a disaster. Nobody has died. As
lilacsigil says, if we're not out digging long drop toilets in the yard, it's a pretty good situation. It's just really, really annoying, and I hadn't realised how much I depended on the internet for a sheer sanity break in between customers. BUT IF ONE MORE PERSON COMES INTO THE SHOP AND SAYS "IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, YOU SHOULDN'T BE TOO DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY!" I AM GOING TO STICK THIS BROADBAND THING UP THEIR NOSE REALLY HARD. REALLY, REALLY HARD.
I'm just saying.
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Date: 2012-11-22 10:50 am (UTC)*CLINGS*
That's... holy shit, I'm so glad you're both okay and that no one has died, but whoa! What a nightmare.
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Date: 2012-11-24 10:48 am (UTC)*clings*
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Date: 2012-11-22 11:06 am (UTC)"IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, YOU SHOULDN'T BE TOO DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY!"
I think it is actually mandatory to say this in the event of the apocalypse. There's a law.
Hope everything gets back online soon!
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Date: 2012-11-25 12:09 am (UTC)NO INTERNET omg.
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Date: 2012-11-22 11:25 am (UTC)Right. Because not having the conveniences of technology ALL the time is much better than not having them on the odd occasion.
Glad to hear you're okay, and that it wasn't a disaster!
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Date: 2012-11-25 12:19 am (UTC)It's not a disaster, but it's getting very dreary to only be able to log on occasionally, damn it.
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Date: 2012-11-22 11:34 am (UTC)On a lighter note, I am charmed to learn that a Mobile Exchange On Wheels is MEOW for short, and a Satellite Cell On Wheels is a COW.
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Date: 2012-11-25 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 11:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-25 12:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 03:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-25 12:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-25 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 03:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 04:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 04:31 pm (UTC)If the outage goes on long enough, I'm sure they'll figure something out.
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Date: 2012-11-22 07:12 pm (UTC)plus, the banks in the area would also be affected. when i worked at a bank and an exchange went down we had a floor limit of $100: no one could withdraw more than $100 because we had no way of verifying how much money they had in their account.
in australia we don't use cheques in the same way they're used in the US. you can't just go and get a cheque cashed somewhere, or pay by cheque at a shop.
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Date: 2012-11-22 07:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 10:11 pm (UTC)Nobody's going to starve - most people just had to turn around and go home for cash, but when home is a two hour drive, that's a pain in the bum. Especially if your car needs fuel to get home.
We're doing emergency credit for medications here, so people aren't going without essentials.
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Date: 2012-11-22 10:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-25 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-22 07:17 pm (UTC)INORITE? LIKE THE CAR YOU DROVE HERE IN OR ALL THESE FANCY SCIENTIFIC MEDICINES. I GUESS YOU'LL BE WALKING HOME EMPTY HANDED, WONTCHA.
i hope the telstra folks get their bums moving quickly to fix this.
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Date: 2012-11-24 11:35 pm (UTC)*sighs*
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Date: 2012-11-22 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 11:37 pm (UTC)But I miss the internet! Connectivity!
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Date: 2012-11-23 03:35 am (UTC)+hugs you both+
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Date: 2012-11-24 11:37 pm (UTC)*deep breath and goes under again*
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Date: 2012-11-23 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-24 11:39 pm (UTC)I can't handle this five minutes a day bullshit, I really can't.