To: WSFAlist at keithlynch.net
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 01:58:17 -0400
Subject: [WSFA] why government surplus is cheap
From: ronkean at juno.com
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:44:02 -0400 Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net> writes:

> Biggest problem they had was that the surplus weather balloons had
> deteriorated to the point where they nearly blew their helium budget
>
> when too many of the half-filled balloons broke.
>

They should have tested the balloons with air before filling them with
helium.

In the 1970s, a story circulated by photocopy, titled 'why government
surplus is cheap'.  Someone bought a rack of electronic equipment at a
surplus auction, not knowing just what it was.  At home, he turned on the
power switch, and began playing with the controls.  After a while, a loud
bell inside the equipment began to ring.  Then the bell stopped, and a
siren sounded.  He became frightened, and ran out of the house.  Then the
explosive charge inside the equipment detonated.

Ron Kean

.

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