Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 14:43:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Rich Lynch <rw_lynch at yahoo.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: why government surplus is cheap
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

--- ronkean at juno.com wrote:
>
> 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
>

And I don't believe a word of it.  Urban Legends 101.

=====
Rich Lynch
==========
MIMOSA web site: http://jophan.org/mimosa/
1960s Fan History Site: http://jophan.org/1960s/
http://www.livejournal.com/~rwl

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