Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site boulder.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!cires!boulder!jon From: jon@boulder.UUCP (Jon Corbet) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: $7400 coffepots Message-ID: <222@boulder.UUCP> Date: Sun, 14-Oct-84 00:02:51 EDT Article-I.D.: boulder.222 Posted: Sun Oct 14 00:02:51 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 10-Oct-84 05:32:55 EDT Organization: National Center for Atmospheric Research Lines: 30 [Join me in a cup of coffee?] The following excerpt from the _Boulder_Daily_Camera discusses the airplane coffee brewers bought by the Air Force for the small price of $7400 each. The problem was apparently not one of overcharging by the vendor, but of bizarre product specification by the Air Force. According to the Camera: This was a machine that would keep working even after the plane had lost all cabin pressure. This was a coffee brewer that could keep brewing under the force of 40 g's of gravity -- enough to kill all the coffee drinkers on board. This was a coffee brewer with more than 2000 parts, custom designed and custom built to military specifications. Personally, I think these people have a lot of goddam nerve building gadgets like that and telling us we need to spend more on the military. What's the idea, anyway? I suppose that if the plane crashes, as certain modern military planes are wont to do, it is polite to have hot coffee for the rescue squad when they arrive. I guess our pilots need to sit down with a cup of coffee before deciding how to deal with a loss of cabin pressure. Way to go, Ronnie. More bucks (my bucks) for the military. The Russians will get us if the coffee maker fails. Oh well, now I got that one out of my system. I feel better. -- Jonathan Corbet