I enjoyed your script very much.. thanks!! Adrienne > ---------- > From: Antony F Anderson[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Reply To: Museum discussion list > Sent: Wednesday, 11 March 1998 12:52 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Museums and the 21st Century > > > Question: "What is the single most important tool for museums in > the > > 21st century?" > > An "anti-millenium-bug" tool-kit, ready for use from start of the > Museum New Year's Eve Party on December 31st 1999, that will enable a > painless transfer into the 21st Century. This will include the > following: > > 1 candle and a box of matches to enable the Museum Director to find > his/her way to the emergency generator in the basement and switch it > on when the millenium high voltage power system bug causes a power > failure at midnight precisely. > > 1 large bottle of whisky to give the Museum Director an enhanced sense > of mission to venture into the basement with lit candle in order to > find the emergency generator. > > 1 large fire extinguisher and torch to be carried by the curator as > back-up, in the event that Museum director's basement mission is > aborted by wall of flame resulting from candle-induced ignition of > spilt whisky. > > 1 flint axe to enable Museum Security to rescue staff and museum > sponsors trapped behind electrically non-functioning lift doors and > before they are roasted by above-mentioned wall of flame rising > through lift shaft. > > 1 set of ostrich shell containers, to enable balance of whisky, if not > combusted, to be distributed later to calm the nerves of rescued > staff, disoriented sponsors and an exhausted Museum Security Officer. > > 1 set of Napier's Bones or a large circular slide rule, paper, pens, > ink, pencils and india rubber to enable calculations vital to the well > being of the museum to be carried out by the Museum Accountant during > the early part of the 21st century while museum computer network is > convalescing from an attack of millenium flu. > > 1 wind up gramophone and set of 78 RPM records to provide simulated > surround sound and multi-media replacement therapy for agitated staff > and disoriented visitors deprived of normal diet of virtual reality. > > 1large hoard of ancient coins, to be pressed into service as medium of > exchange for the duration of the accompanying millenium-bug-induced > credit card crisis. > > Heliograph and set of carrier pigeons to replace external fax and > e-mail. > > Set of tom-toms with operating manuals and corporate-jungle-trained > operators to replace internal digital communications network and to > ensure the maintenance of staff discipline at all times. > > Other other items in toolkit to be left to the imagination......most > will be found in the stores of a museum near you. > > Respond to the needs and challenges of the 21st century by setting up > your communal wax taper, sundial and candle clock making facility now, > before double digital death zeros in and destroys twentieth century > time. > > Antony Anderson > http://museum-security.org/denney/index.htm >