Year 2000 Computer Bug Hits Indonesia Early --
Government finds it impossible to accurately calculate troop movements in East Timor!
ABRI calculators are only able to do subtraction (and not very well at that). |
The Indonesian government is strapped for cash, former
dictator Suharto refuses to use his stolen billions to bail out the Indonesian people, and
the military is forced to use buggy calculators... but, you
can help by donating calculators (even used ones, or those that may need minor
repairs) to the Indonesians. To ensure that the calculators get to the right people in the
Indonesian government, ETAN/US suggests mailing them to Secretary of
State Madeline Albright, with instructions to forward them to the Indonesian Military
Calculation Department in Jakarta.
Please include a note
directing Secretary Albright's attention to news reports of the Indonesian math problems
on the CNN or BBC
sites.
If you don't have a calculator that you can spare, you could include ads from newspapers, magazines, or links to calculator-selling sites on the Internet (just bargains please -- keep in mind that the Indonesian rulers are cash-poor, etc.). Be sure to include any helpful advice or theories you might have about mathematics of this nature... but, don't be too tough on the generals. Remember: "Old soldiers never die -- they just forget stuff."
Send all calculators to:
Indonesian Military Calculator Donations
% Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
US State Dept, 2201 C St., NW
Washington, DC 20520
It might be useful to send a note to your representatives in Congress, informing them of your generosity. ETAN/US would also appreciate being notified.
Note: Feel free to post the Indonesian NewMath calculator animation on your site along with the accompanying instructions.