Equallya
01-03-2009, 09:01
Presidential Hut, Shangri-La
President Taylor sat behind his flimsy plywood desk, and looked over the papers before him, he wished he had a computer, however, there was no money for 500 million computers, and therefore he could not get one. He looked over at today's food ration, a loaf of bread, a half pint of milk, a quart of water, and a few ounces of turkey. He was feeling rather hungry, however it was only ten A.M. and his ration needed to last him the day. Things in Equallya had not been going well, however, the people of Equallya, would persevere, together. He had been expecting Mr. Petters, the Financial Chairman, although he suspected that Mr. Petters had reached his fuel ration for the month, and would be late. While he waited, he decided it would be a good time to make some copies, so he walked over to his mimeograph machine, and began cranking out copies. He knew that electric ones were available, however, why would he waist his electricity ration on such frivolous things, when the hand crank worked just fine, if others wanted to waist their rations like that, let them, but he liked having lights at night. He was about halfway through a stack of papers, when Mr. Petters arrived. "Ah, good," said President Taylor. "What was it today, the old bike, or did you use on of your mass transit stamps?"
"I took the train, with the food rations lower than normal today, I didn't want to over exert myself," Mr. Petters replied. President Taylor understood, he had canceled his morning jog because of it.
"So how are things going today?" the President asked.
"Haven't you seen the news?" asked Mr. Petters, though he wasn't very surprised.
"No, I try to reserve my electricity ration for important matters of state, and to have lights at night. Why, what's happened?"
"Reports are, that the upcoming harvests will have a lower yield than previously expected."
The President was concerned, he looked over at his food ration for today, and tried to image surviving on much less. "How much money do we have in the reserves? And don't give it to me in Grain, I want it in USD, I can't keep up with exchange rates like you do."
"Well," said, Mr. Petters, looking through his briefcase. "Ah, here it is," he withdrew his daily briefing. "At the current exchange rates," he did some quick math in his head. "We have a total of approximately $15,000,000 USD."
President Taylor was slightly taken back by that revelation. "Fifteenth Million USD?" he said, in disbelief.
"Yes sir," said Mr. Petters, after a written check of his mental math. "I'm as surprised as you are?"
"Where did it all come from?" ask the President, amazed that the reserves had managed to amass such a large amount of money.
"Well, sir," Mr. Petters said, frantically searching through his papers, "it appears that the television and mimeograph machine budgets were greatly over-funded. We were able to obtain the mimeograph machines quite cheaply from a company with a large over stock, and with the rise of digital LCD TVs, analog projection TVs were found, at greatly reduced prices, when you translate that into roughly 500 million, even the smallest price discrepancy, can make a huge difference in the end cost."
Before Mr. Petters, was even finished, speaking, President Taylor had unlocked and opened the draw where he kept his precious typewriter ribbon, and prepared his typewriter. He inserted a sheet of paper, and began rapidly typing. Soon he finished and handed the copy to Mr. Petters, "What do you think Green?" he asked. After Mr. Petters read it over, he handed it back and said, "I think we can afford that."
President Taylor took the paper over to his fax machine, plugged the device in, as it uses energy even while not being used, if you leave it plugged in, and inserted his draft into the feed tray, after punching in a phone number, the auto-dial feature only remembered numbers while it was plugged in, so if you unplugged it, it forgot them all, quite a bother, but it was life. He pushed send, and his off to the Foreign Ministry, from which it would disseminated to the nations of the world. A process President Taylor was glad would be on their power ration, and not his.
Official Message to the World
To: the Nations of the World,
From: the Community of Equallya
To the most esteemed and honorable nations of the world. The Community of Equallya is facing a food shortage, and wishes to purchase food from the international community. We are allocating $5 million USD to this endeavor, and will take bids for food contracts. Bids should be directed to the Equallya Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Signed,
President Albritch Taylor
The Community of Equallya
President Taylor sat behind his flimsy plywood desk, and looked over the papers before him, he wished he had a computer, however, there was no money for 500 million computers, and therefore he could not get one. He looked over at today's food ration, a loaf of bread, a half pint of milk, a quart of water, and a few ounces of turkey. He was feeling rather hungry, however it was only ten A.M. and his ration needed to last him the day. Things in Equallya had not been going well, however, the people of Equallya, would persevere, together. He had been expecting Mr. Petters, the Financial Chairman, although he suspected that Mr. Petters had reached his fuel ration for the month, and would be late. While he waited, he decided it would be a good time to make some copies, so he walked over to his mimeograph machine, and began cranking out copies. He knew that electric ones were available, however, why would he waist his electricity ration on such frivolous things, when the hand crank worked just fine, if others wanted to waist their rations like that, let them, but he liked having lights at night. He was about halfway through a stack of papers, when Mr. Petters arrived. "Ah, good," said President Taylor. "What was it today, the old bike, or did you use on of your mass transit stamps?"
"I took the train, with the food rations lower than normal today, I didn't want to over exert myself," Mr. Petters replied. President Taylor understood, he had canceled his morning jog because of it.
"So how are things going today?" the President asked.
"Haven't you seen the news?" asked Mr. Petters, though he wasn't very surprised.
"No, I try to reserve my electricity ration for important matters of state, and to have lights at night. Why, what's happened?"
"Reports are, that the upcoming harvests will have a lower yield than previously expected."
The President was concerned, he looked over at his food ration for today, and tried to image surviving on much less. "How much money do we have in the reserves? And don't give it to me in Grain, I want it in USD, I can't keep up with exchange rates like you do."
"Well," said, Mr. Petters, looking through his briefcase. "Ah, here it is," he withdrew his daily briefing. "At the current exchange rates," he did some quick math in his head. "We have a total of approximately $15,000,000 USD."
President Taylor was slightly taken back by that revelation. "Fifteenth Million USD?" he said, in disbelief.
"Yes sir," said Mr. Petters, after a written check of his mental math. "I'm as surprised as you are?"
"Where did it all come from?" ask the President, amazed that the reserves had managed to amass such a large amount of money.
"Well, sir," Mr. Petters said, frantically searching through his papers, "it appears that the television and mimeograph machine budgets were greatly over-funded. We were able to obtain the mimeograph machines quite cheaply from a company with a large over stock, and with the rise of digital LCD TVs, analog projection TVs were found, at greatly reduced prices, when you translate that into roughly 500 million, even the smallest price discrepancy, can make a huge difference in the end cost."
Before Mr. Petters, was even finished, speaking, President Taylor had unlocked and opened the draw where he kept his precious typewriter ribbon, and prepared his typewriter. He inserted a sheet of paper, and began rapidly typing. Soon he finished and handed the copy to Mr. Petters, "What do you think Green?" he asked. After Mr. Petters read it over, he handed it back and said, "I think we can afford that."
President Taylor took the paper over to his fax machine, plugged the device in, as it uses energy even while not being used, if you leave it plugged in, and inserted his draft into the feed tray, after punching in a phone number, the auto-dial feature only remembered numbers while it was plugged in, so if you unplugged it, it forgot them all, quite a bother, but it was life. He pushed send, and his off to the Foreign Ministry, from which it would disseminated to the nations of the world. A process President Taylor was glad would be on their power ration, and not his.
Official Message to the World
To: the Nations of the World,
From: the Community of Equallya
To the most esteemed and honorable nations of the world. The Community of Equallya is facing a food shortage, and wishes to purchase food from the international community. We are allocating $5 million USD to this endeavor, and will take bids for food contracts. Bids should be directed to the Equallya Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Signed,
President Albritch Taylor
The Community of Equallya