Nicron #100 11 сентября 1998

Демопати

FunTop98 - the difficulties of training.

          "Lifeline"
          length of 133 meters


                 "Scientists - the light,
                 and ignorance - the darkness "
                 (Old Russian proverb)


(C) Vladimir Bulchukey (Wlodek Black)


... Light cut down on August 13. Take another quarter of an 
hour, and was would have 13 hours. The school has already 
received ominous warnings from the Mosenergo, but nobody, not 
even the headmaster could not believe that with officials from 
the circuit breaker will rise arm for the state children's 
educational institution. However, the rose. As it soon turned 
out into the darkness plunged dozens of schools in Moscow. 
Moscow! City, for the "welfare" which constantly repeats on 
television high state officials and believe that many of our 
fellow citizens. The city annually emit millions on lavish 
celebrations to mark their own birthdays on the first weekend 
September, at the very first day of September, ventured to 
drown in the waves of parental objections, and quite possibly, 
the indomitable youth squall of anger. State that do not 
produce the metropolitan public education penny for utilities 
already Since 1996, the very same for this and punish. In the 
long list Post-Soviet Russia marasmus is just a fad, so that

does not cause much surprise. In general, the light flashed 
again only on September 1. Otherwise it would be ignorance, 
because what can be learned in the dark? .. So it made in the 
epigraph adage obviously needs osovremenivanii in relation to 
democratic Russia. 

   ... And between 13 August and 1 September was lying we all 
know the date of August 22. 

   On the 13th the number was assigned to a dress rehearsal of 
the Festival FunTop98, with the full sweep of all equipment and 
all software in the conditions as close to real.


   Instead of a rehearsal held an emergency meeting of the 
Organizing Committee, passed on the platform of the subway 
station "Arbat". Go "The city" no longer make sense. Gathered 
in a tight circle around one of the benches, we first ad 
libitum gave vent to his feelings, and then quickly came to a 
cruel, but a definite conclusion: to cancel or transfer FunTop 
not. Most future participants and guests had already purchased 
tickets for the train to Moscow, the most impatient had the 
same steal up close to the walls of the city ;-) (for example, 
from Serge City Shadrinsk stayed with friends in Obolensk). In

preparation of the Festival has been invested so much energy, 
soul and even own funds, which hold people worldwide bummer for 
the second year in a row would be just deadly, even to 
themselves, not to mention the "Spectrum" stage, etc. And the 
people were would be a shame.


   Several options were born out of the situation at once: the 
first - Mosenergo - push! ", As Alex, the second - is hoped 
that electricity is rapidly turned on, and wait, and the third 
- seek opportunities to apply power from the outside. Somehow, 
the fourth option - to find another place - a temper not 
occurred to anyone, but he was born by the evening of the first 
day. But it had to be put to rest once: to rent another room in 
our already had neither the time nor the money.


   The headmaster broke off his vacation and the 14 th of 
August was released at work. Of course, the fate of FunTop-but 
it is not worried in the first place, "the nose" was the 
beginning of the school year. However, we must pay tribute to: 
Michael A. found sympathetic words without indiscreet reminder 
of FT, and tried every way to support and cheer me up. He 
confirmed his intention to ensure that the Festival, if we can 
bring ourselves electricity August 22, if by that time the 
light still will not. 

   The fact that the light will not be exactly, it became clear 
early in the week August 17. Next question was not "what to do, 
and how to do. Steward school, Valentina Volchenkova, offered 
to seek the help of an electrician RG, serving District 91-th 
school, and gave the address. "For solidity" to the talks did 
not go I, and Boris Sharapov (OPER) - as you know, meet some 
"On their looks, in the sense of general appearance. Local 
electrician understood our problem, even walked with us all the 
possible points of connection to the nearest school to the 
apartment house on grain lane but was unable to help. Well, it 
is quite understandable: the risk of losing their job, of 
course, would chip any money, and we do not could offer a 
special lot. 

   Trying to put in your shop in the basement of that house 
immediately ended in vain: on Saturday that the company was not 
working. Although the other day they were in principle not 
opposed to that that one of their outlets would be stuck with a 
fork very long wire trailing somewhere under the heavens ... 

   Remained only the last and irreplaceable option: to 
negotiate with someone from the building's residents. In the 
house that on grain alley that behind the school, of my 
students live just one. Two days before the opening of the 
Festival I was at home in the evening picked up the phone ...


   ... People caught in those days, an invaluable service 
throughout the Spectrum creative Luda, deserve to have their 
names were called on the world. This student 10 "A" class 91-th 
school Peter Matyushin, his parents - mom and dad Svetlana 
Konstantinova Arkady Petrovich, as well as their neighbors - 
Dmitri G. and his son.


   On Friday, August 21, Boris and Alexander Sharapov Filyanov 
(FIL / Antares) went to one of the firms that sell wholesale 
electrical goods, and in recent orgkomitetovskie 160 rubles 
bought 133 m two-conductor cable to the double insulation 
suitable for installation outdoors. 

   Connected to an outlet in the apartment Dmitry Grigorievich 
- their The windows were closer to the school. Svetlana 
Konstantinova she agreed with the owners. 

   This should be (and maybe better not ...) to see: from the 
window study computer science at the fifth floor of the school 
hanging wire, stretched across the yard (thank God, back yard - 
no cars, no pedestrians!) of trees, hang on some hooks along 
walls of a residential house and finally plunges into the 
transom windows on the ground floor ...


   At 16 o'clock on August 21 in the hall lighted display 
screen, the powerful speaker hit the elastic wave notorious 
"envelope" ... After all experienced it seemed a miracle. And 
the first time in the last two weeks of relief smiling face lit 
up in earnest exhausted organizers ... With us rejoice luck and 
help us in the day guys from other cities, arrived early on 
FunTop and looked into the school. Chief editor of "Deja Vu" 
shook the dust off jeans and palms, adjusted to go off the nose 
during the holding shaky ladder points and customary 
professional movement pulled out a tape recorder ...


   The sun was shining, vibrating under light wind gusts 
electrical, some old demos were spinning on video monitors 
mixed in with the new 5-m release "Deja Vu", and I mumbled 
something a voice recorder, gesticulating frantically, as if 
before the camera lens ... It was the first fantopovskoe 
interview! :-) 

   And in the hall and the corridor is already unfolding 
humdrum work: hung signs and advertisements, arranged the 
tables for the registration papers, and GPV was arguing with 
someone on the sequence shown images, and we shall, if the bell 
is about the "third ring" and will that for which scores of 
people excitedly did not sleep at night, "Coding" and drawing, 
drawing impossible AY and postponing the last ruble, the 
hryvnia and "bunnies" for train tickets ... On this night, 
sleep peacefully indifferent will fail too. Is that 
naperezhivavshiesya "organizers" a little bit relieved - the 
last and most difficult obstacle is passed. 

   Tomorrow - FunTop ...