In the Dark

Rolling blackouts and tech meltdowns can catapult any attorney back into dimmer times, when no one had any connectivity to speak of and information came in big heavy books.

By Paul R. Kiesel

I awoke one morning several weeks ago and glanced to my nightstand to see the time; the clock was dark. I reached over to turn on my light, only to discover that it wasn't working either. Confused and half asleep, it took me a few minutes to realize that we were experiencing a rolling blackout.

Within the hour I realized just how inconvenient rolling blackouts would be.

My 9-year-old son wandered into the room, complaining that his television show wasn't on and he couldn't watch a video since the lights were out. No morning coffee, no toast and worst of all, my garage security gate was securing my car in the garage.

I live only a few miles from my office and enjoy riding my bike to work. I exited through the rear, manual gate and thought my day was about to improve. I couldn't have been more wrong. I turned on the computer, which came up without any problems, and opened my e-mail. I read with dread the message from our Internet service provider: "We regret to inform you," (never a good beginning) "that Northpoint, your Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) providers, have declared bankruptcy. As a result of Northpoint's bankruptcy, the termination of your DSL service is imminent!"

Whaaaat? DSL/Internet access is the heart of my firm's practice. Without the DSL, we would be off the Internet, lose all incoming and outgoing e-mail and would not be able to work remotely from home. Or from Maui, where I'm typing these words while lounging around the pool at the Grand Wailea.

Though the e-mail seemed threatening, I thought it impossible that this multibillion-dollar, coast-to-coast DSL access provider company could shut down. My next call was to PacBell. I explained my dilemma. The cheerful sales representative said I was in luck! They could fit me in four weeks later. FOUR weeks!!
Several hours later my DSL line went dead! No e-mail, no remote access, no on-line legal research (damn, I knew we shouldn't have thrown away the books!).
I sat there staring at my computer, frustrated beyond measure, confused and, truth be told, pretty angry. Angry at the utilities, angry at Northpoint, angry at PacBell (though I knew that was unfair) and absolutely at a loss as to what my next move should be. Incredibly, I hadn't realized how much I relied on my connectivity.

The phone calls started the following day.

"Hey, Paul, I'm trying to e-mail you something, but the e-mail keeps coming back ... is there a problem?" YES, there was a problem. We're living in one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world, yet we can't generate enough power to make a cup of coffee or power an alarm clock or open my security gate.
We've bought a new paradigm of office productivity that relies on a fast Internet connection. Yet the company that provided the key to this connectivity for my office and home had become a victim of a technology meltdown. Yes, I'd say there was a problem.

Hello? Hello? Where did my caller go? Where did my phone system go? Where did my lights go? You guessed it, the rolling blackouts rolled their way through Beverly Hills and flattened the office. The perfect way to end the day.

So there I was, in the dark, disconnected from the phone, banished from the Internet and unable to activate the alarm on my building.

I slipped my battery-operated laptop into my backpack, turned on the battery-powered light on the front of my bike and pedaled my way home past darkened traffic signals, past a line of cars on Doheny Drive, relieved to discover that the lights at home were on again.

Was I returning from the dark ages? They're predicting 39 days of rolling blackouts this summer. Should we all just take one long summer vacation in a state with a more stable power grid? Should we install solar panels on our rooftops? Should I leave my gate open at night to avoid being locked in? Only time will tell.

But for now I leave you with two thoughts. First, turn out the lights when you leave the room; second, make sure you've got lots of batteries!!