Check your power saving settings (under windows in the control panel) and check what the turn monitor off time is. Way back when there was a problem with hibernate/suspend where it couldn't recover and get back to running. It's supposed to be fixed but the same thing will occur on certain driver or hardware failures.
At any rate the above suggestions of a loose video card or cable are more likely.
As for pinging the machine, you'll need another computer and you will need to know the address/name of the computer that is down. When the computer blackscreens go to the other computer and create a command window (start->run->Type "cmd" and hit enter. in the new window type "ping 192.168.1.2", substituting the IP with whatever the real IP is of course.
The above instructions assume windows, if you are running linux I might be able to help more.
E: "Did they... did they just endorse the combination of the JSDF and US Army by showing them as two lesbian lolicons moving in together and holding hands and talking about how 'intimate' they were?"
B: "Have you forgotten so soon? They're phasing out Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
At any rate the above suggestions of a loose video card or cable are more likely.
As for pinging the machine, you'll need another computer and you will need to know the address/name of the computer that is down. When the computer blackscreens go to the other computer and create a command window (start->run->Type "cmd" and hit enter. in the new window type "ping 192.168.1.2", substituting the IP with whatever the real IP is of course.
The above instructions assume windows, if you are running linux I might be able to help more.
E: "Did they... did they just endorse the combination of the JSDF and US Army by showing them as two lesbian lolicons moving in together and holding hands and talking about how 'intimate' they were?"
B: "Have you forgotten so soon? They're phasing out Don't Ask, Don't Tell."