On This Day Pre-Y2K
Confused by any of the jargon you see below? Check the Y2K Glossary!
March 17, 1999 Permalink
Folks, we are facing a “data flood.” And it’s rising fast. Infomagic postulates that for his scenario to unfold, only stupidity and procrastination are needed. Not fancy science fiction movie special effects, just simple human frailty. Ordinary lack of character. The kind of cowardice, greed, and cupidity that elected Marion Barry mayor of Washington, DC. Or that allowed 500 some odd congress critters to say “yeah, he’s guilty, but what the heck, let’s do lunch.” instead of doing their sworn duty.
The officials who should be providing us with the truth, with factual information are not doing what we pay them to do. They keep saying “nothing to worry about, it’s all under control. We’ve already handled it.” They will be the first ones to leave the scene when the wall of data hits us. And we will be left on our own to clean up afterwards.
If you wait for the officials to tell you when to start preparing you will be the one left holding the bag. You will be the one “up the creek.” Not them.
—Nunja Biznec & Walking Crow, Cory Hamasaki’s DC Y2K Weather Report, 03/17/99
With the message that “everything is fine”, “everything is on schedule for September 1998”. “No make it December 31, 1998”, “Oopsie, make it March 31, 1999”, and now the rumor mill has the real completion date as July 1999. The idiots have set things up for a huge panic. It wouldn’t have been a problem if they stated last year that the systems would not be fixed on time. Issued reasonable and factual information on contingencies.
One model is innoculation, give people a little dose of the disease so their body will be ready for the real thing. You fire artillery shells into a snow bank to prevent a disasterous avalanch. We know that it’s wise to let small fires burn naturally to clean out forest debris. Or having a healthy mix of diversity in the rain forest, rather than a monoculture.
But no, look who’s in charge, look deep into the soul of Ko-skin-em and tell me that you don’t see a big-brain’ed control freak. Listen to his words, the fool has taken a situation that could have been a nuisance and is turning it into disaster. They’re afraid of the needle; don’t fire the cannon, it makes a big noise; waaaa, it’s a fire.
Consider the “Gas Crisis” in the mid 1970’s. I was in Texas during Gas Crisis # 1 and there was no shortage of gasoline. They were still giving away Houston Oiler’s glasses if you filled your tank. When the President (or whoever) ordered thermostats turned down to 69 degrees in the middle of winter, our air conditioners ran day and night non-stop.
I recall a plan for 10 gallon/week ration coupons. I owned a VW bug at the time and worked 3 miles from home. Would I have been fined for not using enough gas?
One solution was the 55 MPH speed limit You ever drive across Texas at 55 MPH? It’s taken 20 years to un-do that stupidity. If history holds true, sometime in 2015, 2018, or so, we’ll finally throw off the last of the “Y2K Success! Emergency Legislation.”
If making people drive from Dallas to Phoenix at 55 MPH was the solution to a gas crisis, you can bet that the solution to the Y2K problem will be pretty darn odd. If Y2K is half as bad as it is shaping up to be, the Big-Brains here in Worshington will make it 10 times as bad. I’m more afraid of a Government and management hysteria than a couple people socking away Dinty Moore and Bumble Bee in their basement.
Look at the FAA, Ko-Skin-em, the idiots, fakers, pompostity bombers, and weasel-word-wonders. -brrrrr- scary.
—Cory Hamasaki, Cory Hamasaki’s DC Y2K Weather Report, 03/17/99
