Fauxgalts

Amity Shlaes’ fine book, The Forgotten Man

Fail.

Marvin’s Gardeners

Do all the Clownhallers study at the Swanky School of Fine Jeezis Writing?

Washington news keeps marching in like a lion, and only the Lamb can stand against it.

Or is it just the Jeezis makin’ ’em stupid?

Since none of the loudest ‘going Galt’ enthusiasts are actually and literally going Galt

But if someone went Galt and there was no-one around to see them, would they really have gone?

Galt Stones.

Or Dagny Taggart’s Beard, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.

A dose of Galts?

Pseudogalts?

BlartGalts.

Silly twits

Fauxgalts? A Flock Of Seagalts? Galtbladders?

Well, look at what the Bush recession did for Obama: It got him elected president, and it has now given him hundreds of billions to spend pretty much as he and his appointees see fit.

If a recession offers such privileges, what about a depression? Imagine an Obama Corps with millions of workers. Imagine, if much of the nation’s wealth dissolves, the opportunity to educate children in the virtue of government requiring everyone to “share.”

Appointees spending your money. Terrible. Who “appoints” congreƒs again? And then comes the “Obama Corps.” [Still waiting for my T-shirt, & the txt msg on where the white women at!! — M. B.] Young Socialist Hitler Youth Nazis being taught to “share!!” Our civilization is ended.

The problem with the stimulus bill is not pork and the power it gives to Obama to reshape America in his own image.

“In his own image?” Hey, why are all those dogs running over there?

(Is “The One” going to turn all America into dusky-hued swarths? Half-ricans?)

A equals A

My, what a mighty fine axiom that is. I think from this axiom I shall derive an elaborate philosophical justification for petty jealously and other-loathing, embodied by a fictional architect whose genius is misappropriated by his co-workers.

FWIW, a “galt” is a male pig. Literally. Who knew.

FWIW, part Deux, from a 17th century manual on Best Farm Practices: “Libbers have..nothinge for the gautes, for they will geld them as fast as they can take them upp.”

Look out, Galts. The libs are after you.

Pre-Galts?

“Really. Next week. I’m outta here like Ayn Rand got outta Rooshia. Well, end of the month for sure.”

a 17th century manual on Best Farm Practices

Is it called “Best Farm Practices,” or are you an accountant w/ unusual tastes (for a stereotypical accountant)?

Galtoids.
No Galt divorcees.
Control-Galt-Deleters.
Company Galt!
Galted milkshakes.

Actually Galtoids is the only good one I got…

FWIW, part III – a “libber” in the old days was a castrator. Nowadays, the term is connected with the feminist movement. The mind boggles.

MB, it’s really a book called, “Rural Economy in Yorkshire in 1641”
by Henry Best. And no, I’m not an accountant, just some poor schmuck with insomnia.

Every time through the end of February that Obama opened his mouth, the stock market went down: Accidental?

The stock market shed over 40% of its value following the revelation that trillions of dollars were tied up in speculation over unpayable mortgages: Coincidence?

One equities manager, Peter Kenny, explained an afternoon decline on Feb. 25: “As we came close to the bell we got the curveball: our president came on TV.”

That’s funny, seeing as the markets close at 3pm and Obama’s speech that day was at 9pm. I guess Obama used the same dread inducing powers that he used to crash the market back in October. So what did Obama say that was so scary?

But while our economy may be weakened and our confidence shaken, though we are living through difficult and uncertain times, tonight I want every American to know this: We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.

OH FUCK SELL SELL SELL

“I think from this axiom I shall derive an elaborate philosophical justification for petty jealously and other-loathing”

How do you squeeze all that crap out of a simple statement from general semantics? Oh, I get it; all that crap was already in Rand’s head, and Atlas Shrugged is an “after” snapshot of the toilet.

The Galtintentsitia

‘Galtintents’ on its own is good.

For all galtensive purposes.

A is A, therefore altruism is the ultimate evil in the world.

A is A, therefore wealth accumulation correlates perfectly with societal contribution, not that there’s really such a thing as society anyway.

A is A, therefore it’s possible to design a perfect philosophy that completely ignores the existence of children, infirm, and disabled people.

A is A, therefore everything was awesome in 1890.

heh, going for one joke and completely missed the other.

When I hear the phrase “Best Practices” I get nervous.

Galtcontents. Galling Galts. Cretinous fucking morons.

The marrow is sucked from this bone.

One of the delights of parenthood is asking your child why he or she behaved so thoughtlessly or selfishly, and hearing in reply that the actions in question were Best Practice among the other children.

The marrow is sucked from this bone.
Surely that belongs in the previous thread, among all the other things not to Say During Sex.

If all your little friends decided to jump off a cliff, would you jump off too?

And I am, alas, hungry, not sexy.

Y2K hysteria in 1999 was a false alarm but this new administration is a four-alarm fire.

Y2K may have been over-hyped by some but a fuck of a lot of money was spent by corporations to make sure it didn’t become a four-alarm fire. I know that I put in a hell of a lot of overtime.

If somehow we pull our heads out of our asses and do something to prevent environmental catastrophe, we’ll get the same response: “See? I told you there was no such thing as Global Warming. Al Gore is fat!”

Galteasers?

galt.loser

General Galtieri

FYWP. Okay, without the Youtube then.

Galteasers.

Atlas Tuggers

Conscientious Objectivists

Galt tripper
Galted Lily
Galt cheese
Fun Galt Infection

The Objectivist who’s swinging from Going Galt to not Going Galt can be said to be on Faux Galt’s Pendulum.
The scurrilous cad who puts on airs of Objectivism in order to get into Randian pants is making the 3 A.M. Booty Galt.
My dog has decided to scale back ever since he heard the Galt of the Wild.

Galterbators

Mickey Kaus likes blowing Galts.

Since they aren’t even talking about escaping to Titan HQ (a sprawling mega-complex hidden away in the desert, the base from where our Supermen launch their efforts at saving the world dick-fucking-all) – we could call them “half a John”.

Also Rands?

Galt Waiting
Atlas Snivelled

Premature eGaltulators

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Does the Pauline Epistle provide any suggestions for biblically-condoned safe-words? I’m just asking for a friend.
“Peaceful fruit”. OK, call it that.

Nalts?
Galtdiggers?
Morons?

The Figureheads

Galts’heimers.

‘…so that you may not grow weary or faintheartlanded.’

From the Epistles of Ruppert.

Galternative Comedy.

Galt Weaklys
Galt on paper
Galtiness
Galt of the Dearth
See Galt (not do Galt)
Galt ‘n’ Shake
Sir Galtround Tuit-Wundey
Galt lite
Galt of the subsubgenius

the Galt-eoisie
REMF galts
Galt gonnabes
galtomorphs

Galternative job market?

Deciding against going Galt: Galt Feet
Mysterious condition preventing going Galt: Galtitude Sickness
Failure to implement John Galt’s full program: Galtitude Problem

I do like “Conscientious Objectivists” as a joke, but it’s physically impossible for Objectivists to be conscientious. In fact, it’s morally wrong under their code, no?

“In fact, it’s morally wrong under their code, no?”
All the more reason to use it.

Galt Copy?

Conscienceless Objectivists?

But I repeat myself.

Perhaps if a bunch of these fuckwads fell into a giant crack in the tectonic plates, we could call it the San Andreas Galt.

After we’d gotten over our grief at such a terrible event, that is.

“Also Rands!” ding! ding! Dragon-King wins.

Tell him what he won Johnny . . .

My suggestion is “To blow a Galt”, but that is just me.

Did anyone else see Frank Rich’s “The culture warriors get laid off”?

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/03/15-0

It’s magical and relevant!

Y2K hysteria in 1999 was a false alarm

3 seconds to google…
–
A date roll-over check on a power station led to its shutdown within 20 seconds. The fault was traced to a flue stack temperature sensor that was programmed to minimize fluctuations over time, -using the date to make calculations.
–
A computer clock set to 2000 at Chrysler Motors in America shut down the security system and refused to let staff out.
–
A sewage treatment plant in America found that in 2000, valve-control systems would have released untreated sewage into the rivers.
–
At a test of a water filtration plant, the chemical system tried to put 99 years worth of chemicals in the water. more…
–
During a test in an American nuclear power station, the device that controlled the depth of the fuel rod in the core began a dangerous oscillation.

Perhaps they’re suffering from Galt-envy? A general lack of Galtifidence? Or perhaps they’re Galtnextuals?

Perhaps they’re suffering from Galt-envy? Generally lacking in Galtifidence? Or perhaps they’re really just a bunch of Galtnextuals with their Galtnextual Agenda?

I hate on Hollywood
I’ve been to RedState
I built a bunker
For a Galt who hoards
I’m out of my mind,
It’s always whine-time
I keep on searching
For a Galt who hoards
And I’m getting bored.

Owlbear –

You forgot the explosion at Moonbase Alpha, the scandal involving the LAPD selling SQUIDs, and the worst example, Y2K on NBC boring the living shit out of thousands of people at one time.

My suggestion is “To blow a Galt”, but that is just me.

Are you suggesting we use sexual favors to encourage them to go Galt? If so, I’ll pass…

I have two principle objections to Atlas Shrugged:

1) Ever since Newton and Leibniz simultaneously invented calculus, there have been so many bright scientists and engineers that one specialist packing off doesn’t really shut down the work. Every researchers is building off of past work and communicates with colleagues. Inside five years, Galt’s Miracle Metal (TM) could be duplicated by someone else. There are just too many bright people for these sorts of temper tantrums to amount to much.

2) If the captains of industry are really both dedicated capitalists and absolutely necessary for the success of their businesses, I think the Galt pout would go down differently. If Galt left, then his indispensability would wreck his company. Contracts he used to service would be up for grabs by his competitors. Moreover, his competitors, being dedicated capitalists, would snatch those contracts up even if government taxes took all but epsilon of the new profit. Because, epsilon is more than zero, and more is all that it’s about. So, anyone following Galt can’t be a true capitalist, the real titans are waiting for him to leave so they can enrich themselves.

3) Bonus third objection: Ms. Rand is really an annoying twit.

Owlbear –

You forgot the explosion at Moonbase Alpha, the scandal involving the LAPD selling SQUIDs, and the worst example, Y2K on NBC boring the living shit out of thousands of people at one time.

There was plenty of Y2K-related buggage running around, as Owlbear points out. What he leaves out is that very little of it (if indeed any at all) amounted to more than a hill of beans.

There was an explosion at Moonbase Alpha?

I wonder if Jack Bauer was involved.

What he leaves out is that very little of it (if indeed any at all) amounted to more than a hill of beans.

What he left out was the tens of thousands of people working many long hours to make sure it amounted ONLY to a hill of beans.

What he left out was the tens of thousands of people working many long hours to make sure it amounted ONLY to a hill of beans.

And when Obama’s policies bring the terrible times he seems to think they will, he’ll be happy to have that hill he can eat. (Might want to invest in a wiener tree to go with it.)

False…

“discipline” is only in two sections in the King James

Preface to the King James Version of 1611 (Beginning of the second paragraph)
Yet for all that, the learned know that certain worthy men [Anacharsis with others] have been brought to untimely death for
none other fault, but for seeking to reduce their Countrymen to god order and discipline; and that in some Commonwealths

&

JOB {36:9} Then he sheweth them
their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
{36:10} He openeth also their ear to discipline, and
commandeth that they return from iniquity.

http://www.uaff.us/kjvbible.pdf

And when Obama’s policies bring the terrible times he seems to think they will,

huh?

There was plenty of Y2K-related buggage running around, as Owlbear points out.

I know. I was trying for humor and, obviously, failing.

owlbear1 said,

huh?

Just playing along with the looney. Besides, they seem really invested in this apocalypse scenario and I wanted to be sure that their fictional future had enough fictional hot dogs from my fictional hot dog tree. I hate to see them disappointed or without cheap sausage.

I thought conservatives weren’t into galternative lifestyles…

I know. I was trying for humor and, obviously, failing.

I got your jokes.

My response was to Kenobi’s statements.
I have a hard time seeing how fuel rods oscillating in and out of their cooling ponds or sewage treatment plants dumping all of their raw sewage can ever be considered ‘trivial problems.’

Nice mention of Anacharsis, though, especially for the oft attributed quote:

“Written laws are like spider’s webs; they will catch, it is true, the weak and the poor, but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.”— Anacharsis

It sounds really nice, but of course it’s wrong, since what we’ve seen in the past few years is that the law applies equally to the weak and poor and the rich and powerful, which is why all those bankers are sitting in cells beside casual drug users.

The Not Ready for Galt-Time Players?
Galtless in Seattle (Northwest chapter)?
Galtilocks?

Galternators.

Randbos.

Galtenfrauds
Galty Pantloads
GaltyDogs
Galtenheimers
Co-Galts
SomerGaults

Eh, I got nothin’.

I have a hard time seeing how fuel rods oscillating in and out of their cooling ponds or sewage treatment plants dumping all of their raw sewage can ever be considered ‘trivial problems.’

That’s because you’re not planning on galting and leaving the radioactive sewage for someone else to deal with.

Galt-Ctrl-Del

Smelling Galts…. As in, “Get the smelling galts, he’s gone all objectionist on us again”

Galtards think that the “I’m taking my ball and going home…” strategy that didn’t work in childhood will work now.

Good. Fine. Go.

Surely the correct answer is ‘republicans’

Galtards is good.

What he left out was the tens of thousands of people working many long hours to make sure it amounted ONLY to a hill of beans.

I am aware of all Y2K consulting traditions, as I was an IT consultant at the time. IME, most of our clients’ problems turned out to be a *lot* smaller than the clients thought they were.

I know. I was trying for humor and, obviously, failing.

Not so much, as I plead insufficient caffeination. Clearly I just didn’t catch on. 🙂

I have a hard time seeing how fuel rods oscillating in and out of their cooling ponds or sewage treatment plants dumping all of their raw sewage can ever be considered ‘trivial problems.’

Respectfully, can you substantiate that such events actually occurred and were *provably* caused by Y2K-related issues?

http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jun/18/news/mn-47795

The Faux Galt of the female persuasion is a ‘Paper Taggert’.

“discipline” is only in two sections in the King James

But the Bible does discuss bondage a lot.

False…

“discipline” is only in two sections in the King James

That is true, but it’s all over the New International Version and the New American Bible, which most resembles what is being quoted.

Of course, those versions are wrong wrong wrong, but… =)

http://articles.latimes.com/1999/jun/18/news/mn-47795

Um, that clearly happened during *testing.* In *June* of 1999. I’m sure you’re not trying to be misleading, but weren’t you suggesting that the events you mentioned were the result of Y2K bugs that *didn’t* get found before 1/1/2000?

For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives. . . . For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.’

Yeah, that’s the complaint of every dungeon master. Damn slaves, always topping from the bottom, don’t know what’s good for ’em.

Um, that clearly happened during *testing.* In *June* of 1999. I’m sure you’re not trying to be misleading, but weren’t you suggesting that the events you mentioned were the result of Y2K bugs that *didn’t* get found before 1/1/2000?

No, I was saying that nearly all of the problems were caught IN TESTING and if lots of people hadn’t spent lots of hours TESTING the Y2K “Hill of Beans” would have a hell of a lot worse.

I’m still digging on the that fuel rod problem and power plant shutdown.

GasBagGalts.
Galtbags.

No, I was saying that nearly all of the problems were caught IN TESTING and if lots of people hadn’t spent lots of hours TESTING the Y2K “Hill of Beans” would have a hell of a lot worse.

There are far worse sewage spills that happen without benefit of Y2K being involved.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Honolulu_man_dies_after_fall_into_sewage-contaminated_harbor
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Sewage_spill_fouls_Waikiki_Beach
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Mar/28/ln/FP603280358.html

And isn’t IT testing *supposed* to reveal issues? Further, the news story didn’t seem to specify that a Y2K issue was determined to be the cause of the gate opening; just that it opened during Y2K testing. I imagine that you know as well as I do that unrelated issues can come up during regression testing.

Respectfully, in my experience, the problems that *were* found were generally small and easily corrected. And IIRC, the problems that didn’t get caught often took the form of “19100” printing out on a bill or statement instead of “2000.” I recall seeing an IT survey analysis a couple of years ago at a conference that suggested that industrialized nations that didn’t experience a lot of Y2K remediation activity had statistically equal levels of Y2K failures when compared to industrialized nations that did have a lot of Y2K remediation going on. I’m not saying you’re wrong or anything, just that my experience and yours appear to be at odds.

I suppose that we shall have to politely agree to disagree.

I’m still digging on the that fuel rod problem and power plant shutdown.

I do hope you can find it. I’d be very interested in reading about that.

“Honolulu_man_dies_after_fall_into_sewage-contaminated_harbor”

Did his pre-Y2K watch fail or something?

Late, but…

Galterrhoids

Is it your contention that all of the Y2K testing was a waste of time?

Galtblarts.

Is it your contention that all of the Y2K testing was a waste of time?

No, but that much of it was.

I made a lot of money doing testing and remediation; I make no bones about it. My employers were very good at finding and securing work for us to do, but largely, we just didn’t find that many problems that had to be fixed. I didn’t do any work in heavy industry; perhaps there was more to be fixed over there. But in the financial and retail sectors, where most of my work took place at that time, there was little to fix and what little there was, was mostly cosmetic.

IMO, a lot of business executives got scared and figured they needed to do some due diligence. Consequently, a lot of IT dudes like me made fat bank off that fear.

What was your experience, Owlbear? Did you find significant issues? Or a lot more of them than I did? Did you perhaps work on remediation in a different type of industry?

Also late, but I’m partial to “Galtlets.”

Y’know, like giblets.

Pajama Galts.

Well, I can’t dig up anything on that fuel rod oscillation.

I’m seeing this a lot. The hardware itself would have been fine but many the systems that monitored the status of the hardware would have been fucked, which can be just as bad. Reacting to false alarms can cause a lots of problems all by itself.

==
In conclusion, it has been confirmed
that data information is not used in
control systems that directly affect the
power supply, and that there is there-
fore no danger that Y2K problems will
cause blackouts or power supply inter-
ruptions.
It has also been confirmed, how-
ever, that inspection/recording function
control systems do use date informa-
tion. As a result, the necessary soft-
ware revisions and microchip replace-
ment tasks are currently being carried
out. As of March 1999, 86% of the
necessary work had been completed.
Virtually all of the remaining work is
expected to be completed by
September 1999
http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/aij/member/1999/PDF/Jun.pdf

Galtines. Galted Nuts.

(I like Galtoids–They’re Curiously Stupid–up-thread, better.)

Spam-qua-Spam

It has also been confirmed, how-
ever, that inspection/recording function
control systems do use date informa-
tion.

But doesn’t that cover a lot of ground? Let’s say you’ve got an industrial boiler or furnace or something that needs to be kept at a relatively constant temperature. The inspection and recording gear probably monitors the passage of time and then either increases or decreases the heat being applied, depending on how the control software’s written. That software certainly cares very much about the passage of time, but it doesn’t necessarily care so much about what day, week, month or year it is. If the I&R gear is able to check the temp and adjust properly — let’s say a check is performed and logged every 45 seconds — what does it care whether it is doing so in 1999 or 2000?

celticgirl’s “Galterbators” is good!
(also like MzNicky’s “Galtbags”)

Perhaps a bit too ‘Fallout’, but…

The Galt-Dwellers.

Perhaos a bit too ‘Fallout’ for mainstream, bit…

The Galt-Dwellers.

,i>If the I&R gear is able to check the temp and adjust properly — let’s say a check is performed and logged every 45 seconds — what does it care whether it is doing so in 1999 or 2000?

If the software thinks it’s been 99 years since the last adjustment, alarms would be generated.

If the software thinks it’s been 99 years since the last adjustment, alarms would be generated.

But that’s the crux of my question. If the software only performs actions based on the passage of time (q.v. making that check-and-adjustment every 45 seconds), then the software may have no conception of years.

Again, as I said earlier, such software may certainly care very much about the passage of time, but not necessarily so much about what day, week, month or year it is.

Galtless Wonders?

Much of the software on the chips used the entire timestamp to calculate the passage of time. To save on memory they used a 2 digit year. 01/01/00 was seen as 1900, fucking up the calculations.

Spam-qua-Spam

One should note that pork-qua-hog are just as non-kosher as pork or quahogs.

Regarding the Jesus moving, I found the following note:

This is just to say,
I have eaten the savior
That was hanging by the door
And which you were probably saving
For hot and steamy Messiah-sex.

Forgive me (he did!)
He was so delicious
So sweet and so
Transubstantiated.

I vote for Glatoids or Galt Stones. The names need to be short.

I call Randbot’s scurrilous ‘philosophy’, “Objectificationism”, where every single person and thing other than you yourself is merely an object to be mercilessly exploited for your personal gain. If you can make one dollar by selling your children to sex slavers, then Randian philosophy demands that you do so, or you are a Communist.

How much difference is there from Rand’s Objectificationism and Libertarianism? Both mentalities demand rage-filled hatred of everyone and everything that is not yourself.

Much of the software on the chips used the entire timestamp to calculate the passage of time. To save on memory they used a 2 digit year. 01/01/00 was seen as 1900, fucking up the calculations.

I’m well aware of that, but I think you’re missing my question. Either that, or I’m not being clear.

If, as in the hypothetical example I gave before, the software simply controls some repetitive task that is performed at discrete intervals, then why does the software *care* what day or year it is?

My hypothetical boiler or furnace isn’t going to suddenly apply 99 years of missing heat when midnight strikes. It’s going to mislog the date and time, but it will most likely continue to measure the heat and make adjustments every 45 seconds, just like it is supposed to.

How about calling them the Fauxgalteers?

I’m with owlbear1. The financial industry didn’t see as many problems because they had been dealing with post-1999 years for a while. (Loan termination dates, etc.) The embedded systems were what had everyone worried. I think the reason that there was a lot of doubt was that no one who did the Y2K preparation was confident that everyone else had. They knew that they had done due diligence, but also knew how long it took to get management to schedule and budget the work.

I spent the night of December 30 in the office waiting for something to happen when NZ and Oz reached midnight. After Japan clicked over, we knew it was going to be ok with our systems (Tandem NonStop).

Cut the galtblather, galtbrickers.

We are the strident Fauxgalteers (Fauxgalteers).
Our job is spreading lies and fears (lies and fears).
Do as we say and never do–
It’s bad for us but good for you!
That’s what makes us Fauxgalteers (Fauxgalteers)!
We cheer the troops but never go (never go).
We might get hurt, you never know (never know).
Hup! Two! Three! Four! Booyah! Booyah! Booyah!
Cheers for the strident Fauxgalteers (Fauxgalteers)

My hypothetical boiler or furnace isn’t going to suddenly apply 99 years of missing heat when midnight strikes. It’s going to mislog the date and time, but it will most likely continue to measure the heat and make adjustments every 45 seconds, just like it is supposed to.

“Fault Detection” software has to be configured to recognize “Good” and ‘Bad’ status. The miscalculations were throwing all of that off.

The danger was that “Bad” Status alarms can trigger off a series of commands that, for example, tell the valve to dump all the water out of the cooling pond regardless of reality.

Yes, the hardware would still be working fine but control system had the potential to override and cause damage. The reports make very clear there were numerous problems along those lines.

Kenobi, you can blow-off Y2K as mostly hype.

Maybe of it was…

But that doesn’t change the fact that a lot people put in a lot of hours fixing a lot of problems.

Didja hear about that new Y2K Jelly?
You can now fit four digits where you used to only fit two.

Thanks – I’ll be here all week. Try the mussels, the wine sauce is divine.

“Fault Detection” software has to be configured to recognize “Good” and ‘Bad’ status. The miscalculations were throwing all of that off.

Shrug. I cited a hypothetical example; one with a pretty limited set of circumstances and outcomes. I’m not seeing a lot of danger inherent in that particular example.

The danger was that “Bad” Status alarms can trigger off a series of commands that, for example, tell the valve to dump all the water out of the cooling pond regardless of reality.

And this is why you have human beings manning the control centers at nuclear power plants and chemical production factories. Frankly, it is also a good argument for failsafe stop-gap measures being programmed into the control system; something along the lines of ‘no matter what happens, don’t dump more than 50% of the coolant on your own.’

Yes, the hardware would still be working fine but control system had the potential to override and cause damage.

Again, this is why you have human oversight of control systems.

The reports make very clear there were numerous problems along those lines.

Again, respectfully, I haven’t seen reports of *significant* problems. The life-threatening kind, I mean. I’m certainly open to seeing and reading them, but I was pretty involved in Y2K remediation and discussing the issue online (and yes, I talked with a lot of the doomsayers) up to and including 2000. And I’ve never once seen an example of any sort of potentially life-threatening failure that could conclusively be connected to a Y2K issue. I’m not saying that there aren’t any — I’m just saying that for all my involvement, I’ve never seen one. Consequently, I am dubious as to their existence.

Kenobi, you can blow-off Y2K as mostly hype. Maybe of it was . . .But that doesn’t change the fact that a lot people put in a lot of hours fixing a lot of problems.

Yes, I know. As I said, I was one of the people doing the fixing. But the amount of labor expended on a thing is not a reliable measure of its worth. I seem to recall having to explain that to my students from time to time, many moons ago.

But what about me?

Pardon me for not respecting your authority…

🙂

I got the biggest kick out of “Marvin’s Gardeners” myself, followed closely by “Dagny Taggart’s Beard”, both of which would make fine band names.

2038 said,

March 17, 2009 at 21:47 (kill)

But what about me?

Apophis, braking after the near miss in 2029, impacted two years before you came along – the highest tech we’ll be worried about in 2038 will be Clovis points.

Gah, Kenobi you didn’t deserve that.

I would love to show you my “evidence” but I can’t get any of the NRC pdfs.

http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/where-did-it-go.html

My pre-Y2K watch is right every -876588 hours.

“Galt Detection” software has to be configured to recognize “Objective” and ‘Altruistic’ status.

http://www.nrc.gov/site-help/where-did-it-go.html

I’m not trying to be a recalcitrant prick or anything, and I do understand that you were working on a completely different species of Y2K issue than I was. To be completely fair, the financial sector was way, way ahead of the curve, as bankers and financiers tend to be slow and conservative adopters of technology (at least, they were in the 70s-90s). Also, in my experience, they insist on testing the living shit out of anything that’s going to go into their production cycle. Contrast that with (for example) industrial engineers, who IMO are more likely to say ‘shit, that’s cool, let’s install it’ and then tinker with it for the next few years, just for fun.

I have a lot of respect for you, posting that NRC link as opposed to a bunch of doomer bullshit. It tells me that you do know whereof you speak, regardless of whether or not our opinions and experiences match up. ^^^

Thanks.

And just to be clear, I don’t think civilization would have come crashing down but the costs of repairing that damage would have far out stripped what it cost to do all that testing and repair.

I don’t think civilization would have come crashing down

There was a Y2K commentator who said something along the lines of ‘a computer bug won’t destroy civilization — it takes hordes of panicked, confused people to do that.’ That line was, IMO, one of the most memorable comments to come out of the whole Y2K period.

Man. I went to a Galturbator Stoning and a goddam Y2K War broke out.

John Galt is the new John Frum.

I imagine you can work in ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’ here, Smut Clyde. I, for one, would welcome it.

..a goddam Y2K War broke out.

Ok, how’s this?

Gitchy-Gitchy Galtees.

Don’t know about ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’, but when teh Complete History of Self-Destructive Retreats from Modernity is written, “Going Galt” will be mentioned as a footnote to the Xhosa Cattle-killing movement of 1856-1857. Also, “Going Nongqawuse”.

Galtilockses.

(Personally fond of “Also Rands.”)

Galt’s Gulp