I am not really a mystic, but I have been nicknamed "Guru" a few times
based on a rough pronounciation of my name which has a silent "x".
This page is intended to be a diversion for myself from the everyday
hectic routine of technology and programming (which I enjoy), and at the
same time provide a place to express some of my concerns and opinions.
Consequently, it may or may not be interesting to anyone else.
Most of the problems predicted for the Y2K computer date bug did not
materialize as some soothsayers predicted. As a software
developer, I can attest to the fact that the fizzle happened because
of all the preparation and software fixes that were done. There would have
been mass shutdown if only transportation systems were affected, not to
mention banking, communications and other systems.
However, I believe that we are now experiencing fallout from a failure
(or unwillingness) to correct Y2K problems in some oil refineries,
some pipelines, and some offshore and deep oil wells. The result
is high gasoline, diesel and fuel oil prices.
Officially, we have a fuel shortage because domestic requirements exceed
refinery capacities, and also are limited by pipeline throughput. I believe
these limitations were further squeezed by NOT fixing some facilities
for the Y2K problem, resulting in increased shortages raising fuel prices. It
would be tempting (and profitable) if fuel deliveries were reduced 5%,
resulting in price increases of 50-100%.
And of course this doesn't even address the issue of any off shore oil wells
that may have been shut down because the cost of fixing downhole embedded Y2K
technology would have cost too much. So we are importing Iraqi oil TODAY,
Oct. 2000. They are our sixth largest supplier.
Go figure!
Occasionally more comments may be added, and some will be removed. I reserve the
right whether or not to respond to any e-mail as I choose. However the freedom of
speech and expression is fundamental to our nation and we all have the right
to disagree, as long as we do it gracefully.