mayf,
... And a great story it is. thanks for sharing. I'm gong to forward it to
a friend who installs computer systems for Evans and Sutherland.
Wes
on 10/1/03 4:44 PM, DrMayf at drmayf@teknett.com wrote:
> Ya'll probably haven't heard the rubber chicken story. So here it is.
>
> In 1984 I returned to Vandenberg AFB from secret stuff in Tennessee to work
> on the Peacekeeper in silo program (a new Minuteman in old Minuteman ICBM
> silo). The government was learning how to do things a new way and instead of
> the program having a silo in Seattle where they could do the prototype
> engineering work, they let me do it there. So I got to install all of the
> hardware and software in the silo and make it work. What a joy....NOT! In
> any case we took 3 steps forward and 2 backward on each and every thing we
> touched. It was a nightmare to say the least. And of course our customer was
> watching over our shoulder all the time. After one particularly bad problem
> jumped up and bit us in the butt, the Engineering Manager sent me a little
> note from a newspaper. Here is that story and it is about the rubber
> chicken. Seems there was this company that had installed a main frame at its
> remote location. Just about every week end or so it would give the operators
> fits and not do what computers are supposed to do. The maintenance and
> service company tech had to drive some distance to effect repairs but when
> ever he arrived he could not duplicate the problem. He woulld shrug his
> shoulders tell them that it was ok and it would work for about a week before
> it started acting up again. Then they were back on the horn for the tech.
> The scenario was repeated any number of times and both the owners and the
> tech were becoming pretty frustrated. The next call, the tech arrived,
> brought his bag of tools into the computer room, removed an indian head
> dress and a rubber chicken from the bag. He picked up the rubber chicken and
> started to chant and dance around that mainframe all the while beating on
> the computer with that rubber chicken. This went on for several minutes and
> then the tech remeoved his gear packed up and left without a word. They
> computer owners never called again nor did the tech inquire as to why.
>
> I got a rubber chicken and a head dress for my silo efforts...
>
> now you know the rest of the story!
>
> mayf
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