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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