GEEKS: Y zero K

[Linus Akesson <lairfight@softhome.net>]

*** Forwarded message, originally written by HAND! (smiles@bapp.com) ***

 Some historical insight forwarded by Alastair Disley:

                    Y zero K

     Translated from Latin scroll dated 2BC --

     Dear Cassius:

     Are you still working on the Y zero K problem?  This change from
 BC to AD is giving us a lot of headaches and we haven't much time left.
 I don't know how people will cope with working the wrong way around.
 Having been working happily downwards forever, now we have to start
 thinking upwards.  You would think that someone would have thought of it
 earlier and not left it to us to sort it all out at this last minute.

     I spoke to Caesar the other evening.  He was livid that Julius
 hadn't done something about it when he was sorting out the calendar. He
 said he could see why Brutus turned nasty.  We called in Consultus, but
 he simply said that continuing downwards using minus BC won't work and
 as usual charged a fortune for doing nothing useful.  Surely we will not
 have to throw out all our hardware and start again?  Macrohard will make
 yet another fortune out of this I suppose.

     The money lenders are paranoid of course!  They have been told that
 all usery rates will invert and they will have to pay their clients to
 take out loans.  Its an ill wind ......

     As for myself, I just can't see the sand in an hourglass flowing
 upwards. We  have heard that there are three wise men in the East who have
 been working on the problem, but unfortunately they won't arrive until
 it's all over.  I have heard that there are plans to stable all horses at
 midnight at the turn of the year as there are fears that they will stop and
 try to run backwards, causing immense damage to chariots and possible loss
 of life. Some say the world will cease to exist at the moment of
 transition.

     Anyway, we are still continuing to work on this blasted Y zero K
 problem.  I will send a parchment to you if anything further develops.

     If you have any ideas please let me know,

     Plutonius