12 chapters across the catalog
The "Glitch" Excuse in Government and Law Enforcement
The term "glitch" is being used by government officials to explain various systemic failures, including a computer crash in Houston that led to the release of 280 criminal defendants. President Obama also used the term to describe a regulation fix for insurance premiums. Critics argue that "glitch" is an unacceptable excuse for major technical outages and system vulnerabilities.
The BBC and other outlets are criticized for reporting COVID-19 deaths that include any fatality occurring within 28 days of a positive test, regardless of the actual cause. In the Netherlands, a computer glitch caused a sudden report of 2,000 deaths that actually dated back to April. These reporting methods are viewed as misleading to the general public.
Architect Wim Delvoye is mentioned as a potential candidate for the Notre Dame reconstruction competition. Official investigators are exploring a "computer glitch" theory, suggesting a monitoring system error may have misdirected firefighters during the initial stages of the blaze.
Notre Dame Fire Investigation and Computer Glitch Claims
Official reports suggest a short circuit or renovation accident caused the Notre Dame fire, but the hosts express skepticism over claims of a "computer glitch." They discuss the 90-minute delay before heavy firefighting equipment arrived and the testimony of a former security official regarding the building's sophisticated fire alert system. The presence of orange and green smoke is noted as a potential indicator of burning copper rather than just oak beams.
Wells Fargo admitted in a regulatory filing that a "computer glitch" resulted in 625 homeowners being denied mortgage modifications, leading to 400 foreclosures. The bank set aside $8 million for compensation. The hosts expressed skepticism that the issue was a simple software bug, suggesting it may have been a convenient excuse for systemic misconduct.
A computer algorithm failure in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) dating back to 2009 resulted in 450,000 women missing their final breast cancer screenings. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt informed Parliament that the glitch may have led to between 135 and 270 premature deaths. The hosts suggest the timing of the announcement may be a strategic move to secure more funding for the struggling healthcare system.
IRS System Failure, Legacy Infrastructure, Budget Cuts
A major hardware failure at the IRS on Tax Day prevented millions of Americans from filing electronically. While officials blamed aging infrastructure and congressional budget cuts, the hosts argue the failure is a result of poor management and reliance on expensive contractors like Oracle and IBM.
A computer coding error in Washington State's Department of Corrections led to the early release of over 3,000 inmates since 2002. Governor Jay Inslee described the 13-year-old glitch as "unforgivable," noting that the problem was only addressed after a victim's family performed their own sentencing calculations.
July 2015 Tech Outages, United Airlines Router Failure
On a single Wednesday in July 2015, the New York Stock Exchange, United Airlines, and the Wall Street Journal all suffered significant technical failures. While media reports labeled these as "glitches," a producer reveals the United Airlines outage was caused by an internal DDoS situation resulting from poorly configured hardware. Officials ruled out cyberattacks despite the coincidental timing.
Ford Sync, Microsoft Software Failure, Car Computer Crashes
A host recounts a personal experience driving a Ford C-Max where the Microsoft-powered "Sync" system crashed, causing a CD to play the same song on a loop for two hours. The system was unresponsive to all buttons and took hours to reboot while the vehicle was in motion. The story serves as a warning about the "unintended consequences" of integrating complex networking and software into automobiles.
IRS Email Scandal, Dog Ate My Tax Receipts Act
Congressman Steve Stockman introduced the "Dog Ate My Tax Receipts Act" in response to the IRS claiming a computer glitch destroyed Lois Lerner's emails. The bill satirically allows taxpayers to use the same excuses as the IRS when failing to provide documentation.
A computer glitch occurred at the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on a Friday, causing suspicion regarding the reliability of automated trading systems. Media coverage on CNBC reflected a sense of alarm among financial analysts. The hosts express skepticism toward official explanations that dismiss such events as mere technical errors.
