OK, here's a little bet. I'll even give odds. I'll throw in a 50 pound bag of rice, 100 rounds of.22 and a canteen full of Irish Coffee.

Will the President mention Y2K in Tuesday night's State of the Union Address? And I do mean directly. He either has to say "Y2K" or "The year 2000 computer problem" not some vague mention of "Problems we need to address along the path to the 21st century..."

I think he will.

Any takers? Bets end at 6pm EDT on Tuesday. (obviously, this is just for fun.)

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 18, 1999

Answers

I'll wager five gallons of bottled water, one liter of isopropyl alcohol and a 16 pack of double "AA" bateries that President Clinton mentions Y2K directly but the entire length of addressing that problem will be under two minutes. Set those stop watches!

-- Nicky Santuro (OTB@Washington.com), January 18, 1999.

OK, I'll wager my five bootlegged tapes of Linda and Monica that he doesn't. And you know why I win? Because even if he does mention it, it will have as much substance (nil) as if he hadn't mentioned the word.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), January 18, 1999.

Let's see, p...

I'll bet one package of Rid-X, a manual can opener, a can of Spam and a Swiss Army Knife that he doesn't mention it directly.

-- Vic (Roadrunneris@compliant.net), January 18, 1999.

Addendum:

Although I do believe he will mention it by name, I also agree that there will be absolutely no substance to whatever he says...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 18, 1999.

I'll bet he does mention it and says how much further ahead we are than the rest of the world. I bet the whole subject last *less* than 45 seconds.

I'll bet one bottle of cheap whiskey.

-- Sub-Mitt (lurking@ofcourse.com), January 18, 1999.

I'll bet anyone $100.00 that he does not directly mention anything at all about a muffler for a 1954 Studebaker in his speech.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), January 18, 1999.

I will bet my really bright red socks (that are duct-taped together) , my stealth rubber ducky, and my 1976 vinatge bicentennial fruitcake that:

He will call for an immediate "declaration of war" on Y2K and make the first overture towards a national emergency - while he rallies all people to start meaningful preparations like storing food and water, taking "just a little" out of the bank, buying non-electrical items, candles, firewood... and having Ross Perot stand by (with flip charts) to show us that TEOTWAWKI is approaching and there is no way out. (NOT)

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), January 18, 1999.

No wager, but the morning paper says "Speech to focus on schools, elderly".

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), January 18, 1999.

SURE he'll mention it! SSA is fixed, everything else moving along nicely, gotta watch out for those foreigners, etc..

-- a (a@a.a), January 18, 1999.

O.K., I'll bet Doug Clark's (of the Spokesman-Review) cheap toupee

http://www.spokane.net/news-story-body.asp?Date=011799&ID=s516612&cat=

that Clinton announces that Y2K will in fact be TEOTWAWKI and that Dick Army's father was the original programmer to input the dreaded 2 digit date code. This is Clintons's Master plan to once and for all dethrone the right wing conspiracy.

Matt

-- Matt (Butenam1@aol.com), January 18, 1999.

He will mention y2k by name and spend a minute on the topic. I would bet my years supply of viagra but I have misplaced both pills!

-- I Forgot (...@....), January 18, 1999.

I'll raise that bet - pick one of the above - to include that he will promise to spend more money on several Democratic voting groups (pick one or more, your choice) including many times "the poor, the unfortunate, the needy, the young, etc. He will not say where the money he wants to spend will come from. He will not mention emergency preparedness, nor martial law, nor gun-confiscation, nor restricting travel or nationalization of utilities and services. He will not mention riots, food or water shortages, nor loss of power and telecom's or other services.

Further, he will not mention Republic, responsibility, freedom, self-determination, or self-expression. These are not worthy Democratic goals.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), January 18, 1999.

Ok, your on! I'll bet my entire supply of X-lax that he mentions y2k "For the children"......!

-- Rocky H (rharp1@webtv.net), January 19, 1999.

I will bet my collection of Barry Manilow records that he won't mention it at all. Not one word. I don't have any specific reasons, just a feeling. Bobbi http://www.buzzbyte.com/

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), January 19, 1999.

Um...Bobbi...I don't think anyone WANTS your Barry Manilow Records!

I just heard a piece on NPR about the President's preps for tonight's speech. It's all about policy he wants to put through. Child care credits, environmental concerns, stuff like that. They said that he probably won't even acknowledge the "elephant in the room," which is the fact that a few short hours before standing at the podium, all those senators whose eyes he's avoiding were doing their best to dump him from office. It sounds like "The State of the Union" will not have anything to do with the actual state of the union. (Not that I would expect anything else...) I STILL wager that he will say the words "the year 2000 computer problem." Most likely in the context of SSA being able to continue to deliver checks to elderly Americans...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 19, 1999.

I bet 20 stealth geese, and raise ya 10 cases of Furby fruitcakes (batteries not included) that he mentions something along the lines of:

"..it is a problem...but TOGETHER, we can overcome this to build a better America for our children's future. And as your Kommander 'n Thief..er CHIEF...I will see to it that the great citizens of this country will continue to benefit from the programs and policies that we have established. And TOGETHER, we as a nation will rise to new heights, blah blah blah...and history will look back and marvel at how we rose to the challenge...and how we turned formidable problems into OPPORTUNITIES which will ensure the stability of this great nation for centuries to come..."

:::END DOUBLESPEAK:::

Well, that's my take on it...

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), January 19, 1999.

>Um...Bobbi...I don't think anyone WANTS your Barry Manilow Records!

LOL! Well of course that was the whole idea! heheheh I wouldn't want to bet something I actually "need"! ;-)

Bobbi http://www.buzzbyte.com/

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), January 19, 1999.

The man will say nothing about y2k except that we are working on it and we will be ready for it. When it all come down around our ears, the administration will take the position that we were all ready and then those terrible cyber-terrorists destroyed all the good work that was done under his great leadership. Under that scenerio, troops can mobilize and we will have to start all over again using the "Fix on Failure" procedure. Of course we will have to bomb Iraq again.

Bill in South Carolina

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), January 19, 1999.

I bet my tax form and a Molson Dry (served at my house) that he doesn't mention the words "y2K" or "year 2000 bug".

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), January 19, 1999.

In the spirit of this post... I'll bet 20 rounds of 00 buck, one danish ham, a 4 pack of Charmin and a gallon of K-1 that Clinton blames Y2K on Ken Starr. He will tell a tale that Ken Starr was a mainframe programer in the 60's before going into law, and that he forced the defense dept. to accept a 2 dig. standard. Clinton will form a task force to place the blame on Starr. Y2K Czar Jonny K. will lead the investigation, but tapes and papers alread exisist showing this to be the case. Clinton will look straight into the camera, shaking his finger and say, "I have never programed a computer in my life."

-- Bill (bill@microsoft.com), January 19, 1999.

A gallon of K-1 ? What the hell you doin' with a gallon of K-1 ?

Oh, wait...I was thinking of K-Y !

Never mind...

"I did not have sex with that woman...Mrs. Clinton..." (well, maybe once.)

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 19, 1999.

I've got an even better idea:

Anybody who is "in a position" to do so, should either give or receive oral sex DURING the president's speech.

Extra points for including a cigar in the fun.

-- ken starr (special@prosecutor.gov), January 19, 1999.

My question is "Will Monica be under the podium"? - if Klinton starts twitching and rolling his eyes during the speech you will know the answer to that one :)

On the other hand he could be thinking about Y2K, WHICH HE IS NOT GOING TO MENTION!!!!!!!

Logic dictates that he should mention it but this does not gell with policy from DC so far...

And slick is not a fool, is he???

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 19, 1999.

Yes, he'll mention it:

President: "And as for my accusers, all I can say is 'Why?' to K. Starr. Why do you wish to destroy this great country of ours with these unimpeachable (I hope) accusations?"

See, he mentioned Y2k :o)

-- Nathan (nospam@all.com), January 19, 1999.

I just heard on the radio that several Republican Congresspersons are planning to boycott the SotU Address because they feel it is "inappropriate" for Clinton to show up on Capitol Hill while he is on trial...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 19, 1999.

Andy -

You didn't say what you were willing to wager...

Nathan - ROTFUTPLMAO...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 19, 1999.

OK OK I'll do a "Monica!!!" He doesn't seem very fussy after all... If I'm wrong, I'll be under the podium next year - Ooops, I'm forgetting, I'm a doombrooder, there WILL be no state of the union speech next year... - silly boy...

Andy the doombrooder :)

"We're doomed I tell ye, doomed!"

Private Frazer, Dad's Army, Walmington-On-Sea Home Guard, 1939 (Undertaker)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 19, 1999.

Sure there will be, Andy! In Texas, anyway. After we secede. With George Dubbya running the show. You think our having our own electrical interconnection is a COINCIDENCE or something?

Y'all come see us!

-- Lisa (lisab@shallc.com), January 19, 1999.

PShannon: best thread of the week and it's only getting better as we await the main event.

Nathan has my vote so far but it's close.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), January 19, 1999.

pshannon: Thanks for the thread, I needed this. LOL. Since all bets had to be placed already, I guess we will all just wait and see, but I'll tell ya, I'm gonna be thinking about some of the posts on this thread while I watch him and when I do I'll probably be ROFL. See youz guyz tomorrow.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), January 19, 1999.

He SAID it!

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), January 19, 1999.

Yes, Gayla. But it drew snickers from the audience.

MoVe Immediate

-- MVI (vtoc@aol.com), January 19, 1999.

OK, Clinton mentioned Y2K, and the immediate response? Embarrassed hooting laughter. Thanks, TIME Mag. Clinton did try, a bit, to break thru Congress's guilty ridiculing brush-off. Clinton appealed to the listener to put pressure on local & state & business & home folks and take responsibility to prepare. Sounded like Clinton has a little itty bitty germ of a Y2K glimmer, but buckled to the derision of govt flacks. Sick. The whole thing is sick. This actually managed to be more depressing than we thought it could be. Bring it up and get snickered off topic. Who will be laughing one year from now?

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx x

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 19, 1999.

Looks like I won one package of Rid-X, a manual can opener, a can of Spam and a Swiss Army Knife, Bobbi's collection of Barry Manilow records, Chris' tax form and a Molson Dry.

I would trade all that stuff for a crystal ball peek into one year from right now...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 19, 1999.

BUGGER!

Looks like I'm under the podium next year! Damn and blast! You are a devil, pshannon, to lure me into this depravity!

BRING ON Y2K! - may Clinton never have the chance to "collect".

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 20, 1999.