From today's Binghamton Press: The first ever meeting of the (New York) Southern Tier Y2K Survival Group will be held Saturday, March 27. Time will be 4:30 - 6:00PM. The public is invited to attend. It will be held at American Legion Post 80 on Main St, Binghamton, NY.

This is the first public, organized, local activity that I've heard of in the NY/PA Twin Tiers area. I'm certain to spend a Saturday evening there. Any other Yourdonites in this corner of the world wanna go see who else around here gets it?

If only they didn't use the perjorative term "Survival Group" in their title. I'm sure Binghamton's local media is gonna be there on the lookout for somebody wearing BDUs and spouting some inciting "right-wing, Y2K wacko" speil. Wonder what they'll make of some folks wearing 2"x4" patches of duct tape over their shirt pockets?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), March 19, 1999

Answers

WW --- Will do my best to attend (we're about 90 minutes away). Need to know the "secret sign ...."

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

You're right about the group name. Survival, extremist, racist, sexist... Words the media love to bounce on. Y2K IS an extreme/survival issue though. Obviously nothing like this has ever happened before, so people don't know what to call it or how to react. Just the fact that the meeting is being held is huge for the area. Maybe "survival" will bring press coverage, good or bad, that it wouldn't have gotten..

Call it a "bump-in-the-road" group meeting and see how many people come....

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), March 19, 1999.

Sure, go to that "survival" meeting. Couldn't have picked a better term, now could they - "they" being whoever is sponsoring the meeting. Whoever it is, I'm sure they'll have some nice folks out in the parking lot taking down your plate numbers and such... for your own protection, of course.

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 19, 1999.

I've been receiving a lot of requests to speak at these types of meetings lately...here in Western NY and the Southern Tier. I think 'some' of the general public is beginning to notice Y2K...whaddya think? Anyway, there's a meeting right near me on April 17 in Bath, NY as well. There will be advertising for that one too I'm told. Good luck at the meeting in Binghamton...would someone e-mail me their opinion of that one please? If I wasn't chained to this desk (and if it wasn't a 2 hour drive) I'd go myself. Have fun! Roy

-- Roy @ Four Winds (4windpwr@infoblvd.net), March 20, 1999.

The forum responses and private e-mail responses are great. I'll try and get in touch with the "powers that be" on this event to see if there are special guest speakers planned. As a strange coincidence, on tonight's Scranton, PA news they covered a Y2K awareness meeting in that neck of the woods. It must have been one of those "bump in the road" ones, because their sound bites were milder that one of Koskinen's press statements from last summer.

I'll follow up with any new info in a new thread if it warrants.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), March 20, 1999.