The more things change, the more they remain the same.

The Bible does say in Ecc. 3 "To everything there is a time and a season for every purpose under the sun."

The time for fixing y2k is past. It is time for testing and integration. It is the season for preparing Flint. Stop hindering the people.

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), August 26, 1999

Answers

While it is refreshing to see that not everyone is a part of the blaspheming, spiritually devoid crowd of big bang theorists here who disavow creationism for, hack, snicker....the big bang theory.....your sentiments call to mind the fact the Bible is a wonderful book where one can draw quotations for every occasion. Let's see....would 'ye of little faith' and the idea of 'false prophets who lead even the elect astray' sound like a good retort to your line, above?

The evolution thread made it eminently clear as to why so many doomers fear the worst: they have faith in nothing. If you missed that thread, please go back a day. I am sure you'll have a big laugh as the crowd brings new meaning to the term, 'mental masturbation'. Their arguments smack of illicit reasoning and phoniness, speaking volumes about their mindsets. I truly hope I am around for the day of reckoning to witness the lightning bolts.

Nonetheless, Bible quotations can be used on both sides of this argument. I choose to see the need for faith in all of this and as such, why bring religion in at all?

Regards.

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), August 26, 1999.

Interestingly, recent discoveries and observations have started to cast serious doubt on the big bang theory, and on the "inflation" theory of the early universe (first fraction of a second after the big bang). Apparently, right now cosmologists are grappling with observations inconsistent with all proposed theories, so it's a very exciting time to be a cosmologist. And this is how scientific theories are formed, and how they're examined, and what happens to them when they are contradicted by observation.

This is in stark contrast to the religious approach of accepting on faith and rejecting all observation as irrelevant. Or the doomer approach (quite similar) of *creating* observations to fit a pet theory, rather than the other way around. Interesting, all in all.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), August 26, 1999.

Good post Johnny. Yes, bottomline is faith.

Flint, Many Christians I know, including me, have no problems with debate and investigation and changing viewpoints my friend, so be careful how you stereotype creationists. They all don't fit into your little box.

I have heard of the new discoveries being investigated and I'm excited as anyone. While I am a Creationist, I am open to how God did it. I consider myself a progressive creationist. I have many books on science and religion and find myself in the small minority of Christians who has made friends with science. Truth has nothing to fear.

Instead of intellectually philosophying as if that can discover the cause of the broken code, why don't you offer doomers some factual evidence that the nations outside the U.S. will be ready in four months? That would be helpful.....not your condescending intellectualism.

-- bb (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), August 26, 1999.

Or the Pollyanna approach: "I've found a way to think about this which makes me happy! I'll just close my eyes and no bad things will hurt me."

Flint, you are really irritating sometimes. You got preps, so I have heard. Yet you malign people for their religious beliefs. You seem to me to have the same affliction as so many others; lots of difficulty distinguishing belief from fact.

I don't think you could recognize a fact if it bit you on your grey-haired ass.

Godspeed,

-- Pinkrock (aphotonboy@aol.com), August 26, 1999.

Flint, It is artlicles like this that help us form our 'pet theories'.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Washington -- A survey conducted by the U.S. State Department has produced a worrisome assessment of impending global problems related to the year 2000 (Y2K) computer date change.

"With less than six months to go before the Y2K date change, the global picture that is slowly emerging is cause for concern," State Department Inspector General Jacquelyn L. Wiliams-Bridgers said in a recent statement to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem.

"Our assessments suggest that the global community is likely to experience varying degrees of Y2K-related failures in every sector, in every region, and at every economic level," she added.

The State Department has surveyed 161 countries about their efforts to adjust their computer systems to avoid errors when computer calendars reach the year 2000.

The Y2K problem has arisen from the two-digit method of marking the year on software programs written decades ago but which are still in use. Analysts say the appearance of "00" on computer calendars could cause the machines to mistake year 2000 for 1900.

"In some countries, these failures could be a mere annoyance, such as a malfunctioning credit card terminal, while in others there is a clear risk that electricity, telecommunications, and other key systems will fail, perhaps creating economic havoc and social unrest," Williams-Bridgers said.

[...clear risk... WILL fail...]

The inspector general predicted disruptions in international trade, which could have a serious impact on the U.S. and world economies because of breakdowns in the supply chain.

Of the 161 countries surveyed, the inspector-general said about half are considered to be medium or high risks for Y2K failures in the telecommunications, energy, and transportation sectors.

"The situation is noticeably better in the finance and water/waste water sectors, where around two-thirds of the world's countries are reported to have a low probability of experiencing Y2K-related failures," she added.

The majority and most serious of the Y2K failures are likely to occur in developing countries and the countries that once made up the Soviet bloc, Williams-Bridgers said.

She said from 52 to 68 of the 98 developing countries surveyed are at medium or high risk in the telecommunications, transportation, and energy sectors.

India, she said, is poorly prepared for the millennium change. Y2K remediation work has not been completed in any sector, and contingency planning has barely begun, she said.

"Most worrisome is the potential vulnerability of the 70 percent of the electrical power sector controlled by the State Electricity Boards, large parts of which only now are beginning basic inventories and assessments," she said.

With regard to China, the inspector general spoke of "cautious optimism" about Y2K readiness in the world's most populous country. She said Chinese officials have expressed confidence about the electric power grid but are worried about railroad freight, medical devices and embedded chips.

The People's Daily, the Chinese Communist Party newspaper, has reported that 70 percent of the large and medium-sized businesses in China do not take Y2K seriously. The People's Daily commented that China's widespread use of obsolete computers and pirated software is another factor that puts the country at Y2K risk.

The computer systems used in Ethiopia's air transport, electricity, and water sectors appear to be compliant, but the telecommunications sector appears to be lagging, Williams-Bridgers said.

At a roundtable discussion in one Middle Eastern country, the inspector general said businessmen expressed fears that breakdowns could occur in utilities, telecommunications, medical services, food distribution and the aviation system. One report suggested that water may be the weakest link in Y2K preparedness in the Middle East, she said.

The State Department surveyed 24 countries in the former Soviet bloc. Fourteen of them were rated as being at medium or high risk in the telecommunications sector; 15, in the transportation sector; and, 17, in the energy sector.

Despite concerns about the energy sector, the inspector-general reported that the Russian nuclear power systems appear to have been adjusted for the millennium date change.

"The nuclear sector reports that all safety systems are Y2K compliant, and provisions are being made to ensure that back-up power will be available," Williams-Bridgers said. "Plant operations computers may have undiagnosed problems that could force a shutdown, but we expect safety systems will work as needed."

Commenting on an unnamed Balkan country, the inspector general said the Y2K remediation campaign is disorganized and under-funded but has some positives.

"While the telecommunications, air transportation and financial sectors are largely compliant, or likely will be by year-end, other sectors, including water purification, rail transportation, and the all important energy sector appear to be lagging far behind," Williams-Bridgers said.

With a little more than four months remaining before January 1, 2000, the State Department is heading a U.S. effort to encourage Y2K contingency planning.

In August, the State Department is notifying selected governments of its concerns of Y2K problems that could affect U.S. citizens living or traveling in those countries. In September, the department's Bureau of Consular Affairs will publicize its concerns to the traveling public when it issues consular information sheets concerning Y2K.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 23, 1999

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), August 26, 1999.

The Big Bang Theory is a creation myth.

-- (dot@dot.dot), August 26, 1999.

ROTFLMAO, Dot. Thanks!

Uh. Oh, you're serious. Listen, without turning the board into a Darwin-Spirituality debate, let me ask those who subscribe to big bang type of garbage: how stupid do you really have to be to believe that out of nothingness, something transpired? Uh....by itself. How much of a dolt do you have to be to think that the organs on living beings---most of which have a function to that being's existence--were a matter of luck? Fate dictated that these organs and parts landed in those beings? How much of a moron do you have to be to believe that things just happen by themselves? How naive do you have to be to believe we are all our own gods, that some higher power didn't have a say so in the creation of things.

That sounds too new age to me. And if you know anything about the new age movement, well, you know where the logic eminates from.

Ah well.....back to business.

regards, Dot, and thanks for the laugh.

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar. com), August 26, 1999.

only 127 shopping days left...

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), August 26, 1999.

I'm beginning to think that the more creative trolls sow these little provocative posts not because they believe what they state, but so that we begin debating off-topic issues rather than informing about Y2K. I mean, just look at the title and contentt--both guaranteed to start several arguments.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), August 26, 1999.

Yeah, yeah, yeah Git.Did you pick up those thoughts from the BBC, too?

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), August 26, 1999.

Brilliant deduction Git. So why did you enter the thread?

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), August 26, 1999.