Yes, Mr. Cynic is back! Yes, he was irresistably pulled back into the limelight by the stupidest Y2K article he's read in months.

As seen on c.s.y2k....

"Y2K bug out, panic is in as new year fear" (Call me Mr. Cynic XII)/a>

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 30, 1999

Answers

Well, the link looks goofy, but it works.

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 30, 1999.

Hey, man, are you gonna take the Polly Poll or not???

:)

lisa

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), September 30, 1999.

No.

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 30, 1999.

Y2K Red Herrings. (??) Mmmmmm...I hear they're mighty tasty on dark rye bread with a bit of chopped onion. Do you suppose that out of earshot of the red ones, all the other herring sigh with relief to themselves saying, "Better dead than red!"?

--inquiring minds demand to know...

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), September 30, 1999.

Don't Chase the Y2K Red Herrings

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 30, 1999.

Lane,

One of the disconnects in that article that really caught my eye was the statement that Americans might start a rush to stock up when they see other countries having problems earlier on December 31, 1999. Yet, the overall impression in the piece is that "most experts" don't see any big problems coming. So how could folks see big problems in other places during the early rollover hours? It's either a problem or it's not, right? No problems, don't stock up. Big problem, stock up early. Real disconnect going on here I think.

Flint,

You seem to feel that there won't be any really scary things happening to frighten people. So what do you think? Are the authorities suffering from needless worry about how people will behave on Dec 31, 1999? I mean, what would people see happen that could start any big fear, panic, etc?

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), September 30, 1999.

Love it. Some one who doesnt know anything arguing with someone else who doesnt know anything.

The reaction could be influenced not only by Y2K problems developing in Asia, Europe and Africa, which will ring out 1999 ahead of the United States, but also in this country. A large chunk of the nation's electric grid, for example, operates on Greenwich Mean Time, meaning its computers will flip over to 01/01/00 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on New Year's Eve. [That's probably as true as it is irrelevant.]

Actually it as untrue as its irrelevant. I dont know where this urban rumor came from. But Id like to put a stake through it. Many Utilities synch their clocks to some central timing source. It could be the out of Denver, WWVB, GOES or GPS. Its more likely to be GPS now then anything else. GPS broadcasts are decoded to GMT time. The receivers decode the time signal and then the user adds an offset for what ever time zone they are in. Lines that cross different time zones can have equipment on each end that are set to different times. Ditto when daylight savings time comes and goes. Do you really think the Utilities send crews out on overtime to stand around at 2:00 AM on a Sunday morning waiting to change all the times. It isnt important. Arizona doesnt convert to daylight savings time. So for part of the year their equipment is set one hour behind the equipment in California or Nevada. As for them sending crews out on December 31st. It is just a show. Something for the media. Theyll stand around for a few hours and when nothing happens everyone will go home. Some at some generating plant might be useful but a bunch of people standing around in some substation? Yeah right. I cant come out and say that no Utility operates on GMT but I dont think most do. It isnt necessary. Our logs are all printed out in local time. I can see where if you are dealing with a utility in another time zone GMT might be useful to keep log times the same but usually everyone just writes down their local time. As far as needing it to operate. Not true. The grid operates on load, not time.

You called the reporter stupid. Lets say hes lacking in knowledge. Just like you.

-- The Engineer (The Engineer@tech.com), September 30, 1999.

Engineer,

You're the one who is lacking in knowledge. Of course you are a first class Polly, which by default is a lack of knowledge, but I'll let that point pass. What is more important is that, by your own admission, you don't know if power companies operate by GMT or not. You don't "think" most do. Great knowledge. You either know or you don't, and *you* don't. Yet you go into a lengthy diatribe over the issue, never knowing for sure what the facts are. First class engineer you are. Hope we don't have a bunch of guessers like you at the critical points in the months ahead.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), September 30, 1999.

Thanks, "The Engineer". I'm still not impressed by your handle. Am I still supposed to be?

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 30, 1999.

BTW, the reporter is stupid on other grounds. I guess you didn't notice that. I'll just chalk that up to your own... ignorance.

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), September 30, 1999.

I think it WELL worth cross-posting Milne's rant on this topic. I'm STILL laughing!!!! You know, love him or hate him, many times Milne is RIGHT ON TARGET.

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

I guess, by now most of you in this newsgroup have a pretty good take on the messages of John Ko-skin-em'. There is no doubt at all in anyone's mind EXACTLY what he has been saying since he came into being last March.

In a nutshell, he has done ANYTHING but warn people to prepare. He has done ANYTHING but explain that there will be serious problems. He has done ANYTHING but inform the American public of the true state of affairs. Now, this article wants to annoint him. Hold on to your seat!

========

"We can't surprise people," Koskinen said. "There are going to be Y2K failures on New Year's Day."

( BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Wait, let me catch my breath. He has done more than any one government official to dispel any notion of serious problems occurring. And now, at the eleventh hour, he is coming out to say that he 'can't HIDE this'?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! If ever there was a case of take with one hand and give with the other, this is it. Now, when it all comes down, he will have spent a year and a half DISSUADING folks from serious preparation AND be on record so he can say "SEE! I told you I could not hide there would be problems.'

If I could take the Lord's name in vain, I would here. This is MASTERFUL. Absolutely MASTERFUL. Bravo! Bravo!! I'll bet he said it with a straight face while pulling a cigar out of his breast pocket. "Im going to say this one more time. I DID NOT hide that there would be problems....... with that computer thing. " I'm gonna puke.)

"What Koskinen and others fear is a late realization by Americans that they should stock up -- or should have stocked up -- on money, food and fuel.

According to one scenario, this could happen as late as Dec. 31, if Americans see problems pile up in the 17 time zones that will ring in the new year ahead of the United States. "

(If this actually is the case, why did they not say so EXPRESSLY two years ago? The fact of the matter is that they did not because their every waking moment was spent doing EXACTLY the opposite. This is "1984" all over again.

"We have never been at war with EastAsia." We have always been at war with EastAsia. Is the American public, so dumbed down, so stupid, so intellectually bereft that it does not see this? YES. A resounding YES!

America deserves every bit of anguish that it is about to recieve as a WELL DESERVED testimony to it's incalculable aptitude for self- delusion.

Such amazing arrogance I have rarely seen. When the citizens not only fall for this folderol but welcome it with shouts of "MORE! MORE! they deserve everything that they are going to get, in spades.)

"People ought to prepare, but they ought to prepare early," said Koskinen.

( BWAHAHAHAHAAHHAHA! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Send the rescue squad! I'm choking...I'm choooooking! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Joseph Goebbels is spinning in his grave. "Pinwheel Joe" they refer to him as now. He repents in sackcloth and ashes that he ever thought of himself as a Minister of Propaganda in light of Kosky's work. When did you EVER warn the American public to PREPARE EARLY, or AT ALL, you VILE LYING SACK OF SHIT?

Any time you even condescended to mention the word it was in derision, scorn, downplaying or in an effort to recommend what could not possibly constitute preparation even to an embarrassed boy scout. Additionally, telling them your deep concern for them to prepare early at the eleveth hour is a 'roll me on the floor and smear my ears with jam' laugh riot...)

What makes me fall on the ground GAGGING, nay, BLUBBERING with laughter is the first line of this monumentally SPECIOUS article....

Y2K bug out, panic is in as new year fear By David Westphal Bee Washington Bureau Chief (Published Sept. 27, 1999)

WASHINGTON -- In one respect, the man responsible for preventing a Y2K debacle in this country may have done his job altogether too well.

BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

First they crown him savior, BEFORE the fact, in COMPLETE contradistinction to reality and the evidence but what's worse.....they are saying that he DID IT TOO WELL.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!

But wait! there's more!!

"The fact that Americans are once again shrugging off the Y2K menace reflects how much progress has been made during the last year. "

(Really? This is a ridiculous fallacy. The number of people who believe one way or the other has nothing to do with the situation at all. This is like saying that the fire chief sent only one fire truck so it can not be a five alarm fire. And once again, they laughably refer to 'progress' as if that was an indication of anything at all. How does it reflect that progress has been made because most people shrug it off? Duuuh!

The most recent Cap Gemini/Rubin Survey shows that over 40% of 14.5 MMMMILLION small business have DONE NOTHING yet to remediate and are 'waiting' to see what happens. Is THAT an indication of how much progress has been made? LOL LOL LOL To them, sure it does. "See, last week 45% had done nothing. See what wonderful 'progress' we are making with less than 75 working days to go?"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! PULLLLLLLLEEEEEEEASE!)

========================

I am absolutely apoplectic. STUNNED.

Bumfuzzled.

The US is going down, going down BIG TIME. And it is going down more from its arrogance than anything else. "You know what" comes before a fall.

Won't be long now. So long suckers.

http://www.capitolalert.com/news/capalert01_19990927.html

-- Paul Milne "If you live within 5 miles of a 7-11, you're toast"

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

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), September 30, 1999.

Hey "Engineer" - Are you a member of IEEE? Please take a minute out to read your bretheren's take on the global remediation fiasco. While you make some valid points -- tell me what your personal beef is with preparing for potential consequences of the rollover. I don't care if it's mountain time, Greenwich mean time or Miller time, there is measurable potential for negative impact on soooo many lives. What's the upside in dueling with the doomers - I just don't get it.

-- Ramblin Wreck (From@Georgia.Tech), September 30, 1999.

I don't know about HIM, but *I* certainly am a member. I read their treatise on Y2K as well. Personally, I believe them.

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), September 30, 1999.

HEY ENGINEER...

WHAT KIND OF CHOO-CHOO DO YOU DRIVE???

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 30, 1999.

Lane,

That was great...kind of reminded me of that scene in Jurassic Park when the "blood-sucking lawyer" runs out on the kids in the car, hides in the toilet, then "meets" the T-Rex uh...face to face. ; )

Yum.

Mike

===================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 01, 1999.

Actually, there is a 'gotcha' in the timing. The first place in the U.S. to experience the 'joys' of the new millenium will be the East Coast, which is in the Eastern Time Zone. And trust me, if the power grid tanks on the East Coast, ain't NO WAY that the rest of the electric utilities are gonna make it up! So if anyone is planning an "Ed Yourdon Y2K Celebration" (from his book, defined as an almost orgasmic evening of making sure that ALL of the clothes are washed and ALL of the bathtubs, sinks, pots, pans, etc. are filled with water) better do it before 12:00 midnight Eastern Time.

-- John Beoddy (beoddy@ameritech.net), October 01, 1999.

No Gordon you have it wrong.

I know that ALL power companies dont operate by GMT. I dont think that most do. None that I know of do. But I dont know how every single one operates, so I cant categorically say that none do.

Which is of course my point. If company A operates on Eastern Time and B operates on Central Time then obviously the time difference doesnt matter. Personally I think this where the myth came from. People knew that the grid ties different time zones together and felt that it had to operate by GMT. That combined with the fact that most of the big ones use GPS led to the Grid operates on GMT time.

Let me put it to you this way. My company operates a large part of one of the grids. We operate across two time zones. We interface with other companies in this and other time zones. We dont operate on GMT time.

Lane,

Should you be impressed by my handle? No. Im not impressed by yours so there is no reason you should be impressed by mine.

Ramblin,

I am a member and I did read the IEEE report. In my opinion one of the stupidest things they ever put out.

I dont have a personal beef, (check out what I wrote in answer to Lisas poll) with preparation in general. I have a beef with misinformation. If you want to act on misinformation thats your problem. But dont try to convince me that what X says is true, and its obviously not. Notice I just didnt pick on Lane. Neither he nor the reporter knows what they are talking about.

Dennis,

Why? It didnt say anything.

no talking,

The kind that will still be running next year.

-- The Engineer (the Engineer@tech.com), October 01, 1999.