I am watching this show right now on PBS, this is the one which was reviewed as dopey. Believe me it is. Its so stupid anyone with any computer background will be yelling at the TV.

One line from the host about computers on planes not working: "What if it all stops working on New Years eve?. Well the pilots will just have to look out their windows to figure out where they are, doesnt sound too bad to me!." (not an exact quote).

When they show any people preparing they are survivalists and religious freaks. The host seems sarcastic in his questions and the mixing in of horror movie footage and goofy sound track is an arrogant slap at anyone who is concerned.

This is the stupidest show I have ever seen. I am not a doomer and I do make a racket when doomers start with goofy stories, but this show is an insult to anyone watching it hoping to get more info on Y2k.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 26, 1999

Answers

Conclusion: it's not a computer problem, it's a behavior problem.

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

Get your financial records in order and enjoy the new millennium.

Those financial records might keep you warm for a few minuets.

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), October 26, 1999.

Oh my god, I am going to have an an aneurism. This show is so full of incorrect information and bizarre assumptions.

Cringeley said the easiest fix is to roll back the dates to 1972 and then process all data in that year and then take the final data and run it through a personal computer to "fix" the date. He thinks its because the software gods want to fix it by coding BUT its really a hardware problem. A HARDWARE PROBLEM, what the hell is wrong with this guy. How did he get anyone to let him host a show.

His final words, Y2k wont cause a recession or depression. Y2K is not a computer problem its a social problem. Go out and enjoy your new year and then he drives his car off into the horizon.

This guy is a moron.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 26, 1999.

Hamster Help....

I am !*&%#@ yelling at the screen. Totally brain dead. Kosy on now. See what I mean..

He just said IT! Crighly or whatever: "Airplanes won't fall from the sky!"

The FDR clip REALLY.... "The only thing the we have to fear.."

It's a "behavior problem" He's using all the cliches....

We truly are doomed if this is the rebuttal from PBS...

UNBELIEVVVVVVVVVVVABLE!!!!!!!

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), October 26, 1999.

I realize everyone is upset here. Why is what these people are saying so upsetting to you? What exactly wrong with them?

-- What-makes-it stupid? (Well_Y_do@you.saythat), October 26, 1999.

And remember, make sure to carry your check book with you, cause the credit cards might not work, but all the banks will still honor checks !!!!!!!

-- BH (silentvoice@pobox.com), October 26, 1999.

For a brief moment the show had a bit where Cringeley (hereafter I will refer to him as MakesMeCringe) asks the power/gas/utility guy about y2k. The guy is giving an intelligent answer and its actually interesting and MakesMeCringe says "Are you preparing for a comet impact" or something and the P&L guy looks bewildered and says "Comet" (or asteroid) and they cut to a black and white horror movie clip of a fake looking comet coming at the screen.

If y2k is bad, this is the first guy we hunt down and bitch slap.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 26, 1999.

Interesting show. Stupid, but interesting. I'd love to examine the funding of the production just as a "follow the money" exercise.

Cringely was gratuitously patronizing to anyone who did anything to prepare. Devices simply cannot be affected according to Cringely. If that is so, why did GM make it's "catastrophic effects" statement last summer? Why did the gentleman from the farm association who testified before Bennett's committee declare that irrigation systems failed upon simulated rollover? Why has there been any device issue at all? Someone is horribly confused, either Cringely or these folks who've made statements about their device failures.

The IEEE guy was pretty interesting. I don't see how Cringely drew any of his conclusions from the IEEE statements.

Cringely talked to the Chevron y2k chief, and, you guessed it, got a bunch of couclusory statements about readiness. Then Cringely asked if Chevron had made contingency plans for a comet impact.

I continue to be baffled by the press and it's acceptance of conclusory statements. It's like all of a sudden these guys are the wimps of the century. I bet all of them went through high school calling up girls (if they could get up the nerve) with the old "You don't want to go out with me do you?" line. We, like the adolescent wimps, will remain in the dark.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), October 26, 1999.

What-Makes-It Stupid,

You have much, much reading, research, sweat-equity ahead of you, as the regulars on this forum have done, to fully understand the folly and sheer stupidity what was represented. Hours and hours. Really. Unfortunately, it's probably too late for you to do that, so fastforward yourself to the prep forums. BTW.. How did this host get the gig? Certainly not for his indepth Y2K knowledge...

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), October 26, 1999.

I am remended of Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" series made for the public and the troops. While I will not be able to watch the PBS program out here in "Hooterville", I can imagine the sloppiness in production values in trying to slap the public with the propaganda message. Afterall, its all propaganda. The news that we read, etc. Its not what is written, but what is left out that the gatekeeepers don't want you to know.

I wonder why the "survivalists" aren't portrayed with buck teeth and slober running down their stained tee-shirts. Remember back in the 50s hollywood portrayed pinkos as effete pigeon toed guys who wore glasses. The message is the massage said McCluhan. Boy was he right.

If this is a psyops campaign for the Volvo crowd (remember who watches pbs), then the message is not so subtle. Don't rock the boat. Keep the assets where they are. Just watch this little program and we promise to get back to the birdie documentaries.

Years ago in another life, I used to do that for a living, that is write and produce propaganda for the .mil. Moving opinion is an art between sweet love making and being knocked senseless with a hammer.

My guess is that since time is running out and bank deposits are dwindling that the time for sweet lovey messages is over--the hammer has been brought out to soothe the masses.

Like I said, remember and think about who this message is aimed at--those that think they are affluent watch pbs. The soccer moms with the Range Rover. THe mid level whos-its that are just now beginning to think about the end of the year. They have money, or at least think they have. The message is aimed at them. They are the ones that would cause bank runs. Not the millions of folks working at McJobs living from pay check to pay check.

Frankly I never worried about planes falling out of the sky, landing on top of another plane perhaps, but not falling out of the sky.

As I stated earlier, I will not be able to watch the program. But I wonder---anytime I talk about y2k, I have only four words. "No Oil-No Go" I wonder if this bit of propaganda will even touch upon the subject?

I am

Just a

Peace Farmer

-- peacefarmer (peacefarmer@thefarm.com), October 26, 1999.

What makes this show stupid? I can't believe you even had to ask that. This show is stupid because it disagrees with a bunch of semi- literate haridresser types who spend all of their waking hours typing strange messages on the world wide web.

-- @@@@@@ (@@@.@@@@@2@@), October 26, 1999.

Hamster,

I know you are upset. But "bitch slap"? Isn't that a bit insulting to the women on the forum? Can you tell me what a "bitch slap" is? Is it something you resort to often, when you are upset? Does this add something to Y2K discussion to suggest wanting to "bitch slap" someone?

IMHO, it is an offensive suggestion and has no value to the discussion except to alienate.

-- Leslie (***@***.net), October 26, 1999.

Please register all complaints with PBS.ORG.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), October 26, 1999.

Leslie, its a misnomer of sorts. Its not really to slap a woman although originally it was. Its a street slang term now used to mean slapping a man like he was a whore or a "bitch". Its like calling another man a "bitch", derogatory to women, but used to treat another man as effeminate and to deride his masculinity.

You're right, its offensive and I am wrong to use it here.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 26, 1999.

"You're right, its offensive and I am wrong to use it here.

I'm still offended by the word you didn't omit.

-- (woman@everywhere.net), October 26, 1999.

Although my first inclination was to make popcorn and pretend it was a sitcom, I decided that TLC's special on how to find the G-spot was a better waste of my time.

-- a (a@a.a), October 26, 1999.

Oh, I don't know, I'd like to bitch-slap the guy myself, because he IS a bitch. Hmm. Might be a female anyway.

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

To the moron who made derogatory remarks about hairdressers - WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING A HAIRDRESSER?

-- Hairdresser (not@fruity.atall), October 26, 1999.

You idiots can't even get through one lousy thread without starting a fight about something. I tink I'm goooona cwy. Bwaaaaaaa Hamster said "bitch slap" bwaaaaaa bwaaaaaaa. Morons!!!!!

-- (GonnaPuke@this.place), October 26, 1999.

Lighten up Leslie. I laughed up a lung when I read hamsters comment.

-- a (a@a.a), October 26, 1999.

WHY is it STUPID?

Then who the heck are those Y2K extremists, the ones who are stockpiling canned goods? Most of them are religious fundamentalists and survivalists. The former seem quite certain that God is on the decimal system.

(SNIP...)

(SNIP)

Their fear, interestingly enough, isn't Y2K itself, but rather the reaction to Y2K of the rest of us, the unprepared. The survivalists choose to be apart because they expect us to want their stuff and to come for it with weapons. I am not making this up. (SNIP)

(SNIP)

Here is an important insight about both these groups. I have met with many of these people and what becomes clear is that the outcome they say they fear is really the outcome they want. The religious right seems to want some kind of cleansing of our society and see Y2K as part of that. The survivalists just want to be right. And both groups have done a very good job of making many perfectly normal people nervous enough about Y2K to consider taking some not very well- advised actions like cashing-in their savings and stocks. This will only get worse as the year winds down. (END SNIP) LINK HERE

I think Cringley is stupid because he says the biggest threat of Y2k is "those right-wing fundamentalists and survivalists". As if THEY were responsible for all these companies being non-compliant. In 10 weeks we will see who is correct. Somehow I think no-matter what, any negative results will be pinned on those right-wingers and survivalists - at least if Cringley has his way.

-- Right (Winger@god.com), October 26, 1999.

REAL CRINGLEY WEB SITE LINK

-- Wrong (URL@god.com), October 26, 1999.

HEY!!!

Did anyone else notice the SQUIRREL KING in The DEE CEE sequence???

-- ALURKER (nobody@nowhere.com), October 26, 1999.

Whew! That really was one of the most blatant propaganda pieces I've ever had the displeasure to witness. 20% of it was taken up by cute graphics and shots of Bob's shoes. The guy obviously knows a hell of a lot about Y2K, and decided for whatever reason (his corporate masters chose) not to say anything that would upset anyone.

There was even some out and out lying. He said that as a licensed pilot, he would check out the airplane thing himself. The folks at Boeing let him tag along on a flight, he was in the cockpit when the date rolled over. Nothing happened. (shots of a Boeing plane in the air.) Then to celebrate the fact that the plane didn't fall from the sky, he rolled the plane completely around. Obviously, it was a flight simulator, and there was a cutsie shot from the '50s of passengers. A flight simulator!!!

This kind of show makes obvious some of the inherent flaws in our culture. We simply cannot take things seriously anymore. Yes, it was aimed at the birdie show crowd, and I believe, it treats them like shit. It was such an obvious pandering -- support was provided by the likes of Xerox, Boeing, Bonneville Power and Chrysler; PBS's major endowers include Archer-Daniels-Midland, Chubb Group, Fidelity Investment, the Ford Foundation, IBM, Mobil, Southland, Texaco, Boeing, and a zillion others -- I mean, come on, what did you expect? We are incapable as a culture of addressing problems anymore. It will take a disaster to change this. Propaganda pieces like this increase the likelihood for that disaster, no matter what the producers may think are their good intentions of trying to keep people from panicing.

Kinda sad, really...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), October 26, 1999.

A few comments on the show

Nada about health.

Showing water flowing down hill to generate power, to the best of my knowledge gravity is y2k compliant. Yet it only produces 4% of the power.

Discussing Y2K system problems in a one horse town was silly. Who would even care about the traffic lights going down, or if the water, waste water systems worked or not. More than likely Gravity is involved in the flows of either, it would be a non issue. It is in my area.

Nothing about the Chemical Plants which IMHO are the greatest risk at the moment.

The recent pdf file of the survey on Chemical Companies.

 October 21, 1999 Texas A&M Report on Chemical Companies
 

And a web site of the folks that will have to deal with the "fallout" because of a "error".

 IAFF Hazardous Materials Training Department's Y2K Preparedness
Welcome to the IAFF Hazardous Materials Training Department's Y2K Preparedness web site.

This is the online PPT presentation from the IAFF. Pretty scary stuff.

View the presentation online

Why is this such a disconnect that we get two pictures. The media and those that have to do do something about it.
 

I have noticed the 3 shows that are an hour long were all based from the west coast (NW US, AKA the wet coast), why?
 

He mentioned bio containment facilities and compared Y2K as a virus. What he forgot to mention is that those same facilities have problems. Where are they at? Often medical and education facilities. Who is the most behind? Guess. I have been told that this is a problem that has not been fully addressed.
 

The wormhole analogy was cool. But that is lateral thinking. Some of the commentary by the IEEE fellow was interesting but nothing that would raise a sweat by the average TV watcher.

My biggest complaint in regards to Y2K is that it occurs during the dead of winter. This is the worst time of the year to experience failure. If it occurs the impact will be "material" to peoples comfort level. Most haven't got a clue how to survive a three day failure. And here Robert is walking around in short sleeves. Not a shot of the effects of winter. They should of had a few shots of winter storms and forget the campy 50s film clips.

It is MHO that this has always been a big problem in Y2K awareness. For the most part Y2K could be happening during july for all the concern that the effects of winter could cause folks. Couple that with failure in large systems and you have a major problems.

And as a person that has been there and done that (winter wise) I see this as a demonstration of gutless, pampered, office bound, status quo maintaining wimps that can't handle the truth. There is very little fall back planning in regards to failure during the winter.

That just maybe the "Winter of our disconnect."

Contingency planning in -40? Not a chance.

It pains my heart.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), October 27, 1999.

Yes, I saw it too and was very disappointed. I was expecting something along the lines of Frontline. Instead I saw a show that seemed to be talking to its viewers like they were about 7 years old. Yep, very patronizing and goofy.

-- Stanley Lucas (StanleyLucas@WebTv.net), October 27, 1999.

This comment is not meant to be a criticism. I hope it is heard in the spirit in which it is given. In my experience the disappointment/exasperation (oooh where's my dictionary?), is a result of a the ever-present, ever-hopeful, ever-human wait for truth and appropriateness. It takes a lot to extinct that in human beings; you can see it in people who have lives comparable to the Job of the old testament bible. Those age-old earth adages come in handy sometimes, especially when waiting for honesty.

Like this one: Hope springs eternal.

In the course of our linear time, more will be revealed, eh?

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), October 27, 1999.

Anyone ever read the short story about how almost everyone in society has become incredibly stupid? The smart ones try to kill off the stupid by shipping them to the moon; but they get caught.

We're there!!!

-- Me (me@me.me), October 27, 1999.

Here's my letter to PBS:

"To Whom It May Concern:"

"I am very disappointed in the quality of your recent program by allowing such trash as "Winter of our Disconnect" to be aired."

"Such condescending, non-factual information actually allowing to be broadcast make me shudder. You haven't fallen to the level of becoming a mouthpiece, say such as Soviet-Era "Pravda", have you?"

"Tremendous strides have been taken in remediation and all due to the highly trained personnel who have worked dedicatedly in solving this issue. Unfortunately, this show was a slap in the face to all who have worked so hard and so long to ensure our continued prosperity."

"If possible, please forward these comments to the producers of this show. Further, I will be very reluctant in providing future donations to PBS as I was very insulted by this distasteful airing."

"Deborah L. McClelland"

-- Deb (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), October 27, 1999.

This production is one more proof of the absolute control and collusion of Banks, Big Business and Government. The people are treated as idiots by the imbecils that run our society. Greed and power breed intellectual arrogance. What these pseudo-elite fail to realize is the lessons of American history. Americans will in the end turn against those who have betrayed our constitution. They forgot the power of an american peasant army bent on defending freedom.

"I know not what others may want but as for me give me liberty or give me death."

Long live America's dream of freedom and justice until it is fullfilled. Y2K may well be a blessing in disguise.

-- Eagle (y@y.y), October 27, 1999.

I relly hate to let the little electric picture box get under my skin, but yes, I WAS talking to the screen last night. Well, to Cringely, anyway.

Obviously, Dockers Boy hasn't tried to shop at a supermarket or Walmart during a power outage. Cash only. 'Course, he couldn't say to take cash because he'd already told us that we shouldn't withdraw cash from the bank.

I could have ROTF and LMAO, except there are so many who are eager to be reassured by the media that there are no troubles ahead. How many people who were starting to prepare saw that show last night and decided that there's no need?

How many people do you think will endure unnecessary suffering because of what Dockers Boy (tassels on his loafers, yet) told them in this show?

(Pretty show, too wasn't it? Lots of exciting clips, and ooooooh, that thing about reversing the images of the speakers was just so cutting edge! He must REALLY know a lot about computers to be able to do THAT!)

Yep, now that America knows that Widespot, Oregon is all set for the rollover, I bet all the corporations & agencies that have spent $$$$ on this feel pretty stupid!

As far as slapping the guy, I think life will do a bang up job of that in about 70 days or so. I just wonder whether he'll feel any remorse about the disinformation he perpetrated...

-- Arewyn (isitth@latealready.com), October 27, 1999.

I don't believe in TEOTWAWKI but watched the program. It was lame. It looked like it was produced by grade school kids. I couldn't believe it. This is really sad for PBS. The will never get another cent from me.

-- (ItAin'tThe@EndofTheWorld.com), October 27, 1999.

I agree with Ain't. Never will I again support PbS with my money. If the sheeple look to PBS for quality programming, and accept it for "quality", as Milne would scream "Peple are going to die"! How irresponsible... beyond the pale.

-- have q's (answer@here.com), October 27, 1999.

Just a little contribution: Go hear to find--shudder--a transcript! (For those who missed it)

PBS in-depth site for "The Winter of our Disconnect"

Hope you find this useful.

-- Marianne Michaels (scipublic@aol.com), October 27, 1999.

As a sometimes Deist my only prayer is God help us with these STUPID perverts of disinformation of the likes of Mr. Cringly and PBS WINTER OF OUR DISCONNECT Now we know for sure the Banks and Fed control it all! Billions spent and rampant public disinformation in progress tells the story,As Milne so often states , We are toast!, If you can't baffle them with brillance then baffle them with bullshit!!!

-- H fats Kissinger (draconionsolutions@uselesseaters.com), October 27, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

Ooooh, this guy makes me soooo angry! He's not a DGI, he's lying through his teeth. Oh, he gets it alright.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), October 28, 1999.

Just have your checkbook ready, and enjoy the new millenium!!

-- Robert X. Cringely (I_am_@_piece_of_shit._yuppie), October 28, 1999.