[Personally, I think the optimists have a better sense of humor. :)]

Sung to the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot.

"The Wreck of the Y2K Heralds"

The legend lives on from the IT pros down To the forum they used to call doomy The man they call Ed, was out of his head When he headed on out to the boonies.

Some called him a bore, but said he knew more Than all of those writing in C "We started too late," and that sealed our fate cause software is never done early.

North played along and Hamaski jumped on CPR called them all liars. There was plenty of room, for the prophets of doom And even more net-based suppliers.

It was late 98, the times they were great Ed Yourdon wrote a big best seller The 10-year depression became an obsession God help the unwitting bank tellers.

Through 99, there were plenty of times The critical dates passed real quiet The Doomers kept true, despite the good news And stored up a rice and beans diet.

Late in the year, they all grew in fear Though business was better than ever The rants and the raves, broke like the waves As they hunkered down for the bad weather.

Ed said goodbye, deJager changed sides Paul Milne still lived in a trailer. The newswire spin raised up a din Waiting for systemic failures.

Finally it came, the end of the game The doomers thought us in deep peril And later that night, when stayed on the lights Came the wreck of the Y2K Heralds.

Does anyone know, where all the food goes When the end of the world doesnt happen The food banks made out, oh, without a doubt And there probably was some trouble crapping.

We might have all died! They all told us lies! The same complaints became rather futile. I wasnt wrong, was the most favored song Besides, all my preps are quite useful

Ed Yourdon, he writes, and G. North delights Though his 20-year string is unbroken. Milne is still mad, and Hamaski quite sad. And Mike Adams now lives in Hoboken.

The legend lives on from the IT pros down To the forum they used to call doomy The Y2K year, we had nothing to fear When we headed on out to the boonies.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), November 05, 1999

Answers

Decker,

Have to classify myself as a doomer, but had to laugh at your rendition of that classic song. Well done! By the way...Gordon Lightfoot is one Canadien I really like!

-- TM (mercier7@pdnt.com), November 05, 1999.

Give it a 6.5......Tune is OK but you can't dance to it and the lyrics, well......

TEEE HEEEE TEEE HEEEEE Ouch my ribs hurt!!

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), November 05, 1999.

I tried to dance to it, but I was laughing so hard, I knocked over a five foot stack of canned dog food cases.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 05, 1999.

"Thank God I never shared a foxhole with anyone that selfish."

Ken Decker

What foxhole was that, Decker?

-- Is this (funny@or.what?), November 05, 1999.

[Link to music--altered post to make it user choice--per request--crashing some systems--Sysop]

http://www2.cybercities.com/j/jaydax/Edmund/ef.mid

-- CD (not@here.com), November 05, 1999.

If anyone ever does a "Best of TB2000", this has to make the list. Maybe it's because "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is one of my all-time favorite ballads, I dunno. But the midi (while reading the lyrics) was the clincher. A great way to close out the week.

-- Rick Cowles (rick@csamerica.com), November 05, 1999.

p.s.: I'm giving Mr. Decker a pass on this one. ;-)

-- Rick Cowles (rick@csamerica.com), November 05, 1999.

It's in 6/8 time (a lovely, old-fashioned tempo), so a nice waltz is probably the step to try. 'Course, finding a partner nowadays who can waltz is another challenge entirely. 8-}]

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), November 05, 1999.

Ken,

That was superb!! By the way....where has Mr. Yourdon been keeping himself? The closer we get to the rollover, the more scarce he becomes.

-- (Trellish@eater.com), November 05, 1999.

My husband said, "Print it!"

-- helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), November 05, 1999.

Thank you, thank you. Would you like another song... featuring our local regulars?

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), November 06, 1999.

Yes... please give us another.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), November 06, 1999.

Yes Please!

-- Midas (midas_mulligan_2000@yahoo.com), November 06, 1999.

See "Y2K Pie" just posted.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), November 06, 1999.

LOL ;-)

-- karla (karlacalif@aol.com), November 06, 1999.