I want to tell a quick story before I move on to the technical conference.

I was at the bowling alley a few weeks ago. I took my ball in and got it resurfaced, then I had a few drinks. I got on the subject of mathematics and computers with a couple of pollies. I did manage to work y2k into the talk. They are pretty much convinced it will be a non-event. Their supporting evidence was quotes from the media in addition to the fact that no major failures have occurred (at least to the point to impact their lives). I pleaded with them to at least stock up for their families sake if not for their personal benefit. They said they would not stock up. I told them that I hope they're right, but I'm not prepared to take the risk. I told them that I hope we're sitting here and laughing about this a few months from now.

Stocking up over the course of this past year should have caused no problems (we'll never know this, since it didn't happen). The problem we have now is that it's too late. We're at a point where it will cause a problem if everybody were to stock up now.

A few weeks have gone by. I went practicing, and lo and behold one of the pollies that I had a discussion with wanted to practice with me. Not only that, we've become friends. I found out that he has a son who's also an excellent bowler. So my point is this. I don't understand why there are those pollies out there that express anger towards prudent people as myself. Sometimes to the point of threatening me.

I don't know where the pollies are getting their data, but my research tells me a different story. Take the year 2000 Composium Series (technical conference) for example. We're being told that major think tanks were at that conference. These people were very much without subjective opinions. These were people in the know, so to say. We're talking about people with government security clearences. Present were, the Naval War College, Head of Retail Federation, U.S. Information Agency. But guess who didn't show up? The media. ABC was scheduled to be there, but for some reason they weren't seen. It's no wonder their source data are second class. This turned out to be a crisis management conference, not just another y2k conference. This is what they said:

• 200,000 viruses are set to strike in Jan.
• DOD is only 70% done.
• Social Security is not ready despite happy face reporting.
• IRS is not ready. They found new systems.
• The VA is going to process additional checks (2000) in November.
• They are expecting failures across all sectors.
• They are expecting local power outages.
• They are expecting supply chain problems.
• They are expecting international disruptions across all sectors.
• They believe 5% (I believe domestic, but I could be wrong) of the banks are not ready.
• It's time to set up crisis management centers, stop fixing code.
• 50% of the Fortune 1000 companies are not going to be ready in time.

Now come on pollies are these guys idiots? Are they lying to us? We're being told that Y2K isn't fixed plain and simple. I still find threads on this forum asking for any kind of evidence (of potential failures that is), yet I'm still mystified why the question is even being asked. Why isn't this enough evidence (I guess you'll continue to say, "what evidence?") to at least be prudent? To this day I still don't have an answer. My guess is that I'll never will.

Link Nov 8--RealAudio

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), November 15, 1999

Answers

I couldn't find the story on this site.
Also RealAudio refused to run, probably
because I uninstalled RealJukebox. They
can kiss my RealA**. Their surreptitious
sending of information from your computer
puts them on the delete list. I'll be
completely uninstalling it today.

Some people will not see, read refuse to
see, what is before their eyes untill the
herd begins to move. There is a good survival
strategy in this. Many species have used this
to their advantage. The monkey wrench is the
lies and distortion provided by the media.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 15, 1999.

The reason some just don't get it is simple: they don't want to "get it." They are in a state of denial, pyschic shutdown, truth aversion, la-la-land, whatever you want to call it. It is a fundamental flaw that is common in human thinking, that allows a person to create an alternative fantasy world which blocks out painful realities. The government and the media have shamlessly exploited this human frailty by giving people what they want to hear. Reality of course will eventually sweep aside childish denial. It ain't gonna be pretty neither.

-- Robert King (robking@dell.com), November 15, 1999.

Worth a listen! And then another.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 15, 1999.

Larry, Did you actually go to this conference? I saw the "results" listed on an earlier thread, but somehow these type of meetings seem to get brushed off. I think it would lend "credibility" to have someone such as yourself actually there. Just wondering.

-- Gregg (g.abbott@starting-point.com), November 15, 1999.

Just finished listening to the Tech Conference before reading Larry's post. If you have a few minutes check out what happened to community preparedness efforts here in Butte County, Calif. I've posted it on my website http://www.homestead.com/buttecounty2k A couple of kickers: Last July our local paper had a front page story on "Sheriff's Y2K Meatlockers," telling how the SHeriff was stockpiling food for a minimum of two weeks for inmates, department employees and their families. I sent a letter to the editor, wondering why the county supervisors or the mayors didn't come forth and tell the public that if it's good for the Sheriff it's good for you. No response to my letter.

THen, last week, in response to an email of mine, a county supervisor has put on the Nov 23 agenda a resolution to make December "Y2K Preparedness Month." I am invited to the meeting to offer input.

Isn't that terrific? Isn't that just as prudent as a citizen could hope for? I really am hoping that there will be a way to hold our local (and all) officials personally, legally, responsible for economic loss, suffering, and death results from their negligence.

-- johno (jobriy2k@yahoo.com), November 15, 1999.

One minor correction...VA will NOT print more checks in November...they will repeat the November run every month in 2000 until the design flaw is fixed.

46 days...24 Federal workdays 'till the END!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in January.com), November 15, 1999.

One minor correction...VA will NOT print extra checks in November...it will run the November production run each month in 2000, complete with the November dates, untill the design flaw is fixed!

Just 24 Federal workdays left 'till the END!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in January.com), November 15, 1999.

Those who have ears to hear, let them hear. Apparently not everyone can hear and Jesus knew that.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), November 15, 1999.

K. Stevens --

You could be right. I listened to the audio twice very carefully as I took notes, but a few things weren't totally clear.

Gregg --

No, I didn't go. But, I have listened to Gordon McDonald for well over a year now. He appears to be a straight shooter. He will retrack statements that later turn out to be false (or not totally true). Take Social Security for instance. He's stated that while they've been working on y2k since 1989, they've only had a few people on it for X number of years. I don't recall X. So, saying SS has worked on it for 10 years is true, not entirely the way we would think. So, he's very honest. I have no reason to disbelieve him. I'm sure it was for real.

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), November 15, 1999.

Johno--

I will check out the site. Thanks.

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), November 15, 1999.