Dear Newbie, Everybody's entitled to their opinion and perspective (hopefully, they're related), and you are no exception. We welcome your presence around our fire (what a metaphor, huh?), just as long as you care to lurk, or contribute to the overall effort of mutual edification, information, amusement, etc. etc. We would not, however, be casually classified as a bunch of optimists with regards to the near future days. None of us stand to gain ANYTHING by life as we presently know it going down the tubes; but since none of us are clairvoyant (well, there might be a few) we are led by our intuition, derived from a heck of a lot of research into the details of our house-of-cards technological tower of Babel society, towards a rather pessimistic expectation of the near future. You may be right, or, we may be right. But it is decidedly foolish to walk into the midst of a bunch of people really leaning in a certain direction, and not expect a frown or two from some of them who don't share your optimism. Now, since you want to be one of us, here's your tinfoil hat (you'll have to adjust it a little - we make them big so that one size can fit all, remember to keep the corners tightly twisted so that you wont be hurt by ELF waves or HAARP power bursts; Go see Mocklamer for your LED flashlight, Watch out for the blue UN signs on the interstates, take your colloidal silver regularly, report any black helicopters or UN troops on US soil that you might see, keep your gas mask hidden if you visit the Seattle area (unless you are inundated with fallout from chemical contrails, in which case the gas mask goes on your face regardless; watch out for the new comets within our solar system that NASA doesn't want us to know about, the walmart trailers are off limits (don't even ask the store managers about them), be careful of X ray bursts from the unusally violent sunspots recently...have I left anything out, anybody?...oh, yeah. If you like mudwrestling, the King of Spain over there can probably hook you up, watch out for the Brits that post on here, they have a really British sense of humor, and they can be very ascerbic...don't let them bother you...and don't, FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY, feed them blankety blank Trolls!!! Listen to Diane, she can hurt you if you cross her, and mind your P's and Q's with some of the other oldies, they've been here a long time and deserve our respect!! Got it? Good. Now go have a seat, and play us a song on your guitar. An old Beatle tune, I would hope.......

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), December 02, 1999

Answers

Is the above an example of Urban scrawl?

-- Slobby Don (slobbydon@hotmail.com), December 02, 1999.

Sorry, Jay. I can only play some old Osmond Brothers. Is that OK?

I'm a "newbie" but, I think I've shown the respect "everyone" deserves but, respect must be earned..not expected.

I have asked for help and opinions and got them. I've posted some items that may seem important and may not. So, when does the classification of "newbie" disappear off of my record.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't take offense to what you had to say and actually found it quite amusing in a serious kind of way. I am just curious. To be honest, I take this forum quite seriously since the welfare of myself, my family and the world in general is at stake and not to many people give a shit..except here. I find some comfort in that. At this point in time, I'm quite scared at the outcome of the new year. Actually, I hope that everything that is posted on the forum that pertains to the outcome of the new year doesn't come true and I think the majority of the people on this forum would agree. I want to see my sons go to the prom and graduate and get married and have a wife and kids. I want to grow old with my wife and travel and enjoy life as God intended me to do. I put a lot of faith in God but, there comes a time when you need help from other people and I hope I've found that here.

-- Familyman (prepare@home.com), December 02, 1999.

Hi "newbies" :)

To let you know, this forum has some good information....you will need to consult the archives. There are some good technical threads (posted by those with actual y2k remediation experience)...you will need to check the credentials of many of the posters, though...there are quite a few who don't even work in the computer industry that will tell you the world is going to come crashing down next month (or in the months to come).

DON'T PANIC!

There are other sites that deal with y2k in less.....conspiracy driven tones (GRIN) Here are a few links for you to check out on your own:

Gary North is a Big Fat Idiot Homepage - Gary North is the father of y2k hysteria. There are other links from this page, which deal with North's religious agenda; also a forum where y2khype and its motivation can be researched.

Debunking y2k a webboard where y2k is discussed....the very top portion of this board has multiple links to other y2k sites....both pro and con. (I won't flood this post with those links, since you can research for yourself)

CCMag- Steve Hewitt For any Christians interested in balanced y2k reporting and information.

-- Helpful (forthose@new.toy2k), December 02, 1999.

Heeheeheeheheheh, and Jay's sorta a spring chicken hereabouts. Ya forgot the "reptilian cabal," our personal favorite ;^) That web page of Ickes that Andy posted had us in stitches for hours. Useful to apply to Koffinsky tho :-) Welcome to our collective Twilight Zone which will emerge from the Speculation Clouds smack square into Reality in just 30 short short short days.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), December 02, 1999.

slobbydon: Yep, I cut and pasted it from another post and forgot to reinstall the formatting commands....Still learning, myself. Family man: I hear you and appreciate your situation. I have similar dreams, my kids are grown, but I have grandkids, some of my sons are on the opposite side of the world right now in some senseless (in my opinion) peace-keeping role.
This post was actually a tongue-in-cheek response to a previous thread (further down, entitled "Is This Better?"), but I moved it to the top just for more exposure. In all seriousness, there is quite a wide distribution of personalities on this forum, all of them interesting. I have this innate "classroom clown" mentality that expresses itself in looking at most matters a little skewed for no apparent good reason.
You will be hard pressed to find a more informative single source of late- breaking Y2K related data elsewhere. We're all in the same boat, and we are all nervous about our continued existence. But enough about that! Welcome to the Forum. Stick around and follow the flow of data as it comes in.
God bless you and your family. Hang in there, nobody knows for sure what the future holds, but some of us know Who holds the future. Make Preparations, but remember Who to ultimately trust in.
See you, 'round, man, and keep your chin up!

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), December 02, 1999.

Excellent, smooth troll move, Jay.

-- you (ain't@foolin.nobody_son), December 02, 1999.

Ashton & Leska,
Welcome to our collective Twilight Zone which will emerge from the Speculation Clouds smack square into Reality in just 30 short short short days. I love it!! BTW, are your skies blue today, or what? I read about the contrails thing 6 or 7 months ago....didn't know what to think...your testimony really validates the matter for me. Like the wicked witch said to Dorothy as she melted away.."What a worrrld! What a worrrld!"

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), December 02, 1999.

Good post, Jay. funny too. don't forget to mention the Prep forum (sorry, haven't played with the html linking instructions yet).

If you don't see a direct link, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can receive directions to go to other hosted sidets. The TBTK prep forum is there. Big Dog, the sysop does a nice job. This one is calmer and full of practical advice.

As time approaches and we move closer to the end of the year, tempers fray, and attitudes polarize. Diane, Chuck and the other sysops deserve a big hand for all the work they do and the garbage they deal with when things get way out of hand.

There are some very bright people here who post regularly as well as some "names" in the Y2K world. Prepare to learn a lot about petroleum, finance, solar flares, and survivalism.

P.S. If you are a female newbie, being asked to mudwrestle is a rite of passage...

-- Nancy (wellsnl@hotmail.com), December 02, 1999.

Thanks Jay.

Hey, I checked out HELPFUL's sites and I've come to the conclusion that there are more lost souls than I originally expected.

Question: Are we still gonna have computerized tax returns next year?

:>P

-- Familyman (prepare@home.com), December 02, 1999.

you aint foolin nobody son:
Well, aren't we on edge today? Wouldn't try to fool you, thats for sure! Yep, I know when I've met my mental superior! Momma always told me, son, when you meet somebody of clearly superior intellect to you, don't try to fool them! And I always listened to what momma said! She'd say, when somebody accuses you of being something you ain't, and you can't defend yourself, don't even try. Ain't no use, she'd say! They gonna believe what they want to anyway, and thats that. Momma always knew what she was talking about, and Thats why I ain't agonna bother to dispute you, 'cause its like trying to make water run uphill. Why, it just cain't be done, and there ain't no use in wasting effort when something can't be done. Momma always said, Best thing to do is, to go on down the road and leave them alone, 'cause they's got their mind made up, and it just stirs up strife when you try to argue with someone who's made up their mind about you, and its contrary to what you really are. Momma always said, just forget about it, don't worry about them, and go on about your business....yep, momma was right about a lot of things.

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), December 02, 1999.

Whatever, Jay.

-- slick (cookie@you.are), December 02, 1999.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/policy.tcl?topic=TimeBomb%202000%20% 28Y2000%29

This forum is intended for people who are concerned about the impact of the Y2000 problem on their personal lives, and who want to discuss various fallback contingency plans with other like-minded people. It's not intended to provide advice/guidance for solving Y2000 problems within an IT organization.

In the spirit of TB2000's "mission-statement," I've compiled a list of resources, sites and links that you may find useful while researching the Century Date Change.

-------

The Executive Summary of the Senate Y2K Committee's 100 day report:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001Rwk

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/exec_sum_100days.pdf

The Senate Y2K Committee's 100 day report:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001SFC

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/

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http://www.accessatlanta.com/partners/ajc/reports/y2k/dos.html

[snip]

[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 9.19.99]

Be prepared: A list of do's

By Marilyn Geewax

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Washington -- Don't panic, but get prepared. While the nation's basic infrastructure will function after Jan. 1, authorities say the Y2K computer bug is sure to cause some problems. The power could go out in one community, while the water system falters in another and traffic lights malfunction in still another. Because no one can say with certainty which systems might fail, "the basic message we are giving people is ... be prepared for an emergency," said Red Cross spokeswoman Leslie Credit. Start your preparations by figuring out who is going to be in your household between Dec. 31 and mid-January, and what each person's special needs will be. Then lay out a strategy for making sure everyone can stay hydrated, healthy and warm for up to two weeks. These are among the recommendations being made by mainstream agencies:

WATER

THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM:

Local providers typically keep water flowing by using pumps and valves controlled by microprocessors and chips. Computers also regulate various aspects of water treatment, such as the addition of chlorine. In addition, Y2K-related power outages could cause a loss of heat that would allow pipes to freeze and burst.

THE SOLUTION:

[snip]

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Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem:

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/

House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology:

http://www.house.gov/reform/gmit/y2k/index.htm

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Family Disaster Supplies Kit (FEMA):

http://www.fema.gov/library/diskit.htm

Emergency Food and Water Supplies (FEMA):

http://www.fema.gov/library/emfdwtr.htm

[snip]

Emergency Food and Water Supplies

If an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm or other disaster ever strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water and electricity for days, or even weeks. By taking a little time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family.

This brochure was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Community and Family Preparedness Programs which provides information to help families prepare for all types of disasters.

WATER: THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY

Stocking water reserves and learning how to purify contaminated water should be among your top priorities in preparing for an emergency. You should store at least a two-week supply of water for each member of your family.

[snip]

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Current articles about Y2K

Newswire search:

http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?o=1&p=%22year+2000% 22+bug+glitch+y2k&za=or&t=0&g=1&n=20

Newspaper article search:

http://search.excite.com/search.gw?search=%22year+2000% 22+bug*+glitch*+y2k&c=timely&callerfarm=nt

Infoseek newswire search:

http://infoseek.go.com/Titles?qt=%22year+2000% 22+bug*+glitch*+y2k&col=NX%2Crf_i500sRD%2Ckt%3DA% 2Cak_news1486&sv=IS&lk=noframes&svx=home_searchbox

Sanger and Shannon's Review of Y2K News Reports:

http://sangersreview.com/

Y2K news articles, updated daily (from WorldNetDaily):

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/y2k_index.shtml

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The Y2K Middle Ground:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001fIt

TB 2000 (Y2000) Preparation Forum (Y2K Prep Only Discussions):

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=TimeBomb%202000%20% 28Y2000%29%20Preparation%20Forum

Year 2000 Preparation Archive:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=Year%202000% 20Preparation%20Archive

Brian's Y2K research links:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001A3x

Ed Yourdon's Y2K links and resources:

http://www.yourdon.com/y2kresources.html

Video recordings of presentations on the Year 2000 problem:

http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/y2k/video_index.htm

Contingency and Consequence Management Planning for Year 2000 Conversion - A Guide for State and Local Emergency Managers (FEMA):

http://www.fema.gov/y2k/ccmp.htm

http://www.dlg.oem2.state.co.us/oem/cpguidew.htm

http://www.fema.gov/y2k/ccmp_fl.pdf

Senate Y2K Committee Hearings:

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/hearings/

U.S. Department of Commerce report - "THE YEAR 2000 PROBLEM AND THE GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM":

http://y2k.ita.doc.gov/y2k/y2k.nsf/dd5cab6801f1723585256474005327c8/b3 cb5b3db231dd9b85256759004baaa5

Open letter from The Institute Of Electrical And Electronics Engineers, Inc. to Congress:

http://www.ieeeusa.org/FORUM/POLICY/99june09.html

The Jo Anne Effect - Fiscal year 2000 rollovers in accounting software:

http://www.computerpro.com/~phystad/jae.html

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00122f

"U.S. showcases $50 million Y2K Center":

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001mUs

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 02, 1999.

Momma always told me that life was like kissing a duck's butt without getting feathers in your mouth. I never knew what she meant by that.

-- Forrest Gump (Out.On@The.Boat), December 02, 1999.

Jay --

I *CAN'T BELIEVE* that you forgot our favorite: "The Rodent Conspiracy"!! The Squirrel King is gonna get you for that. (Hmmm, SK has been *awfully* silent lately. I'm thinking that he and his band of rodent revolutionaries must be up to something. Of course, with only 29 days to go, they are probably heavily into planning.

My guess is that by omitting him on this post, you have just guaranteed that *your own, personal* power pole will be the first to go.

-- just another (another@engineer.com), December 02, 1999.