Link: http://www.russiatoday.com/rtodya/news/07.html

No, this doesn't sound like Beruit..........It's beginning to sound like the prelude to something much worse......more like "Alas, Babylon."

Direct quotes (excerpts):

"In a stark warning about the Year 2000 computer glitch threat, Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre cited a need to calm Russian nuclear forces in particular if the "bug" caused their computers to crash, as many systems may fail worldwide.

He told the Senate Armed Services Committee that cash-strapped Russian forces were relying more and more on nuclear weapons "as a safeguard for their national security."

"And their early warning system is fragile," he said.

Such systems, heavily reliant on computers to mesh data from satellites, radar and other sensors, are used by Russia and the United States to monitor impending threats such as missile launches and unidentified aircraft.

..........Hamre said Russian forces lacked a program to deal with the so-called Y2K problem -- the inability of many computers to interpret correctly the century that dawns in 18 months.

..........Sen. Robert Bennett, a Utah Republican who heads a new non-partisan Senate panel studying the millennium problem, predicted widespread turmoil as a result of possible disruption of essential services such as power grids and water supplies.

"What kind of unrest will occur around the world is of great concern," he said, echoing the view of the Central Intelligence Agency office studying the issue.

Calling the Y2K glitch the electronic equivalent of El Nino weather pattern, Hamre said: "This is going to have implications in the world and in American society we can't even comprehend."

"I will be first to say we're not going to be without some nasty surprises," he said. ( (c) 1998 Reuters)

-- Rocky Knolls (rknolls@hotmail.com), June 05, 1998

Answers

The correct URL referenced in the previous post should be http://www.russiatoday.com/rtoday/news/07.html

...........................>>>

-- Dan Hunt (dhunt@hostscorp.com), June 06, 1998.

I read an interesting online article from CIO Magazine (6-12-98) that had a survey of 400 person's opinions of the Y2K problem. A few of the answers were quite enlightening (and sad).

When asked which areas should be dealt with first or last, only 4% of the people think that utilities should be handled first and 31% think utilities should be last!

It also had "Reasons Why People Aren't Concerned with Y2K Problems":

1.The problem will be fixed. .43% 2.I don't own or deal with computers. .14% 3.The problem won't affect me personally. .12% 4.Nothing I can do about it. .12% 5.I'm too old to care. .7% 6.It's a media hype. .5% 7.It's up to others to fix it. .1.5% 8.Other. .2.5% 9.Don't know. .3.5%

Mary

-- Mary (Beachyfe@hotmail.com), June 15, 1998.

The sheep will catch on soon enough. I've been dealing with Y2K for almost a year now, making preparations, etc. I still fall into denial daily. The whole thing is almost too much to comprehend. Stories about Y2K have been all over the news lately. I see something almost every day now. We have a herd mentality out there....it's like the yuppies buying sport utility vehicles. One gets one and they all want one, just like those big, natural resource raping houses they build. Sure am glad I won't have to worry about fighting an SUV for a parking spot at the bank when the runs begin. Peace!

-- Annie (anniegaff@mailexcite.com), June 15, 1998.

Annie, That's the great thing about SUV's, you can have free parking wherever you want! I suspect when people can't get their money out of banks they will be driving their SUV's through the bank walls. A new meaning to the word "Road Rage".

-- Kay P (Y2kay@usa.net), June 15, 1998.