I just saw part of a major, well balanced Y2k dedicated segment of CNN & Co. including a phone interview with the infamous Paul Milne and three other guests on camera.

I didn't catch the beginning, I got a call from my mom,

"Mike, they're doing a story on the Y2k thing you've been talking about, it's scary! They showed a woman stocking up on food and getting a gun. What do we do? I've got my VCR on, I hope it taped."

So do I mom.

The word is getting out folks. We aren't looking at panic right now and there is still enough time to prepare. Maybe with more stories like this the panic, in the end, wont be as bad. ________________________________________________________________

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 15, 1998

Answers

I too caught last 20 minutes of this CNN report. Downplayed on part of 2 guests, Paul....You did a GREAT JOB!!! Paul, how did u come about getting an interview? I too believe that word will begin to spread quickly now, we need to be more informed, perhaps this will help others to be prepared. But it is a catch 22 becuz panic will set in. But, I only hope it will help others prepare and not go mobbing. This is scarey. Real scarey, also CBN (christian broadcast) 700 club on monday evening will do a spot on y2k again.

-- carrie (uhoh@aol.com), October 15, 1998.

This is where transcripts of CNN & Company are posted:

http://www.cnn.com/ TRANSCRIPTS/co.html

-- anon (anon@anon.com), October 15, 1998.

Here's the transcript:

http://cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9810/15/co.00.html

-- Buddy Y. (DC) (buddy@bellatlantic.net), October 15, 1998.

More specifically:

http:// cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9810/15/co.00.html

-- anon@anon.com (anon@anon.com), October 15, 1998.

(Yes, that is the same URL... we posted them simultaneously.)

-- anon@anon.com (anon@anon.com), October 15, 1998.

I'm disappointed. Paul Milne didn't say, "If you live within 5 miles of a 7-11, you're toast." Instead he said, "if you are in a populated area like New York or Boston or Los Angeles, you don't stand a chance."

-- Buddy Y. (DC) (buddy@bellatlantic.net), October 15, 1998.

Although you never know, I would be real surprised if this really motivated a lot of people, quite frankly. I guess I feel that it will take a real, PERSONAL, experience with a Y2K failure (e.g., someone who lives in a state that rolls over to fiscal year 2000 in early 1999) to really get things pumping. Still, this interview PLUS the recent news about the National Guard preparing in Iowa and Wisconsin, PLUS Canada making Y2K martial law planning their #1 priority, etc., could indeed have a cumulative effect....

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), October 15, 1998.

I just read the transcript! I'm so excited! This could be the piece that convinces my husband. Yes!

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), October 15, 1998.

I agree with that Jack Spratt. This, alone, won't do the trick. Did you get serious about it the first time you heard of it? The articles on Wisconsin and Iowa National Guards didn't do it. Articles on the Canadian army don't do it. But, somewhere there is a point at which people will begin to say, "Well, maybe it won't hurt to begin to stock up.

Paul Milne did a great job. He really was needed to counterbalance the woman from the NY Times......."Well, if the power goes out in New York the only problem will be an increased birth rate in 9 months." IMHO she brough new meaning to the word clueless. But, oh, didn't her eyes get big when Paul answered the question, "Did you move to Virginia from a big city?" "Yes, right outside of New York."

I notice that the Air Traffic Controllers have mended their fences with the FAA.....the guy from the ATC said that, "yes, he'd fly on 2000-01-01." They gave him a great straight line, and he missed it. Should have said, "What makes you think we'll let anything fly?"

-- rocky knolls (rknolls@hotmail.com), October 15, 1998.

Margie, I got my husband to read the transcript as soon as he got home. That did knock him off balance quite a bit! It's the first time he's seen something "outside the internet", even though the transcript WAS on the net, but since it was CNN, it finally impressed him! I've been printing every good articles I read on the internet for him to read (he doesn't like to sit and read in front of the computer) but he barely reads any of them and complains there's too much (I have a huge pile now.) He didn't stop at the CNN transcript, I cought him reading other articles on sites I bookmarked in my "Y2K" folder.

I think I'm finally going to get somewhere. (He ordered the generator last weekend, and just a few minutes ago talked about "buying that vacation house you wanted". :-) !!!

Good luck Margie!

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), October 15, 1998.

Jack, WHERE did you read that canada is planning on martial law? i have read the canadian media carefully and my sources all say that the military will assist civilian authorities when asked. that is completely different from martial law. if you have info where they use the words "martial law" or something similar, PLEASE post the URL here so we can all look at it.

-- Jocelyne Slough (jonslough@tln.net), October 17, 1998.

Here is the relevant article re Canada... http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/15563.html

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), October 19, 1998.