Hi y'all:

I just got back from Disney World. Every ride, except for the newest one, "Alien Invasion" had a public announcement telling the folks that there was a possibility of unavoidable delays. We got stuck, strapped in and dark for 10 minutes while on a ride called, "Body Wars" Then 35 minutes on a ride Called "Back lots/or street Hollywood" When we got out, I said to one of the cute little attendants, "Remediaton is a bitch ain't it?" Her answer, with rolling eyeballs was, "Tell me about it!" I then asked a young fellow who was racing around with a shirt, tie, pimples and clipboard about it. He said that they were working on it and that it was all a software problem, and that the whole park ran on PCs. Should I dump my Disney stock?

Bill in South Carolina

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), October 24, 1998

Answers

Bill, YES, you should dump your stock! But not because the park runs on PC's. Entertainment will be one of the first things to go when money becomes tight. Maybe not for people who are extremely rich, but for the average person. My family and I have tried to imagine all of the things that people will stop doing. We've also watched Japan to see what they did as the economy worsened. Some of the things we came up with that we would do less of: eating out, sporting events, movies, and vacations. No more cable, cell phones, (don't know if I could make it without the Internet, though. :-) ) What other things would you eliminate?

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 24, 1998.

Wouldn't have to worry about pantyhose or makeup; don't wear either (and my husband prefers me au naturel). I think I'd have to think twice, then three times, about any computer equipment purchases we made, and eating out, and junk food and snacks, and books.

If I see something on sale, I think twice before buying it [can we make this? can we do without? can we substitute?], and if I see something available via mailorder, I usually make out the order then wait on it for a while. Usually that works to get the novelty and desirability of the item out of my system.

-- Karen Cook (browsercat@hotmail.com), October 24, 1998.

I will buy nothing that is not y2k compliant. I will buy only those things that I need to live. I will divest all things I have not needed this past year. I will still buy chicken nuggets but no more partridge under glass. I will read Classic comics instead of War and Peace.

-- ronbanks (phxbanks@webtv.net), October 24, 1998.

Bwahaha! Sing with me Children,...The Y2K Systemic Interdependency Rag(as created by our friends at The Happiest Place on Earth)

"It's a world of laughter, a world of tears,
It's a world of hope, and a world of fears.
There's so much that we share,
That it's time we're aware,...
It's a Small World after all,...

(Everybody sing: It's a small world after all,
It's a small world after all,
It's a small world after all,
It's a small, small world!

Ain't irony great?? LOL Put that in your audioanimatronics and smoke it, Uncle Walt. (...sounds of maniacal laughter fade off like doppler horns into the distance)

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 24, 1998.

"Entertainment will be one of the first things to go when money becomes tight."

While things like amusment parks will get hurt, history shows that there was a never-repeated again surge in movie ticket sales like the one they had during the Depression. (There was also a surge in alcohol sales, but that is not horribly suprising.) So honestly, movie studio related stocks would be one of the things I would hold on to. I would also actually expect to see a CUT in movie ticket prices if the Depression hits.

Rick

-- Rick Tansun (ricktansun@hotmail.com), October 24, 1998.

Most people fly to Didnee World. The airlines will be a total mess in 2000, if even half of what I read is true.

I live about two hours away from the Manic Kingdom, and wholly expect that part of Florida to crash and burn big time. I feel very sorry for all of those exotic slave animals that Eisner Inc. brought there, methinks they may end up on the keeper's din din table.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), October 24, 1998.

Oh to be two hours away...I live 15 minutes from the Happiest Place on Earth in S. California...much of Orange County is employed there...unless they work for The Irvine Corporation. Anaheim will be a very unpleasant place in 6-10 point scenarios...Hopin they use the skip loaders across Harbor Blvd. to make the barricade between Anaheim and Fullerton....Got an atlas...have a look.

The Magic Kingdom has given me the creeps for years...but, I'm a wacko. Pay me no mind! LOL

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 24, 1998.

Ever thought that the keeper may end up being their dinner, Uncle?

-- rocky (rknolls@hotmail.com), October 24, 1998.

rocky...maybe they are more like the Giant Metal Munching Mice that Boris and Natasha brought to Earth from the Moon..in the famous Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons...only eat nuts and bolts...Eisner must have a compound somewhere, eh? LOL

Vee must have them git moose and squirrel, yez, Natasha?

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 24, 1998.

Bye Bye Las Vegas

Talk about a 1 industry town entirely dependent on disposable income and transportation!

Brad

-- Brad Waddell (lists@flexquarters.com), October 24, 1998.

rocky

One can only hope.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), October 24, 1998.

Rick, you bring up an interesting point. I know movies were big during the depression period, but can you imagine trying to pay the movie "stars" of today? Or the professional athletes? In order to "cut" prices at the box office, someone is going to have to take a HUGE cut in pay! LOL! And what about the video sales and rental business? Would you be putting money there? Besides, they had electricity in the 1930's. We will, too, eventually. That is, if someone doesn't burn all of the poles for heat. :-)

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 24, 1998.

Ah, speaking of Vegas...also must talk about Phoenix and Scottsdale...and the water situation...we can take it up in another thread...but just a mention that those cities cannot exist without water from the Colorado River...all a part of the Cadillac Desert..a good book and a great PBS series...oh ya..Power there...all off the Colorado...I'd be more scared there than I am here near the Magic Kingdom of Eisner and the Ghost of Walt.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), October 24, 1998.

Gayla,

"I know movies were big during the depression period, but can you imagine trying to pay the movie "stars" of today? "

The nice thing about today is we have 9 decades of movies upon which to call upon. People get desperate enough for entertainment and they will watch anything.

As for today's professional athletes...gee...*strains to shed a tear*..nope can't do it.

"And what about the video sales and rental business?"

If there is power (all my assumptions on entertainment come from the thought of power) $1.00 rentals will do gangbusters.

Low cost entertainment I think would be a pretty safe bet (IF THERE IS POWER):)

Rick

-- Rick Tansun (ricktansun@hotmail.com), October 25, 1998.

Uncle Deedah, if I were playing "Where in the world is....", with all of the clues we've received, I would have to guess that you live somewhere near PBI? Close??

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 25, 1998.

In the cardboard box behind hanger 19, the one with the orange extension cord.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), October 25, 1998.

I would shuck the disney stock there Bill, and I would opt for stocks in medicine then sell before 9-99, ????

-- consumer alert (private@aol.com), October 25, 1998.

Uncle Deedah, I thought that was you. The generator powering the cord gave you away. :-) When I worked for Continental, I spent almost as much time in Florida as I did in Texas. PBI was the favorite vacation spot for every snowbird in the NE. Especially the ones from New Jersey! You have my sympathy! :-)

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), October 25, 1998.

I was no closer than Maitland while assigned to NTC Orlando for nuclear power school. Get a bigger shotgun, you'll need to kill the mosquitos and creepy-crawlies.

But it was nice weather - my original schedule had me go through Orlando in the summer, the high western desert (Idaho Falls ID) from Ocotber to March, then summer again in New England.

I didn't like that idea, so got it changed to pass through summer in New England, winter in central Florida, and summer in Idaho - getting to see Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons was worth putting up with the "flats" in the rocky desert around Idaho Falls..

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 25, 1998.