If you're having trouble convincing someone of the seriousness of Y2K, just show them this jewel:

"Whenever someone brings up the possibility of our entire computer-based economy collapsing because of this year 2000 thing, it just makes me laugh. All Congress needs to do is instead of calling the year 2000 the year 2000, call it 1950. That way, we have another 50 years to solve the problem. -Dan Quayle, former Vice President

(thanks to Steve Hartsman...I lifted this from his slides. Also check out www.duh-2000.com for the lighter side of Y2K)

-- a (a@a.a), October 24, 1998

Answers

"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"It is wonderful to be here in the great state of Chicago"

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people"

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"The loss of life will be irreplaceable."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on the San Francisco earthquake

"When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on the complex social issues behind the Los Angeles Riots

"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child. "

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on Republican family values

"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle at a fundraising event for the United Negro College Fund. He was attempting to quote the line "a mind is a terrible thing to waste"

"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"I stand by all the misstatements that I've made."

-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle

"I think we should elect Deedah King for Life"

Dan Quayle (not, but you could do worse)

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

Too FUNNY! Poor Dan....A US congress field flunky for congressman at a local meeting kept saying: "Y K 2" throughout his presentation....I alternately wanted to roll on the floor laughing and choke the sleeper.

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

just think... he'll be pushing hard real soon to grab the GOP nomination for the year 2000 elections ______________________________ 0 ____________________________________

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 25, 1998.

Imagine a debate between Dan Quayle and Al Gore? This "year 2000 thing" doesn't seem so bad now...

-- PNG (png@gol.com), October 25, 1998.

Here's the full story, for those who hadn't seen it:

Thursday June 18 6:28 PM EDT Quayle Tells Techies: "Turn Back Time" MARK HAYWOOD Associated Press Writer NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) - In a speech made yesterday to the Computer Science department of Rutgers University, former Vice President Dan Quayle stated that the current anxiety over year 2000 computer compliance, and the potential effect of the millennial change on computer and financial systems was "No big deal." Quayle, who is widely believed to be a presidential contender in the year 2000, said that the millenium bug was a "no-brainer," and that "...the whole thing could be avoided by simply setting the clock back to the year 1950."

The millennium bug, also known as Y2K problem, can cripple information systems as old software programs do not read the four digits in a year -- only the last two. At the onset of the year 2000, these systems mistake the "00" in the year field as standing for "1900" and crash, corrupt or lose data. U.S. companies, from telecommunications to transportation to financial markets, are spending billions of dollars to resolve this issue and ensure that the companies they deal with have done so.

"Whenever someone brings up the possibility of our entire computer- based economy collapsing because of this year 2000 thing, it just makes me laugh, said Quayle. "All Congress needs to do is instead of calling the year 2000 the year 2000, call it 1950. That way, we have another 50 years to solve the problem."

The comments did not appear in copies of the speech that were distributed to the press beforehand. A Quayle aide says the comments were apparently impromptu.

"Mr. Quayle was speaking off the cuff," according to Quayle spokesman Michael Sellon. "He has a strong interest in technological issues, and this is just one of many ideas that he has with regards to problems facing our high-tech industries."

Another Quayle aide, who asked not to be identified, fears that the Indiana Republican may have hurt his chances for a GOP presidential nod.

"I don't know what he was thinking," said the aide. "Sometimes the Vice President just says things before he's really thought them through."

Students and computer scientists present at the talk were equally surprised by the comments.

"Unbelievable," said 18-year-old freshman Khaled Elbassioni. "Not only is his plan unworkable politically, it also displays a stunning lack of knowledge of this very real problem."

Professor Marvin Paull agreed. "Even if the Congress were to go along with this plan, it wouldn't work," he said. "Computers would still have problems if the year was to suddenly change to an arbitrary year like 1950."

Quayle, however, stands by his comments.

"I know there are a lot of ivory-headed liberal scholars out there who might not like this idea, but sometimes even scientists just have to listen to the voice of common sense," Quayle told reporters after the speech.

-DejaNews

Here is the link: http://www.sitewave.net/y2ksb/s56p579.htm

Ironically, it's probably the closest thing there is to a "solution" to the problem.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), October 25, 1998.

"All Congress needs to do is instead of calling the year 2000 the year 2000, call it 1950." -D.Q.

WHO ELSE in contemporary American politics could propose such an elegant plan to put the USA 50 years behind the rest of the world in an instant, I ask you -- WHO?

(See why my ex was so upset when she found out that Dan Quayle and she had the same birthday ... ?)

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), October 25, 1998.

Dan Quayle: "Yes of course I know how to spell Y2K...it's y-2-k-e..."

-- a (a@a.a), October 25, 1998.

actually, in many situations, rolling back the clock is a very workable idea, and you can do it over a weekend. clifford stoll, "the cuckoo's egg" writer, basically said the same thing. "we could solve y2k in one weekend." that was a flip response, but is partially accurate. some companies are going back 28 years, some 11 years etc. too bad it won't work for everyone, and there are no standards. besides, quayle couldn't outdo george bush's "we've had a little sex" state of the union address.

-- Jocelyne Slough (jonslough@tln.net), October 26, 1998.

Rolling back the clock will only work in a few isolated cases. You have to age the data already in your system back a number of years, very few people know how to do this. You have to train your people to subtract from every birthdate, you have to add years to every print- out or external data transfer. It simply is not reasonable in most cases.

Brad

-- Brad Waddell (lists@flexquarters.com), October 26, 1998.

Tickle, tickle.

Quayle vs. Gore - please pass the cyanide.

-- Chuckles (ouch_th@hurts_my.chances), June 01, 1999.

Thank goodness there won't be any elections in 2000, or 2001, and the .gov will be rendered nil and passe by the Bug. Who knows? Guaranteed it's gonna be weird ;^)

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), June 01, 1999.

"I know there are a lot of ivory-headed liberal scholars out there who might not like this idea, but sometimes even scientists just have to listen to the voice of common sense," Quayle told reporters after the speech.

ivory-headed??

-- Nathan (nospam@all.com), June 01, 1999.

What are you people so amused about?

This XXXXXXX and his kind have your future in the decisions that they make. They've made the wrong ones with Y2K and we will pay a huge price for their incredible stupidity....

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), June 02, 1999.

PJC,

I bounced this thread to the top because I thought we needed a good, hard belly laugh or three - in light of the goings-on this weekend here at the ranch.

You're right, but what the hay. You gonna tell me you didn't guffaw once or twice whilst reading the above posts? Get a good nights sleep & re-read this thread in the morning. OK?

Nighty-night All,

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), June 02, 1999.