Watching CNN right now...

Kenneth Apfel, Commissioner of Social Security is on now. He says they will be ready. He says checks will go out. We all know they have been working on it since 1989.

When asked by the news commentator "Is this Y2k stuff all hype and hysteria or is it for real, a real problem?" Apfel's reply was "Oh, it's real. It's a real problem. We've spent millions of dollars on this...it's a real, serious problem".

I paraphrased the above. There was a bit more said, but I cannot type that fast - LOL. He also mentioned something about two years ago when the president told him to "make it happen"....didn't catch the rest though.

If CNN continues this daily coverage of Y2k, perhaps it will jolt some people awake.

Now, I gotta go and clean up my new canning jars, find a good shortwave radio and order it, and of course, get more beans! :-)

Bobbi http://www.buzzbyte.com/

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), December 28, 1998

Answers

Thanks for the CNN update. Keep us posted!!

Hugger

-- Anti-Chainsaw (Tree@hugger.com), December 28, 1998.

Bobbi, I have 2 of these Baygen windup's mine at least work fantastically well, a bit pricey but check'em out at least.

-RC

BayGenRadio

-- Runway Cat (runway_cat@hotmail.com), December 28, 1998.

Good Y2K article on CNN. (If this link disappears soon, I have a copy of it)-- Diane

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9812/28/fever.y2k.idg/

Y2K fever to heat up in '99

December 28, 1998 Web posted at: 2:50 PM EST by Nancy Weil

(IDG) -- No one truly knows what will happen when the year 2000 computer glitch strikes, but 1999 is likely to be rife with rumors and speculation about the shape the millennium bug will take. It's also safe to say that hysteria will grow as the set-in-stone deadline approaches.

Some think the peril is wildly overblown and that the new millennium will arrive unaccompanied by serious incident. Others are sounding an alarm, many of them using the Internet to voice apocalyptic concerns. ...

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 28, 1998.

For the transcript that Bobbi mentioned above go to:

http://cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/9812/28/ee.09.html

Early Edition

Apfel Confident Y2K Bug won't Affect Social Security

Aired December 28, 1998 - 8:39 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: For many folks, Social Security is a lifeline. The government says it's a major source of income for two- thirds of older Americans, but it is not just retirees. Some numbers now: Nearly 95 percent of Americans are covered by Social Security. Of that, nearly one in five will not live to see their 65th birthday or retirement age.

The government also says about three in 10 of today's 20-year- olds will become disabled before they reach the age of 25. For an average wage earner with a spouse and two children, Social Security benefits are the equivalent of a $300,000 disability insurance policy.

And joining us now from Washington to talk more about this and how his agency is handling the problem, Kenneth Apfel, the commissioner of Social Security Administration.

Sir, good morning to you.

KENNETH APFEL, SOCIAL SECURITY COMMISSIONER: Good to see you again, Bill.

HEMMER: Nice to talk to you as well once again.

Tell us this: For the 40 million Americans waiting for that check on January 1, the year 2000, can you assure them today that those checks will be there?

APFEL: Absolutely. Those checks are going to be there. They're going to be on time. As soon as we hit the new millennium, it's going to be there.

HEMMER: How do we know that? I know you've been running tests, but have the tests proved to you that, indeed, no problems will exist?

APFEL: That's right, Bill. We've been doing tests the last couple of weeks to ensure that the systems are completely compliant. We've done a lot of work over the last several years working with the Treasury Department, the Fed, and others. Those tests independently have certified that we're now ready entirely to make sure those checks are going to be there in the year 2000.

HEMMER: With the tests coming up, or actually the new year coming up later this week, is that yet another test for you?

APFEL: No sir. We don't need that at all. We've got this nailed down now for sure.

HEMMER: OK, you will meet with the president later today. What will your report tell him?

APFEL: What I'm going to be telling him is when he said to us a couple of years ago "make sure this happens," what I'll be saying to him today is: Mr. President, this will happen. Those checks will be there. They'll be on time. They'll be ready.

HEMMER: What do you tell people who have been advised to set aside some money now?

APFEL: Well, they don't have to worry about the Social Security checks being there. They will be. I think this is a big issue. It goes throughout the whole country -- everything, beyond Social Security checks. And clearly the country needs to be better prepared for this. But in terms of that Social Security check, it'll be there.

HEMMER: Tell us this -- about your research and the testing you've done. When we talk about Y2K, is it legit or is it a scare tactic?

APFEL: No, it's legit. This is a big issue. It is very hard to fix this. We've spent millions of dollars in Social Security; put hundreds of people to work on it to fix every -- we had over 35 million computer lines that we had to fix. That's to make sure those checks are going to be there. We did.

So this is not a scare tactic. It takes a lot of work to do this, and every agency in government and every private sector company needs to be taking these endeavors over the next year.

HEMMER: Ken Apfel, live in Washington. I know you've got to get going over to the White House. Thanks for stopping by with us. And a year from now, I hope indeed your words are true -- and it will be a job well done.

APFEL: Thank you, Bill.

HEMMER: Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

TO PURCHASE A VIDEOTAPE OF THIS PIECE, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 28, 1998.

Wow Diane! Now we are an "apocalyptic group"!!! Weeeeee?

LOL Bobbi

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), December 28, 1998.

Interesting how "the checks are going to be there" is in almost every answer he gives..... that is a psychological maneuver parlayed if I ever saw one.

-- Lisa (nomail@work.com), December 28, 1998.

APFEL: Absolutely. Those checks are going to be there. They're going to be on time. >>As soon as we hit the new millennium, it's going to be there.<<

Say what?

Kinda reminds me of " it depends on what "is" is".

I sure am glad that my disability check will be there for me come 01/01/2000. I was very worried about that one.

I'm buying more rice & beans.

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (La) (buffgun@hotmail.com), December 28, 1998.

Did you notice several things about the way CNN jumped on Clinton's "good news" press pushing efforts today? Just like the propaganda industry they actually are.

1) He implied that "it all started" two years ago" when "the President told them to do it..."

A lie. The Bush White House and SSA administration had started back in 1992 for the 1993 budget year passed before Clinton took office.

2) Clinton got brought 3-4 times (in this "prep" conversation alone for the TV camera) when the agency had all the time been given good grades, and was expected to pass.

3) Clinton's comments - about Hillary, about the SSA, about general preparedness, about technology, about computers and the infrastructure (referenced above and in the other thread) are directly contradicted by his other comments.

4) Everything in this little "sound bite" was endlessly repeating "the checks will go out" - "the checks will go out" - precisely because that is the only thing these guys can control and can expect to do. They absolutely wanted to get a re-assurring word out to the senior support industry (AARP voters) to show they care.

Never mentioned power (to the SSA itself?, to the USPS, to the check-printing company), water, heat, police anf fire services, taxes, FEMA, DOE, etc.

5) Never mentioned the HHS medical program that is already receiving an F grade, and is expected to fail completely, or the 530 million overcharge already made to seniors in copayments on Medicare, or the welfare programs at the national, state, and county level that are receiving failing grades, etc.

6) And through it all today was the "apocalyptic view" being pushed aside - as part of the effort (I believe) to assign more "Christian right-wing fundamentalism survivalist yahoo Internet hype" to those who are preparing. For example, now they have so corrupted "partisian" by endlessly associating it with "right wing Republican bigotry and hatred" that no one notices that the Democrats are themselves the most strongly partisan group. That all the partisan demogogery (sp ?) is spewing from the liberals themselves.

Sorry - I don't buy this sudden emphasis by CNN - it smells too much like a pig sty covered by a fresh coat of political whitewash. I could be convinced - if their future reporting is good, but I doubt it will be until downtown Atlanta has no power, water, police, and tax revenue.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 28, 1998.

Its all krapp. Last time I heard from ss, they wanted a bank number because they were not going to do checks at all after year end 1998. Only direct deposit. So what is all this noise about checks?

-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), December 28, 1998.

-- dave

>>Its all krapp. Last time I heard from ss, they wanted a bank number because they were not going to do checks at all after year end 1998. Only direct deposit. So what is all this noise about checks?<<

They had to back down on that one Dave. It seems that the "Grey Panthers" got all up in arms over that so the SSA backed down.

Or so my sister-in-law says. She gets a check. I don't have the option myself.

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (La) (buffgun@hotmail.com), December 28, 1998.

I predict for the next 4 months we'll see the newsmedia articles running 50-50% between "here's a problem and we all need to prepare" and "no problem, we'll all pull together and make it." Should be interesting.

Sorting and sifting.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 28, 1998.

I just saw this same guy on The Newshour with Jim Leher on PBS. Guess he's making the rounds. His smile really bothered me, and he was too slick. I missed the beginning. It looked like Jim was trying to get a rise out of him, but he wasn't having aaaaany part of that...

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), December 28, 1998.

I saw Robert Rubin on CNN last night chatting with Jean Meserve. He is another slickster. She asked him if he was going to resign. He beat around the bush several times while she tried to weasel that out of him. He never gave a straight answer. Another Clinton lap dog.

Sorry if this was off the topic.

Hugger

-- Anti-Chainsaw (Tree@hugger.com), December 29, 1998.

HEMMER: How do we know that? I know you've been running tests, but have the tests proved to you that, indeed, no problems will exist?

APFEL: That's right, Bill. We've been doing tests the last couple of weeks to ensure that the systems are completely compliant. We've done a lot of work over the last several years working with the Treasury Department, the Fed, and others. Those tests independently have certified that we're now ready entirely to make sure those checks are going to be there in the year 2000.

HEMMER: With the tests coming up, or actually the new year coming up later this week, is that yet another test for you?

APFEL: No sir. We don't need that at all. We've got this nailed down now for sure

**************************

35 million lines of code. Two weeks testing. I feel warm and fuzzy.

MoVe Immediate

-- MVI (vtoc@aol.com), December 29, 1998.

CNN will be airing a special Y2k report Friday night, January 1, at 5:30 p.m. eastern time.

The report tonight was not encouraging at all.

-- Anti-Chainsaw (Tree@hugger.com), December 29, 1998.