This a fictional short story of what my happen. Let me know if you like it Tman... A fictional story by Tman

"2000 The Year Of Fear"

It was December 31, 1999 and the gang and I were pretty stressed. One more day until the big one. Y2K, 2000, the Millenium, it was Show time! There had been many Y99 problems and the JoAnne effect had caused major problems with accounting software. Someone was going to be right and someone was going to be wrong. I just couldn't get into the mood of the New Year. I had too much on my mind and there were things that needed to be checked and rechecked. We have enough food and water for a year and the guns and ammo to protect them; I was personally hoping we wouldn't have to. Many in the neighborhood had "gotten it" and I could see the concern on their faces. We were about to enter the unknown, something that had never happened before, and no one was sure what was coming. I started to remember the days before Y2K... no problems, no major worries, just my family and friends and big plans for the future. It was a little after 1:00 PM and time to get on the Net for today's information about what was happening. A large part of the Net had gone down in August and most blamed it on a Y2K problem. The government said it was due to an AT&T systems failure and a lot of bickering ensued. Today's news is not good. The big guys, Yourdon, Hamasaki, Kelly, Yardeni and others, are sticking to their forecasts, and with the problems that have occurred there isn't much doubt that "something evil this way comes." In a little less than eleven hours the world will know and the debate will end, and maybe just maybe the world as we know it will too!

I tried to make a call at 2:15 PM and my cell phone dropped the call as usual -- those damn solar flares, if it isn't one thing it's another. This year has been one problem after another: the JAE, the solar flares, GPS, and next Y2K, and all I can do is sit back and watch the show. If the rest of the world weren't in worse shape than the U.S. I would blow this popsicle stand, but we seem to be in better shape, a fact that the rest of the world doesn't appreciate. There are many that feel America has caused their problems with our American technology, so it's not uncommon to see the American flag burn on TV each night. I just ended a phone call with my next-door neighbor as our contingency plans continue. We have set up shifts for different people to guard the neighborhood, and for the people like Doc Martens down the street we have gathered medical supplies. Doc has a small room in his house that will be used as our clinic in the event anyone becomes ill. We have established a cohesive group of folks in the neighborhood to help the elderly and women with children. We're hoping that we won't have to go to a red alert; however, we are ready if it comes to that. There are now less than 10 hours to go before 2000 and I can feel a knot forming in my gut. This is going to be one wild ride!

This is the first installment of "2000 The Year Of Fear" By Tman

-- Tman (Tman@IBAgeek.com), March 01, 1999

Answers

Hey...a little vicarious trip into the year 2000 is ok....we are all doing it a bit in our imaginations...in my story the hero, Gary Milne, is wasted in the first chapter and my novel becomes a very short story. His sidekick Infomagic Hamanski does survive so there is a chance for a sequel.

-- ron clancy (xxx@yyy.com), March 01, 1999.

Whew Tman, this is heavy. Sorry to say, it may not be fiction. I'm going to sleep on this, and check out what the Yourdonites think about it tomorrow. Please post chapter 2 ASAP. I hope the DGI find this thread. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 01, 1999.

Hamasaki...sorry

-- rc (x@y.com), March 01, 1999.

The fiction isn't the problems, it's the idea of a whole neihborhood getting it. Some of my neihborhood is preparing (new storage sheds, spring deliveries of firewood, etc..), but most are still buying new cars, RVs, quad runners, etc... I am not going to be the leader of any neiborhood y2k group, because then they would know I have prepared with food, water and heat for a long period of time. I would not look forward to shooting my DGI neihbors no matter how stupid they are.

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), March 01, 1999.

This last message is an example of absolute idiocy. Talking about shooting your neighbours!!!!!

You are dangerous and should be held in confinement to ensure you don't hurt yourself or anyone else. You have passed the line from prudent preparations to paranoid survivalist a long time ago..............even to the point of uttering threats!

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

Craig.

Look forward to giving you that smooth ride across The Styx..

Keep smiling.

-- Charon (Thatplce@below.com), March 01, 1999.

As far as I know, it is still illegal to utter threats, veiled or not.

There is also, in all likelihood, a legal responsibility for the bulletin board owner/provider to provide all posting of threatening materials to the authorities when asked for it, as well as potentially being liable in a lawsuit for being an accessory to threats and complacent in allowing them.

Everyone here may want to pay attention to this before posting threatening statements. Not only may you be open to legal action, but you may also be opening up the bulletin board owners to legal problems.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

wake up Craig, you're not in Canada anymore - this BBS is in the United States where we still have fundamental civil rights, like free speech and the right to keep and bear arms. There is nothing in Tman's story which is in anyway illegal in this country.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), March 01, 1999.

Arlin.....

You're an ass just looking for trouble. My comment had nothing to do with Tman's story.

It was in response to the statement above: "Look forward to giving you that smooth ride across The Styx.. ", not to mention Bill's irresponsible musings about perhaps having to shoot people.

I support freedom of speech as much as you do. With freedom though, comes responsibility, which you don't seem to grasp.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

Craig -

first off I thought 'charon' 's comment was intended merely as a humorous jibe at the fact that you wont survive very long in a civil unrest situation. As to Bill's comments, he is specificly stating that he wishes to avoid using deadly force against his neighbors - and nothing he has written is legally actionable as a threat in this country.

free speech, Craig - not just speech some folks agree with - that's what I meant about the fact that we still have fundamental civil rights - instead of that bizarre 'hate speech tribunal' system you have up there in the great white north.

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), March 01, 1999.

Freedom of speech hey Arlin.......

With everything in life there are reasonable limits. For example, you could not walk into a restaurant with a gun and shout out at the top of your voice, "Anybody move and I'll shoot 'em...."

Freedom of speech is therefore not limitless.

Apparently many citizens seem to think it is, which is why there are such dangerous organizations as the KKK etc. Of course, why be surprised..........hate speech inevitably leads to hate actions. Seems like you have a living example of that in Texas right now....dragging a man behind a vehicle until his head is ripped off.

Arlin, do you condone that also?

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

If this is the Craig that owns the Music Factory, then just ignore him folks. He's a sniveling little faggot-wannabe who deserves a good thumping. I wouldn't be surprised if it is him. Sounds like him. So many people want to kack him, or at least rearrange his facial features. But he's such a craven coward that they can't bring themselves to do it. (Sorta like punching a five foot seven zipploc bag full of puss.) If it is him, he probably won't respond to this, the little snivler. Well, El Grande Cheezie Poof, I live in Calgary and I'd gladly get medevil on your well streched-out ass. Bring assalt charges against me, you seem to do it to everybody, including little bjork-sized girls.

Ick.

-- Xipper (Xipper@annon.com), March 01, 1999.

Two things Xipper......

First of all, what the hell is the Music Factory?????? FYI, ccinet does not cover only Calgary, but in fact covers all of Alberta.

Second of all, post your real email address you coward. Hiding behind anonymous......what a jerk!

Thirdly, I have code in place that has captured your IP address so I can trace where your email came from. The information, along with a copy of your last message will be forwarded to the RCMP today. You have stepped over the line from vague threats to specific threats.

Fourthly, your personal information and a copy of what you posted will be sent the the Canadian Human Rights Organization with the hope that you will be charged.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

One more thing Ick Xipper........

I will research where the Music Factory is, and who 'Craig' is who works there. I will then tell him about the specific threats you have made and forward him your information. No doubt he will be contacting the police as well.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

Once again real life takes over to teach us better that we can collectively ever do.

As I scrolled to the bottom of this thred, reading the posts I saw te repeat of the original question: "What Might It Be Like"

And dam if we don't have a VERY good example.

This is not a new example but still a sad one.

-- Greybear, [shuddrer]

- Got Tolerance?

-- Greybear (greybera@home.com), March 01, 1999.

Wow, you got that right, Greybear!

I've heard people complain about Craig before, but never paid it any mind, or even particularly cared about it, but this is amazing.

Craig, Bill did NOT threaten anybody. I simply do not understand what it was about his post that set you off. I'm sorry to say that I think your brain has completely shut down, and you should go away for a while and maybe collect your thoughts. You've simply lost it. Charon's post was a joke, and a funny one at that. Sending ISP info to RCMP? Don't you know haw this all works? If you don't, pray tell, what are doing spending so much time here?

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), March 01, 1999.

Lest we forget, Craig is the same idiot who wants a one world government.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), March 01, 1999.

Now, now, somebody needs more fiber in their breakfast ...

It's that "diabolical" glitch infecting temperaments. Exorcist, thisa way please!

"The devil's makin us type it!" Remember, our new goobermint-sanctioned masscot. Sleepytime again.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

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

QC: So, Craig, you want to file charges for threat?

Craig: That's right!

QC: Tell me please exactly who it was that threatened you.

Craig: It was Charon!

QC: Who?

Craig: Charon!

QC: Who's Charon?

Craig: You know, the boatman who takes souls into Hell across the River Styx!

QC: Isn't the River Styx a mythological river?

Craig: Yes, of course! He isn't REALLY Charon either!

QC: Oh, I see! Quite! If he isn't the "real" Charon, who is he?

Craig: Well, he's a cyber being who-

QC: (interrupting) Hold on! What's a "cyber being"?

Craig: A cyber being is a person who posts anonymously to the internet!

QC: Anonymously. To the internet. And you don't know who he really is.

Craig: Yes, yes, no, but I've sent his IP address to the RCMP!

QC: His what?

Craig: His IP address! That will tell you who he is! All you have to do is get a court order and go to his ISP-

QC: (interrupting again) His ISP. What's an ISP?

Craig: Are you going to uphold the law or not?

QC: Let me get this straight; an anonymous "cyber being" who calls himself "Charon" threatened you. What did he threaten you with, specifically?

Craig: He said he was looking forward to giving me a smooth boat ride!

QC: And you took that as a threat.

Craig: Yes! He was going to take me across the River Styx!

QC: And the River Styx is a mythological river?

Craig: Yes, but he didn't really mean that!

QC: What did he mean?

Craig: He meant he was going to kill me!

QC: Is that so? I thought all his passengers were already dead.

Craig: He crossed the line!

QC: I thought you said he was going to cross the River Styx.

etc., etc., etc. ad nauseum. . .

Craig,

Doesn't this sound a little too much like a Monty Python script to get your knickers in a twist over?

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 01, 1999.

Go ahead. The guy already has a file on him for assaulting a girl in a bar, sexual harrasment, and I know of other crap he's done, besides being an abusive boss and violating any number of Revenue Canada Employment Laws. He's also possibly raped a good friend of mine. I don't know, she won't say but I do know that she moved out of the city and she's terrified of him.

BTW... I said faggot-wannabe... the guy is so vile he's not even human much less has the right to call himself gay.

I appologize if you're not him, but you sure sound like him.

Oh, come on though. If you really can track IP adresses from groups like this, why don't you go bust some of the pedophiles that hang around the Gay Alberta chat group.

Ick.

-- Bjork (Xipper@annon.com), March 01, 1999.

I'm sure God will take care of Craig, whomever he is.

-- A (fearzone@home.com), March 01, 1999.

Craig, I'm 3/4 of the way with you - pre-meditated DGI murder is sadly an obsession here.... riles me, too.

I'm always tempted to go off on 'em, too.. manage to bite my tongue. People either believe in the sanctity of life, or they don't.

-- Lisa (oh@come.on_ya_idiots), March 01, 1999.

Ick, Bjork, Xipper or whoever the hell you are.........

Whoever you are referring to, it ain't me......I'll accept your wishy- washy apology however.

Yet again though, you seem to feel you can post slanderous remarks just because this is the internet.

As far as not being able to capture your IP adress.....Heeheeheehee

If I had the desire to, not only could I do that, but could crash your system........maybe do a string search for your fake email address in an 'If else' routine, if it's you overwrite one or more of your system files or simply delete some crucial files.....

I'm a webmaster/programmer BTW.

Fortunately for you, I'm don't hold grudges very often!

One last thing, whoever this other Craig is, you have made some pretty serious accusations against him. Apart from being very rude, it probably is criminal.

Watch your step.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

Nikoli..........

You're just as rude as ever....some things never change....

Let's clear up one thing shall we. I never said I support a one world government. I have mused that perhaps a one world government probably wouldn't be any more corrupt than the sum of the individual governments we currently have.

Also, it seems that those that scream loudest at the idea of one government are the same people that scream how corrupt their national governments are. Tell me, do you hate all governments? Are you an anarchist perhaps, devoid of all law and order?

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

I haven't made any accusations against him. These are the responces of over 20 people to his presence. How is it rude? This guy is a damn menace!

BTW I only appologized if you are not him. That remains to be determined.

Hmmm..

Ick

-- (Xipper@annon.com), March 01, 1999.

No Craig, I am not an anarchist. I firmly believe in the supreme law of the United States of America, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. If and when the current government of the U.S. decides to abide by that law I will happily lay off of them. The way I see it they are the anarchist.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), March 01, 1999.

Good to see you're still around, Nikki.

Thought we'd lost you.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), March 01, 1999.

Ick..........

One last time for the record.

You posted "BTW I only appologized if you are not him. That remains to be determined. "

Okay, cut out the crap........you're obviously trying to find any dirty way you can to try and associate me with someone else.

Anybody that has been on this bulletin board for a long time knows that I am a webmaster/programmer that works for an oil company in Northern Alberta. You seem to be the only one that is determined to turn me into a Music Store guy from Calgary........apparently so you can slander me.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

Now who's threatening who?

Jeez, what a maroon...

-- quaking in my boots (noway@nohow.nowhere), March 01, 1999.

I have no doubt that you can do what you say. :) I'm just suggesting you could do better going after the really vile characters that lurk in internet waters.

BTW, how do you avoid the "hacker" charges if you do hack my server and find personal information about me? I think the authorites will be far more interested in investigating someone who can compromise the security of their systems and the systems of the corperations they serve rather than investigating one person jokingly referencing Pulp Fiction in a ridiculous cyber "threat" against another. Boy, that wouldn't reflect well with your employers now would it? Or your company, if you have one.

Or even Charon. I mean, really. Charon took the dead across the river Stix, Charon did not murder people. Therefore the insinuation was that you would die, not that Charon would kill you.

You sure do sound like Craig. He made judgements and assumptions about people and their motives based on *very* little evidence or a faulty understanding of what they had said.

Ick

-- Bozo the Clown (Xipper@annon.com), March 01, 1999.

Thanks, all, for this real-time demonstration of what it will be like. (Do you meet often to rehearse your parts?) (and Hardliner-- I thought you were a Marine--you didn't tell us you're really an ex-Monty Python)

-- Spidey (in@jam.com), March 01, 1999.

This is the way it be like.
In one year there will be nothing left to be like.


-- Wicked Witch (morepoppies@my.pretty), March 01, 1999.

Hi Greybear, I have been putting in about a quarter acre garden, still lurking though. I'm just too sore to type!! Ha Ha,no kidding, I'm way too old and out of shape for this.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), March 01, 1999.

After it all settles down, it'll be the best yet. :) Wait and see.

BTW I was just having a little fun. I don't like violence of any sort. Especialy not towards women which is why I have a gut rx to anyone who even *sounds* like Craig. Is anyone going to stand up and say that this Craig is who he says he is? Otherwise I might take another potshot (I mean that in a non-physical way) at him when the monsters from the id take over again. They are *so* hard to control.

-- Zampolini!!!!! (Xipper@annon.com), March 01, 1999.

The Charon thing was an over-reaction and for that I apologize. My real beef was with Bill.

He wrote "I would not look forward to shooting my DGI neihbors no matter how stupid they are."

The whole concept of even bringing up the topic of shooting DGI neighbors is sickening. First of all, using DGI is just a way of labelling anyone who has a different viewpoint about y2K than you do. If TSHTF as severe as you think it will, those that need food will be people with young children and old folks etc. Chances are, they will be asking for some food so they can have something to eat. Some of you guys seem to be preparing your minds to actually shoot these people......Oh sure, you don't relish the idea....but ya gotta do what ya gotta do right (dripping with sarcasm). And yes, that mindset makes me want to puke.

It seems to me that there are far too many 'don't give a damn about anybody but myself' people here. Instead of buying extra food to give away in case of an emergency, you'd rather spend a bunch of the money on AK47's so you can kill those that are hungry and have the audacity to ask for a bite.

Just my opinion.........last time I looked, I was allowed to have one!

On to a new thread...............

Perhaps there will less anonymous idiocy from Icky Xippers there.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), March 01, 1999.

Spidey,

You flunk Marine Corps history! We can trace one branch of our roots back through the British Royal Marines straight to the Knights of Nicht!

And, yes, I must confess that in a previous incarnation I was a 500 pound budgie. . .

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 01, 1999.

*sigh* Craig misses the point yet again.

look Craig, it's like this: we've caught you time and again claiming totally without merit that things that you disliked were illegal and things which you thought were neat as legal requirements when that was not at all the case (your attempts to interpret US firearms law last week, come to mind). The point is not whether you like something or not.

The point is that saying something is legal or illegal, especially when that something happens to be occuring in another country is at best a misguided comment on your part. Please, feel free to state your opinions, but please do try to differentiate your opinons from facts.

One of those facts is that no matter how much you dislike the concept of armed selfdefense, and no matter how much you try to confuse the issue and/or lie to people about it, there are still many, many of us out here teaching ever increasing numbers of folks both the safe handling of firearms and how people can defend themselves properly.

Arlin

[who isn't sure about 500 pound budgies, may have had an encounter with an english sparrow at some point...or was that an african sparrow...you know I'm not exacty sure..aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhggggg]

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), March 01, 1999.

Arlin, I have bitten my tongue (well, sat on my fingers), more times than I can count on this issue. All who are in favour of armed force are MUCH more virulently anti-pacifist than any who will not arm are virulently anti-gun. In Canada, guns are controlled and the great majority of people like it that way. It has its benefits. For example, almost 20 years ago, I talked to a fellow respiratory therapist who had been working in a city of 500,000 in California. She said that not a shift went by that she didn't see a gun shot wound. In Edmonton (at that time, that size), in two years, I had seen one gunshot wound - a rifle accident. Personally, I prefer the gun laws we have to the gun lawless rampant in the US, if I didn't, I would be free to try to emigrate. The one person that Craig was reporting lives in Canada, and is subject to our laws - which presumably you know no better than he does yours.

Oh, BTW, Xipper, Craig has posted info on himself in the past which agrees with what he's told you. Happy hunting in the archives to find out more.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), March 01, 1999.

"I have code in place that has captured your IP address so I can trace where your email came from."

OK Craig, what's my IP address?

I'm a systems programmer / network administrator BTW.

Get real. And get a life!

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 02, 1999.

Good Grief! As Charlie Brown would sayFirst of all, this story was only intended as entertainment while we all wait to see what happens with the April 01 rollover. Second of all I would feed each of you on this BB because in a way by our almost daily communications I feel like I know you. You may not agree with me and I may not agree with you, however I do respect your opinions and what's more I value them! As far as guns my brother was playing with a broken 22. Back in 1970 and shot himself in the head. This was a broken gun and it was fired 400 times by the police and yet they could not get it to fire. It was later fired electronically for ballistics. We may need guns for protection in the future but I could not shoot someone that came to me because they were hungry. If you like I will produce part 2 in the near future. Why? Because you are my friends.Tman

-- Tman (Tman@IBAgeek.com), March 02, 1999.

Geez, Tman. Just think. All this could have been avoided if you had started your story "Once upon a time". After all. little Billy can get away with it, why not you?? In reference above to Canada's gun control laws, I notice that it didn't keep Canada fm having to declare martial law in Quebec a little while ago. What were those guys using, water pistols or typewriters??

y2k...will be far worse than we hoped...far less than we imagined. Lobo

-- Lobo (Hiding@woods.com), March 02, 1999.

Tman. Went back and reread my post. Didn't like the way it came across. Not meant as a flame, I was trying to be subliminally humerous. I think your story's great and am waiting for part 2. Have at it, Man!! It's a crazy ride gonna come for all of us. (And we ALL will meet Charon some day)....I wonder if the Styx is as polluted as the Potomac? Lobo

-- Lobo (Hiding@woods.com), March 02, 1999.

Tman,

And entertaining it was. I look forward to the next installment.

On guns;

They are simply tools. Nothing more. The responsibility that attaches to their use is appropriate to the deadly force involved.

On Shooting People;

There are legitimate reasons to shoot people. Being hungry is not one of them. I am certain that everyone on this forum knows that.

On Y2KHippo Bill's comments,

He said, "I would not look forward to shooting my DGI neihbors (sic) no matter how stupid they are." I wouldn't either. No "normal" (whatever that means) person would. No "normal" person would take such words as threatening either but rather as an expression of social consciousness and concern for an uncertain and threatening future. Let's recognize what the actual threat here is (hint: it ain't Bill).

On Polution in the Styx,

At last I understand why Achilles' mother didn't go all the way! She just didn't want to get any on her hand!

-- Hardliner (searcher@internet.com), March 02, 1999.

ok ick

heres a picture of craig

does it look like the same guy?

-- canadian (fe@fi.fofum), March 02, 1999.

Craig,

I will shoot anyone who treatens me or my family with harm. If someone forces my door open to take my food, if someone raids my garden or steals from the woodpile, they will be punished for theft. Normal times, I would (and have in the past) held a gun on someone until the police arrive. With no 911, no telephone, I will be unable to call the police. I am not sure what that type of world will be like. Here in Arizona if you feel your life is threatend, you are allowed to use deadly force. No one in their right mind wants to shoot someone else, but YOU have to ask yourself at what point would you feel you could take someone elses life. Robbery, rape, etc...

As for the AK47, it is no longer available here. I have an SKS, but prefer my 12 gauge shotgun with 00 buckshot. Guns are tools, and like any tools you have to know how and when to use them.

Y2K could bring social chaos like the world has never known, I am preparing for that. Included in those plans, is a means to defend myself, my family and my property.

-- Bill (y2khippo@yahoo.com), March 02, 1999.