Play by Play--Y2K Day in the U.S. Senate

(Note: anyone following coverage, please add to the following:)

Comments by C-SPAN 2 narrator prior to coverage of Senate Session at 9:30 a.m. ET.

After the opening prayer, senators will debate and vote on a bill providing loans to small facing that (the year 2000) problem. Following that vote, a confidential briefing will be held to discuss the problems potential impact on international and national security. Later, a bill to increase funding for the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology problem."

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999

Answers

Can you say "brinksmanship?" Sure. . . I knew you could. Hey! Everybody!, Let's get to work on that y2k problem!

-- Puddintame (dit@dot.com), March 02, 1999.

I plan to be "tuning in" to this thread frequently, and I appreciate in advance everyone's contributions for up to date reporting!!!

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), March 02, 1999.

Also see this thread for info about Y2K in the Senate today...

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000Ygc

"Y2K Hits the Hill"

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 02, 1999.

Play by Play--Y2K Day in the U.S. Senate (Continued)

Excerpts from opening statement by Republican Senator Kit Bond, Missouri, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business:

Significant quotes relating to why Small Business Administration Y2K loans must be made available to small and medium size businesses:

The year 200 computer problems may potentially cause great economic hardships to numerous Americans and to numerous sectors of our economy.

It is commendable that the Senate take action this problem quickly and that we take action before the calamity happens.

The bill before us is one but an important step to insuring the continuing viability of many small businesses after December 31. 1999. The bill will establish a loan guarantee program to be administered by the SBA to provide small businesses with capital to correct their year 2000 problems and provide relief from economic injury sustained as a result of Y2K computer problems.

(Question does this mean injury sustained as a result of a suppliers Y2K computer problems? I dont know.)

A small business is at risk if it uses any computers in its business; if it has customized software, if it is conducting e-commerce, if it accepts credit card payments, if it uses a service bureau for its payroll, if it depends on a databank for information, if it has automated equipment for communicating with its sales or service force or if it has automated manufacturing equipment.

The outlook is not good. In fact, it is poor at best, particularly for the smallest business.

The entities most at risk from Y2K failures are small and medium size companies, not the largest companies. The two major reasons for the anomaly are that many small companies have not yet begun to realize how much of a problem Y2K failures could be for them, and many others have not had the access to capital to cure problems before they cause disastrous results.

(More to come--until I run out of time!)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

This from comments made on the radio down here last night:

A leading GA state rep (who has considerable influence locally in state-level Y2K legislation) reported tonight that Mr. K has openly been saying "minor" bump - and privately telling Congress (apparently Rep Horn, Sen Bennett, etc.) and "various cities" that they should get ready for 3 weeks of utilities being lost. This is possibly what the "closed Senate session" is going to be about.

Also, as of now, he reported that 38 of 50 states have formally setup (called up ?) their National Guard units for "indefinite" active duty beginning next Jan. >>

i know the statement itself is reliable - but can anybody else confirm this "tell the cities get ready for 3 weeks" "private" warning?

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), March 02, 1999.

Play by Play (Continued)

(Continuing opening statement by Kit Bond)

A study on small business and the Y2K problem sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and the National Federation of Independent Businesses found that an estimated four and three-quarter million small employers are potentially subject to Y2K problems. The committee has also received alarming statistics on the number of small businesses that could potentially face business failure or prolonged inactivity due to the year 2000 computer problem.

The Gartner (sp) Group, an international technology consulting firm, has estimated that between 50% and 60% of small companies world wide would experience at least one mission-critical failure as a result of Y2k problems. The Committee has also received information indicating that approximately 750 thousand small businesses may either shut down due to the Y2K problem, or be severely crippled if they do not take action to cure their Y2K problems. Such failures and business inactivity affect not only the employees and the owners of small businesses, but also their creditors, suppliers and customers. 

Most important, however, is the fact that up to 7 and a half million families could face loss of paychecks for a sustained period of time, if small businesses do not remedy their Y2K problems. Given these facts, its easy to forecast that there will be severe economic consequences if small businesses do not become Y2K compliant in time, and--we only have 10 months to go. Indeed, the countdown is on.

(Next post--the story of one company that found out how hard the bug would bite--and had problems coming up with the money to fix it.--also, vote is in progress: 13 minutes to go as of 10:34 a.m. ET. Will try to dash back to the tube to post results)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Bill approved in the Senate by a voice vote. 10:38 a.m. ET

(More to come)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Robert, we heard 3 months in November. Then it was zero days, no problemo, zip, then 3 days, then 2 weeks, now: We don't know and we're scared $#!+less. Attitude fluctuations every day. Who knows? But nobody dismissing it altogether anymore.

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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 02, 1999.

Just caught tail end of Sen. John Kerry endorsing Bill S314 - Small Business Y2000 Readiness Act.

1. 54% of small businesses state that cost is biggest deterent in fixing Y2k. 2. When it comes to Y2k, most small business owners are ignorant, in denial, or paralyzed. 3. S314 is a loan guarantee program to authorize loans to help small small businesses cover Y2k costs. 4. I didn't read the terms, but caught a blip that lenders could delay principle repayment by one year and make payments flexible. 5. Sen. Kerry urged the Senate to be dilligent in watching funding and making sure funds are there as more small business owners become aware of the problem and the demand for help increases. 6. Vote being taken now, and I am hearing all ayes, so this will pass most likely.

-- shivermetimbers (zerodegrees@brrrrrr.com), March 02, 1999.

"A leading GA state rep (who has considerable influence locally in state-level Y2K legislation) reported tonight that Mr. K has openly been saying "minor" bump - and privately telling Congress (apparently Rep Horn, Sen Bennett, etc.) and "various cities" that they should get ready for 3 weeks of utilities being lost. This is possibly what the "closed Senate session" is going to be about."

I too would like confirmation of what this GA state rep said. This would be Big!

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@anonymous.com), March 02, 1999.

Play by Play continued:

NOTE: C-Span 2 still says the 12:45 p.m. ET Senate Special Committee News Conference with Senators Dodd and Bennett will still take place at that time. However--before that happens--the Senate is meeting in closed session to discuss the Y2K problem in room 4-S407 in the Capitol. The Senate will reconvene (C-Span2 coverage) at 2:15 p.m. to discuss increased funding for the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Computer Problem.

FYI: Final vote on SBA Y2k loan program was 99 yes 0 no.

More to come...

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Play by Play continued:

More opening remarks from Republican Missouri Senator Kit Bond on Senate Bill 314,also known as The Small Business Y2k Readiness Act

(Make note of this one--anyone whos tracking actual failures. It doesnt get much better than this:)

Bond:

A good example of how small businesses are dramatically affected by the Y2K problem is the experience of Lloyd Davis, the owner of Golden Plains Agricultural Technologies, Inc., a farm equipment manufacturer in Colby (sp), Kansas. Like many small business owners, Mr. Davis business depends upon (trailing?) technology purchased over the years, including 386 computers running custom software. Mr. Davis uses his equipment to run his entire business, including handling the companys payroll, inventory control, and maintenance of large databases on his customers and their specific needs. In addition, Golden Fields (possible mis-speak on Bonds part--he may have meant to say Plains.) has a Web-Site that sells the farm equipment it manufactures over the Internet. Unlike many small business owners, however, Mr. Davis is aware of the Y2K problem, and tested his equipment to see if it could handle the year 2000. His tests confirmed his fear. The equipment and software could not process the year 2000 date, and would not work properly after December 31, 1999. Thats when Mr. Davis problems began. Golden Fields (I dont know if this is supposed to be Fields, or Plains, since Bond has referred to both names) had to purchase and upgraded software package. That cost $16.000. Of course, the upgraded software could not run on 386 computers. So Golden Fields had to upgrade to new hardware. Golden Fields had a computer on each of its eleven employees desks, so that each employee could access the program that essentially ran the company, and assist filling the Internet orders the company received. Replacing all the hardware would have cost Golden Fields $55.000, therefore--a little quick mathematics--we find that Golden Fields needed to spend $71,000 just to put itself into the same position it was in, before the Y2K problem grew on him. Like many small business owners facing a large expenditure, Mr. Davis went to his bank to obtain a loan, to pay for the necessary upgrades. Because Golden Fields was not already Y2K compliant, his bank refused him a loan because it had rated his companys existing loans as high risk. Golden Fields was caught in a clear Catch 22 situation. Nevertheless, Mr. Davis scrambled to save his company. He decided to lease the new hardware instead of purchasing it, but he will pay a price that ultimately will be more expensive than conventional financing. Moreover, instead of replacing 11 computers, Golden Fields only replaced 6 at a cost of $23,000. Golden Fields will be less efficient as a result. The experience of Mr. Davis at Golden Fields has been and will continue to be repeated across the country, as small businesses realize the impact the Y2k problem will have on their business.

(Thats the end of this installment of  Play by Play--Y2K Day in the U.S. Senate, at least from me. Hope its been helpful.

Ill conclude with a couple of questions to the group:

1. Has anyone among you actually obtained an SBA loan? Ive heard comments like: Its a nightmare. Dont go there. How long does it take to actually receive the money? Is this pointless legislation, considering there's only 10 months left to remediate?

2. This bill will now go to the house. Last year the Senate passed a similar bill that the house never acted upon. Remember--10 months to go.

3. If small businesses who need the money to upgrade had it in their hands right now--would there still be time to do whats needed?

Well see how the rest of the day progresses.

Anyone who watches the press conference on C-Span 2 at 12:45 ET, please post comments. I may not be able to do so, although I will be sorely tempted. (May have to wait for Drew's report. 0

Cheers!

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Not quite done yet. . .

Reposting this from JellyBean since it's on thread:

Was just watching CNN and Company - they are advertising that they will be carrying the Bennett/Dodd press conference at 12:45PM ET, 9:45AM PT.

-- Jelly Bean (jelly@belly.com), March 02, 1999

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Senator Bennett at the briefing (watching it right now):

"The U.S. military may experience some minor disruptions..." "but we will remain the strongest in the world...."

"In this country I think we will have a 'bump in the road', but it will not be crippling..." "We do not at the moment expect that this will be (as the web sites are calling it) TEOTWAWKI..." (laughter in background).

"Internationally, we think the chances of difficulty are much higher..."

"I want to close by pointing out that there are many countries overseas who are doing as good a job as we are or better...."

Senator Dodd:

"I want to point out that this is an interim report..."

"If you are just beginning to work on Y2k, let me point out that it's too late..."

"We have been careful on the committee, to stay away from hyperbolic statements...have tried to discount the 'Y2k survivalist' feeling that this could be armageddon..."

"Financial services, utilities and telecommunications.....we feel that we are in pretty good shape on these."

"According to our analysis, these medical delivery systems are in trouble. They are not prepared to respond to the Y2k problem..."

"Health care is a major issue"

"80% of all ingredients in pharmaceutical products used by Americans come from off shore..."

"In energy related areas, middle east....the Y2k problem has not even begun to be addressed at all....."

"The international sector could pose some difficulties for us."

"In government...in terms of Y2k compliance many agencies are doing well (smaller agencies) {names some off...can't type fast enough!}..."

"Overall there's a mixed picture of transportation...." {paraphrased}

"We have 304 days to go, the FAA is working hard....this is a great concern to us as to whether travel....is going to be as safe as it should....." {paraphrased}

"We'll keep you posted as the year rolls on as to how this is going..."

Well, that's the best I can do for now. I was typing like a fiend! Couldn't keep up with it all!

Bobbi buzzbyte.com

-- Bobbi (bobbia@slic.com), March 02, 1999.

Oh Sh*t - Another 6 months of prep. I'm gettin too old for this.

-- Steve (parse@earth.com), March 02, 1999.

What hit me the hardest about the first part of the press conference (I taped the rest and will review later. I stopped watching when Dodd said everyone should stay in America on New Year's eve (a joke--laugher from crowd) was that the comments pertained to the readiness of organizations and industries but didn't connect them! The senators inferred that the "iron triangle" (financial services, utilities, telecommunications) were in good shape--but not one word was spoken (with the exception of some vague comments about overseas oil) about suppliers. I did not hear anyone mention the word "systems" and "interdependencies."

Summation: they said this is an interim report. They said they don't know. They implied they won't have a better idea until later in the year. They implied they won't really know until January 1, 2000

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Reposting Old Git's observations from a different thread, in the hope that this thread will give us the entire perspective of the day.

Bennett stresses interim report, not final.

Closed session covered: low probability of terrorist exploitation of situation; low probability of nuclera accident; medium probability that economic disruption will lead to civil unrest in certain areas of world; high probability of economic impact in certain areas, such as (illegible), Latin America, Africa, Asia, with subsequent consequences unknown.

US military - minimum disruption, mission-critical areas not compromised. Us intelligence agencies - ditto.

More later.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 02, 1999

Answers

Sorry for typos, wanted to get this out fast for those at work, unable to see TV. Bennett began his remarks on the report:

What can we expect?

In US, bump in the road, not crippling, not for an undue length of time. But this is INTERIM report, we don't know. But it won't be TEOTWAWKI. Explains - laughter. Do NOT expect US to be crippled, no distastrous consequences for long period of time.

Internatinally, chances much higher. Discussion in Senate this afternoon re effects of international problems on US.

Some overseas countris doing better than we are. Showed UK package which goes to all businesses--emphasized was signed "Tony Blair" PRIME MINISTER (hint, hint!--my words, like where is Clinton, huh?) It's a major national effort in UK.

Stressed again, interim report. Business-if you're just beginning to work on Y2K problem, it's too late. Start your contingency plans.

Shows computer chip. (Tiny.) Hard to imagine something this small could cause big problems. Mentions elecators, hospitals, etc.

Committee has been very careful to stay away from giving Y2K survivalist tone to report. Not armageddon.

Finances, utilities, telecoms, feel they're in pretty good shape at home. Concerned about health areas - hospital, nursing homes, doctors' offices. In trouble - not prepared to respond to Y2K- 80% doc's offices, 64% of hospitals, not begun. Hopeful many problems will be resolved by year's end.

Major issue is offshore - 80% of pharmaceutical ingredients are from offshore. Many countries have done little or nothing. Some are major energy suppliers. Mentioned Russia, Thailand, India.

US Government agencies - many doing well. (See details in report, spoke too fast to write down.) But noted this is a wake-up call for those lagging.

Concerned about safety of air travel. If tomorrow were Y2K, would not be in air. Area of great concern. International air travel not as safe as it ought to be,. NOTE: CNN News immediately following led with great stress on pharmaceuticals. Run could start on meds today, now. Am going to phone pharmacy, refill my script! -- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 02, 1999.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

RE: Repost of Invar's comments from another thread. On Topic.

Okay, Y2K Senate Press Conference synopsis:

It's later than you think. We have 304 days to go.

Low to medium probability of terrorist or nuclear problems.

This country will not be crippled.

There will be a bump in the road for the U.S.

It won't last long.

Defense and Intelligence will be O.K. We'll remain the strongest force in the world.

Food will be O.K.

Telecommunications O.K.

Power O.K.

Low Civil unrest.

Health care will have problems. Poor and inner cities will have health care problems. (President Clinton's dead Health Care Program looks to get a resurrection into policy by EO)

Minor economic impact - - - here.

It's the other countries that will have a disaster. They may meltdown.

It will not be TEOTWAWKI or Armageddon - - - HERE. It will be for the third world. Civil unrest, economic, infrastructure and social breakdowns. But not here. Here is good.

So what about this "global economy" we've heard so much about? Was it all hype? Hmmmmm.

They also stated (paraphrasing): Don't trust the internet forums. They're nuts. Internet groups may be responsible for starting a panic. But don't say "There is no problem" either. There is a problem. But we got it handled. There may be some disruptions - - minor. Nothing to worry about.

Worry about other nations like China, Russia, Thailand, India etc.

But we'll be fine here, on our continental island.

Just a little bumpy.

Don't you feel better now? We can all go to back to sleep.

-- INVAR (gundark@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

A few things said during the press conference that caught my attention...

That the government has no specific information that terrorists are planning to take advantage of disruptions caused by Y2K

[then why do we hear so much about cyber-terrorism and critical infrastructure protection?]

That (according to Bennett) "the end of the world as we know it" is not likely in the U.S.

[what if much of the oil we import from the Middle East and Venezuela became unavailable? what about foreign banks? lawsuits in the U.S.? the post office?]

That the U.S. imports 80% of the medicine it uses from overseas

That 70% of the insulin used in the U.S. is imported

Both Bennett and Dodd dodged and contradicted themselves on personal preparation. Preparing is OK...stockpiling isn't. They wouldn't define the difference.

There will be a half trillion to one trillion in lawsuits in the U.S. because of Y2K.

Dodd, describing the problems some Asian nations would have and naming some, was asked how Japan was doing. Dodd acted as if he didn't know and asked an aide what catagory Japan is in.

Dodd made a comment about not letting "the crazies take over on this issue."

My general comment on this press conference...if problems in the U.S. are going to be small, then why is Congress trying to pass legislation that would limit liability in the event of Y2K failures?

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 02, 1999.

Afterwards, when Dodd was talking to reporters, he said "We can't leave this to the crazies."

Thank God for the crazies, who have become a counterpoint to the do-nothing burowprocratic burrow-biz-as-usual numbskulls.

If we Innernut loon-a-tick-tocks weren't discussing the various angles of Y2K, the Powers That Aren't would still be fast asleep.

Message to the Goobermint: If you want to own an issue, behave openly and responsibly concerning it. You've already dropped the ball. We appreciate your open, productive efforts coming into the game late, but please don't squawk about the interception we bagged many months ago. Learn to be a good sport. It's still our Ball of Realization and Preparation, and we would like to touchdown on the Year 2000 with a good chance of survival and continuity. You have much to learn from us. Belittle at your own karmic peril. The YourDoneEres

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxx

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), March 02, 1999.

FM: Per your request to post to this thread: So far, 2:25 est, I have only been able to get the Table of Contents, and the Executive Summary links to work from the Senate Report. Looks like they may be creating the content as we speak, in their own good time, and possibly sequentially.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), March 02, 1999.

There is continuing coverage of the Senate Y2K hearings all afternoon on CSPAN 2. If you don't have access to CSPAN 2 on your TV, you can get it via the web at http://www.cspan.org/watc h/cspan2.htm as long as you have RealPlayer.

-- Jelly Bean (jelly@belly.com), March 02, 1999.

Per FM's request on Notes from Y2K Press Conference to post here:

FM - I posted a similar piece when the Food Supply hearings were held, just following what I did before, like old gits do. Others were, no doubt, posting on this thread simultaneous to your and Kevin's posts here, so I'm sure people weren't ignoring you. Was going to cut and paste my notes to your thread, but see you've already done that while I was calling the drug store. I'll cut and paste this one. Couldn't get through to the pharmacist for about ten minutes, by the way, busy, busy. Pharmacist told me her phone was suddenly ringing off the hook. Wonder why?

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 02, 1999.

FM, Kevin, outstanding job!!!!!

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), March 02, 1999.

Excerpts from the Committee's Executive Summary, in .pdf format (Adobe Acrobat required):

"The bad news is that the Committee research has concluded that the Y2K problem is very real and that Y2K risk management efforts must be increased to avert serious disruptions."

"The independent nature of technology systems makes the severity of possible disruptions difficult to predict. Adding to the confusion, there are still very few overall Y2K technology compliance assessments of infrastructure or industry sectors."

"...Senate hearings, interviews, and research have not produced convincing evidence that the Y2K problem is well in hand."

"Many organizations critical to Americans' safety and well-being are still not fully engaged in finding a solution."

"Most affected industries and organizations started Y2K remediation too late."

"Self-reporting has yielded unreliable assessments for most industry sectors. With few exceptions, disclosure of Y2K compliance is poor."

"Fear of litigation and loss of competitive advantage are the most commonly cited reasons for the bare-bones disclosure."

"National emergency and security planning for Y2K-related systems failures is just beginning."

"Leadership at the highest levels is lacking."

"The challenges posed by the Y2K problem are numerous and daunting... [T]he committee believes that some disruptions will occur, and that in some cases, Y2K disruptions will be significant. The international situation may be even more tumutuos."

"Americans should prepare for Y2K based on facts and reasonable predictions about the problem's effects on vital services."

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), March 02, 1999.

Sorry, "tumutuous" should read "tumultuous".

"May be more tumultuous"?! Think that's the "duh" of the day.

Tell it like it is. But waffle. And spin.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), March 02, 1999.

Steve, that sounds like us many months ago :-)

So they're slowly beginning to nip at the edges of the truth.

Now if they just had, say 7 more years to continue at this pace ...

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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 02, 1999.

"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down"...

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), March 02, 1999.

Tomorrow, if my boss will let me leave for a while, I'm going to speak with Ron Paul (our rep) and see what his take is on this, and report back here. He does RV visitations in our town...

He writes opinion articles in our little bitty paper, but hasn't mentioned Y2K yet. Also try to get him to attend our third community Y2K meeting this month.

-- Lisa (lisa@work.now), March 02, 1999.

Lisa: Same Ron Paul that is helping to lead the charge against the "Know Your Customer" program? If so, and you get a chance to see him, please ask about KYC also - I think there are lots of folks on this forum that would be interested in anything he has to say about this too.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), March 02, 1999.

Some quotes from the section on healthcare: "Y2K could put the healthcare industry in intensive care."

-Senator Dodd

"Perhaps the most disturbing Y2K revelation to the Committee was the disclosure of the domino effect of Y2K failure. It can occur in both the use of biomedical devices and in Medicare payments."

"Healthcare systems are trying to reduce Y2K exposure by excluding high-risk business partners from future deals. The cumulative impact of this practice in healthcare and other industries could negatively impact smaller firms irrespective of their competence or cost competitiveness."

Much more, of course. Read it and weep.

From the telecommunications section: "The telecommunications industry is not immune from the Y2K threat. Y2K-related problems in telecommunications could have serious consequences for both national and economic security."

"[F]ears of competition and liability prevented a formal coordinated industry-wide approach until late in 1998."

"[N]etworking equipment produced before 1996 has only a 50% chance of transitioning to the year 2000 without needing to be upgraded or replaced."

"It is critical that contingency and disaster recovery planning and training be implemented."

"[T]he lack of information about the readiness of global communications remains a serious concern. U.S. carriers are concerned that if foreign companies are not prepared, call completion could be impacted."

I was unable to open up the utility section. Anyone else having the same problems?

FWIW, I despise .pdf files...

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), March 02, 1999.

http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/

US Senate Y2K Report: Interim

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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 02, 1999.

From the utilities section

The data presented in the NERC report do not seem to support the optimistic tone contained in the executive summary.

***********

The highly interconnected nature of these grids raises concerns about cascading failures.

*********

Concerns

While complete power grid failure and prolonged blackout is highly unlikely, failure of at least some parts of the electric power industry, e.g. local or regional outages, is possible. The 3200 electric utilities are at various stages of remediation. the likelihood of outages in a given area is directly related to the overall preparedness of the individual electric utility serving that area.

Overall Y2K remediation progress has been slow due to the industries late start, the complexity of the power grids, and the magnitude of the problems. As a result, power companies must step up their efforts, and develop workable contingency plans in the event their best efforts fall short.

The interconnectivity of the electric generation and transmission entities making up the grids is a strength and weakness. On the one hand, interconnectivity provides flexibility in that electricity can be routed around trouble spots. On the other hand, outages in one part of the grid could effect power in other parts of the grid. there are no comprehensive studies concerning the nimber of entities that would have to fail to put the entire grid at risk, but some experts suggest that it may be a very small percentage if in key locations.

-- Online2Much (_@_._), March 02, 1999.

Greybear, the honor of your presence is requested at the thread entitled A Special Day.

(trying to hunt him down on the forum)

-- Lisa (lisa@lmost.home), March 02, 1999.

Reposting comments that seem to be on thread from another forum:

Just saw CNN's Burden of Proof. They were addressing the Y2K litigation issue, but lots of good info was given in terms of U.S readiness (or lack thereof...). The good news...Greta Van Sustern didn't crack a smile once (although she never does!) Would like to see her interrogate Ko-skin-em!

After Burden of Proof, saw a CNN clip with an interview of a guy (can't recall his name) from the software industry. He suggested stocking food, water and said that "a wood burning stove or a generator might be a good idea".

It's been a day of interesting events...

R.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), March 02, 1999

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), March 02, 1999.

Sen. Moynihan stated that there is a nuclear potential that is very dangerous.

6,000 nuclear warheads in Russia and any one or ten of them could be inadvertantly launched causing an incomprehensible catastrophe.

I thought the probability of launches or misfirings of nuclear warheads due to Y2k was a low one.....

-- shivermetimbers (zerodegrees@brrrrrr.com), March 02, 1999.

shivermetimbers: I thought so too - that everything had to go right for an actual launch to happen.

FWIW - regarding media reaction to the Senate report:

I heard sound bites on two different radio stations this afternoon: The first actually used "bump in the road" and the second said it "would not be a disaster", and gave a list of things that are going relatively well.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), March 02, 1999.

"Y2K May Spark Civil Unrest, Economic Pain-US Senate"

http://nt.excite.com/news/r/990302/18/news-millennium

By Adam Entous

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The year 2000 computer bug may set off civil unrest in poor countries, undermine economic growth in Asia, Latin America and Africa, and disrupt global trade in oil and other commodities, a U.S. Senate panel warned Tuesday.

It added that while there was a low probability of an accidental nuclear weapons launch, missile systems in other countries could malfunction and terrorists, taking advantage of weakened security, could strike next Jan. 1.

But Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett, chairman of the Senate's Special Committee on the computer problem, said U.S. intelligence services would be ready.

"The U.S. military may experience some minor disruptions, but its mission-critical, war-fighting capability will not be compromised," he told a news conference after releasing the panel's report.

[snip]

Within the United States, Y2K disruptions could be minimized, Bennett said.

The committee said the most serious computer problems would likely strike other countries next Jan. 1.

"There is a low to medium probability of terrorist exploitation of Y2K. However, we must remain vigilant in case some of our security systems malfunction," Bennett said he told senators at a closed-door briefing Tuesday on Y2K problems.

"There is a medium probability of economic disruptions that will lead to civil unrest in certain sectors of the world, particularly where their economies are already fragile or there is political uncertainty."

There was a "high probability" of economic disruptions in Latin America, Africa and Asia, Bennett added.

The report singled out Japan, Mexico, China, Germany and Taiwan for falling nine months to two years behind schedule in preparing for the year 2000 bug. The committee also said that major oil producers Venezuela and Saudi Arabia were 12 to 18 months behind schedule.

"Disruption of flights and global trade between some areas and countries may occur," the report added.

The report said that "the committee has no data to suggest that the United States will experience nationwide social or economic collapse, but the committee believes that some disruptions will occur, and that in some cases Y2K disruptions may be significant."

It said the U.S. health care system may be least prepared because rural and inner-city hospitals were at high risk of computer failures. The nation's Medicare system was in "serious trouble," it said.

The committee said that U.S. airports started preparations too late and that shipments of goods by sea could be disrupted because the maritime industry was running behind. A prolonged nationwide blackout was unlikely, although local and regional outages were possible, it said.

In case vital services were temporarily cut off, the committee said Americans should consider stocking up on bottled water, canned goods and other essentials, as they might to prepare for a winter storm lasting two to three days. The report said people should also keep copies of their financial records in case banks run into unforeseen problems.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 02, 1999.

provided you can physically "find" all the rockets - if the Russians and Chinese wanted to absolutely, positively prevent accidental lauches - it is absolutely, positively possible to prevent launching/accidental detonation under all conditions.

note my caution - they must want to prevent the launches and the detonations. The Red Chinese, and probably the Russian too, don't want to prevent launching their missiles - therefore, accidental launches are going to be a possibility - unless US military physically does "something" to intervene.

But that means armed takeover of a sovereign nation's weapons - which normally means war.

Don't worry - Clinton is in charge, and the Communistic Chinese paid for his last election - I'm sure he has our nation's best interests at heart.

-- Robert A. Cook, P.E. (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), March 02, 1999.

And another copy here since FM insists ...

Senate Y2K Report Outline & PDF Links

It takes persistence to get all 17 Sections of the PDF files downloaded and/or printed.

You may need to increase the memory on the Adobe Acrobat S/W and your web browser, especially for the Utility section (Graphics intensive).

The following are the direct PDF links for each section -- they all worked for me. Whew! Will read the thing tomorrow.

Diane

Investigating the Impact of the Year 2000 Problem

Summary of the Committee's Work in the 105th Congress
February 24, 1999

Senate web-page report contents list (1 Page)

http:// www.senate.gov/~y2k/reportcontents.html

Table of Contents (3 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Toc.pdf

Executive Summary (6 Pages)

http:// www.senate.gov/~y2k/Execsum.pdf

Introduction (9 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Intro.pdf

Utilities (25 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Utils.pdf

Healthcare (9 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Health.pdf

Telecommunications (11 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Telcom.pdf

Transportation (13 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Trans.pdf

Financial Services (14 Pages)

http:// www.senate.gov/~y2k/Finance.pdf

General Government (24 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/GenGov.pdf

General Business (17 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/GenBus.pdf

Litigation (1 Page)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Litig.pdf

International Preparedness (9 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Intl.pdf

Legislative Activities (2 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Leg.pdf

Committee Priorities for 1999 (3 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/Priots.pdf

Appendix I - Recent Events (5 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/App1.pdf

Appendix II - Acronyms Used in This Report (3 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/App2.pdf

Appendix III - Y2K Solution Approaches (2 Pages)

http://www.senate.gov/ ~y2k/App3.pdf

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 02, 1999.

"The Pentagon, for its part, explained its Y2K readiness at a House hearing Tuesday. The Pentagons assistant inspector general, Robert Lieberman, testified that the Defense Department got off to a slow start in dealing with Y2K because managers underestimated the problems complexity. More than 600 mission-critical systems remain unready, although the Pentagon has given assurances it will be prepared in time." Yeah, right!

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), March 02, 1999.

Just an observation from the report Kevin pasted above.

Michael Heschel of The Kroger Co. said the supermarket chain usually has 35-36 days of inventory in its stores and we believe, therefore, unless there is widespread hoarding or excessive stockpiling, Jan. 1, 2000, will be a routine shopping day.

The multi-state chain grocery store I shop at does NOT have this type of inventory. An employee of the store I know, was telling me they have a hard time keeping food on the shelves now.

35-36 days of inventory---they must be an exception. I worked in a grocery store years ago, (first job) in the days before just in time shipping, they did not have the kind of space necessary for this much stock. What about Produce, Milk & Dairy, Deli, Bread??? Who is this guy kidding???? Grocery stores receive deliveries every day.

Tiny point, on a big day.

-- Deborah (info@wars.com), March 02, 1999.

Local Fox News says Senate report optimistic.

Electric Utilities in good shape.

No need to store food or water.

Expects drug shortages, because most ingredients come from overseas.

BOY am I GLAD nothing else we use comes from overseas!!!(can you sense the sarcasm??)

Heard a radio blurb earlier today, same thing. This was on a station that consistently airs common sense prep. & other y2k info.

-- Deborah (info@wars.com), March 02, 1999.

Hi FM. I really do think you've done a great job at trying to get all of today's Senate report news in one place. But, after looking at all the posts here today, you may want to just save the whole day in an archive! <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 03, 1999.

First, I'd like to say thank you to Diane for taking the time to post all the links in such an organized fashion. Great Job!!!

I just wanted to add a few comments that Sen Moynihan made about the foreign economic impact of Y2k.

He stated that the Y2k problem could cause "economic dislocation' in many foreign countries. Y2k could trigger a "flight to quality" where investments would be drawn out of countries that are perceived to be risks in regards to Y2k, and transferred to countries that have put forth the money, time, and effort to combat Y2k (less risk of infrastructure breakdown and chaos).

He said this might mean the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. This could also lead to widespread, civil unrest in many countries.

He then tied this in with humanitarian effort. How do we help if our help is needed everywhere? Who and how do we choose?

I think that is interesting in that he is assuming the US will have their act together enough to be able to "help" Y2k stricken countries.

-- shivermetimbers (zerodegrees@brrrrrr.com), March 03, 1999.

Here's of the the better articles on yesterday's events:

http://www.sjmercury.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/027317.htm

Y2K may spark unrest, economic pain -US Senate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The year 2000 computer bug may set off civil unrest in poor countries, undermine economic growth in Asia, Latin America and Africa, and disrupt global trade in oil and other commodities, a Senate panel said Tuesday.

While there was a low probability of an accidental nuclear weapons launch, the committee said missile systems and other high-tech weapons in other countries could malfunction. The Senate was also warned that terrorists might strike against U.S. targets next Jan. 1 to take advantage of weakened security.

``I have a nightmare of CNN cameras in villages or cities where there is no power, no telecommunications, the banking system is broken down, widespread rioting,'' said Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett, chairman of the Senate's Special Committee on the computer problem.

[snip]

For the United States, Y2K disruptions should be manageable, the Senate panel concluded.

``The committee has no data to suggest that the United States will experience nationwide social or economic collapse, but the committee believes that some disruptions will occur, and that in some cases Y2K disruptions may be significant.''

Bennett said the U.S. military might experience some minor computer glitches, ``but its mission-critical, war-fighting capability will not be compromised.'' U.S. intelligence services would also be ready in time.

The U.S. health care industry may be the least prepared, according to the panel, which said the nation's Medicare system was in ``serious trouble''.

The committee complained that U.S. airports started preparations too late, and warned that shipments of goods by sea could be disrupted because the maritime industry was running behind. But it said a prolonged nationwide blackout was unlikely, although local and regional outages were possible.

In case vital services were temporarily cut off, the committee said Americans should stock up on bottled water, canned goods and other essentials, as they might to prepare for a winter storm lasting two to three days. People should also keep copies of their financial records in case banks run into unforeseen problems.

The committee said the most serious computer problems were likely to strike other countries next Jan. 1, because many of them started preparing too late or not at all.

The report singled out Japan, Mexico, China, Germany and Taiwan for falling nine months to two years behind schedule in preparing for the year 2000 bug. The committee also said that major oil producers Venezuela and Saudi Arabia were 12 to 18 months behind schedule.

``Disruption of flights and global trade between some areas and countries may occur,'' the committee said.

In a closed-door briefing for senators, Bennett outlined the Y2K threat to national security.

``There is a low to medium probability of terrorist exploitation of Y2K. However, we must remain vigilant in case some of our security systems malfunction,'' Bennett said afterwords.

But he added: ``There is a medium probability of economic disruptions that will lead to civil unrest in certain sectors of the world, particularly where their economies are already fragile or there is political uncertainty.''

He told senators there was a ``high probability'' that widespread computer glitches would compound economic problems in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

``In some countries it will be more serious than others,'' Bennett said. ``The unknowable question is what will be the impact on the United States.''

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 03, 1999.