This morning, before I'd been awake an hour I had heard several times on the radio that new "reports" indicate that the government and financial communities have the pesky little Y2K problem "well in hand". One consumer guy with a two-hour show did the "I told you,...", also, "Polls show that Y2K-related spending is going down,...etc, etc." "I knew that the worst problems could come with frenzied people out there panicking". On the next show, hosted by a 'computer expert' echoed with similar statements.

So, how's the local media spin in YOUR neck of the woods? How's your cognitive dissonance these days? Last night, my 20-something daughter and her boyfriend were over. She and I talked about how it is never irrational to be prepared for emergencies, no matter what the madding crowd thinks, says and does.

"Chance favors the trained mind." Louis Pasteur, (1822-1895)

"Two dangers constantly threaten the world: order and disorder." Paul Valery, French Writer (1871-1945)

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 04, 1999

Answers

Well.....where I live they haven't gotten to" spin" yet! Its never mentioned in the paper or on the radio in our neck of the woods. Tho out here in the Forest, there are a lot of survivalists that can take care of themselves. A lot of dead beats too that I hope go to the city to get into the food and water lines from FEMA, Red Cross, etc. If I didn't have a computer, I wouldn't have a clue and neither would friends and neighbors. I print an awful lot of stuff and give it out. Buy my paper by the box and ink by the pt.

Sending everyone a hug, this time!!

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), April 04, 1999.

The positive stories began appearing immediately after the "Panic may be a greater problem than Y2K" stories which began appearing immediately after that meeting where the the media was advised to find the correct "voice" when reporting Y2K (so people wouldn't panic).

Go figure.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 04, 1999.

I about freaked out the first time I saw it...

White lettering on a black background, "There are still 9 months left until Y2K." Then it breaks into some lame 3d animation saying, "break out," and guess what, it's a car commercial! You've got some time left, buy a Ford (my comment, not in the commercial)!

Wow! I think it's for a local dealership. Has anyone else seen this? It airs fairly often on the NBC station in Minneapolis. Strange motivator for buying a car.

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

I've seen the commercial and rank it as one of the most bizarre ever.

Did the ad agency realize the implicit message might be interpreted to mean Ford may not be able to manufacture vehicles (because of global supply problems) after 01/01/2000?

I have a feeling that commercial may have a short shelf life.

Then again--it's memorable. Some folks might find it funny.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.cm), April 04, 1999.

I've been a PC consultant for medium sized companies for about 7 years locally. When I finally GI, I started a website for our community on Y2K awareness. I did a press release to our local newspaper (which runs trivial local business articles like saleman of the month). It's been a month and they haven't run my release yet !

The good news is that many people in my area are preparing for Y2K and the website is getting considerable traffic. Suprising, considering a noticeable lack of Press in our locality.

-- WebRNot (webrnot@ncap13k.com), April 04, 1999.

The commercial is national!? Frankly, I hope that you're from the Twin Cities. The local NBC station also ran a "cute" little what is your Christmas wish bit in December. The last in the line up was a guy who said, "I wish that Y2K would turn out to be fine." That's not an exact quote, it has been months. All in all, this is a very strange time to be alive.

P.S.

Maybe the ad people were inserting a bit of their own thought into the campaign. I'm a graphic designer and would do such things if I was involved in a T.V. campaign.

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

Our regional Ford dealership recently ran an ad saying buy before end of year & get three years free servicing !!

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), April 04, 1999.

Maybe Ford has said something to the dealers.

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

Still very rarely mentioned here in Durham, NC. Absolutely no sign of concern.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), April 04, 1999.

Wow, this is the only thread that I've responded to, that has continued. Perhaps I should call myself, D the thread killer.

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

Nothing in the local rags here in NJ for the past several weeks, since the Senate report. I did hear the spin master, Koskinen, on the Motley Fool radio show out of Phila yesterday. No news here, as expected. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), April 04, 1999.

Since around late January / early February, the positive spin has been steadily increasing and become quite consistent. I've seen it in the media and on the forums I monitor. Each forum now has a few resident self-proclaimed "panic preventers". I've also noticed that the spin is applied even more liberally over holdiay weekends. This weekend is about par for the course.

-- Nathan (nospam@all.com), April 04, 1999.

The powers-that-be had better pray that this is the tiniest of bumps. Anything else might well bring panic & chaos. Ironic, lets say Y2K is going to be a 3 from technical faults, however, a suddenly aroused citizenry could indeed make it much worse. The Philadelphia area is very ill prepared. Of course, you know who will get blamed.!

-- RD. ->H (drherr@erols.com), April 04, 1999.

RD,

I think I know who will get blamed, but I don't think it will be us. The same reasons that the general poopulace (spelling intended) won't get Y2K are the same reasons that we will not be blamed. When the sheeple see problems getting their checks they'll blame the banks. When welfare gets bad, they'll blame the government.

Most people can not comprehend multiple connections. They will see cause and effect in a simple way and they will blame those who are the most obvious. We won't be blamed, but we will be targets for our supplies. Simple as that.

This is a mess one way or another. Use your second amendment rights and arm yourselves. Teach your children responsibility and respect for people no matter what color they are. If we aren't careful we may all glow in the dark anyway.

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

Y2What?

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), April 04, 1999.

y2what, what?

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

Plenty of commercials on both TV and radio LA/Orange County metro area using/hyping the upcoming Millennium Celebrations..."don't forget,...if you by that mattress and box spring today, you get deferred payments and interest 'til April 2000,..." Also home PC fixes...but in general all the media reporting continues to cast aspersions upon those who think we'll see anything more than a bump in the road.

In view of what we all know about big corporate-run media here's an interesting essay from a web site called Transparency Now. Ken Sanes is a professor of communication (I think) at a local Orange Co. community college. The whole web site is worth a look, but this link is to one exerpt from his book "Image and Action: The News Media's Effort To Hide From Significant Truth".

"Image and Action" Preface

Here's one small quote from the preface:

"This essential act of corruption on the part of the news media is all the more disturbing when we begin to see the nature of the system that journalists have allowed themselves to become a part of. Today, large-scale decision-making in America (and other nations) is, to a considerable extent, under the control of a kind of virtual "oligarchy", made up of corporations, political groups, and media. All manipulate government to achieve their own ends and all use television and other forms of mass media to shape public opinion."

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 04, 1999.

Donna,

Who's quote is that?

-- d (d@dgi.old), April 04, 1999.

I would dearly like to hear Dr. Ing's takes on this and Y2K. He teaches Media Theory, when he's not writing really good fiction.

Cr

-- Chuck, a night driver (reinzoo@en.com), April 04, 1999.

I have found the only place to find out what is really going on, is via books and the internet. I have seen a little bit in newspapers, television and radio, and of course they say the same old thing . . . stock up for a few days just in case, but basically all is okey.

I personally have been told by owners of ammo store that their stock is way down and they are already having a hard time getting some things. They also expect prices to rise on ammo. Additionally I have been told by a plastic container company owner about surrounding cities and churches who are are stockpiling.

I feel that the internet is the best source of information on Y2K and have given up on the 'plastic' media sources for information.

However, I do think that some of the internet sites are a bit ''out there'', but you can still get tidbits of what others in the US are thinking and also some good ideas on all sorts of subjects including, food storage, bartering and just ''where'' others stand on the Y2K subject. There are a lot more persons who are worried than the media is letting on. I know they are just trying to keep things under wraps like they usually do. After all, we are just the ''public'' to them and they want to make sure that they are all stocked up before they give us a clue of the real status of things. I will continue to use the internet as my source of information. Thanks for letting me sound off. I do like this site and Time Bomb 2000 is a great book for waking people up. I am currently passing it around my family.

WoodstoK`

-- WoodstoK`2K (Stockin'Up@Once.now), April 04, 1999.

--d,

The quote is from the web site I linked above....the man's name is Ken Sanes, and is a communications professor at a college local to me. I'm not sure his area of expertise is communication..might be sociology...I only know I like what I have read of his essays and book exerpts.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 04, 1999.

Donna,

here in DC the mood could best be described as schizophrenic...but then that's normal for around here. it's sort of a cross between

"get ready for a bad winter storm / no don't do that it's hoarding"

and

"look at the poor refugees / let's drop more bombs and blame it all on a punk dictator / but whatever you do don't make it sound like anyone in this country could ever end up in the same shape those refugees are in".

in other words: another typical DC week, what can I tell you?

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 04, 1999.

Donna

Around here people would probably think it is a new cable channel!

Missed you while you were gone.

Marcy

-- Marcy (YCRAM410@aol.com), April 04, 1999.

Arlin,..why am I not surprised....and they call LA "LaLaLand", eh? Go figure. As an aside, one of the reasons why we stay here is there is a strong and growing group of people here who seek out alternative economy, who don't buy wholesale BS. But I digress. Alternative economy gets one weird looks in the grocery store.

She WhoIs So Far Out Of The Mainstream No Map Can Find Her Way Back

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 04, 1999.

You people are all wrong! The TV can't lie to us because Presidnet Clinton would throw them all in jail if they lied. It's against the law to lie and they don't want to go to jail!

-- Couch Potatoe (WatchesTV@home.cnn), April 04, 1999.

Occasional optimistic pieces in the newspapers that were on the Internet 2-3 weeks earlier.......

Little on TV that I have seen, since I did a short interview (along with several others) with a local TV station.

Also, since our first local Y2K awareness meeting, with 350 attending, where the local "powers that be" were mostly consistent in their "snowstorm" approach, the subject has dropped off of the screen.....

Oh, well. See my post about bulk email to get the word out (4-4-99)

-- Jon Williamson (pssomerville@sprintmail.com), April 04, 1999.

Donna,

no kidding - later this summer I'm moving to a small midwestern town where the entire sewer system is run by gravity, and the water system has a tank so big (or the town is so small..) that even if the electricity from the utility goes out, they still only have to run the backup generator for a few hours every third or fourth day to allow the pump to refill the tower.

oh, and at 1/2 of the homes have woodstoves already with more being scrounged/bartered even as we speak.

by the end of August I and my bride to be are OUTTA HERE!

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 04, 1999.

say, did I mention that the cost of living is about 1/2 to 2/3 what it is here in the DC metro area?

Arlin

[who grew up in rural America and is headed back that way ASAP]

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 04, 1999.

In Milwaukee, the only newspaper in town has proclaimed that Y2K "probably will be solved", and has printed at least a dozen editorial cartoons and letters to the editor lambasting anyone who is preparing. They completely ignored the Senate Report, which boggled my mind.

The local radio and TV stations have occasionally done 1 minute fluff pieces, all with the same basic conclusion: everything's fine, now to the story about a cute puppy. Maddening.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people get their news from these outlets. More and more, I am convinced that most people suffer from attention deficit disorder of varying degrees. Few people I talk to care to hear details. They want the 30-second answers. They certainly get that from the local media.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), April 05, 1999.

Steve,...good to see that you are still here. I have family in N. Illinois, not far from you, and I know it's not much different there. You've been valiant...How are you doing? I've wimped out, majorly...is it too late? I ask it and I know the answer is no and yes.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 05, 1999.

The "Sunday Currents" section of the San Diego Union-Tribune had a full page article and pictures on local Y2K preparations, including extensive mention of the Connirys and their survival classes. A fairly balanced piece - certainly didn't diss people who were preparing. Interestingly, the online version of the Sunday U-T doesn't have the article. Not sure what their online publishing process is, but many, many more people will see the deadtree version anyhow.

Also, in the "Insights" (Op-Ed) section, a number of well-written pieces on the Kosovo crisis, with some comments and analysis with applications to Y2K.

This is from 'Mr. President, what if air power isn't sufficient?', written by a former Top Gun instructor:

Fail to plan for contingencies and you plan to fail. This basic rule of combat aviation is hammered home in rather brutal fashion to military pilots throughout their training. In fact, pre-mission briefs which do not include an egress plan are graded as failures on the spot, because it is considered a waste of money to fly until the deficiency has been corrected.

It would be encouraging to see this administration apply similar discipline to its strategy for the Balkans -- just in case sixty years of military aviation history doesn't suddenly stand on its head. Surely our leadership was briefed prior to the start of Allied Force that air power might well prove inadequate. Yet rather than develop or articulate a response to this contingency, the administration appears to have crossed its fingers and foolishly hoped that events would unfold as desired. Faced with a somewhat different result, we risk sinking into a protracted, messy campaign, in which the time, place and manner of our involvement may be dictated not by us, but by our enemies, the media, and fate.

Interesting times...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), April 05, 1999.

Donna

The local paper did an excellent 5 day series on y2k in Dec. 1998. They covered SSA, Medicare, (didn't paint a pretty picture) local water company, hospitals, schools, and some preparation. Since then they have failed to follow up.

I contacted the mayor's office and spoke with an assistant who stated, "I fail to see how y2k compliancy in foreign countries could possibly affect us." My next thought was what about the state's compliancy?

Louisiana has accomplished about 34% of their remediation work with no special y2k budget. Chief industry here consists of chemical, oil, and natural gas. (scary!)

My letters to our congressmen go unanswered. This state has no clue!

-- Carol (jdufrene@laci.net), April 05, 1999.

A reporter from our county paper left a message the other day telling me thatshe was preparing a story on y2k for "later in the year" about "survivalists and doomsayers". In the course of my activities, had I run into any of "THOSE types"? I'm drafting my response . . . carefully.

-- Faith Weaver (faith-weaver@usa.net), April 05, 1999.

While we're on the subject of spin, I assume most of you realize that the trade association representing a majority of electrical utilities (NERC) has publicly stated it wants a meaningful story for publication regarding the April 9 electric industry communications drill.

Mark your calendars. Keep an eye on the news on April 9, 10 and 11. Watch for headlines like: "National Power Grid Passes Y2k Test," and so forth.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), April 05, 1999.

Here in upstate Noo Yawk, everything's fixed. Yup. State gov fixed ALL the computers, banks are all okay, power, munis, you name it. No Y2K problems here. And that's lucky, because we STILL don't have a state budget, now two months overdue.

-- Spidey (in@jam.com), April 05, 1999.

Did anyone watch Touched By An Angel last night?

The main story was about a cult, but they were planning a group end it all, because of Y2K and the 9-9-99 potential situation.

I was stunned by that level of TV spin.

Sad.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 05, 1999.

Please check out my article, Y2K and the Failure (So Far) of the Press.

Thanks,
Scott Johnson
Editor, y2ktoday
http://www.y2ktoday.com/

-- Scott Johnson (scojo@yahoo.com), April 05, 1999.

I appreciate your analysis, Scott. Glad you're here.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 06, 1999.

Words. Ideas. More powerful than guns. Here's a link to an essay by Frederick Mann, (found on one of my favorite web sites, No Sacred Cows--http://home.onestop.net/nomad/ ) entitled:

Anatomy of Slavespeak

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 06, 1999.

Arlin

where you movin' to in the midwest? just in general terms, anyway.

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), April 06, 1999.