If it's not Y2K it's the crisis in Kosovo, or Contrails in the sky or how Bill Clinton is ruining everyone's lives in America. Skipping from one disaster to another obsessing about bad news. Just months ago people hated the idea of OT subjects but now it's generally accepted as long as it's about something to prove how fucked up everything is in the world. I really think it's unhealthy and this place "where everybody knows your name" should be shut down permanently. Just my little opinion, but I visit this site once a week and boy has it gotten bizzare.

(bizzare as in ...' damn why the hell does everone around here keep brooding?' Hell some of you have even admited to being Y2K burnouts)

I swear you people would never admit to this being a cult but look the definition up in your local Webster's and draw some honest conclusions.

And for all you hard core D&G 'ers and psycho-analysts (-babblers) I can talk to a homosexual without being gay and I can visit this forum without being inwardly anxious about Y2K. Whoever first resorted to that troll generalization must be a hard core Liberal Democrat. (You know who you are) I'm not suggesting that anyone change whatever it is they are doing to prepare, but boy, does this forum need to be shut down.

(You people are getting all the religious nuts stirred up again and we all know what happens when they start rapping about GOD & and the rapture and what-not).

Ed Yourdon, you started this BB and I think it's your responsibility to euthanize timebomb2000. This forum is just a mad dog that needs to be put down and you know it. Do the world a favor EY, stop the madness!

-- (~~@~~.com), April 14, 1999

Answers

Relax, you are Norm too.

-- Norm (nwo@hotmail.com), April 14, 1999.

No seriously, I think it ought to go and feeling that way is not a self defense mechanism that Ive created in my own mind to help me cope with some farsical apocalypse theory. I really don't think this forum is serving a practical purpose other than spreading unneccesary fear.

-- (~~@~~.com), April 14, 1999.

Look instead to the "weirdness" inside yourself, Grasshopper. And grab a book instead of spending so much time on the internet. Changes in perspective are possible when one takes steps.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 14, 1999.

~~@~~.

I don't want to see it go because it is the only place I know to come that tells me others are preparing just as I am. Sure, I don't click on all the posts. I can come here and find most all the current issues on Y2k and Kosovo faster than spending hours looking it all up myself. I have learned much more than I ever thought I could on Y2K and found it to be very helpful. I also enjoy the humor threads because all this can be overwhelming at times. Y2K scares me, yes but this forum is not the cause of it. Good luck to you.

-- shellie (shellie01@hotmail.com), April 14, 1999.

The masses are incurably ignorant.

~,

You are failing this class....

Much work is ahead of you, plus an epistimalogical (how you know what you know) housecleaning! Have another beer and watch the ballgame. Party On...

-- poindexter (pinheadfinder@cia.com), April 14, 1999.

Well ~~, you said:
I really don't think this forum is serving a practical purpose other than spreading unneccesary fear.
You also mentioned that the forum should be shut down. Why? To please YOU? You've just demonstrated how selfish and self-centered you are - to think that your whims would be entertained by such an astute, educated, grounded group of contributors.

As Sylvester says, "It is to laugh"

Mr. K
***observing***

-- Mr. Kennedy (here@home.tonight), April 14, 1999.

Yeah come on keep pouring it on, it gives me great insight to your so called astutely educated, ground minds. More like a bunch of angry fire ants when you stir up the nest. okay, Your right I'm wrong , this forum isn't the least bit loopy.

~~@~~.com, over and out.

-- (~~@~~.com), April 14, 1999.

Sieg Heil Tilde Tilde,

If you want this forum to go away just (assuming you use Netscape) ALT-B G CRTL-F top l and DEL and then F3 and DEL again and again until all your bookmarks from this place are gone.

Then you can go back to listening to the Horst Wessel song or whatever you like to do in your spare time and this nastly example of the First Amendment won't wound you psyche.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), April 14, 1999.

We're nothing but little ants. Our conversation should be "euthanized."

Oh yeah, WE have psychological problems, too.

Dano, ROFLMAO

-- Dano (bookem@blacksand.srf), April 14, 1999.

So take your leave ~~@~~ . Why are you staying if it is so abhorent to you? Explain it to me in I-statements...."I stay because I...think, feel, want, need, etc. " If you cannot do this you will be regarded as a rager, a drunk, a buffoon, a troll,...Granted there are many topics flying about here...and obviously you find some of them objectionable....State your dislikes in clear terms, rather than in global generalities...and if you continue to have the dislikes, then obviously you must brush the dust from your sandles (biblical image) and leave.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 14, 1999.

SINCe wHEn DiD THis forUM BEcoME yoUR PERsonAL SAnitY CHEck??????? IDIot!!!!!!

SomE OF uS HERe arE GOoFY AS shIT, SomE OF Us heRE ARE GoOfIER THan shiT, SOme OF us heRe aRE RigHT WIng PSychOPAThiC wACkOs, SomE Of uS heRe ARE goVERnmENt OperATIvES CReaTIng diSSENtioN, SomE OF uS HeRE Are lEFT WIng puKES. sOMe oF Us hERE Are juST PLAin inSAne!!!!!!! HuH????? OH!!!!! WhaT?????? jaCKAss!!!!!!

SomE OF us hERE LikE To piCK On poLLyS, SomE OF US Here likE TO PicK ON DOoMErs, SomE OF us heRE LIke to PIck on gOVERnmENt, SOme of US HEre LikE TO piCK ON anyBODy, aND SOme of uS HERE liKE TO piCK oUR NOSEs!!!!!! anD DO You KNoW WHaT???????? WE LikE IT!!!!!! SO doN'T Go awAY MAd!!!!! juST GO awAY!!!!!!!!

i hATe yOu!!!!!!

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), April 14, 1999.

Go Dieter!! Way to sum it up!

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 14, 1999.

Dan Quayle announced today that he is running for President, and you think WE are fucked up?

ROTFLMAO! Thanks for the laugh ~~@~~!

-- a (a@a.a), April 14, 1999.

Actually, It was YOU who said we were "fucked up"....but have a nice day anyway.

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 14, 1999.

I'm so crazy that I like a and Donna, Diane, INVAR AND Gilda, Critt, Kevin, yes, and I especially like Flint. And did I make plain I like INVAR (because his heart is broken about his country) and Gilda (because she's real) even if they can't stand each other. And numberless others on this forum. Is the Your-done-for forum loopy? Yes, quite a bit of the time. So what? Is loopiness against the law? (That's why I like Flint so much ... hey, just JOKING).

This forum is a real-life rendition of the satiric novel Catch-22.

.... Dieter has it just so.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), April 14, 1999.

Just came in from the flower garden to rest and have some snack. Sat down and put up this site to check and see if anything really important is happening. Saw this post and felt sorry for whoever posted this nonsense. For those of us who do not like to watch commercials or the same old news from the same old newscasters, this site is the answer. I can rely on someone to catch what really is important and post it. It saves alot of time and I appreciate that as I am a pretty busy old lady. No one needs to come to this site and no one needs to read each and every post nor do they need to agree on everything. We all are bright enough to know where the "off" key is. p.s. the vegetable garden is coming along and chicks are really getting big.

-- old gramma (gotitincalif@webtv.net), April 14, 1999.

I don't believe it. I actually agree with Dieter.

Well spoken ....um -er...well said?!.

Thanks Big Dog. I love you man.

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), April 14, 1999.

Oh goD, WE'rE DOoMED!!!!! WoE is tHE WeLt!!!!!

-- Dieter (questions@toask.com), April 14, 1999.

I really appreciate the off topic posts. We can not trust the "news readers" to report what is happening and the posters to this forum have an uncanny knack of being able to identify the significant news events to help us get a perspective on world events. The "war", the incompetence of the Clinton trainees, the spin on Y2k, and the "successes" in fixing the problems all add an element of comic relief that helps up appreciate what we have to share and to lose. These things are important. For example, if people were not putting all of their spare money in the stock market, the rate of inflation would be substantial. How can gold be priced so low considering the rise in the stock market? The answer is manipulation. How can government treasury departments "Lend" gold knowing that it will be sold and consumed? What happens WHEN the borrower goes bankrupt and can not pay it back? How can stocks with no earning sell at high multiples? The answer is Mania, hype,Ponzi scheme and other similar terms. It will all come crashing down next year or late this year. The only questions are when and how far?

-- Steve (notstupid@aa.wow), April 14, 1999.

Ahh stop whingeing ya big girls' blouse!

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 14, 1999.

Andy: Whaa? Whose blouse and why?

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), April 14, 1999.

DiETer,

I am so glad to see you have returned. I had missed you lately.

~~@~~.com,

As far as I know, you are not chained to this forum. All of us are free to come and go as we please without attacking anyone else's sanity or motives. This forum is important for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it provides an outlet for thoughts, ideas and opinions about Y2K. There is room here for all of us and then some.

-- Sharon (sking@drought-ridden.com), April 14, 1999.

BigDog,

an old British insult - i.e. I think the originator of this post is a BGB - ye wouldnae understan' laddie :)

OK nearest Americanism , er, um, there isn't one :)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 14, 1999.

Dear ~@~ (or something like that- I'm not too astute with those weird whatchamacllit things at the top of the keyboard)

Anyway- if you don't like the forum- go. and take Norm and Y2K with you and have a good time. go join GNIABFI- probably more to your liking. and let us loonies be.....(besides Dieter NEEDS someone to talk to)

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), April 14, 1999.

This looney and wonderful crew has kept us going when we would otherwise be carrying a dark cloud over our heads while at work or wandering thru Wal Mart. I think that different topics and "detours" may be a bit of a needed breather for spring. We all will probably need to get very serious when stuff starts to officially hit that fan this late summer and fall. Lighten up and relax!

-- churchorganist (musicswede@webtv.net), April 14, 1999.

@ By your definition, you would call the framers of the Constitution a "cult" too. We, like they, are verbally but thoughtfully (in most cases) trying to solve a very serious problem that no one of us ALONE has the information to reach a meaningful answer, just yet. We are like a brain trust; if you can't trust your brain to be involved, you may never learn the outcome ! Patience ! Eagle

-- A. Eagle (A999Eagle@Circling.com), April 14, 1999.

Hey ~~@~~. I like you fine, even better than fine." This forum reminds me of the Battle Room in Orson Scott Card's book "Ender's Game." When you go into the Battle Room it's sometimes hard to tell up from down sometimes, but you damn well better be ready to do battle, with all comers.

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), April 14, 1999.

I've learned that people who are direct are valuable, whether in life or online. I once read a post that INVAR wrote and the opening line was this long creative insult. I actually started laughing my head off. I mean, it's rude, but there's a guy who states his mind, and I've got no problem with that -- subtle digging, and twisting people's words, that kind of thing really hacks me off, but honest fighting doesn't. (Kind of how I'd take a barroom brawl over a subtle executive maneuver any day. The pretense at civilization is much nastier than simple animal barbarism. :-))

Dieter and Flint are all over the map. I agree with Dieter today so I must be crazy today. (Speaking of sanity checks.) That's okay. The world is full of boring sane people. He's much more interesting and often funny too. Flint, does that other Flint know that you are living in his body too? One of you I agree with and the other is still a mystery to me. BigDog and OldGit and Greybear and a few others I'd like to have over for dinner someday. My old buddies Dean/Des Moines and Shelia and Tom Carey are here too, for years no matter where I go, there they are. And of course, Diane and OldGit and many others have provided tons of references to info that has helped me plan and prepare my family for whatever.

Yeah, boy, there are some pretty paranoid people here. Cool. Some of them are really useful for defense info. There are some really stupid people here. Well, there's always comic relief. And there's a lot of rational, interesting people here that I relate to, for the most part. That's valuable. That's cool.

This ~~@~~ person is one of the comic relief crowd. Really, think about it: here comes some individual who actually want to kill the first amendment, troll a group he allegedly has no interest in, and close down something that others find value in all for his personal opinion. WOW! Big Brother's got nothing next to you. Another plastic bubble liberal I guess. (I love saying that.) Hey you know they tried to close down Rush right after the OK bombing under the auspices that he was getting people upset and people shouldn't be allowed to say bad things about the gov't 'cause it caused fear and anger and someone might blow something up. Same logic.)

Someday I am going to take the INVAR approach and point out that someone is simply a dimwitted moronic imbecile who couldn't find their head in the dark, and who really ought to go get a life. Someday.... not today. ;-)

PJ in TX

-- PJ Gaenir (fire@firedocs.com), April 14, 1999.

~@~,

No one is forcing you to participate or even read these postings are they? Why don't you cruise on over to the Mr. Rogers or Martha Stewart sites. They probably won't disturb your perfect little world.

-- @ (@@@.@), April 14, 1999.

Good Grief, I got the wrong A. I got a@a.com mixed up with ~~@~~, but that's ok. stick around anyway ~~@~~. I wondered about that "hard core Liberal Democrat" crack. But I just goofed--having a senior moment I guess.

Thanks Big Dog for that Gilda (because she's real) statement. Real, is all I've ever wanted to be in life. I guess I've succeeded, cause lot's of people sure don't like real people.

-- gilda jessie (jess@listbot.com), April 14, 1999.

You are afraid, aren't you? Don't be. When people are no longer free to express their inner fears...there isn't much left. Cut the profanity as well. It only reveals that you haven't much heart. It certainly does nothing for anyone reading it. As long as there is benefit from eachothers insight..this forum is good. Expect a little tacking to the left and right once in a while. When a ship is sailing, it is still heading in a certain direction. Your insight is rather high-minded, and certainly without much depth.

-- rick shade (Rickoshade@aol.com), April 14, 1999.

Excuse me, I must go mix another hundred gallons of KOOL-AID. We are having our LAST meeting tonight............................... Mr. Jones, where did you say those buckets are?

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), April 14, 1999.

but the critical issue to me is: with Dan Quayle now running for president, will Dieter be insulted if we draft him as our dark horse candidate? what if he insists on only virtual campaigning? can you imagine the first ever presidential debates held in an aol chatroom??

then mind boggles!

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), April 14, 1999.

Dieter's campaign bumperstickers will baffle the ignorant, confuse the thoughtful, and amuse the wise.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), April 14, 1999.

to the tune of Armor Hotdogs:

TimeBomb

Your-don TimeBomb

What kind-of kooks like Your-don TimeBomb

Fat kooks, skinhead kooks, kooks that climb on rocks

Short kooks, Sissyman kooks, even kooks who post of pox like TimeBomb

Your-don's TimeBomb

The cult-kooks-love-at-night!

Stick around ~~. You aint seen nothin yet...

-- a (a@a.a), April 14, 1999.

Donna B-

If you ever bring your sheet to the North Coast, the Driver family would really love to buy you dinner, a series of adult beverages, and about a - - - - oh - - - - - fortnight of chat.

chuck

-- chuck, a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), April 15, 1999.

What ?! All these answers to the original post, and not one person wrote the classic: Don't let the door bang your ass on the way out. This forum has disappointed me! I'll never return !

-- Blue Himalayan (bh@k2.y), April 15, 1999.

BigDog - you especially like Flint, huh? Shame on you - your narcissism knows no bounds.

-- Tickle (Tickle_yer_fancy@hotmail.com), April 15, 1999.

Well, Tickle, let me put it this way: there is one Flint whom I consider my best friend, there is a Flint who is certainly worth debating, then there are a couple of Flint's who drive me crazy and that final one who was just released from the funny farm last month and the Flint who ......

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), April 15, 1999.

hey, everybody, lighten up on ~~@~~. everybody's good for something, even if it's only to point out to your kid the reason they should stay in school.

imho this forum is mostly confusing to newbies. we'd almost have to label posts 'ON-topic' now for them to find info on surviving y2k. (i think that was original charter, but sometimes i'm not sure)

what scares me, really truly, is how more and more i agree with dieter. really.

-- Cowardly Lion (cl0001@hotmail.com), April 15, 1999.

Ya gotta just love "bizarre" people.

This forum is such a marvelous slice of often intelligent life, or not. What a kick!

We've GOT to plan a get-together party for 2001.

Long live freedon of speech, hopefully coupled with openness of mind!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 15, 1999.

Seems my addled brain remembers Uncle Deedah promising a party post-Y2K. I never forget a party invitation. Hey, chuck,...thanks, and I will,...,my pleasure,(curtseying cutely while holding the back of the sheet, so as not to moon the crowd)!

-- Donna Barthuley (moment@pacbell.net), April 15, 1999.

D**m -

Now I'm really getting worried:

When DiETer, me, Diane, Flint, BigDog, INVAR, and Ray all agree on the same thing, the world must be coming to an end ....well, I mean we all know it's coming to any end, we don't know when it will be coming to an end and which end it will be coming to when it comes to whichever end it decides to come to when it does come to which ever end it comes to....

..... next thing ya know I'll have figured out how to type.....

-- Robert A Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (Cook.R@csaatl.com), April 15, 1999.

Robert,

Is that called world end-to-end testing?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), April 15, 1999.

Dieter for Prez! You've got my vote.

The idea of a F2F get-together in 2001 is very intriguing, too.

I will never fully understand this mindset - from those who seek out the places where the expressed viewpoints disagree violently with their own, and then spend time upbraiding, ridiculing, insulting, categorizing the locals, eventually calling for the shutdown of the forum. What motivates this? Ego... or a lack of one?

Sheesh. I mean, do you regulars spend hours on Polly forums, or a Koskinen Fan Club message board, or Liberty University Chat - needling DGI's and trying to "set 'em straight" ? :}

-- Grrr (grrr@grrr.net), April 15, 1999.

It may be that your sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

PJ in TX

-- PJ Gaenir (fire@firedocs.com), April 15, 1999.

Donna, you are correct. Uncle D. did promise us a party IF things don't get too bad. Even DiETeR will be there! :-)

-- Gayla Dunbar (privacy@please.com), April 15, 1999.

Bizarre as defined in the Random House College Dictionary:

Bizarre - Singular in appearance, style, or general character; whimsically strange, odd.

The way things look in our CULTure today, that is a compliment.

BTW cults as defined in my dictionary involve worship. I personally just don't do that here.

You wrote: " I really think it's unhealthy " I think you are right, at times this place is disfunctional. You however have a choice of response to the disfunction. Also IMO (amateur) any group associating on a regular basis is bound to be disfunctional on some level. Where you find people, you find disfunction.

I have gotten frustrated here myself (blush) but I still think the positive outweighs the negative. Skip the threads that annoy you.

BTW I am not usually the 'logic police' but your logic seems to be that if you don't like it, kill it. I think that is madness.

-- Deborah (infowars@yahoo.com), April 15, 1999.

Party? Did somebody say party?? Count me in!

BTW, Grr, I'm pretty sure most regulars would agree that there isn't even enough time to be on THIS forum, why waste our time being where we don't want to be and aren't wanted anyhoo ;-)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), April 15, 1999.

Hope UD receives us post-partiers better than the circus ;*}

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), April 15, 1999.

rickshade, were you talking to me? If so, thank you for your guidance toward seeking truth and perfection, such as you yourself must have attained, from reading "The Poor Man's Guide to Enlightenment." And by the way, I'm not afraid of anything but high places, and the IRS. But why are you so concerned with my inner fears? Why are you so interested in writing me a discounting post. What have I done to you, that you feel I need a put down lecture from you?

Oh and cut out the pedantic, psycho babble. It only reveals you haven't much heart. It certainly does nothing for anyone reading it, and if you are so sensitive, don't read my posts.

If this post wasn't for me, then I think you are being extremely ugly to whomever it was intended for. When did you attain sainthood?

-- Jean Scott (dezane@hotmail.com), April 15, 1999.