I can't help but feel that things are snowballing out of control just in time for the big (y2k) event.

First up (in no particular order of occurance) we have the GPS rollover problem, that is going to cause transportaion related woes. Then we have the tensions between India-Pakistan, N. Korea-Japan, and China-Taiwan. At least one of which will lead to some scale of conflict involving the US/UN. Then we have the solor flare issues, that experts are warning will cause serious communications problems. Add a sufering Russian economy (war would actully be a good thing for Russia, if you don't believe me, look at the US economy before and after WW I and WW II). Throw in Y2K and it seems the world is going to hell (literally).

Does anyone else have the feeling that too much is happening, at the same time, and way to fast to get a handle on it? And for it not to cause worldwide caos, and a completely different way of life?

-- Lurker (doufeellikeido@nomail.com), August 10, 1999

Answers

Yep, we are heading into oh, call it "crisis overload". Too many different problems in too many different places, all requiring thinking in or out of different boxes.

Me, I just want to pull my head in and watch.......

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), August 10, 1999.

I think this is the way its going to be from now on!

You are living in the good ole days right now

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), August 10, 1999.

Been feeling the same way for months. Don't forget all the worlds economies going in the toilet also. This week it seems to be Argentina, Central America and Brazil. There was also an article this morning the the U.S. is thinking of sending 15,000 Marines to Indonesia, not to "keep peace" but to "enforce peace". The world is about to become a wild place!

-- Don (y2kdon@hotmail.com), August 10, 1999.

Yes Lurker (how unique is that sig?). I would like to point out one error in your posting - you state/attribute several definitive statements:

"we have the GPS rollover problem, that is going to cause transportaion related woes."

"Then we have the tensions between India-Pakistan, N. Korea-Japan, and China-Taiwan. At least one of which will lead to some scale of conflict involving the US/UN."

"Then we have the solor flare issues, that experts are warning will cause serious communications problems."

Perhaps your crystal ball is functioning better than mine!?! :)

When dealing with POSSIBLE future events I find it behooves me to decide which actions are appropriate & then to carry them out. Reasoned action is a sure relief for the worry brought about through speculation on future events. If the given scenario is outside my control then I attempt to put it aside, or more effectively, give it to God.

Best Wishes,

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), August 10, 1999.

Can you doomers name a time when the world did not have serious problems???????

When were the supposed 'better' times and can you show hard statistics in the important areas of life to prove that things were better?

Was it better perhaps in WWWII.....or the 30's or WWI or during the middle ages?.......

Name a time when we didn't have wars and the world had a higher standard of living and less disease and more longevity....

Please, some facts for a change. Your whining is getting pathetic.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), August 10, 1999.

pleeeeeez can Craig be put on the plane with Hoffy

-- phew (pu@troll.smells), August 10, 1999.

Craig is quite correct, however hard his edge. SSDD applies now as it did in the past. Information overload is a particularly effective catalyst which results often times in stress, worry & fear.

Could this end product be the reason why the search for spirituality has seemingly awakened within the population recently?

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), August 10, 1999.

You forgot '99 hurricanes, too.

It's not that more threats exist, it's that more and better communications/media technology exists to examine them more rapidly, before the news items become stale.

If you'd pay less attention to the news and more to sports and sitcoms and talk shows, you wouldn't be worrying about these things, now, would you?

-- cart (before@da.horse), August 10, 1999.

Say Craig and Bingo 1, what were you folks doing during the 30s and WWII?? I'm curious!!

Your Pal, Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 10, 1999.

Bingo 1 - you are correct, I should have replaced the "will's" with "may's", or a least stated that it was my opinion. Obviously no one can predict the future, but it is my opinion that at least one of the above mentioned confilict will escalate to the point of US/UN involvement. What is to happen then if our troops (and reserves) are off fighting a foriegn war and TSHTF back hear do to Y2K panic? Just my opinion and thoughts.

-- Lurker (rwegoingtodie@help.com), August 10, 1999.

Craig:

Completely true. There have always been problems. We do have a fantastically higher standard of living in the Western World than kings and despots could have even dreamed of in earlier centuries/ages.

I firmly believe that we do get highlighted reporting of bad news. It sells better. I also believe that because of deliberate bio warfare, nuclear proliferation, and the pressure of too many people on too little land (yes, that has happened before. It leads to war), we are living in dangerous times.

Not for the first time, I hope not for the last.........

However, kingdoms/cities/nations/cultures have and do rise and fall. Perhaps it is our turn. Perhaps this will all turn out to be the most hilarious "tempest in a teapot" in history.

However, attacking someone for being concerned over bad news does not make the bad news go away.

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), August 10, 1999.

It's not that more threats exist, it's that more and better communications/media technology exists to examine them more rapidly, before the news items become stale.

Cart, that logic is only half correct. Overconnectedness on this planet is certainly speeding up information delivery. If India & Pakistan blow each other up fifteen minutes from now, we'll hear about it 15 minutes after that. However, I believe this very speed is lending severity to the REACTIONS people, nations and organizations have to various events. It's the fact that we have such communications marvels available to us, and are unable to exercise restraint with them, which is exacerbating each situation. (Think L.A. riots and the media reports, which motivated looters to get out in force.) Because of this my belief is that we are seeing an increase in hot spots across the globe. It is not simply the fact that more are being reported.

If you'd pay less attention to the news and more to sports and sitcoms and talk shows, you wouldn't be worrying about these things, now, would you?

Actually, if people were to unplug themselves from the communications stream period, at least for a significant breather now and then, I believe we would all be a lot better off. For one, we'd be more likely to speak to others face to face, as we used to before people could drive around talking into 2 cell phones at once, steering with their elbows. (See today's commentary in the NYT).

-- CD (CDOKeefe@aol.com), August 10, 1999.

monkeys ...

-- . (.@ ..), August 10, 1999.

Ray,

You'd have to ask the hynotherapist who regressed me in order that I may uncover information regarding my prior incarnation this century.

I'll give you a hint: I was a member of the vegetable kingdom for approximately sixty days. I was picked & shipped to the U.S.A.

Hint #2: Then I was eaten by a vertebrate. My lifeforce became a part of that vertebrate.

Final clue: "We Wear the Mask"

We wear the mask that grins & lies,

It hides our cheeks & shades our eyes,-

This debt we pay to human guile;

With torn & bleeding hearts we smile,

And mouth with myriad subtleties...

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), August 10, 1999.

Why should the world be overwise,

In counting all our tears & sighs?

Nay, let them only see us, while

We wear the mask...

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), August 10, 1999.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries

To thee from tortured souls arise.

We sing, but oh the clay is vile

Beneath our feet, & long the mile;

But let the world dream otherwise,

We wear the mask!

------------------- Paul Laurence Dunbar

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), August 10, 1999.

-- For (your@info.

Who is that flip-out king? Seems to me there are too many grudges being carried around here...someone has a difference of opinion and there is a war in bloom! (if that opinion were instead a difference in color, we'd label that something along the lines of a hate-crime; especially if these wars were going on face to face).

Enough, already! There's no need to get along...but it wouldn't hurt and would actually assist the community conversation occurring on this board if you'd attempt to be civil and contribute. I don't care if you're polly or doomer...the one I'd want living next door to me is the one who doesn't grab up any and every excuse to scream, curse, and attack at an infantile level.

Prepared for an 8+...so you can keep your polly label. I don't buy the need for this sort of blow-hard nonsense ...

-- Shelia (Shelia@active-stream.com), August 10, 1999.

Lurker:

Do I ever. Even here, I've found myself posting "duplicate threads" not so much by being careless, but there is SO MUCH going on its hard to keep up. Stories that could be talked about for several days are up then gone in a day, if not hours. Its almost impossible to keep up with all the bad news. I guess we don't have to.

But of course the point is SOMETHING is going to have to break sooner or later. But if people listen to the TV news its pretty much "same old, same old". I can't imagine this going on for another year. If it did, I definitely will have to become a hermit.

So heres a comforting thought: Only about 19 Saturdays until 1/1/2000.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), August 10, 1999.

Shelia responded to a couple posts that vanished for good reason. Her post is left, out of context because it could refer to anyone.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), August 10, 1999.

Vera

Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?

Remember how she said,

That we would meet again,

Some sunny day.

Vera!

Vera!

What has become of you?

Does anybody else in here feel the way I do?

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), August 11, 1999.

I almost hate to make this post, because I don't want to add any false hopes to the people who refuse to make any preps, but it needs to be said, in the hopes that we don't get too wacky.

There's been more time this century that we all thought it was all coming to an end, than there has been time that we all thought everything was just fine and dandy.
Estimates will vary, of course, but essentially we're talking about 1900 to 1915, 1919 to 1929, 1945 to 1960. Occupying the rest of the century was WW1, the great depression and dust bowl, WW2, the Cold War and the threat of global nuclear war (yes, the Cold War started before 1960, but in the 50's people actually believed that "duck and cover" and broad brimmed hats would actually save you), and now there's Y2K.

Back in the sixties, quite a lot of us believed, with lots of good reason, that we were always just days, or even minutes away from the extinction not only of humanity, but of most life on the planet. It never happened. It could've, but it didn't.

I think it's real important that people regard Y2K as a challenge to be met, and not an unconquerable monster, come to devour us. Just like any other crisis, attitude makes the difference.

-- Bokonon (bokonon@my-deja.com), August 12, 1999.

Unc with the Floyd!!! Almost makes me wish I still owned a turntable!

Takes me back, man. Were they "the good old days"? Only with a heavy- duty pair of trifocals, rose-colored natch.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), August 12, 1999.