from http://www.cnn.com/books/news/9908/25/isaacs.storm/index.html

According to Larson, Cline was the one man who could have saved the people of Galveston. But Cline considered the notion that a hurricane could damage the city where he was based "an absurd delusion."

"He embodied the hubris that so marked the last turn of the century when America believed it could do whatever it wanted, wherever it wanted, and could even override nature," Larson says.

On September 8, 1900, Cline watched the ocean swells, noting their timing, size and shape, not realizing the magnitude of the storm he was seeing.

In Galveston, reassured by Cline's belief that no hurricane could seriously damage the city, there was celebration. Children played in the rising water. Hundreds of people gathered at the beach to marvel at the fantastically tall waves and gorgeous pink sky -- until the surf began ripping the city's beloved beachfront apart. Within the next few hours Galveston would endure a hurricane that to this day remains the nation's deadliest natural disaster.

-- a (a@a.a), August 27, 1999

Answers

Thanks a'

A history lesson to be repeated, only the names of the places and events are changed. People react in the same ways to threats then as now.

Bob P

-- Bob P (Rpilc99206@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

Huh? We're invincible! No stinkin disaster's gonna get us! Party on, we're gonna have a New Year's Bash! ;~P

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), August 27, 1999.

Only in the eyes of the K-Man!!

Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 27, 1999.

Yep, they had their Deckers, Paul Davises, Stephen Pooles, Hoffmeisters, etc. "It can't happen to us." "No matter what, it can't be THAT bad."

Funny how nature could give a rats ass what people think. Funny too how computer code is the same way.

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

Imagine what if Columbus listened to all the doomers of his day, saying he would fall off the earth's edge.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), August 27, 1999.

Yes, Maria, imagine that!

-- (dot@dot.dot), August 27, 1999.

LOL, Bud.....great analogy that has absolutely nothing to do with the y2k situation. Like your hated polly rivals, your pretzel logic never ceases to amaze. I envision that after your posting, a million doomers all yelled 'yeah, that's telling 'em'. Just like rooting for your favorite sports team these days often means rooting on rapists and drug addicts, it seems that slipshod reasoning should be overlooked, as well.

How about sticking to the facts, folks, if you can truly find any.

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), August 27, 1999.

Bad Company-I was with you and understood you right up to and including" great analogy". Then your medication wore off.

-- Lumber Jack (johnsellis@webtv.net), August 27, 1999.

Yeah, Maria, but I didn't HAVE to be on Columbus' boat.

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

Bad Company,

It has nothing to do with Y2K, but is an important reminder to anyone who thinks that he or she can't possibly be wrong.

-- Bokonon (bok0non@my-Deja.com), August 27, 1999.

Maria:

Fall off of the edge of the world. In some ways he did. It eventually destroyed him.

Best,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

a:

Do you intend to warn your DGI neighbors and friends up until the last minutes, or have you considered any last minute warnings to be useless?

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), August 27, 1999.

Randolph: The fervor has subsided. Most of my coworkers are totally clueless (the brainwashing has apparently worked -- JFK was killed by a lone asassin...JFK was killed by a lone asassin...JFK was killed by a lone asassin...Y2K will be a bump...Y2K will be a bump...), but I went to lunch this week with two engineers I have shared "y2k talk" with for a year now. One, a die hard polly, hasn't changed his tune. But I was surprised that the other, who used to be a 5, is now predicting that we will not have even as much as a recession! I was flabbergasted. Another, a technician, is still very concerned but had to cool it or his wife would have left him. A few months ago, he was "born again" and is now going to Pentecostal church every day. Strange world...

-- a (a@a.a), August 27, 1999.

a: about this "fervor" which has subsided ----

At the factory I have heard the chief marketing manager continue his Spiel about burying his money in his backyard, only to have his dog find it and dig it up. He has been repeating this mockery for two weeks.

I don't know why he thinks it's amusing. He is quite an intelligent man who does realize the stock market is overvalued and may experience a SHARP correction, but he does NOT believe Y2K will be a major problem.

And so he continues to mock me. He is sounding more stupid each time he mocks.

He thinks he is entertaining me.

I have refrained from calling him an idiot. So far.

If he keeps it up, I'll lose my cool.

On another note, my mother, who is very tired of hearing my continual rants about Y2K, has finally started listening to my requests that she should consider purchasing some cat food and cat litter for the two felines in her household.

So I guess I've made a little progress this week. Just a little......

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), August 28, 1999.

Yes.

Regards,
Andy Ray

-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), August 28, 1999.

Maria,

"Imagine what if Columbus listened to all the doomers of his day, saying he would fall off the earth's edge."

Uh, Maria, Columbus KNEW that the Americas existed before he set sail, he was employed and financed by the Illuminati to "discover" the New World, he also accidentally "discovered" a tiny little island, in the middle of nowhere, en route... strange that, imagine!!!

By the way Saint Brendhan and the Irish Monks were here long before the Spanish...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), August 28, 1999.