Federal Bytes

Y2K: No laughing matter.

http://www.fcw.com/pubs/fcw/1999/1018/fcw-bytes-10-18-99.html

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Picture this: It's New Year's Eve. You're full of cocktail peanuts and champagne. You're a little giddy and getting giddier. The clock ticks over to midnight. Then the lights go out, and panic sets in. "Where's the flashlight? What did I do with the bottled water? To heck with the bottled water, where's my champagne glass?"

Calm yourself. Your midnight power outage may not be what you think it is, according to Bruce McConnell, director of the International Y2K Cooperation Center. McConnell, who spoke last week to the Washington, D.C., Year 2000 group, said a lot of Jan. 1 incidents we might blame on Year 2000 might result from other causes.

For example, McConnell said, one potentially popular New Year's Eve party prank might be to stand by a power switch and snuff out the lights when midnight hits. No computer programming will be needed to fix that problem. Simply turn the lights back on and call a cab for the prankster.

But don't try this one: McConnell said he's heard tales of revelers in Texas shooting at electric transformers to create celebratory sparks for bringing in the new year. The result: a local power outage. Again, the fix for that problem involves no computer programming.

On the other hand, it might create a whole new debate on gun control.

[snip--to end]

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), October 18, 1999

Answers

Sad but true about we Texans. Our preferred prey is speed-limit signs, but nothing's too good to be used for target practice.

Now, the question is, what if the power goes out BEFORE the rollover?

Like, 7-8ish?

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), October 18, 1999.

Gawd, the sheeple get so wild and crazy sometimes, it just takes your breath away. One minute they are thinking of taking their money out of the bank, the next they are shooting at power transformers. What, oh what, is a benevolent and caring government to do?

Yep, definitely time for withdrawal limits and gun control. I mean, nobody likes to be a party pooper, but yuh gotta dow whut ya gotta do....

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), October 18, 1999.

A self-fullfilling prophecy....

Now, how many people are going to go out and try this?

The fed's have been "pushing" terrorism, cyber-terrorism, and bio-warfare since early April .... is it because only through such massive attacks that the Department of Defense can be used to supplment local law enformcement? ...that only through such periods of terror can "normal" Americans be persuaded to give up liberties, their fellow citizens, and their rights?

Hmmmmmn. Remember, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF CYBER-WARFARE, TERROISM (from y2k hackers), or ATTACKS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE .... EXCEPT FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION.

But who (other than the administration) has an agenda to promote such "awareness...."

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), October 18, 1999.

We should not be joking about gun control any more than we would joke about baby raping.Although baby raping injures much fewer people.

"That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of The United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms..." --Samuel Adams, Debates and Proceedings in the Convention of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at 86-87 (Pierce & Hale, eds., Boston, 1850).

"And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms....The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants" --Thomas Jefferson in a letter to William S. Smith in 1787. Taken from Jefferson, On Democracy p. 20, S. Padover ed., 1939

"A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks. --Thomas Jefferson, Encyclopedia of T. Jefferson, 318, Foley, Ed., reissued 1967.

"The supposed quietude of a good mans allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms like laws discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside...Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them..." --Thomas Paine, I Writings of Thomas Paine at 56 (1894).

-- apokoliptik (apokoliptik@yahoo.com), October 18, 1999.

"a lot of Jan. 1 incidents we might blame on Year 2000 might result from other causes"...

S Q U I R R E L S ! ! !

I'd be willing to bet we're going to see a dramatic increase in squirrel casualties starting on January 1st.

-- @ (@@@.@), October 18, 1999.

Yuh, some big-leage 'plausible denial' chaff being strewn on the floor...they must have a reason for so doing. "We were right in advising people not to prepare, but revelers and squirrels have brought us unexpectedly to our knees."

-- Spidey (in@jam.jar), October 18, 1999.

Squirrels, woodchucks, and DRUNK DRIVERS

-- official blame (template@city.gov), October 18, 1999.

Semi OT respose:

"You MIGHT be a redneck if you've ever shot at a 'No Hunting' sign".

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), October 19, 1999.