I am lucky to manage an office where everyone is fairly aware of the Y2K situation (I can't imagine how that might have happened [BG]). One employee is actively preparing, one lives with his parents and is working on them, and one is starting basic food, water and such.

Well, I was talking to this last young lady today about "The deadly Y2K subject" (or as I put it around the office AND at home, "my favorite paranoia").

Out of the clear blue sky comes this comment: "The 'Doom and Gloomers' are just the people who have thought the whole thing through. The rest of us just want to stay cheerful......"

Could you describe it any better yourself?

Some days I wish I could stay cheerful myself. {G}

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), October 22, 1999

Answers

No, I couldn't describe it better myself.

The way I stay cheery is by believing like a polly and planning for a BITR- a luxury afforded when one is finished with Doomer preparation and has warned friends, family and community 'bout the bus wreck.

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), October 22, 1999.

Doomer: Someone who feels bad when they feel good, for fear that they'll feel worse when they feel better.

OR: Someone with a firm grasp of reality, inspite of the incredible onslaught those trying to pull you back into the shared delusion.

-- Patrick (pmchenry@gradall.com), October 22, 1999.

A "doomer" is someone who:

-can find a dark cloud behind every silver lining.

-can calculate the stakes, but not the odds.

-criticizes the economic system while buying plenty of supplies.

-thinks Y2Knewswire it totally unbiased while the mainstream media are covering up the "real" Y2K problem.

-trusts negative information regardless of the source.

-distrusts positive information regardless of the source.

-believes in at least one conspiracy theory.

-usually white, usually male, usually middle class and usually angry.

-seldom a minority, occasionally female, almost never in a position of major responsibility.

-reads survival fiction... all the time.

-predicted the end of the world long before Y2K came.

-will predict the end of the world (for other reasons) after Y2K is over.

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), October 22, 1999.

Well, darn, Ken, and here I had always thought of myself as a doomer. Now, maybe, maybe not.

can find a dark cloud behind every silver lining. Hey, does the sun shine penetrate? How big is the silver cloud? What competitors does it have?

-can calculate the stakes, but not the odds. Possibly, but it also depends on the size of the bet.

-criticizes the economic system while buying plenty of supplies. Nice economic system, it's done well by me. Readjustments can take time and be quite painful.

-thinks Y2Knewswire it totally unbiased while the mainstream media are covering up the "real" Y2K problem. Y2K Newswire is a hoot! I always read it, just as I read "Scarey Gary". The comments are an excellent study in slanted writing.

-trusts negative information regardless of the source. No, actually trust the government's negative news the most. Senate and GAO. Problem from my viewpoint: Too much negative news from sources I'm inclined to trust, such as IEEE.

-distrusts positive information regardless of the source. I've gotten some good first and second hand news. No reason to disbelieve it. I've posted it here and passed it on to others. Named names where possible.

-believes in at least one conspiracy theory. Our government couldn't conspire itself out of a paper bag with a map.

-usually white, usually male, usually middle class and usually angry. 3 out of 4 isn't bad. Gave up angry, laughing feels a lot better. Even with this on the horizon.

-seldom a minority, occasionally female, almost never in a position of major responsibility. Manage a small office. Not a major responsibility. Not a minority, not female.

-reads survival fiction... all the time. Enjoy science fiction, enjoy alternate time line fiction and armeggedon-type stories. Read a lot of history, lot of how-to, lot of natural sciences. Don't have time to watch TV.

-predicted the end of the world long before Y2K came. End of the world? Nah, but the time for this civilization will come, as has the time for every civilization and culture before us. When? I don't know. Maybe starting in 70 days. Maybe in 70 or even 700 years (That one I doubt). But, I'm making a pretty safe bet......

-will predict the end of the world (for other reasons) after Y2K is over. If this goes by OK, see above.

Ken, you're a good guy. You have lived an interesting life, from what you've written. Sometimes, though, you do seem to have some trouble thinking outside the box.

Just my opinion, mind you.

From a "fringe element doomer" {BG}

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), October 22, 1999.

mushroom, you're casting your pearls before the swine again.

-- Debunker D. Bunker (wisdom@bible.God), October 22, 1999.

Aw, mush, you're taking Decker's delightful caricature much too seriously. This is a *humor* thread.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), October 22, 1999.

Flint,

My high water mark was "Wreck of the Y2K Heralds."

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), October 23, 1999.

Ken:

Yes, that one was quite good.

Come on, Flint, have a heart. It is my thread. {G} And it is the weekend.

Ken, how is the new job coming? Are you still in the greater DC area?

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), October 23, 1999.

The new job keeps me busy, thank you. And I live more than 100 miles away from DC... I think that is outside the "metro area." How many times do I have to debunk that myth? Ironically, my new job will keep me on duty during the rollover. Who would have thought?

-- Ken Decker (kcdecker@worldnet.att.net), October 23, 1999.

Ken:

Sorry, didn't mean to perpetuate any myths. Sad to say, some days "mush" can also describe my brain. [BG]

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), October 25, 1999.