If everything is A OK as slick said in his breifing - Why all the talk about contengicy planning? Most stunning of all was that there was not one single question asked by reporters on the y2k issue!!

-- Ed Putman (putman@caspers.net), November 10, 1999

Answers

Klinton and Koskinen = two assholes. Not a word from the reporters about Y2K. What a bunch of stupid, braindead morons.

-- (yahoos@duh.com), November 10, 1999.

Everything is OK. We are making contingency plans. You should not make any contingency plans. OK. Next topic.

Disconnect?

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), November 10, 1999.

I EXPECTED Clinton to do the "dont worry" thing, but not a single question about Y2k from reporters?. Someone out there has got to have a question about other countries or something, but not a question.

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), November 10, 1999.

Groups Alarmed by NBC Y2K Movie

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/19991110/re/television_bug_1.html

-- (2@3.4), November 10, 1999.

CNN story

-- Programmer Farmer (Demons@whitehouse.org), November 10, 1999.

Wednesday November 10 10:36 AM ET

Clinton Says Y2K Won't Rock U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton said Wednesday that he expects the United States to escape any Year 2000 computer glitch-related breakdowns in key economic and infrastructure.

But he said the United States still had concerns about the Y2K readiness of some developing countries that he did not name. He called for more contingency planning to handle problems caused by the glitch that could scramble computers on Jan. 1.

``While there is more to do, I expect we will experience no major national breakdowns as a result of the Year 2000 date change,'' Clinton told reporters on the White House lawn, accompanied by John Koskinen, head of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

Clinton spoke after the council released its fourth and final report on the giant computer reprogramming task that it called ``the greatest management challenge the world has faced since World War II.''

``When it comes to financial services, power, telecommunications, air and rail travel, leading organizations report they have completed or nearly completed all their Y2K work,'' Clinton said. ``I am confident the Y2K problem, therefore, will not put the savings or the safety of the American people at risk.

``But in some areas we do continue to have concerns. Some small businesses, local governments and other organizations have been slower to address the Y2K challenge,'' he said.

-- Helium (Heliumavid@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

Going back to sleep...

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

-- __ (greatly@relieved.now), November 10, 1999.

Oh, they asked questions alright...

******************************************************

November 10, 1999 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON Y2K UPON DEPARTURE TO YORK, PENNSYLVANIA 10:05 A.M. EST

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release November 10, 1999

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON Y2K UPON DEPARTURE TO YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

The South Grounds

10:05 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank John Koskinen and all the leadership that he and others have provided in helping to prepare America for Y2K.

We are releasing our fourth and final quarterly report on public and private efforts to address the Y2K computer problem. The report shows that our hard work in this country is paying off. And while there is more to do, I expect we will experience no major national breakdowns as a result of the Year 2000 date change.

First, the report makes clear that the federal government is Y2K ready and leading by example. Thanks to the efforts of the Office of Management and Budget, we have completed work on more than 99 percent of all mission critical computer systems -- which means the American people can have full faith that everything from air traffic control systems to Social Security payment systems will continue to work exactly as they should.

Second, the report documents remarkable Y2K progress in all of America's critical infrastructure areas. When it comes to financial services, power, telecommunications, air and rail travel, leading organizations report they have completed, or nearly completed, all their Y2K work. I am confident the Y2K problem, therefore, will not put the savings or the safety of the American people at risk.

But in some areas we do continue to have concerns. Some small businesses, local governments and other organizations have been slower to address the Y2K challenge. So again I say to these groups, don't just sit back and wait for problems to occur. Call 1-888-USA- 4Y2K, and we'll show you where to get help.

And while most of our large trading partners are in good shape, we still have concerns about the Y2K preparations of some developing nations. The State Department will continue to update it's country-by- country assessments and advisories as new information becomes available.

We have less than two months now until the year 2000. Even those groups that have already completed their Y2K work must now put great emphasis on creating and testing contingency plans, as the federal government has already done. Back in October, when the government made the transition to fiscal year 2000, we did encounter some small, date related computer problems. But the overriding lesson of that experience was that alert organizations, armed with good contingency plans, can fix Y2K disruptions in short order.

Thanks to the hard work of John Koskinen and his staff, and proactive leaders all across our nation, America is well on its way to being Y2K ready.

Now, over the next 52 days, we must continue to reach out to smaller organizations and local governments whose preparations are lagging behind. If we work together and use this time well, we can ensure that this Y2K computer problem will be remembered as the last headache of the 20th century, not the first crisis of the 21st.

Q Mr. President, as the budget negotiations drag on, members of Congress have indicated, of course, they want to get out of town tonight. You don't want to leave town until Sunday. I'm wondering if that is your personal deadline, and doesn't that give you a slight advantage over them?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don't really have a personal deadline. I did have good talks, as recently as this morning, with Senator Lott and Speaker Hastert. And I've been in constant contact, I saw the Democratic leaders yesterday and we visited briefly. I think we're making good progress. We made some real progress in putting 50,000 more police on our streets. We're making some progress in other areas. We still have to resolve our nation's commitment to 100,000 teachers. We're still working on the United Nations arrears and a number of other environmental issues. But I think we're making good progress, and I'm hopeful.

And we should know -- let me say, I know you have a lot of questions. But actually, you ought to know more by 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. today about how well we're doing. I think we'll know, certainly by the middle of the afternoon, if we're in any shape to finish more or less when the Congress would like to.

And let me also say I'm still very hopeful that we can pass the Africa trade bill and the Caribbean Basin Initiative. I'm still very hopeful we can pass this very important legislation to let people with disabilities to go into the workforce and carry their Medicaid. That could be one of the most important social pieces of legislation we've passed in a long time.

So we've got a lot to do. But I think we can -- if we just keep working, we'll get there.

Q Sir, could you tell us about the Greek postponement, what precipitated it, your level of concern for the security there?

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, I'm not concerned at all. You know, if the Greek government and the Secret Service aren't concerned, I'm not concerned.

I explained yesterday, the Greeks have a tradition of large demonstrations. And the communists, the anarchists, perhaps some others in Greece, want to demonstrate in large measure, I understand, because they strongly disagreed with my policy in Kosovo -- and presumably before that in Bosnia. And, you know, I think we were right, and I disagree with them. But the fact that they have the right to free speech doesn't concern me.

The Greek government asked us to put the trip when we did, I think, largely for other reasons. I think they thought it would be better for them, and that meetings we have might be more relevant if we did it after, rather than before, the OSCE meeting in Turkey. And so they asked to do it.

Whether the demonstrations had anything to do with it, I don't know. But they might have. But I'm not bothered about it. You know, it's going to happen. And you all get to take pictures of it.

Q Mr. President, can you give us a readout on the WTO talks in China? Any progress there?

THE PRESIDENT: No. I can't. All I know is that they are going on, and we're doing our best.

I've got to run to Pennsylvania. Thank you.

END 10:14 A.M. EST

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), November 10, 1999.

I thought this was pathetic--a man who says he would not store ANY food for Y2K is now taken seriously as commenting on a topic about which he doesn't have a clue. The news is complete fluff and lies. I am nonplused totally!!!

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), November 10, 1999.

2@3.4,

I think what haunts some people is the populace reaction to Wag The Dog. It was a low grade comedy and people were sitting with note pads taking notes, seriously believing they were being "educated," and then began to refer to it as a fact. Everywhere on Usenet one saw people unable to formulate a thought or discussion but would post "Wag The Dog!" This on any politics they personally found upsetting.

There is also populace reaction to that dull and drawn out "Titanic." Suddenly every teen girl was down at the department stores purchasing prom dresses spoofed off the movie to be "her." It was pretty bad.

100 Dalamations instigated a rush on Dalmations "for the children" and Dalmations are a very improper choice for children and most households. The pounds had to deal with waves of now adult Dalmations being brought in by the populace. Due to the sheer numbers of Dals it became a literal holocaust on them. (I have a Dal mix I rescued from the pound during that time period.)

I've read posts by "Y2K'ers" referring to The Stand and the references drip with a belief the movie is prophetic. i.e. real.

I can't sit here with that Dal at my feet I pulled out of the holocaust and agree Americans are "smart enough" to know fiction from fact. A number of people seem to be heavily into role playing as their own personality and identity, or they are so lost perhaps in a literacy decline they accept a false higher level of intellect or are razzle dazzled by a thought their own mind was unable to formulate. Can you honestly ignore whole crowds even internationally that were holding up political signs in protests that read, "Wag The Dog?"

I already know the movie is too stupid to even watch. I have a pet peeve dislike for the One Agent or One Dude who saves the world stuff. It is too absurd for my own tastebuds. I don't fit the norm in my own tastes. Most just loved The Titanic, believed Wag The Dog was educational, Dalmations are the sweetest and most gentle dogs on earth, and know they can instinctively seek out the other "good." (Good of course being their own warped and most often bigoted perception of "good.") Maybe they really will sit there making notes watching a silly Y2K Movie on t.v.? If they do it will be too late to turn society back. They had riots For Ferbie last year. It'll be riots for a preparedness item. A store will announce it is recieving a shipment of The Item and they will be out there by the thousands forming a line at 4 a.m. hurling shopping carts at each other. No one can predict what movie becomes "the truth" in peoples minds. It may not be this one. I'm starting to suspect it might be because one poster was already caught changing an advertising wording in his own mind to "What if you haven't been told the truth?" Peoples minds are leaping on it and are over riding it already. They aren't hearing and seeing because it is pushing some emotionally charged buttons within themselves. It hints that the fictional movie is going the "educational" route.

I think it is in NBC's best interest to show a private screening but not to those demanding it. I think it should pull some quiet officials such as the Mayor of Riverside, CA, a Corona police chief, the City Council of Upland, and get their opinion after viewing this movie. They aren't "charged" as the protesters are and yet do deal with the general population every day.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 10, 1999.

"I did not have Sex with that woman... Monica Lewinsky"

-- Helium (Heliumavid@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

"I did not have martial law with that country ....."

-- SH (squirrel@hunter.com), November 10, 1999.

Never, ever, believe a rumor.....unless its officially denied.

-- Sure M. Worried (SureMWorried@bout.Y2K.coming), November 10, 1999.

Check out Drudge Report now!

Download this Picture!

A picture of Clinton worth 2,000 words.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 10, 1999.

wow! that's Klintoon reading this thread ...

-- yer killing me (Y2K@screen.now), November 10, 1999.

"...alert organizations, armed with good contingency plans, can fix Y2K disruptions in short order."

Oh, and I thought we had a problem. Whew!

-- Sara Nealy (keithn@aloha.net), November 10, 1999.

Paula (chowbabe),

Congratulations on an excellent post. I share your opinions. It amazes me how much people let media images into their minds as "quasi-reality". I remember a radio talk-news show discussion about a historical fact and person. The news person's comment was "I saw the movie"...indicating that he "understood" and was "properly informed" as to the facts of the historical topic being discussed. I just shook my head.

I've always thought people's reactions to Y2K would make it about three times worse than it would otherwise be. I WILL watch the movie. Then I will have my ears open. I may also engage in "probing" conversations to see where people's heads are at. I'm thinking all the THANKSGIVING social situations would be good for this. Knowing what the average person is thinking is helpful in my opinion.

The junk on the tube pisses me off too. In fact, I don't even have a TV at home. Will probably get one though.....to watch all the Y2K hysteria unfold. "Mankinds greatest moments"? Buy the video! Only $19.95 plus S&H. Can't wait. I usually prefer drama to comedy, but for Y2K, I'll make an exception for "Mankinds greatest moments".

Paula, congrats for having a brain and being an independent thinker. FWIW, I've found just accepting how things and people are...and observing...doesn't get me pissed off at their lack of mental acumen. I just accept them...and live and let live...

I've heard it said that lots of people don't THINK...they EMOTE. I think this has been increasingly true while I've been on Earth.

I guess what I'm saying is I just try to "bob and weave" thru the crowd...slipping "stupidity punches" as I go....and live my life and just shrug their stupidity off. Sad. But what kind of THOUGHTFUL conversation can you have with an EMOTIVE being...whose standard is how something FEELS....RIGHT NOW.....

"chow",

-- Genius (codeslinger@work.now), November 10, 1999.

Paula, this "Genius" is really an obnoxious idiot. You should see some of his postings at this forum lately. He's a total jackass! If you don't believe me, check out his postings here in the past couple of days.

-- Genius is an Idiot (Genius@isanidiot.com), November 10, 1999.

Paula, this "Genius" is a disruptive, obnoxious jackass. Check out some of his postings here in the past couple of days if you don't believe me. He is trying to be the next Y2K Pro!

-- Genius is a total jackass (Genius@isatotaljackass.com), November 10, 1999.

WHAT?? ME WORRY?

A

-- Big D (ddac@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

What??

Me Worry?

Alfred E Newman

-- Big D (ddac@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.