"If it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it sounds like a duck ... it is a duck." If Y2K looks like a dud, walks like a dud, and sounds like a dud ...

Yes, I know: the recent cluster of oil refinery failures, the upcoming end-of-month processing, the Feb 29 leap day -- any of these may spell Y2K related disasters. But, based on the past three weeks, my opinion is that whatever problems occur will be well manageable.

The big, looming fear that so many of us had about Y2K was that it simply would not be manageable: Too many problems, too little time, resulting in a society overwhelmed beyond any short term recovery. Although I still believe today that this was a well justified fear, and thus was prudent to prepare for, the bottom line is that it has not happened and in all likelihood will not happen.

This forum has been a wonderful place to learn, to compare notes, to debate, and to share. Sometimes it was exciting, hinging on a "late breaking news development", such as Jim Lord's expose of the Navy Report last Summer. Sometimes it was disappointing, as the prep-Y2K world paid hardly any attention at all to the looming fate (innocuous as it turned out to be) that awaited it. But it was always educational -- where else could you learn about the fractional reserve banking system, how to reduce gas from ingested kidney beans, and see a map of the U.S. power grid, all in one sitting?

It has been quite a ride. But, for me, it is time to move on. Some thank yous...

To Ed Yourdon and his daughter Jennifer, for the book that started it all. It definitely stimulated many of us to question and to think about things that we never would have otherwise.

Thanks to Phil Greenspun, for hosting the forum. (Though I wasn't exactly singing praises in the last day of December, when the forum became "homeless" for a few days.

Thanks to the hard working researchers like Linkmeister and Homer, who always made sure that we had the info at our fingertips. Likewise, to FM for her ability to produce top quality transcripts of Y2K news events.

Thanks to those who kept the personal preparation emphasis: Stan Faryna, Taz, Old Git, bardou, and so many others.

Thanks to both the doomers and the pollies who presented the best of insights: Big Dog, Robert Cook, Flint, Hoffmeister, Steve Heller, even Ken Decker.

Thanks to Andy, Will continue, Ray and "a" for some of the more opinionated displays, along with myself. We probably should have cut the pollies more slack.

Thanks to the pollies that did NOT come back just to gloat, even though they were probably tempted: Paul Davis, Buddy, Johnny C, Deano, Cherri, Paul Neuhardt, Anita, Maria.

Thanks to our SYSOPS, who work so dilligently to make this forum usable. Diane, Chuck, et al, have given so much of their time, and deserve a special thanks.

Thanks to all the women who put up with my mudwrestling inquiries. Many a Y2K doom&gloom thread needed a humorous uplift, and some of your reponses were priceless, especially Helen and Old Git.

Thanks to everyone for making this forum an adventure....

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), January 21, 2000

Answers

King of Spain,

Please see our responses on your earlier thread... are you sure you really want to leave now?

Donna

-- (cannot-say@this.time), January 21, 2000.

The King is gone. =(

Bye Sire...best wishes to you.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), January 21, 2000.

The King is Gone! Long Live the King! :(

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), January 21, 2000.

KOS,

Thank you for the many injections of humor-- it was much needed. I do hope this is not goodbye, however. I was hoping that you'd show up at Paul Milne's roast this summer. I believe there is already a mud pit there. Meanwhile, take care and keep in touch.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), January 21, 2000.

It has been a long ride, hasn't it? Bye KOS.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), January 21, 2000.

KOS

How could you leave us? The forum will never be the same without you. All these goodbyes are just too sad!

-- Sharon L (sharonl@volcano.net), January 21, 2000.

KoS!!!! But, your majesty...

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), January 21, 2000.

Is that all' asked Alice. "That is all," said Humpty Dumpty. "Goodbye" .....

adios amigo

-- rb aka tc (trashcan-man@webtv.net), January 21, 2000.

KOS, don't go. I just discovered that I like to mud wrestle.

-- Jennifer (Jennifer@inthemud.com), January 21, 2000.

We hope its just "see you later" rather than "goodbye". Whatever, I thank you for your contributions to this forum and wish you well.

Happy Mudwrestling!

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), January 21, 2000.

Begging your Grace's attention!

"By this time Spain had become involved in a revolt which would drain most of her resources... the Netherlands revolted because they objected to their privileges being trampled upon by an alien prince who wanted his dominions more sensibly and more effectively managed and exploited; and this was complicated by the rise of Calvinism which Philip [the King of Spain] was determined to crush. Political troubles reinforced by religious ones could only be dealt with by force."

- Eugen Weber, A Modern History of Europe (p. 268).

Okay, KoS, we *know* you've got a lot on your plate. But, your Grace, the forum MORPHETH. Please stay w/ us. We will be your courtiers, the experts here will advise you in all diverse matters of state.

We have learned well, your Grace! To wit:

"...you must know that the same sources from which laughable witticisms are derived provide us with serious phrases for praising or censuring, sometimes in the same words...

Thus recently, when a lady was attending mass in church with three cavaliers, one of whom served her in love, a poor beggar came up who stood before the lady and began to beg alms of her; and he kept on begging of her with much insistence and with pitiful plaint, yet she neither gave him alms withal nor refused him with any sign that told him to go his way in peace, but stood their distracted as if her mind were elsewhere.

Then the cavalier who was in love with her said to his two companions: 'You see what I can expect from my lady, who is so cruel that she not only gives no alms to that poor naked wretch who is dying of hunger and is begging of her so eagerly and so repeatedly, but she doesn't even send him away: so much does she enjoy seeing a man languish in misery before her and implore her favor in vain.'

One of his two friends replied: 'That is not cruelty; it is this lady's tacit way of teaching you that she is never pleased with an importunate suitor.'

The other answered: 'Nay, it is a warning to signify that, even though she does not give what is asked of her, she still likes to be begged for it.'

There you see how the fact that the lady did not send the poor man away gave rise to words of severe censure, of modest praise, and of cutting satire."

- Baldesar Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier (1504)

I remain your servant,

-- silver ion (ag3@interlog.com), January 21, 2000.

You da King!

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), January 21, 2000.

Yeah, you see how far I got... :)

But well said. Very well said.

-- a (a@a.a), January 21, 2000.

Oh great, King of Spain.

And now you leave without ever touching a soiled teat glistening in the sun-spotted wax of mud wrestling.

It doesn't matter now, does it?

The stock market is primed for a disasterous crash, and you won't be here to comment when the panic prevails.

That is your choice and your loss...

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), January 21, 2000.

Thank you KOS.

May your future roads be packed with fine-grained mud, and lined with fragrant flowers.

Have a good life.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 21, 2000.

Hmmmm. Couldn't pick a worse time if you ask me. Things seem to be getting serious -- not in any sort of hypoethical "whatsgonnahappenatrollover" way, but in fact. The reality couldn't have been anticipated by our Grade B Movie imaginations, and it is now upon us --seems to me -- with frightening complexity and portent, as opposed to with adjustable audio and hot-buttered popcorn.

However, if you must you must. Adios, King. But before you go, you must appoint a successor to carry on the royal "line": i.e."Do you like to mudwrestle?"

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.tree), January 21, 2000.

KOS,

Sire, may your mud always be filled to overflowing with the most nubile and winsome of the ladies.

You will be sorely missed.

S.O.B.

-- sweetolebob (buffgun@hotmail.com), January 21, 2000.

KOS is experiencing is own Y2K trouble: "Duffer Overload"

-- mrunderhill (prancing@pony.com), January 21, 2000.

Please someone, what is the Royal protocol when there are two goodbye threads? Does one post on both of them? Please indulge a mere commoner who lacks understanding of such things if I transgress...Goodbye Your Majesty, you leave the peasantry bereft.

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), January 21, 2000.

Wait'll you see headlines like "Mexico trades 37 bazillion chickens for defaulted debt" in a couple months.

You'll be back.

Hell, I'm back.

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), January 21, 2000.

I believe two goodbye posts cancel each other out. It is a Freudian way of saying he is actually staying.

-- Normally (Oxsys@aol.com), January 21, 2000.

King - you can't leave!!!!!!!!!! The mud hasn't thawed up here yet....

-- Johnny Canuck (j_canuck@hotmail.com), January 21, 2000.

You forgot to thank me, so I'll just pretend.

You're welcome. =p heehee

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.com), January 21, 2000.

King of Spain:

Gil Ofarim is about to release his totally kewl new CD album in many countries next week, which will cause numerous nubile females to wish for spontaneous mud wrestling with the new German King.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, then go to http://www.gilofarim.net and see the sparks fly from the young women's eyes!

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), January 21, 2000.

King of Spain:

I've much enjoyed your wit and wisdom. I've even learned a thing or two along the way since I joined in Aug/99.

Here's Tammy, Jonah, Callum and Kurt waving "good-bye your Majesty!", and we will continue to remember you--and all the others--in our minds and in our prayers.

Godspeed sir.

-- (Kurt.Borzel@gems8.gov.bc.ca), January 21, 2000.

So KOS,

This is as good a time as any to ask. I've been watching many of the regulars leaving. What are you folks going to do with yourselves? Watch Weather.Com? Spend all day on the TreeLoot site?

What does "get back to my life" really mean? COME ON! What are you going to do, give up the web?

What are you going to do? This is a serious question. To you, and Flint, and Uncle Deedah, and all of the rest of the folks that have made this forum.

So Y2K may be a bust, or not. I think this place is something special. No, the people here are something special, just my not so humble opinion.

So the question, what do we do now? Just walk away from each other? Or maybe find something else to talk about. Get my drift?

Any suggestions?????

<:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), January 22, 2000.

Hey King oS,

I remember the time you asked that patented question to 'first timers' to me. Do you like to mudwrestle?

People do pay attention.

"Many a Y2K doom&gloom thread needed a humorous uplift......" Yeah.

Thanks KoS. May God bless you.

maid

-- maid upname (noid@ihope.com), January 22, 2000.

You were funny and a pleasure to read. Come again!

-- Connie Iversen (hive@gte.net), January 22, 2000.

I searched for half an hour for the thread I'm thinking of, but I couldn't find it. :-( Suffice to say...it was classic KOS. Some polly posted that all we ever did was berate people with foul language and how disgusted he was with us. KOS replied that he never personally used foul language or berated anyone and DEMANDED an apology. Then Bernard Llama replied with something, I forget what, but KOS replied back berating him with a string of foul language. It was hysterical, and it was priceless. God I'll miss you King. -kritter

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), January 22, 2000.

Uh... take up mud-lurking perhaps, Sysman?

At any rate... the other thread...

KOS sez adios

http://hv.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 002Ncq

(Seeing double).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), January 22, 2000.

KOS- I think that the next time I see a Zorro-esque looking creature, I will not be able to resist whispering "KOS is that you?" Imagine the look I will get if wrong! I curtsy to you sire, in a short,short skirt...Ciao Bella

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), January 22, 2000.

Thank you KOS, for including me in your "mudwrestling initiative" in a previous incarnation.

I gotta warn ya though...YOU'LL BE B-A-A-C-C-K!

If not here, you are welcome to take a vacation "mud-bath"

Here.

'Til then, my friend,

Peace, and may the mud always be with you....

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), January 22, 2000.

Hi FM/MM,

I promise that I'll post my "resume" on your board tomorrow. Thanks for the "honorable" mention...

Diane,

Well, since Y2K seems to be a bust (???), I guess we can all wonder over to FM's site. At least you guys (gals) will get a break from the SYSOP duties.....

<:)))=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), January 22, 2000.

I'll miss your repugnant yet irrisistibly attratictive twisted humor, King of Spain.

I must admit I took pleasure being offended by your posts. Take it as a trebute to your wit if you wish.

I just came upon one of your classic posts by accident. I'm reposting it here as a eulogy. *******

[Gawd!! Goldmine!!! Paydirt!!!! (Paymud????)]

My Dear Princess Flicker Spirit:

Please allow me to volunteer my expertise on this pertinent matter, to your royal self as well as the other women who have made bared their souls on this beautiful, caring and sharing thread. Your fears are most founded, your predicaments certainly with merit.

If any of you lovely single women expect to be able to cope in the dog-eat-dog world that is just about to engulf us, you must present yourselves to that world in a way that will gain it's respect. To that end, you must display a demeanor that shows confidence, courage, ferocity, and the ability to kick ass. (I.e., don't come across like "Crybaby". Gawd.) At the same time, you must have that allure of feminimity that will encourage Mr. Right (or, perhaps, King Right) to take his rightful place with you.

There is no better way to achieve all of these goals other than engaging in the exotic art of female mudwrestling. It is my suggestion that your "single women's group" immediately begin engaging in this character building activity by getting down, getting dirty, and going at it half naked, letting your sleek bodies convulse as your aggressive furies are unleashed, your passions inflame. Very important: capture these group meetings on videotape!

Now, send the videotapes to me for critiquing, and from there I will post onto the Internet those segments that most vividly demonstrate the Y2K aware image that we want to project. I can assure you that any number of men that may have previously been DWGIs will be INSTANT BELIEVERS in the Y2K preparedness cause, once they understand what your single women's club has to offer. You will have so many men begging to cater to your every whim, you will truly remember 2000 as the year that the world went Infomagic, but you experienced the kind of romance and adventure that other women would give all of their rice and beans for.

At Your Service,

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), November 30, 1999. *******

You are an interesting case study. With such brilliant mind power, one would think you would diversify your interests in countless ways for entertainment. But you seemed to have focused all this energy on one thing; women mudwrestling.

...there must be something about mudwrestling I should learn...

-- (pigs@do.fly), January 22, 2000.

(pigs@do.fly),

Yea, that's a KOS classic, even though I've never seen it before, and I've spent a bunch of time here..... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), January 22, 2000.

Fair Winds and Following Seas, Your Majesty!

(but you'll be back)

Spindoc'

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), January 22, 2000.

K-OS, I agree that y2k won't be the disaster of biblical proportions we might have hoped for. ;~) I also think I've seen you get smarter and smarter as the years rolled on here, (not that you ever seemed especially un-smart!) Thanks for the fun.

-- number six (iam_not_a_number@hotmail.cum), January 22, 2000.

Oh darn. No more the thrill of actually beating the master to the burning question. (Well we burn rivers why not mud??)

No more the predictable but sometimes delayed comic relief.

No more the signature that was both SIG line, Comment line and comentary on the times of the Forum.

No more the SIG line nobody had to check the e-mail for to know who posted it.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA CROCODILE TEARS< you soft hearted PHONY!!

SEEYA ROUND DUDE!!

or as one of my Basic EMT partners used to say to ALL the Hospital nurses as we disappeared out of the area:

SEIZURE!

Chuck, a Night Driver

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 22, 2000.

KOS.......you can't just up and abdicate your throne! What will your subjects do without you? Where is your honor, your majesty? Tell us you are only kidding!!!! This kingdom will never be the same without you!!!!!!

-- Jo Ann (MaJo@Michiana.com), January 22, 2000.

KoS, hint: "all our EXes live in Texas"

Well, Uncle Bob anyway.

Your partner in grime,

-- Charli (claypool@belatlantic.net), January 22, 2000.

King of Spain,

I'll never forget that although you never directly asked me to mudwrestle, I forgive you. Because you did once imagine me, LL, and Marli (?) as the three Petticoat Junction girls in a mudwrestling scenario. And that made me feel special.

Good luck, Your Highness...

-- eve (123@4567.com), January 22, 2000.

...it's a sad day in mudville...

-- flora (***@the.bat), January 22, 2000.

Seya K O S.

-- Smokey (Smokey1057@aol.com), January 22, 2000.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), January 22, 2000.

Your Majesty! May you never again walk past the chocolate pudding section in a grocery store without getting an enormous...grin.

-- Firemouse (firemouse@fcmail.com), January 22, 2000.

To KOS, Y2K has been an exciting adventure...May your future ones be just as real as this one. Go in peace. Keep your name...it fits you well! Adios amigo! Lurker 13

-- lurker 13 (lurker13@nowhere.here), January 23, 2000.