I just saw part of a major, well balanced Y2k dedicated segment of CNN & Co. including a phone interview with the infamous Paul Milne and three other guests on camera. I didn't catch the beginning, I got a call from my mom,

"Mike, they're doing a story on the Y2k thing you've been talking about, it's scary! They showed a woman stocking up on food and getting a gun. What do we do? I've got my VCR on, I hope it taped."

So do I mom.

The word is getting out folks. We aren't looking at panic right now and there is still enough time to prepare. Maybe with more stories like this the panic, in the end, wont be as bad.

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 15, 1998

(In response to a legitimate question from "Woe Is Me..."

I wish I had counted how many times I've written a post and then just decided... naw... nevermind... they just don't 'get it'. But. the tone of your post pissed me off.

Woe, I've taken the time on many occassions to point to facts that reveal the number of Government officials, corporate officials, numerous experts, yahdah, yahdah,blah, blah... who, as recently as this week, have said they expect disruptions here in the US as well as Globally. I've pointed to testimony before congress that said they're worried about panic, disorder, bank runs, yahdah, yahdah,blah, blah... and you know, I'M TIRED OF IT.

If Y2k is no problem for you, great. Go on and live your life elsewhere. YOU don't NEED to be here.

GO!!!

If you were as smart as you think you are, you would not attack others who feel differently in a forum where many consider your views are suspect. YOUR attitude is exactly the reason why quality in business is lacking today. WE are your consumers. This company YOU say you work for only exists because it provides some service or product that we, as consumers, utilize. If I was your boss I would terminate you faster that you could say Y2k for the attitude you display.

Get some respect you arrogant little woeful you.

Why do people like myself consider your views suspect? THIS is YOUR quote, "What those of us who lead Y2k efforts are striving for is to be Y2k ready"

That, in a nutshell, is not good enough. That is exactly why YOUR credibility AND that of your employer is lacking.

"Y2k ready" means you THINK you'll have you mission critical systems 'mostly' ready AND you plan on entering into the year 2000 with the bug still contained IN your system AND you have no intention on remediating your systems to become fully compliant BECAUSE not enough time is left for remediation OR testing. So, you'll keep working on your date issues far into the next century. YOU YOURSELF stated "We will fix our internal systems" It's almost 1999 and YOU aren't even done yet!!! You yourself said you are planning for contingencies.

Please, give US a break.

If your company felt comfortable they would advertise that fact, lead the cause, hold up the banner and say, "HEY LOOK!!! WE DID IT WORLD!!! Come on over and we'll take care of you. We'll give you shetler from that big, bad y2k bug." Why? MARKETSHARE. KILL THE COMPETITION. MORE MONEY FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

YOU used the term "doom and gloom" and that is one of THE favorite "ultimate weapon"s people like YOU use to try to discredit those that want to build insurance for themselves and their families in the form of supplies in case of disruption or who want the assurance that perhaps things wont be so bad. Mr. Yourdon himself has stated that we should ALL think about how disruptions could impair our daily lives AND YOU YOURSELF said that the business you work for is planning contengencies. Why? DISRUPTIONS.

What the heck is YOUR beaf? What is YOUR problem?

Oh, and regarding banks. Point of fact:

We have a global economy. Our banks do not operate in a vacuum. Currently they are losing a lot of money, OVERSEAS. Bad dept, defaults, etc. That money is our money.

Leading economists say we're at the tip of a glabal, economic meltdown and Y2k isn't even in the picture yet. Don't believe me? Fine. Keep your money right where it is.

Banks are scared on many levels, including the possibility of bank runs and Y2k failure. If the failure of banks in this country is beyone a certain percentage, our system collapses. The FDIC can not insure every depositor. Don't believe me? Fine. Keep your money right where it is.

There WILL be bank closures as early as the first quarter next year because of Y2k issues. Don't believe me? Fine. keep your money right where it is.

I don't wish you ill feelings Woe. But your attitude brings this on yourself. You have a miopic view of the problem. My advice to you, think globally. You've thought locally... now, look at the BIG picture.

If you can't -- don't waste our time, or yours. Please, don't let us frustrate you anymore.

Leave. ____________________

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 16, 1998.

More typical doomer rants from the esteemed and (historically-proven) incorrect Mr. Taylor. Notice the major tenets of the doomer meme are represented:

• acceptance of "any bad news" as accurate;
• rejection of any positive news; and
• complete lack of critical thinking.

Vindicated Regards,
Andy Ray

-- Andy Ray (andyman633@hotmail.com), May 27, 2000

Answers

I'd also like to see the comments by "Woe Is Me" that Michael Taylor's post is in response to. What's the URL to the thread with this exchange between the two of them?

-- Tim Ryan (ryan@aol.not), May 27, 2000.

This is why we have doomers and pollys. Doomers do look at bad news, analyze it, criticize it, and ask what happens if it is true. Pollys look at the good news, analyze it, criticize it, and ask what happens if it is true. So what?

Y2K was not a one sided issue, no matter what Andy Ray says. The doomers weren't all morons, idiots, and not all of us lack critical thinking. And neither are the pollys.

Get over it Andy. It's ancient history. Now I can't speak for everyone, but as a former doomer, I don't care anymore. You are a smart guy Andy, but you are not alone here.

<:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), May 27, 2000.

Actually Sysman, I appreciate Andys trips down memory lane. It reminds those who never bought into the farce that it is righteous to stick to your guns, even under the onslaught of ridicule from self anointed experts such as.why, such as you Bruce. Additionally Bruce, it may serve as a learning tool to others to turn away from the bleating of the ignorant, however authoritative they may appear to be.

Keep on Ticking Andy!

-- Ra (tion@l.1), May 27, 2000.

Sorry Ra, I'm just not like that. Some people think that every day will be sunny, with a high of 80, and low humidity. A perfect life.

I like to plan for a rainy day, maybe even a storm once in a while.

Yea, go ahead and tell me that I ignored the facts. Tell me that other programmers, even those with more experience that I have, told us that Y2K would be nothing.

But while you're at it, tell me about the senate reports. Tell me about the $50,000,000 .gov command center. Tell me about the warnings from IBM.

Yea, I did stick to my guns also. I have admitted that I was wrong. But I never will be "sorry" for doing what I did believe at the time to be the correct thing.

Screw this. It's a long weekend, and I have a few friends coming over.

Happy Memorial day Ra, and Andy. You guys can keep at this as long as you would like. I don't care anymore. I've said many times here, that I have made friends with a whole bunch of people here, many of them pollys. But I just don't see that ever happening with Andy, and Ra. You guys are too far out there. You will never let it go. As far as I'm concerned, it's your loss, not mine.

I've got better things to do with my life.

<:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), May 27, 2000.

Sysman,

Best said.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), May 27, 2000.

I gotta tell ya I'm hoping Mrs. Teal keeps going with this. I know there's a post or two of mine in the TB2000 archives that would make me look bad! Of course there are many more pessimists in line ahead of me yet.

Still, it doesn't hurt to dream.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), May 27, 2000.

Ra,

The bleating, ignorant & authorative State Department website caught my attention. Shame on me. Never again.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), May 27, 2000.

Bingo1,

Are you saying that when AndyFaye gets to your name, he'll almost be out of material?

-- (Sheeple@Greener.Pastures), May 27, 2000.

In a word - yes.

After all, I was one of the few who admitted a certain desire for Y2K to hit hard. That's twisted thinkin'.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a top-twenty poster. The silly citer probably doesn't have me in his/her scope.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@shentel.net), May 27, 2000.

I'm probably one of two people who appreciate Andy Ray's efforts in these posts [not to be confused with an appreciation of Andy Ray.] I spent many an hour with Mike in chat in late 1999, and he seemed quite undecided about Y2k's results. I found him quite enjoyable as a person. He was fearful for his family, but he couldn't decide whether to leave L.A. or stay put. I believe he ultimately decided on the latter.

Lots of folks had fears regarding Y2k in 1998 and before. It wasn't really until April or so of 1999 that evidence pretty well indicated that Y2k wouldn't hit the world in a majorly negative way. SOME folks did the "You're going to die in 10 days now, Polly" thing up to the last minute. Mike wasn't one of them.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 27, 2000.

Thanks, Andy Ray. I have no time to go through the old tb threads, so seeing these quotes gives me a taste of the old days, which I regretfully missed.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), May 27, 2000.

Mr. Ray --

I plead with others to be polite, to be nice, to get along...but I feel I MUST say this:

BITE ME!

-- helen (Over@the.future), May 27, 2000.

Lilith DOES live in Helen afterall.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 27, 2000.

LOVE ME LIKE A ROCK (Paul Simon for AR)

When I was grown to be a man

And the devil'ld call my name

I'd say "now who do.......

Who do you think you're fooling?"

I'm a CONSTIPATED man

I can snatch a little purity

My Mama loves me, she loves me

She gets down on her knees and hugs me

She loves me like a rock

She rocks me like the Rock of Ages

And she loves me

-- (nemesis@awol.com), May 28, 2000.

Anita, your input on Mike Taylor is right on the money. I communicated with Mike for many months in 1999 and found him to be a reasonable person. He lives just down the road from me and we were talking about getting together when he dropped off the map. I did not agree with his take on Y2K but found him to be willing to look at all sides of an issue.

However, like Stan Faryna and some others, Mike has refused to check- in and give his current feelings an airing. Perhaps we all should think about moving on as well but the time these folks spent on Y2K should be deserving of a comment or two, IMO.

-- Ra (tion@l.1), May 28, 2000.

helen,

You go girl!! Always remember ... Lilith is our sister.

-- Debra (...@....), May 28, 2000.

Andy Ray, the Fat Lady hasn't sung yet. Your premature gloating just might come back to haunt you. It's May 28 2000, not July 28, 2000. Have you bothered to fill your car up with gas lately? I bet you paid more this year than you did in May of 1999. You know why, because of y2k, that's why. New Mexico almost burned to the ground THIS YEAR, this did not happen in 1999. Wake up and smell the coffee or you will be drinking dog urine out of a hub-cap, wondering what happened.

-- It ain't Over Till (fat@lady.sings), May 28, 2000.

I believe you mean, "out of a rusty hubcap."

-- (hmm@hmm.hmm), May 28, 2000.

It ain't Over Till says:

New Mexico almost burned to the ground THIS YEAR, this did not happen in 1999. It's May 28 2000, not July 28, 2000.

How can this person be taken seriously? This is the kind of distorted thinking that fueled the whole Y2K circus for all of those months. You sir/madam/it are an idiot!

-- Ra (tion@l.1), May 28, 2000.

Ra:

I think It ain't Over was parroting the words of some others..satire.

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 28, 2000.

Perhaps Anita, perhapsor not.

*sigh*

-- Ra (tion@l.1), May 28, 2000.

Wow! Andy even got Helen to say "Bite me!" He must work overtime at being annoying. I'd think the "I told you so" number would be getting boring by now. As a doomer, I'm thankful we were given the gift of some extra time. I honestly expected Y2K to be the "trigger event" for the crash. If we'd had major blackouts, I believe it would have been. But it wasn't. Good.

History -- political, economic and otherwise -- tells us we are headed for a crunch of some kind. The Y2K rollover was not the trigger. The trillion dollar hit to the global economy (about half of it here) by Y2K remediation may yet have its effect.

I am glad we're still healthy. I will try to enjoy this summer. But I'm not about to dump my preps. And I have better things to do than run around hassling people about having faulty crystal balls.

Have a good one, friends. You've read history; now get ready to live some.

Hegel is a discouraging old bugger, but in this case he may be right.

"But what experience and history teach is this-that peoples and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it."

Georg Hegel (1770-1831), German philosopher. The Philosophy of History, Introduction (1807).

-- Hamilton Felix (madison_6@hotmail.com), May 28, 2000.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HELEN}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

OMG.....toooooo funny!!!!

Too bad we cant do a Classic Thread w/Classic Quotes from the ones least likely tooo....

#1 would be...HELEN.....as said before, YOU GO GIRL...

loved it like a rock!!

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), May 30, 2000.