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Technology Stocks : Discuss Year 2000 Issues -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Mansfield who wrote (1130)	3/4/1998 9:33:00 PM
From: C.K. Houston	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 9818

ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT WITH PETER JENNINGS - Y2K SEGMENT For those of you who missed the show tonight, this was the most powerful and compelling overview of Y2K that I have seen to date. They didn't pull any punches. Lead in starts with a visual of a baby in an intensive care unit hooked up to a host of machines. "Computers are keeping this baby alive." Another visual inside a utility control room. "30% of utilities have not yet started to address the Y2K problem." Very dismal overview of where certain government agencies are, and what still has to be completed. It was apparent deadlines wouldn't be met. Embedded systems featured. Very dramatic visual. Reporter standing on Brooklyn Bridge. "Imagine that you have to find and change out every bolt on this bridge." Camera pans out so you see more bridges. "Now imagine that you have to change out every bolt in every bridge in the United States. And then you have to change out every bolt in every bridge throughout the world. And, you have less than two years to do this." Excellent example of the magnitude of the problem. Every speaker was grim. The doctor at the hospital. Yardeni. Peter Jennings. Yardeni is now becoming more forceful with his words. Or maybe it's just that they didn't cut him off this time. Expects business failures, especially for small and mid-size businesses. Reiterates recession warning. Surprisingly, Senator Horn, who has been bird-dogging government agencies for a year, and who has been their biggest critic, had a very brief stint on the program. Here's what he said in December. Congressman Horn's Devastating Projections - December 16, 1997 He is chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology. At the rate remediation is going, more than half of the major Federal agencies (14 out of 24) will fail to have even their mission critical systems operational before the Y2K date change. The following might explain why Senator Horn had a very brief showing on this program. ================================================================= Media Sighting: ABC News - comp.software.year-2000 ================================================================= The following was very recently received from Paloma O'Reilly regarding this broadcast: The taping went very well, however, it wasn't completed by the required deadline. Therefore, ABC will be airing the segment on the night of the 4th, on World News Tonight. The questions asked involved Stephen Horn's apparent 180 turn-about on the Year 2000 issues. He's now saying that the DoD, IRS, etc., have things well in hand and there won't be any problems. We responded to that assertion, and answered questions about DoD Y2k status, the problem with embedded systems, and the potential implications for public health and safety. Interestingly enough, ABC are the ones who told us. In fact, it was his quick change act that caused them to call us last minute to interview. They were VERY upset with him, to say the least. Apparently (according to ABC) Horn himself had asked for an interview, even supplying questions and answers before hand. When it came time to tape, he had completely changed his tune. Well, that kind of thing really had them smelling blood. Next thing, we get a call at 1pm to get down to Denver for a 3:15pm taping. Talk about surprise! Anyway, that's the story as we heard it. ================================================================ There's something brewing here guys. Horn has been the primary Katzen/OMB antagonist. But now we have a new regime -- John Koskinen/"Year 2000 Conversion Council". So maybe this is good news and maybe it's bad. First reaction -- bad. But then again, just maybe Koskinen is trying to steer the ship instead of letting it wander around rudderless like Katzen was doing. Anway, I plan to be watching. Ah..... "The smell of blood" Media Sighting: ABC News Date: 2 Mar 1998 15:21:16 GMT From: "Harlan Smith" <hwsmith.nowhere@cris.com> Newsgroups: comp.software.year-2000 _____________________________________________________________________ ACCOLADES TO ABC ... for putting together an honest, compelling and powerful Y2K segment! Cheryl

To: John Mansfield who wrote (1130)	3/5/1998 8:53:00 AM
From: C.K. Houston	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9818

WHEN WILL THE U.S. START CONTINGENCY PLANNING? Government and businesses are already working together in the UK, on contingency planning because they realize and admit, *there will be major negative* impact on infrastructure*. In the U.S. we are doing nothing!* ================================================================= Contributed by John Mansfield UK: 'ensuring supply of critical imports, like food and drugs' "We'll ramp up contingency planning all the way through 1999," said Cruickshank. He will also look at the international level of contingency planning that affects the UK directly, such as ensuring supply of critical imports, like food and drugs, and the international dimension of year 2000 on the UK." computerweekly.co.uk _____________________________________________________________________ 'Welsh utilities join forces to see off threat "Infrastructure bodies in Wales are getting together to lay down contingency plans for the millennium date crisis. Representatives of the utilities, police, emergency services, local authorities, and BT will meet next month to discuss the real impact of the millennium bug on the Principality." computerweekly.co.uk ______________________________________________________________________ Real issue is keeping lights on in London The utility companies have worked hard on year 2000 compliance, but are taking no chances and have put plans in place just in case things go wrong. "It is unreasonable to assume you will get everything 100% right ..." "Scottish Power is already working on the assumption that any critical system that can fail will fail...", computerweekly.co.uk _____________________________________________________________________ Cheryl