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More Media Morsels--Yeah, right:
Japan key industries prepared for Y2K bug
TOKYO, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Japan said on Friday that most companies in the nation's five key industries had modified their computers to deal with the so-called millennium bug.
A panel set up to advise Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi on the issue said 70 percent of companies in five key industries hads completed modifying their computer programmes to tackle the Year 2000 computer bug.
The industries are finance, transport, energy, telecommunications and medicine.
Government officials said, however, that a survey on the preparedness of other industries showed they were lagging behind.
A group of electric power companies told the panel that nuclear power plants would have no problems because they did not use dates in their control systems, the officials said.
Civil aviation firms had completed required tests for the computer systems and confirmed that their computer systems would not be disrupted when clocks tick over to 2000, the officials said.
--The World Bank gets in on the action
http://www.nni-news.com/today/page30.htm
WB sanctions $29 m for Sri Lanka's Y2K problem
WASHINGTON, (NNI): The World Bank has approved a loan of $29 million for Sri Lanka's Year 2000 Emergency Assistance Project to prevent disruption in its computer-based information and service delivery.
The project will provide technical assistance and financing for Year 2000 (Y2K) remediation in the financial sector and some critical government agencies.
Total costs for components covered under the project is $38 million, to which a participating bank will contribute $8 million and the government will contribute $500,000.
The $29 million equivalent interest-free credit is provided to Sri Lanka by the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending affiliate, on standard terms with 40 years maturity and a ten-year grace period.
--HCFA Letter to all healthcare providers in the US:
http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/0121-131.htm
"HCFA will be ready to process acceptable claims. We have made substantial progress in correcting our own systems in recent months and, despite earlier concerns, we will be ready on time. We are confident that all Medicare claims processes will be ready and able to function come January 1, 2000, so that you can be paid promptly.
You must also be ready if you wish to be paid promptly. We can process your claims only if your systems are also able to function in the Year 2000. It is URGENT that you act NOW so your systems will be ready. Otherwise, you may not be able to receive prompt payment from Medicare, Medicaid, and virtually any other payer.
Your entire practice and facility must be ready. The Y2K problem could impact quality of care and patient safety. Patient management systems, clinical information systems, defibrillators and infusion pumps and other medical devices, even elevators and security systems all must be ready.
We want to help you prepare for the Year 2000. Enclosed is a "Sample Provider Y2K Readiness Checklist," which you can use to assess what you need to do. You can find additional useful information at our Web site: www.hcfa.gov/Y2K. Information on medical devices is available on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site: www.fda.gov/cdrh/yr2000/year2000.html
We are confident that HCFA will be ready, but we are also making contingency plans so we can continue operations if unexpected problems occur. For those of you that rely on computer systems, we believe the greatest risk is that your systems will not be able to bill for services."
--Yo, Government! Please stop trying to "protect us from ourselves." Thank you:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/OzWash/990122tilttoughgoingformequ.asp
Tilt: Tough going for Mequon windmill request
By Lawrence Sussman of the Journal Sentinel staff January 22, 1999
Mequon -- Two retired Mequon men, worried about losing their electricity if the computerized world grinds to a halt because of Y2K problems, want to erect windmills to generate electricity on their adjacent properties.
But city officials plan to recommend against allowing the windmills because if the structures were to overturn, they could fall on the men's houses, Jon Censky, the assistant community development director, said Thursday.
A city ordinance "protects people from themselves," Censky said. "I'm going to recommend denying this because of the potential impact on safety. . . . If they waive the requirement in this incident, they could be setting a precedent and would have to do so for everyone else who wants to put up a windmill."
The Planning Commission is scheduled Feb. 8 to hear the requests for conditional use permits needed for the windmills.
--Dick Mills on "Balkanization of the Grid:"
http://y2ktimebomb.com/PP/RC/dm9903.htm
Check this out because there is a great picture showing what the US looks like at night with all the lights on, and there are links to other similar things at NASA, and a similar night picture for Europe.
-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), January 22, 1999
Mr. Mills presents an interesting picture of the situation. I have to question, though, his assertion that the engineers or whomever can just "restart" the power plants.
-- Vic (68rdrunneris@compliant.com), January 22, 1999.
Here is another one:In BusinessWeek 1/25/99 Microsoft Didn't Swat All The Bugs
Windows 98 was pronounced millennium bug free months ago but guess what?...NOT!
-- Sharon in Texas (sking@drought-ridden.com), January 22, 1999.
Sharon in Texas;Check these listings for several products with "issues", including several of Microsoft products.
http://www.y2knews.com/compliancies/compliancytop.htm
S.O.B.
-- sweetolebob (La) (buffgun@hotmail.com), January 22, 1999.
If you read Dick Mills' articles (on Westerguard 2000 - http://www.y2ktimebomb.com/PP/RC/index.htm (attempt at hotlink here , then you'll have a pretty good idea how the power grid works. You'll know what the dangers really are, and that certain statements oft-made by the doom-mongers are myths. Amongst those is the idea that a downed grid can't be restarted. He makes it clear that it's not something you do "just like that", but neither is it desperately hard.Rick Colwles site is another good reference ( http://www.euy2k.com, here .
-- Nigel Arnot (nra@maxwell.ph.kcl.ac.uk), January 22, 1999.