Just taking a brief break from our Christmas activities to wish TB2000 participants a very special Christmas.

Our thanks go out to the large number of contibuters here who have given us something special - the ability the celebrate Christmas this year with friends and family free from undue concern. The past year and a half has been one of the more stressfull periods in our lives but now, Christmas 1999, we are about as prepared as we are going to be. As a result, we've been able to relax and enjoy this special time. The difference in our comfort level between this year and last is dramatic. The numerous contributors deserve a great portion of the credit and we are indebted to your concern and your efforts.

Mrs. Rimmer is having a wonderful time laughing and relaxing for the first time in a long time - as am I.

A special thanks also to Diane and the other forum administrators who've had some hard choices to make in recent weeks. I think you've performed very well under difficult circumstances and give you all a standing ovation for your efforts.

To Ed Yourdon, who, through his text books, was one of my many mentors in learning my trade, I offer the wish that both he and his family remain well and that soon, he will be able to focus once again on the more mudane topics of systems analysis that made him a true pioneer in his field.

Now, back to my activities....

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), December 25, 1999

Answers

And a big Merry Christmas to your family, Arnie!

Take care and enjoy the next few very exciting days.

Keep The Faith!

-- Bob Walton (waltonb@kdsi.net), December 25, 1999.

Arnie, your earlier essays have become classics, especially the middle-of-the-road one. And your experiences when testing your supplies under black-out conditions provided invaluable knowledge. Thank you for making another positive contribution--and more merry laughter to you and your wife and family this Christmas!

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 25, 1999.

Arnie, Old Git, and all of the other "Forum Old-Timers,"

Merry Christmas, and as we say in my neck-of-the woods, "Peace be with you."

I too, thank many of you for your teachings. Through your writings, I have learned volumes about what happens when a broad spectrum of intelligent humanity comes together to research a potentially devastating problem with a potential wide-spread individual impact.

Over the past year or so, we have together, analyzed the politics, the economics and the "toilet paper shortage" fears. Were we correct on all counts? Not a chance. I suspect that as we enter these last hours of 1999, many people are wondering who will be ultimately "proven right."

From my point of view, it doesn't matter, even though--as I told this forum a couple of days ago--I now number among those who have been DIRECTLY impacted by Y2k, because some important Christmas presents did not arrive in time as a result of my catalog order being rejected because--according to Sears National Bank--my credit card expired in 1899. A small inconvenience. May they all be so minor.

More to the point: From my perspective, the most memorable lessons gleaned from this lengthy Y2k investigative journey-- fall into the following three categories:

1) If we live in America, we have been well and truly blessed, particularly since the end of World War II.

2) If we believe we have been well and truly blessed, we should not take these blessings for granted. (I remember the stories my father--a World War II veteran--told me from his childhood during the "Great Depression." He not only walked the proverbial "ten miles to school," he did it with a lunch bucket containing only a piece of lard sandwiched in a biscuit. I also remember him telling me that in his particular county in Alabama, at least one person committed suicide every day, during the depths of that same "Great Depression.")

3) Accordingly, I believe that we have an obligation--if we believe we have been well and truly blessed--to help others.

In short, if we have been given the gift of being able to recognize potential problems and have been given the means to prepare for them, we are then obligated to help others.

Ah, but I ramble. Regardless:

God bless all of you on this most special day.

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), December 25, 1999.