Conversation at the lunch table today turned to Y2K. Nearly everyone was laying in some batteries, water and extra cash. Varying amounts, I'd say. Interesting point--most of them are journalists, one financial analyst. We do business/financial stuff here, but we all have mainstream newspaper backgrounds.

This next point is definitely in the hearsay category, but one of my co-workers reports NY has ordered 250,000 body bags. I'm guessing that comes from her husband, an editor at the NY Times, where all staff have been ordered to vacate the building by 9 p.m. New Year's Eve. The paper is printed at various satellite locations, so no problem there.

It would be ironic if rank-and-file journalists turned out to be somewhat better prepared, simply because they pay attention to news. I think a lot of the public apathy begins with a basic lack of interest in reading, watching or listening to serious news. For all of the spinning and journalistic sloppiness, there's been enough information out there if people would only pay attention.

-- Thinman (thinman38@hotmail.com), December 29, 1999

Answers

New York tv news "only" reported 2,000 bodybags. I don't know ifthis is the grapevine game.?

-- Hokie (va@va.com), December 29, 1999.

"there's been enough information out there if people would only pay attention. "

Well said Thinman:)

-- Hokie (va@va.com), December 29, 1999.

Go here:

http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0028nR

for more on the body bag thing. NY says it's a rumor, I'm inclined to believe them on this one. Thanks to Hokie.

-- Thinman (thinman38@hotmail.com), December 29, 1999.

I think people without computers and access to the internet would have had a very hard time getting good info on Y2K. The newspapers and TV have been worse than worthless.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), December 29, 1999.