YEAR 2000

I view it as one more highlight on my life span which has included many historic notations:
 The discovery of sulfa, penicillin, various vaccines
 The invention of nylon and plastic
 Orbiting earth in a spacecraft, putting a man on the moon, space-walking
 A World War, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm
 The A and H-bombs
 Flight faster than sound
 Transplants of vital organs
 The age of electronic communication

And I haven't even scratched the surface!

Will 2000 roll in to no more than the refrains of "Auld Lang Syne" (http://www.dzn.com/~laverne/Lang.html) and the drop of the ball at Times Square, or will the baby with his banner gallop in on a steed designated Pandemonium? We don't know and we won't know--there's absolutely no way to foretell what this particular stroke of midnight may bring.

We will have some warning, here in the U.S., as those places in the world ahead of us on the clock greet the new year in advance. Unfortunately, the few hours of a front row seat at the arrival of Y2K in the other half of the world will not give us time to alter our plans. The time for preparation is now and within the next four months.

We have heard predictions of everything from total chaos to "business as usual." Who do we believe? What do we do?

My personal belief is that the year will bring with it some problems. I don't have a glass ball to specify what the quirks and inoperative items will be but this is my personal opinion after months of reading and listening. There will be things that don't transition smoothly.

What should we do?

We should prepare for Y2K in the same way we prepare for other emergencies. If you live in an area that has frequent power outages, is in the path of hurricanes or other natural disasters, the wise thing has always been to:
 Keep flashlights and/or lanterns in well-working condition.
 Have a supply of fresh batteries for the flashlights, as well as for at least one battery-operated radio and clock; fuel for the lanterns.
 If cooking depends on electricity, have an alternate plan; e.g., camp stove or woodstove.
 Have a supply of fuel for either of the alternate cooking methods; e.g., propane, gasoline or wood.
 Have an alternative heat source; e.g., kerosene or wood, and a supply of the fuel needed.
 Top off your gasoline in all vehicles.

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