ALERT! 3/12/99 PLEASE BE ON THE ALERT FOR UNSCRUPLOUS INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES THAT ARE PLACING ADS IN THE INTERNET THROUGH THEIR WEB SITES AND ARE SPAMMING YOUR E-MAIL WITH OFFERS TO SELL, GENERALLY WORTHLESS PRODUCTS AN/OR SERVICES, USING FEAR TACTICS. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY ANY OF THEM. I WILL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO CHECK THEM OUT, AND START POSTING A LIST OF QUESTIONABLE FIRMS OR INDIVIDUALS ON OUR WEB SITE AND PASSING THEM ALONG VIA E-MAIL.
FOR A GOOD Y2K UPDATE SOURCE CLICK ON THIS LINK
U S GOVERNMENT Y2K HOTLINE IS AVAILABLE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC
Citizens will be able to call a toll-free hot line for the latest information about the infamous computer problem.
The hot line, 1-888-USA-4-Y2K, (1-888-872-4925), will offer information provided by government agencies, companies and industry groups on areas such as telecommunications, banking, government programs and household products.
Prerecorded information will cover most common topics and be available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, the agency said. In addition, information specialists will staff the hot line from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
_________________ WELCOME _________________
INDEX
FAQs etc from The American Red Cross
What You Can Do to be Prepared
Recommendations from The American Red Cross
This web site is offered to assist our area citizens by providing information that will help in preparing for some of the possible scenarios inherent with "Year 2000" (Y2K) dilemma.
You may be a regular reader of my, "39 and Holding" syndicated column that appears on the SeniorLink web site and I will be writing periodical special edition 39s for the site.
PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO LET ME HEAR FROM YOU WITH ANY QUESTIONS, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION!
My plans are to include a wide variety of material that I feel will be of help to you, my neighbors and friends, as we approach January 1, 2000. If you want me to research material that concerns you and could be of interest to our community, please do not hesitate to ask. I have access to virtually everythingthat has been published over the last few years and this covers almost any situation that could be dreamed up.
If you will send me your e mail address, I will be glad to put you on a list to be advised when changes are made, or something of a critical nature occurs.
Jim Andrews
andrews@tstar.netMy computer credentials are as follows, I started using a computer in my office in the mid 1960's, a Univac 1004, and today have three internet connected computers in my home/office.
I am anything but a computer Guru, but I understand the simple fact that these wonderful man made devices can be inadvertently programmed to wreak havoc with our daily lives and the world economy, PERIOD!
As a journalist, I watch, read and listen to all the media, and am absolutely amazed that they have somehow magically discovered the EXISTENCE of the “Millennium Bug”, commonly referred to as Y2K. They are, as if working together from a script, beginning to foretell this potentially earth shattering forecast of gloom and doom.
Now as a journalist who has been writing for various newspapers for over 40 years, I understand the impact of, “late breaking news”. However, this y2k thing is a bit over 40 years in the making, and has been predicted by knowledgeable people, worldwide!
There have been many top notch professionals engaged in the computer business, from engineers to programmers, who have been trying to get the message out that we had a MAN MADE MESS that would take thousands of man hours to clean up.
Shamefully these individuals were treated like the mythical Cassandra, who was doomed to never lie, but was never to be believed.
To give you some idea of the magnitude of the problem, I will refer to recent remarks made by President Clinton as he attempted to reassure Social Security recipients that come January 2000 their checks would arrive on time, etc. He said that the errors found in the SS computer program involved some 30 million lines of code with corrected errors.
To try to rationalize the order of magnitude of just this ONE fiasco, there is an accepted formula in the computer programming industry:
A GOOD programmer,
On a GOOD day,
Can write 10 lines of code.
I will leave it to you mathematical types to play with those statistics. It boils down to the fact that we are in a real pickle and we are starting too late to fix something we have been made aware of for over three decades!
The simple and very accurate truth is, there are not enough programmers and not enough days to make the corrections.
The interim solution is to determine where the LIFE THREATENING programs are and devote our resources to these as our priority.
Some solutions are easy, but there is one really SNEAKY one called embedded chips, which I will cover at another time. These little guys are everywhere from your car to your home appliances and this scares the heck out of me and a lot of the folks who are trying to get a handle on dealing with this absurdity!
One of the top executives of a fortune 500 company who demonstrated coolness under fire, researched the fact that 1972 was an exact mirror image of 2000 and his company is concentrating on simply backdating their files 18 years and getting some breathing room. This is a big effort but can be carried out on a day to day basis until the Calvary arrives.
If You think that I am shouting “THE SKY IS FALLING” you are wrong, I am pointing out the fact that some of the sky can and likely will fall. More importantly, it WILL NOT END on January 1, 2000, but will continue to affect us for a considerable period of time.
My sincere recommendation is to use your head, join in a community preparation program, work with your churches and neighbors, and we will get through this together.
Remember the Boy Scouts of America’s motto, “BE PREPARED”.
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This is our profile for a worst case scenario. Frankly I will be surprised if we have anything close to this disaster, but I'm not going to try to dig a cellar when the toronado is coming over my back fence!
Virtually all the equipment is already on hand except for the water containers, and the major food components are on order.
I have deliberately ommitted mentioning our normal supply of canned foods, or our clothing, as I feel this is redundent.
Of special note is, THERE IS NO MENTION OF A GENERATOR, as I have been teaching Back Packing seminars for years, and have found they are too heavy to carry, and the fuel can cause fires. Oops!
Assumptions: Worst case scenario
30 days without normal utilities - Contingency for an additional 15 days -45 day total. Please see above notes.
Check list:
186 MRE’s
“Meals Ready to Eat”, for two people. No refrigeration or cooking required. Can be stored indefinitely and used for camping later in the year.
SOURCE:
4 Cans of Original Cambridge Diet
Provides 21 meals each can for a total of 84 meals (breakfast usually) Requires no refrigeration and can be mixed in a shaker with a diet soft drink.
(Approx. 110 Calories)
SOURCE:
nbsp;http://members.tripod.com/~Jim_Andrews/index-4.htm
Alternate 1 for 1 Cambridge Nutrition Bars for the liquid meal, as desired
(160 Calories)
SOURCE: Same as above
4 Cases of diet soft drinks for mixing with Cambridge ( use spares for treats)
90 gallons of potable water
Cheap and easy to store. Use Plastic- not metal containers
Well stocked first-aid kit
Should be on hand anyway.3 battery operated am/fm radios
Four good flashlights
Spare batteries and flashlight bulbs
A stock of emergency candles (Long Burning) and non tippable holders
Matches stored in water tight jars.
Two medium containers of charcoal starter fluid.
6 bags of self starting charcoal, stored in plastic bags for waterproofing.
Water purification tablets-Available at most sporting goods stores or The Boy Scouts.
Since this occurs in January, with the possibility of cold/wet weather, the following preparations will be followed for each of us.
3 sets of thermal underwear
7 changes of clothing
3 good pairs of walking shoes.
10 pairs of sox
3 jackets
1 rain suit
We have some additional “Luxuries” that will make life a bit more tolerable in the event of an UNEXPECTED total infrastructure collapse.
We each have a good bicycle- With a tire patch kit and tire pump for each
One propane charcoal type cooker, with two bottles
One Coleman two burner camp stove that can burn from the small bottles or an adapter for the big ones.
We will use disposable plates, silverware, napkins and cups
A simple tool kit
Two “Sun Tea” jugs
Instant coffee and tea
Sweet and Low or Equal
Salt and Pepper
A couple of medium sized stew pans with lids
4 Thermal foil blankets
Paper towels
Cat food, dry and canned
2 Manual can openers
2 sleeping bags
2 Rip stop tarps, misc. poles, steel pegs, assorted tie downs, lines and ground sheets.
Strictly for emergency!
We have three tents that can be used should we have a fire.
Two 5 gallon buckets, with lids to be used for sanitary purposes. ...A supply of toilet paper
One good shovel, hoe, buck saw and hand axe.
Small amount of cash
Shotguns and shells
Fishing tackle
Required medication
Two or more good lawn chairs
Some good reading material
Service the car on Friday Dec 31 , and run CB radio check
Keep our fingers crossed, and our Bible close at hand.
PS-it’s GREAT reading material!
SPECIAL NOTE: A great source for survival help and hints can be found in the “Boy Scout Roundtable Planning Guide”, contact your local Scout Executive for assistance, as the sections on “Camping and Cooking” would have to be copied, and is copyright covered.
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The `Year 2000' Bug May Hit Appliances, Cars
As I mentioned in the earlier column, I would address the insideous “embedded chips”. This is not meant to be doom and gloom, but simply straightforward reporting and factual.
The column is much longer than most, but I have tried to edit it down to a somewhat managable size. The importance of this information is, in my opinion, critical and you should know about the effect that these hidden devices could possible have on your daily life, so please read and “Be Prepared”.
Take a quick mental survey of your home and consider its microchips: the ones in the television, the VCR, the microwave oven, the thermostat, the telephone. While you're at it, throw in the computer chips in your car, the elevator in your apartment building, your home security system. Now, think about what would happen if all the microchips in these devices went haywire at the same moment.
Some scientists and engineers now say the Year 2000 bug threatening to wreak havoc on the world's computers and PCs at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2000, could also affect the tiny built-in chips embedded in everyday products.
Whether the problem will result in minor annoyances or extreme chaos is the subject of a debate that is likely to continue. But most specialists say there could be dozens of dastardly millennium bugs lurking in every home.
There is literally nobody on this planet who can tell you whether the failure rate will be.0000001 percent, or 90 percent. It's an unknown. That in itself is a risk.
Like the software in many mainframe and personal computers, some embedded computer chips use a two-digit shorthand to keep track of the date, so that the year 1994, for instance, is written as 94. The problem is that when the new century arrives, some microcontrollers might interpret 00 as 1900, instead of 2000, causing appliances and other devices with embedded chips to go haywire.
A microwave on the fritz isn't nearly as calamitous as, say, the collapse of the nation's air traffic control system, but it would be aggravating for people who depend on the conveniences of automation.
Consider this scenario: You wake up shivering on Jan. 1, 2000, because your home's programmable thermostat shut off the heat. (If the pipes freeze and burst, that's an even bigger problem.)
Outside, the automatic lawn sprinkler spurted into action overnight, and the yard resembles a skating rink. You make your way to the driveway and find that your car won't start.
At work on Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, you encounter many of the same problems. The building's security system doesn't recognize ID badges, the elevator's grounded and the fax machine is spewing out 100-year-old memos. You'd complain, but the phones are down, too.
Of course, this is a worst-case scenario dreamed up by Year 2000 specialists trying to draw attention to date rollover issues beyond the software problems programmers already know about.
Will such automation nightmares really occur? It's hard to say.
Companies are unwilling to talk about the problem. Many are worried about the liability issues and warranty problems that could result if their products malfunction after Jan. 1, 2000.
Lindsey Vereen, editor of a San Francisco-based trade magazine called Embedded Systems Programming, says all this fuss about computer chips is nonsense.``In most embedded systems, the read is not calendar time, but duration,'' he said.
The chip in a car's engine controller, for instance, doesn't care what day it is, only how long the engine has been running. That helps it to monitor such things as maintenance schedules.
Engineers for the Big Three US automakers insist that even their most electronically advanced cars won't be affected by the Year 2000.
While Vereen conceded there may be problems with equipment that contains older chips, he blamed politicians and non-technicians for ``fanning the flames and implying the problem is greater than it is.''
In fact, experts have only begun to look into what will happen to electronic devices and automated systems that contain embedded computer chips. Until now, they've mostly been focused on the software and hardware systems that handle a company's core operations.
``In the scope of the year 2000, I'm not that concerned about the date on my fax machine,'' said Steven McManus, communications manager for BankBoston's millennium project team. ``It's much more important that we have commerical loan applications that are millennium compliant,'' he said.
But some chip-related problems have already cropped up at BankBoston, prompting McManus to take a closer look at the bank's entire operations.
For instance, the bank recently had to replace many of the cash advance terminals in its branches because the chips inside the machines couldn't recognize newly issued Visacards that listed ``00'' as the expiration date.
``The machine knew the expiration date couldn't be less than the current date, and decided 00 is less than 97, so it refused to process the cash advance,'' McManus said.
Now his team is looking at the Year 2000 not simply as a technology problem, but as a business problem. He's even checking to make sure the computer chips that run the bank's automated heating and air conditioning systems are ready for the rollover.
There are literally billions of embedded computer chips in the world today, powering everything from copy machines to medical devices to nuclear power plants.
Giga Information Group, a Cambridge, Mass. research firm, estimates that up to 5 percent of them - hundreds of millions - could potentially fail because of Year 2000 problems.
But it's impossible to check every chip for date-related malfunctions.
``The fact of the matter is, there's no control mechanism that's very good to go back and find out how each of those chips was programmed,'' said Ann Coffou, managing director of Giga's Year 2000 relevance service.
International Data Corp. of Framingham, Mass. found that out when it asked Honeywell Controls whether its so-called ``smart buildings'' would still properly control heating and air conditioning systems after 2000.
George Haynes, research director with IDC's Virginia-based government division, said Honeywell told him it had no way of knowing unless the building's original contractor could provide a building's exact specifications.
Chip makers, such as Motorola Inc. and Digital Equipment Corp., say there's nothing inherent in the design of a microcontroller chip that would cause a problem when the Year 2000 rolls around.
Instead, it's the customized software that is programmed onto the chip at the customer's request that can cause the potential problem.
``What a computer does when it encounters something strange like this depends on what the programmer who wrote the code decided to tell it to do,'' Haynes said. ``It may issue an alert. It may make an assumption and keep processing, or it may refuse to process any further.''
Fixing problems caused by embedded computer chips is, in some ways, a tougher challenge than correcting Year 2000 problems in a software program.
Though it's a tedious and labor-intensive process, the coding in software programs can be revised, line-by-line, to recognize the new millennium. But the date clock in an embedded computer chip is often burned into the chip and therefore can't be changed.
“Often,” Haynes said, “the only way to fix a chip is to replace it.”
``Computers just aren't as smart as we people are.''
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
For more than 100 years, the American Red Cross has been at the cutting edge of disaster relief activities, helping people prevent, prepare for, and cope with disasters and other emergencies. That's why your Red Cross has published the following information about "Y2K"--its potential effects and what you can do to be prepared.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is "Y2K" and why are
people concerned?
The Year 2000 technology problem, or bug, as it is sometimes called, was created in the early days of computers, when memory in computers was scarce and expensive. Programmers took shortcuts whenever possible to save space. Instead of using a four-digit code for year dates, a two-digit entry was used. This practice persisted, long after the need for saving space was eliminated. The two-digit code also was used in embedded chips, which exist in many devices that control processes, functions, machines (like cars), building ventilation systems, elevators, and fire and security alarm systems, which are part of our everyday lives.
When the year 2000 comes, programs that have been coded with two-digit year codes will not distinguish between the years 2000 and 1900. If the program includes time-sensitive calculations or comparisons, results are unpredictable. No one knows what problems may occur, how widespread they may be, or how long they will last. The good news is that federal, state, and local governments; banks and other financial institutions; retail businesses, and every other group affected by this problem have been working to resolve it, and a great deal of progress has been made.
When could Y2K problems happen?
Most people anticipate Y2K problems may happen December 31, 1999, at midnight. Many experts
predict that the problem is more likely to be a
persistent one over a few years rather than a
single "crash."
For example, there may be a computer-based problem with other dates, such as April 9, 1999, which is the 99th day of the year, or on 9/9/99. In the past, a series of nines was used to indicate termination of a computer program, and some experts believe that when all nines show up in a date sequence, some computer systems could read it as a program termination command. There also is some concern regarding fiscal year 2000 dates in those organizations with fiscal years that start earlier than December 31, 1999. Also, the year 2000 is a leap year, and the leap year date 02/29/00 may be a problem for some computer programs as well.
What kinds of things could happen
as a result of Y2K problems?
The President's Council on Y2K Conversion, established by the White House, as well as a special Senate Committee, have focused their attention on defining the scope of the Y2K problem. Hearings have been conducted by the United States Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem and have focused on the following
eight areas:
Because no one can be certain about the effects of the Y2K problem, the American Red Cross has developed the following checklist for you. These are some easy steps you can take to prepare for possible disruptions. All of these recommendations make good sense, regardless of the potential problem.
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Y2K Checklist
___ Stock disaster supplies to last several days to a week for yourself and those who live with you. This includes having nonperishable foods, stored water, and an ample supply of prescription and nonprescription medications that you regularly use.
___ As you would in preparation for a storm of any kind, have some extra cash on hand in case electronic transactions involving ATM cards, credit cards, and the like cannot be processed. Plan to keep cash in a safe place, and withdraw money from your bank in small amounts.
___ Similar to preparing for a winter storm, it is suggested that you keep your automobile gas tank above half full.
___ In case the power fails, plan to use alternative cooking devices in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. Don't use open flames or charcoal grills indoors.
___ Have extra blankets, coats, hats, and gloves to keep warm. Please do not plan to use gas-fueled appliances, like an oven, as an alternative heating source. The same goes for wood-burning or liquid-fueled heating devices that are not designed to be used in a residential structure. Camp stoves and heaters should only be used out of doors in a well-ventilated area. If you do purchase an alternative heating device, make sure it is approved for use indoors and is listed with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
___ Have plenty of flashlights and extra batteries on hand. Don't use candles for emergency lighting.
___ Examine your smoke alarms now. If you have smoke alarms that are hard-wired into your home's electrical system (most newer ones are), check to see if they have battery back-ups. Every fall, replace all batteries in all smoke alarms as a general fire safety precaution.
___ Be prepared to relocate to a shelter for warmth and protection during a prolonged power outage or if for any other reason local officials request or require that you leave your home. Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for information about where shelters will be available.
___ If you plan to use a portable generator, connect what you want to power directly to the generator; do not connect the generator to your home's electrical system. Also, be sure to keep a generator in a well-ventilated area_either outside or in a garage, keeping the door open. Don't put a generator in your basement or anywhere inside your home.
___ Check with the emergency services providers in your community to see if there is more information available about how your community is preparing for any potential problems. Be an advocate and support efforts by your local police, fire, and emergency management officials to ensure that their systems will be able to operate at all times.
The preceeding material was furnished courtesy of the American Red Cross All rights Reserved in all Countries. Visit the American Red Cross at:
