bjturk.commentary: how will you spend the millennial new year?

bjturk.commentary
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this bjturk.commentary:
how will you spend the millennial new year?

Oh, brother! Have you had it with the hype yet? It seems that every time that anything happens that is particularly different, people have to go bananas over it. Stuffed toys, crystal, picture frames, give me a break!

How about a reality check? While I'll grant that it is a once-in-a-lifetime event (maybe less, depending upon how long you live), I really don't think that it's worth the hype. It's just another midnight, and people will die, people will celebrate, and people will find God for the first time. Happens every day. Am I jaded? Maybe so, but I'm not going bonkers over the greatest misnomer of the millennium.

Oh, and will you be avoiding air travel and such nonsense? If you're going to the Times Square blowout, don't expect to get home for a few days!!! Seriously, the United States has been preparing for the Y2K issue for years, and most, if not all, of the major systems will be on-line and in good shape come this December 31. Realistically, there will be glitches. Something always gets overlooked, and this will be no exception.

I hate to be an alarmist, but a major failure of the North American power grid is certainly possible, given the sheer number of systems and components that must be checked. Even if only one out of a million is overlooked, there could be dozens, if not hundreds, of components that will fail when the big hour comes. And to make matters somewhat worse, an eastern U.S. failure that takes the power grid down like dominoes may make it impossible for those further west to celebrate the new year in anything but the dark. Imagine all the bars that will have to shut down at 10 p.m. in California. That's a pleasant thought, isn't it?

Some of the big New York restaurants are charging $2,000 a head (not including tax and tip!) to ring in the new year there. Imagine paying that much money to celebrate at the renowned Windows on The World restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center (the tallest building in New York City), partying until the ball drops at midnight in Times Square and then

BZZZZZZZZTTTTTT!!!!!!
the power cuts out at midnight and you have to walk down over 100 stories in a semi-drunk state. Happy Y2K, buddy! Perfect for the people that have more money than brains. Then again, these people will probably hire helicopters (assuming that they're Y2K-compliant!) to pluck them from the roof.
Things will probably be up and running normally by noon in most cases in most places, and in a few days in others, but I think anyone who believes there will be no problems must also believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Honest Politician.
I, for one, intend to stay home. Not because I fear any bizarre Y2K happenings, mind you, but it's just another day. Maybe I'm just old (37 at this writing), but I don't get into such parties like I used to.
So be it.

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