What if you are among the multitude of poor goobers who don't yet have plans for New Year's Eve? My God! A new year, a new century, a new millenium, the possible breakdown of modern technology...the pressure to be a partying part of it all is almost too great!

I, for one, want to be able to tell my great-grandchildren in 2050 where I was when 2000 rang in... and I don't want to have to say "Watching Dick Clark (The Undead) on what we used to call 'television.'"

What are your plans or what do you suggest?

-- Anonymous, April 29, 1999

Answers

Well, I'm hoping to not be doing tech support on that day. Otherwise I'm here in the office answering phone calls from jag offs saying, "Hey! My computer just stopped working. what's going on?"

But if no one has heard, you're supposed to buy all of your bottles of champagne now, because rumor has it they don't have enough manufactured for the big 2000 zero-zero party.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 1999

If some old codger wanted to tell you how they partied new years eve into Jan 1, 1900 would you care? Of course not. Stop buying the media hype. In a few years nobody will give a rats ass what you did for Jan 1, 2000, just like nobody cares what you did on the eve before Jan 1, 1999.

You see, by whipping the viewing public into a frenzy the media and big business has once again found some- thing that is absolutely meaningless but they can capitalize on it to make a whole lot of money. If you want to run with it and have a little manufactured fun go right ahead. But please don't buy into the media hype that there is some deep meaning to all this.

It doesn't matter and will soon be forgotten.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 1999

Big Joe! You're turning into a Big Meany!

It's just a question.

And it is the turning of the century. That's not something everyone gets to see. We get to start saying things like, "Oh, that was back in one, when everyone was doing that." or, "Those shoes are so, like, four. Hello? We are in seven now!"

-- Anonymous, April 29, 1999

Pfft.

Big Joe - I am asking in that "Where were you when Kennedy was shot?" sort of tone. (I was -10 years old or so...)

And really I am asking because I have no plans, dammit, and would like to be doing something fun so my co-workers do not come in the next day and tell me about the party on the bank of the Thames that they were at and see the pizza stains on my shirt that I have been wearing for three days because I am such a loser and didn't have anywhere to go on the eve of the millenium!

As far as the "media hype," and as a member of "The Media" I will try not to take offense...I don't really care about what people are stockpiling and hording for Jan. 1! I just want to know what they're doing on Dec. 31.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 1999

Pamie: Sorry for sounding like a Big Meanie. That was not my intent.

I guess I'm just frustrated because I also currently have no special plans for Dec 31, 1999 and, like Allison, I feel like I have to do something or the following conversation might transpire:

Anyone: So, Big Joe, what'd you do for new year's?

Big Joe: Watched TV with the missus.

Anyone: You big ol' freak.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 1999

great. thanks guys. like i really want to have to worry about this. it's just the kind of thing that i'll get all "i HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME" about, and it will SUCK just 'cause i was freakin' out. and how can i NOT freak out! it's the millenium!!! (or is it? isn't it technically next year? i don't think i care; it's a nice round number) ok. someone please start posting ideas! i just don't want to be on/in anything controlled in any way by a computer. that includes sitting in a car at a traffic light or trying to take a hot shower. so. that leaves me ... picking my nose by candlelight???

-- Anonymous, April 30, 1999

I will be camping with my husband and son.. away from as many people as possible... I am slightly a paranoid person and i don't want to be around groups of people for fear that someone lil jerk is going to think it is a cool idea to take out the masses on new years 1999, and i don't want to be there... this really isn't as paranoid as it seems.. really... there are some really wacked out people out there, and if i have thought of it to avoid.. you know 50 other people plus some have thought of it to do. Plus.. i know all the things that could of been prevented from the y2k bug are supposedly fixed.. but just in case electricity and stuff goes out... we will already be prepared :)
-- Anonymous, April 30, 1999

Since I work for IBM in the client site service division, I already know that I will be working tech support. The teams are already made and I know what shift I'll be working. Doh!

But all is not lost, I have a cunning plan. In the next couple of months I am going to practice doing bios upgrades for PCs, switches and routers while being absolutely stinko drunk so when the Moment arrives I'll be ready. Oh, and I'll be standing by the UPS for the data centre so the slurred speech will be drowned out by the background hum.

And my high school teachers said I was always unprepared! Ha.

-- Anonymous, May 03, 1999

Hmm. Well, when I was in college and went to a party that lasted for 4 days, at the end of which we invented our own religion (c'mon, like that didn't happen to you in college), we decided that the 8 founders should meet in Colorodo Springs, CO on New Year's Eve '99. I think we had watched "The Stand" mini-series immediately prior to our festivities, so we had the idea that at the end of the world Colorodo would be a good place to be.

Unfortunately the drugs have worn off, and those of the group that I still speak with (and are not in prison) refuse to speak about that little experience. I don't know, maybe TGIFriday's?

Hey Pamie, what if we do an End of the Millenium improv show? Huh? We could get all dressed up to perform for the drunkest, loudest audience in improv history! Sounds fun, doesn't it? -- I really wish there was a font you could use for sarcasm.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 1999

My roommate and I plan on having a party on our house, consisting of us and a few friends, a couple of fifths, and a shotgun. We will then sit in lawn chairs and watch the festivities.

No we are not particularily worried about it, but it sounds much more amusing that way.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 1999