DECEMBER 1999

Saturday, December 15th 1999 - My Response To Corey's Journal Entry.

Corey is in Italics

>As the Millennium is quickly approaching, I think I have a few
>things I want to say on that subject.

     *giggle* Me too, me too. :)

>My home and my job are both Y2K ready.

     Not sure about the VCR, and I didn't see any documentation with the DVD player (although it doesn't know the date anyway (unless it reads it off a disc or something)).

>I've checked my computer to make sure that it will function properly
>once the date changes to 2000, and it will.

     I still dont know about mine. If we get it hooked up in time I'll just set the clock back a decade or two and hope for the best.

>The bank I work for as spent $350 million dollars over the past 3
>years to make sure that all it's systems are ready, and they are.
>It will be business as usual.

     But even still there are things beyond their control or that they didn't think of that could through a wrench in the works. Even the manager where I work has his doubt (as over heard just last night).

>Speaking of banks . . . I can't believe all the panic surrounding
>the change of the millennium. People are planning on withdrawing
>all their money from the bank because the panic mongers are saying
>that the financial industry will collapse on January 1st.

     Well I highly doubt that. Worse comes to worse we'll have to revert back to doing things the hard way. *gasp* Life hasn't always revolved around computers (speaking of which, our computer at work has been out for two days so far (and they want us to believe they are ready for the New Year when December 8th causes so much trouble?)).

     Not like the power never goes out where I work (according to one of the guys I work with it has gone out at least 4 or 5 times a years since he started 5 years ago).

>They're buying canned foods, batteries and even portable generators
>in case the power goes out.

     Lights out? Cool. Candlelight! How romantic. :)

>Bull shit, I say. I have every confidence that the change will not
>effect anything major here in the United States or other major
>countries.

     If it does, it'll only be for a short amount of time and be more of an inconvinience rather than a disaster.

>The only danger I foresee that day is all the crazies out there that
>believe that the world is either going to end, or that nothing will
>work.

     Or that Jesus will return (a lady at work believes that) or the commies will attack or UFO's will come to destroy the world or take them with them (hailbop anyone), riots and looting (L. A. Riots), massive earthquakes and other natural disasters (Noah! Build an Ark)...
     I can't believe what some people will put thier faith in. It's that element that scares me most.

>Scott and I had a little . . . discussion . . .

     Drama queen! *giggle* Debate sounds better. The fact is it wasn't that bad. I was upset at the bank, and he was trying to defend it.

>about New Year's Eve and what the bank is doing to make sure that we
>have the personnel available to get the work done on time.

     To bad they cant spent that much attention to it everyday. It's been months since we've been at full staff (in fact since I started in August we've been understaffed in every area).

>For everyone who shows up, they will receive a crisp, brand new $100
>bill. A advice will be issued to payroll for the $100, plus enough
>to cover all the taxes on it.

     Not that I'm complaining about the extra $100. That's very cool (despite other places offering their employees 4 to 10 times more).

>There is going to be a major party with plenty of food and music.

     Halloween night we had a small party. Stopped production for an hour putting us 2 hours behind.

>There is going to be drawings for prizes throughout the night for
>everything from $50 cash to gift certificate for stores and
>restaurants to tickets to a sporting event to 2 Waterford 2000
>crystal goblets.

     Drawings are only fun if you win (something you actually want would be nice too).

>The bank has really gone all out to make sure that people show up
>that night. And in addition to all that, if everyone in a
>functional area (read individual departments) shows up, the entire
>area will receive an additional $50.

     I'm pretty much screwed outta that money. Thanksgiving week? Half my "individual department" decided not to show.

>On the opposite side, since the bank is going all out for this,
>there will be some serious consequences for those who choose not to
>show up for work that night, up to and including the possibility of
>being fired. The bank has already contacted our Human Resources and
>legal departments, and has verified that they can legally do that.

     Good! It'll clear out some of the shits that come in only when they want to.

>Scott's concern is that it is common knowledge in his department
>that at least one person is not planning on showing up that night;
>despite the possibility of being fired, thus no one in that area
>will receive that extra $50.

     Yep. He was one of the individuals in my "individual department" that decided to take an extra long Thanksgiving (the whole week in fact). And oh hey, he didn't show up yesterday or today either.

>I can see his concern, as he feels that there's nothing he can do to
>get that person to come in.

     Well is there anything I can do to get the person to show up? He's already gonna be loosing his job (he has already expressed not caring if he looses it and is probably already looking for another job (hopefully that was that he did today)).

>Scott sees this as punishing the people who do show up by not giving
>them the total $150.

     Actually I see it as the people in certain predetermined groups getting screwed outta $50 others are getting just cause they all showed up.
     Why should I get shorted that money just cause ditzoid didn't show up for yet another day of work. Not only am I gonna get shorted $50 but I'll have to work twice as hard all night just to make up for his absence again.

>I don't. Maybe I've truly become "Management" in that the way I
>look at it is: The bank doesn't have to do everything it's doing to
>make it at least tolerable to work that night.

     Yeah, but it should be tolerable for everyone not just those lucky few who will be on the right team and get their name drawn in the raffles.
     Otherwise it's just another work day with food and music and more work and getting rushed to make up for those who are home partying.

>That extra $50 is supposed to be added incentive to get everyone in,

     Oh joy. Please incent me more. Want one of my livers cause one of the curiours is late?

>not a right for everyone who does work that night.

     Yeah, besides, it's cheaper for the bank to screw over some people and not others. :)

>All total, that $150 is almost the equivalent of 2 days pay for most
>people, and even the flat $100 is more than one day's pay. That's
>in addition to the normal pay that they get for working a regular
>work day.

     To bad we dont get holiday pay (for it as it is a holiday). How many parties are held early that morning or the next day. None. The holiday is midnight. Chances are that's gonna be the time when most of the people are going to be driving home from work.

>Another concern that we've discussed is the bank's decision to
>do "Business as Usual" on New Year's Eve, meaning that all the
>branches and everything else will stay open their normal hours that
>day, instead of closing a couple of hours early like they're going
>to do Christmas Eve.

     ...And usually do on New Years Eve, but just "to make the clients feel more secure that Y2K wont effect their money" this year they are going to stay open like normal hours. Personaly that says to me the opposite. It says that we're doing something special to make you think we are secure, or we just wanna try to make as much money as possible before the ball drops. Either way it's a couple more hours work for us as we have to wait for the money to get processed and come to us.

>Despite all that, in Scott's area, we're (the bank's management) is
>already planning on bringing in extra people early in the day to
>help get the work through faster, and I myself am even planning on
>working there that day in addition to my normal schedule. With
>all that planned, it's expected that even with a normal bank
>schedule, all the work will be done an hour and a half to two hours
>earlier than a normal Friday.

     Yep. 11 or 11:30 is the estimate (according to the big boss that is).

>Then there's concern for safety going home from work. Scott's
>already told me he's planning on driving to work that day (we live
>right across the street from where he works) so he has the added
>armor of the car. Now, we do not live or work in a residential
>area. The danger of drunks and gunfire are not going to be any
>higher than a normal Friday night, and the police are going to be
>out en force to stop drunk drivers and the other crazies.

     Maybe it's just me lying there hearing gun shots at night trying to convince myself it's just cars backfiring. And that's a normal night. No one knows what's gonna happen in the changing of the millenium. After all who predicted the L. A. riots a few years ago.

>As for people who do have to drive further and possibly to less safe
>parts of town, yes, the danger is a little greater, but as long as
>the people are alert, I don't see it being a major problem. Two of
>my people live in the less safe parts of town and have not expressed
>any concern about their safety getting home that night.

     Well maybe not in your area dear, but there is a lady from my area that expressed that concern and it was echoed by several others.

>I don't know. I know this is nothing to have an argument over, and
>Scott and I have basically agreed not to discuss it anymore, that
>we're just not going to agree on it.

     I thought we agreed we disagree. :)

>I'm just kind of frustrated that I can't seem to get my point
>across to him.

     Judging from how well our boss did at convincing us the other night when he gave his speal I'm not surprised. He didn't get far with us either.

>And I'm a little surprised that he's buying into this millennium
>hype.

     It's not that I'm bying into it, it's others I'm worried about. I just dont have much faith in other people especialy lately with shootings in schools, babies getting set on fire while her Aunt pleades with police to at least put out an APB on the car, etc.
     It's been year since the news hasn't caused me to almost cry watching it (not to mention keep me awake at night wondereing how things like that can happen in this day and age).

>Of course, this is his first New Year's Eve in a major city, so
>maybe that's part of it.

     Well a few years ago I remeber saying I'm glad that I'm not going to be anywhere near a large city on New Years Eve. Safely nestled in a small Oregon Coast town.

>Don't get me wrong. This is nothing major. Scott and I are still
>doing great and we're both still deeply in love with each other.

     Understatment of the millenium. :)

>I just wanted to rant a little and maybe get this out of my system
>before I do end up internalizing it.

     And I needed to show where I'm coming from.

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