PUBLIC FORUM; IF NOT ARMAGEDDON WE'RE STILL DOOMED.For today's Public Forum for Saturday, the Daily News invited readers to make predictions for the new year. Will chaos reign, or will it be life as usual? Are you expecting great events to mark a new millennium? What do you foresee as the greatest problem coming our way? WE ARE ENTERING A NEW CENTURY at whose other end the earth, for the first time in human history, conceivably could be stripped of the terrestrial Eden that for the most part survived even the tremendous environmental assault of the rapacious 20th century. If there ever was an appropriate (hell, made to order) time to peek into the deep future and thoughtfully consider truly important, long-range issues, it has to be right now, as the whole world together, on the planetary civil calendar, exits one humongous thousand-year block of time and commences its successor. And this very utilizable calendric milestone happens to coincide with a U.S.A. presidential election. Yet we hear nothing solid or passionate from candidates for leadership of the world's most powerful and capable nation about the ongoing destruction of the global environment, about planetary warming and climate change, human overpopulation overpopulation Situation in which the number of individuals of a given species exceeds the number that its environment can sustain. Possible consequences are environmental deterioration, impaired quality of life, and a population crash (sudden reduction in numbers caused by , the progressive diminishment of water and soil, forests and oceans - all of which is about the very sustainment of the human enterprise, not to mention the great beauty of this still-wonderful earth. That's the shame, a missed opportunity - and a sad portent of where we might be headed as humanity breathlessly proceeds, at month's end, into the shiny new century and millennium. - Gregory Wright Gregory Wright may refer to:
Sherman Oaks CHAOS WILL NOT EVER RULE, but it is my hope great events will occur. Life will be as usual with its dares and changes. Our greatest problem is our continuous failure to recognize the spirit of the human person within the public sphere The public sphere is a concept in continental philosophy and critical theory that contrasts with the private sphere, and is the part of life in which one is interacting with others and with society at large. . Thanks to our government- run (or ruined) public schools, too much emphasis is put on nurturing the physical and material instead of those things pertaining to the soul. Government schools desperately need to recognize religion as a discipline that trains a person how to live a better life in our society and the hereafter. We are going to live forever. Politicians and business people must see that thievery Thievery See also Gangsterism, Highwaymen, Outlawry. Alfarache, Guzmán de picaresque, peripatetic thief; lived by unscrupulous wits. [Span. Lit. comes from selfishness. They must stop their lying to the public in order to steal from them. I look for this New Year to be a beginning of a selfless age. - John J. Curti Tarzana THE DAWNING OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM has brought the vision of a better lifestyle for me, my family and my nation. A vision free of the four major scourges of humankind: disease, deprivation, devastation and death. It took some research, but the results are truly awesome. I found I can help prevent disease by replacing animal products in my diet with wholesome grains, legumes Legumes A family of plants that bear edible seeds in pods, including beans and peas. Mentioned in: Cholesterol, High legumes (l , vegetables and fruits. Chronic diseases associated with consumption of animal products kill three times as many Americans as those linked to tobacco smoking. Every health advocacy The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. organization recommends the transition. My diet will help prevent food deprivation. Raising animals for food wastes enormous amounts of foodstuffs foodstuffs npl → comestibles mpl foodstuffs npl → denrées fpl alimentaires foodstuffs food npl → , topsoil, water, fertilizer, energy and other vital food production resources needed for our children and the world's hungry. My diet will help prevent environmental devastation. Raising animals for food is chiefly responsible for pollution of our water supplies and for destruction of wildlife and their habitats. Even the conservative Sierra Club Sierra Club, national organization in the United States dedicated to the preservation and expansion of the world's parks, wildlife, and wilderness areas. Founded (1892) in California by a group led by the Scottish-American conservationist John Muir, the Sierra Club has joined the battle. My diet will help prevent death and suffering of innocent sentient sentient /sen·ti·ent/ (sen´she-ent) able to feel; sensitive. sen·tient adj. 1. Having sense perception; conscious. 2. Experiencing sensation or feeling. animals. Nearly 10 billion are caged, crowded, deprived, drugged, mutilated mu·ti·late tr.v. mu·ti·lat·ed, mu·ti·lat·ing, mu·ti·lates 1. To deprive of a limb or an essential part; cripple. 2. To disfigure by damaging irreparably: mutilate a statue. , and manhandled each year in U.S. factory farms until the butcher's knife ends their misery. My resolution for the new millennium is simple but oh so powerful: a wholesome, nonviolent diet of grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. - Connie Crosby North Hollywood SAY, WHAT IS THE RUSH with this millennium thing? If some people believe 1999 is the last year of the 2nd millennium (2000 years), then they believe our current Gregorian calendar Gregorian calendar Solar dating system now in general use. It was proclaimed in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar. By the Julian reckoning, the solar year comprised 365¹⁄₄ days. began the Anno Domini ANNO DOMINI, in the year of our Lord, abbreviated, A. D. The computation of time from the incarnation of our Saviour which is used as the date of all public deeds in the United States and Christian countries, on which account it is called the "vulgar vera." (A.D.) portion with the year 0 (zero). It didn't. The Gregorian calendar, developed in 1582, and adopted by much of Western civilization Noun 1. Western civilization - the modern culture of western Europe and North America; "when Ghandi was asked what he thought of Western civilization he said he thought it would be a good idea" Western culture by the 1700s, made some adjustments to the earlier Julian calendar Julian calendar n. The solar calendar introduced by Julius Caesar in Rome in 46 b.c., having a year of 12 months and 365 days and a leap year of 366 days every fourth year. . They introduced leap year leap year: see calendar. and adjusted the calendar by making a one-time drop of 10 days in October. However, no changes were made of a magnitude sufficient to make the 1999th year into the 2000th year. The 3rd Millennium begins in the year 2001. If you don't believe that, tune in to Art Bell on 790 AM radio. Your brain may be controlled by an alien. - Donald J. Prado Valencia ``WHAT DO WE WANT to see in the 21st century?'' The answer is only what we take with us, in our hearts, our minds and in our hands. Our hopes, dreams and nightmares yet to be seen. Both good and evil at the same time, to keep the balance. Advances in technology, the continual doctrines of our religions and, perhaps, a better understanding of ourselves and each other. I hope to see the earth still in one piece, in peace with itself and those who inhabit it. I would like to see the animal kingdom not slaughtered into extinction, along with the human race in its wake. I would like to see a sunrise that tells us there is hope before our eyes, if only we dare to keep our sleepy eyelids eyelids, n.pl a moveable fold of thin skin over the eye. The orbicularis oculi muscle and the oculomotor nerve control the opening and closing of the eyelid. open long enough to see the portrait in the sky, before our bodies tell us it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a to slumber for another millennium. - John C. Weaver Reseda THE CHANGING OF THE MILLENNIUM should prompt new thinking about the world. For example, the United Nations will need to be supported more, if humanity is to enjoy peace and prosperity in the future. If we continue to make nationalism a religion, then we will self-destruct. Albert Einstein, who has been selected ``Person of the Century'' by Time magazine, was very clear in his message that the nuclear age rendered national sovereignty an outdated concept in reality. Einstein believed only a world government could save mankind. While we watch the countdown this year, we should ponder our responsibility to future generations. - Robert E. Griffin Wilkes-Barre, Pa. I BELIEVE THE NEW MILLENNIUM will bring a lot of great modern technology. And if everyone keeps their heads straight, there will be no disastrous problems. - Amy Smith West Hills AS THE NEW YEAR BEGINS, the sun will come up and everything will go on pretty much as before. Sure, there will be many computer glitches and someof them may even cause major problems for a few days or even weeks, butin the long run they will not matter much. What will matter is that people will continue to complain ``there ought to be a law'' - and theCalifornia legislature will give them another 1,000 laws, just as theydid in 1999. The same will be happening in Washington, D.C. Government will gladly take over the responsibility for our existence and comfort. An ignorant public cannot see that each law results in some loss of liberty and our drift into fascism will continue apace. Government schools (a socialist enterprise) have failed to teach the principles of the American Revolution American Revolution, 1775–83, struggle by which the Thirteen Colonies on the Atlantic seaboard of North America won independence from Great Britain and became the United States. It is also called the American War of Independence. (established by) the founders of the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, . Instead, public schools teach the virtues of government and the evils of free enterprise, and they vehemently attack the rise of competing alternative methods of private education for all children. Despite ardent lip service lip service n. Verbal expression of agreement or allegiance, unsupported by real conviction or action; hypocritical respect: , I see little evidence that voters treasure the freedom provided in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In the long term, this trend will lead to a Soviet-style collapse into total corruption. Still, there is a possibility people will vote for a Libertarian government and the personal responsibility and liberty it promises. - Ernst F. Ghermann Winnetka WE, THE PEOPLE of the whole earth, west and east, need to think of the next thousand years as the ``WEllenium.'' We need to reach the ``WE'' level of consciousness and unite the planet. We need to eliminate separations by race, religion, political beliefs and country of origin. We need to think in terms of one universal ''WElegion'' of love with all humans being ``WEmembers.'' We need to have one world ``WEcology'' to protect our natural ``WEsources.'' We need one world ``WEconomy'' with one universal monetary system. We need to rejoice and respect all ``WEs'' all ways, always. - Jonathan E. Beck Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. THE ROOT CAUSE of the Great Depression was the elimination of manual labor by widespread use of powered machinery. The pending Great Depression II of the 21st century will be caused by the elimination of clerical labor from widespread use of computer automation. Both technology advances caused a profound change in work. They made manual and clerical labor skills obsolete. They simultaneously created new industries, which created added employment. However, the rate at which jobs are eliminated or added doesn't have to be equal at all points in time. The replacement of many small farmers with mules by a tractor resulted in 19% unemployment for 13 years. Current demographics fuels low unemployment and the bull market. The low birth rate of the 70s and 80s has decreased the labor pool to balance automation downsizing (1) Converting mainframe and mini-based systems to client/server LANs. (2) To reduce equipment and associated costs by switching to a less-expensive system. (jargon) downsizing . The mid-40s baby boomers See generation X. are in their peak earning years Peak earning years refers to the time in life when workers earn the most money per year. US perspective Given their initial lack of experience, workers' earnings start out low. Earnings peak when workers hit middle age, then begin to fall as retirement approaches. and buying overvalued Overvalued A stock whose current price is not justified by the earnings outlook or price/earnings (P/E) ratio and thus, expected to drop in price. Overvaluation may result from an emotional buying spurt, which inflates the market price of the stock or from a deterioration in a stocks. In 2010 the increased birth rate of the 1990s will increase the labor pool and therefore unemployment. Baby boomers will start forced retirement and drag the economy down. Automation will eliminate 1.3 million jobs from manufacturing. One half million more bank tellers will be lost to ATMs. Three and a half million check-out clerk jobs will be automated out of existence, etc. We have seen more Amazon.coms going online and then Crown Books going bankrupt. The question is, can the Federal Reserve prevent the 2010 bear marketfrom going into the Great Depression II? - D. Mike Emch Reseda THE REASON THE THIRD MILLENNIUM begins on Jan. 1, 2001, is as follows: When our current calendar was agreed upon Adj. 1. agreed upon - constituted or contracted by stipulation or agreement; "stipulatory obligations" stipulatory noncontroversial, uncontroversial - not likely to arouse controversy , the concept of zero was unknown. The year in which Christ was born was numbered 1, rather than 0. One thousand years later was 1001. Estimates of Christ's birth are said to be in error by several years, plus or minus. It's only numbers and, better yet, we can do it all over again next year. - John Pierson John Pierson can refer to:
Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. NOT EVEN THE GREAT Northridge Earthquake The Northridge earthquake occurred on January 17, 1994 at 4:31 AM Pacific Standard Time in the city of Los Angeles, California. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6. of 1994 could prevent the Daily News from reaching my doorstep on schedule. But this is one letter I wonder about. Even if the editors select it for publication and the electricity doesn't go out at midnight, will those embedded computer chips inside the electronic publishers, the microwave relays to the printing facility and the presses themselves stumble as 99 becomes 00? I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. . But if they do, no one will read this. In the last years of the 19th century, we already had the telephone, the telegraph, the automobile and the motion picture. There was even a rudimentary form of computer called a Q-Sort machine. So 20th-century surprises like radio, television, the computer and ultimately the Internet may not have surprised scientists of 1899. But the Holocaust and Cambodia and Rwanda and Bosnia went far beyond the worst horrors of the 19th century. Computers grow more sophisticated and scientific and medical research produces new wonders, but these are often overshadowed by the social setbacks. Can a new millennium change this? But I'm still wondering if Y2K See Y2K problem and Y2K compliant. Y2K - Year 2000 should have been Y2M. ``M'' is Latin for 1,000 and MM for 2,000. Think how many businesses invested millions and how many other businesses made millions off of Y2K. - Rick Roffman Van Nuys AS WE PROCEED toward the future relative moment of the New Year's Eve 2000/New Millennium, we are also creating the myth of it. The fantasy of Dec.31/Jan. 1 is just a technicality, an imaginary point on a locus of time. A myth. God and nature will go on just the same. Animals, plants, fish, birds, etc., have no cognizance The power, authority, and ability of a judge to determine a particular legal matter. A judge's decision to take note of or deal with a cause. That which is cognizable to a judge is within the scope of his or her jurisdiction. of this people thing. Jan. 2, 3, 4 ... will be just normal days. Other religions and societies have different millenia we all pass through. He who raves/parties/indulges most may do jail/hangover most. It is wiser to be conscientious and careful in recognizing how long Jesus has been dead than it is to be in the news as a New Year's victim. Personal fortitude, conscientiousness and adaptation will help us through this extra special holiday, its manias and any Y2K problems. - Dennis Miller Van Nuys THERE HAVE BEEN BOTH ABSURDITY and a degree of insanity concerningthe New Millennium. People are already in jail for making bombs. Others eagerly anticipate the end of the world, as their intellectual ancestors did a thousand years ago. Some plan to lose weight beforehand, which is a positive, although participants are being misled a little. The pathetic truth is that they are doing it all a year early. A review of fifth-grade math should reveal the New Millennium begins Jan. 1, 2001, and no sooner. But what do you expect in a country that just lost a $150 million Mars probe because of a simple arithmetic error? Math skills are rare in this country. Employers can't find enough people who can make change. Schools can't find qualified math teachers. That is the crux of the problem. According to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) is an independent agency created in 1970 by the Ryan Act and is the oldest of the autonomous state standards boards in the nation. The mission of the CCTC is to facilitate the credentialing of California's teachers. , most people who are good at math choose occupations other than teaching. Arithmetic should be fun, but if the teacher hates it, how do you expect the students to feel? The only solution I see is for volunteers from the business community to help our grade-school teachers on a large-scale and ongoing basis. The mathematical illiteracy of the population should be viewed as a national emergency, but the most likely scenario is that the government will continue to ignore the problem and to import new computer programmers from Russia and India. Meanwhile, American kids can't find jobs. - William West Reseda CAPTION(S): cartoon Cartoon: Well, we survived Y2K, what's new?...The 1900 World's Fair is opening! |
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