http://www.canoe.ca/LondonNews/lf.lf-03-29-0100.html

relevant quote:

"TORONTO -- Some of Canada's largest corporations have started tearing up contracts with suppliers who can't guarantee their immunity from the ravages of the millennium bug.

The lost business, worth tens of millions of dollars, represents only a tiny snapshot of the economic fallout that could result from the year 2000 computer glitch, says Sheldon Burshtein, a lawyer who specializes in Y2K issues at Canada's biggest law firm."

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), March 29, 1999

Answers

Arlin,

I'd been wondering when I'd start seeing stories like this Canadian one. There have been other articles in the last month or so saying this sort of thing could happen starting near July.

Also see this article from two days ago about the Japanese yen:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000eu5

Today also happened to be the day the Dow hit 10,000 for the first time ever...

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 29, 1999.

Sears put it right in their 10K report:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0 00eWO

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), March 30, 1999.

I've been thinking this could be the way it's starts. I've allways been soft on how bad I think it will be, more in line with depression caused by glitches. Tearing up contracts? tens of millions? Just a snapshot? That would mean the stock market should start falling. Does any body know if this is covered by any mass media?

ITEOTWAWKI,,,,,,and I feel fine.

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@aol.com), March 30, 1999.

The URL to the post about Sears has a spurious blank in it; the following may work better:

www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000eWO

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), March 30, 1999.

Are companies going to cut off non-compliants who happen to be the _only supplier of widget X?

Is that the keening of a sharp, cold wind I hear?

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), March 30, 1999.

It's going to be interesting, no doubt. What about those firms who use key components from foreign manufacturers in, say Japan. What if Milne is totally correct and Japan is burnt toast? How quickly North American-based companies can move to fill the voids?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), March 30, 1999.