Re: OT - Third Millennium (was: Merry Christmas)

["Dave Proctor" <thadocta@spambait.dingoblue.net.au>]

John Wayman wrote in message <84r7s5$jg0$1@news1.mpx.com.au>...
>David, I care. I am annoyed that the media should have got it right in the
>first place. It makes me sick to see TV reporters and anchor men talking
>about the new Millennium and the new century.

I would hate to see your reaction to some of the massacres in places like
East Timor and Rwanda then if TV reporters make you sick.

>I am annoyed because the truth has been cast aside in the interests  of
>commercialism. You can have two millennium years for the price of one. I do
>feel sorry for people who have made important life decisions based on
>misinformation.

And people who made these important life decisions would have made them
anyway. People did not choose to have a baby just because it was the end of
the millenium (as reported). They chose to have a baby because they wanted
to have a baby, and they merely timed it to suit the millenium. If they are
fickle enough to time it to coincide with the millenium, then that is their
problem and they get no sympathy from me.

Similiarly with people who got married, or did any number of other things.
The only thing that misreporting would have done was affected the timing of
when they did it. If they did it purely because of the (reported) end of the
millenium, then they deserve what they get.

>How will history record what happened last week? It will
>probably be ignored until the end of next century when it will help to
cloud
>the same debate.

The end of the next century will not have the same millenium impact as the
end of the 20th century does.

>It is important to know that with a universal calendar will not only tell
me
>that Jesus was born 1999 years ago,

Actually, it is generally recognised that He was born c. 4 BCE, hence it was
2003 years ago.

>but that 1923 years after that event the first W series tram entered
service,

So that would be 1927 years?

>that  mainline steam was abandoned in Victoria in AD1968

Which should really be 1972 CE

> - and that the third millennium will begin in 2001, after
>the end of the 2000th December after the start date.

And if you are basing it on the birth of Christ, then we are really in 2004
now.

But as I said, why are you losing sleep over it?

Dave