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Every Month, the Editorial Page with one-quarter byte January, 2001's "Two Bits" are titled : 2001: A "duh" Odyssey[Negative, yet probably true!]
Most noteworthy is the notion held by some (not all) scientists, that this is the "real" start of the millennium, not last year's 1999/2000 thing. Several science gurus --2001's Arthur C. Clarke among them, I suppose-- insist that 2001 A.D. is the start of the "REAL" new millennium. These 2001-is-the-real-millenium believers, apparently, go on a simple principle: 1000 cannot be "1000" until a full 1000 are counted. Simple mathematics here: 1000 apples are not 1000 per se, until the 1000th apple is counted. Without that 1000th apple, they are merely 999 apples. On this basis, mathematicians purport that the old millennium cannot be truly "passed" until the year 2000 has been counted, completed, and is gone; after all, it's the thousandth year, right? Well...maybe not, shocking as it may seem to say so. It's quite hard for people to find the guts to approach the likes of Arthur C. Clarke and say, "Sorry, dude, you're wrong." However, I'm sad to say, it appears as though he truly might be. The problem is not in math, as much as chronology. In chronology, counting doesn't begin at the number 1 (i.e., the "first apple," if you will), though starts at the often-under-appreciated number of zero. This said, the first 12 months A.D. (After Christ's Death) was the year "zero," since in actuality there had been no full year yet since Christ had died. After those 12 months, the clock started counting, at "1 A.D." (one full year after Christ's Death). This goes on to this very day. Last year, therefore, was 2000 A.D.; 2000 full years counted, since Christ had died. So, yes, the millennium would have began in the "year 2000," since 2000 years had, in actuality, already passed. This would make these last 12 months the first, "zero digit" months of the new millennium. See? If this all sounds like stereo instructions written in "Klingon," don't worry. This is actually just the tip of the iceberg, of controversial concepts created by 2001: A Space Odyssey, which were mentioned on every news program (and most newspapers) under the sun. Their biggest gripe: a cool-looking, wheel-shaped space station in the film that, gosh, isn't around today. Sad to say, I saw them mention this a bit too much not to be a bit pestered about it. Is this truly that important at all? Give it a rest, guys; after all, as of 1999, a la Space: 1999, the moon was supposed to blast out of Earth orbit! According to a classic episode of Twilight Zone, World War III was supposed to happen in 1985. Count your blessings that some silly wheel-shaped space station isn't around to, quite simply, slowly spin around and look cool. Things could be a lot worse! Regardless, there are people who wish to make 2001 a blueprint for the entire look and feel of this whole year. At the risk of being too blunt...please, NO! I don't want to walk into a shopping mall and see some stupid black pillar with guys in monkey suits chanting around it. I don't want to have every film's finale require Cliff's Notes to comprehend what illegal drug the director was on when filming them (yes, "giant star-baby," I'm talking about you). For that matter, I get enough error messages on my computer as it is, without my PC suddenly saying, "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that." How stupid would that be, when my name isn't even Dave? Let me be frank; if my computer got so rude, I'd simply shotgun the piece of junk and get a new computer. Preferably, a dumber one. So there!
As always, I'm Techtite, and these are My Two Bits...
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Happy New
Year! 2001 should be a year of very intriguing occurrences...as
well as a few rather over-rated ones. Most of the latter is due to a bunch of
misconceptions, based on that well-known 1960's film, 2001:
A Space Odyssey. Sorry to be a wet blanket, though after seeing
every news show on every channel go on and on and on (and on!) about this
film's "relationship" with the real year 2001, I just couldn't stand it
anymore. 
I must admit, this is a non-issue to the
highest degree. I guess I just got a bit miffed, by all those
new-year's-eve news shows that lamented how the real year 2001 is nothing
like the film. Well...DUH! Not just a little "duh," mind you:
I'm talking a big, fat, 800-pound-gorilla sized mega super duper DUH!
Will it take news reports a full year to realize this? That's my fear;
making
this real-year-2001 little more than "A Duh Odyssey," and little more. On the plus side, maybe the end of the actual year will make
more sense than the one in the film. Let's all hope so!