The absence of Y2K problems was a cause for carping, not rejoicing.
On occasion the boob tube rises above its nickname, and one of those times was last New Year's Eve. You had to be dead not to be thrilled at watching the new millennium dawn with celebrations beginning way out in the Pacific and advancing westward on the hour. Ours is the first generation in human history able to witness a new century inaugurated by a progression of lavish celebrations in Sydney, Paris, London and other great cities of the world, as each time zone gave up the old. This is television at its best.
At each venue along the way, reporters punctuated the fireworks with the terrific news that no significant Y2K problems had turned up anywhere. For everyone except the survivalists who are still dining on canned Spam, it was reason to jump for joy.