I'm trying to understand your point, John, but you seem to be going both ways. First off, I have always said year 1000 was the last year of the first millennium. The second millennium started with the first instant of january 1, 1001. I THINK we agree that the third millennium begins with the stroke of midnight beginning January 1, 2001, just a little over a year from now.

Your chip counting example is a classic example of why so many people are confused. Say I have 10 chips in my pocket and reach in, get one, and put in on the table. Now, before I do that, there are 0 chips on the table. I reach into my pocket, grab that chip, wave it in the air. It's half way to the table. There's still 0 chips on the table, but the chip in my hand is the first chip, chip number 1, not chip number 0. It's the difference between measuring and counting. Take your age for example. It's a measure of the number of years since you were born. The measurement starts at 0 when you are born. Now lets measure your life in increments of full days. When 1 full day has passed, you are 1 day old. But that day, when you were 0 days old, was the first day of your life. Day 1, not day 0. The next day is day 2 of your life. When it has passed, you will be 2 days old. This is why the century from 1901 through 2000 is the 20th century, even though most of the years start with 19.

You got it now? Measuring starts from zero. Counting starts with one. You count years. You measure the passage of time.