Gary North was just interviewed on the 10:00 pm news program of KARK-TV, the NBC affiliate out of Little Rock, Arkansas. The report was very balanced, with Dr. North portrayed as an expert on Y2K, not a wacko fringe loony-tune. There was a discussion of the domino effect; preparation for Y2K is the subject of tomorrow night's newscast. The teaser to end the segment was "hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

Slowly but surely, Y2K is reaching the general public. The time to prepare is NOW! "He who hesitates is lost."

-- Nabi Davidson (nabi7@yahoo.com), February 23, 1999

Answers

I'm beginning to feel sorry for the senior citizens and the less fortunate who cannot go out and spend $500.00 to sustain themselves for the next 6 months. Do we say to them you are S.O.L (shit out of luck)? Do we say, "it's time for you to move on to the other side your usefulness as a human being is now terminated?" These are issues that need to be dealt with. Dieter: I will take care of your grandma or mother if I have to........

-- SpaceCadet (SpaceCadet@ready.com), February 23, 1999.

$500????? ROFTLTIP!!!!

In the Driver household, it's $400 everytime I turn around!!!!

-- Chuck, night driver (rienzoo@en.com), February 23, 1999.

Very curious. I'd sure like to know what went on behind the scenes in order for Gary "I don't grant interviews" North to agree to this. Maybe he has friends there or maybe he just figured the timing was right...

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), February 24, 1999.

Didn't Scary Gary predict that his views would slowly be accepted as mainstream? Don't think we're there yet, and I hope he's wrong, but the fact that this story was presented as Nabi says is nothing short of amazing to me.

-- Steve Hartsman (hartsman@ticon.net), February 24, 1999.

It sounds like Gary has been on a few local news reports, and has behaved himself (no foaming ;-), so other broadcasts are using him too. Now, how many weeks before Infomagic is a regular expert featured in the roundtable debates ...

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), February 24, 1999.

I believe North had just spoken at a community gathering on Y2K in an Arkansas town near where he lives, and this Little Rock station had covered the event. This particular station isn't the market leader in news. In an apparent attempt to increase their ratings, they generally employ a sensational approach to reporting the news.

Apparently Gary agreed to talk with them after the meeting he spoke at. He came across pretty well, I thought. Although he didn't say it, the news anchor repeated his statement that if the power grid goes down for more than 60 days, western civilization would collapse. The anchor "might" be a GI, from the tone of the report (then again, she may just be hoping for higher ratings and a raise:-). But either way, this is very likely to wake up some of the herd.

-- Nabi Davidson (nabi7@yahoo.com), February 24, 1999.

Actually, even $200 would be enough for 6 months for an elderly couple. Look at that this way:

15 lbs of rice would per month would keep an elderly person alive. 50 lbs. of rice at Sam's or other club stores is around $16 or so. Two elderly folks need 30 lbs of rice per month minimum, over 6 months that's 180 bs. of rice. Four 50 lb. bags would cost around $70. Add $30 worth of canned meat, tuna, beef, etc., and there's your food problem solved for $100.

Four to six oil lanterns or lamps, cheapies, at local hardware, $5 each. three 5 gallon kerosene cans and kero for in it will cost another $45. Get them all going at once, and you can heat a small, well-insulated room - not a lot of heat, but should be enough to keep it bearable in most parts of the country (far north will probably need a kero heater or wood stove). Add some good blankets and comforters from the thift store, say $25 worth. Oil lamps can also be rigged for cooking, just needs something sturdy and fireproof to hold a pot over the flames. Light, heat, cooking and warmth: $100.

Water can be stored by saving and scrounging empty 1-liter plastic soda bottles. If cleaned well and filled with chlorinated city tap water, they will keep for years. Cost is free from neighbors and recycling centers.

One could always take in any elderly people in your neighborhood, but if you can get them to prepare a little bit for the worst, it might not be necessary. Many older folks are proud and wouldn't want to leave their homes, so helping them do minimum preps makes sense.

-- scooter (here@the.forum), February 24, 1999.