This just up on Breaking News:

Greatest fear is fear itself, emergency experts say

[ BS, idiots, it's the failures, stupid ]

[ For MisEducational Purposes Only ]

3/22/99 -- 1:42 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) - The greatest danger from the Year 2000 computer problem may be panic among Americans convinced there will be major disruptions, emergency experts told a House hearing Monday.

The panelists did, however, caution people to be ready for minor breakdowns in basic services. The International Association of Emergency Managers said communities should prepare as if for a storm, including aftereffects, lasting about seven days.

[ oooooo, 7 days, and "aftereffects" -- that's the 1st time seen that little tidbit coming out of .gov forked tongue ]

``It is important to say the sky is not falling because of Y2K,'' said Mike Walker of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is helping local emergency systems deal with the computer problem.

``There is no need to hoard, there is no need to take money out of banks, there is no need to head for the hills,'' he told the House Government Reform Committee's government management panel.

``Fear of unknown consequences places citizens at the risk of either overreacting or not reacting at all,'' said the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif.

[ .... snip ]

Walker joined other experts in concluding that, after spending billions to fix computers, the federal government and the large service industries can say there will be no major infrastructure problems on Jan. 1.

[ don't prepare, don't get your money, don't move, good weeples ]
[ all done, problem solved, happy face, go back to sleep zzzzz ]

But there has also been disinformation and hype, much on the Internet, that has some people girding for catastrophic events. ``There are those who will panic,'' said Rep. Jim Turner of Texas, the subcommittee' top Democrat. He said his own father was talking about spending more than $2,000 for an electric generator.

[ Did his own father get infected by the terrible Internet? ]

Phyllis Mann of Kitsap County, Wash., president-elect of the International Association of Emergency Managers, said it was crucial to give people with reliable and consistent information to counterbalance the ``alarmists.''

As a guideline, the IAEM is recommending that people have on hand enough food and water for a seven-day storm. They should have a 30-day supply of medication and should make copies of car, mortgage and credit card payments in case of problems with bank computers. They should also keep their gas tanks full.

FEMA has published its own manual for local emergency managers that outlines how to avoid Y2K problems and handle any problems that do occur. Among the many areas of concern cited: 911 services could go down, street lights and railroad crossing signals might fail, problems might occur with jails or prisons, leading to escapes.

Former Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler said that while large hospitals have generally fixed their computers, which monitor crucial health records and medical equipment, ``municipal and county hospitals lag far behind.''

She urged the government to set up a ``super health care Web site'' to help health care providers avoid what could be life-threatening situations.

Separately, the heads of the Senate's special panel on the Y2K problem, Sens. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., wrote to Vice President Al Gore asking him to take up Russia's serious Y2K issues when he meets this week with Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov.

``Russian failure to address Y2K will only worsen its economic woes, further degrade its aging defense systems and possibly lead to humanitarian and environmental problems for its citizens and neighbors,'' they wrote.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Still many lies & obfuscation in there, but the # of days is creep crawling upward, not downward ;-)

"Itsy Bitsy Spider crawls up the waffle spout ..."

Eventually will come the truth to flush the spider out ...

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 22, 1999

Answers

Yes, you watch, by Summer the incremental worsening of the coming Y2K "bad storm" will be notched up a lot further. Y2K has come a long way, baby.

Leska- Really enjoyed your commentary, too.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), March 22, 1999.

Notice the 30-day supply of medication.
Full gas tanks.
escaping prisoners ... somehow seems this will be pre-dealt with. Unless they mean all of us prevented from "heading for the hills" LOL
Depends on 12/1999 definition of "prisoner."

"Separately, the heads of the Senate's special panel on the Y2K problem, Sens. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., wrote to Vice President Al Gore asking him to take up Russia's serious Y2K issues when he meets this week with Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov."

Does the Vice President need a letter to prompt him to take up the Y2K issues when he meets with the Russian Prime Minister!? Gore should automatically be thinking Y2K in every interaction he has. This is an unpresidented issue of world survival. What is wrong with all these people?

mmmmmmm mmmmmmm mmmmmmm

-- Ashton (allaha@earthlink.net), March 22, 1999.

Thanks Jack ;-)
We've taken a short sabbatical on posting news, since so much is blabber, but still are watching the official slippages. Sort of a morbid sport. Waste of time to track the clueless, but an amusing break between prep surges. We're getting cranky in our Y2K old age ;^}

xxxxxxxx mmmmmmmm xxxxxxxx mmmmm

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), March 22, 1999.

Thanks, Leska.

So, then, Norm: are things getting better? Govt has more than doubled the recommended preparation timeframe?

I like the look of that headline:

Emergency Managers double recommended Y2K-supply safety net.

-- Lisa @work. (lisab@shallc.com), March 22, 1999.

And counting..... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 22, 1999.

Politicians have trouble with focusing on anything other than getting elected. They are like rabbits in heat.

-- curtis schalek (schale1@ibm.net), March 22, 1999.

And in another month it will be 10 to 14 days and by July it will be 30 days and by the end of November at the latest it will be evacuations have started in the cities and...."it will be a bump in the road, not to worry".

I read somewhere that they were going to say 3 days because the concensus in government planning was that people would listen to 3 days because that is their attention span and what they could handle. By upping the advance line in increments, more people were likely to prepare because 7 days is not that much of a stretch from 3 days and 2 weeks...ad nauseum. That way you don't start a panic and the system can handle it. Hmmm

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), March 22, 1999.

Excuse me, but the government did not say 7 days. The rep. from the International Association of Emergency Managers said it in her testimony, as was reported here:

"Phyllis Mann of Kitsap County, Wash., president-elect of the International Association of Emergency Managers, said it was crucial to give people with reliable and consistent information to counterbalance the ``alarmists.''

As a guideline, the IAEM is recommending that people have on hand enough food and water for a seven-day storm. They should have a 30-day supply of medication and should make copies of car, mortgage and credit card payments in case of problems with bank computers. They should also keep their gas tanks full. "

----------------------------- Whether you post good news or bad news, let's keep it accurate.

-- Buddy (buddydc@go.com), March 22, 1999.

The RCMP up here in Canada are saying, prepare for 2 weeks...

-- laura (no@mail.com), March 22, 1999.

You tell'em Buddy! You doomers can't read a simple press release and figure out who said what, but you expect others to blindly swallow what you and Yourdonites post without question? Or is 'spin' OK if it is anti-government spin?

-- Another NORMal Person (Sam Malone@BettyFord.com), March 22, 1999.

Buddy, when any sprong in the fork of gov/media reports on gov gatherings and admits 7 days without "suppress the alarmist" retractions, that is news. Several branches of gov say different # of days. If Mike Walker lets it out, it's official. He's the DoD transplant heading up Y2K (and kissing cousin terrorism). They may recoil and go back to 3 days; if that is what's reported next, we'll post that to this thread. No bias in daze reporting here ;-)

Ashton & I are part of a .gov now, temporarily, on a Y2K Committee, of a beautiful prosperous European-type village city, and our org put out an accepted official newsletter which advocates ONE YEAR as sensible prep and tells calmly, prudently, oh-so-easily how exactly to prepare. Only very positive reaction, no howling, nobody trailing any of us with nets & white coats; this city will survive and thrive. Why? Because the local officials are not ego-bogged and have seen their share of disasters and have common sense :^)

The 7 days gets attention coming from the jumbled disconnect of gov/media/mil flopping trying to say "we warned you" at the same time as "we will not allow bank runs." Of course anything leaking from these meetings is contained in wobbly trial balloons. 7 days is more than 3 days.

Watching the mallets ping the ball up a centimeter higher ...

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 22, 1999.

In its O-fficial Y2K brochure, the California Office of Emergency Services says "three to seven days". I agree with the other comments: look for this number to increase over the next nine months. The optimal way to change people's minds with minimal backlash is slow and steady and a little at a time; expect that we will move upward from "three days" to "a week" to "10 days" to "two weeks". After that would be a bit of a jump ("3 weeks" or even "1 month"), which would also signal much more serious problems. Doubt we'll ever hear this: recommending 3-4 weeks supplies this late in the game would really set the herd to running...

I'll be happy if they can just get the majority to prep for 2 weeks. We're in "better than nothing" mode now...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), March 22, 1999.

Thanks, Leska.

See also ...

A healthy prognosis for Y2K

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 000def

... and a few not so healthy links.

I too, supect well see more preparation creep by summertime. The fall should get interesting shifts as well.

A House hearing, huh? Wonder if the testimony is up yet ...

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 22, 1999.

Hey Diane ;-D
Knew you'd find it if it's up. Will be necessary since subsequent media reports are conveniently leaving out the 7 days. Trial balloon being popped, down down down sssshhhhhhh hush! Oops, did we steal Dieter's line? LOL

Got enough hush puppies nipping at our Forum heels ... cute little things aren't house-trained yet.

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 22, 1999.

Still looking, Leska.

Found this at the FEMA site ...

Y2K Testimony Given Before Congressional Subcommittee

Washington, March 22, 1999 -- Mike Walker, Deputy Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, testified today before a House subcommittee looking into the Y2K computer problem. ...

http://www.fema.gov/ y2k/walker320.htm

... "To those who would wait and see or those who are downplaying Y2K, let us say: The Y2K problem does not fix itself."

(for Norm).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 22, 1999.

Not up yet. Might take a couple days.

Diane

Should eventually be here ...

House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology (GMIT) Hearings

http:// www.house.gov/reform/gmit/hearings/hindex.htm

GMIT Schedule ...

http:// www.house.gov/reform/gmit/schedule.htm

Also, keep watch over at the USIA latest Washington file news ...

http:// www.usia.gov/products/washfile/latest.shtml

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 22, 1999.

*Read* the small print coming at you these days. Today my bank sent a new debit card; its date still has six digits, only now the "day" has been dropped.

The statement accompanying the card has this gem:

"Limitation of Our Responsibility

We will not be responsible for any damages (including special, indirect or consequential damages) resulting from:

*any failure, error, malfunction or inaccessibility of any machine, system or equipment; or

*any failure, error or delay in any service even if:

-we knew that damage was likely; or -the damage was a result of our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or representatives."

Now *that* inspires confidence!

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), March 22, 1999.

I suppose there were many people at the hearing that jumped up to tell everyone that is preparing for 7 days that this was irresponsible. No?

No one except Norm knows what will happen.

Fear of unknown consequences places citizens at the risk of either overreacting or not reacting at all,'' said the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif.

And who defines "overreacting"?

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), March 22, 1999.

Leska, others, I think we can say to the pollies, DGIs, etc., "Er, this is kinda what we said would happen--NOW will you listen???" It's not the first time we've made an accurate prediction of something crucial on this forum. And you're right about it being a .gov spokesperson. Quite simply, when a person who is in charge of a government emergency planning organization--like the quoted Phyllis Mann, the Emergency Manager of Kitsapp County, Washington, who is speaking for an international association of such managers (which is no doubt dominated by US EAs)--then it's a .gov statement, even if not yet federal. It soon will be.

Leska, thanks for sharp lookout.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 23, 1999.

Rachael, your post gave us the willies! We went to our PO Box to see what slime might be issuing from BBAA bleating glossy screw-yous to the unsuspecting weeples. Whew, nothing yet. Blech!

Ashton says "I wouldn't trust them with spit!"

Diane, thanks again for your links & sleuthing.

Old Git, thanks, I try to look at Breaking News every so often. On Drudge Report page are many hot links to many news sources. Fun to just go down columns clicking and exploring. But don't have time today! Ashton is in full prep mood and is about to come at me with a shovel and pry me off the puter. I like to read and he likes to ACT. I'm a Pisces & he's a Saggitarian -- the revved horse on the go. Bye! { youch ...

Oh, one last tidbit -- on Breaking News now: Russians protest our upcoming bombing, Primakov cancels US visit -- setting the stage for the Y2K whoopsie Nuke attack that the russky defense chief so explicity laid out a couple weeks ago. Guess the blackmail didn't work, doubt Gore will have time to discuss Y2K contingencies, too late now for that. The tide could turn back, tho ... Got bomb shelter?
CLINTON: BOMBING IMMINENT; SAY A PRAYER FOR OUR TROOPS

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx x

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), March 23, 1999.

War ... link
http://www.usia.gov/regional/eur/balkans/kosovo/99032212.htm

CL INTON STATEMENT AT WHITE HOUSE ON KOSOVO MARCH 22

xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 23, 1999.

Two thoughts:

the beginning of WWI
Medjugoria

Anybody else see the connections and feel a chill about what is to transpire?

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), March 23, 1999.

Leska, Pisces was my guess.....!

I love the fish.....

-- Lisa (lisa@work.now), March 23, 1999.

Fish, huh? Catfish goes real good with some o' them hush puppies. Mighty fine eatin'...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), March 23, 1999.