"The utility industry continues to come out with reports that seem to deliberately test my confidence in them, de Jager said here, in the Evansville Courier and Press.

-- Lisa (lisa@work.now), May 20, 1999

Answers

Frankly, I'm shocked!! There ARE people out there still listening to this guy. Unbelievable!!?

-- Dr. Roger Altman (rogaltman@aol.com), May 20, 1999.

Below a comment from de Jager, and this from one of the "bump on the road crowd"

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On a personal level, de Jager said every household in North America ought to maintain a normal level of sufficiency for any disaster, about two to three weeks of food, supplies and a generator.

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The guy has got his money, I recommend a vacation, far far away. This wishy washy bantering from folks that think they have an idea what it is like to live without power and access to goods. I think Peter has done as much damage to the prep. concerns as any individual. Makes me sad to think he also is responsible for alerting folks to the business aspect yet to the common folk he decides to throw a bone.

When are these high paid yakkers going to understand Y2K is not going to be just a business issue anymore and its going to get REAL PERSONAL.

Plus this "buying a generator" is a real silly idea for most. Make sure you can heat and cook before you get a genset. Water pumps are one of the few real reasons to get one. Electricity is handy for radios and lights. Having 45 gallon drums of gas for a generator is just one more safety risk and many can't manage that kind of money, storage concerns. And diesel is way to expensive. Most generators can't power the average appliance (fridge - stove - washer - dryer - furnace) so why bother. Plus they are going to be a real "heat score" Anyone operating a genset must have fuel. Fuel could be a valuable resource therefore worth ripping off.

I highly doubt that there are 190 million generators for all the residents in Canada and the US. The more I read about this "reality disconnect" in regards to what to do to prepare the more I think we are in allot of trouble.

Stay warm, stay fed, stay safe, stay hydrated.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), May 20, 1999.

The problem doesn't lie with de Jager, and never has. The problem lies with the tendency to polarize and pigeonhole. Everyone must be placed into one of two boxes -- certain doom or no problem. And de Jager has been saying that we'll have real problems, but they'll fall short of doom.

Well, if he isn't a doomer, he *must* be saying no problem, as far as the polarizers are concerned. What other pigeonhole can there possibly be?

So I ask Lisa and 'Dr' Altman: Is there cause for concern about utilities? If you think so and de Jager thinks so too, why are you so right and he's such a fool? The only difference I can see is that de Jager is willing to change his mind when faced with changing circumstances, whereas you pride yourselves on your pigheadedness. Well, we all need to take pride in *something*, I guess.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), May 20, 1999.

as a fire inspector in my district of 20k people, i expect to be very busy writing reports......with many causes being identified as improper use of coking,heating and power generating equipment....by folks not accustomed to such devices......As a full time electrician i assume i may be very busy rewiring circuits if not entire houses....if covered by insurance....even if y2k produced not one bump, i expect heavy fmo (fire marshall office) business as a result of test or use of equipment during normal outages.......since they have it they will probably try it out......

-- john o'brien (jsob1944@aol.com), May 20, 1999.

John

Your imput on safety in these matters would be welcome. You should post a thread on the more common mistakes made by folk. This may end up being a catch 22, to heat or to be cold. Each has its risk.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), May 20, 1999.

brian...thanks but no thanks...really..people who would normally take the time to read these correspondenses are not likely to be the ones creating a problem..my point was just that,come big bang or little bump, problems will occur......as for safety....people should read the instructions that come with the unit befor the lights go out......think about any major high rise apratment complex without lights for a day or so.....not a pleasant picture is it...

-- john o'brien (jsob1944@aol.com), May 20, 1999.

Thanks, Lisa;

I generally agree with De Jager; 2 weeks should address an 80-90% probability of Y2K impacts. De Jager assumes based on my read of his other articles that Y2K is still a software issue and his conclusions follow from this assumption. The problem is the domino affect that a software failure could cause major, long term phyical damage to plant and equipment - to prepare for the domino takes alot more than 2 weeks of prep.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), May 20, 1999.

De Jager does not have to worry about the power failing because he is planning to be on a plane over the Atlantic when the year 2000 arrives. I understand that Jane Garvey, Robert Bennett, John Koskinen, Bill Clinton, and Tony Blair all plan to be on that same plane.

-- Incredulous (ytt000@aol.com), May 21, 1999.

o Koskinen is getting ready to increase the "3 day storm" to a 14 day storm.

o 60 minutes is getting ready to air a "shocker" about y2k status of the big cities.

o The "expert groups" are releasing more and more dismal projections, not only about overseas countries, but domestic as well.

In two more months, the only pollyannas left on this forum, or even Debuggery for that matter, will actually be government shills...or idiots.

The calm before the storm is about to end.

-- a (a@a.a), May 21, 1999.

This is for Flint:

After spending more time than I care to admit preparing for a Central NJ Y2k awareness presentation next Tuesday, you bet I'm pigheaded. The evidence that Y2k will cause MAJOR economic and social problems is so overwhelming that it is beyond belief that anyone who has studied this problem can remain unconvinced. Even recent surveys based on self-reported remediation numbers are scarey. Flint, do you not believe these latest figures, or perhaps you believe that no matter how unprepared we are it really doesn't matter because Y2k has been a non-event all along?

I'll tell you one thing, after my Tuesday presentation, I plan to get really busy taking care of a lot of loose ends here on the homefront. I've done all I can to alert people, and this sparing is a pure waste of what little time we have left. If someone sees another post from me they have my permission to call me every name in the book for not doing enough for my family.

Goodbye and lots of luck.

Roger

-- Dr. Roger Altman (rogaltman@aol.com), May 21, 1999.

OINK OInk oink oink........

-- Lisa (lisa@work.now), May 21, 1999.

BTW, Flint, de Jager considers you an enemy of da state if you take yo money out da bank circa rollover. He's-a no you friend.

-- Lisa (lisa@work.now), May 21, 1999.