Ladies and Gentlemen of this forum.

I have been lurking here for many months and I want to express my appreciation to each of you on both sides of the issue for the information you have provided. My real name is Terry Furnell and my real e-mail address is tfurnell@bigfoot.com in case anyone is interested in coresponding. I decided a year ago that the threat of disruptions was sufficiently serious to warrant some reasonable preparations. I have dilligently read everything I can find on the subject, both on and off the net, and continue to do so daily. I am currently of the same opinion that I was a year ago and that is: "No one knows with any certainty what will happen at the rollover." I have prepared, to the best of my ability to prepare for a 10 while hoping that it will be a 1. It is very difficult and espensive to prepare at all. Much of my community has taken the same stance and I believe that if things are bad we will be in pretty good shape with our preparations. If they are not bad we will all be pleased to donate our excess food to needy folks in the area and will keep most of the balance of our preparations against the occasional winter storm that sometimes takes out our power in good times.

I am the only Real Estate Broker in the tiny village of Little Switzerland, NC. In the past year I have helped many folks buy what I believe to be Y2K suitable properties in our area. ie: spring, garden space, wood stove and a small community that is populated largely with self sufficient folks far enough from large population centers. If Y2K is bad, these people will be good neighbors. If it is not, they will still be good neighbors. Interestingly, many of my clients over the past year have been programmers involved in Y2K remediation work, although some are those only seeking the more quiet life in a small country atmosphere regardless of what the future holds. I personally, and a number of neighbors, have prepared with storage food for a year, garden seeds for multiple years, alternate energy sources, neighborhood communications and security, and library recourses that will remind us of how things were done in this country before we had such a massive division of labor. I hope these skills are not needed again but the "Foxfire", 10 volume series, is an interesting history of life when things were tough and folks managed to make it. I recommend it to any of you who haven't read it regardless of your view.

Thanks for all of your information and I wish the best to all. I hope to live a while longer in a world worth living in and I think our communities will have a bit to do with that. I have a web site at: http://www.m-y.net/~terry/index.html It is slow to load as I am a very poor website developer. If after reading it anyone wishes to discuss my views I will be happy to do so privately but I do not wish to take up valuable space on this forum in doing so.

Thanks again. I hope the "Polys" are right and the "Doomers" are wrong. I also think not preparing is foolish. Terry Furnell, July 28, 1999.

-- Terry Furnell (tfurnell@bigfoot.com), July 28, 1999

Answers

Dear Terry,

I've bookmarked your site and I intend on reading through it. However, this immediately caught my eye,

"I am posting this book on the internet as freeware. There is no charge. You are free to duplicate it and share it with anyone you think might be helped by it. Please do not change it without my permission. It will remain in this form unless some publisher picks it up and tempts me with vast amounts of food or silver. In the meantime, if you think the book is worthwhile, you may pay for it by spending an additional $10.00 for storage food and earmarking it for a hungry neighbor or even a stranger. If you do this I will be well paid for my efforts. "

Terry, that hit my heart and soul with some very serious, positive energy. Thanks for your thoughts and I'm sure I'll enjoy reading more.

Mike

who also hopes the '"Polys" are right and the "Doomers" are wrong."

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), July 28, 1999.

"anyone wishes to discuss my views I will be happy to do so privately but I do not wish to take up valuable space on this forum in doing so."

Terry,

You seem to be just the type of person that this forum is designed for. Please, continue to share your views with us!

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), July 28, 1999.

PS

"I hope the "Polys" are right and the "Doomers" are wrong."

I couldn't have said it better myself... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), July 28, 1999.

Beautiful area. Really enjoyed the photos.

-- J (jart5@bellsouth.net), July 28, 1999.

Terry,

Thank you for sharing your thorough information. I went to school in the Blue Ridge and would like to retire there in the future. I plan to ride out Y2K in SW Ohio. I appreciate your survival scenarios for the Inner City, Suburbia and the Country.

I hope you wil be encouraged to post here again, soon.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), July 28, 1999.

Terry,

Welcome. Post some more, please. It was a pleasant experience reading a thread for a change!:>

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), July 28, 1999.

Thanks Terry, welcome.

Hotlink...

http://www.m-y.net/ ~terry/index.html

It IS a VERY slow load, but it looks like youve collected some great Y2K information. (Like the pictures too).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 28, 1999.