Some months ago, I (PJ in TX) decided this forum was encouraging my worry, stress, to the point of near-paranoia (the general sort) about the future. I thought I'd take my dad's advice and "quit reading the internet" about it. Didn't think I could live for two days without reading about it -- since reading is education and education is a survival skill and I was scared -- but I managed. Over four months have passed. Maybe more. I haven't read this board in all that time.

My extended family, most of my acquaintances, and all my coworkers feel sure that Y2K has somehow already proven itself to be no big deal. The papers, the radio news, the TV news, they all say so.

I moved into a space kinda like the people who think crime "will never happen to THEM," only someone else. Out of sight, out of mind. I dropped my preparations. I let daily life take me away. I stuck some canned goods in boxes and otherwise forgot about it.

Today I came back to the forum. Actually, just to find the address of the senate report. Interesting that their web front page says jack about it isn't it. Anyway, I got sucked in again and have read a bit.

And here is what I notice.

Milne and Flint arguing about small businesses, the numbers. If you ignore all that part, you get to a line in some article or post that says something like, "Yet 20% of small businesses" have made no preps.

And why should they. Small businesses are run by normal (busy) people who get their news from the same place most people do -- Washington Post, ABC News, etc. Why are small business owners supposed to be concerned when nearly everybody is telling them not to be? OK, not everyone -- some government report only mentioned as 'good news' by most newspapers (!) mentions it, a few authors, but you get the idea.

In another post here I found this line:

How can this be? The Red Cross and FEMA, as well as state and local government agencies are strongly hinting that everyone have at least a week's supply of food, water, etc.

Right. Now stop by any given business -- a construction site, a law firm, a grocery store -- go in and ask the employees, "Have you gone to the website of the Red Cross and FEMA, have you read their documentation in detail, have you seriously pondered what they are saying?" They will glaze over or laugh, and why shouldn't they? People on the internet forget just how many people are NOT inclined to look for news via computer, assuming they even HAVE a computer.

And the critical point is: people don't investigate things out of concern if they are not concerned.

Douglas Adams, author of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" has some very funny silly books. In the first one, the construction of an interstellar highway through earth was amply documented and stored in a file drawer in a basement office on some obscure planet.

We should have known and protested when the time was appropriate, earth was told, moments before it was obliterated.

That's kinda what this feels like. OK, I exaggerate for humor, but I think you see what I mean.

So, now that I am laid back, calm, unstressed, and have spent a lot of time away from the 'bad influence' of 'negative' worried folks, I have just re-discovered that -- you guessed it --

I'm still worried.

Except now I'm four months behind, suddenly unemployed (why I have time to read the senate report now, sigh!), and I wasn't exactly close to caught up on preps to begin with.

No panic. But after the Navy's comments on natural gas in the Fort Worth area, I am going to buy that propane tank.

Makes me glad I spent all my spare money the last two months fixing my truck so it'll probably live longer than I will and runs beautifully. Now, to find a job (and maybe a new home) within walking distance of each other anyway...

PJ

PJ in TX

-- PJ Gaenir (fire@firedocs.com), September 25, 1999

Answers

Welcome back PJ!

A suggestion... meditate... then prep... then job hunt... then glance at the net... etc.

Balance, in all things.

Diane

(Time for another latte, from she who's been glued to the net today! *Sigh*)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 25, 1999.

Welcome back to the bin!

-- flora (***@__._), September 25, 1999.

Welcome back to the Twilight Zone, I left the forum for 4+ months also, I know exactly how you feel.

This afternoon I watched The Matrix on video, with Knu Reeve(sp), second time I see the movie. I feel like I'm one of the "unplugged"; unplugging myself from the Matrix when I come to this board, and getting plugged back in when I leave it.

Reality is stranger than fiction.

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 25, 1999.

PJ and Chris--did you miss the Naval War College Y2K info too? Brian put some links together here:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000qx5

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), September 25, 1999.

PJ:

Wall Street will PLUNGE in value next week.

Check out this link --> http://www.mrci.com/special/DSPI87.htm/

Get prepared for yourself and your loved ones now!

-- Randolph (dinosaur@williams-net.com), September 25, 1999.

PJ, 4 months? Time flies! The Forum is very helpful for keeping the nose to the grindstone. Our natural tendency is to dedicate ourselves wholely to our jobs, be silly, work hard, have a good time. We *have* to hang out here to keep prepping!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 25, 1999.

Welcome back man.

But only 'Still Worried?'

howz about "Scared Shitless"

That fits nicely between 'Still Worried' and 'Panic Stricken'

(Just a suggestion as we got less than a hunnerd days or so, give or take...)

Best o' luck pardner....

-- Billy-Boy (Rakkasn@Yahoo.com), September 25, 1999.

PJ, I left for a while too and I'm glad I did. I got rid of a lot of stress in my life and I'm enjoying it to the max now before Y2K. I am glad you posted, it's refreshing to hear that at least we meant something to you to want to come back to join us. Good luck in your search for a job. Bardou

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 25, 1999.

Old Git, yes I printed it. I came back at the end of July and since then I've had time to catch up on most of the important stuff (I think). Most of the times things like The War College and Senate reports links are reposted by someone, and Linkmiester is doing an excellent job with references, he's been a great help to me in cathing up.

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 25, 1999.

I'm not sure why, but the new DeBunker has this post and quite a few responses posted on their board.

Curious little people, aren't they?

-- Not signing as usual (thosepeople@are.juvenile), September 25, 1999.

Welcome Back, PJ! I took a couple breaks,...1 month here, 3 months there, (enforced by kaput computer). It was needful, AND I felt totally cut off from my cohorts.

As a wise old friend told me once when I didn't know what to do next: Do the next indicated thing.

And remember to breathe.

--She in the sheet upon the hilltop,

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), September 25, 1999.

Welcome back PJ!

I was just wondering about you the other day! I know what you mean - I was spending too much time here daily, trying to read every post. Now I check in for about 30 minutes, enjoy some of the funny posts, enjoy some of the thoughtful ones and watch for any NEW news. I have concluded that there are quite a few good folks checking in here.

Whatever you do, don't panic - remember to take care of your basics first and you will do fine. Looking forward to future chats! - by the way check out the prep forum (sorry I don't have the URL) - I don't know if it was up before you took your break.... Have a great weekend!

-- Kristi (securxsys@cs.com), September 25, 1999.

What/where is the "DeBunker?"

What is the "Prep Board?"

I see I HAVE been away too long. :-) Thanks you guys, for the welcome.

PJ

PJ in TX

-- PJ Gaenir (fire@firedocs.com), September 25, 1999.

Know the feeling P.J.

"Benn there and done that" I went to Alaska and came back very relaxed in the ACCEPTING PHASE of the death and dying cycle. I've stopped warning people and have "accepted" what will happen will happen.

I'm much more relaxed since I made my final purchase: A TRAVELING TRAILER. I "took the advice" of a Christian Policeman in Las Vegas who said: BE READY AND BE MOBILE. I now have a 4x4 truck and a few friends to visit if things go "tilt" with my supplies.

Strange...I've met three law enforcement officers who ALL said the same thing: WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CIVIL UNREST.

The L O R D is coming someday soon.

David

-- david wolf (djwolf@lanset.com), September 25, 1999.

TB2K Prep Forum

If you look under the archives category, you'll see "other forums on this server", just click there and look for the prep forum. The DeBunker website is a bunch of juvenil pollies poking fun mostly at this forum, nothing of interest.

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 26, 1999.

Chris, knowing about your "nurse status," this reply from you had me ROTFL! "Linkmiester is doing an excellent job with references, he's been a great help to me in cathing up."

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 26, 1999.

Yep, that one got us too ;^)
Could use one of those kits right now ... aarrrggghhhhh

-- 2 too tired (up all night@hoyer.commode), September 26, 1999.

ooops...slip of the pen can be sooo embarrassing ;-)

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), September 26, 1999.

PJ!! Splendid! How fine to have you back. Your observations parallel mine after a six month hiatus that stretched from late November through mid-Spring.

Yup, being disconnected from this forum gives you a real perspective on the world I've come to call "Oblivia."

Chris, I watched "The Matrix" on video, too, for the first time last night. Quite the parable, indeed! Hey, thanks for the hug the other day. It HAD been quite a week . . . and I only reported on the work and community stuff. My personal life would leave your mouth agape! Haha!

Bardou, I want to tell you how happy I was when you reappeared. I have this hilarious picture of you snarfing up all those canned chickens you wrote about once, and a heartwarming memory about your having some time in the mountains with your family. Warmest wishes.

-- Faith Weaver (suzsolutions@yahoo.com), September 26, 1999.

PJ--

I just came back to the forum after about the same amount of time and I know exactly how you feel. Thanks for taking the time to put it into words. As the months went by, I couldn't shake that nagging fear --I couldn't accept the polly scenario, "Don't worry, be happy". Somehow, it reminded me too much of Noah's dense neighbors--just before the clouds arrived!

Better to prepare to stand on my own than to trust my family to the government. Thanks again, PJ.

Take care,

Scarlett

Chris & Everyone--

It's good to read your excellent posts again!

-- Scarlett (kevinr@sprintmail.com), September 26, 1999.

Maybe one of our demon researchers here can tell me what kind of buffer FEMA and the Red Cross USED to recommend, just for ordinary circumstances. That way, we can compare the current and past preparation levels and determine how much worse than normal FEMA and the Red Cross expect y2k to be.

Does anyone have this information?

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), September 26, 1999.

Just before their preps emphasized Y2K 3 weeks food and supplies was recommended in case of natural disaster. After they decided to address Y2K they changed the amount of time to prepare for to 3 days. One would think Y2K would be cumulative with any natural disasters that might occur at that time but apparently it is not.

Now I must depart... mumble mumble... art showing... mumble...

The Freak

-- typhonblue (typhonblue@hotmail.com), September 26, 1999.

Welcome back PJ. Mrs Rimmer and I also took some time off from Y2K this summer. We had been actively preparing for about a year and felt that, short of a near or total meltdown, we had covered most of the basics. We are now continuing with our "priority 2" preps and believe that we are well prepared for anything in the 1-5 range.

Like most on this forum, we will be delighted if things do not get any worse than they already have.

But my overall assessment of the potential risks has not changed substancially in the past year. If anything, the glowing self-assessments coupled with the lack of independent verification as well as the haste with which state and federal governments rushed to enact legislation limiting Y2K-related liability has only reinforced my position that the risk of at least some disruptions are real and that prudent preparation is still advisable.

Much is still unknown at this point. One thing is perfectly clear however. Y2K cannot be compared to an earthquake that gives no warning , a tornado that may give a few minutes warning or even a hurricane that my give several day's warning. Should Y2K turn out to be anything more than 'a bump in the road', then a great deal more surely could have and should have been done. It was seen coming many years in advance.

Of all our government agencies, the Social Security Administration receives the prize for treating Y2K seriously. From where I stand, either the SSA has wasted 10 years and many millions of dollars in unnecessary remediation or nearly eveyone else is in trouble. The two scenarios simply don't add up.

Could my assessment be wrong? Yes! Certainly it could. I truly hope it is. But no one other than me should act on my assessment. We are quite prepared for Y2K to be a non-event, a bump-in-the-road, or something a little more worse. But should Y2K be anything more, our level of preparations may be truly tested.

Flint: I seem to recall this from previous discussions here - and please, if I'm wrong, feel free to correct me. Is it not true that, prior to Y2K, official Red Cross disaster preparedness recommended two weeks instead of the current 1 week? Was it not reduced to one week in response to the threat posed by Y2K? What conclusion can we draw from this? Perhaps it's that Y2K reduces our risk from and vulnerability to general disaters by 50% over 'normal' times. No, if this is true, then their current recommendation is based, I believe, more on political realities rather than on potential risk. Any organization that does such things looses credibilty when it does so. Shall we ask our friends in the Carolinas if one week's prep was sufficient for Floyd?

-- Arnie Rimmer (Arnie_Rimmer@usa.net), September 26, 1999.

Flint writes:

"Maybe one of our demon researchers here can tell me what kind of buffer FEMA and the Red Cross USED to recommend, just for ordinary circumstances. That way, we can compare the current and past preparation levels and determine how much worse than normal FEMA and the Red Cross expect y2k to be."

He knows the answer, of course. It is a rhetorical question. The unsaid conclusion is that you don't have to worry about Y2K risks.

But Flint is prepped to the teeth. He can go a year of disruptions and he's financially prepared for an economic recession in terms of his mortgage and debts being paid off.

Elsewhere, he replies to Tech 32:

"I think we're pretty close in our expectations then [Tech's expectations: 60 to 90 days for workarounds and not true fixes]. I know that all of these positive reports can't be true. I expect very few of them are completely true, some are outright brazen lies, and lots of them are (as I said) more wishful thinking than anything else. And I do expect disruptions, many of them newsworthy."

"So I'm not being hard on "those who are preparing", hell, I'm one of them. I'll just keep repeating that preparation is prudent, and NOT preparing is foolish."

You decide if he is consistent in his arguments that preps are prudent.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), September 26, 1999.