Hello All:

I think december is going to be a messed up good. Along about the last week of december, People will remember something about y2k and run out a buy a few thing for that three day snowstorm. Can you see the cars lined up at the gas stations for a full tank of gas. Grocery store shelves as they remember water, canned foods, laterns, batteries, candles and other stuff.

IT will all be the same come January. Some people canno't afford a lot but they will buy something.

-- Lon (lon1937@aol.com), October 30, 1999

Answers

Ah-yes, the much dreaded JQ Public panic. But for the true believers who have been diligently putting away quality preps for them selves, inexpensive preps for hand-out to the truly needy, and now some of us discover a way to pay for it all. During the non-panic faze, purchasing quality preps for re-sale at a premium during the JQP panic. The trick will be to position your-self to sell quickly, before the PTB try to confiscate under hoarding laws. So you roll the dice to pay for all your preps, in a doomer scenario, or you are sitting on a-lot of food come Feb...---...

-- Les (yoyo@tolate.com), October 30, 1999.

That's pretty sick Les. Stockpilers become hoarders when they begin to think in terms of profit. Fair barter maybe but not profit.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), October 30, 1999.

Gee Carlos didnt mean to ruffle your feathers, but think of it. Months+months of prepping. No one wants to help, no one wants you at the partys because your the original Y2K party pooh-per, after a while you start to question your own sanity. Then you start to feel like Noah and your ark of preps as they start to laugh a-little. So what your telling me Carlos, after this last year of blood, sweat, and tears, just to give it away. If thats the case then I would have to second guess Noahs decision not to open his door to the screaming non-believers...---...

-- Les (yoyo@tolate.com), October 30, 1999.

Here we go again. Its always next month that the panic is going to happen. Not now, next week or next month. Try this one - Never.

-- jb smith (joebobsmith@yahoo.com), October 30, 1999.

What do ya figure--one roll TP for .10 oz gold?

-- (charmin@squeezeme.mrwhipple), October 30, 1999.

* Bank runs / Market crash by 12/99 at the latest.
* Major Oil Problems by 1/00.

This is what I've been sayin since last year.

-- Dan G (earth_changes@hotmail.com), October 30, 1999.

It makes NO sense to slag off at anyone for their predictions on what will happen and when because it is an unprecedented event.

There could very likely be a run on banks and shops and gasoline anytime between now and Jan 1 but then again it has been proven that people DON'T prep for disasters(even when they can SEE them on TV!)until 3 days or less before the event.

So although it would seem logical that people will start to get twitchy soon I will not be surprised if the Sheeple do nothing until New Years Evil(if indeed they do anything)

-- matt (whome@somewher.nz), October 30, 1999.

A good, relevant film to see is Empire of the Sun. These Brits did not really believe that the Japanese could take over China. Suddenly it happened and even with Japanese soldiers waving Samurai swords in front of their noses they could not believe it was really happening. A classic scene for me was when a toffee-nosed, genteel, upper class English lady remonstrated with her mild, bespectacled husband asking him to sort out the armed Japanese troops for being rude to her. A brilliant portrayal of the disconnect to reality in the face of overwelming evidence.

-- kevin vaughan (kevin@kjvaughan.demon.co.uk), October 30, 1999.

Once again someone proves the Doomer disconnect theory.

Nobody cares about Y2K, and yet there are going to be lots and lots of people going out at the last moment to buy stuff. If they don;t care now why would they then? It's only another 50 or so days away.

Where are all these panicky people coming from? Can't be you Doomers, your already done. So what gives?

-- (_@_._@_._@_.), October 30, 1999.

There can be no doubt that some people,who have done nothing to date,WILL go shopping for "preps" sometime between now and Jan 1. I have spoken to 2 people who think that it is all "nonsense" but who will stock up on a few days stuff "at the end of the year", "just in case".How many DGI's and DWGI's are gonna do the same come December?

A LOT!

People will start to consider it and do the minimum about prepping but not until the last few days of December I expect.

-- matt (whome@somewhere.nz), October 30, 1999.

I talked to a few people who will do their "preps" right after they finish they Christmas shopping. No kidding, Xmas first, Y2k second.

One guy is upset his kids want all this PokeMon stuff and wants to be sure he gets that before spending on Y2k junk he wont likely need.

I grin and nod. Who am I to argue, where is my proof he is wrong?

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), October 30, 1999.

Hamster: I know exactly what you mean,little guy in the wheel! Seriously, I do the same thing. And EVERYONE I have talked to has all said the same thing: "Right after Christmas, we are gonna stock up on some stuff. Put some cash aside. Get some bottled water." Several people I know who do not have direct deposit plan on just cashing their paycheck and stuffing the cash in the nightstand drawer.

I expect the herd to lift their heads and sniff the air around Dec. 26-29. Most likely later rather than sooner. I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't see people buying food and preps "en masse" until December 30 or 31. We're Americans! We like to wait until the LAST possible moment to do anything. Hey! THUS the whole problem to begin with, eh?

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), October 30, 1999.

Just today ...good weather... found another garage sale. More firewood being sold. People are still getting rid of wood.

Oblivious. Idiots.

I hate when this thought goes thru my head: This generation will get what it deserves.

-- trick or treat (freezing@inthe.dark), October 30, 1999.

Where are all these panicky people coming from? Can't be you Doomers, your already done. So what gives?

I don't know where they're coming from, but they are definitely coming! (At least, if you believe the June 2, 1999 Gallop Poll conducted for the Federal Reserve Bank, the FDIC, OCC, and OTS.)

And you're probably right about it not being the Doomers [fault]. Most of them are in the "just in case" crowd which may not manifest, as noted above until the last week of December.

More than 60 percent of Americans anticipate withdrawing extra cash from their bank accounts in preparation for possible Y2K disruptions, according to a survey sponsored by three federal agencies and the Federal Reserve Board.

The survey, conducted by the Gallup Organization, found that 26 percent of the 2,700 respondents "definitely will" get extra cash from their bank accounts; another 36 percent said they "probably will" do so. These add to 62% that are likely.

Here are a couple of threads, if your memory needs refreshening:

Bank Runs Likely? Gallop Poll (6/2/99) for FRB, FDIC, OCC, OTS

The Latest Figures - Straight from the Federal Reserve Bank

Note: The "latest figures" haven't changed much since the original post.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), October 30, 1999.

Man you guys are something else... I remember back in January all you saying that "the herd" (WHAT a derogetory label to put on your fellow humans!) will be sniffinf the air and getting in gear somewhere around September/October.

Obviously that didn't happen, so now you push it safely back to December 26-29.

Again, if there is SO little interest in Y2K then why the fear of everyone going nuts all of a sudden? To put it in your own words:

"If they [the herd] haven't done something already, they won't do anything".

Sorry guys, this story is wearing dangerously thin.

-- (_@_._@_._@_.), October 30, 1999.

Hey @sswipe @ssholes @nonymous,

You should be able to spot slipping deadlines by now alright, we have been seeing them for over 16 months now. All done by 12/31/98 with a year for testing, then 3/31/99, then 6/30...and so on.

What everyone (including me) underestimated was the power of the spin being fed to the sheeple. If TPTB are wrong, it will be criminal as many will die needlessly. If you are wrong, only your family will perish.

If you pollies think we are wrong and are trying to save us, try using some factual information. If you are here to make fun of people who take this issue very seriously, you need a life or professional help.

Why don't you get in your car and take a long drive somewhere, but first cancel your insurance, take you seatbelts out, spare tire out, and only go with enough gas to get you there and back and without any gas money in your pockets. Leave this forum to those who want the information and comraderie of being with like people, and go to find a meeting of @ssholes @nonymous to attend. You really need a meeting. (sorry to take your inventory, but someone needs to.)

-- Bill (bill@tinfoil.com), October 30, 1999.

Bill, I'm surprised that you would fall back on that "prove it" theory, when it's obvious that the atmosphere around here is disbelief in the facts, passing them off as PR spin...

What could I possibly say to counter that? (Without using insults that you guys so playfully throw at me over and over again as I sit here and be polite).

-- (_@_.-@_.-@_.), October 30, 1999.

This will probably be like the 1906? hurricane in Galveston. People excitedly waited on the docks to watch the storm come in. It killed about 6000 people. I bet in Noah's time, people enjoyed the rain when it started and didn't really start to panic until it was an inch deep. Oh, well.

-- nothing (better@to.do), October 30, 1999.

@.@.@,

Do you really think our now agreed upon herd will panic between "Dec 26-29"?

I don't. Tell me why you do, please.

-- Carlos (riffraff1@cybertime.net), October 30, 1999.

I never said that, Inspector Columbo, go back over your notes.

-- (_@_._@_._@_), October 30, 1999.

hey Nothing, the hurricane was in 1900, and it wiped out 1/2 of the island population, because the people had NO warning, NO time to prepare, and NO sense of urgancy... Sort of like NOW huh? *sigh* I'm going to the store to buy several more bags of rice and canned veggies now...

-- Crono (Crono@timesend.com), October 30, 1999.

Few want to admit prepping. I have a friend who works in an Electrical supply house. For so few believers, it's amazing how the hardware associated with generators (gen trans switch boxes ect.) associated with operating a generator is just flying out the doors. They can't get it fast enough. I think the rush has allready begun.

-- simon (simon5@mail.com), October 30, 1999.

IMHO folks Across this fair land will start preparing sometime around next March.

-- peacefarmer (peacefarmer@thefarm.com), October 30, 1999.

A, are you saying there has been no more Y2K news, no change at all since January? Are you saying that nobody should alter their position on anything, even if new information comes out?

-- Robin Hood (bows@arrows.com), October 30, 1999.

Robin,

Well, no I'm not saying that. Altering your position is fine, but I think your attitude should reflect the facts. If a prediction was mad about April 1, 1999 disruptions (just one example) and they failed to materialize, than I think it's only logical that one should lighten up a bit about future predictions of the same nature.

If I say: "The sun won't rise tomorrow", every evening, and it does come up the next morning proving me wrong, I shouldn't be so stubborn in my assurances that it won't. Same goes for predicting Y2K related problems.

-- (_@_._@_._@), October 30, 1999.

Surely @ you can see that folks predicting dates to watch for in 1999 and then those dates slipping past problem free is not relevant to Y2K?

As folks are CONSTANTLY saying to trolls on this board,who seem to have the needle stuck on the missed dates argument record,IT IS NOT THE Y99 PROBLEM! IT IS THE Y2K PROBLEM! and NO-ONE will know for sure what is going to happen till Jan 2000 AT THE EARLIEST!

Personally I am preparing,just like the government says we should do for ANY potential disaster be it flood,war,storm,earthquake etc...

Why is that considered so abnormal these days?

-- matt (whome@somewhere.nz), October 30, 1999.

well probably half of those cars at the gas pump will be govt (law enforcement at least) have been told in many jurisdictions to go to the commercial pumps in dec. and keep their cars full. they are trying to avoid using their own supplies.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), October 31, 1999.

I think the prediction that people will react to Y2K in the same manner as those facing an incoming hurricane is right on. People will wait until the last minute to buy extra food, water storage containers, batteries, ammo, and so forth. I figure on December 26 being the start of the rush.

I suggest that people should get into the habit of keeping their vehicles' fuel tanks full now. Try to convince your friends and coworkers that this would be a good idea; maybe we can help prevent gas shortages from developing in the last week of December.

-- Cherokee (Cherokee@qtmail.com), October 31, 1999.

a:

Predictions have been made about the behavior of large groups of people. They have been wrong, as far as I can determine.

I expect that, sometime, there will become an "urge" to do "something" to prep for "That Y2K thing".

You know, an extra 6 pack of beer, some more chips. A battery powered alarm clock so you don't oversleep.

The best one I heard (seriously) was an electric blanket to keep warm in the event of a power failure........

What will happen, exactly? I dunno. When will it happen? Same answer. A lot of people, I suspect, are tense and trying to put a termination date on their "suspence".

However, opinions are like, well,........ I have my own, also.

Take care. Hope the New Year treats us all well.

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), November 01, 1999.

At a recent Y2K "Community Conversation" in my area, we were told the main concern of local police is that the public might panic if on December 31st it sees problems on TV happening in foreign countries as they roll into 2000 when it's still December 31st here in the U.S.

Also see this thread:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001Wro

"December 31st--New Zealand, Australia, Japan..."

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), November 01, 1999.

linkmeister - That scenario always confuses me. I have heard that the grid is keyed to GMT, not local time.

There must be some basic underlying "creation time" used to set the clock at manufacture. (Then there would be a secondary display setting set by user software to local time.) Since many of the computers used in the US and around the world were made in California, wouldn't California time be the time set on the underlying clock? Or GMT? Or wherever the clock was manufactured (Taiwan?)

If this were not the case, wouldn't everyone in New Zeeland just turn the clock back before midnight?

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), November 01, 1999.

There will not be an inclination to BEGIN preparing until after Christmas because they JUST DON'T GET IT. THEY DON'T GET IT. THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR LIFE IS AT STAKE.

Because they believe their government gods/masters, they will be only thinking of a "small winter storm" or 3 days.

Besides ... they will be more concerned with buying Johny that "made in China" toy, which was made by Christian-slave labor so that mommy can capture that Kodak moment under the tree on Christmas morning (in celebration of the birth of Jesus you see).

God is just.

sdb

-- S. David Bays (SDBAYS@prodigy.net), November 02, 1999.

Iagree with Dave? the one who said "they just dont get it" while all are doing a 'great' job of keeping john q public in the dark, I dont forsee people panic....Not untill perhaps jan 1, 00 .....

-- consumer (private@aol.com), November 02, 1999.

I believe that there have been several that have predicted a substantial increase in 'trolling' and 'wannabe disruptive' behavior on the Polly Parts. Looks like you guys are a part of the self- fullfilling prophecy !!!!!!! The fact is that you ARE here....

-- JustMaybe (OnePredictionWas@Right.Now), November 02, 1999.

There are some with the mind set that nothing will happen. They don't give it a second thought because nothing terrible has happened to them. Ever have your house burn down and lose everything? You always hear people say "I never thought it would ever happen to me. I always thought it would happen to someone else but not me." Ever been in an earthquake? I can't see it coming, I don't know when it will strike, but TPTB tell me it's going to happen and prepare for it. Yet millions of people do not prepare for it because they don't think it will happen to them. How many people read the front of their telephone book for emergencies? I bet hardly anyone knows that there's information there. People are too busy with their everyday lives to think such terrible thoughts of disasters. I can't see in my mind if a computer will go down 1/1/2000, but I can see what the implications of that happening will do and the trickle down effect. Because I live in earthquake country and a high risk fire area, it will only do me good to be prepared in the event it could happen to me. In my mind now, it does not matter to me whether people are prepared or not. This is an event that people have been forewarned about, and however they choose to deal with it will be their problem not mine.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 02, 1999.