Welcome to the Twilight Zone, or is it me?

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This disconnect is getting too wierd. To the point where I question my own pessimism. Any problems from the key dates contained well enough to hide from the media. market humming, prep vendors going under.

Its such a wierd feeling. I feel like I'm in some other dimension. Other times I don't my own sanity and gut feelings that it will be a 7-8, maybe it will be just a bump. Does anyone else get wierded out by the strange calm? Question their gut instincts?

Thanks, I just needed to get that off my che

-- Wierded Out (TheTwilight@zone.com), November 04, 1999

Answers

Amen! Little Red Hen

-- Maggie Germann (maggiem@nehp.net), November 04, 1999.

Insight is the first step in the therapeutic process. And by the by, it's spelled 'weird.'

-- Spidey (in@jam.couch), November 04, 1999.

It varies by the hour

-- (lars@indy.net), November 04, 1999.

Bingo ! I have the exact same feeling. My best friend told me yesterday that I was the only person he knew who was at all concerned about Y2K. With the vast amount of information available, you should be able to learn and draw the same conclusions we on this board have. The local newspaper. Nada,nothing, zip. Same for the national press. Is this a bad dream or the twilight zone ! What to do ? Look at the facts. I don't buy the happyface self reporting comming from any sector. Get prepared now !

-- reed moore (reed_moore@postmaster.co.uk), November 04, 1999.

Now you know how Noah must have felt.

-- Earl (earl.shuholm@worldnet.att.net), November 04, 1999.


I don't understand it either. Maybe nothing is going to hsppen.

-- phil jackson (pjackson@one.net), November 04, 1999.

i am a beleaver that only 10% of the worlds population can actualy think for it self. You are among the lucky ones , lots of the MENSA people(super high IQ's) understand how complex the y2k problem is and they are saying that people need to wake up. WOW i am not that smart ,and i get it , does this mean i can join MENSA

mongo

-- MONGO (mongo2@prodigy.net), November 04, 1999.


A very wise person reminded me that questioning your own sanity is a sure sign that you still have it all in one bag.

I've been questioning mine quite often since I entered the Twilight Zone of Getting It. He assured me I was still in the same dimention as the rest. Now I'm questioning whether this wise person is sane.

On clear days unobstructed by the lack of sleep, I can clearly see that it's the rest of the world that's insane.

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), November 04, 1999.


For a long time not even taking any information to heart I felt like we were in for "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I made that prediction to myself last February. I learned a long time ago to listen to myself and act. It has never failed me.

-- Susan E.Barrett (sue59@bellsouth.net), November 04, 1999.

Phil,

The only way "nothing is going to happen" is if 100% of the computer code and embedded chips are fixed and tested, then fixed and tested again, then tested end-to-end across all electronic systems it connects to on any given day or night, and fixed and tested again.

Hasn't happened up 'til now. Ain't gunna happen in the next 57 days. Nope. Gunna be bad. Real bad. Yup.

Damn the iceberg, I mean Y2K bug, FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!

-- GoldReal (GoldReal@aol.com), November 04, 1999.



This is one time you have to follow your gut feelings. Whatever they are.

To me, the signs are there for a major disaster. Yes, DISASTER. Forget 4's or 8's or 10's. Think people. Pray that the Federal, State, and local governments DO have plans we do not yet know about. God help us if they are as clueless as they sound.

Think of no gasoline available for public consumption.

Think of no new consumer goods for 3-5 years.

Think of what is left of the economy "federalized", not for some arcane NWO agenda, but because it "may" be possible to get back on our feet that way.

Think of most of the US population subsisting on the diet we send to other countries as emergency aid: Wheat, flour, corn, soymeal, dried milk (while it lasts).

-- mushroom (mushroom_bs_too_long@yahoo.com), November 04, 1999.


It's always calmest before the storm.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), November 04, 1999.

Me too. I think it's information overload. "Can't see the forest for the trees..." kinda thing. I'm stepping back and taking a breather, but will keep on prepping. What I've learned from this:

1. No matter what, it's best to be self-sufficient. (Who'd a thought!? My parent's WEREN'T crazy for planting those gardens after all...) :-)

2. Learn to think critically. It's seductive to let others think for you, but in the long run, if you hand over your reins, your best interests are not "at heart". Only YOU can guide your future, others will only CONTROL you.

3. Stand up for what you believe in. If you think "Well, I'll never make a difference." you're wrong. Every person counts and the numbers add up quickly. VOTE, get involved, be responsible.

4. I am proud of my heritage and glad to have the opportunity to re- learn important skills that are a part of my heritage. Don't let tradition die out.

5. We can't always stand alone. Sooner or later, community becomes very important. Contribute to its well-being, or be affected by its decay. (Community can be your neighborhood, small town, or large city. Start small and work your way up.)

Noah - Righto! Keep the faith. Let's not sink into decay and decadence. Keep growing and learning. LIVE life, don't just exist.

Chin up folks! At least we're trying!!! :-)

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), November 04, 1999.


Wow, almost everytime I am thinking/feeling something really intense, I pop in here and see it posted by someone else who is thinking/feeling just like me. Everytime time I think "this can't be happening" my body (gut) and my mind say "go back to the facts". Thats how I found myself here. When my weekly rag "computer world" started saying everythings jolly I started digging deeper, and here I am. Is it my imagination or are there alot more Lurkers coming out of the closet, and alot more poster posting their real e-mails the closer we get?

-- MIS (KarlaCALIF@aol.com), November 04, 1999.

I like to keep ths Biblical principle in mind when I think about preparation and teh ability of the general population to evaluate Y2k for the threat it poses: in the Bible, the majority is always wrong. Always. Without exception. Whenever the people of Israel as a group clamored for something, they got what they wanted, but it was the wrong thing.

I have spoken to several groups now and written five op-ed pieces for local papers. I saw one member of a service group, Lions, that I had spoken to several months before. At that meeting, no one was a naysayer or debunker. When I asked this guy, who is a neighbor, if he had done anything to prepare, he looked sheepish and admitted that he hadn't. He didn't dispute anything I had told him; he didn't cite some happyface report. He simply looked chagrined and fessed up that he had taken no action. Many people would rather die than be embarrassed. Rather than look like a nutcase or survivalist, they'll simply take their shuffling orders from the mass media and get in line. Americans prefer to fit in, rather than stick out; for many this will mean fitting into pine boxes in a few months' time. Be prepared for more people to start asking you questions, though, in a few weeks' time, especially after the NBC movie, if it still airs. Be prepared for people to act and treat you irrationally when they understand that they might just possibly have screwed themselves through their wilfull inattention to the matter. Take a look around you at the people you see in public and ask yourself how likely they are to act rationally when under extreme physical and psychological stress.

-- Kurt Ayau (Ayau@iwinet.com), November 04, 1999.



Gold,

Your inability to use simple logic clearly contributes to your misunderstanding of the likely outcome of the rollover. If you truly believe the nonsense you wrote, then no wonder you seem to be relishing the idea of life as a bean-munching cave dweller.

you wrote . .

"The only way "nothing is going to happen" is if 100% of the computer code and embedded chips are fixed and tested, then fixed and tested again, then tested end-to-end across all electronic systems it connects to on any given day or night, and fixed and tested again.

Hasn't happened up 'til now. Ain't gunna happen in the next 57 days. Nope. Gunna be bad. Real bad. Yup. "

Hasn't happened up till now ? Indeed. In the history of the world. According to your analysis, we have been living through the worst of Y2K (in the TEOTWAWKI sense) almost since the invention of the spinny jenny. Certainly since the industrial revolution. When did you ever hear of an infallible machine ? What kind of test could be designed to ensure that a device was "compliant" by your standards ?

Do you really think that any newly conceived piece of technology, before installation and use on a large scale, is repeatedly tested to destruction, end-to-end tested in conjunction with every other piece of equipment with which it could ever feasibly be used, retested, and then finally (assuming everything hasnt collapsed), installed ?

It doesnt have to be. The system makes up for whatever it lacks in reliability through flexibility. People design equipment in the sure knowledge that it is likely one day to fail to some extent, and thereby they design-in flexibility. Give me an example of anything you have ever purchased which comes with a manafacturers guarantee stating that "never, ever, under any circumstances, will the item fail to perform 100% perfectly".

You cant. And your assertion that in these circumstances, anything less than that would lead to the collapse of the civilised world, is frankly assinine. Are you using Windows NeverFails Pro ??? Where does one buy a copy ?

To "Weirded out".

As noted by replies to you on this thread, you are experiencing a "crisis of faith". And in the time honoured manner of any religious group, your friends here are gathering round you, lowing gently with calming and empathic messages of reinforcement and careful coaxing. No doubt you will be back in the fold and chanting the liturgy in no time. Go reread "Fall and Rise", or was it "Rise and Fall" . . (one of those anyway).

Keep repeating . . "It is all interconnected . . . The code is broken"

OOOmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!!!

-- Engage (Brain@before.opening.mouth.com), November 04, 1999.


Had this happen to me about a year ago for 6 months. After suffering through it I sat down to figure out what was going on inside of me. Found (for me) that it had to do with trying to hold too much and contradictory stuff in my head at one time. This had to do with many aspects including the social situation. So I made a choice to cut back on what I allowed into my mental focus. I had to stop paying attention to other people...basicly gave up on them and forget about what that means for them. Continued to prep for those around me but stopped thinking about 'tomorrow'. I stopped listening to the media or anyone who is an administrator or PR speaker.

Also had to accept that my choices may very well be inadequate/overboard in either direction. 'Accept' as in take it to heart that I will be wrong in some ways but am doing the best I can and know how to do for my family and those around me.

But God help me. I can hardly look at the children, which I see every day in my workplace, at the stores, etc. Tears too easily come.

-- ..- (Dit@Dot.Dash), November 04, 1999.


Surreal.... I've been living that way since April of 1998. The sky in my universe is no longer the same color.

The good news, also the bad news, is that it's almost over. 57 days.

BTW: When people tell you they are doing nothing to prepare, keep in mind that at least SOME of them are LYING thru their teeth, quite deliberately & with good cause. There are people on this board who are prepped for a year, but will deny it if you ask them openly. Multiply that accordingly. Just a reminder.

-- thank (you@rod.serling), November 04, 1999.


I think it is important for me to remember that this is a process. A new learning and the most important thing is to be aware of what I am doing and where I am going in my thoughts and actions. I cannot cling to any solid belief because there is no reference point other than the unknown. Like a kid just learning to walk--I may stay upright (make the right choice) or land on my bum (fall) there is no real right or wrong in a moral/ethical sence---it is instead about levels of risk to survival---I surely hope I make the right decisions---I think it would be absolutely nuts to get tied up into feelings about how I may or may not appear, even to an internal(inside myself) crowd that will ridicule my choices---I give this same freedom to anyone I speak to---we really are in this together and none of has the TRUTH--just levels of educated guesses. This is an educational process and the less tiime I spend judging myself and others and the more time I spend assessing my decisions based on incoming data the better I am able to meet realistacally, what comes.

-- John Q (jesgoingoutthedoor@athought.com), November 04, 1999.

Gack!!!

I thought I was the only one who was caught up in second-guessing myself. I feel like I spend half the time kicking myself for all the worry and $$$$ spent, and the other half of the time kicking myself for all the preps we haven't accomplished yet.

I will be glad when it's over. Not glad for other people's suffering, but relieved to be past the waiting. Per Tom Petty: 'the waiting is the hardest part!'

Crisis of faith. Yes, I have thought of it that way, too. Funny that nowadays my faith in the Great Spirit (just trying to be ecumenical) is stronger than ever.

Once again, the Forum Family, as was said earlier, is a source of connection & comaraderie (sp?).

Thanks.

-- Arewyn (isitth@latealready.com), November 04, 1999.


Engage,

You are a bastard. Why don't you go somewhere else. A truly insensative creep. Your positivism is in fact your religion and your chant is "its all going to be all right, 'cause we are so smart and flexible". I don't know what universe you inhabit but you might try touring planet earth once just to get the flavor of it before you 'open your mouth'.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), November 04, 1999.


agreed. and i am doing a y2k hotline on which no one believes. go figure.

i am so thankful for one thing--about a year and a half ago, i sat down (after praying about this) and made up an unbelievably detailed checklist for what to do and a shopping list. and like a squirrel, preparing for winter, i just followed the list. that was a big help. because i would hear so much contradictory news and begin to wonder if i was crazy--but just like writing your goals down helps you to achieve them--that list kept me motivated.

i am so mad right now, however, because i found out that THE govt Y2K hotline is calling other hotlines to see if they are "towing the line". i am personally writing the man's name down who runs that hotline and when TSHTF--he is going to hear from me as well as all the other Y2K govt pollies!!!!!! I suggest you folks do the same-- when people are suffering--let's write to those who encouraged their complacency--and tell them THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE SUFFERING!!!! i don't want anyone to forget.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 04, 1999.


Fellow GI's, Feeling a majority of the aforementioned feelings of this post, hopefully I can provide some clarity to some recent realizations.Maybe what we're all 'sensing' is a major change in the way we live or life as we know it. Be careful not to be consumed by what you feel, for the eventual outcome may be a much better world to live in! With re-birth of any kind, there will be some suffering... there may be loss of life.....all you can do is to be prepared spiritually. Begin thinking abut what you'll do to help your fellow man if the need arises.Do you live near a hospital? Is the Red Cross asking for extra assistance in your area? Is your local church in need of your voluntary effort? I firmly believe that our Creator wants us to reach out to each other in the face of difficulty. You've made your preps....now start thinkng about the end result. Do what you can to make a difference in the lves of others. Don't lose yourself!......those that "GI" may be the recipients of a special 'calling.'

Pax, Keepon

-- Keepon (vacillating@hourly.edu), November 04, 1999.


Dit Dot Dash:

Please calm down. "Engage" has shown some childlike naivete in his/her comments. He/she is probably new to the issue or can't accept the possibilities. Some of them tend to lash out when threatened. Let's move on.

-- eve (123@4567.com), November 04, 1999.


That's Wolvy posting as Engage. I'd recognize his style (for lack of a better word) anywhere.

-- I (can@spot.em), November 04, 1999.

I do not believe the Duke University and Medical Center's PTB are "bean-munching cave-dwellers." See their contingency plans here:

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

And I bet Duke has other contingencies if their publicized contingencies fail. NTW, Duke is the hospital of choice for the Saudi Royal Family and senior doctors often make visits to that oil kingdom.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 04, 1999.


The world's always been this way... simultaneous realities.

The difference is... now you're really AWARE of it!

Another truism is... your thoughts tend to create your reality. (But it's the one's you are NOT thinking about that may bite you in the ASCII).

For those who pay attention, Y2K has many lessons to teach. Or not.

Diane



-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 04, 1999.


Engage,

You fail to comprehend that the Y2K "glitches" will be IN ADDITION to the "normal" everyday type glitches businesses deal with.

It's a compounding of a "currently" managed problem.

Say you have 10 "computer glitches" that require fixing, every day. You have no problem doing this. It's your job. You are good at your job.

Increase "daily glitches" by 100%. Can you now fix everything in the same time frame as before? No. So the company you work for grinds to a halt, waiting on you to "fix it".

Think your company can hire extra people to work on the problems? Think again. Every other company is in the same boat as your company. There are no "extra" people to hire.

It's all up to you now. Can you do it? Can anyone do it? If so, for how long? What if the power goes out? The phone/data transfer systems?

It's not rocket science. Duh.

Damn the iceberg, I mean Y2K bug, FULL STEAM AHEAD!!!

-- GoldReal (GoldReal@aol.com), November 04, 1999.


But God help me. I can hardly look at the children, which I see every day in my workplace, at the stores, etc. Tears too easily come.

I understand what you mean, dit. It's hard to come to grips with the fact that those children you see will probably be dead in just a few short months from now. It helps to try to cut yourself off from it. Get used to the idea that they won't be around and it makes it easier to handle.

-- (its@coming.soon), November 04, 1999.


I keep expecting to see ole' Rod come out from a bush (with cigarette in hand) and start the monolog. I pray that I wake up and find myself, soaked in sweat, going 'it was only a dream...it was only a dream!' Unfortunately, we know the reality. Seeing all these people who I work with, I seem to distance myself from ovatures of freindship, especially amoung those I know DGI. It's almost as if I know that they are all already dead, they just havenn't figured it out for themselves...

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan@Yahoo.com), November 04, 1999.

Eve 1234567,

Ummm...."he started it!!!" (finger points, jabs, etc).

I am tired of abusive Pollies coming onto a thread that is about sharing your gut and trying to get some help or perspective from those who have similar feelings and to have these Pollies stick you with their abusive, abrasive language. This is not the thread for it. Let them start another thread to fill with scorn or invective. It is not fair for doomers to be held to a standard which pollies constantly violate.

'Bastard' denotes a person who is cruel and self absorbed. 'Engage' was acting like a bastard and needs to be called on it. I'll not sit by and let it go this time. I'm not 'excited', just determined.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), November 04, 1999.


It is very difficult. Really nice people are going to die and now they think everything is going to be fine. But Diane is right, there always was a disconnect between reality and perception...

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), November 04, 1999.

Breathe when you feel the dissonances wash over you. Take a walk. Breathe.

I'll throw my hat in with those suggesting that you are among countless human beings throughout time to begin to perceive the layering of "realities".

Breathe.

--She in the Sheet, upon the hilltop just up from Plato's Cave,...

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), November 04, 1999.


It is very difficult. Really nice people are going to die and now they think everything is going to be fine.

The key point to remember is that we can't control what they do, and there's really nothing left we can do to stop them from dying. We just need to accept the fact that they will be dead and try to look beyond that. It's not easy, but it's the only way we can hope to survive.

-- (its@coming.soon), November 04, 1999.


>> ...I question my own pessimism. <<

Just a friendly reminder. Pessimism, like optimism, is not required in order to prepare for the unknown. A humble sense of one's own ignorance can be a bracing and positive experience.

Call it a paradox. In my experience, when I am most aware of my ignorance I feel like I have finally stopped treading water and have put my feet down on solid ground. It is like the scales drop from my eyes and I can see the world for what it truly is. I have learned to value my ignorance as highly as I value my knowledge. Because both are required before you can get any wisdom.

Or is that too woo-woo for a Thursday?

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), November 04, 1999.


Ain't no one gonna die from Y2K.

Geesh!

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), November 04, 1999.


I can tell you the exact date I became aware of Y2K. Dec 8th 1997. A friend informed me of it at my sons 3rd birthday party. I went home and went on North's site, and my life was changed from that point on. Since that time I have not went one day without thinking and somehow preparing for the possibility of what might happen. Sometimes I do feel that maybe the worry and preps for the EVENT may be in vain, but then again I have a wife and son. If all my work and worry is in vain, then I will be the happiest man alive. I have felt like a ghost in the machine. I have sat and read thousands of comments and opinions from people much smarter than myself in hopes of maybe seeing what lies ahead at the end of that path I took that December day. But as I near the end of the journey and the end of the trail is in sight, I still can't make out what lies ahead. But soon now, soon.

-- tj (tyle@mindspring.com), November 04, 1999.

For what it's worth, ditdotdash,...I hear you clearly,...the purposeful posting of hateful invective by certain childish types has been a favorite rant of mine.

These are people who: 1)were never taught (and probably were never respected feeling-wise)by primary caregivers when they were children to listen-only when someone shares how they are feeling; 2)were taught but forgot; 3)were taught or not taught and are so full of hurt and anger that they tell themselves they don't care about their own emotional life or the emotional life of others; 4)will, eventually, live pretty lonely lives, the unintended consequences of using words to wound.

It is terribly sad, and they cannot be compelled or convinced to stop - this is the stuff of bullying and scapegoating. Every bully uses rationalization and justification to help them make it through the nights (and the days). Your understanding has to be enough,.. and your decision to associate with others of like mind, rather than those who have learned to cope in these bullying fashions.

Feelings are not right or wrong, they just are. How one acts on those feelings are another matter.

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), November 04, 1999.


EXCUSE ME, but my crystal ball must be on the blink!!! Looking at children and other people and KNOWING they will be dead in a couple of months or so!! Has Y2K already happend? No one, KNOWS what the outcome of Y2K is going to be. While we all may have our OPINIONS and EDUCATED GUESSES, lets not consign specific individuals to grave just yet. While I understand the logic that IF things get really bad people MAY perish, I certainly don't KNOW who is going to live or die! Furthermore you cannot KNOW how bad it is going to be !!!

Some of this also smacks of what I will call "Preppers Snobbery". The logic being "I am prepared so I will survive, YOU did not prepare therefore YOU will die". PREPARING DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOUR SURVIVAL!

Remember Y2K, Y3K, or 4:00 am next Friday, knowone KNOWS when their or anyones time is up!

-- Kevlar (kevlar@ESP.-), November 04, 1999.


You are not correct in your assumption, Kevlar...this post is about cognitive dissonance (the disconnected feeling,...the shock of perceiving someone not previous perceived) that is a natural part of human cognitive and emotional life. Whether or not people die (as posted by some) is not the point of the original post, methinks.

Breathe.

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), November 04, 1999.


I look around me and can not believe the complacency i see; people who don't begin to think about where their water or heat or electricity comes from, but are blindly sure it will just continue coming. And I question everything I can think to question, and come to the singular conclusion that we are all in a lot of trouble. I keep wondering if I'm the one who's wrong about it all, but every time I come to these posts, my faith in my own hut is refreshed and strengthened. Thank you all for your posts, even the mean-spirited, willfully blind, and pollyanniac (would that be a word in the real world?), because I learn from everything I read.

-- notalone (notalone@atall.com), November 04, 1999.

"my faith in my own HUT is refreshed and strengthened?" I meant gut, but it was a pretty good typo.

-- notalone (notalone@atall.com), November 04, 1999.

notalone---

Sorry, I am laughing, but I was reading bottom to top, and thought for sure your typo was B U T ("have faith in my own ... is refreshed and strengthend"). LOL --- Little things crack me up right now, I wonder if I am losing my sanity? At least its with humor ;-)

-- MIS (Karlacalif@aol.com), November 05, 1999.


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