I live in southern California (Orange County) and have noticed very little--if any--information on y2k community preparedness or any such neighborhood meetings in the local newspapers. I was recently in the Bay Area and I seemed to notice more articles and information on y2k preparedness in various community publications. Why are the attitudes on y2k preparedness in these two regions so different?

-- area observer (oc@lalaland.com), November 15, 1999

Answers

nothern CA sure seems to be more into patchouli(smelly hippies)

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 15, 1999.

Area observer, I concur. But, the L.A. Mayor has said Y2k is all fixed in So Cal so we shouldn't worry. Just remember, sewage (spills) flow downstream -- and -- when you're the mayor stuck in an elevator, you can get help pretty quickly.

Honestly, I think attitudes are different here because in order to exist La La Land you have to hold on to denial tightly. If we actually pay attention to all that goes on behind the curtain here that makes life comfortable then we'd all be on the edge of our seats amazed that we get by everyday. Denial is big here.

Mike

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-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), November 15, 1999.

But Arnold sez his wife is preparing...

-- (normally@ease.notnow), November 15, 1999.

Hey Riversoma...

Zoobie is calling you names...

(giggle)

snoozin'...

The Dog

-- Dog (Desert Dog@-sand.com), November 15, 1999.

Area observer, this may be a different type of trolling! If you have lived in Orange County for very long, I am sure you are aware that many folks (moi included) feel the state should be split at the Tehachapis. Call it denial, self involvement, inward focus-- whatever. I think the northern part of the state is more aware of Y2K, and it probably has only some to do with do with Silicon Valley and the skills required of the denizens.

I read a couple of years ago that 30% of the internet access in the U.S. comes from California. I suspect it is not a 50/50 split between north and south. Y2K and its potential ramifications are issus that are debated, argued and otherwise hashed out on the web moreso than any other media.

Or... maybe they do not want to think about the fact that there is no water there. If water access in California gets difficult, they will have a huge problem.

-- Nancy (wellnl@hotmail.com), November 15, 1999.

Aint it the truth Mike. I have a very close friend that has been in the preparedness industry (Food and Water Filtration) for many years. Im told that nationally, less than 1% of sales come out of Southern California. Amazing when you consider that there are close to 27 million people in the Southern half of the state. If you are a GI in this area you must maintain somewhat of a tongue-in-cheek attitude. I too live in Orange County so how many others are out there, so to speak? Dont know about Northern Cal but Diane should have some input. I lived up there during the 70s and the lifestyles between N&S are quite different. How ya doin BD.

-- Truth (at@the.ready), November 15, 1999.

Good grief how can you say that? The Bay area is one of the worst in compliance! That has even been said on the Fed level.

It's also been heavily published how no one can get the Bay area residents to even prepare for an earthquake.

You don't see vast "community groups" because no one is going to put up with people no one elected. Are you kidding? Out here in Southern California? We'd pull them off their soap boxes so fast it'd make heads spin. They'd be mince meat!

No one who is a whoosie survives SoCA. It's all tough people be they gentile or be they the wild. It is also very touchy. Do you think folks who voted for that Congresswoman (What's her name), the infamous Hispanic one that keeps getting the past white male Congressperson challenging her, are going to stand by and see Whitie the Y2K community group attempt to usurp power? I don't think so dear. That is by the way what a number of those "community groups" are-> a form of civil unrest and usurption of the power of our elected and publically appointed officials. And those groups would be whities and if they formed they might have to accept a lot of Hispanics and good gracious "no way" you can figure they'd say. Haven't you noticed how white the faces are in those "community groups?" In a little "community group" unlike the elected and appointed officials one can be discriminating and not include those deemed unpreferred.

I am in Riverside County, and what would "form" here in this increasing liberal land? A little white circle of fundamental Christians? Telling us all how things will be? I don't think so dear.

Proud and haughty Southern California marches into Y2K, touchy, suspicious of every facial flicker, paranoid oneself will not get a share of the slim pie, hanging on those public officials inspite of their too numerous faults, and it won't be a problem we'll just all end up under the severest form of martial law with a nation terrified at the thought of moving here.

Have faith and rest easy.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 15, 1999.

Yes. The Contra Costa County newspaper and the Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) Press Democrat both provide great y2k coverage. There are good people working in Oakland, Marin, and many communities around the Bay. Earthquake preparation is a big plus. Counties farther from San Francisco often have a lot of agriculture and people who live in a more self-sufficient manner.

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), November 15, 1999.

Good evening. I don't know if we are more prepared here in northern California than the southerners are, but there are definately fewer of us and that may mean more than preparations. Here in the sovereign state of Mendocino we think San Francisco is too far south. Michael

-- michael frazier (mfrazier@pacific.net), November 15, 1999.

Naw,

There are isolated pockets of preparedness in Northern California, mostly due to the early actions of local Y2K groups, such as Oakland, Contra Costa, Napa Valley and Santa Cruz, but pretty much, most of lower Silicon Valley is sipping their java and playing with their palm pilots. This week... theyre at Comdex in Las Vegas. (Ah... the memories!)

Generally *many* silly valley types are Y2K clueless and overly arrogant in their dependance on tech-toys.

Such is life. Or not.

*Sigh*

Also rather think the bulk of Northern California people getting it will occur... next year. Too late, quite possibly.

(Thanks again... Koskinen).

Diane

(Lucky you michael... I'd MUCH rather be in Mendocino!!)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 15, 1999.

Yes, I would say so from all of my reading and talking with people everywhere. I am grassroots coordinator for my county and am on county government appointed Y2K task force. Our county is taking this very seriously (Nevada County - Gold Country NE of Sacramento). Lots of emergency contingency planning. From my observations people in the northern counties are certainly doing more individual prep too but that isn't saying a whole lot in the grand scheme of things! Not many people are doing very much. But Marin County, Sonoma County, Nevada County and Contra Costa County seem to be taking more serious than others.

-- Sher (wncy2k@nccn.net), November 16, 1999.

From a 37 year native Californian:

Northern Californians are just more AWARE, period.

Here is my prediction for what inhabitants of each section of the state will do on the morning of 1/1/00:

Los Angelinos: shake themselves awake and immediately check on their most important possessions; the men will run out and try to start their sportscars, and the women will check to see if their implants are compliant.

S.F. Bay area: Slowly awaken with a double decaf latte', and an organically grown cantaloupe. Men check each other, women are relieved that they can finally let the armpit hair grow without fear of ridicule.

Northern Cal coastal mountains: quick hit from the bong, handful of captain crunch, on with the birkenstocks, and we're out to check the Sinsemilla crop. Good, it's still there. (Y2K will be nothing out of the ordinary for these folks; they've been carrying uzi's for years).

Tahoe area: Crack a coors, wipe the condensation off the inside of the window and look out; "gee muffy, howcome none of the chairlifts are moving?"

Central Valley: As farmer joe sips his steaming hot black cup of jo at 4:30 a.m. suddenly he notices all the milking machines going berserk simultaneously! He tries to pull the cups off poor bessie's udders, but its no use. She'll never lactate again. Got milk?

San Diego: they'd like to get out of bed, but are frightened by the dozen or so illegal aliens rummaging around downstairs.......

-- cavscout (athome@the.centralcoast), November 16, 1999.

Too funny Cavscout. Thanks for the grins! BTW, you did not give us a profile of your area (Pismo Beach maybe?).

-- Truth (at@the.ready), November 16, 1999.

Man zoobs,

Do ya think that 'be sure to wear some flowers in your hair' thing is just for looks?!

-- flora (***@__._), November 16, 1999.

LOL cavscout.

Gawd! I need a latte.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 16, 1999.

2 hours northeast of Sacramento, in Butte county is where I live. Six months ago there was some initial community action/meetings with all the "smart" people there to assure all was or would be taken care of, except for one self-informed person from Chico who was warning that all was not ok and that we really need to get prepared. Now all seems to have blown over and I rarely see anything in the newspapers of Chico or Paradise(Paradise is where I live; it's a town, not a state of being). Paradise is mostly made up of retired people from LA or the Bay Area. I have read that the sheriff has stocked the jail with lots of food and preps and I have received several reminders from my banks that all is well. Local advertising is mocking the situation with y2k sales, just another way to make a buck and confuse the public into thinking it's just a joke. If there is any real preparation going on, it's being kept a secret! But when I go to garage sales and talk to people, there is plenty of awareness, but actual preparation by these people seems minimal. Johan

-- johan (reisch@c-zone.net), November 16, 1999.

Truth,

that's cuz we're all *yawn* painfully boring and normal around here

-- cavscout (cavscout@fix.net), November 16, 1999.

Cavscout

Normal and California Resident = oxymoron

-- Truth (at@the.ready), November 16, 1999.

Truth,

I have an inlaw who left not only his heart in SF, but his consciousness at the Haight @ '68.

He claims to be 'stark raving normal'.

-- flora (***@__._), November 16, 1999.

I kinda think that the highest levels of Y2K awareness and preparedness in California are going to be found outside of all the major metro areas. Maybe the desert rats and mountain folk are going to be the next dominant group of CAlifornia residents.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), November 16, 1999.

Michael Mendocino--I'm "green" with envy!!

Cavscout -- ROTFLMAO

My town in Sonoma County is not cutting edge Y2k heads-up. Lots of Friends and Family all over the Bay-Area, of those that are prepping the Red Cross suggestions are the "bible" for preparing.

The Bay Area has it all(especially sky-rocketing real-estate). Breath-Taking Beauty Abounds. Its too beautiful for Y2k to rear its ugly head here. (Isn't it?)

-- ;-) (karlacalif@aol.com), November 17, 1999.