Time for me to go, kiddies!

I first found this forum in February or March of 1998. It's been fun.

For a long time it was a reasonable discussion of what impact Y2K might have on us. There always were a few trolls, and there always have been skeptics, just as there have always been impassioned believers that Y2K was a disaster in the making. And there have been many 'tweeners. We had some good debates -- four letter words weren't necessary, nor was the name calling we have now.

I was here when the first of the real smooth, polished presentations began to show up......the ones that looked and read exactly as if they were right off the shelf of some PR firm. And, I've seen the rise of those who seek to do nothing except to disrupt the forum. Frankly, I have nothing but contempt for the later.

When I first found this forum, discussions of life style changes, of getting out of debt, and of organizing communities were common. There no longer is time to get out of debt, to change life styles, to seek new communities or to organize old ones. We've lost that time, we've been unable to organize communities (for the most part), and the voices crying in the wilderness have been shouted down by the smooth, well oiled spin machines. Is there blame for this? You bet, and it starts with me. It starts with every one of us who looked the other way as corruption and greed have overtaken our once great nation, every one of us who wasted a vote, or failed to vote, or who was too scared to stand up and be counted.

You see, from the very first Y2K has been about greed -- from the first manager, decades ago, who decided not to fix the problems because it wasn't economically feasible to do so.It's about greed now, with people afraid for their jobs, their bonuses, their careers, and willing to do anything to keep them afloat a week or two longer. It's about greed, and it's about a lack of faith in the American, Canadian, Australian and British people by their elected officials.

Two years ago we could have blunted the worst edges of what most likely will come. The human factor would have been taken out of the equation had we -- the people -- been told the unvarnished truth, and warned to prepare. It wouldn't have been pleasant.....there would have been screams from the poor to whom preps would have taken an inordinate amount of money. Those whose lifestyles were being put on hold would have complained. But, you know what -- we would have done it, screams and all. Cupboards would be full, grocery store shelves would be filled with with staples, not cheesy potato chips and aisle after aisle of junk foods. Communities would be organized; sources of water would have been located, we would have a chance. We could have had two years to prepare mentally!

I played sports all my life......I played my last football (soccer) game as a 45 year old, competing against 18 year old kids. A large part of preparation is mental -- just knowing what might happen, and being prepared for it when it does take place. Be prepared for the oxygen debt you've accumulated late in the game, the ringing in your ears. Then you can get through it. It might happen, it might not. No guarantee. Just be prepared.

We don't have much time left, and most minds have been made up. For anyone lurking now who's undecided -- don't be. Just prepare as hard as you can, and do the best you can in the time you have left. A single can of beans is better than nothing. A single roll of TP beats the latest LL Bean catalog. Don't worry about someone laughing at you and calling you a 'doomer' or 'tinfoil.' Hey, that LL Bean catalog gives nasty cuts -- and going hungry isn't fun. Look around and know that even the government tells you to prepare to some extent -- and know that the extend they urge only holds you until the comfort of a Red Cross shelter is available. Do what you can, and what you have to do.

Thanks Chuck, Diane, BigDog, for your help keeping the forum going.

Remember all, we have allowed to happen what will happen.Hope to see you on the other side, and may God have mercy on us all.

-- de (delewis@XOUTinetone.net), November 20, 1999

Answers

Yes, the lack of TIME for anything other than FAST personal preparation is apparent. Best of luck.

Yours in the end times,

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), November 20, 1999.

Vio con Dios, Miejo/Mieja

-- Laura (Ladylogic46@aol.com), November 20, 1999.

Lewis,

For the record, I've been "hanging out" with both the "Pollys and the Doomers" for a while now. Asbestos underwear is a requirement in both camps. Those who know me, know me.

God bless.

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), November 20, 1999.

Thanks for saying what needed to be said De. All my hopes and prayers for you and yours.

Can you believe that we're still debating Y2K at this late date in NOVEMBER '99???

And yes, may God have mercy on us all.

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), November 20, 1999.

Lewis-you will be missed.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), November 20, 1999.

Always check six. Good luck and god willing, I'll see you on the other side.

-- Lobo (atthelair@yahoo.com), November 20, 1999.

De, I understand your reasons and appreciate your efforts. Deeply sorry that the "background noise" is alienating so many worthy contributors. But in the face of those whose stated intention is to be "annoying", what can we do?

Patrons here have confused you and I on occasion. I consider that a compliment.

Godspeed.

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), November 20, 1999.

De, I will miss you. (Still think Rocky sometimes!) :-) Hope you can drop by occasionally. I remember how the forum used to be, too. There were some awesome threads! God bless you!

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), November 20, 1999.

You brought tears to my eyes. So well said.

See you on the other side.

-- Chris (#$%^&@pond.com), November 21, 1999.

It has not been about "greed." It has been about national security. And all those spare bags of rice and beans you fantasize about would have shorted nations trying to survive daily and are dependent on them.

What did you want a communist revolution so's all Americans can be prepared heavily, including all the illegal immigrants that cross the border by the waves? And we do this communist revolution openly in the face of those we starve to literal death and bring about Armeggedon on them two years early? Cuz we're Americans and come before all life on planet earth? We do this in the face of whole nations watching that can't do the same, and their people sit knowing they will die in two years?

When you prepared it is assumed so you would survive to carry on America, not tear it all down in a communist revolution so you could prepare and thus survive. You'd come out of your hole with the Constitution in one hand and the American flag in the other no differently than a survivor of a nuclear war. The President and officials would come out theirs and address you and other survivors.

Thank goodness you failed. Had you succeeded a lot of people would have died in the last two years, and we'd be sitting behind an iron curtain, in the newly made communist hell pit, with many Americans being boarded on a train heading for Siberias because most Americans do not want to be in a communist hell pit.

I will be one of the survivors. I will fight any other survivors who wrongly believe this is their chance to eliminate the Constitution of America. I have the Pentagon on my side in this I am sure. My society and civilization is not going to be rewritten by a few unelected people. I will do exactly what is expected out of any American. I will fend for myself in a responsible fashion, and I will come out of my hole after it is over for the nations officials to address me and all the other survivors.

Last year there were articles everywhere, t.v. news specials even demonstrating Y2K revolutions to us with actors, speakers everywhere, all the Feds spin info openly published in publications and on the Internet. It is not the Feds responsibility to arrive at each door and tell one face to face. Transcripts like Ms. Abrams about the coming food shortages was on USIA last year for anyone who inclined to see or want to read it.

There is a reason why your mayor wasn't recalled and yourself put in his or her place. Dwelleth on that thought a bit as you sit in your own hole disconnected.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 21, 1999.

Lewis...thanks for a really good post. You hit the issue pretty darn square. Best of luck to you and yours and keep in touch.

Regards,

Irving

-- Irving (irvingf@myremarq.com), November 21, 1999.

I have met De Lewis. I know his heart mind and spirit. He is a man who knows what is happening. He is well informed, brilliant, and has real faith in God. This forum is a poorer place without him. Those like him who figured y2k out long ago, no longer need this forum. With less than six weeks, the die has been cast.

If you listened to De Lewis, you were wise.

Stay well De. And you have my email, my friend. That God is with His people still, is my greatest thought. Lo, He is with you always.

Yours and His, Brother Bob

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), November 21, 1999.

de, so sorry to see you go. I think you have my real e-mail address: please mail me. If not, Chuck or Diane will be kind enough to forward your mail.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 21, 1999.

de -- the respect is mutual.

Greed was-and-is the "problem", not only with Y2K, but world culture broadly. Thank God for the prosperity we have been blessed with -- but this must be separated from a clear-sighted diagnosis of the underlying rot. Next to that, Y2K is a blip.

"Tomorrow will be like today but even greedier" is the mantra that drives all before it, whether it is the U.S. or Red China (greed knows no philosophical enemies though it would make enemies of us all as individuals in the end, since greed -- not prosperity, greed -- IS a zero-sum game as Bill Gates understands profoundly).

Forums have their life-cycles but courage will find its way around to other venues. Hope to see you on them as providence and time allow.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), November 21, 1999.

Sorry to see you go de, very nice parting post. All things considered, it was doomed to end up this way.

Paula chowbabe, excuse me if I wonder aloud, but what in the hell are you talking about? Commies what? The government honestly telling folks to prepare would have turned us all into Commies? Holy cow! I'm sure you have a point, somewhere in there.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), November 21, 1999.

de, when TS starts HTF, come back and share. Until then, fare well :-) It's been a unique, wonderful community here, and it's not over yet. The Previews, with their loud flashy snapshots, are rolling to a close ...

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), November 21, 1999.

Good morning. Jeez!! This morning's posts remind me of the night before Tet started in '68. Everyone not involved in active preps, or not out on a mission, was wandering about visiting friends. In effect we were all saying goodbye. When TSHTF and passed on, everything went back to the normal insanity. Let us hope the same happens here. Good luck to all. Airborne all the way, Rangers lead the way.

Michael

-- michael frazier (mfrazier@pacific.net), November 21, 1999.

De Lewis,

Thanks for your many contributions and cogent thoughts and observations. You will be missed.

And thanks for the lovely supportive parting e-mail as well.

Diane

Back at you...

;-D

You Are Unique

Think what a remarkable, unduplicatable, and miraculous thing it is to be you!

Of all the people who have come and gone on the earth, since the beginning of time, not one of them is like you.

No one who has ever lived or is to come has had your combination of abilities, talents, appearance, friends, acquaintances, burdens, sorrows and opportunities.

No one's hair grows exactly the way yours does.
No one's finger prints are like yours.
No one has the same combination of secret inside jokes and family expressions that you know.

The few people who laugh at all the same things you do, don't sneeze the way you do.

No one prays about exactly the same concerns as you do.
No one is loved by the same combination of people that love you.

No one before, no one to come. You are absolutely unique! Enjoy that uniqueness.

You do not have to pretend in order to seem more like someone else.
You weren't meant to be like someone else.
You do not have to lie to conceal the parts of you that are not like what you see in anyone else.

You were meant to be different.

Nowhere ever in all of history will the same things be going on in anyone's mind, soul and spirit as are going on in yours right now.

If you did not exist, there would be a hole in creation, a gap in history, something missing from the plan for humankind.

Treasure your uniqueness. It is a gift given only to you. Enjoy it and share it!

No one can reach out to others in the same way that you can.
No one can speak your words. No one can convey your meanings.
No one can comfort with your kind of comfort.
No one can bring your kind of understanding to another person.

No one can be cheerful and lighthearted and joyous in your way.
No one can smile your smile.
No one else can bring the whole unique impact of you to another human being.

Share your uniqueness.

Let it be free to flow out among your family and friends and people you meet in the rush and clutter of living wherever you are.
That gift of yourself was given you to enjoy and share.

Give yourself away! See it! Receive it! Let it tickle you!
Let it inform you and nudge you and inspire you!

You Are Unique!

-- Author Unknown

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 21, 1999.

De was Rocky Knolls.

-- .... (....@...), November 21, 1999.

Good luck de!

-- a (a@a.a), November 21, 1999.

RK,

Happy trails...

-- flora (***@__._), November 21, 1999.