Stan,

I am sure that many are grateful for your posts. Do you all realize that it is only good for another 3 weeks? Yikes!

-- the Virginian (1@1.COM), November 26, 1999

Answers

As I mentioned on a thread below, I asked that Stan do this once a day from now on so that the new GI's with so little time left have an idea of what to do.

Stan does a great service. This is for anyone who happens onto this site at looks at one day's worth of messages. The new GI's need this so they don't get overwhelmed.

So anyone who doesn't like it -- like Hamster -- back off.

-- 4 (4@4.4), November 26, 1999.

agree with 4

So little time,please keep posting stan

-- sam (sammy1@home.now), November 26, 1999.

I agree. This is important information for those that are new here.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), November 26, 1999.

On Thanksgiving day, my daughter invited a few people to her home for dinner. In a conversation with one person there, the subject of Y2K came up. He talked and I listened. He asked me what I thought, and I realized that I couldn't tell him anything that would sink into his brain. His girlfriend walked away from him as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. I asked him if he had any preparations like food, water, and candles. His answer was no. Five weeks to go, he's obviously been aware of the situation for a very long time and he is now scared. I didn't have the heart to tell him to his face that it was too late for him to do any serious preparations. I just casually told him to have some water and Cup a Noodle soup on hand. Newbies may show up and read Stan's posts, but how will they handle the panic and the feeling of immobilization--the feeling many of us had when we first became aware of the problem? How will they be able to suck in the knowledge or the time and money to prepare? Personally speaking, the sides have been choosen, it's too late, and panic will be the enemy.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 26, 1999.

I think/hope Bardou is wrong.

It is only to late if your dead. Humans are an adapatable lot. They are the only animal that can go 30 years as a Jersey cow and then under the right stimulus turn into a wild cat. The question is "How fast can you make the shift?"

Sure some people will sink into apathy, dying with "This can't be happening to me", on their lips while others will rise to the occasion. The only question is the percentages.

In most reports of disasters, the heros have out-numbered the villians. The question this time is will the heros be able to lift the apathetic to action.

-- woody (woody11420@aol.com), November 26, 1999.

There has been at least one scurrilous, and possibly libellous, charge that Stan is making money on the cooperative preps. ***THAT CHARGE IS NOT TRUE*** In fact, when the aluminum Aladdins ran out Stan told the company to send brass lamps and paid the difference--$300--out of his own pocket. Those saying Stan is profiteering, please let us know your source for this charge, otherwise shut up.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), November 26, 1999.

If your not prepared you are dead. No water and no food, you are dead. I think we can look at the recent earthquakes that plagued Turkey and Taiwan, or the floods and mudslides that ravished Mexico and India recently. No food and contaminated water killed thousands. The recent hurricanes in this country that wiped out homes, livestock, and farmland is something people are still recovering from. It caught people unaware and unprepared. I remember one poster here who said if it weren't for their Y2K stash, they would have been lost. She stressed over and over again how important fresh bottled was. She realized that her several liter bottles of water were not enough.

Who will rise to the occasion? The government? If you have the majority of the people who did not prepare, how could anyone possibly take care of the majority? And is it my responsibility to take care of the majority? The answer is no. It's on the news and the Red Cross has put out many warnings for people to prepare, and all the sheeple do is roll their eyes and get angry. They also deny that anything is going to happen.

It may be true that in most disasters, the hereos have out numbered the villians. You are speaking of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc. These are diasters that only affect a certain population in a certain area. We are talking about a world-wide self-inflected problem here. I don't see any villians in this scenario, I only see smart people who have planned for their future.

I've been there and done with trying to lift the apathetic to action and all I got was "your an idiot, your a fear monger, yadda, yadda, ydadd." I don't believe that I am wrong, I do believe it's too late though.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 27, 1999.

bardou

you have something on your mind?

I actually think that posting Prep links regularly is a good idea (I had better :o) but I also think that it takes along time to sift the wheat from the chaft regarding Y2K. It took me 8 months (and that is after reading CSY2K!!!) before understanding the depth of the problem.

It took a GAO report saying the US Goverment had a slim to none chance of making repairs to many of its systems and then it came to me. US Government goes, paricularly taxation and its tits up world.

Mind you that was 15 months ago and a person kind of gets that ho hum feeling about it now. Its a waiting game till the end of the year and Christmas fever is now on the go. There is no escape. Its after Tday and its fruitcake time folks.

Good luck.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), November 27, 1999.

It's not really too late to prepare -- at least for one or two people who have a few hundred dollars in the bank. Just:

Call in sick.

Take $200 out of your ATM; drive to the nearest Aldi's or Sam's; get as much canned food & rice as you can fit into the trunk of your car; drive home & stash the cans in a closet. Repeat; repeat; repeat.

It might take all afternoon to get $200 worth of canned foods home. Do it.

Do the same thing again tomorrow, & the day after.

What else.... Fuel. Believe it or not, firewood is still available. You'll get fleeced, maybe, but you can still get some. Consider wrapping newspapers tightly into rolls. Improvise. Visit constuction sites. My neighbors are still throwing wood away; yours might be also.

What else.... Water. Scrounge containers & fill them. Even those disintegrating milk cartons are better than nothing -- they'll last at least a month or two.

What else.... Guns & ammo. They also can still be gotten cheap. Wal-mart still sells shotguns. Used weapons are cheaper. Doesn't everyone know at least one gun-nut with one gun too many?

Come on people! 36 days left? A LOT can be done in only a few days IF the will (& the cash) are there.

It's not over til it's over.

-- get moving while (you@still.can), November 27, 1999.

We are all about to get blitzed with the biggest media and advertising campain of the year...Christmas...spend...spend...spend.

In my area, one ninetendo game might be $59.00 plus tax; that same game would purchase 60lb rice, $15.00; 30lb. beans, $15.00; 300 muti-vitamins $8.00; lamp,kerosense and 5 gallon gas can, $18.00; water locally is .79 cents a gallon in the store, 7 gallon water containers are approx. $8.00 *they are very low in supply, 5 gallon also available.

Heat, cooking and fuel take alittle more effort, but it can be done. Stan gives a hoot about us all, and I suspect he will still be posting his 14 days prep on December 31st. :-)

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), November 27, 1999.

It's never too late. I've been listening to some on this forum say it was too late since about 6 months ago, but thousands of newbies have prepared since then. I've known a lot of procrastinator types that will probably wait until the last few days before rollover if panicky crowds don't force them to move any faster. They can go out in a pickup truck, hit a few stores, and within one or two days be better equipped than some of us. If they get anything at all it is better than nothing, so it's never too late.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), November 27, 1999.

It's Xmas, people aren't think about Y2K. Thanksgiving is over, passed several cars with Xmas trees on top. Went to the mall in the Bay Area and it was wall-to-wall people, and major traffic jams. Ads came out yesterday, people were lined up at Toys R' Us at 4:00 a.m. this morning so they could get a free Pokemon.

"Get moving" you have the right idea, however, people only move when they want to move and only if it's for something that will entertain them. As for taking money out of their ATM, most don't have the ready cash you are talking about, they live from paycheck to paycheck.

Brian, I do have something on my mind. Some are still hoping that the sheeple will wake up and take care of themselves. We have that last ray of hope, but I lost that hope a long time ago. Hearing the newsperson interviewing people about their purchases today made me wonder that much more what good will their purchases be for their survival 4 weeks from now? One man said he maxed out his credit card on gifts and couldn't spend anymore.

Yep, 36 days left, people are broke, end of tax year, they've done shot their wad. The spending spree is over and there's nothing left but receipts and a charge card bill on the way.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 27, 1999.

Those that are new here can go to more than this place to get enough information so they can decide for themselves how much and how long they should prepare for.

So newbies, take a day or two and read what all sides have to say about Y2K and decide for yourself!

Go check out this site and check out the links to other sites from there. When you have decided then you can come back here and get information on the preps YOU have decided YOU need. http://www.jediknight.com/~smpoole/indexa.html

http://www.jediknight.com/

The Myths Addressed!

Here are some links to stuff that I've written to address various myths surrounding the Y2K thingie. (I'm not being an egotist; there are links to other pages -- some of which are prettier than mine -- following these).

First, if you haven't done so already, get started with The State Of Y2K. This is updated twice monthly; be sure to check back here often for the latest!

Click here for an index of old State of Y2K issues.

Having read these, move on to the specifics as needed:

Myth Number One: We're going to die! Victor Von Doom* is an An EXPERT, and he says so!

You'll need a Historical Perspective on this. This ain't the first time someone has cried "Doom!" in a crowded Chat room ...

Next, we'll take a closer look at these Y2K Authorities ...

including Gary North and the rank and file in Saving Life As We Know It (For A Reasonable Fee).

You should also see the article, "Embeddeds" And The IT Mindset, and (especially if you're in a hurry) the capsule summary in Just The Fax, Ma'am ...

Myth Number Two: There are skazillions of computers at risk and we're going to die!

OK, let's look at this Zillions of Computers thing ...

Myth Number Three: A few errant computers could cause damage to everything; a "Domino Effect" will ripple through society. We're going to die!

To which I shout: I Ain't A Domino, I'm A Peeple.

Myth Number Four: We're all going to die! (This is a special note for my fellow Believers.)

I would ask: What Ever Happened To Faith?

... and OK, So What Would Jesus Do?

Finally, I get mail (lots of it!). Them Cards n' Letters Just Keep Comin' ...

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), November 27, 1999.

DELETE CHERRI THE DISRUPTOR !!

-- (get@lost.bitch), November 27, 1999.

Please delete Cherri. She is constantly, obsessively, trying to discourage people from taking prudent Y2K preparations. I think there is something badly wrong deep inside her and she is doing great harm to those here who are trying to reach some objective perception of the Y2K danger.

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), November 27, 1999.

Oh yeah, Cherri....and don't forget the Senate Reports!! For some reason or other, you are a VERY ANGRY person. I know why, but you should seek some help as you are spewing your anger and unhappiness on the rest of the world. Everyone has their own problems and they don't need yours too. Grow up!

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie123@aol.com), November 27, 1999.

Cherri was civil, she made her case reasonably well. I hope she's right, but I'm not gonna wager the farm on it.

If she's not trying to damage the board, and is civil (and we could all stand a dose of civility, from time to time) there is no good reason why she can't have her say.

Cherri, I hope you have made some small provision, just in case your expectations turn out to be incorrect.

regards,

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), November 27, 1999.

Cherri was right. We have talked ourselves into a tizzy of of teases. There is nothing to fear, not even fear itself. Her only concern is to have an alternative medium of exchange. She recommends Pokemon cards--these will be unavailable after rollover so their value will be enormous. They are more easily transported than gold, and, if y2k is a real wipe-out, they can also serve as toilet paper. Thanks Cherri! See you at BK on Wednesday nite!

-- (pigsfly@overthe.rainbow), November 27, 1999.

Thanks again to all my friends here for the kind words. I will be revising the 14 Days of Preps soon to reflect the short time and, perhaps, limited resources which people may face should they decide to prepare. While there is not much time left, some people will be able to make preparations-- even if it is only for a rough 14 days. As for the cooperative preps, they are fast coming to a conclusion as we are running out of time to place orders, receive goods, repack, and sip them off.

In the past, debunkers criticized (in the most unkindest spirit) the fact that the books linked in 14 Days of Preps were associated with an Amazon account. I repeat what I said then too such crticism: the commissions earned from those links and links elsewhere on the web associated with that account go to a shelter for abused women. At the time, I provided the name and address of the CPA firm that would verify such to written requests, but as far as I have heard no such requests were received.

As far as the cooperative preps go, I have received no commission in cash or goods. I have made no money or charged any money for my time spent organizing the cooperative preps, repacking goods, and shipping them out. In all of the cooperative prep deals that have been conducted, I was contacted first by those with an interest in things and I, then, contacted a dealer who could offer such goods at a good price. In many cases, the prices of goods were significantly less than retail prices.

I have never insisted on this forum that the goods offered through the cooperative preps were absolutely essential for Y2K preparations.

I would like to thank all the dealers that I have worked with for their compassion and willingness to sacrifice profits on the cooperative preps orders that they have received. With their permission, I can name two of them: James Keyser of Keyser International and Mark Miclette of www.watertanks.com. Thank you Mssrs. Keyser and Miclette for being apart of the cooperative preps; thank you for helping people on the TB2000 discussion forum get the preps that they wanted to get.

Sincerely,
Stan Faryna

Cooperative Preps: One time deal on Corona Grain Mills
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl? msg_id=001rV0

Cooperative Preps: Gas Masks, KI,  Solar Ovens, etc.
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl? msg_id=001rWU

Cooperative Preps: Water Filters at less than Retail Price
http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl? msg_id=001rWM

Got 14 days of preps? If not, get started now. Click here.

Click here and check out the TB2000 preparation forum.

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), November 27, 1999.

Cherri asks, "OK, So What Would Jesus Do?"

Jesus would multiply food. So, seeing that most of us here lack the faith to do such miracles (yes, I believe Jesus really did them), perhaps we should do the next best thing. Store food (like Joseph and other men of God once did).

I don't recall God chastising Noah for building an ark either. Nor do I recall Noah questioning God, "What do you mean 'We're all going to die?' People float!" By the way, Jesus would have walked on water in this case.

Note: Neither I nor anyone else I know of has said, "We're all going to die!" from Y2K. My question to Cherri would be, "How would you react if just one child in your neighborhood dies of hypothermia, dehydration, or a host of other Y2K-induced possibilities?"

Christians should beware that their "faith" is not the "presumption" warned of in the Bible. To call anything a "myth" before the fact sounds suspiciously like presumption, in my opinion. And, a potentially dangerous presumption at that.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), November 27, 1999.

Keep posting Stan.

*Most* here support you, and that's what counts.

Preparation is still possible... plan for camping... at home.

Cherri,

You're an amazing "piece of work"..LOL! Rabidly supporting the self- confessed net hoaxer himself... Stephen Poole.

*VBG*

He's a stellar example of a good "Christian?" Not in your wildest dreams! Really "missed the boat," and sinks like a stone.

Yes Zach,

Yeshua/Jesus would multiply the food. And help heal. And continue to teach. And perform "miracles."

Somehow, I suspect he'd support Y2K preparation for potential lean times too.

;-D

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 27, 1999.

Survival is a state of mind. Not a pile of stuff.(granted the stuff helps alot) It is NEVER too late. Right up until you die, there is still time to fight.

-- MegaMe (CWHale67@aol.com), November 27, 1999.

Stan,

I appreciate the good work that you do on many levels. Please be mindful of where you attach your newbie posts. I appreciate it when they are done independently and clearly labeled.

When I began reading the forum, there was a poster {named Greg?} who was promoting his food line. There was a genuine uproar at the time. Similar things happened on North's forums.

I know individuals who have been punished for a 'conflict of interest' when that was not the original intent at all, in the private and public sectors.

Time is of the essence for all of us. When a 'billboard' springs up in the middle of a thread to which the reference is tenuous at best, it stretches credibility.

-- flora (***@__._), November 27, 1999.

STAN IS THE MOST HONEST & CARING PERSON AROUND. HE SACREFICES ALOT TO TRY TO HELP MANY. I KNOW HIM VERY WELL & KNOW ALL WHO KNOW HIM PERSONALLY CAN STATE THIS WITHOUT ANY DOUBT!!!!!!

I have been on the Hyatt forum for a yr & here since this spring.. I have had the pleasure of meeting a great many of U @ functions, gov presentations, & @ your homes.

I know Stan very well. He is so darn honest he will not even put his trash out next to his neighbors on a day that is not his normal pickup.. no matter how many darn boxes & scraps he has from all those shipments etc.... the guy is so darn honest that his whole day is full of deep thought & constant dilemas about what is right & karma. Gets a bit tiresome for me who is just busy doing everything I can to get my family prepared for sooo many different senerios.

I have shopped w/ Stan, he is also a member of a local co-op for families, he has gone out of his way to pick up goodies for us in PA (incredible fresh fruit from a farmers market) etc.. & I have gone in on the group preps w/ Stan & even helped ship some of the stuff out... In order to get them out in such a timely fashion YOUR shipments take priority over his business & personal obligations. We have had to drive all over town to get supplies, pay premium for boxes @ stores, lift heavy things, & hunt down those way too costly shipping peanuts & bubblewrap... we check the order twice & then out they go..

As far as the Alladin lamp order goes.. well the aluminums can no longer be got.. so when he went to do the final order for all those less expensive aluminum ones you guys ordered (like I bought from him months ago) & found out all that could B had were the fine brass models he had to PERSONALY fork over the difference in order to make sure YOU all got your lamps for your families... this was at great expense to he & his & now all those folks have the fancy expensive brass lamps (which many of us normally could not afford.. my family included). I know of many persons who never paid Stan for what they have recieved from these types of cooperative preps & from his many trip to other states to get us all good gear @ great prices. I have watched Stan be a little cash poor some weeks (U should see how much his dogs eat.. WOW!) in order to insure more families were prepared for Y2K. (his family is still not even done w/ all their preps as cash is short sometimes) He truely cares, worries & tries to make a difference..

I have seen Stan donate large amounts of food to needy families & out of compasion for 1 family w/ 5 kids just hand them a brand new Baygen flashlight ($80 or more) out of genuine concern.

Truely the worst thing I can say about Stan is that 1 of his dogs is a total spaze, gets yucky wet stuff all over me & drives me nuts..

Love ya Stan & so does my whole family.

-- Peabody (private@athome.com), November 27, 1999.

Stan, you should print this thread & attach it to your will. Makes one heck of a eulogy! ;-)

I guess I'll wade in here with my two cents. Peabody has it right. Firsthand experience folks.

And Peabody, I carried that darned fruit you enjoyed so much ALL over the outdoor market in Penn. looking for Stan! I came "that close" to leaving the fruit there. Truth be told, if I had the car keys I would have kept the fruit & left Stan at the market!

Best Wishes,

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), November 27, 1999.

I rather suspect that Stan doesn't like accolades, and I've debated whether to write this post for that reason. But it would make me utterly nuts not to comment on this.

The "NO" in my name is directly traceable to Stan, his support and practical links, as well as the support of many other excellent people on this forum.

But it goes beyond that: I have been busy selling unnecessary possessions through my local trader paper. I was so struck by Stan's extraordinary personal offer to help a TB participant with kids, that it made me resolved do some of the same for others. Next week, my daughter and I will be hauling these extra preps that I've put aside to our church, along with a good many print-outs from links provided by Stan and Brian. (That might-should get this congregation's wake-up attention.) And thus, Stan's positive influence will continue to have reverberations.

So to all you scroll-bar-impaired folks who find 14-Day Of Preps a nusance and a yawner, you will understand if I regard even a subtle indictment of Stan's intentions as laughably misguided, if not outright numbskulled.

Knuckleheads. ;-)

-- (resignedNOmore@this.point), November 27, 1999.