About a week ago I started a thread, agreeing with a Kansas City Star article that the movie was poorly written and would not spook the herd. Later in the thread I allowed for the possibility of a stampede resulting from the movie starting as late as Thanksgiving. I was in Wally World tonight and saw plenty of camping lanterns and stoves still on the shelves. Visits to the grocery store equally showing no stampede. While I imagine a few were motivated the herd in general has not been. thread

Here's a link to a followup in tomorrow's edition of the KC Star poll

I doubt that anything will occur prior to Christmas that would spook the herd. Any computer glitches that happen before the end of the year will be either managable, not widespread, or humorous (new horseless carriages in Maine).

Mikey2k

-- Mikey2k (mikey2k@he.wont.eat.it), November 27, 1999

Answers

Consider the possibility that it was well-written (for its aims) and designed NOT to spook the herd. See this thread

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), November 27, 1999.

I can see no reason whatsoever why the complacent, somnolent, overweight, TV-drugged American people will wake up between now and New Year's Evil. It would take some kind of major Y2K event to get their attention and until January there will not be any major Y2K events. Forget about them; it's a lost cause.

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

Don't write off John Q. Public just yet. The stocking-up that J.Q. Public has done so far, has been done quietly. The numbers could be increasing and we would have no accurate way to measure it.

The closer we get to December 31 the more quickly the pace will increase. By the end of December preparations should be quite brisk. Remember that the public doesn't even get ready for an impending hurricane until it is within 24 hours of making landfall.

-- snooze button (alarmclock_2000@yahoo.com), November 27, 1999.

Snooze Button: I agree. They may not be making a lot of noise while they are preparing, but I'm inclined to give their intelligence the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they, like us, are keeping theit plans and hiding places to themselves for the obvious reasons. If it was as easy as it was for those who are on preparation lists to get the idea that advertising the whereabouts of their supplies was not only foolish but dangerous, why wouldn't the same idea occur to those not on the net but preparing?

-- Liz Pavek (lizpavek@hotmail.com), November 27, 1999.

Kind'a didn't expect it would.

Sure spooked the dot gov's, some dot com's and the FRB bankers though.

"Interesting."

Diane

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

If there is any panic, it will be triggered by gasoline shortages. Supplies are already low, and many people will decide to fill their gas tanks during the last week of December, even if they have half a tank left. If any lines begin to form or stations run out of gas, more people will be motivated to fill up. This will create media attention and may spark a run on canned foods, etc.

-- Danny (dcox@ix.netcom.com), November 27, 1999.

My DWGI mother-in-law couldn't resist giving my wife and myself our christmas present early.A 25 inch tv and a hi-fi vcr and a cable subscription.I couldn't help laughing.We had already given them a list of possible y2k related gifts more extensive than our wedding registry.My mother in law's rational;"I didn't want to give you something you won't need when y2k is nothing next year." I hope she's right.But my god,I hadn't realized how powerful television is.It's as narcotic as any drug I've had(without the trails),I see now that my little old 8 inch black and white tv just did not produce sufficient cathode rays to produce the videodrome effect.The y2k program did indeed seem to be intentionaly made to prompt viewers to turn the channel.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), November 28, 1999.