Just to let you all know that Univision's Cristina show, a Oprah like talk show in Spanish, just finished airing. My DGI wife told me at the tail end so I wasn't able to see the whole think, but in summary the two "experts" they had on said to prep for one month. They mentioned interdependencies of systems, water storage, prescription drugs, food, child needs, danger of year end shortages etc. All in all I think my wife is a GI now.

This scares me because Cristina has a following in the Latin community like Oprah. As my wife said "Cristina is followed by a lot of Mexicans. I know my people, a lot of them will start to get worried and do something." Sounded better in Spanish.

Just thought it should be known that the word is getting out in other languages as well and there are a lot of Spanish speaking people in this country. I have to go and by some more pintos, canned tomatillos, masa, rayas y mas.

adios

-- Tom (timbereyes@usa.net), December 06, 1999

Answers

make that rajas, obviously Spanish isn't my first language

-- tom (timbereyes@usa.net), December 06, 1999.

Don Tomas,

Que bueno que nos dijo sobre esta informacion. Eres un hombre muy listo. Lo malo es que ya no te intienda--que quiere decir "rajas" en ingles? Yo se esta palabra, pero no seguro que qiera decir en este contexto.

Tu amigo,

ALK

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), December 06, 1999.

I can see Dan Rather's face puckering up like an oversized assphincter when he is forced to report some real herd movement, even if it is foreign based.

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), December 06, 1999.

paul -

Not so "foreign" if you live in an area with a large Hispanic population (e.g., most of SoCal, Southern Texas, Miami, etc.)

Cristina has a strong following here in the San Diego area. Frankly, I think the Latino population will be better prepped than a lot of the whitebread types in the 'burbs around here.

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), December 06, 1999.

Ironically enough, I think the working/lower classes may be far better prepped than the rest of the population. I live in a "ethnically diverse" working class neighborhood in Chicago and the conversations I've had with people around here show a LOT more awareness and concern than the yuppies at my office. A lot of people in my neighborhood stock large quantities of food on a weekly or monthly basis ordinarily anyway. You can't even find a shopping cart at Aldi's on the weekend (the low budget food store in North Chicago), whereas most of the white collar types I know tend to live on carry out. You tend to prioritize differently when you live on a limited budget. This is a sweeping generalization I know, and totally based on personal observation, but having lived in both poor and affluent neighborhoods I have tended to notice a lot of the differences in behavior.

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), December 07, 1999.

Right about the "working classes" being more prepared. Eventhough they may not all be on the "net", past hardships (and hardship stories of their parents) seems to have made us more preparedness minded. We live in the "Appalachia" part of Litchfield County, Ct.: every one of my neighbors (pre-Y2k) has a generator, chickens, horses, woodstoves, cords of wood, root cellars, rabbits, stored feed, wagons, hand tools, sheds,boats, hunting dogs, etc. Of course, the few "weekenders" CEO's we get up here on the mountain visiting their "farms" (ha!) can't stand the sight of all our "junk" -- it doesn't exactly look like Architectural Digest has been through our neighborhood yet.

-- Dot (dromano03@snet.com), December 07, 1999.

Que bueno! Y... buena suerte!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 07, 1999.

Yes, working class ethnics understand the government. When I tell ordinary people that I don't trust what the government is saying, they nod. Yup.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), December 07, 1999.

Diane, casi se me olvido que hablas espanol!

Parece que Tom se fue; puedes decirme que quere decir "raja", en este contexto?

ALK

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), December 07, 1999.

AlK: Si.

To the rest: I don't know about the "working class" being better prepared. All of my 8th grade students are pretty working class, for sure, and most of their parents (based on class discussions we have had) do not think anything at all will happen, IF they've even given it much thought at all. Out of 100 students, I have one who says his parents are prepping.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 07, 1999.

Preparing-

I can't say that the 1:100 figure is the reality. I have told my kids to say nothing to anyone regarding our preps, even teachers. They know I mean it and have overheard them talking to friends declining any knowledge about what our family is doing. So far, so good.

-- Pete (phytorx@lanset.com), December 07, 1999.

Estoy aqui. A1k rajas son simplemente something like sliced jalepenos in vinagre. They sell at most stores, and are yummy to eat when all you can find are lame and tame fresh hot peppers at the store. Sometimes they have carrots or other veggies in them and then it might be called something else. I am sure you have seen them as they are common. Actually I am not sure that everybody calls them that except my wife's family. They have their own set of phrases and words as most families do.

-- tomas (timbereyes@usa.net), December 07, 1999.

"Rajar" is a verb in "Lunfardo" (a Latin American Slang). It means to escape.

Very appropriate expression for Y2K...

-- El Lunfa (rajadeaca@quekilombo.com), December 08, 1999.

Those wishing to translate from English to Spanish or vice versa can do so here. Anything I can do to help. Long live the Babel Fish!!

Isos que desean traducir de inglis al espaqol o viceversa pueden hacer tan aqum. Cualquier cosa que puedo hacer para ayudar. Viven de largo los pescados de Babel!!

-- Steve (hartsman@ticon.net), December 08, 1999.