I am reading all these posts on people conceding and apologizing for what? Excepting personal responsibility for the safety of themselves and their families. I have already seen a dozen or so posts about people looking for a scapegoat. What the HELL is wrong with you people!!! No one dragged you down to the store & made you buy a cart of tuna & rice. Take some accountability for your own actions. If you were 9 yrs old you may have a point. I have done extensive prepping and I will apologize to no one for caring enough about my family to insure their safety. Why don't you all cancel your car & health insurance, may not need them.

I am absolutely sickened by this flip-flop attitude. Hell next week your credit card will be rejected and then its back to costco for another 500 cases of Raman noodles.

We haven't even rolled over yet. Have your spouse slap you across the face & sit back and enjoy the new year. Hang on to your preps - you may need them. Watch what happens Monday & in the next few weeks, then make a decision. Please have some dignity and do not apologize for taking personal responsibility.

Death by 1000 cuts.

-- Toast (nomoretime@uhoh.com), December 31, 1999

Answers

Well said!!! Couldnt agree more!

-- Rod (rspain@webcombo.net), December 31, 1999.

AMEN TO THAT

-- fatanddumb (fatdumb@nd.happy), December 31, 1999.

Apologies, I have none to give or get. I did and will continue to do what I think is my best interests. Especially when it come to my family. I too, am surprised that folks think we are out of the woods when we are still walking up the hill to the woods. Oh Well.

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), December 31, 1999.

I agree with you totally Toast. Our family stocked up on food, water, extra fuel....we even put a hand pump on our well.....just in case. After a week or so if no problems appear, we won't have to buy supplies for quite awhile. No matter what the outcome......I like the secure feeling of being prepared for emergencies.

-- wetscat (wetscat@hotmail.com), December 31, 1999.

Toast,

'personal responsibility' is not all that's been going on here for the last year or so. Several people have been pushing TEOTWAWKI scenarios.. This was supposed to be the disaster, tonight.. except it wasn't. Many people did very irrational things like quit jobs, move out of town, spend every last dime on supplies based on this input.

This has been akin to a cult.

It would be kind of funny if the rest of the world is lit up like a Christmas tree, and we go dark. Especially after we dissed all the other countries Y2K efforts.

-- bryce (bryce@seanet.com), December 31, 1999.

Well said. Given the exact same set of circumstances (as in, if I could do it all over again), I'd do the SAME thing. Any astute, reasonable observor would.
Add to that that we are nowhere near out of the woods yet.

Re. death by 1,000 cuts:
Watch out for corrupt data, flowing freely into the system around the world, as we speak...

-- Me (not@here.com), December 31, 1999.

It crossed my mind that one of the deeper pleasures in life is to be prepared for a disaster that does not actually happen. You can have your preps and eat them too. I'd do it all again the same way tomorrow, if the information was the same. Better a live lion than a dead dog, as the saying ought to go.

-- merak (merak@sedona.net), December 31, 1999.

RIGHT ON, WE'RE NOT OUT OF THIS YET, NOT BY A MILE.

-- Tom Flook (tflook@compuserve.com), December 31, 1999.

A toast to Toast! Well spoken sir!

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), December 31, 1999.

Very well said. As for the TEOTWAWKI scenario, I personally know of no one who has sold their homes and headed for the hills. I cannot speak for those on this posting who have said that, for I just started posting 2 days ago. However, from what I have read, no one is doing that! Even if that is the case for a few people, so what? It's their business, isn't it?

-- Mello1 (Mello1@ix.netcom.com), December 31, 1999.

Bryce,

These people looked at the data, they were not forced to move or buy things. Whats got me is the scapegoat bit. How pathetic do you have to be to dump your own accountability on someone else. It sickens me. I see the victim role everyday in my line of work. It wasn't my fault, they made me do it. Get over it people you made your own decision!!! Do not blame others for your own actions!!!

-- Toast (nomoretime@uhoh.com), December 31, 1999.

I think that preparing was a totally prudent action to take. Nice that we might not have a total end to our corrupt society. I'm found of it despite it's egregious flaws.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), December 31, 1999.

True Toast, but's let's revel in the good news in that it appears that the grid and major utility infrastructure may stay intact. Thank God. If the financial sector stays together, I'll will be massively overjoyed as we didn't take our assests out of circulation only out of the market into govt. bonds.

BTW, I work as an air traffic controller in an FAA tower and I just got home after working the UTC roll over (a very important time for us) and everything worked as advertised in our neck of the woods. The radios, radar, flight data and weather processing equipment rolled right over without so much of a hiccup. Very good news as far as I'm concerned.

Folks, like Toast says, don't feel bad about looking out for your families. The only regrets to have are for perhaps any bad behaviour that has been displayed in the course of this most interesting discourse. For me personally, I will not be thrilled with cooking 90% of my meals at home in the next 6 or so months to deal with the pile of food but it's a small price to pay for safety. It's been fun.

-- Cathy AKA Ramp Rat (ldalcorn@alaska.net), December 31, 1999.

Preppers have only done what governments and corporations have done. We have taken action to protect our interests. I have no regrets about having a bunch of stuff I will use anyway.

All we really know is that the power is on. And I have no complaints about that.

-- semper paratus (ready@or.not), December 31, 1999.

Toast, congratulations!

I don't owe anyone an apology, or any excuse for being prepared. And as has been pointed out, it ain't over yet.

However, for some reason (and it's not fear or guilt for maybe being wrong) something just doesn't ring true for me with all this happy, happy, happy everything is fine spiel.

My decisions are mine alone. And living in the earthquake center of the world (So. Calif.) anyone that doesn't stay prepared in this area is nuts.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), December 31, 1999.

What preps do you have that you cannot use? I can use every single item that I have purchased. I haven't lost a thing except for my time in preparing, but it was well worth it. I have learned skills that will carry me through for the rest of my life. I have met people on this forum who took time to share their knowledge and friendship, which is something that we have all benefited from. I agree with you toast, hang on to your preps they'll come in handy.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), December 31, 1999.

For all of us in this FAMILY, we say RIGHT ON! And, yes, that was a shout!

I have posted on this forum for well over a year - sometimes under a real name and email address and sometimes not. I have posted, lurked, steamed, laughed and cussed out the likes of some of you polly idiots like Y2K Pro, with or without typing.

Responsibility for the mature adult, is to consider the real safety risks of not preparing - given the possiblility of untruths from government, commerce (the likes of Microsoft who posted over 500 Y2K bug fixes for various software in the past 30 days), etc. If this thing turns out to be a 'non event', then so be it. But, at least, the four folks I am responsible for are safe tonight, and will be if the s**t does hit the fan!!! How many of you polly fools can say that? If we're wrong, then we'll burn the gasoline in the cars, eat the food and give the excess to charity, if called for. What the Hell will you pollies do, except say we were wrong?

-- TruthSeeker (truthseeker@ seektruth.always), December 31, 1999.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please: Expert consensus is that cumulative effects will be the issue: we are at Ground 0 and careful examination of incoming data may support this position. The extremist postitions will yield a healthy middle ground. Now, please refer to MIT's 10/99 seminar in discrete learning (by machines) in network environment and resolution of problems. Then research developments in artificial intelligence. Consider MIT's decision to go offline in light of this material. Now, stop arguing, allow no further manipulation and utilize your own decision making capabilities as a group.

-- charlie in texas (cml@workmail.com), December 31, 1999.

It is an idiot that will not step out in front of his family and take a stand when he thinks they are in danger, even should that move be the wrong one, he still has his loved ones in mind. I would be ashamed to face my family even if I was right about the Non event thing. There was and still is a possible danger and you do nothing. How low can you get. No many thousands of times no I will not appoligize for prepping. Remember my friend,this simple saying, he who laughs last laughs the most. It is not at this time, time for the laughter. I am not ashamed to face my family, I am protecting them from possible danger, are you?

-- Notforlong (Fsur439@aol.com), December 31, 1999.

I feel bad, my "landlord" bought several cases of beer incase of shortages. Now there is no panic he is going to have to drink it and give some to charity (me).

Could be a long night

-- Brian (imager@home.com), December 31, 1999.

I will NEVER apologize for making what I consider to be PRUDENT preparations for an unprecedented event. And I FERVENTLY hope to NEVER have to use them. The alternative is too horrible to contemplate. Really.

Be thankful we've come this far. If the power stays up, then we'll be okay (as a society). I can certainly live with that!

Good luck to us all...

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), December 31, 1999.