As I've said more than once, I intend to be somewhere in New England when y2k hits (NOT Sydney :( ). Therefore I'm preparing and planning on a y2k bugout in the US.

What I was thinking was: I'd like to live near good people. People like Diane, Leska (where, exactly, is Cascadia?), Runway Cat and other people. And my line of logic went from there, to the idea that it might be a good idea for ALL people here, who GI and are thinking of moving somewhere but don't know exactly where yet, to move to some general vicinity. A community of GIs. Of prepared, intelligent people. Wouldn't that be cool?

Ideas, comments, flames?

-- Leo (lchampion@ozemail.com.au), January 30, 1999

Answers

Cascadia (i.e., Cascade Mountains - northwestern U.S.) is almost 3,000 miles from New England -- better get a U.S. map and start boning up on the geography, Leo. :-)

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), January 30, 1999.

LEO:

Terribly sorry but New England and Cascadia are about as far appart as you can get in the lower 48. Walking would be a bit tough, ask Meriwether Lewis. Hitching might not be a good idea either. Driving could also be problematical. You need =someone in the EAST not the west.

Chuck

-- Chuck, night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 30, 1999.

Hey, I'm from that area! Cascadia is beautiful! I'm living in Iowa now.

I've just recently found this forum and I'm enjoying it very much!

-- another Diane (starkrav@kdsi.net), January 30, 1999.

Leo,

Just curious why New England? Clue me in on some reasons. I've thought of the area. It's beautiful and lots of nice rural areas, but it's C O L D in winter and is supplied 40% by nuclear power, so possibly there may be more power problems than in other areas (maybe that is not logical to conclude, but it crossed my mind).

-- Debbie Spence (dbspence@usa.net), January 30, 1999.

Why New England? A simple reason. Harvard is in Massachussetts. Yale is in Connecticut. Princeton is in New Jersey, and Vassar is in New York State. Since I intend and expect to recieve entry to at least one of those four colleges....

Not that I especially think New England will be the best place to be when TSHTF. In fact, it would probably be one of the WORST. Up north, making it cold. East Coast, making it full of people. My working plan now is that I'm going to, in the Christmas break, get myself down somewhere south or south-west. Less cold, less people. And it probably won't cost as much to set myself up land-wise there, either.

--Leo

-- Leo (lchampion@ozemail.com.au), January 30, 1999.

Leo,

It's hard to tell where any of us are going to end up. It might be better to have contacts all over the place.

-- Elbow Grease (Elbow_Grease@AutoShop.com), January 30, 1999.

Elbow: True, very true. I totally 100% agree.

-- Leo (lchampion@ozemail.com.au), January 30, 1999.

Leo,

Your post has crystallized two thoughts that have been percolating in my mind. This virtual community has two potential problems. Fortunately, the problems are mutually exclusive, but have the same solution .

At some point, in the near future, it may become apparent that Y2K will be a BITR. (Bump in the road) If this comes to pass, I fear that some of the folks who post here, who have actually become people I *like,* who have put their money where their mouths are by changing their life-plans, who have shown an emotional commitment to *expecting* the worst case, *may* find a need for a form of "deprogramming," or at least someone to commiserate with. (I hope that didn't sound condescending...) This is the importance of real community. I would hope that we can say we'll be there if that need arises. I would hope that the personalities behind the pixels will not disappear into cyberspace too soon. It is encouraging to see the first signs that real community is being created from the electrons; the references to private email dialogs, phone contacts, offers to "come and meet/visit," etc. These relationships may be as important if Y2K is a non-event as they would be post - TEO - whatever. Granted, there seems a slim chance of this scenario .

The opposing problem is that total meltdown would include this medium and this forum. As Leo has alluded, it might (would) be beneficial for GI's to know that if they were "caught out in the cold," that is, unable to get to their retreat, that there might be temporary safe havens in the area. I am not naive; this is *not* a suggestion to publish one's location, *but* there are (still) alternate methods of communication, after all. Think of it as a form of contingency planning for a virtual community. Of course, the devil is in the details. Think: "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."

Leo, I'm in the NorthEast, would be glad to meet you.

And, as a famous man once said: Ideas, comments, flames?

-- Elbow Grease (Elbow_Grease@AutoShop.com), January 30, 1999.

New England does have going for it: good for growing things (soil a bit rocky); ample water. There are lots of people in cities, true; but there are lots of rural out of the way areas up in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Not too far to bug out to. (vs. the south or southwest of USA - just too far to drive, at least if you're planning a bugout spot.)

There is a well established Y2k community action group in Lowell, Mass. Not too far from Cambridge, MA if that's where you end up.

-- Debbie Spence (dbspence@usa.net), January 30, 1999.

Deprogramming? DEPROGRAMMING???

The correct phrase is REprogramming. Out with the bad and in with the good.

Or maybe we should call it UNmilneificationizing.

-- Uncle Deedah (Oncebitten@twiceshy.com), January 30, 1999.

"Have you been Unmilneificationized yet?"

"No, I went with the Yourdoneckoscopy"

"How was it?"

"Not bad, better than that Northorectomy some folks have gotten"

"Yeah, I hear that hurts alot"

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), January 30, 1999.

Deedah,

You're ornery. I don't care what you call it, but you couldn't have done a better job even if your ridicule was not intended to trivialize my observation.

-- Elbow Grease (Elbow_Grease@AutoShop.com), January 31, 1999.

Dude

Ya *axed* for flames, me oblige.

Always ready to help.

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), January 31, 1999.

That I did. Now, how about something constructive?

-- Elbow Grease (Elbow_Grease@AutoShop.com), January 31, 1999.

Sorry

Construction takes place from oh eight hundred, til oh five hundred only, monday thru ? depending upon workload.

AND YES YES YES, like minded folks should band together,except for the grumpy ones.

I will, however, make one slight + contribution, for those who are able to scan all threads, and find the one nugget, including you Leo.

I am accepting now email at unkeeD@yahoo.com

This offer may be revoked at any time, and if I do not respond, it is probably because I hate you.

Love and kisses...

-- Uncle Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), January 31, 1999.

One last bit before I hit(sack)

That should read Seventeen Hundred hours to the initiated, Hardliner and SOB must be AWOL for this eve.

niteall

-- Unclew Deedah (oncebitten@twiceshy.com), January 31, 1999.

If you're going to be in New England, you should check out:

Valley 2000 Demonstration Center at Sirius, Shutesbury, MA 413-259- 1251 www.siriuscommunity.org

The Pioneer Valley along the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts has always been a bunch of pretty independent folks (Shays' Rebellion in 1793, I think it was) and I'll bet they're cooking up some y2k independence you'll want to know about. Five colleges. Nuclear Freeze started there.

I left the Valley before these people got there (from Findhorn community in Scotland) but I'll bet there are plenty more GIs if you don't like that particular group.

-- jor-el (Jor-el@krypton.com), January 31, 1999.