My apologies for not wanting my response to this at the bottom of a very long list of great notes from people I deeply admire, but I feel it is important to put this in black and white and it is somewhat the deep underlying basis for all our discussions.

IF WE DID NOTHING TO PREPARE: On Jan 1, 2000:

1) In the northern states, if the gas and electricity are off for any extended periods of time, 2days? we will have many frozen dead people.

2) All over the U.S., if water systems stop or get seriously disrupted, the majority of people will start drinking untreated water, and we will have massive numbers of people seriously ill and even dying from water contamination sicknesses. Since it wasn't prepared for, medical supplies to treat such illnesses will quickly run out... more dead people.

3. All over the U.S., if people cannot get food for one week they will get violent and attempt to obtain food wherever they think it might be available. If there is still gas, and my guess is there will be for a while, millions of people may start migrating to food producing areas, like they did in the Great Depression. (ala "Grapes of Wrath"). Both violence and epidemics could be a serious concerns in these areas of the country. Our food producing regions could be destroyed by migrating hungry, violent people. The government might be forced to institute martial law.

This is my opinion of what we possibly have to look forward to next year. Only an idiot wouldn't prepare if there is even the SLIGHTEST chance the three above scenarios come true. Death, death and death is about what I see for not preparing. But for you who hang out here and don't want to prepare -- have at it. It's you life, or lack thereof in the future....

Sincerely, Apple

-- Apple (villarta@itsnet.com), March 30, 1999

Answers

Well, shoot!! I am a pansy and like my creature comforts. I don't need to think about death to prepare. I just have to think about being a little hungry and cold and not being able to read in bed, or get up and raid the fridge in the middle of the night or go to the bathroom without putting on mukluks and snowsuit. Didn't take me long to become a GI. I have lived Y2K in Alaska and while it was fine when I was young, hubby and I like our furnace and air conditioning and Burger King and Winn Dixie and having a dog that doesn't have to earn its keep. Been there and done all that.

Got a bikini??

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), March 30, 1999.

Taz,

I admit it--I'm a sissy la-la too. (Wish I could find that thread again...) Don't want to have to give up all my creature comforts if I don't have to.

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), March 30, 1999.

Don:

I found that thread using edit - search.

You Americans are a bunch of Sissy La's La's<br>http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch- msg.tcl?msg_id=000amE

Has anyone heard from this guy since this post?

-- Jenny (noSnart@GI.com), March 30, 1999.

Apple, your number 3 senario won't play out. Most people will sit in their homes until all of the food runs out, waiting for the relief truck to park outside their doors. You are right about the water-borne illnesses, but starving people with vomiting/diarrhea aren't going to riot too vigorously.

-- Helen (sstaten@fullnet.net), March 30, 1999.