Why is everybody spending all of there time still debating the possible effects of y2k? This is subject should be nothing but a catalyst to get the people of the world to start thinking about individual prepardness of any level, and nothing more...Lets spend our time with news and prepardness tips and leave the cock fighting and guessing about the outcome of y2k out of it for a change.

-- BiGG (supersite@acronet.net), May 06, 1999

Answers

Part of the difficulty is the lack of consensus on what to prepare FOR. Due to this lack of consensus, and the uncertainty, we really can't make truly rational prep decisions. Some of us have made determinations on how prepared we will try to be and are dutifully (duty to Family and Self) prepping based on those determinations. The search for clarity is because, since I (and others) have a Duty to my family and self to provide, I need to be sure that I am providing enough. It is the question "How Much?" that drives the search for clarity, and the continuing debate.

At least this is my motivation, and I haven't got any worries about the security of my DoomBrood (tm) membership card.

Chuck

-- chuck, a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), May 06, 1999.

The reason for the guessing about the outcome of Y2K is so we can answer the question, prepare for what and how much?

One year ago my opinion (guess) was that the electricity was going to go down big time. The first two NERC reports didn't help with all the weasel words etc. Recently my own sources about individual turbine "islanding" tests and reports from Hoffmeister on this forum make me much more upbeat. So where as a year ago the idea of no electricity was a given and for quite a while at that, my best guess as of today is that the power will stay up most likely and if it does go down it will probably be back up in 3-6 days. Of course my efforts at being a later day Nostradamus have never been very good, so I'm still hedging my bets with a diesel generator. The possibility that it might go down, whether that is 10% of 90% still morally obligates me to prepare to keep my elderly parents in a nice warm location 1/00.

One the financial side it's the other direction. I was worried about another round of the Asian Flu spilling over into the US a year ago. With a profound lack of progress over the last year in S. America, Africa, and E. Asia the likelihood of finacial market turmoil is in my opinion (guess) more likely than I thought before. Add to that more outrageous P/E ratios of the internet stocks, plus idiotic op-ed pieces in the WSJ about "new market dynamics" where P/E ratios mean nothing, and labored explanations as why a 20,000 DOW is possible and likely not merely in the coming decades but in the coming year or so (I'm not making this up!) makes me think of tulips or the South Sea (think Lawrence Welk). Than add things like LTCM and the derivatives numbers that are out there and little ol' risk adverse me doesn't like the financial weather that might be coming over the horizon.

To recap my long windedness, prepare yes, but to do that you have to know (guess) what to prepare for and how much. I live on a very high hill (140' above flood level) in Missouri, I am a survivalist but if a hurricane or a flood hits my house I'll be caught flat footed as the next guy.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), May 06, 1999.

BiGG,

A year ago there was much less traffic on this site I think it was much more relevant. I can only assume that the amount of 'idle chatter' means that there are a whole lot of folks here who have finished their preparedness. Makes me jealous as hell...occurs to me the best course might to search archieves for relevant info, print, it out and leave this addiction alone....

On the other hand there are lots of helpful folk out there who will kindly recap previously posted info if you present a question of particular concern. And somewhere, someone did an absolutely awesome job of preparing a thread index of sorts... I just can't remember the thread.

Good luck jh

-- john hebert (jt_hebert@hotmail.com), May 06, 1999.

Brians awesome job ...

Timebomb 2000 Preparation Archive

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 000nJU

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 06, 1999.

I have been a lurker and a learner. I just want to prepare, so some of you have alot to contribute , others do not...

Why is a diesel generator better than a regular besides the price of the fuel.

-- Gretchen (Berge99@aol.com), May 06, 1999.

It will run much, much, much longer before needing an overhaul. And I believe that with the slower RPM of the engine, comes slower RPM of the generator itself. This would increase it's life as well.

Me, I gotta gas one, a Honda.

Regards,

-- Mr Deedah (used2B@unkeeD.B4civility), May 06, 1999.