Hi Robert!

As a fellow georgian I'm interested in your opinions on our status here in the peach state. I read your posts as much as I can trying to get an overall picture of where we stand in relation to the rollover. Personally,I think we're in for the ride of our lives! I'm glad I was born and raised up here in the mountains of northeast Ga. Up here folks were instilled with the survival instincts from an early age. Any information would greatly be appreciated!

BTW-I've noticed others here on the forum getting together on occasions. Might be nice to see how many are out there and are interested in a get together. Keep up the good work with your posts,take care and God bless.

SEMPER FI

-- SEMPER FI (etl@stc.net), May 14, 1999

Answers

I was born and raise in Georgia, too. Unfortunately, the town I grew up in contains the Kings Bay Naval Base so when TSHTF that whole regions will probably disappear. I am just an occasional poster/lurker type, who leans towards being a Doomer, but not just because of Y2K. I currently live in Marietta, ("May-reta" for the locals),but had the benefit of growing up hunting and fishing before beocming a software developer. I spent the first half of last year in Sao Paulo, Brazil on a project for Bellsouth(BCP), Brazils entire cellular network actually, so I have got some stories/info to swap. Where would be a good meeting place? How about the 'Big Chicken'?

-- jp (myles13@bellsouth.net), May 14, 1999.

Hey, guys...

I'm in Peachtree City, originally from Chicago. I believe I'm one of the very few down here in PTC getting ready for when TSHTF. Right now, I'm in a holding pattern... waiting to see what happens. How about you guys? That is obviously not my true E-mail address, so post an answer here on the BB. Hope for the best and prepare for the rest.

-- Sandmann (Sandmann@alasbab.com), May 14, 1999.

Okay - Big Chicken it is. Solves that problem.

Now, when? How many times? Next Sunday, 1:00 (1300, semper, not 1:00 am) May 23 to start?

Media invited? Yes, no, or decide later?

Politicians invited? Yes, no, or decide later?

For youse guys (out-of-towners !) who don't don't know where the Big Chicken is......get a life! (Hwy 41 at Hwy 120, 1/4 mile from I75, exit on either 112 or 113.)

Predictions - Some areas of GA are way of the rest of the country. Personally, I feel confident in Cobb Cty and Marietta's preparations, and in several of the efforts made by George Grindley at the state level. Cobb Cty, for example, spent more per captia than any other county, started earlier than almost anybody, and finished first (declared compliancy last September when testing finished.) Cobb EMC is in pretty good shape, natural gas distribution is risky because it is distributed through and controlled by processors in the middle City of Atlanta - more on that mess later.

Gov. Barnes is doing infinitely better than his predecessor, but the Lt Gov is only pushing Democratic politics, not state progress.

That could be big trouble, because several issues have already been shunted aside in favor of his agenda(s).

Two unknowns - no specific data publicized is the real status of GA Power and Ogalthorpe Power - both have only put out vague issues, nothing concrete. The rest of GA government is sketchy and incomplete. School data in particular is incomplete - some areas though (Paulding County - remain almost exclusively on old paper systems - will they be okay because they have little automation? Or will they suffer because outside computers will pass bad data to the paper? On paper, it is harder to find and recover from errors, and much slower to fix them.

Some other areas - Fulton County, for example - are real good in some areas (according to Skandalakisis, former County Head, but other areas are behind. Certain counties (like Cherokee) appear to be spending very little, but that's because their budget didn't break out Y2K separately.

The City of Atlanta, (which straddles Fulton and Dekalb Counties, and so shares all sorts of resources with both) is a total black hole. They only *began* assessment in November, and then tried to cancel that contract in early April before the report was issued because the companied did not to use the mayor's "hand-picked" minority partnership - the minority business chosen was not the mayor's buddy - so he cancelled the contract is now suing.

Can anybody spell "kick-back"?

Anyway - Atlanta is not yet finished with assessment, are completely corrupt, and completely tied to the state and federal handouts for their funds and survival. If anything, this is the anchor that will kill the state. Expect everything to fail somehow - long and hard - sewage (again), water (again), power, natural gas, etc.

The airport is also a black hole - nothing is publicized. The mayor fired the highly lauded airport administrator in January - if she and Delta got remediation started early enough that the mayor's appointtee could screw it up, then maybe it can remain in business. If not, kiss that off too.

The Super Bowl is scheduled for the third ? weekend in January. I'm skeptical Atlanta will have recovered by then - but then again, we can always hold it outside at GA Tech stadium in the afternoon. Use a herd of porta-potties, and natural light.....who needs power, water, and sewage.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), May 14, 1999.

Hey, SIMPER FI, what county? I grew up (birth-16 years old) in White County. My aunts didn't have indoor plumbing until 1975, the year before I left for college. I graduated early and came to NCSU as the youngest full-time freshman at the time - 1976 (just had turned 16).

The hills are alive, that's for sure. Used to farm acres of corn with pop. My relatives there are still poor, but have gardens and "put up" everything from year to year. It's getting bad though. The revenooers are out in force on behalf of the dang developers and Atlanta weekenders that have bought up large tracts of land, drove the land prices astronomical, caused property taxes to more than double, and are making foreclosures on the locals and families that have been there for generations. No real industry in the area. Just farmers and "the weekenders". Well, the weekenders will wish they knew what the real locals know. ----- karen

-- karen (karen@karen.karen), May 14, 1999.

Robert -- I'll be at Clemson ministering at a Christian conference there on May 23 but free in the afternoon I think. How many dozens of hours from there to wherever you're talking about?

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), May 14, 1999.

Hey neighbors! I am in the Chattanooga area. Is anyone planning on attending the Y2k show in Kennesaw the weekend of May 22nd? I went to the Y2k gun show in East Ridge Tn. a couple weeks ago. Plenty of supplies but not many buyers. Ted Dewberry was set up there, so I did purchase some more Hard winter wheat, & corn in the nitro packed buckets. I picked up some non hybrid seeds & other supplies. People just aren't getting it!!! As I have said from the beginning, I would rather be prepared for the worst case scenario & deal with getting rid of the excess if just a bump in the road. I couldn't imagine having to watch my family suffer because I didn't have the foresight to prepare. Any Tennesseans out there??

-- Carol Ann (JCclass69@aol.com), May 14, 1999.

Semper, the big chicken sounds great for folks in Mateta and Chat. But you are in NE GA while the legendary Big Dog will be in SC soon. I live Atlanta. How about Gainsville as a half-way point? Like any meeting with more than two people, May 21-23 is not good for someone. In this case, I will be doing a huge mainframe software upgrad (Y2K!) for a major NE USA railroad that weekend. Thought about an alternative or make-up test? Just respond by e-mail if you get a chance.

Sincerely, Uhm...

-- Uhm... (jfcp81a@prodigy.com), May 14, 1999.

Big Dog..if you're coming thru Greenville, SC, let's have lunch or something.

SEMPER FI ... let me know where and when. Check six, brother.

-- Lobo (athelair@yahoo.com), May 14, 1999.

For those in other states -- King's Bay is a nuclear sub base on the GA coast a few miles north of the FL border. 'Nuff said.

I lived in Colo. Springs for a couple of years in the heart of the cold war, back when ADC occupied the Antlers Hotel spang in the middle of downtown. I figured then if the sirens went off I'd go up on the roof and watch -- 15 minutes, count 'em, folks, 15 minutes to the last best show on earth.... Didn't plan to take my camera, though, I lived less than a mile from the Antlers.

Last July I read in the AJC that Hartsfield airport here in Atlanta had then just decided to think about what they were going to do about Y2K. Hartsfield now exceeds O'Hare in traffic volume.... Read 'em & weep.

I aim to be out of town Christmas to New Year's, lurking to see what happens...

Greenville's about 2-1/2 hours up I-85 from where I live, on the north side of Atlanta, and it's not too far from Clemson. It's a bit over an hour to Gainesville for me. The Big Chicken (a new one on me) is 30 minutes away if the creek don't rise and the traffic don't jam.

Carol -- could you e-mail me the details on the Kennesaw meet?

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), May 15, 1999.

Tom -- It would be great if I didn't have to truck more than a couple of hours (it's already 1,200 miles or so from my little home where, BTW, the leaves have JUST NOW appeared on the trees, hooray). Plus I have to get back to the conference somehow at some point. I would be thrilled to meet y'all.

This said, please DON'T schedule for or around me. I would feel very badly if obligations at conference kept me from coming at the last minute.

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), May 15, 1999.

Hey Robert!

Looks like we got a pretty decent response thus far. We may want to start a new thread or something just to give others a chance. BTW,this is my real e-mail address, so feel free to give me a holler. Several folks mentioned something about Gainesville as a halfway point,shore would like to meet the BIG DOG. I'm free for the 23rd. Maybe we can arrange another later on in the summer if this one pans out!

To jp: Our family goes down to Jekyll Island every year in June. Shore would hate to see those beautiful golf courses get nuked. Yea,I've been to King's Bay,it's definitely a first strike target.

To karen: Re: What county? Does the Song of the Chattahoochee give you a clue? We're right next door! Out of the hills of Habersham! BTW, I've spent alot of time over in White county,panning for gold, playing golf at Innsbruck, fishing for trout, hunting the elusive whitetail(both varieties-Ha!Ha!),hiking and camping, and of course,partying in Helen!

To all others that responded,we'll try to work something out for everyone interested. Keep an eye out for another thread or check with me at my e-mail adress.Thanks again Robert for invaluable input! Gotta get to bed, just finished a 12 hr. shift. Check back in later this evening,before I go to work. Take care and God bless Ya'll!

SEMPER FI

-- SEMPER FI (etl@stc.net), May 15, 1999.

Better to do, rather than plan forever.....

Let us plan on doing it at the Chicken next Sunday (23rd at 1300); and then see what pans out for a later meeting near the gold fields up over on the other side of town. If adult beverages are requried, let us discuss it at that time....

Doesn't appear we want to be "in" town though, 8<).

For the rest of youse guys - Big Chicken in middle of Marietta, Northwest of Atlanta about 1/2 hour, right off of I-75 at the intersection of Hwy 120 and 41 = get on Hwy 41 in Chicago, turn right (south) you'll find it sooner or later.

If you're in Florida, head north on 41, you'll find it too.

Tis a huge KFC resturant, shapes, of course, like a 75 foot chicken - complete with moving beak and rolling eyes. If I could take a phote and a paste a bitmap, I'd show you, but I'll let a net wiz do that chore...

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), May 17, 1999.

Robert et al: From what I've read about Atlanta's sorry y2k (non)status...I'm moving to a bigger place here in Yokohama next week and you're welcome to 'wait it out' here ;-) BTW, How was your daughter's report?

It's kind of interesting that my mother-in-law is finished preparing food and supplies for her family still at home and her parents. She is Christian (only 1% of Japanese are) and her church has made a real project out of it...after a little prodding from her gaijin son-in- law. They are the only people I know in all of Japan who are, or have, personally prepared.

-- PNG (png@gol.com), May 17, 1999.