Just heard a long piece about Y2K on National Public Radio. Very interesting. Female reporter, very gentle, focus on community preps. Paloma O'Reilly said "The people in Washington are so worried about people panicing, well, they're the only ones panicing!" A woman in Boulder "sees no downside to Y2K whatsoever," as it gives people a chance to get to know each other. A guy said (about survivalists) "do you really want to be the only one in the neighborhood with lights?" It was upbeat, talking about two weeks of food, "If nothing happens, just have a big party." Sweet classical music during the outro.

I don't know, it left me with a strange feeling. Just too cutsie a piece, you know? Whoever said it on a thread below -- It's everywhere. That's good, but while I don't like the previous focus on the "radical Christian right survivalists," I also don't like it being treated like an opportunity to have a block party. It's changing...

-- pshannon (pshannon@sangersreview.com), May 17, 1999

Answers

HEY! Whatever works!

People don't want to prepare because they think they'll feel "foolish" if nothing happens.

If they can change their motivation to : "If nothing happens, we'll have a big party" GREAT!

I don't care WHAT motivates people to prepare for 2 weeks, a month, whatever, as long as they DO IT!

I just hope they don't have the "party" on Jan 2.

BTW Patrick- is there a URL for the Real Audio version of this piece?

-- PLONK! (realaddress@hotmail.com), May 17, 1999.

Hey ps!

"I also don't like it being treated like an opportunity to have a block party."

Maybe NPR has decided to push the "y2k disruptions can be best handled by a strong community" spin? Works for me : )

Mike ================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), May 17, 1999.

The RealAudio clip isn't on the site yet, it seems like they post them a day after they air.

The description of the clip, from http://www.npr.org/programs/ morning/rundowns/1999/May/me.05.17.99 reads like this:

"{D-2} N-P-R's Margot Adler reports from Boulder, Colorado on a group of people who are helping their neighbors calmly plan and prepare, so that they have necessities on hand on January 1st, in case there are shortages that result from the so-called "Y-2-K" computer problem. The group in Boulder is one of 300 such groups across the country, which are part of the "Cassandra Project."

They recommend that people have at least two weeks worth of heat, water, and food for their families. (8:40)"

It should be archived here: http://www.npr.org/programs/ morning/archives/1999/9905.me.html tomorrow, I would imagine.

I agree that anything that gets people to prep is a good thing. It's just that as a long-time observer of this issue, there were things about the piece that bothered me...

-- pshannon (pshannon@sangersreview.com), May 17, 1999.

Michael,

I suppose that what I'm reacting to is the fact that for anything to get done in this society, it has to be "spun." We've gotten to a point where we can't just say "there's a problem," and deal with it. People's feelings have to be considered, their reactions, bad news is rampant, yet at the same time, people don't deal with it. Like the reactions to the Columbine shooting. The blame game, and all. I guess that occasionally, it wears me down. You know, it's like this forum goes through stages where polly/doomer flame wars are the biggest issue, and while I tend to ignore it, things like that have replaced *real* dialogue. I suppose I'm experiencing one of those moments where I'm disappointed with the human race.

As Diane would say;

*Sigh*

-- pshannon (pshannon@sangersreview.com), May 17, 1999.

I had a chance to corner Paloma O'Rielly after a similar presentation last October. When I asked her how long she was personally preparing for, the answer was three months. She seemed hesitant to divulge this, and I got the feeling the real period was longer. I've had other occasions where public advocates of the "three day ice storm" model have much gloomier personal views. Still I believe that NPR's mild advocacy of preparedness might be just the ticket to convert some moderately skeptical types. It's more than the rest of the main stream media is doing.

-- ned collum (collum@rof.net), May 17, 1999.

I didn't hear the piece, but I live in Boulder, know Paloma O., and listen to NPR. Don't treat the people involved with the piece as homogenous.

First, Paloma is a salt-of-the-earth person. She was a high-level DP manager for The Rover Group (UK; vehicles) in charge of Y2K remediation. But she also homesteaded in Alaska with her family for a while, so she knows the importance of stockpiling necessities. She has a humorous tale about trading a dozen rolls of toilet paper for a chainsaw (SHE got the chainsaw). She co-founded The cassandra Project website and organization over a year ago.

I met her at a Y2K conference last August at Univ. of Colorado in Boulder. Considering the location, it's not surprising the organizers were primarily "community activists" and other Boulder- type people. There was a lot of the "we'll get to know out neighbors" handed out at the breakout sessions. One of the sessions was led by a Marxist professor... I remember at the time I was very angry at the leftist slant, because anyone with a conservative bent who attended might have been so turned off that they wouldn't get the basic Y2K info which was also presented. But, Y2K has been coopted in other areas of the country by born-again Christians, hard-money enthusiasts, survivalists, etc.

We always put our own spin on events- it's just more noticeable when the events are (potentially) life-threatening. That's what makes this forum (and other Internet forums) so interesting- people of different backgrounds and beliefs are thrown together in a way we would never allow in real life.

I think this society is lubricated by the self-segregation of its inhabitants along economic, religious and other lines. If we as a nation really got together and "dialogged" in real life IN PERSON the way we do on the Internet, we'd become bloodily Balkanized within a year. Pretty pessimistic.

Finally, NPR has its own spin on things, of course.

-- M. R. Natural, Esq. (MrNatural@hitek.frontrange), May 18, 1999.

***###@@@###**** T H R E A D D R I F T W A R N I N G ***###@@@###***

I happen to love the way NPR is trying to report on kosovo. They are SO careful because they KNOW that it was THEY who carried the candle and flag for intervention, and now that we have it they are havving to deal with REAL WARFARE. tie dyed folk can't handle this stuff and so they are SO uncomfortable. Dan Shore seems to want to re-eat his tie every time he gets to report. It's HILARIOUS!!!

chuck who clearly has found too much time on his hands....

PS I KNOW it ain't REAL WARFARE but to the NPRians it is..... so save your flames

-- chuck, a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), May 18, 1999.