Working on a preparation project and am requesting your best input ...

QUESTION:

Whats hot in your corner of the Y2K world? What are your top three most important Y2K concerns, at this timing?

Many thanks,

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 17, 1999

Answers

Trying for a "representative" forum view.

Will post my thoughts later.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 17, 1999.

1. Electricity

2. Banks or bank runs

3. sheeple panic

Y2K... The BIG IF...

checkin' out a new human,

The Dog

-- Dog (cmpennell@juno.com), May 17, 1999.

Top 3? H'mmmm..

Locally: Getting enough people aware of the need to prep for more than 3 days around the 0/0/00 date.

Nationally: Getting enough pressure exerted on govt to ensure social welfare systems are remediated so the payments system functions as intended.. an effective form of social control.

Globally: (Getting people to talk instead of shoot. Nah!) the major concern is with getting accurate information out of all the players.

-- Bob Barbour (r.barbour@waikato.ac.nz), May 17, 1999.

1. Continued lack of solid information from municipal, county, state & federal sources as well as the dearth of corporate Y2K-compliance statements.

2. John Q. Public, by and large, is grossly uninformed AND uninterested in finding information on Y2K.

3. Governments, as listed in #1 have not put together programs to inform the public on what they should do with regards to contingency planning.

Thanks for asking!

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), May 17, 1999.

Water, Disease, Food, & psychological malaise. I know that is four, so just take the first three Diane.

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), May 17, 1999.

Behind China, Russia, North Korea, and Iraq my 3 greatest concerns are:

1. Governmental Incompetence. 2. Industrial Accidents (Nuclear/chemical) - Led by Bilibino in the Russian Far East. 3. Civil Unrest.

-- (snowleopard6@webtv.net), May 17, 1999.

1) Biological warfare

2) Nuclear warfare

3) Chemical warfare

I am concerned about war due to Y2K tensions.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), May 17, 1999.

1. Availability of imported crude oil

2. The ability of the US banking system to handle problems from abroad.

3. The safety and reliability of industrial chemical manufacturing.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), May 17, 1999.

Food,water,shelter(with ample supply of firewood)Nothing can change what is going to occur at this late date so it is root hog or die(if you've ever heard that expression)It means dig in and hold on or die.just my read on our soon to come trials and tribulations.

-- traveling stranger (robq@mindspring.com), May 17, 1999.

........Liars

..........................Lethargy

..................................................Liaibilities

-- unspun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), May 17, 1999.

Hey, Diane!

(1) The lack of awareness in the general public and with that concern, the duplicit nature of public officials. The result? The onset of public panic. (Is that 3 in 1?)

(2) Our environment: i.e., the state of our water, the safety of chemical plants, and the readiness, or lack thereof, of the nuclear power industry. (Is that 3 in 1?)

(3) Public welfare: e.g., availabiltity of food, medical resources, and protection from increased crime. (Is that 3 in 1?)

respectfully submitted by Libby who is focused tonight on the number 3.

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), May 17, 1999.

1. anything on sale

2. anything on sale pertaining to water purifacation

3. anything on sale dealing with warmth and cooking

-- Johnny (jljtm@bellsouth.net), May 17, 1999.

On Kaua'i, in Hawai'i, heating and water are not really issues. It may get down to 58 degrees once in the winter... And water is less of an issue where we have a place which gets 420 inches of rain annually (on the average!).

(1) Transportation (we import much of our food and other necessities over a long supply line).

(2) Oil (Hawaii imports all of its oil. Our electricity is oil-generated.).

(3) Depression. Hawai'i's main industry is tourism. A world-wide depression will devistate our local economy.

Also high on the (world view) list would be the probability of a nuclear reactor accident and the probability of a major war.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), May 17, 1999.

Diabetic meds, all three places. Without them I'm dead and nothing else matters. It irks me that I have to resort to coercion and subterfuge to ensure I have a few weeks' extra supply, since my insurance company limits me to 30 days only. (I'm working on a few MORE weeks, if I have to pay for them out of my own pocket!)

Locally: (1) the complete and utter lack of attention paid by city and county officials; (2) the willingness of the populace to hear what they want to hear; and (3) knowing (from past and current experience) that very, very few people in my city/county/region/state are prepared for a minor storm, let alone anything else.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 17, 1999.

Hi Diane : )

In no particular order... I think any of these will be incredibly serious alone and like an atom bomb if they occur simultaneously.

1. Government failure.

Not the failure of government to attend to any problems, etc. due to Y2k but the failure of the Federal Government, period. Failure of the social services will ripple through the whole country and impact just about everything. Failure of the military services will leave us vulnerable, and on and on.

2. Loss of 'quality of life'.

If people suffer from a loss in what they have become accustomed to for an extended period of time it will have negative consequences in areas such as consumer confidence, law and order, etc. This could easily lead to panic, riots, civil unrest, etc. If businesses suffer from a loss in reliable utilities, reliable phone service, reliable fax service, reliable supply of parts, etc. it will have a negative impact on business stability, unemployment, the economy, etc. which will lead to loss in consumer confidence, rise in crime, etc.

3. Disruptions in medical services caused by failures in hospital and clinic medical equipment, short supplies of medications, billing systems failures, medical insurance (private or goverment), etc.

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

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

Only two:

1. The NYSE reaction to business application failures after October. (Fiscal year rollover was budgetary. Third quarter failures will be operational.)

2. The intentional escalation of global confrontation by the U.S. as justification to move to some form of domestic (and perhaps international) crisis management and control of the distribution of goods. [This scenario may seem preposterous, but this administration wanted the purchase of healthcare from a physician, outside of the proposed government system, to be a criminal offense...]

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

A cool response to a hot question... (1) WATER/FOOD, (2) SHELTER/STRATEGIC POSTURING and (3) COMPOST/ MORE GARDEN SPACE. These are all the things I'm doing. (1) I've done my homework in the Walmart superstores to find which canned items provide the greatest amount of calories for the money. My recent purchases ranged from 15 oz cans of mackeral (.67=560 cals.),my .50 tuna in oil was only 275 cals, 40 Oz cans of mini beef ravioli (1.76=1080 cals.), Ragu's 16 oz. cheese creations-Four cheese and Alfredo (1.37=1100 cals.), 28 oz. ellis beef tamales in chili gravy (1.49=1160 cals), trappey's sugary sam sweet potatoes (.55=400 cals), 24 oz. wolf brand chili (207=1050 cals.), 48 oz mott's applesause (1.76=1100 cals.). >>>>>>(2)>>>>>>>>>>Adding a 26ft by 20.5ft garage with garage apt. above to the monolithic castle (i've built in the last few months). Hope garage will deter more with the 30 degree angle it has. Many Round and multi-faceted shapes help deter. I have a 30 ft. diameter 2 story (37ft.) tower (hard to get hit as no straight shot exists if fleeing and firing backwards),a 13 ft. diameter spiral staircase with a 4 ft. walled air core in center. It turns to the right as you go up so upper level has advantage over the lower level if you are right handed with a gun or sword......anyway......building yourself saves bookoo's (5,000 sq. ft= 60K)>>>>>>>(3)>>>>>>>> Running to and from town to country to pick up 30gal./50lb. paper bags that hold fallen leaves so I'll have future compost. I always go on Sunday afternoons and come come fully-packed/double stacked in pick-up with large leaf bags full of compostable leaves. Recently had 12 yards of Compost/soil/sand mix dropped from dumper as well. Making 4ft. by 12ft., 2" by 12" raised garden beds. Takes 15 minutes to build frame, 2 hrs to fill and plant. I hear thunder, time to submit....

My Hot response to a Hot question: (1) Russia, Iraq, China, N.Korea I.C.B.M Nukes, Bacterial, Chemical...retaliation. (2) I am still pondering U.S's ability to counter with My Fellow sinking democrats "take first blow" policy. (3) I still feel like wanting to get in a wresting ring with you know who and I don't even watch that crap!

Sincerely, Feller

-- Feller (feller@wanna.help), May 17, 1999.

Now I feel stupid. I see it was meant to be short from all the posts.....duhhh.

-- Feller (feller@wanna.help), May 17, 1999.

PNG wrote:

"2. The intentional escalation of global confrontation by the U.S. as justification to move to some form of domestic (and perhaps international) crisis management and control of the distribution of goods. [This scenario may seem preposterous, but this administration wanted the purchase of healthcare from a physician, outside of the proposed government system, to be a criminal offense...] "

cha... I don't think this is preposterous at all.

My concern #1 above is like a double edged sword. I'd love to see the government at it's knees and make it difficult for this kind of "crisis management" to occur but I think it's absolutely plausible. But, if the government goes under then the social services do too which means a lot of angry people dependent on the state, etcl.

Either way I'd say we're kinda up a creek...

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

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

Gee, Diane, really hard to narrow it down to only three...

1. I don't have a stash of firewood yet (Puddintame did warn us last week to get going!)

2. My retirement (401k) account. (I expect to be in fine shape in the short run, but my expectations about my status 15-20 years from now have significantly degraded.)

3. Lack of community awareness in my town. (I don't want to be the only one in my neighborhood who is well prepared, and unless folks band together to share skills and resources, there may not be enough to go around anyway. Fortunately some other towns in the area have GI'd about the benefits of neighborhood planning.)

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), May 17, 1999.

1) Getting a new job to pay for

2) a piece of property with clean well water on which to build a small home and grow enough to feed myself, while

3) without worrying about criminal marauders or lack of transportation.

-- GA Russell (garussell@russellga.com), May 17, 1999.

Hello Diane,

1. Water (local agency has no generator and also components need the telecommunications system to be working perfectly. Can't get a permit to have well drilled in this residential neighborhood.

2. I fear being the only prepared household in the neighborhood and having hungry/thirsty/cold neighbors. Am attending the county Board of Supervisor's Y2k workshop tomorrow night (was invited - not a public event) and am hoping to start a program of community preparedness education and actual tracking of progress.

3. Stock market crash/bank runs with subsequent failures of some. My gut instinct is that folks will get nervous due to war/Y2k/overinflated stock prices (take your pick) and the market will nose dive and lead to at least a heavy recession. I have concerns that this will just snowball along with public panic fed by the above. Hoping not but preparing none the less.

Of course medical care, martial law, ++++ but the above 3 seem to rise to the top tonight.

Thanks for all your work!

-- Kristi (securx@Succeed.Net), May 17, 1999.

Hi, Diane!

1. Modern medical care. We can handle most basic medical emergencies, but what about the tough ones? I can't do an appendectomy, or repair corneal damage, or stop internal bleeding from a fall. A close relative of mine is an MD, and his advice is that the last place you want to be during y2k is in a hospital.

2. Transportation to where I can get the above care (if medical care is ok, but no fuel for paramedics). I expect gas rationing, and prosecution for "hoarding". I live a fair distance from a hospital.

3. My neighbors. Not my next-door neighbors, but the ones I don't know well, who live a few blocks away, didn't prepare, and perhaps have children just old enough to be adults in body but not in maturity.

Sorry so gloomy.

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@yahoo.com), May 17, 1999.

>>I hate it when people ask for opinions without offering their own .<<

Mr. Elbow Grease

(Catch that, Mr. Decker?)

-- Elbow Grease (Elbow_Grease@AutoShop.com), May 17, 1999.

l. Electricity 2. Disease 3. Nuclear plants.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), May 17, 1999.

water - financial collapse - oil

-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), May 17, 1999.

Is mr. Decker a surveyist. I know Diane's intentions were along those lines. It is an objective looking survey i think, not "oh I agree with you 100% Diane survey".

-- Feller (feller@wanna.help), May 17, 1999.

1. Loss of civil liberties due to y2k crackdown

2. y2k induced economic depression

3. panic by the unprepared

-- a (a@a.a), May 17, 1999.

1. Lack of disclosure by govt officials and corporate execs.

2. Panic of 1999 - bank runs and stock mkt crash.

3. Not getting an accurate handle on knowing severity and duration of Y2K impacts. Not knowing the amount of time needed to reestablish a sufficient resupply effort

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), May 17, 1999.

1. lack of awareness in the general public 2. loss of electrical power 3. unraveling of that thin veneer of civilization...

-- Norm Harrold (nharrold@tymewyse.com), May 17, 1999.

Locally, I am concerned about having electricity and also community preparedness.

Both nationally and internationally, I am concerned about the continuing lack of leadership and lack of international readiness which has caused so many countries to be in bad shape, and the inter-dependence of everything, which is like a chain with many weak links, only one of which needs to break for the whole chain to be useless.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@com.net), May 17, 1999.

International mayhem, economic collapse, the domino effect.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), May 17, 1999.

Thanks for your excellent research Diane!

ELECTRICAL GRID FAILURES

BANKS RUNS / FINANCIAL COLLAPSE

CLUELESS MASSES PANIC

I don't think we, as a society, can escape any of these at this very late stage...

-- PJC (paulchri@msn.com), May 17, 1999.

1. Not knowing when to have all of our kids arrive for a long winters rest (ha-ha)

2. Deflation

3. Not having enough cash or equivilent to come out ahead if there is deflation - my Great Grandfather made all his $$$ on real estate AFTER the depression but he had a little stashed to get him started. I know, this sounds real mercenary but you have to plan for the future and I for one am not seeing this as TEOTWAWKI...a major stumbling block, yes but not the end.

-- Mother Hen (gathering@herchicks.com), May 17, 1999.

1. Electricity for oxygen machine (Life of family member) 2. Water 3. Thieft

-- Everyday! (workin'@preparedness.com), May 17, 1999.

I agree with The Dog (right near the top).

One other concern I have, though--what's this 0/0/00 date Bob Barbour mentioned in his response? All this time I've been preparing for 1/1/00--did I miss something? 8^)

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), May 17, 1999.

1. gov ch 2. V.A. dugs 3. keeping people out of my face now & after y2k

-- duh (Psycho@GOT.ptsd), May 18, 1999.

1. completing relocation.

2. completing stocking up.

The PNG scenario (i.e. the scenario PNG outlines above) and the resulting resistance movement - and there *will* be resistance.

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), May 18, 1999.

1. Collapse of international banking system

2. Collapse of civil law and restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly and right to bear arms

3. Collapse of Internet

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), May 18, 1999.

INterior personal concerns:

1) more barrels and kero

2) more protein in basement (only if i get more shelving)

3) more fruits

Exterior Concerns :

1) Lack of information/disclosure with which to effect

2) Community awareness and preparations in my blind, deaf and dumb community

3) resultant unrest when the neighbors figure out we been dissed and HAD

Chuck

(ya KNEW I couldn't keep it to 3 dintcha??)

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

Diane,

As you know, I've been around a while, and my preps are fairly extensive. I suppose my greatest concerns now are reflected by the scenarios for which I am still working on contingencies:

1) long-term financial depression

2) long term shortages of food and manufactured goods

3) significant societal disruption (loss of law and order)

Like everyone, I'm dismayed with the lack of reliable info and the general cluelessness of the public.

-- Lon Frank (lgal@exp.com), May 18, 1999.

(1.) Not Knowing what is coming! (2.) Not knowing anyone that knows for sure what is coming! (3.) Not trusting what I hear because there is no way to prove anything until 2000. Tman

-- Tman (Tman@IBAgeek.com), May 18, 1999.

My number one concern right now is my 15 year old son. He realizes the realities of y2k, but he has so much enthusiasm and so many plans for the future.

Family survival, economically and physically. We feel prepared enough now to start working on "family contingency plans", and not too happy about any of them.

Panic of the general public.

Keep preparing...

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), May 18, 1999.

1. Making money to buy supplies.

2.Acquiring supplies.

3.Storing supplies.

-- Tony C. (yo7@bellsouth.net), May 18, 1999.

My biggest concern is the posibility of a change in our monetary system. It will probably be an efficient evolution of our credit/debit card system and gradually lead to a cashless society. The danger comes when the prevailing power "...forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark ...." Rev 13:16, 17. I doubt that this will happen overnight but the process has to have a beginni

-- John (jcmcd@aol.com), May 18, 1999.

Diane,

1-Major economic depression.

2-War.

Thanks

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@aol.com), May 18, 1999.

Diane:

1. Terrorism 2. Nukes/war 3. uncontrollable social chaos We can handle the rest of it, I think.

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), May 18, 1999.

1: Getting my grown kids to leave LA and come stay with us

2: Spiritual status

3: Facing *life* with my grown kids back home

-- Sheila (sross@bconnex.net), May 18, 1999.

Diane... many thanks for all of your work and all of your posts. I have broken down my concerns a bit differently:

Phase I - Before 01/01/00 (or before the 'panic' - whichever happens first):

1. Not knowing exactly when the decisive turning point on Y2K will occur; 2. Bearing the scornful looks of my DGI wife; 3. Trying to balance prepping for Y2K with ongoing current needs, especially financial needs.

Phase II: First few weeks after 00/01/00 (or after the panic):

1. Panic & mob action overflowing from Atlanta into our suburb; 2. Panic & mob action right IN my suburb, from neighbors I don't know well and who find out I have supplies; 3. Having to kill those involved in mob action against me and my family.

Phase III: (6 months after the main event)

1. Water (I have stored some, but a well would be too expensive at this point); 2. Emergency medical treatment; 3. Adjusting to an agrarian lifestyle.

Thanks again... Sandmann

-- Sandmann (Sandmann@alasbab.com), May 18, 1999.

1. 6 oil refinery fires in the last 5 months compared to 2.33 fires per year in the last 3 years. Coincidence, or embedded chips? I had the privilege of touring an oil refinery about 15 years ago. It was an indescribably complex machine.

2. Water. There isn't enough in the city where I live if the water stops flowing from the taps. I am weeks away from being able to secure what I consider an adequate supply.

3. Not knowing if and when I'll have to bugout with my DGI family (including my now 10-month-old son) from my city homefront to a less-prepared rural safe house. At least water won't be a concern there.

-- nothere (nothere@nothere.com), May 18, 1999.

1. Uncontrollable Fires
2. Sewage Backup
3. Hazmat Accidents

Along with civil unrest due to betrayal, anger, fear, opportunistic looting; normal daily clockwork hum shut down; lack of electricity & stoppage of other infrastructure services; terrorism of all brands and types; and
LOSS OF JOBS, loss of viable way to earn money, loss of shelter because of loss of jobs, spiralling down down down down down

xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxx

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), May 18, 1999.

1. Panic in the stock market, bank runs.

2. "Use it or Lose it" -- Russia's non-compliant nuclear weapons.

3. Government repression.

-- Max Dixon (mcdixon@konnections.com), May 18, 1999.

Good work Y-Y2K team! Thank you all.

Perhaps every couple months Ill re-post the request so we can all see what the forum Y2K temperature reading is.

My personal top 3, at this point in time, are ...

1) Information -- all the mixed Y2K messages, mis and dis information, the escalating government, corporate and internet spin, which results in a growing inability to trust what is or is not reported (for those few even paying attention), and which in turn increases concerns that the Truth is being sublimated for larger vested interests, and that the media is choosing to be extremely lazy on the one hand an downright misleading on the other, and all this contributes to ...

2) Public Lack of Y2K Awareness -- which translates into inaction and NO heightened sense of perceived need to prepare either individually or community-wide, which sets us all up for future problems next year (including *some* panicked people in simultaneous areas), and this current inattention may actually be creating apathy as mid-range to small business owners increasingly adopt a fix-on- failure attitude, partly because our national economic illusion looks so good, while concurrently the growing international economic and war-related tensions are leading us into ...

3) Global Inattention to Y2K -- because other more immediate issues take center-stage internationally -- Kosovo, Russia, China, North Korea, etc. -- so Y2K efforts are backburnered and NOT given international priority, as the world increasingly develops a fix-on-failure international attitude, which could then result in even more catastrophic global problems starting next year with county-by-country problems in -- electricity, fuel & oil supply, food supply, water, emergency services, health care, chemical plant & nuclear accidents, etc. -- which could domino into a U.S. economic and supply chain backlash, both because the U.S. is the perceived author of their technology problems and unable to help every country due to the multiplicity of need, which would could then translate into global anger at U.S. citizens, et. al., and result in terrorist attempts both abroad and domestically which escalate the war-level tensions, which could crack open suddenly ... with unexpected results.

Whew! In other words ... it could get real dicey.

What could change this picture? ...

Leadership and open, honest communications/information that make Y2K both a national and international co-operative priority, NOW, (even if it cant all be fixed), and calls forth the creative, ingenious spirit of challenged peoples, which could kick in individual and community preparations, contingency plans and work-around solutions from EVERYONE, everywhere, because thats whats important.

Or not.

*Big Sigh*

Diane

Please keep the GREAT responses coming! ...

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 18, 1999.

My top three y2k worries now?

1. How we will be able to store enough water. 2. Whether my husband (who wants to buy a boat this summer) is wasting our money. 3. How I can convince same husband that we need to put up a privacy fence.

My top 3 y2k worries later?

1. Whether my elderly and infirm relatives who will be with us will be able to survive (and what to do with them if they don't.) 2. How I will be able to deal with the locals in this drug-infested area since we will not have any firearms. 3. How to show a Christ-like attitude toward those in need when it might mean depleting the stores set aside for my own family.

Top three things I will not worry about later:

1. my weight 2. the weeds in the yard 3. what show to watch on tv

Diane, thanks for the opportunity. Linda

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), May 18, 1999.

Howdy Diane, I'll bite!

1) We are ready for everything except the one thing we just can't afford to get ready for. That's a serious economic downturn that leaves us broke and we end up losing the house. If that happened we would be forced into a very uncomfortable backup plan.

2) Followed closely by worries of Government over-reaction and the insurrection that might follow, all related to:

3) Over-reaction of public who are scared. Scared of what? The same thing that causes all fear in this world. Fear of the unknown. The blame for this I lay squarely at the feet of our Government, not that they'll care.

-- Art Welling (artw@lancnews.infi.net), May 18, 1999.

My fear is a function of (likelihood of event) x (impact of event).

1) Failure of Just In Time Economic System. I'm afraid that things will still work, but chaotically, slowly, and with far greater friction between transactions. The result could be a deep global recession like Yardeni speculated. Or it could be as bad as a 10-year-depression as per Yourdon. The mitigating factor is psychological. If people adopt a passive, "manyana" attitude towards fixing the economy and getting their work done--a kind of "leared helplessness" attitude prevalent in many developing countries--we could be in deep doo doo. If people rally together and bite the bullet, we'll get everything rebuilt much more quickly and with a more flexible and responisive and organic infrastructure that will be far better suited for the 21st century than the one we have now.

2) Widespread breakdown in one or more of the following: banks, government services, water, electricity, telecommunications. I think this will be less likely here in the States. But it might be bad locally. And if there were enough of a prolonged problem with Worry#1, gradually friction would increase making this possibility more likely on a global scale (just not overnight or in the first months of '00).

3) Social/civil/global unrest and conflict. Nothing makes people angrier and more violent than a change in their well-being. Wars and riots don't generally spring from content and prosperous people! They spring from proud people stripped of their dignity and itching to find a scapegoat to blame. Use your imagination and picture how bad things could get with Russia, the Balkans, China, the Islamic World, etc.

-- coprolith (coprolith@rocketship.com), May 18, 1999.

My three biggest year 2000 concerns at the moment (May 1999) are...

1. Possible effect on the stock market and the economy.

2. Shortages (food, gasoline and others).

3. Chemical facility accidents.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), May 18, 1999.

#1. War of any kind. #2. A government crackdown on our freedoms(such as the new UNCONSITUTIONAL gun laws being passed at this time.) #3. A total collapse caused by the collapse of our infrastructure, and supply lines.

-- Crono (Crono@timesend.com), May 19, 1999.

top3 y2k concerns

personal...

1. My "manyana" attitude to preparations.

2. My girlfriend's in Colorado, and I am certainly not.

3. Wondering how to capitalise at all on my y2k knowledge, preferably in a way that helps others.

global...

1. There's gonna be a depression! A 00's depression would mostly be more harsh than a 30's one. Knock-on effects will just keep on knockin'.

2. Government tyranny and warmongering will ensue...the degree of which will depend on locale.

3. Overall, I suspect Milne might be right...

-- humptydumpty (no.6@thevillage.com), May 19, 1999.

1) Inability/unwillingness of civic leaders to consider Y2K more than a 2-3 day inconvenient non-event.

2) Lack of fuel for the generators beyond the 2-3 days of service our civic leaders are telling us they've readied.

3) Industrial chemical manufacturing accidents.

Critt Wilmington, North Carolina

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), May 19, 1999.

Thanks for the continuing great input!

See also ...

Need help preparing testimony for Senate Y2K hearing (Ed Yourdon)

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 000o2K

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 20, 1999.

Diane: You and others have raised a number of interesting points that I would like to address.

I remember a discussion with RC in which we talked about a defined period for preparation as a prerequisite to any governmental call for action. In other words, before they can tell people to prepare, they have to be clear and consistent about the length of time to prepare for. We cant have the official three-day snowstorm, along with the Red Crosss one week, along with others saying something else entirely (like a month). Awareness is another prerequisite, and you are right to call attention to what impact the media has had here.

Yet even if this is done, there are still some serious considerations here. What about the millions who are unable to prepare (poor, indigent, dependent elderly, disabled, sick, etc). Community preparation is the only answer I see here. Leadership (national or international) is sadly lacking. What leadership we have had so far has been grass roots, bottom up. This must change immediately. There is also the issue raised by Koskinen regarding not enough supply for all to prepare. I think he used the example that not every American could go out and buy a can of beans or something. This supply deficit could have been mitigated if they had started this a year ago, or longer, but I am not sure to what extent supplies could be ramped up now to meet demand in the time remaining. The only answer here that I see is to ramp up whenever and wherever possible. A national/international priority. For some of the cottage industries, it may not even be possible at this time. So we do what we can to increase supplies. Now.

Naturally, we always get back to the balancing act that Bennett and Koskinen have expressed anxiety over: Panic. How do you shout fire without a rush for the door. As you know, this has been discussed here on the forum extensively. There is a fine line between sounding the Y2K alarm and precipitating a panic. They think they are walking it. The only place they are really walking is in the Valley of Indecision. Again, I think we get back to leadership on this. Top down. It is hard to call for awareness and preparation when your admitted top job is perception management. Shift must happen.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), May 20, 1999.

1 poisonfire

2 nukes

3 banks

4 food chain

5 water

6 juice

7 no guinness :)

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), May 20, 1999.