I know this has been discussed before, but its hard for me to understand (thats spelled ACCEPT) the disconnectedness of people and y2k. Yesterday I talked with the purchasing agent of the city nearest to where I live. I ask her about y2k. She said that the city had bought all new pcs and that they were supposed to be compliant. She is savy enuff to realize that may or may not be or that they could become corrupted and software, etc etc. I asked her what else were they buying. She said that her biggest y2k purchase, after the PCs, were street barriers and cones for blocking off areas of town, riot control, etc. She said the City was planning on buying a bunch of generators, ie 20 to 50KW, but she hadn't gotten the PO yet. However, she had checked with the sellers of the large generators and there was now a 6 month back up so she didn't know what was going to happen on generators. So with all of this information at her finger tips, she STILL had not connected it to her family, home, neighborhood, health care, etc. She hadn't thought about her well not pumping, JIT food distribution, etc. And when she thought about it, her first exclamation was, "damn, I will freeze to death (not hardly, we are in Florida). I said, but you have a fire place. They had never once used it and had forgotten its existence. Ended up giving her a transcript of 60 minutes, a copy of several lists for preparing and sent her on her way to think about all of this. Maybe, I am too selfish. I look at the whole world as to how it is going to impact on me and my family. Then, and only then, do I begin to take in the whole picture. I seem to have the ability to go from beginning to end in a flash and THEN come back and fill in the details. Maybe there are lots and lots of people out there that have this disconnect problem and all they need is for someone to explain it to them with just the basics. Send them home with ONE problem to mull over. To think of everything that could go tits up without power and to write it down on a list. Then extrapolate out from each item on the list as to how this will effect them and family.

Got pencil and paper?

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), May 28, 1999

Answers

this disconnect effect is way too weird for me. I sat with my parents and watched 60 minutes and later that evening they were making plans for their yearly Hawaii vacation on Jan 4. I just don't get it. I have gone through so many levels of this thing and done so much preparing but what good is it if 90+% of the population doesn't bother. I am really feeling weird on a deeper level again today. It is a good thing I am a pretty deep person to begin with so I can keep up with all these levels of realization and astonishment.

-- a mom (weird@y2k.com), May 28, 1999.

Bad Taz, you Y2K Typhoid Mary you! You have infected that poor woman with the fear meme!!! Now she'll go and infect others and the meme will spread all over Florida! Shame, shame, SHAME on you.

This is a chain reaction. She'll prepare, her extended family will prepare and, worst of all, she's in a local government position where she can influence others in the government AND citizens. Why, next thing you know, your local government will be making real contingency plans to deal with Y2K problems. They may even stockpile gas for their generators! They may alert businesses to order in extra supplies! See what you've done? The feds may have to quarantine Florida to stop the fear meme from spreading!!!

-- OutingsR (us@here.yar), May 28, 1999.

A Mom - "done so much preparing but what good is it if 90+% of the population doesn't bother" Well it's better to be on top of the heap raher than the bottom. If you are prepared you will be in the situation where you can choose to help others, if you aren't prepared, you don't have that choice.

Preparedness vastly increases your options in the future.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), May 28, 1999.

Talk about DISCONNECTED - I went riding through the countryside with a real estate agent last week who was showing us some rural property for sale. This man actually owned all of the property he showed us, plus some out-of-state property - so I would say he is very well-off financially. I asked him if many people had been buying up rural property because of y2k. His response: "What's that?" I said, "you know, the computer problem when the year turns 2000." He said, "oh, I think I read something about that. Here's another nice piece of property that borders a creek..........." So, here's a well-educated, wealthy individual who couldn't care less. My extended family laughs at me right to my face. My youngest son said last night, "Mom, this is getting out ot control. Don't even talk to me about y2k any more." I'm beginning to feel like all the crazy people are running around enjoying themselves, and I'm locked up in the looney bin. Anyone else feel that way???????

-- Scarlett (creolady@aol.com), May 28, 1999.

I feel that way. I just shut my mouth. I'm tired of trying to convince people of Y2K's potential impact. I'm a computer professional in a local gov't postition, and all I realize that I can do is to prepare for my immediate family. My mom doesn't seem to get it, when I tell her, she and my sister just look at me like I'm insane when I go and buy extra canned goods. Now I just tell my wife, "Hon, all we have to do is outlive the neighbors." --Now that's a sad remark to have to make. By the way, judging by your name "Creolady", you're from Louisiana, and guess what? I am too, and so is the local gov't that I work for. It could be in your area!

-- whatever1 (blah@blah.net), May 28, 1999.

I'm so fed up with being looked at as though I'm "crazy" for my Y2K preparations. I've talked to family and friends until I'm blue in the face; I've printed countless articles off the internet; I've even had family over shown Y2K videos (the one with Leonard Nemoy). It is so frustrating. Bottom line, take care of yourself and your family. Forget the rest. Unfortunately when you let everyone know you are stockpiling food, when the time comes, they remember...

-- Marsha (MSykes@court.co.macon.il.us), May 28, 1999.

Whatever 1:

We're in Jefferson Parish, which is right outside New Orleans. Is that where you are located?

-- Scarlett (creolady@aol.com), May 28, 1999.

I can empathize with all of you. My teenagers have ridiculed me enough that I don't discuss y2k with them at all. My husband is on the fence-has bought a propane heater for the house but that is his only contribution (except his wages, lol) In fact, he spent beaucoups d'argent buying a boat this week-against my better judgement-I told him that if stuff goes downhill next year that we will have a really expensive rain catchment system!

_But_ I've learned in the past that while it would be nice if my family agreed with me or liked what I was doing, I do not have to have their approval to do what I think is right. At least DH is not actively opposing me.

So, hang in there-we may be a lifesaver to our family and friends. Linda

-- newbiebutnodummy (Linda@home.com), May 28, 1999.

Follow this link, and read the essay. Print it out for your friends and family...

http://www.michaelhyatt.com/editorials/wrong.htm

Best essay on Y2K I ever read...

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), May 28, 1999.

Scarlett, Linda, y'all, did you see that post re "THIS is part of why, etc." at

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

If you can get your DGIs to read this post, they might begin to understand. Taz, I think what that woman has is--are you ready? Drum roll--an undeveloped sense of consequence! You helped develop her sense of consequence. Good for you, y'old Typhoid Mary, you! That was pretty funny.

Taz, how's the canning oging? Linda, how's the accent coming along? (silly giggle)

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 28, 1999.

Listen Old Git...you better quit razzing me or you are going to find a truck backing up to your front door and unloading beans, tomatoes, cabbabe, califlower, turnips, okra, egg plant and cukes in a hugh smelly rotten pile. I am up to my ears in veggies and I have canned all that I am going to can. Hell...we can raise it fresh year around, why can 10 years worth? You wouldn't think it so funny, Old Git, if you had to get out there and pick all this stuff each morning and then wonder what the hell are you going to do with it. Even the donkeys won't eat any more zuchinni!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taz....wiping sweat from her brow from the steam of the canner.

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), May 28, 1999.

You think people look at you funny if you mention Y2K to them? Try mentioning potassium iodine!! They'll really look at you then.......

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), May 28, 1999.

newbiebutnodummy:

Don't look at a boat as all that bad if you have a place to use it. It could provide a LOT of fish, an escape route, or even a place to live...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), May 28, 1999.

Remember, the first stage of dealing with a major tragedy (such as death) is denial. Acceptance is the last stage. Any grief counselor can tell you more about the process.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), May 28, 1999.

Anita, I've tried buying potassium iodine from three local chemists. I told them what it was for: one looked blank, one smurked, one scowled. None of them had it.

As for the y2k disconnect, I've tried to explain y2k to so many people, basically having no success. It's been most important to explain it to my parents, so that that they'll hedge their retirement investment bets for any scenario from 5 - 10. They've heard it all but realy don't get it. The other most important "convert" I've tried to make is my girlfriend, seeing as she's in USA and I'm in Australia and it seems imperative that we be together to face anything worse than a 7/severe recession. No real success there either. I find that I can't help but take their unwillingness to listen and comprehend as a personal insult, seeing as how research and enquiry and analysis and general knowledge are my only notable skills, (well, besides a few that my girlfriend knows about!)

I just don't get it why they don't Get It!

-- humptydumpty (no.6@thevillage.com), May 29, 1999.

Maybe y'all were getting funny looks because it's potassium iodiDe. (I-owe-DIED.) I plugged the two words into Alta Vista advanced and came up with over 5000 hits. First page shows what looks like several places to buy it.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 29, 1999.

I provide contract recruiting/HR services to one of our city's largest health care companies. In the last several months, I've seen a marked increase in the number of applicants coming from a medium sized, well established, benefits administration firm, "XYZ". One of my standard questions in an interview is "Why are you wanting to leave your present position?" Most of the time, the response is 'better opportunities', 'larger company with more room for growth', etc. Several of these folks from "XYZ" have beaten around the bush, and gave me answers such as "They're behind the times with regards to technology"; "They are going through some hard times that don't appear to being close to being resolved", etc. Until yesterday, I didn't really 'read' anything into these comments. Yesterday, however, I interviewed a person who had worked for this firm for over 15 years. During the course of our conversation, she re-iterated what I had heard about the company from others, and I asked her what she felt the 'problems' were. She very frankly told me she didn't think this company "make it past the first of the year". I asked her if she was referring to the Year 2000 rollover problems (playing dumb, so she would talk), and she said "Yes". She went on to tell me they really haven't started, and have no idea/money on how to proceed. I asked this applicant why she wanted to work for us, and she said, in part, because "your company has such terrific benefit plans".

I mentioned this tid-bit to my manager, and she gasped. She said, "I am pretty sure that is the company that handles our account", and sure enough, they are. Her remark after that was, "Oh, well. Good thing I don't have very much in my 401k".

Two well educated, professional, responsible people. Two DGI or DWGI comments. I just shook my head at both of them.

On one hand, I have an applicant working at a company that she feels is going to 'fail' that wants to work for us, because we have 'great' benefits. She knows who administers our benefits....her present company!

On the other hand, I have a high level HR professional shrugging at the possibility of our company's benefits administrator going 'kerflooie'.

Talk about disconnection! ARGH!!

I bought another bag of rice last night.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), May 29, 1999.