CBS Y2K show from Seattle, a few words about it.

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Folks

 Just watched the Y2K special on CBS out of Seattle. A very well rounded show that covered alot of concerns without much detail. Jim Lord, Ed Yardeni, and Dave Hall were interviewed as well as some locals saying that its a problem and you had better be worried. Mitch Ratcliff was on and thinks the problems overseas is overblown and that some folks thought the milk wasn't going to be around for their Latte's. That guy is a bit of a knob.

 LOTS of shots of well prepared folk with a room full of supplies. No "wild eyed fanatics," every one interviewed was intelligent and often older. A few suppliers were interviewed (didn't sound to busy). Had quite a bit from Witby (sp?) Island about community involvement and individual preps, water, gardens, propane and kerosene, gensets, LOTS of food,  and reasonable folk that are looking at this as an opportunity to change lifestyles as well as prepare.

Interviews from the water, power, telecoms, sewage, transportation, banks all saying that things were coming along fine. This is where I found the biggest problem with the show. Here on the Wet Coast water will always run down hill and that reduces risks for water, power, and sewage utilities. So when Jim Lord is talking about problems from an anywhere point of view the TV crew is up in the hills looking down a sluice way and of course the water runs down hill. The show didn't point out the different levels of scale between Jim Lord and Ed Yardeni and some of the locals saying that there is little risk.

Another problem with the show was what it missed from a local point of view. Nada about health, DOD, pipe rupture (although not Y2K related .... yet), Port of Seattle and NOTHING about the Pacific Rim which is where I see the greatest threat to the economic well being in this area. Don't know about Seattle but the Asia crisis hit my province big time, and that may well be a bump compared to next year. Nothing about FAA, John Koskinen!!??, IRA, and the big picture US stuff. Nothing about Canada either :o( (kidding).

It is unlikely that the show will be broadcast else where because it was locally based. Hopefully someone from Seattle could comment further on the show and the local personalities.
 

One thing that concerns me is there was a ton of 'bandwidth' with folks saying there is a problem and not as much detail as I would have liked. Also and this alarmed me the most is a few minutes at the end with end of the world tales and references to the Book of Revelations. Eh Gad lets not push it. The only way that looked to me was adding fuel to the fire rather than dealing with a known problem rationally. If anything it showed that the producers were leaning more doomer than polly. There is enough problems with Y2K, why they tossed that bit in?? I don't know. It was supposed to show why there is a millennium fear, but it seemed to be suggesting it rather than reinforcing it. I am a firm believer that religion and Y2K should be in no way looked at as influencing each other IMHO.

The best place for religion is in the home and community helping those that are in distress. Broadcasting quotes of the Book of Revelations is far to heavy. The meaning in it is far to vague as it was written in a much different code than computers.

An opinion that is my own.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 04, 1999

Answers

Well let's see. Some good things here, some bad.

Mixing Revelation quotes with Y2k? Bad, agreed.

Older, 'intelligent' folks with beaucoups of preps? Misleading. Plenty of older, 'intelligent' folks in Germany went along with Hitler's plan. Plenty of older, 'intelligent' folks went along with Jim Jones' poison Kool-Aid event in Guyana. Age and 'intelligence' are not the litmus tests that matter most.

Good judgment is the true litmus test. And that does not equate to age and 'intelligence' (a relative term). Good judgment tells people not to use a shotgun to kill a horsefly. Similarly, good judgment tells sensible people not to prepare for a year or six months, or to send others into a dither to do the same, when a week or two will do just fine.

-- Chicken Little (panic@forthebirds.net), September 04, 1999.


"when a week or two will do just fine..."

C. Little MBA

[My Brain Atrophied]

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), September 04, 1999.


Chicken Little: You may have forgotten that many people are more concerned with the "risk" and not as much concerned about the chances of them getting the "odds" right. When talking about the "odds",that means to me the act of people guessing about how much preparations will turn out to be really needed. Is it two weeks, 6 months, 1 year,???? When talking about the "risk", the focus is on "what happens if I guess wrong(about the odds)". I'm going to prepare for a year as best I can. If I'm wrong, so what? We'll eat our "insurance". If I guess at two weeks and am wrong, we'll be up the creek w/o a paddle, along with the great majority of the population. I don't want to be a part of the problems that may arise. "Include us out"!!

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 04, 1999.

Chicken

I could only discribe an impression of the people interviewed, one other thing not mentioned on the show was the fact that we are in an earthquake zone and the "big one" will shut down civilization as we know it on the west coast. This is a fact.

Y2k is only a warm up.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 04, 1999.


Please don't feed this bird anymore. He's a complete BIRDBRAIN!!!

-- Fed Up (chickenlittle@birdbrain.com), September 04, 1999.


I didn't see the entire program--was interupted a few times-- The Host: Steve Raibel (sp?) has done other prepardness segments like earthquakes. Living in the Northwest there are many things (natural desasters)to be prepared for, and y2k happens to fall on that list even though its a man made event. As far a Whidby Island (sp?) storing a ton of food and supplies, in a heavy storm they are usually the first without power and the last to get it restored. (So my friend tells me) So I can understand their need to be alternatively thinking of food and lifestyle. I think that there are pluses and minuses in every location. The people factor is important too. Knowing that your neighbor is preparing or is prepared for any type of disruption can only benefit you. (one less person to worry about) The TV show was an ok piece (what I saw of it), but at the end of the show one thing was clear, we really won't know until Jan 1. Personally, y2k made realize how unprepared I was for a natural disaster. Now I have a plan, I'm more prepared and trained, and a bit wiser and less apt to panic.---This is not a bad thing---

-- Ice (icemanltd@webtv.net), September 04, 1999.

Thanks for your assessment Brian.

Now, question...

Do you feel it was compelling enough that some of the fence-sitting locals will get off their duffs and prepare at least... *some*? Or not?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 04, 1999.


Diane

I would say that the show will have an impact on folks. There was a strong emphasis on preparing. I would say that the risks are harder to nail down here as I mentioned above, water and gravity are 100% compliant. To bad that they never got into earthquakes. That would scare the s**t out of folks faster than Y2K and is a greater risk IMHO.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 04, 1999.


diane--- i think not.

the revelation stuff helped kill it at the end(they implied that anyone concerned about y2k had their beliefs founded in the prophecies of revelations), but even before that, i thought it was killing any fence sitters chances of preparing.

think about it: if you haven't yet prepared, and they show people with 2 years worth of canned food, a wheat grinder hooked up to a bicycle, goats, etc ,etc,

you're gonna be like "oh no way, i'm not doin all that" on the contrary, if they show someone with modest preparations, people would be more likely to do something.

& it's Whidbe island. I think the overall motto(as evidenced by the end of the show) was that you don't need to worry about doing anything, but if you DO, more power to you.

but as far as motivating anybody to prepare?.... nah

-- SuperLurker (slfsl@yahoo.com), September 04, 1999.


Do you feel it was compelling enough that some of the fence-sitting locals will get off their duffs and prepare at least... *some*? Or not?

Diane

Diane,

There are all of these CALIFORNIA transplants who came up to work at microsloft and become millionaires and buy up all of our farms to turn them onto split leval-three-garage homes with the cars and polution to go along with it, are whining about not being prepared. Those of us who belong here and have lived here for generations have been prepared for decades. For earthquakes, so not much of a difference for "possible" Y2K problems.

I personally have had an earthquake kit for 11 years. I also normally shop in bulk at sales because it just makes sense.

I can get ribeye steak at $2.99 per lb. on sale 4-5 times a year and put it in my big chest freezer. Per pound it comes out cheaper than chicken nuggets which are 1/3 coating anyway.

I really find it hard to believe that people could have less than 3 days worth of food in their house!!!

Considering all of the meals to go at all of the groceries now I guess that is what a lot of people do. I have enough food in my house to last us for 3 months. Same situation at my parents house, so thats probablt where I get it.

Another thing, this city and surrounding area has been preparing for (decades) the big one (earthquake).

I'm going to give those who live around Seattle a little challange. Drive past the schools in your neighborhood and look at them, then come back here and tell me the one (ODD) thing they have in common. I'll give you a few days and then tell you if you cannot figure it out.

So basically our "contingency planning" has been done for decades, we only need a few ajustments for Y2K.

Recently we had our annual "night out" where the police came and closed down streets whereever asked so we could have our annual "neighbors night out" where blocks of people get together and bar-B-que and interact and discuss the neighborhoods. For those who want to hear about it then watch TVW where the results were reported by the Chief of Police in his meeting with the city councel. Also on TVW this morning they showed one of their (many) meetings with citizens and answered ALL of their questions and listened to their suggestions. Also on TVW (Our City, County councel meetings are ALL televised!!) they have constant reporting on what those governments are doing in reguard to Y2K. We are fortunate that we such free access to the working our local government. Washington STATE is also the only State in the country to televise ALL of the State Legeslature when it is conviened. These are always repeated 3 or more times. Some you will have to set your VCR to tape for they will have some aired extra times during the night for just that reason.

Now do not take this as an invitation to come live here, it rains all of the time. Rain in august..sad.. the sun just came out and it is after 3 in the afternoon.

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), September 04, 1999.



I listened to one of Seattle's Y2K "community conversations" on TV. Audience was poorly attended and mostly senior citizens. One question was whether shelters would allow people to bring their pets.

The water utility representative began his presentation by stating that the water system is gravity fed and "gravity is Y2K compliant". (HA. HA. NOT!!) He conveniently did not mention water treatment. Also sewer is gravity fed (and we already have been told gravity is Y2K compliant). No mention of the systems that keep pipelines moving and monitered. No mention of waste management facilities.

Law inforcement emphasized they could not be everywhere (translate: you are on your own) and mentioned neighborhood block watch. Fire noted people could come to firestations to notify them of need for help (ie no phones) and dangers of indoor generators and indoor camp stove cooking. Banking emphasized importance of keeping records.

IMHO, the meeting was held during work hours (hense poor attendance and high number of senior citizens). All the presenters were VERY CAREFUL about what they said (and looked it) and their responses appeared quite rehearsed.

I was not impressed. Overall, it appeared a careful 3 day approach to Y2K situation. Earthquake preparation information on TV has been MUCH more realistic. Hopefully people prepared for that.

-- Leslie (***@***.net), September 04, 1999.


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