Someone alerted me to this column by Chuck Lanza, and I began to wonder how many "preppers" on this forum are--indeed--women. Likewise, how many so-called "attack pollies" are indeed--men. Speculation?

http://www.wbn.com/y2ktimebomb/GL/CL/gl9936.htm

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999

Answers

That's good, FM. I printed two copies to send to two women I know. Each has to whisper and sneak bags of preps past theuir husbands. I think that's unfortunate. Excuse, me, but is marriage a partnership, or does one person rule?

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

Gosh Mara,

I'd say that entirely depends on the personalities of the people who are married!

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

FM Saw his column yesterday and I could really relate to it.As a computer person and involved with y2k where I work, I've been prepping for over a year. Not secretly, but silently. After trying numerous times to talk to my DH about it, who absolutly refused to listen, I cleaned out a closet, bought boards, brackets etc and built myself a pantry. Since I work, therefore have $ and don't have to account for every penny I spend and do all the shopping, it's been fairly easy to stock up, silently. About 6 months ago we were meeting some friends for drinks. One couple came in and before the husband even sat down, he said,"Duffy, what do you think about all the y2k stuff." DH says, "Please don't get her started." Mind you I hadn't said anything to him about it in months. I gave my opinion and tried to turn the conversation to something else. But that was all anybody waanted to talk about. Since then, my DH's attitude has 'softened'. He conceeds there might be a problem. He has shown no interest in my 'hurricane box' as the pantry is known. But, when he tells me we're out of something and I go to the back room and get it, he'll laugh and say,"This isn't part of our y2k stash, is it?"I just smile. In the course of the last year, my focus has changed from fears of y2k to generally being prepared for an emergency and being more self-sufficient. On the whole, I think you will find more women than men are preparing. I feel very sorry for the one's that have small children and no income of their own, that are trying to prepare 'secretly'. DuffyO

-- DuffyO (duffyo@mailcity.com), September 11, 1999.

i'm preparing "underground". i'm trying to prepare to take care of myself, my boyfriend, my brother, his brother, his parents, my parents (divorced), and my father's girlfriend (god forbid she decides to bring HER children/grandchildren)...alone. my mother says she will get some extra canned goods later, as well as maybe filling some 2-liter bottles with water. she is the only other person doing anything. my father understands what can happen, but won't do anything because his girlfriends son-in-law says nothing really bad will happen. my future mother-in-law had a small but prolific garden this summer and canned nothing. my boyfriend is constantly nagging/arguing with me any time i buy another prep item. almost all of my prep items are hidden in various corners around the house so that i don't have to deal with the fighting/ridiculing. he also wants me to get rid of one of my dogs, a rottweiler, so he can bring his stupid bichon frise to live here. i've pointed out to him several times that the rottie is not just a pet, but is here for protection as well. when no one's home, which would be a better deterent? a rottie standing standing in the bay window or some little thing yapping in the background? mostly due to Y2K stress, i am considering going back into therapy. i have depression and should be going anyway, but i haven't had insurance for several months; another out- of-pocket expense i really can't afford.

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

Mara, it's sad when you have to start sneaking behind your husbands back. I'm glad I don't have to do that because it's nerve wracking as it is to get stuff together. My husband's department are the guns and ammo, he likes it when I say "we need more ammo."

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 11, 1999.

FM

Good heads up! Was it Koskinen that mention Florida should prepare for 10 days and the rest of the nation for 3 days? No wonder. Chuck is very good in my view and one of the few that has been trained with dealing with disasters and understands Y2k and has a stage in which he can say what he thinks.

When he is talking about men, don't you think he maybe thinking about a "few good men" in particular??

In his Y2K reportcard Rep. Steve horn suggested 2 weeks water and food. Not only that FEMA recommends the same amount. The problem as I see it is the folks that are towing the 3 day line have little experiance in dealing with *winter storms* and other such disasters and are only further screwing the whole thing up. Of course Y2K is not just a 3 day or a 2 week problem. I have noticed with all the consern about FAA and little consern about social programs that it may just be the poor and young families that will be hit the hardest.

I think women can make an influance in this matter and maybe a little bit of solidarity is in order. There are no shortage of Women on this board and the net.

Good luck!

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 11, 1999.

Duffy,

In a perfect world we would see more "prudent to prepare" (for ANY emergency) stories hitting the mainstream press over the next three months. (On another thread I mentioned that this might happen if indeed the "gubmit" plans to begin a preparedness PR push in October.)

If indeed it does happen, it might make heretofore resistant spouses a bit more open to the idea, because the idea will have gained "credibility." (Unless of course the "prepping" spouse replies "Neener, Neener, TOLD YA SO!") [Grin]

We shall see. . .

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

Brian,

In which of Horn's report cards did that recommendation appeart?

This week's? I haven't read the whole thing.

Link?

Thanks!

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

Sara, I don't know if you read the thread that talks about Dr. Ed Hallowell's book on worry, but perhaps you might find it helpful. Hallowell's not a "pop psychologist." He's a Harvard trained M.D.

http://www.drhallowell.com/about.htm

Hope this helps. Prayers. :)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

October's getting late for folks who are poor.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 11, 1999.

Ashton and Leska,

Not if they are only going to be advised to prepare for three days.

That's the catch.

Remember a while back when the pundits on this board discussed why the American Red Cross was only recommending three days?

I seem to recall that one of the answers was that many people could not afford to prepare for longer than that.

Another piece of the puzzle.

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

October's getting late for folks who are poor. -- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 11, 1999.

My thoughts exactly Ashton & Leska, not only for poor folks but everyday Joe's are going to have problems getting it together for a "3 day storm" at this late date.

Excuse my french, but it took me a hell of a long time to get my preps together. I had to do research, ask questions, get the money together, and then find the time to do it, (We won't even touch on the amount of time to rearrange the house to accommodate the preps). Bottom line, it wasn't easy for us to make preps.

Now I and my hubby are in agreement on money spent, no kids, disposable income, and more time than most. So how the hell does anyone with any sense expect a young family, with limited funds, no time, to get it together in 3 months? On top of it most people will soon be scraping money together for Christmas.

These guys in Washington are so out of touch with the people they "serve". They have big money and Aids to help them and I guess they assume everyone else does too.

-- Mabel Dodge (cynical@me.net), September 11, 1999.

You bring up some good points, Mabel.

A few months ago, Peter de Jager wrote that telling people to prepare for three days was the same thing as assuring them they could do nothing.

I guess it all depends on what type of preparations are advised. Three gallons of water for each person? Blankets, flashlights, batteries, a few cans of food.

That's what I seem to be hearing.

We'll see how it shakes out.

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

I like his closing comment...

"This is the first time I am closing with a request. If you are stifling someone's preparedness activities, please rethink your position as a little support could relieve a great deal of tension."

That could be said of *some* polly/posters here and of the Koskinen crowd in general.

Chuck's article reminds me again, that it appears... Men ARE from Mars... Women from Venus.

;-D

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 11, 1999.

thanks FM. i'll try to check the library for it. if not, i can just read it at border's.;)

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

To Sara

I do believe its time to find a new boyfriend hun. Sounds like this one has a "keep the little woman in her place" syndrome and NOT because of y2k. Think about it and you might just find he doesn't agree with alot of things you do and ridicules you for them. I spect your depression will go away when the boyfriend does.

-- Stacia (ClassyCwgl@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

FM,

Thank you so very much for posting the link with Chuck Lanza's column; I also read his bio and if my husband would open his mind to anyone, it is someone like Lanza.

I'm going to say several prayers this afternoon, that I can get my husband to sit down and read this tonite, and that it can make a difference in what's going on with us. Yesterday we got into a yelling argument over my wanting to purchase a $20 solar powered battery recharger. We can easily afford it, and any of the other preps I've purchased, so the whole point is about alot of other issues. My husband's reaction to the subject of Y2k is so out of character for him, and since I'm the "only person he knows" who is worried about Y2K, it's easier for him to assume I'm going nuts, than to consider that there might really be some rough stuff coming down the pike. We've had our differences before, but usually found a compromise upon the firm ground of our shared commitment to our children's welfare. It's been almost 2 years now, and my refusal to "just drop it" has been like a wedge between us. Since I can't drop it, maybe Lanza can help my husband to begin to think about it. I hope so. Thanks so much for the help. By the way, at least once a week on this forum, I discover one or two more posters who I thought were men, are actually women. I'd say a majority (slight) of them are, and the same for the prep. forum ... on almost every topic thread (excluding Gold). That makes the guys who post here and GI, and who are so supportive of women who do not have any of those men in our lives, even that much more appreciated.

By the way, I saw a nice thread on this subject a day or two ago on the prep forum, about living 2 different lives in our heads ... made me feel so good to realize that EVERYTHING unusual that seems to come with the GI territory, is being experienced by just about every other GI; they even use almost the same exact words to describe it. It was a real shot in the arm for me, especially after one more argument about WHY I am doing this...

-- Kristi (KsaintA@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

FM,

Thank you so very much for posting the link with Chuck Lanza's column; I also read his bio and if my husband would open his mind to anyone, it is someone like Lanza.

I'm going to say several prayers this afternoon, that I can get my husband to sit down and read this tonite, and that it can make a difference in what's going on with us. Yesterday we got into a yelling argument over my wanting to purchase a $20 solar powered battery recharger. We can easily afford it, and any of the other preps I've purchased, so the whole point is about alot of other issues. My husband's reaction to the subject of Y2k is so out of character for him, and since I'm the "only person he knows" who is worried about Y2K, it's easier for him to assume I'm going nuts, than to consider that there might really be some rough stuff coming down the pike. We've had our differences before, but usually found a compromise upon the firm ground of our shared commitment to our children's welfare. It's been almost 2 years now, and my refusal to "just drop it" has been like a wedge between us. Since I can't drop it, maybe Lanza can help my husband to begin to think about it. I hope so. Thanks so much for the help. By the way, at least once a week on this forum, I discover one or two more posters who I thought were men, are actually women. I'd say a majority (slight) of posters are, and the same for the prep. forum ... on almost every topic thread (excluding Gold). That makes the guys who post here and GI, and who are so supportive of women who do not have any of those men in our lives, even that much more appreciated.

By the way, I saw a nice thread on this subject a day or two ago on the prep forum, about living 2 different lives in our heads ... made me feel so good to realize that EVERYTHING unusual that seems to come with the GI territory, is being experienced by just about every other GI; they even use almost the same exact words to describe it. It was a real shot in the arm for me, especially after one more argument about WHY I am doing this...

-- Kristi (KsaintA@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

The poor shouldn't have anything to worry about, there are plenty of good hearted people around that will take them in. There will be semi-trucks loaded with food, water and supplies to hand out to the needy. It will be just like any other disaster, people will freely give money and supplies to help out. Anyone who did not prepare will be fed and clothed, and that's including the rich. If there's no plumbing available, the government will bring in portable toilets and portable showers attached to water tanks. Y2K will be treated just like any other disaster. So for those of you who are worried about family, friends and neighbors, just work harder and store more for them, it is your moral obligation to care for them.

-- Mrs. White (Mrs. White@nelsonn.com), September 11, 1999.

FM

The comment from Rep. Steve Horn was from the Cspan broadcast and not from the report, mind you reading the opening comments at this point and time is quite shocking. Lots of work and very little time.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), September 11, 1999.

Mrs. White: I do hope what you believe is true in case TSHTF. My experience in other countries that have had similar local disasters tells me you are going to get an eye full in Jan. & Feb. if things go south! Pray for the best and prepare for the worst.

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), September 11, 1999.

I am the male doomer, the wife didn't get it.

My approach has been simple. I buy what we need in the way of food and basic supplies.

Then I tell her: Your clothes, your health and beauty stuff, your little luxuries--they are your problem. If the supply lines break down you will just have to live in rags and suffer.

It didn't work at first--but she finally is doing what has to be done. It is not that she believes that Y2K will be bad--it is just that she is afraid to take the risk.

The days of JIT are over at our house.

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), September 11, 1999.

Mrs. White,

Either you are a new poster to this forum or using another handle to guard your identity while making a joke.

I say this because there is a "disconnect" within your post.

First--we have:

"It will be just like any other disaster, people will freely give money and supplies to help out."

Now I can agree with that, because--as Winston Churchill once said, (paraphrased) "The odd thing about you Americans is that you are at your best, when things are at there worst."

Yet that statement from you is followed by:

"So for those of you who are worried about family, friends and neighbors, just work harder and store more for them, it is your moral obligation to care for them. "

Please elaborate if you are indeed, sincere.

I mean no ill-intent if indeed you are.

Regular posters to this forum know, however, that it is sensitive to what are commonly referred to as "trolls."

Best!

:)

-- FM (vidprof@aol.com), September 11, 1999.

Stacia, unfortunately, i am the 3rd generation in my family to be diagnosed with depression, so i have been dealing with it long before i got him. regarding every other issue, he is fairly open-minded. he even cleans the house AND cooks. he is very willing to buy things like nice clothes for work. he is constantly trying to help me with any problems i have. Y2K and our dogs are the only things we fight about. we really want to make a future and family together, so i am wavering on the dog issue (though i just can't bring myself to pet his dog anymore). i will not back down on y2k however. if he saw me walking toward a rattlesnake that i didn't see, i am sure he would risk his life to save me. i feel i am doing the same for him.

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), September 15, 1999.