I have thought, as others have expressed here recently, that the country would awaken in the spring or summer. Here we are in the fall and nothing at all. The government has determined that the public is the problem. They have waged a media campaign and won. No one will do anything until they are told to do it by the media. We are a nation of fools, led by fools, bound to fall in a pit together.

The Floyd Fynomenon has convinced me that people will indeed not do anything until the government and media tell them to do it. Here is a real, live fire breathing storm. A 'REAL THING' which was obviously 'on the map'. So big that it didn't matter much just 'where' it would land first. Hurricane force winds in a 250 mile diameter range about its core. People waited until they were *told* to 'evacuate' and they did it on que.

They jammed the roads. The ravished the stores and fuel stations. They stalled and ran out of gas and sat by the roadside. They bought up every spare lodging room in three or four States. 3 million coastal dwellers on the mooooovve. "Raaaaawwww hiIIIIIde, YEAH!!!" (crrrAAck!!!)

Y2K is an intangible to people. They do not know 'what' it is. It is not an animal, a vegitable or a mineral. They do not see it, smell it, hear it or touch it. It is not A REAL THING. Forget the dollar amounts spent. No one ever understood a billion dollars of anything. Its a meaningless quantity to them and always has been. Wind they understand and rain as well. They never understood what a computer was. "How does a telephone work?" "I pick it up and dial and it usually works." That is the level of the American public in terms of its understanding of science or technology.

Click, 'Oprah will be right back', click...

I now expect the entire nation to remain in status quo until December. They will float the stock market through the 'oktober' period and all will be well, 'have a nice holiday season folks'. And they will, of course, instruct people to have 'enough for a 3 day storm'. No one will listean to this since it is not a REAL storm on a weather map. And everyone will have a nice time believing that this will be like any other year.. 'hey, let's go to the mall to do some shopping!'

We may see a few more problems crop up at the October 1 90 day look ahead as well as the 75, 60, 45 and 30 day look ahead inventory replentishment systems hit a rock or what not. No one will understand what it means. The media will do the song and dance with Uncle Sammy to say 'All is well. All is well.' So it shall be. We can't allow anything which would hurt the Christmas season sales, can we? No.

Thank God we have more time to get what can be gotten. I would not wait though. Somethings ordered will never be delivered. Try to muckle you mitts onto whatever you are purchasing (cash and carry).

Enough for today. See ya on the other side.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), September 16, 1999

Answers

The truth is a beautiful thing

-- Eric michael (bizarr2@hotmail.com), September 16, 1999.

Whats funny is that "Gert" is right behind "Floyd" and could be the real thing, not just a nuisance. People will likely do the same exact thing they did for "Floyd", waiting until the last minute and following each other like lemmings.

-- stashit (stasher@stashit.com), September 16, 1999.

Hey stash...don't kid yourself. Now that the (sh)eople have had a false alarm, they' gonna play the "Cry wolf" syndrome, and bury their heads in the sand. So when Gert comes along and Kicks ass and takes names, it'll just be more of God taking out the garbage when they all get wiped out. Also...anyone else notice that the killer hurricanes all have some harsh names? Camile? Hugo? Hard names. Not like Floyd... knew a kid named Floyd...too stoned to tie his own shoes. But Gert...THATS a hard name.

-- Billy-Boy (Rakkasn@Yahoo.com), September 16, 1999.

I would expect that about as many people stocked up ahead of the hurricane season as are stocking for Y2K in that area...and those who evacuated early are probably some of the same ones that will move to "high ground" before the end of the year. Others have their hurricane "shelters" at home...

The sad fact is that a lot of people are DWGIs about any potential emergency. I suspect that this is a major argument against evolution, since denial is not exactly a survival trait!

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 16, 1999.

As we drove west along a quiet Interstate 10 Monday night, (the night before the sheeple's exodus) I mentioned to my wife that those who were sharing the road with us were probrably the only ones in the area who were putting together Y2K preps.

It was amazing as we drove through Jacksonville (a city of 1 million people) and saw no more than a handful of locals leaving. Interstate 10 is the only main road leading west, it is 2 (TWO) lanes each way-

Predictably, the following day we cozied up to the Hampton Inn breakfast bar and watched the IDIOT show on the big screen. A trip that took me 2 hours was taking 10+, if they didn't run out of gas. And then (SHOCKER) there wasn't any hotel rooms available (DUH!).

The reality of the situation did not respect those with BIG checkbooks and BIG SUV's any more than the normal Joe Lunchbucket. What is so sad is that these people were sitting there in traffic in a state of shock - Like it was not going to be a problem for every one of them to flee at 70 MPH. Were they absent from class when the ole supply/demand function was covered?

What does this have to do with Y2K? In a word, EVERYTHING! I'm putting an ad in USA today for a babysitter for new years eve. Must be able to take care of 200 million people, list of references a must, should plan an arriving early on new years eve. Prep my friends, the sheeple know not how to plan.

-- Driving (West@thespeed.limit), September 16, 1999.

Why should any of us care whether people prepare or not? Why do we worry and fret so much about people's welfare when they don't care about it themselves? I really am a DGI when it comes to other people not preparing. Really, what is it to any of us if people have to go to a shelter, or stand in long lines for supplies because they failed to prepare? It gives reporters something to report on and it does make those people look rather stupid doesn't it?

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 16, 1999.

Agreed.

I have a saying in relation to welfare and charity, as well as to this kind of thing- if someone doesn't give a damn about themselves, why should I give a damn about them?

If a filthy beggar comes up to me asking for money to buy food, and I see a packet of cigarettes in his pocket, I don't give him a cent. Even if he *was* dying of starvation- if he thinks cigarettes are more important than food, he deserves the consequences.

If y2k gets really bad, it will probably have a Darwinian effect. The losers, the people who think they can deny reality and expect Big Mother to make everything better regardless, will die. They will die of thirst, starvation, the cold and disease.

Of course, a lot of good people are going to die at the same time. Unfortunately.

Leo

-- Leo (lchampion@ozemail.com.au), September 17, 1999.

Leo, aren't you, like, fifteen years old?

-- Spidey (in@jam.flood), September 17, 1999.

I'm just concerned 'cause thats a whole lotta stiff that're gonna need burial/cremation. Or do we just leave 'em for the buzzards?

-- Billy-Boy (Rakkasn@Yahoo.com), September 17, 1999.

Billy,

You are a hoot! Funny black humor. But you do make your point about what people are really saying and also the implied attitudes. Sly fellow that you are.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), September 17, 1999.

Barbou,

Well, you have a point there. After a period of time of great anguish I have given up on people pretty much. Told'em again and again. After a while got tired of the abuse. Turned off.

In a self centered way we should care about what the others do because it will definitely have a big impact on anyone who doesn't do a Milne Bunker Hunker at this time. At least keep an eye on the masses and the herders to see what will be and so what to watch 'six' for.

How's things mopping up your way???

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), September 17, 1999.

Dit-Dot: I live in California, earthquake country. Have ridden out several bad quakes but have been prepared for all of them. We have an earthquake awareness week here in California but people still won't prepare. Maybe they like playing the odds or they like to live life in the dangerous lane. Like I said, I DGI. I too gave up a long time ago telling people to prepare. I have done my part and I am under no obligation to take care of anyone ITSHTF. I don't want to be among the herd standing in line just to get a cup of rice.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), September 17, 1999.

Barbou, Sorry for getting your location mixed up. I thought you were in the SE. I am from Ca originally - bay area. Not on the right coast, north. Are you away from the madding crowd (LA) in a rural area???

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), September 17, 1999.