This is the number to the federal government's Y2K propaganda line toll-free 1-888-USA-4-Y2K . press 0 to get menu of pre-recorded answers to calm your fears, and apparently you can even get a live person, but I haven't bothered to try. I guess this is yet another example of your tax dollars hard at work. I haven't taken the time to listen to all the options butthey include the info on the government, banks, airlines/airports,telecommunication, electrical utilities,food. Under food, the recording said something like most markets have 5 weeks of food supplies!! Wow, I thought it was 3 days only. or did I hear it wrong?

-- Watchman (watchman@watchforyou.com), November 29, 1999

Answers

3 days on the shelves. I believe its 3-5 weeks in the distribution supply chain.

A little mis-information if something happens to inhibit distribtion.

-- spinnin wheels (karlacalif@aol.com), November 29, 1999.

My supposition on that 5 week figure is that it represents the food in the entire production chain (raw materials to the shelves), NOT that there are 5 weeks of prepared goods sitting around gathering dust. And if there are breaks in the chain, much of that 5 week supply goes to waste. But, hey, I'm not a politician, so clearly I'm not to be trusted. ;)

-- Colin MacDonald (roborogerborg@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

I have called the government's y2k number and asked to speak to a person - I was asked my zip code and then told to prepare for two weeks - a friend of mine was asked her zip code and told to prepare for 3 to 5 days. This was back in the summer. We thought that was interesting.

-- Lornna Mitchell (doone@digital.net), November 29, 1999.

Lornna,

THAT is "interesting." Humm. Sounds like I need to hear what they say about Silicon Valley.

;-D

(Will report back).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

menu of pre-recorded answers to calm your fears, and apparently you can even get a live person, but I haven't bothered to try. I guess this is yet another example of your tax dollars hard at work.

You call it propaganda without even bothering to hear what they say.

Is that to imply that nothing has been done to fix things? Does that mean you think the government has done nothing to remediate the potential problems? Do you believe that your area has done nothing to check for and fix Y2K problems? Do you mean to imply that people who have managed to run alll of the entities that you rely on are unaware of Y2K and did not do anything to fix any potential problems? Do you believe that you would know better than those who have worked in those areas for decades and have done a good job up until now, are suddenly unable to do their jobs well enough to check for and repair potential problems? Are you trying to point out that anything the government says will be ok is a lie and that everything they say is ok is in fact not ok? Hasn't been looked into and remediated? Can you explain why everything is "propaganda" if it is potentially good news and unrefutable truth if it is bad news?

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), November 29, 1999.

I read an article that explained when "food supplies" are mentioned it includes bottles of Tobasco as "food," and does not imply that cans of soup or boxes of Cherrios are on the shelves.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), November 29, 1999.

Cherrie : they have already admitted that they aren't ready. Wake up and smell the french roast. DOD70%, goin to write 8+million pluss checks by hand. Medicare might not be able to reinburse hospitals. I am not a tech. but if it were a construction job it sounds like fined big money a day for weeks on end befor this job gets done

-- (freeman@interx.net), November 29, 1999.

Called the phone line and meandered down to Koskinens personal preparedness pre-recorded message... basically... get ready for 3- days... winter storm warnings.

They do not expect any NATIONAL problems with the critical infrastructure.

Yada, yada. Same old, same old.

*Sigh*

Waited 10 minutes for a live person. They took the zip code and asked me to hold... again. Asked how many days they are recommending people in this area prepare for.

Waited 5 more minutes.

Prognostication: only offering a National preparedness alert: several days to a week. She said that twice. (They really ought to coordinate the recorded message with the live one).

Oh well.

For... Silicon Valley... no regional details: contact your local emergency services providers such as your local (stress on local) police & fire departments.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

"National" problems only people - ONLY National - is all Mr. K's office has announced.

When I've challenged him on that issue - noting that, for example, he is basing hsi pronouncements on water and local government services based only on self-reported data for as little as 16% of the water systems, he ducks back in to the "fact" that surveys "say" they will be finished.

When asked about status in October - when 18 of the 20 largest cities were NOT ready, he again answered with "they say they will be ready" - yet to date, no additional cities (other than New York) have announced they are ready, and several new problems in payroll and accounting have been found in Philly, DC, Oakland, Detroit, and others.

----

When they say "stores" - are they counting Walmart and Sears - who are stockpiling in trailers? (Depends on what "is" is - I guess)

You can find individual non-food things on the shelves as long as 5 weeks old (dishes, soaps maybe, automotive supplies and hardware), but almost all food items are physically sold or replaced every 10 days. The store can't afford (at 2% profit) to carry things that don't move rapidly.

Most food stores receive trucks 3 days a week, replacing 1/3 of their inventory every 3-4 days. Sure, not everything is JIT delivery so that "shelves will empty in 3 days" - only enough to make problems if people don't prepare early enough (at this late time!) to spread out the purchases.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 29, 1999.