This is a conversation I had with a LONG time friend on AOL last night about Y2K. She is a BIG DWGI (Doesn't Wanna Get It). I know we have all been through this exact scenario, I just thought I would cut and paste one of mine. Our screen names have been removed for obvious reasons. We had some idle chat before getting on the issue of Y2K, and I asked her why she was deleting Y2K articles I sent her.

HER: That bothers you that I told you that you were an extremist, huh? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. HER: I can't stand them anymore... thry depress me. I read a few, but I feel like there's nothing i can do about it so I just get bummed when I read them.

ME: Its not so much that you called me an extremeist.... ME: Just frustration ME: My friends, people I care about, not getting the scope of the problem.

HER: but htere's nothing you can do...

ME: Not preparing, even when I give them article after article giving them justifiable reasons to. ME: You CAN prepare!

HER: how? canned food?

ME: It depends how bad you think it is going to be. ME: If you think moderate problems, then yes. Canned food, water, basic items for whatever duration would make you comfortable. HER: I don't. they have so many FREE computer disks taht fix y2k probs..

ME: Its not just a software problem. Its a hardware problem. Its an embedded chip/system problem. Its NOT as easy as slipping in a disk. ME: THAT is a fallacy

HER: okay, oksy... I'll proabbly go to the market and buy some canned food.

ME: Why have some major corporations spent nearly ONE BILLION dollars EACH if it was so easy?

HER: But I might be in Tahoe... will that be any problem you think?

ME: Lets see. Tahoe. Probably about 0-30 degrees. No heat if the power goes out. Your pipes will freeze and burst, so no water. Gas stations may not get gas, so you will be walking home. You name it. ME: I could name a milion possible scenarios. ME: Hello?

(It took her about a minute to respond to that)

HER: I'm flying by plane...

ME: They use refined fuel too..... ME: The plane should be fine, but the FAA is NOT compliant. ME: Landing may be difficult....

HER: you're trying to ruin my plans... HER: you make me wary of going...

ME: Experts Ranking of Year 2000 Seriousness. (this was a hyperlink to the recent posting about expert opinions) Read this real quick. Just click on the blue letters. Read what experts think about y2k. Read their credentials. ME: Maybe if you see it from experts, and not just lowly ole me, you will understand the potential ramifications.

HER: Sweetie, I really have to get to bed. I wnat to chat longer, but I have a big day tomorrow at work.

-- Not (today@but.thanks), December 04, 1999

Answers

Tahoe is NOT the place to be. I am in one of the surrounding counties and we are all looking at how we will have to bail Tahoe out if things are serious. I am on the official county Y2k Task Force and we've heard how police are coming up from other areas and possibly ambulances from our area and on and on. It is rumored that they are way OVERBOOKED on rooms (and so is Reno). Plus the weather is very iffy at that time of year! We, as a county, have looked at our county as a corridor for travel to Tahoe area if other roads are blocked with traffic, snow etc. One road in - Hwy 50 - from Sacramento - has only 2 lanes in most places. They have been looking at how ambulances and fire trucks would get through if traffic is really blocked (and it is on many regular weekends). The plan as far as I understand it is to have such vehicles parked at periodic places along the route. It ain't gonna be pretty if its serious.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 04, 1999.

Ah, but there's LOTS of water in that big, beautiful blue lake.

Be sure and steer her over to Donner Lake, site of the demise of the Donner Party. Now, THERE is an excellent monument to hubris and poor contingency planning. The monument itself is a tower about 50-60 feet tall with a platform on top, on which are some life-sized statues, huddling as if against the cold. The height of the platform represents the depth of snow in which they were trapped, when they foolishly tried to traverse the Sierra Nevada late in the season, with poor knowledge of the route. No need to detail their gruesome end here. But, I guess my point is: IT WAS ONLY A THREE DAY STORM!

Godsp

-- Pinkrock (aphotonboy@aol.com), December 04, 1999.

Pathetic isn't it? Not only does she DWGI, she probably CGI (can't get it)

I hate to do this to everyone, but my favorite commentator is working through a series on the American mind and Politics. It's the top four postings that you will find here:

http://www.zolatimes.com/writers/kocher.html

It's a very thick read (print it out and take your time) but worth it. When he starts talking about the inability to even perceive reality, substitute Y2K in you mind as you're reading and you will instantaneously understand what the block is.

You will also understand how and why this type of person will come completely unglued if Y2K takes away the trappings of *their* reality. Many, many people are just barely functioning mentally and not at all emotionally healthy. The government has set themselves up in charge of these people and gives them a slick, glossy, sex filled reality in return for their votes. Decent people in government are peeing their pants over the concept of all these dependants coming home to roost. The cold heartless bastards in government see an opportunity to have power and not to have to worry about grooming the favor of these people.

The cold heartless bastards will win the day because the decent governmental types will be distracted with their own families and problems.

I put Mr. Kocher in his sixties, with at least 20 more years of analyzing the current culture and it's development than me. ALL his articles are wonderful and insightful, if depressing once you realize he's spot on. It will take a ream of paper, but I would print out ALL his stuff and save it for reading by candlelight next year.

(Down at the bottom of the article page, some may especially like the article about Bill and Hillary as Boderline Psychotic Personalities)

-- JIT (justintime@rightnow.net), December 04, 1999.

Not (today@but.thanks) - interesting in your chat how over and over she BLAMES you for her discomfort with the subject. Less than 30 days to go and the idea of canned food it completely foreign to her. She will have a bottle of Evian, a pack of MacNCheese and a can of tuna (if even that) and think she is prepped.

The die off is going to be tremendous.

Sheri... not Plumas Co. I'll bet.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 04, 1999.

Not,

Yep, that sounds just like almost all of the conversations I have had with DWGIs over the past few years. You almost get to the point where you see the light about to go on and they reach for the DENIAL SWITCH instead. Quite frankly, if there is one thing this whole debacle has taught me it is the unlimited capacity for denail we humans have...a fatal design flaw in my opinion.

-- Ludi (ludi@rollin.com), December 04, 1999.

What a moronic, self-serving thread this is! 'Don't wanna get it?' Are you serious? Are you clairvoyant? Able to see the future? Here's a question for you. If after a month there is but a bump in the road, will you eat your words or rally behind other prognositcations about 'coming months and years'? Funny, but I'll bet it's the latter.

Lastly, about the American mind and politics....what pretzel logic you employ here. The entire doom camp is a study in paranoia, anxiety, fear and closed-mindedness. After the myriad news stories, quotes from sources and the like in the past few months which is now adding up to literally miles of 'testimony', you still stick to your guns and claim conspiracy, cover-up and spin.

Yeah. Your way of thinking is very balanced. Ignore the message and shoot the messenger. No mental problems at all.

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), December 04, 1999.

Not (today@but.thanks), that's a pretty sad case. Sadder still is the fact that she will probably be dead in less than two months. You did what you could but you really shouldn't dwell on it. The last thing you need at this point is a distraction from a stupid DWGI. Your best move would be to cut ties with her at this point, so you can concentrate on preparations and making sure you and your family survive.

-- (its@coming.soon), December 04, 1999.

WOW, BC! Might damn quick reading of those 4 dissertations of Kocher's. Succinct analysis. Yes, I bow to your obviously superior insight---I am the nutso one and everyone else is sane.

Yes, I feel better now, but still want to shoot the messenger.

-- JIT (justintime@rightnow.net), December 04, 1999.

BC you sound just like the person this thread is about!

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), December 04, 1999.

BC,

What on earth are you talking about? Surely, you don't claim that the professional liars in Washington are providing meaningful data. What a fool's bet that is!

And have you never been behind closed doors in corporate PR strategy sessions? Some of us have. If you think for a moment you can trust press releases for large corporations, you are too naive for you're own safety.

If you have children, you may want to rethink your plans. Seems likely that you haven't prepared. Nonetheless, you do have a couple of weeks, perhaps, to at least take rudimentary steps to protect your family.

If you don't have a family, you have every right to ignore the warnings and ride out the storm unprepared. Otherwise, you really have no right to behave that irresponsibly.

-- TA (sea_spur@yahoo.com), December 04, 1999.

BC actualy y2k is my first experience as a doomer,usualy I'm too aloof to really get upset about end of the world type stuff.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), December 04, 1999.