1. It's easier to memorize trite phrases like:planes won't fall from the sky, 99.9% finished, 3 day winter snowstorm, etc

2. It's easier to ridicule, than to build a logical argument.

3. It's easier to believe what they tell you, than it is to go research the info for yourself.

4. It's easier to not prepare, or to just prepare for that 3 day winter snowstorm.

5. It's easier to stay focused on your minor little concerns, than it is to step back and look at the bigger picture.

6. It's much easier to believe that things will stay the same than it is to believe that they will change drastically.

7. You feel oh so clever when you can state quite emphatically that it's just something the programmers and the MRE salesmen cooked up so they can make a little extra for the holidays.

8. You know that if you're wrong, everyone will be too busy to say I told you so.

9. You know that if the GIs are wrong you'll have a really good time razzing them.

10. Sorry, I couldn't think of a nice even 10!

-- soapie (soapie@suds.com), December 15, 1999

Answers

10. Since it never happened before, it cant/won't happen now.

OR --

10. Since all the computer problems we've ever had in the past were fixed eventually, & since they all inconvenienced OTHER people anyway, it must follow logically that y2k is not a threat to me.

-- boy (this@is.fun), December 15, 1999.

I don't know why people take the "three day storm" warning so lightly. If a three day storm hit every state at the same time in the first week of January, that would a serious disaster. Most storms are regional, so many repair crews in other areas are available to help out. A national (global?) three-day storm would be a nightmare -- yet many people seem to think that would be no big deal.

I once lost electric power for three days in April (in Michigan) but was able to heat my large apartment by continuously filling the bathtub with gas-heated water. Even during that not very cold month, three days without electricity was not pleasant. Earlier in my life when I lived in New York, I was in the shower when the great 1965 blackout hit the area. Also not very pleasant. Anyone else with three-day storm experience?

-- Richard Greene (rgreene2@ford.com), December 15, 1999.

Interesting point about the 3 day storm.

But assuming you could eat, drink & stay warm, what would be the big deal about essentially being "under house arrest" for 3 days..? So you stay in your house for 3 days. Those whose jobs are criticals, doctors, nurses, etc., sleep at their places of work for three nights. It does happen, sometimes. They put some cots in the hallways.

If criminals were also stuck at home, your family would be safe, even if you were stuck at work and weren't there to help them. If everyone stayed off the roads, emergency vehicles would be able to move around, provided they could communicate with each other.

This seems entirely managable to me.

It seems to me the only reason a 3-day storm would be a disaster would be if no one was prepared for it... Guess we can thank the government that no one really is.

-- it (could@be.done), December 15, 1999.

The ice storm of (I believe) '76. I was in jr. high. We were without electricty for 6 days 23 hours. But we had oil lamps and propane heat and must have had plenty of food because I don't remember being hungry. We played cards for entertainment. And we had one mouse running around in the attic that when you shone the flashlight beam on you could see it's silhouette running around. We dairy farmed and could milk the cows using a hook up to the tractor. We hauled water from the spring for drinking, cooking and flushing.

There was another year we were snowed in for several days (3 or 4) before we could get plowed out. Actually socked in so bad that they had to get the county grader to dig us out (20 foot drifts). We may have had to dump milk that time-- it get's hard to remember these things now.

We did alright. But then we were rural and usually prepared for those type of 'storms' without even thinking about it. That was just the way it was.

-- winter wondering (winterwondring@yahoo.com), December 15, 1999.

Hey-yo. Not to belittle your 'tough' times. I'm a 33vyear old diabetic. I started going blind from it when I was 20. I have had a real fun ride. I'm legally blind-but OH! I'm not legally blind enough to deserve aid. I can't pass a driving test but I'm required to be able to get around and work like anyone else. If I can't- I go without. I've had to sell everything I own over the years. [The computer I'm using was provided by a state Blind Services in a mistaken attempt to get me to be solely sufficient...funny. That's all I got-a refurbished computer.

Now. I was homeless from 1994 until now. I'm living with a freind and have lived with family. Dependant on others. I was totally homeless in the Summer/Fall/Winter of 1995. I lived in the woods sleeping on an old army cot chopping wood for fires and sponge bathing. I worked out of a 'Rent-A-Drunk' when I could and did well for my situation. Stop comparing your stories of 'a couple of weeks with no electricity' to what might be coming. You don't know shit.

-- Satanta (tiredofyourwhining@upyers.com), December 15, 1999.

Okay, I have to ask...

What exactly is it that I "don't get".

-- (just@another.programmer), December 15, 1999.

Santana ,sounds like your ordeal has toughend you up considerably.You'll fare better than most pollies who don't have a clue. Check out Chealtion Therapy for macular degeneration, Search out this on the net, I've seen serious diabetics make miracle turn arounds and vastly improve circulation to extremities,check it out and good luck, merek

-- merek (merek@aloha.net), December 15, 1999.

merek...thanks, I'll do that. Laser surgery has helped me keep my sight but it makes me hyperlight sensative and nightblind if there's any lights around. I appologize to the rest if I came off as a jerk. Just been thru it for many years and a few days without electricity is a walk in the park to me. Yata-Hey, all.

-- Satanta (LongDarkNight@sunrise.com), December 16, 1999.

Mr. Satanta,

I certainly did not mean to imply that the stories I related were "tough times." They were not "tough times" because of the fact we had contingencies to deal with the problems at the time. I wrote what I did because Mr. Greene posed the question: "Anyone else with three- day storm experience?"

You also wrote, "Stop comparing your stories of 'a couple of weeks with no electricity' to what might be coming. You don't know shit.

-- Satanta (tiredofyourwhining@upyers.com), December 15, 1999."

I certainly wasn't trying to compare the experiences I wrote about to 'what might be coming.' There is no comparison. Isn't that the point of the general disbelief expressed by the GI community when we hear 'prepare as you would for a 3 day storm'?

I may not _know_ shit, however, I already exceed the recommended daily allowance. I don't need any more of it here.

-- winter wondering (iwasn'twhining@were.you?), December 16, 1999.

Winter Womdering...Yep. I sure was whining...and again, my apologies.

-- Satanta (SureAsHellW@s.com), December 16, 1999.

We had a "3 day storm" - ice storm, in E. Texas in Jan. of 1994. No power for 2 of them, which isn't long. But I was in an old, badly insulated all-electric mobile home. It was about 10 degrees outside as I recall, rare for E.Tx, and hit 38 degrees in my house real fast. Went lower at night. I had no heat source at all. People in E.Tx. don't think that can happen. I was afraid to go to sleep at night, shivering in my coat, hat, etc, feared I'd never wake up - like the Little Match Girl - and I'm no youngster. That, more than anything, would make me sit up and take notice at even a threat of a 3 day storm, if I was still that unprepared. If you never had one, I guess it's easy not to even be concerned about that. But I do not understand unconcern.

I've been snowed in for 5 days without power in the Arkansas mountains too, but we had wood heat and available water, tho' well pump was frozen. Big difference. Prepared, you play Scrabble for 5 days. Unprepared you could die. Just my take.

-- Shiver (just@thought.ofit), December 16, 1999.

Mr. Satanta,

Your first post of this morning apparently came in while I was writing my reply-- had I seen it, I probably would not have submitted what I did. Thanks for your apology. And I apologize to you for my reaction as well.

From other posts (I think mainly on the prep forum) I've gathered that you've had to endure some pretty dicey situations and that rollover is going to be equally challenging, if not more so. Despite my earlier surliness, I really do wish you the best for making through whatever y2k throws us.

-- winter wondering (ionlyhadonenerveleft@ndyousteppedon.it), December 16, 1999.

Winter Wondering....Same here. Just tired and cranky last night. I don't wish anyone real harm...well,..ummm-there are some, I suppose. I just get a knot in my guts when I see a kid in a store at Christmas time...or a young mother/dad with their kids and I hope the best for them. Cold and hunger are no fun...whether you are in a house or not. I kind of wish we could get the people on the forum with a proven track record of not being jerks and start our own country club whether things go really bad or not. I see single mothers and women posting...elderly people...disabled....but then again how do you decide who is good or not? I think I need a mountain top to go contemplate for a bit.... \:-]

-- Satanta (somewhereInTime@loss.com), December 16, 1999.