New People - Its time to ask any prep questions you have!

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) Preparation Forum : One Thread

Welcome to any and all New Viewers of TB2000. Even though we are roughly five days from the rollover there is still time to make some preparations. Now is the time to ask any of those lingering prep questions you may have. There are lots of wonderful helpful people here who will be glad to answer your questions but you must ask them first.

-- ExCop (yinadral@juno.com), December 26, 1999

Answers

Hi! I have been worried about Y2K for some time. My DH (computer geek) thinks it is a bunch of garbage and won't do anything to prepare. He supports whatever I do but that is about it! So I bought a kerosene heater, tons of food, water, diapers, feminie things, toilet paper, etc. What else do I need? I don't have much money left and the clock is ticking. So if something happens am I going to be screwed?

Also, what do you think or "they" predict is going to happen?

Thanks! Melissa Mom to four 6 and under

-- Melissa M (welovekids2@efortress.com), December 26, 1999.


Melissa,

You're more prepared than 95% of the population already. Good job. Don't forget a fire extinguisher and try not to use candles around the kiddoes. Good luck!

-- Jill D. (jdance@mindspring.com), December 26, 1999.


More water!

-- && (&&@&&.&), December 26, 1999.

Melissa,

You didn't mention any means of defending yourselves/stockpile.

Gerald

-- Gerald R. Cox (grcox@internetwork.net), December 26, 1999.


Melissa, if you can find some dry pool bleach (or just some regular liquid bleach) check out BLEACH.TXT at http://home.earthlink.net/~kenseger/surv/surv.htm to learn how you can treat water with bleach.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), December 26, 1999.


No we don't have any means of defending ourselves/stockpile. What should we have? We don't have guns in the house and wouldn't with children.

How much water is needed? We now have 40 gallons. We did buy some plain laundry bleach. Is it 8 drops per gallon? I am reading as fast as I can and my DH is laughing as hard as he can.

I am really nervous. More for my kids than anything.

Melissa

-- Melissa (welovekids2@efortress.com), December 26, 1999.


Do the kids have a kiddie pool? If so, fill it up and cover with tarp. Keep water boiling on kerosene heater to purify it (water) if/when it is necessary. If you have buckets around, fill 'em, lots of creative ways to get prepared with adequate water.

-- Sammie (sammiex0@hotmail.com), December 26, 1999.

No we don't have any means of defending ourselves/stockpile. What should we have? We don't have guns in the house and wouldn't with children.

So, it would be "okay" to see your husband/children hurt and/or killed by "bad guys", then....

How much water is needed?

Cooking/drinking: 1 gallon per person per day of expected need. Twice that if you want to include bathing. (These figures do NOT include "flushing". Do you have plans for a "alternate" method of waste disposal?

We did buy some plain laundry bleach. Is it 8 drops per gallon?

Yes, roughly.

I am really nervous. More for my kids than anything.

And with no means of defense, you OUGHT to be sleepless with terror for them. GROW UP. If your kids REALLY matter to you, DO SOMETHING to defend them. Else thou art a HYPOCRITE.

Not meant as a flame, just REALITY. (This ain't the "Emerald City" baby...)

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), December 26, 1999.


Melissa,

Sounds like you have done a very good job of prepping. I would suggest a water filter. Then you could store water and filter it as you use it, or even get water from normally unsuitable sources and filter what you use for drinking and food prep, and use unfiltered for flushing the toilet (assuming you can do so) and laundry. (bleach added, of course.)

If you are not familiar with the safe storage and handling of weapons, IMHO, you would be best not to acquire anything for which you do not have time to develop the necessary skills and training. Better to network with some neighbors who are already prepped in that area.

It sounds like you have the basics. Good luck. I hope you don't need the preps.

regards,

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), December 26, 1999.


Melissa,

While your DH is laughing, have him read this. I hope it helps! BTW you sound as if you have done an admirable job of prepping, Congrats! Your family will be better off for it.

Are You Prepared to be Wrong?

A Y2K Essay

Art welling 3-22-1999

Have you all asked yourself that question? "Am I prepared to be wrong about the Y2K issue?". I know 'prepared' is a word that means careful planning if you are a business and wacko survivalism if you are an individual. At least, that's how the major media portrays it. Take it whatever way you want, I consider prepared as being ready for possible futures. I was a boy scout. My pocket knife has a can opener.

So... are you prepared to be wrong? No matter who you are or what you think about Y2K are you ready to be wrong in your conclusions?

Lets take the wacko survivalist side first. You know, us family types who are putting away some food and water, maybe a generator, gathering some simple first aid supplies, all that kind of wacky stuff. What if we are wrong? I guess the answer lies in how far we go to calm our fears. If we sell our souls to the fear and go all out, have we been careful enough to allow room to be wrong? I know at least three people who have sold out everything and bought small farms. Sounds extreme, doesn't it? Well... Not really. In each case they are happier now and owning that farm is something they always wanted anyway. If they are wrong about Y2K being real bad they don't care, they did what they would have done anyway.

How about filling the basement with food, getting drums to fill with water, buying a wood stove and putting all your worldly money in mason jars under the porch? In each case, unless the house burns down, you get robbers with shovels, or decide to stop eating food sometime soon, you have lost nothing but some time and interest. A credible argument can be made that you might actually SAVE money with all that food, as long as it's stuff you eat anyway and not some kind of freeze dried moose meat which cost it's weight in gold dust.

How about.... you quit your job, cash out the 401K at a loss, buy a small cabin on two acres of woods up in North Jabip, tell your family to either join up or die, and hunker down with an AK and 100 cases of MRE's at $50 a case? See a problem there? I do. There is no back door, no way to come back if you are wrong, or they are wrong, or the magic microchip fairy waves her wand and all is well. Besides which, it's a recipe for disaster. After you eat the first ten cases of MRE's you'll want the AK for a purpose other than what you planned. One MRE is an adventure, two are a chore, a steady diet of MRE's is a short trip to insanity.

The guy with the AK and the cabin filled with MRE's is not prepared to be wrong. He'll tell you he is ready for anything but he's incorrect. He's not prepared to be wrong in his assessment. Unless of course his life's goal was to live in a backwoods cabin in North Jabip with indigestion for the next five years.

Please don't take me the wrong way. I am all for, 100% behind, and determined to be ready for Y2K with preparation. My assessment is that society is likely to take a big hit and hard times are on their way. However, I give myself the same advice I do friends who are getting ready. Don't sell your soul to Y2K.

Take whatever precautions will make you comfortable with the risk you perceive but leave that backdoor. If you are truly into being prepared then you must also prepare to be wrong in your assessment.

What makes me comfortable is some food and water, sources of heat and light that don't need the power company, a way to defend it all, communications so we won't be 'in the dark', and plans to go further if we must. Much further. What if I am wrong? Well, we are ready for that too. We have made plans to continue eating the rest of our lives, to continue making the power company whine by leaving our electric heat off as much as possible, and to make ham radio a life long family hobby the same as shooting is now.

So, what about those folks who's assessment of Y2K is 'no big deal', or 'it's all hype', or 'they'll take care of it', or 'I have a snickers bar and a bottle of Evian water so I'm ready'? What if they are wrong and are not ready for being wrong?

Somebody with these attitudes, if they are honest, will not bother to stock up on anything or prepare for a loss of power. The average home already has a three day supply of food and a three hour supply of water. The average home does not have a way of heating the home without power, nor a way to have light more than a few days from candles or maybe an oil lamp.

The average family might, maybe, possibly, but probably not, have a weeks worth of cash laying around. Half the homes in America have a weapon in them but at best only 10% of those people are prepared for defense. Maybe 1/2 of 1% have communications other than a phone or computer modem.

So... what if the polyanna's are wrong and are not 'prepared' to be wrong? What's in store for them? Hmm... Maybe Paul Milne's remark is right. "If I'm wrong, so what. If you are wrong, you die" or something close to that. Maybe it's won't be so extreme but those are the stakes we are playing with. A polyanna by definition won't prepare to be wrong. Polyanna's don't have life insurance, don't wear seat belts, do curse at bikers, and consider life vests on small watercraft to be style cramping.

Someone who honestly has decided Y2K is not a big deal is another story. If you have come to the conclusion Y2K is a flash in the pan or a bump in the road, think about the question. What if you are wrong? Are you prepared to be wrong? Forget about 'survivalism' for a moment, are you prepared to wrong in your assessment?

-- ExCop (yinadral@juno.com), December 27, 1999.



Hi! I haven't bought a gun either and I understand your reservations. I am trained in self-defense, have a dog that has bitten in the past, and also have an ax and a baseball bat that I can wield. Don't do anything that goes against your beliefs, but don't be a sitting duck either.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), December 27, 1999.

WoW! I didn't realize that answer would get quite that response but okay...if I don't have a gun, don't have a giting dog, am not trained in self defense then what should I have? Seriously folks...what could I really have with it being only a few days away?

I would like to know what you expect to happen? Especially Gerald...would love to hear everyones viewpoints. I am really new to this and would like to know as much as possible. Do you think the government is hiding things by saying most everything is compliant? Emerald City...is that the city with the nuclear plant in the Y2K movie? I watched it over the weekend (someone had taped it for me). I thought it would be scary but not much happened in it. Anyway, looking forward to reading your thoughts on what you think will happen.

Melissa

-- Melissa (welovekids2@efortress.com), December 27, 1999.


I meant Dennis, thoughts from Dennis...and everyone!

Melissa

-- Melissa (welovekids2@efortress.com), December 27, 1999.


Melissa, You ask what you can expect.

Best case scenario - sweetness, light, and Pollyanna will come for tea and bisquits.

Worst case scenario -- you are robbed of all stored foodstuffs, raped by AIDS-infected streetscum who will murder your husband and children and keep you until they are tired of raping you then kill you.

You have an absolute right to NOT buy a gun if that is your sincere conviction.

Was it Vlad Strelok, persona non grata, who wrote " There are two kinds of critters - prey and predator. Get tough or get eaten." ???

Best of luck, my dear.

-- RT (Rngfr49@yahoo.com), December 28, 1999.


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