Father-in-law just called from NC. 20" of snow, no power. Water main froze, no water. Polly neighbors are lining up at his door for water and heat.

No one is laughing about his generator and stored water now.

-- No polly (@ .), January 25, 2000

Answers

Yes, my biggest problem with the pollies was that they bashed us for preparing. I had one call me down here at work (just left a message, but no return number) and make a joke out of the non-event. He used to work here.

Now let's see, weren't the threats real? In addition to y2k we had terrorist threats, massive virus threats and possible solar storms. Instead what we now get is "see I told you so, you're just a fearmonger..." and do it with that smirk. They go on to say we didn't get lucky, we were just wrong. What about actual threats? Well, I guess I'm wrong for carrying health insurance (or any insurance for that matter) too. So let's call all those people out there who carry any kind of insurance "doom and gloomers and fear mongers."

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), January 25, 2000.

Can no one think anymore about what ifs? We had a power outage from and ice and snow storm in Nov. Used a Kerosene heater and cooked on a camping stove, and got along quite well. Water freezes up...melt the snow on a camping stove. If its raining, catch rain water. Your article now has me wondering how many people do not have, and will not buy, even the simpliest emergency equipment.... let alone three days of food and water. Years ago we had an awful blizzard and power outages. The radio DJ was the only one at the station for like two straight days. Folks were calling in with the dummmmeeeessst questions and complaints. One lady was worried her freezer foods would start defrosting. He started laughing and said....no one has common sense it seems. Just put your freezer food in pillow cases and put it outside...Folks its 10 degrees an it ain't a gonna thaw out there. Just think if something did happen nation wide.....No I don't want to...

-- MaryJo (MaryJo_5@Yahoo.com), January 25, 2000.

No Polly: God Bless your father-in-law. He embodies the true nature of Y2K preparation -- helping one's neighbors.

LMAO2: Get a life.

-- TrollStomper (DoomersUnited@TB2000.Net), January 25, 2000.

As someone said before, the pollies are like the nation's indigent when it comes to taking care of themselves...

-- notme (noone@nothere.notthere), January 25, 2000.

Larry,

"Fearmonger."

Man oh man, do I dislike this title. I tried to explain to folks in my office that having extra canned goods in their homes is ALWAYS a good idea, and I was accused of being a fearmonger.

It started to get real ugly around June of last year, so I got pretty quiet. I'd visit with people about preps if they sought me out, but I stopped broadcasting the value of extra food because folks just didn't want to hear it.

I really disliked being labeled a fearmonger; many of the like-minded folks on this forum were not trying to spread fear but rather, prevent suffering.

For our efforts, we are now laughed at, or worse. I can only hope that through continued discussion on this forum(and maybe the cold weather wake-up call some poor folks have been getting) we still might be able to prevent mass suffering in the coming few years.

Peace Y'all,

Don

-- Shimoda (enlighten@me.com), January 25, 2000.

As I believe showed up in one of Gary North's articles, (paraphrasing) they will give you no peace about your making preparations -- but they darn sure will remember that you did.

My own (previously thought out) priorities will be the very old and the very young. The able-bodied are gonna kick in and work and contribute.

-- Redeye in Ohio (cannot@work.com), January 25, 2000.

Anyone living in NC who is isn't prepared for a snow storm is an idiot.

It has nothing to do with Y2K, pollies, doomies, GIs or DGIs.

-- a (common@sense.com), January 25, 2000.

I don't think that most pollies were bashing people for making some general preparations. I think the bashing was moreso aimed at those who had sold their homes, moved out to the country, and purchased weapons and then encouraged others to do so because they had the "evidence" and no one else could see the truth.

I would consider myself a polly, even though I prepared myself. I prepared for more than a 3 day storm, and have over 1 months supply of water and even more canned food. I felt a bit silly doing it, but I had to to establish a comfort level for myself. I'm a bit neurotic. Buying food and water was not a big deal, and not anyone's business either.

I think the issue has to do more with those that said "X WILL happen" or "Y WILL happen" while accusing most anyone with positive information of creating "spin". At this point in time, it appears that the majority of the spin was created by the doomers. We really haven't seen any of the disruption, major power outages, loss of shipping, societal havoc, martial law, and other problems that so many on this board predicted and were so sure about. That is a fact. But many of you say it's just beginning, so we'll just wait and see.

-- cjs (cjs@noemailthanks.com), January 25, 2000.

The biggest thing I tried to tell people was wether or not we had problems being self sufficient is more than buying 4yrs worth of food and supplies. You can survive with that,but self sufficient is a way of life. Learning things that not only help you survive but make things more comfortable in the process.

Of course in the long run I was called a nut, survivalist, asked if I had my bomb shelter ready etc. Most people today don't want to be self sufficient. They want the gov. to take care of them and provide for them the "womb to tomb" theory.

My opinion for what it's worth is that like the mountain men and the gold rush being a self sufficient person is a dying breed. People don't want to think about it and the gov. definitely does'nt want us to do it.

"it is my living sentiment,and by the blessing of God it shall be my dying sentiment-Independence now and Independence forever" Daniel Webster 1782-1852

-- poacher (notnow@not ever.com), January 25, 2000.

When I was a kid (we lived in caves then) there wasn't a household, including the one I was raised in that didn't have a pantry. Food on hand. No one ran to the grocery once or twice a day or even a week.

When there was severe weather, no problem. But, during those days, there was "common sense" and "logic" that was used. And, there wasn't any finger pointing between those who had something and those who didn't. If the neighbor came over to borrow a cup of something, it was given and that was that. This was a two-way street because if you needed something you could go to the neighbor.

But, everyone kept a supply of what they needed on hand at all times. The mind-set is different today and it's nothing but name calling, finger pointing, and a lot of nonsense. And, I'll bet all the pollies living on the East Coast are at this time wishing that they had a few cans of something on hand, and maybe even a kerosene heater.

Too bad that as a nation we've lost so much of our past.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), January 25, 2000.

Prepping for Y2K was a waste of time. No prepping required for a New Years holiday.

Not prepping for a snowstorm (when you live in snow country) and not prepping for hurricanes (when you live in hurricane country) and not prepping for earthquakes (when you live in earthquake country) is just plain stupid.

Nothing to brag about really, just decent common sense.

Deano

-- Deano (deano@luvthebeach.com), January 25, 2000.

This part of North Carolina is not to be confused with North Dakota. We do not often experience snow, let alone up to 24" falling at the rate of 4" an hour. With the exception of 12" falling in 1980, there has not been anywhere near such snowfall in this area for about a hundred years. This particular storm was advertised as 1-3"; it wasn't until the 11 o'clock news that we were told we might get 6-12". Most people were in bed by then (they go to bed early in this part of the world) and so the majority were surprised to wake up and find as much as two feet of snow (higher in drifts).

The Governor has declared a state of emergency and called out the National Guard to help clear roads. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go put out more bird seed, suet cakes and peanuts for the stunned wildlife.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), January 25, 2000.

End the pity partly PUHLEEEEEEEEEEEASE...........

I don't anyone with any standing here that actually criticized reasonable preparations for an emergency. However anyone that refused to bury school buses has been called a Polly.

BTW, Y2K did not cause the snowstorm.......I know, I know, I can't prove it conclusively.........

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), January 25, 2000.

Seems to me a generation has grown up among us with a severely stunted sense of imagination. (a.k.a. "what-if?")

Everyone who drives urban interstates has observed this in action.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), January 25, 2000.

Craig:

However anyone that refused to bury school buses has been called a Polly.

Really? I know of only one person who has buried any school buses, so that means that everyone else other than that person must have been called a polly. Please cite one example of this occurrence. If you can't, then shut up.

-- Steve Heller (stheller@koyote.com), January 25, 2000.

Stick your finger up your ass and rotate Steve.........

If you must take everything literally Steve, then go join a band of whacko end-times folks and sell everything and sit on a hilltop...

My figurative point......was that the label Polly has been given to just about anyone who wasn't in the TEOTWAWKI camp......I promoted reasonable preparations and was called a Polly and much much worse by some of the doofus ignaramuses here many times.

By that idiotic standard of Pollyism that has pervaded this site, then almost everyone except for goons like Paul Milne is pretty much a Polly.

If this were a football game, the score would be Pollys 63 Doomers 0: If it were real football (soccer) the score would be Pollys 12 Doomers 0; If it were Basketball the score would be Pollys 142 Doomers 2 (In basketball even an idiot can get an occasional basket!)

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), January 25, 2000.

Craig, not only are you an asshole, but more importantly, you're wrong. The pollies claim we do not need to worry about any possible future crisis, be it y2k, global warming, a market crash, or the election of GW Bush.

Stocking up on provisions and becoming more self sufficient is still the smart thing to do in this increasing time of uncertainty. As a good example, keep in mind that this latest winter emergency was totally unpredicted.

-- (@ .), January 25, 2000.

-- (@.) you big stupid turnip.......

Even though I spell it out, you still don't get it........

Polly has never been a reserved word just for those that criticized all prudent planning and preparing for potential emergencies.......

It has been used to describe almost anyone that didn't feel that Y2K would be an 8 or greater on our favourite 1 to 10 scale.........

The simple point in 3rd grade English for your benefit......Polly is an idiotic overused pejorative word that all assholes like yourself that feel they are so superior because you stored an extra 17 cases of Spam like to use in order to feel important......whoops, sorry, that was more than 3rd grade English.

Never mind, perhaps you can get Andy to explain what it means to you.

-- Craig (craig@ccinet.ab.ca), January 25, 2000.

Craig, you're not supposed to cuss. Kinda ruins our genteel, spoon- fed, witty-kinda-guy image we have of you.

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), January 25, 2000.

My figurative point......was that the label Polly has been given to just about anyone who wasn't in the TEOTWAWKI camp...

Sorry for taking you seriously before. Now please provide some cites for your revised claim, or shut up.

-- Steve Heller (stheller@koyote.com), January 25, 2000.