100 days till Y2K

K

KAM_Indianapolis

New member
Are you prepared yet?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_hyatt/19990922_xcmhy_the_y2k_10.shtml

No, it wont be the end of the world as we know it, but the potential for localized disruptions does exist. As anyone who has lived in the U.S. for the last couple of decades knows, if a blackout can cause civil unrest, anything can happen.

Prepare yourselves,
prepare your family,
prepare your relatives (the one's you like),
prepare your neighbors,
prepare you co-workers...

Peace through superior firepower,

------------------
Peace...
Keith

If the 2nd is antiquated, what will happen to the rest.
"the right to keep and bear arms."
 
notice that we had an Amtrack commuter train run into the rear of a freight train here in DC last week?

the Amtrack switching system went down due to hurricane Floyd last week

gee only one data center for the whole train system...

a localized disruption?
impact?
maybe keeping yer head down for the winter would be a good thing

dZ
 
Our staff has completed the 3 years of work on time and under budget. We have
gone through every line of code in every program in every system. We have
analyzed all databases, all data files, including backups and historic archives,
and modified all data to reflect the change.

We are proud to report that we have completed the "Y-to-K" date change mission,
and have now implemented all changes to all programs and all data to reflect the
new date standards. The project team has been disbanded and all contractors have
been released.

For the record, the new standards are: Januark, Februark, March, April, Mak,
June, Julk, August, September, October, November and December. Also, Sundak,
Mondak, Tuesdak, Wednesdak Thursdak, Fridak, and Saturdak.

I trust that this is satisfactory because, to be honest, this Y-to-K issue
remains a mystery to me. I do understand that this is a serious global problem,
and our team has been happy to take responsibility for the project. But what
does the year 2000 have to do with it?

Speaking of the year 2000, what do you think we ought to do next year when the
two digit year rolls over from 99 to 00? I'll await your direction."

Project Leader Y-to-K Conversion

-----------------------------------------------------------------
An armed man is a citizen; an unarmed man is a subject; a disarmed man is a
slave.
 
Definitely not making fun of your post KAM, but I thought that was one of the better Y2K jokes.

Because the problem is so large and so complicated, it is easy to be apathetic. Actually creating a plan and implementing it was a hard thing to do. Nobody WANTS to seem like a weirdo, and the media and government appears to be working hard to make anyone preparing feel like one.

One consolation is that everything I've done has been dual-purpose. If Y2K blows over, it's all food we like to eat and stuff we'll use. It's my one hedge against feeling like a weirdo.

Anyone else preparing, but feeling uneasy about it at the same time?
 
I remember a post-nuclear-holocaust story which theorized the new center of US Gummint would be Utah. Think about it a bit...

For me to live where I do, and in comfort, I'm already generally prepared for situations which a severe Y2K impact might cause. :). I didn't know it when I moved to the desert, but it's easier to get prepared for a possible event when you have sixteen years to do it...

I'll take luck over skill, any day.

Later, Art
 
What's to prepare for? I grew up in a house with a large pantry. Would it have lasted a year? Maybe, but the better question is why did my parents have such a pantry? Because they grew up in hard times and they didn't want their kids to ever have to go hungry. They knew that fortunes change, factories close, and that the economy isn't always good. They were prepared for life's troubles and they prepared their children for them. Thanks to my parents and the Boy Scouts, (back before the lawsuits, homosexuals, and the cityfied Scout Handbook), I've always lived my life by the Boy Scout Motto, "Be Prepared."

[This message has been edited by OB-1 (edited September 26, 1999).]
 
Y2K is great!,
I've done more camping "test runs", shot more, bought more guns etc etc, this year than I ever did in my previous 31.

Only bad thing is my wife keeps forgetting to go to the store since "we have plenty of canned food to choose from".

Oh well... it's been fun so far.


------------------
SameShot, Different day
 
Thanks for posting the article KAM.

I'm extremely curious as to how many TFL'ers are preparing for Y2K. According to the article there are only a small percentage of US citizens that have voiced their concerns. I, on the other hand, have asked as many people that will give their opinion.

The question I've asked them is:
Can you tell me, with 100% accuracy, that I have no reason to worry when the year 2000 rolls around?

Since no one I've asked has given me a 100% "no cause for alarm answer," I'm preparing. My family thinks I'm crazy, but what is wrong with preparation? Even if it's only a three-day power outage, I cannot subject my children to three days without heat. Do you think if I wait until January 1st, I'll have access to a kerosene heater? I'm sure that I won't.

A few years back we had a major snowstorm in this area, which was rare for southern IN. We were hit very hard and my husband was out of town. I was left at home with two children, one of which is terminally ill. I knew there was potential for a storm, so I stock piled on groceries. (I refuse to drive if there is white stuff on the ground.) :D What I didn't count on was a five-day power outage. So much for the food I had stock-piled. I had no way of cooking it. I didn't own a kerosene heater! Not to mention Kaity was ill at the time and was in need of antibiotics. They had to make an emergency run for her meds. I had no batteries for my flashlights and my candle supply was running short.

Luckily, I have family who brought us all we needed. I decided to stay home and try to stick it out. I used the candles I had at night, kerosene to heat and cook with and slept with my kids to keep them warm.
I vowed never to be stranded like that again. There is nothing wrong with preparation, whether we are discussing a snowstorm or a computer age meltdown.

What do you guys think about my preparing? Any ideas? My husband's busiest time of the year is New Year's. I'm sure he will be away from home. What advice can you give me? Hang loose? Don't worry? Or stockpile?
Just remember, I'm not a boy scout.
:)

J
 
To work for me, things must be kept simple. So I refer to the old saying about parachutes (and .45s):

Better to have it and not need it,
Than to need it and not have it.

We have all our camping equipment to use if times get tough. Two-burner camp stove, lots of canned goods, and two huge water towers for our neighborhood to drain before there's a water shortage.

If it's wintertime, hot temperatures will not be a problem and it seldom gets cold enough here to be dangerous. We also have lots of quilts and sleeping bags to add to the beds, if needed.

Stockpiling paper goods ( ;) ) and reading material as well as kerosene for the lamps and propane for the cook stove.

Canned goods pretty well eliminate the need for refrigeration.

Guns, ammo, batteries, etc. are, ahem, "adequate".

Unless we have no electricity for more than a week, we'll just think of it as camping in a larger shelter than usual. Lack of TV will be a blessing, lack of TFL may cause tremors....

Oh, we're also putting away enough to handle less paranoid relatives (daughters, etc.).

Only problem seems to be my Mother's medications. We can't stockpile what the doctor refuses to prescribe. (Want to bet whether I can change his mind?)

Open to all further suggestions. :)
 
My computer still says there are 1000.00 days left... could something be wrong??

Sorry to make light of what could certainly be a serious matter. Often wonder if these South American countries are at higher risk (inefficiency) or lower (fewer things to go wrong) risk. Probably the latter - in daily matters but globally, in a worse position to face big disasters...

Our personal situation is much like Art's: For the last fifteen years we've been living in this mountain valley - among rocks, mesquite the odd puma and iguanas. We generate our own power - this computer system is on a 300 watt solar array, but there are two large diesel generators (main and backup) for evenings, pumping water and other 'high demand' applications. Our 'phone is a wireless link to the nearest town - 10 miles as the crow flies, 'line of sight' only from the top of the antenna masts. Satellite TV and a ham radio setup (that I've neglected since the Internet has come). We're not 'survivalists' in the usual sense - the location doesn't have any public services.

Also for purely practical reasons (to avoid driving too often down the mountain trail) we have about two weeks stock of vittles in hand. The road in is very rough - I have no problems with my Toyota 'four by' pickup - but it discourages casual visitors and the location is relatively unknown nor is it on any map. For the same reason - isolation - we are reasonably prepared to 'repel boarders' should the need arise. The local police chief and staff understand this, and generally the law is on our side ("West of Pecos" style :) )

Our nearest neighbor - five miles downriver - is a Catholic Church retreat ansd seminary. I gather they have made thier own arrangemnts with a Higher Authority :) But in any case, we have little contact and no conflict.

The guy that owns the land all around us lives in a city - a 'weekend farmer' and a lawyer... I could say something cute about lawyers and being blown away by Y2K but in deference of 'good guys' in the legal profession and also TFL'ers I'll leave it at that. But at worst, he has about two hundred head of goats and 300 of cattle on the land, a pretty good insurance of protein.

The rest of our family is also living in small towns in these hills - with minimal personal risk.

Medical problems- Minor, we can take care of, a 'fist aid kit on steroids' (such as a refrigerated stock of braod spectrum antibiotics, antihistamics, suturing kits, etc. in addition to the usual bandages , band-aids, and disinfectants and surgical tape... - Major; I doubt anyone, not even a master surgeon, can do much about if modern hospitals and their facilities should collapse.

Last - abuse from gov'mint has been something of a way of life here. Should anyone set hi/her/it self up as a 'dictator' it wouldn't be new. In the past, they haven't messed with anyone thats not in direct conflict of their (mostly personal) interests. Please don't take that as condoning them in any way... the subject in hand is 'Y2K' contigency, not politcal brutality. I'm assuming any 'shock troops' or black helicopters would leave us alone.

Other than Oerlikons, SAMs, and 4" naval guns - I think I already have superior firepower :)

Peter Knight



[This message has been edited by Elchimango (edited September 26, 1999).]
 
A Y2K site I would call "middle-of-the-road" is http://www.prepare4y2k.com. There are links to all manner of other sites, some of which are indeed ultra-gloom. These latter I tend to browse for entertainment, rather than useful info or philosophy...

Having the free time and curiosity, I have done a fair amount of "studying" y2k since I got on the Net a year or so back. My general conclusion is that the human psychological reactions to the various glitches and generally short-term problems will be worse than the computer-oriented problems themselves. Apparently most programs are "mostly fixed", but the embedded chip problem is nowhere near solved--the main reason for concern, as near as I can tell.

So: It's not so much the availability of food, but possible hazards during a shopping trip. There may be power outages, but they are unlikely to be lengthy. A potential problem here is that the electric generating capacity of the US now has the least reserve capacity in our history. If a grid craters, as in New England in 1967, look out. And, the 24-hour blackout in the Bronx in 1977 led to riots and looting in that short time. Does anybody believe we are a kinder, gentler society now than then?

There will apparently be slowdowns in many areas of world-wide economic activity for various reasons, which could lead to a recession during the middle of next year, for maybe a year or so. Various analyses indicate we could hit a "stagflation" sort of situation, as in the 1979-1981 period.

It strikes me as a several-month period in which to be cautious about personal safety and economic investment, for instance.

The Feds are openly worried about major "hack attacks" against business as well as government computers. They are openly concerned about civil unrest. They are openly worried about terroristic violence as at the World Trade Center or Oklahoma City. If any of this comes to pass, it could well be that electric production or transmission facilities could be targets.

About all I can advise is read, think, and decide for yourself.

Regards, Art
 
No offense taken to all the humor. In the words of my favorite songster "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." Actually the one from Ozzie is my favorite, being in the software QA field.

LadyDeeJ, being a fellow Hoosier I understand where you are coming from. Imagine our suprise that winter when we went to Marsh in Carmel and no milk, no bread, no patience. I could only imagine what will happen if/when the shelves are empty. It sounds like you've already lived through one emergancy.

I am certainly preparing in a similar fashion. Except for last winter, the winters here in Indiana seem to be getting harsher. The economy while good, seems to me instable, like it could crash with only a few pushes in the wrong directions.

What am I worried about:

Heat - just purchased a kerosene heater

Food/Cooking - already have a Colman stove and propane grills, will be stocking enough extra food to last a while.

Water - purchasing enough containers to hold water for a couple of weeks.

Entertainment - will be purchasing a 10-meter ham, and a shortwave before to long. It's always fun talking and listening to other people.

Health - we have a reasonable amount of first-aid supplies. Will be taking a CPR and first responder class.

Protection - already have my CCW and what I consider essential firearms (9mm handgun, 12 guage pump shotgun, want a .22 and .223 rifle.) Have re-loading supplies (because it's cheaper) and have been stocking a modest supply of ammo.

Everyone's situation is different. You have to decide for yourself how prepared you want to be.

I would personally recommend you get over your dislike of winter driving. With some practice you can drive comfortable on snow. If you would like help with that please email me, I am a member of the Indiana Four Wheel Drive Association and I'm sure we could find someone close by who could help you out.


------------------
Peace...
Keith

If the 2nd is antiquated, what will happen to the rest.
"the right to keep and bear arms."

[This message has been edited by KAM_Indianapolis (edited September 29, 1999).]
 
Entertainment - will be purchasing a 10-meter ham

Where the hell did you find a pig that big?

Oh, you mean RADIO... :D

------------------
"America needs additional gun laws like a giraffe needs snow tires."
--Rabbi Mermelstein, JPFO
 
Well, let's see....

o 20kW NG/propane fueled generator ("permanent" install; about the size of a Volkswagen; "hospital-grade" muffler)

o 500 gallon "aux" propane tank (w/furnace conversion kit)

o 450 gallons of fresh water (and British Berkefeld water filter)

o 220 gallons of gasoline (w/cast iron rotary hand pump)

o 4 months "regular" food supplies (headed for 6)

o House has been "hardened" against intrusion

o Night vision (on order)

o 30-06 bolt, 300 WinMag bolt, 10/22, (2) Mini-14's (w/14 "hi-cap" mags), "Persuader" shotgun (will get another), 45 ACP, 40 S&W

o 700 shotgun rds, 2500 .223's, 5000 .22LR's, 500 .45's. (Yet to get: 200 30-06's, 200 .300's, 2000 more .223's, 500 .40's)

------------------
Resources on Y2K:

www.michaelhyatt.com (Go to the discussion forums) Also, check out this essay by Art Welling, "Are you prepared to be wrong on Y2K?" at http://www.michaelhyatt.com/editorials/wrong.htm

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=TimeBomb%202000%20(Y2000) Ed Yourdon's TB2000 BBS

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a.tcl?topic=TimeBomb%202000%20%28Y2 000%29%20Preparation%20Forum (Yourdon's "preparation" forum)

http://www.y2knewswire.com

http://www.garynorth.com (This is "Scary Gary" North's website. Careful, because he's a "doomer", but his NEW LINKS are beyond reproach.)

http://www.kiyoinc.com/current.html (Cory Hamasaki. From the computer geek's point of view)

-----------------------------------

BTW, I am a computer consultant, and have been in the computer business for over 25 years. I hold a degree in electronic engineering, and am a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The "private" emails I get from my collegues around the country have been, and continue to be, GRIM. You better get ready, 'cause we're in for the ride of our lives.

Dennis Olson

93 days remain. About 2200 hours. Get ready. Prepare. Something's going to happen...

[This message has been edited by Dennis Olson (edited September 29, 1999).]
 
**Yawn** Somebody wake me after all this Y2K crap blows over, huh? Seriously, up here in Maine we had the Ice Storm From Hell a while back, and were up to 17 days without power. What did we do? Burned wood. Got water out of the lake with the same chainsaw we got the wood with. Used the cut up ice to keep the fridge cold. No big deal. I guess they're going through much the same thing down south right now what with the flooding. They'll make out all right too. I swear, the only thing Y2K is gonna do is drive the economy, and that's a good thing. See ya in the spring, guys.
 
yea but you have a chain saw
you have weathered storms...

down here in wash DC we have some truly moronic sheeple

most of them won't leave their lazy boys on a beautiful day, cause there is something on the TV.

i go for long walks around a path at a state park. i might see 12 people in an hour. There are 80,000 people living within 10 miles of my home. i don't see their kids out playing either...

most of these people couldn't start a cook fire on a sunny day with a good magnifing glass, let alone have enough smarts not to try cooking with the propane bar-b-que indoors.

wait till one of them has a problem with the 100 gallons of white gas they have stored for Y2K and burns out 10 families in a townhouse row.

Me thinks even if we have a minor amount of computer problems, the sheeple will stampede.
you should see the bread milk and toilet paper panic when we get 2 inches of snow.

i for one, am thinking of bugging out to middle Pennsylvania for Dec-Jan

dZ

------------------
will you stand with me in DC on 10-2-99?
http://www.myplanet.net/jeffhead/LibMarch
 
Artech,

With all due respect, you have NO F**KING CLUE... (and I do NOT mean this as a flame; I just think you're ignorant of the "big picture", as are MOST of the sheeple in this country.)

Again, no slam intended, but the bottom line is this:

Y2K doesn't care HOW YOU FEEL, WHAT YOU THINK, or WHAT YOU SAY. If enough computer systems have been remediated, we're cool. If not, we're HOSED.

You, um, might want to keep that in mind.

Dennis

92 days remain.

Don't ask "What are the risks"? Ask "What are the STAKES"? Insurance is ALWAYS cheaper than paying "out of pocket"...

[This message has been edited by Dennis Olson (edited September 30, 1999).]
 
Artech,

Let me rephrase Dennis' comments in a more friendly light.

You say Maine muddled thru a 17-day ice storm & power outage just fine. That's how a northern, mostly rural state deals with the issue. I'll just chop down a tree for heat, and casually eat from my 30-60 day supply of food. I'd enjoy an unexpected 17-day vacation!

But...what happens if (and it's an IF that I peg at about a 5% chance) that kind of problem happens to the whole country? what happens if most of the electrical & communications infrastructure collapses, even if "just" for 17 days? what about food supplies (rural folk tend to be prepared, but urban folk tend not)? if the grocery stores are emptied of their 2-3 day supply (never mind that there will be no lights, or bar-code scanners, or credit card checks, or sales tax computation, or ...) by the majority of citizens who don't stock up, what will they eat for the next ~15 days? what if the fully-automated train system can't deliver the food?

Our infrastructure is a house of cards. Pull out enough date-sensitive cards from the right places, and the whole structure will collapse.
 
artech, you do have a good point. Some of us have lived through adverse conditions before. Some of us are already prepared, physically and mentally. But the mast majority are not. How many people died or had to go to shelters during that 17 day storm?

Look at the heat wave this summer, how many people died because they were un-able or un-willing to seek assitance, or because their family or neighbors assumed they were OK?

It is prudent to take measures to be prepared. Sounds like you already have, for the rest of us, there is still time.

------------------
Peace...
Keith

If the 2nd is antiquated, what will happen to the rest.
"the right to keep and bear arms."
 
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