(January 1999) No discussion of the Y2K bug would be complete without a nod to the
doomsayers, that excitable minority who expect January 1, 2000, to bring
civilization to its knees. If you sense a great disturbance in the Force
and enjoy fantasies of social collapse, check out The Year 2000 Disaster
Website, a complete guide to gathering food, fuel, shelter and weapons,
as well as extensive links to every possible topic relating to the end of
society as we know it.
And that's only the thin edge of the wedge. Y2K is a magnet for fringe
zealots and theorists of every sort -- witness the assorted doom-related
sites below:
The
Y2K Cruise
If you'd rather skip the fall of civilization, Victory Yacht Cruises is
offering a two-week tour of Chile, Antarctica and other exotic southern
destinations that leaves on December 31, 1999. "Start a new life: Come sail
and live in beautiful Patagonia, Chile, during the year 2000. Chile is South
America's most progressive country." Let's just hope there's no COBOL
lurking in the good ship Victory's onboard systems.
alt.y2k.end-of-the-world
This newsgroup is a free, international forum for discussions of the Y2K
problem, with something of a bias toward the doomsayers. Because the
newsgroup is unmoderated, you'll hear a wide variety of voices and points
of view, not to mention some interesting spellings of the word
"millennium." Recent discussion topics have included "Should I stockpile
ammo?" and "Cannabis and Y2K -- should I hoard rolling papers?"
Gary North's Y2K Links and
Forum
Historian Gary North has positioned himself as the Web's official Y2K
pundit and alarmist. The centerpiece of his web site is the discussion
forums, where some of the most vocal and extreme survivalists gather
to express their views and enjoy each other's company.
Y2K Chaos
"Y2K Chaos is dedicated to helping you prepare for the worst, while hoping
for the best." This admirably thorough site by a relatively levelheaded
concerned citizen takes an eminently practical approach to the worst-case
scenario. Highlights include "What to Expect When the Cookie Crumbles" and
primers on everything from non-hybrid seeds to microfiche -- a vital means
of preserving world culture in the face of the collapse of less sturdy
media.
FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency may have been the bad guy in the
"X-Files" movie, but honest, they're here to help. FEMA was established in
1979 by the federal government to provide rapid, coordinated responses to
natural and other disasters, and its site has accurate, up-to-date
information about the Y2K-readiness of the nation's infrastructure and what
local agencies are doing to mitigate its effects. And don't miss -- we kid
you not -- FEMA for Kids, hosted by a
happy whirling tornado, which has a special section about Y2K.
Heritage West
2000
Beat the rush -- buy your stake in this fully Y2K-compliant planned
community now! From the sales pitch: "Heritage West 2000 is 500 half-acre
homesites located 180 miles northeast of Phoenix, Az. The capability of
total self-sufficiency, and independence from outside energy sources, makes
Heritage West 2000 the model rural village for what may be a whole new way
of life in the first part of the next century." Only $10,000 for a
five-year lease.
