If "They" haven't gotten it together enough to fix the Y2k problems in time, there will be no "They" that you can count on to come along and fix things for you if there are disruptions. Your responsibility to yourself, to your family and to your community is to become as well-informed and self-reliant as you can. Here is access to background information, preparedness links, and links to sites with daily Y2k updates.
                -- Mountain Y2k

American Red Cross Y2k preparedness
http://www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/y2k.html
                If they are taking Y2k preparation seriously, so should you.

"101 Hard Facts about Y2k  "
http://www2.crosswinds.net/rotterdam/~rvwees/y2kfacts/facts.html 
                One line facts with further documentation linked, presented by an IT (Information Technology) professional. Succinct and stark. May answer a lot of the off the cuff responses given by those who are not aware of the scope of the problem.

Cassandra Project
http://cassandraproject.org/home.html
                One of the most comprehensive grassroots sites. See also next entry.

Public Safety Accountability
http://move.to/accountable
                Paloma O'Riley has just (as of the end of September) resigned from  the Cassandra Project in order to work on direct lobbying. Looks like she's going to play hardball, and there may be some useful tactics and strategies for local Y2k activists.
                "It is unconscionable that a person whose responsibility includes safeguarding public health and welfare, should allow personal opinion or fear of ridicule to take precedence over their professional obligations.  If Y2K problems result in preventable personal harm, then these individuals should be held accountable."            ----Paloma O'Riley, national Y2K organizer

Hudson Ohio Police Department
http://www.hudson-oh-pd.org/
                From their mission statement: "...The mission for every member of the Hudson Police Department is to continuously provide a superior level of quality service and to consistently strive to seek and find, in an unrelenting, dedicated, and committed fashion, the ways and means to affirmatively promote, preserve and enhance the safety, security, and overall quality of life within the community."

                If you are looking for a Y2k site that presents tremendous institutional credibility, explore the Hudson Ohio Police Department Y2k site.  This is a model for a local institutional response to the Y2k problem, and we dearly wish other communities would respond with such forthright understanding of how Y2k could impact their communities. Their commitment to taking responsibility is admirable. Judging from its counter, the site has not yet had much traffic. We urge you all to spread the word about this website to your local officials and local police departments, as they are often reluctant to hear information on Y2k that does not come from sources they consider credible.

"Open Letter to the Media"
http://www.hudson-oh-pd.org/ 
                From  Chief of Police Jim Brown's Hudson Ohio Police Department website:"...I would encourage your organization to assume a leadership role in the communications industry to review the information that I've provide you,  research it further still, and create a series of informative presentations for your viewers, listeners, and readers. It is absolutely critical that the media assume a level of responsibility for educating the public in this matter of importance, and to date it has not happened! It's my understanding that there is a significant level of concern that this issue may induce fear and cause people to panic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Quite frankly, we can most assuredly anticipate fear, panic, and a chaotic response from the public if we fail to educate our communities and dispel the Armageddon/survivalist mentality, the prevalence of which will continue to grow disproportionately due to a lack of information from well-respected sources. The challenge lies in the ability of the reporter to transform fear and concern into a creative and effective action pan through informative reporting and a  suggestive course of action which would be of benefit in any crisis scenario. The creative magic of communication carried out in a positive, informative, and well-intentioned forthright manner will prove beneficial to the community if even the worst-case scenario would come to pass.
                This is a truly tremendous opportunity to be of service to the community. It will, admittedly, require vision, courage, leadership, and a certain level of determination to share this Y2K message with the community. I hope your organization accepts the challenge and reflects on this as a responsibility, an obligation, and the true "human interest" story that it's likely to be?"

Gary North 
http://www.garynorth.com/
                While often described by sensationalist media coverage as being the prophet of gloom and doom,  North's caustic and witty commentary on mainstream news articles provides a needed balance and asks probing questions that should have been covered in the original articles.  His apocalyptic religious views, often brought up by articles on him, are rarely interjected into his commentary unless relevant. He may be Eeyore, but  his daily updates worth following. Search engine for his site is at http://www.dauntlesscorporation.com/north.htm

Utne Reader   
http://www.utne.com/aY2k.tmpl             
                Their Y2k Citizen's Action Guide booklet was one of the first to comprehensively address Y2k concerns. Available by mail from them, or downloadable.

"Final Days of Y2K: A Journalist's 10-point Checklist"
http://www.facsnet.org/cgi-bin/New/index.cgi?start=3749
                Useful guidelines for journalists covering Y2k.

Y2k  Survival Library
http://www.y2klibrary.com/
                Comprehensive  "how-to" information. Construction  projects, food storage, medical information,  quite a wide range of practical information. Download and print out, stick it in a big looseleaf notebook.

Global Action Project 
http://www.globalactionplan.org/ 
                Think globally, act locally.  This Woodstock-based group has been an important resource for community and personal Y2k preparation.  For many people, where to start with Y2k preparation is a daunting hurdle. The Global Action Plan's downloadable manual breaks down Y2k preparation into easily manageable chunks.  They have really put a lot of thought into this, and we appreciate their work.

Preparedness Nuggets   
http://www.justpeace.org/nuggetsindex.htm   
                Series of suggestions for miscellaneous preparation plans from a Catholic social justice group.  Real integrity shines through these folks.

                "The moral thing is to stock up now for possible economic and infrastructure problems in January 2000 due to the 'Millennium Bug.'

                Preparation is actually the ONLY moral thing to to do. NOT to prepare is like "asking for it." Meaning: asking the government to take total control of our lives when the y2k hits the fan. My second big reason is that by preparing NOW, we are sending economic signals to manufacturers and producers to hike up the supply of storage tanks, water purification systems, generators, staple foods. That will benefit everyone. Next year, when things are in short supply, it will be less clear just how moral it is to stock up. Think of the news stories of parents in December mobbing each other in ill temper over such things as Cabbage Patch dolls and Tickle-Me Elmos. What will tempers be like if essentials are scarce? Will we have lotteries, or will we watch people hammering each other at the Kroger??

                Here's one more reason why preparation is a moral stance (perhaps the most important one): the "Oxygen Mask" scenario. You know how the airline attendants always tell you, in the event of the loss of cabin pressure, to put on YOUR OWN oxygen mask before you outfit your kids?

                If we able-bodied are not prepared, we may spend January 2000 scrambling to get our own selves taken care of, while those who are shut in, handicapped or institutionalized could be left with inadequate care. Thus moral reason #3 to prepare: to be able to care for the helpless, the "widows and orphans" with whom God seems highly concerned in the Old Testament. And the "least of our brothers" in the New. "      ---- From  "Preparedness Nuggets"

Westergaard 2000
http://www.wbn.com/y2ktimebomb/
                Articles on personal preparedness and other good links, updated daily.

Center for Y2k and Society
http://www.y2kcenter.org/
              Good community organizing site. Print out their "Y2k Community Report Card" (and the addendum) and make sure your local officials have it and fill it out. It's an excellent list of questions to double-check your local government's preparation.

Preparing your home for Y2k
http://www.y2knapa.com/familyprep.html#water 
                Home preparation, from one of the best community sites. While the Napa Valley bioregion recommendations are very specific to that area, they still provide a template that other bioregions would do well to adopt.

Alternative Survival Information
http://www.cairns.net.au/~sharefin/Markets/Alternative.htm 
                Australian site with a  huge collection of links for Y2k self-reliance.

Y2kNET Y2k Links
http://www.y2knet.com/y2k/links/index.html
                Useful collection of links.

Electric Utilities Y2k
http://www.euy2k.com/ 
                Rick Cowles informative site on the electrical utilities and Y2k

Y2k Newswire
http://www.y2knewswire.com/ 
                Daily round-up of mainstream Y2k articles, plus analysis produced for the website. Good source for up-to-date news, as is Gary North's site.

Y2k Weather Report
http://www.kiyoinc.com/current.html 
                Cory Hamasaki's DC  Y2k Weather Report.  Stark and intense, and does not pull its punches.

32 Steps For Y2k Personal Preparedness
http://www.swstars.com/articles/APCDecember1998.html By Lila York
                A fairly simple list of basic practical steps. If you had to put up a flyer locally and wanted to include  basic information, this might be useful.

Y2k-links
http://www.y2k-links.com/indexfinger/ 
                Lots of Y2k links. Searchable database featuring Millie the Millenium 'bot.

Humpty Dumpty Y2k: Ed Yourdon's scenarios for Y2k 
http://www.yourdon.com/books/HumptyDumptyY2K/CH02.html 
                Analysis of possible scenarios that could be expected, on a scale of 0 to 10.  When you are deciding how deeply to prepare for Y2k, you'll need to assess what you think the overall situation will be.  You have of course read much of the background material on Y2k so that you can make an informed choice, haven't you?

Michael Hyatt's Y2k Prep
http://www.michaelhyatt.com
              Background and personal preparation resources.

Humboldt County Y2K Neighborhood Preparedness Website
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/6842/index.html
                "Think globally, act locally" is how a neighborhood prepares for Y2k.  I'd like to see one of these county websites put together for every county. Nothing fancy, freebie website, but radiating the sense that your neighbors are working together so that everyone comes through this OK.

Y2k Today
http://www.y2ktoday.com/modules/home/default.asp
            Clearing house for Y2k articles.