Y2K UPDATE
Will January 1, 2000, bring Y2K panic and pandemonium? Will the lights go out, banks close, water dry up, store shelves empty, people riot in the streets? If power, telecommunications, banking, and government stay up, the new millennium will likely be only a bump in our lives. But if any one of these goes down for an extended time, the crisis may last weeks, months, or even longer.
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) reports that Joel C. Willemssen, Director of Civil Agencies Information, Systems Accounting and Information Management, testified before the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, "The public faces a high risk that critical services provided by the government and the private sector could be severely disrupted by the Year 2000 computing crisis. Financial transactions could be delayed, flights grounded, power lost, and national defense affected. . . . [as well as] information and telecommunications; banking and finance; health, safety and emergency services; transportation; power and water; and manufacturing and small business" (GAO Report, September 17, 1998, (<www.gao.gov/y2kr.htm>). All GAO citations are from this website.)
Without banking, power companies can't function because they can't pay for their raw materials or pay their employees. Without electricity, banks can't operate. Without transportation, power companies can't get delivery of natural gas, coal or oil. Without telecommunications, nobody can tell suppliers what to deliver. The interconnectedness of our civilization demonstrates that every component must operate at near-perfect compliance, or else the stoppage ripples through the entire system.
PROBLEMS
·The Weak Link. A huge problem exists in the web of interdependencies and specialists in our society- "over 135 public communications companies worldwide, the majority of U.S. roaming cellular phone services, the 3 largest stock exchanges in the world, over 40 securities and commodities exchanges worldwide, 100 mutual funds, 24 of the 25 largest banks in the United States, over 500 financial institutions, over 50% of the world's public email service providers, 75 of the world's 100 largest electronic funds transfer networks, 7 of the 10 largest securities brokers, 80% of the world's ATM transactions, processes that handle 70% of the world's money, 30 of the world's largest communications companies, 18 of the 25 largest banks in Europe, 90% of the world's stock exchange transactions" (<www.y2ksupply.com/>).
Within this giant web lurks a universal "weak link," the Real Time Clock (RTC) in Tandem computer servers relied upon by all the above companies and services. Admitting that "The year 2000 is a concern for many computer companies because of the limitations of their systems' RTCs," Tandem's website states that "The RTCs in Tandem systems keep the last two digits of the year. . . . Tests have shown that when the year 2000 occurs, the RTC year will change from 99 to 00. Software products are responsible for distinguishing the RTC year (which will be 00 in 2000) as the year 2000, not as the year 1900" (www.tandem.com/year2000/y2kcpinf/y2kcpinf.htm>). In other words, Tandem is not fixing the problem. It's relying on software products to correctly interpret the year. If these software products don't distinguish the 00 RTC year as 2000, we're in big trouble: many transactions that run our world will outright collapse or be garbled with incorrect data requiring years to sort out.
·Embedded Chips. "Embedded systems" contain software that can't be reprogrammed. They have to be replaced if they contain the date problem. These chips exist in almost all electronic devices-vehicles, water and electric utilities, airplanes, phone systems, nuclear and biomedical plants. . . . Many, such as those in satellites and off-shore drilling rigs, are near-impossible to physically reach. "By the end of 1999, there will be about 50 billion embedded chips used throughout the world. . . . A thorough accounting of them is impossible by 1/1/00. About 3 to 5% of them are expected to fail and even if one-tenth-of-one-percent of them fail in ways that threaten human life or the environment, that's 50 million failures to deal with on New Year's day" (Chris Clarke, "The Year 2000 Problem: An Environmental Impact Report" Earth Island Journal, Fall 1998). Fixing embedded chips requires inspecting them manually. According to Datamation, Michael Harden, CEO of Century Technology Services, says around 5 billion embedded chips are suspect. How does one go through these billions of embedded chips, he asks, "to find the 5 billion that will have a problem?" Brad Pence of the Omaha Public Power District says 10% of the 2300 chips he identified as suspect are "show-stoppers"-they shut the plant down. The power stops. End of story (<www. datamation.com/PlugIn/newissue/09y2k.html>).
There aren't enough programmers to fix everything before the Y2K deadline. According to Swiss Re, a firm that insures insurance companies, ". . . over three million programmers would be needed to solve the millennium problem in the U.S. In actual fact there are only around two million of them present" (<www.swissre.com/download/public/millen-e.pdf>). Still worse, many companies and government agencies have lost the easy-to-read "source code" for their mission-critical software. Even experienced programmers now face the near-impossible task of translating the "machine code"-the language the computer actually reads-back into source code, making the repairs, then translating it again into the machine code (10/28/98 e-mail from alertsend@y2knewswire.com). Many of the embedded chip manufacturers are gone as well-out of business or can't be found (<msnbc.com/local/KYTV/43343.asp>).
INFRASTRUCTURE
If the infrastructure collapses as a result of Y2K, there could be severe shortages in food and water, a breakdown in telecommunications and power, all of which could lead to social chaos affecting millions of people. After studying the potential impact of Y2K, Sen. Moynihan stated on October 7, 1998: "I would like to warn that we have cause for fear. . . . failure to address the millennium bug could be catastrophic" (<www.senate.gov/~y2k/statements/100798moyni han.html).
If telecommunications or power goes down and people realize 911 doesn't respond, riots may begin. Once the food panic starts, grocery stores will be stripped. The National Guard or the military will probably step in, and martial law might be declared (<www.usatoday.com/news/acovmon.htm>). The Wisconsin National Guard is preparing to mobilize on December 31, 1999, to evacuate hospitals that lose power and to bring water to cities where delivery systems have failed. "People should realize how serious this is," says Rep. Sheryl Albers, chairwoman of Wisconsin's Y2K committee (www.house.gov/reform/gmit/y2k/y2k-reportIsummary.html>).
Canadian military officials, according to the Chicago Tribune, are planning to deploy up to 32,000 soldiers nationwide by late 1999 to help stem potential violence or carry out rescue operations in relation to the Year 2000 problem. "Logistics units are calculating where to position vehicles, fuel, tents and other supplies. Communications officers are studying ways to keep authorities in contact with one another if the telephone system breaks down. Navy ships might be used as barracks, power plants, field hospitals and soup kitchens" (<http://chicagotribune.com/version1/article/0,1575,SAV-9811150324, 00.html>).
POWER
The Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem, chaired by Sen. Bob Bennett, surveyed 10 of the largest electric, oil, and gas utility firms and found that only 20% had completed assessment (<www. senate.gov/~y2k/statements/61298bennett.html>). Assessment is only 1% of the job-fixing and testing represent the other 99%. Experts testified that any firm which had not completed assessment by now won't make it by January 1, 2000; 0% could guarantee that their suppliers will be compliant; 0% had completed contingency plans! Zero! Every power plant in the country could shut down if as few as 15% of U.S. power plants fail (<www.msnbc. com/local/KYTV/43343.asp>). With power threatened, our entire infrastructure is threatened.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is worried that faulty chips might shut off the coolant in a nuclear power plant. However, they are spot-checking only a dozen of the 110 nuclear power plants! As a result, power plants might experience a software error and shut down incorrectly, causing a meltdown, or they might shut down for safety, in which case the country would lose 40% of its power (<www.jrnl.com/news/98/Sep/jrn102290998.html>). The Pentagon is worried, too. A malfunction could take place in Russian missile launch computers, resulting in nuclear missile launch sequences (<www.y2ksupply.com>).
WATER
A new survey by the American Water Works Association reveals that 97% of water treatment facilities use computers: 36% have no formal plans for addressing Y2K, 77% have no contingency plans, and 74% haven't assessed the compliance of their vendors or suppliers (<www.awwa.org/y2ksrvey.htm>) . Water is essential to life. Without water, we die in a matter of days. Failure of water treatment and water delivery systems would cause either untreated water to be sent down the line (causing severe outbreaks of disease) or no water at all (causing severe panic). Furthermore, no water pressure means no fire fighting.
PERSONAL PCs
In case you think any computer purchased since 1995 is Y2K compliant, Federal Computer Week recently conducted Year 2000-compliance tests on brand new 450 MHz Pentium II PCs. Result? "The systems from Compaq Computer Corp., Micron Electronics Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Gateway Inc. failed the CMOS/RTC [real time clock] test"(<www.fcw.com/ref/hottopics/y2k.htm>).
GLOBAL LINKS
Even if all U.S. computer systems operate at full compliance in the year 2000, there will still be Y2K-related mishaps unless all computers are compliant internationally. A non-compliant bank in Germany could spread corrupted data to computers in a U.S. bank, corrupting the whole system. The Gartner group, a leading Y2K research firm, stated in its October 7, 1998, report to the U.S. Senate that out of 15,000 companies surveyed in 81 countries, 23% have not even started Y2K compliance efforts; 30-50% of all companies and government agencies will experience at least one mission-critical system failure due to Y2K (<www.gartner11 .gartnerweb.com/public/static/aboutgg/pressrel/testi mony1098.html>). When these countries experience prolonged Y2K failures in power, telecommunications, transportation, and defense, it's going to spread through the global economy. The U.S. has a 10 billion dollar yearly trade with foreign countries for raw materials and finished goods. The shutdown of worldwide trade due to a lack of Y2K compliance at an international level could result in the loss of one-third of American jobs.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
Here at home, the GAO reports (House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology) as of August 15, 1998, that only 50% of all government mission critical systems were Y2K compliant. "Compliance" simply means they've been inspected and fixed as needed. They still have to be tested. The New York Federal Reserve Bank says it takes more than a year for a large corporation to complete testing after it has fixed all its software.
·The GAO reports that Joel C. Willemssen, Director of the federal Civil Agencies Information Systems, testified in September to the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology: "Many of the federal government's computer systems were originally designed and developed 20 to 25 years ago, are poorly documented, and use a wide variety of computer languages, many of which are obsolete. Some applications include thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of lines of code, each of which must be examined for date-format problems." Willemssen added, "The federal government also depends on the telecommunications infrastructure to deliver a wide range of services. For example, the route of an electronic Medicare payment may traverse several networks-those operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Treasury's computer systems and networks, and the Federal Reserve's Fedwire electronic funds transfer system." As of September 1998, the Y2K-compliance status of all systems cannot be ensured, and several are at risk of failure, including some state systems that could fail as early as January 1999 because they provide calculations a year into the future.
·Also reporting for the Department of Health and the Veterans Health Administration, Willemssen warned that biomedical equipment employing computers or computer chips to operate-cardiac defibp;rillators, cardiac monitoring systems, pacemakers (some of which may be implanted in patients), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems, and X-ray machines-may be adversely affected by the Y2K problem. Nearly 100 manufacturers are no longer in business. Some manufacturers cited problems that could pose a risk to patient safety. For example, a radiation therapy planning computer may miscalculate the radiation source strength on or after January 1, 2000, and the resulting radiation dose may be hazardous or ineffective for the patient.
According to Cleveland Life, two medical devices likely to fail on January 1, 2000, are IV pumps and respirators programmed to be recalibrated every 3 months. When the clock strikes 2000, they will think they haven't been recalibrated for 100 years and may stop functioning (<www.cleveland.com/news/pdnews/metro/ca2000.phtml>).
·The Accounting and Information Management Division reported to the House Subcommittee that Medicare benefits and services are severely behind schedule in repairing, testing, and implementing the mission-critical systems supporting Medicare. Medicare pays about $207 billion in benefits for about 39 million beneficiaries, using standard claims processing systems, over 70 private contractors, and financial institutions nationwide to process about 800 million Medicare claims each year for about 1 million hospitals, physicians, and medical equipment suppliers. Over 85% of these Medicare claims are submitted and paid electronically. This could impact on millions of elderly and disabled American citizens. (See GAO report.)
·Willemssen's additional report on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, warned that if the Department of Labor's systems are not Y2K compliant by January 1, 2000, ". . . billions of dollars in benefits to Americans, such as unemployment insurance and workers' compensation, would be at risk. Furthermore, the ability to manage the billions of dollars in assets for pension benefit guarantees for over 40 million workers could be hampered."
·The overall condition of the National Airspace System is "catastrophic, and clearly threatens the economic, social and strategic health of this nation," concludes the National Air Traffic Controllers Union (<http//home.natca.org/natca/publicsafety/faay2k.html.>). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yanked their new supposedly Y2K-compliant software at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (<www.suntimes.com/output/news/faa14i.html>), after controllers complained several times that this new software caused radar equipment to fail and forced planes "to take evasive action to avoid collisions" (<chicagotribune.com/version1/article/0,1575,SAV-9810290173,00.html>). For weeks, however, the FAA kept saying this was safe! In Dallas, the FAA's upgrade of the radar system prevented air traffic controllers from keeping track of planes, yet FAA officials maintained earlier that "Safety has not been compromised" (<www.startelegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:NE21110298.html>). The new Denver airport isn't compliant, either.
A NATCA memorandum says IBM has warned that the IBM computers used by the FAA won't work in the year 2000 and that problems could not be properly assessed. "IBM does not have the skills employed today that understand the microcode [a machine language] implemented in the 3083 well enough to conduct an appropriate Year-2000 assessment. In addition, the tools required to properly analyze the microcode do not exist" (<home.natca.org/natca/publicsafety/faay2k.html>). The GAO concludes that unless the FAA "takes much more decisive action, there could be grounded or delayed flights, and degraded safety."
BANKS
The GAO also reported to Congress in September that system failures could lead to the closing of institutions and serious disruptions to the financial community. Jack L. Brock, Jr., Director of Governmentwide and Defense Information Systems, reported to the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services that "Nearly all of Federal Reserve System-regulated financial institutions rely on computers-either their own or those of a third-party contractor-to process or update records and other functions. To complicate matters, most institutions have computer systems that interface with systems belonging to payment system partners, such as wire transfer systems, automated clearinghouses, check clearing providers, credit card merchant and issuing systems, automated teller machine networks, electronic data interchange systems, and electronic benefits transfer systems." Bank systems are therefore vulnerable to failure caused by incorrectly formatted data provided by other systems that are not Y2K compliant, such as loan systems, automated teller machines, telephone systems, vaults, and security and alarm systems.
A Y2K readiness survey by Weiss Ratings, Inc., shows 12% of U.S. commercial banks, savings banks, and S & Ls are behind schedule in their Y2K preparations (<www. y2ktoday.com/modules/home default.asp?id=443>). Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan announced (<www.house.gov/banking/11497lea.html>) that even 99% readiness will not be enough. Thanks to the fractional reserve structure, only $1.17 in real cash reserves exists at U.S. banks for every $100 deposited. This 1.17% reserve ratio means that if even only 2% of total deposits is withdrawn, the banking system will be depleted of cash. A ZDNN/Harris Poll Y2K survey of programmers and information technology (IT) professionals, indicates 56% of them plan to pull out 40% of their cash; 20% are pulling out all their cash (<www.zdnet.com/zdnn/special/y2ksurvey.html>)! This alone can deplete the banks! If these programmers don't believe they can get the banks compliant in time, can we trust these banks?
Aware of a possible bank run, the Federal Reserve is adding $50 billion in 1999 to its current reserve of $150 billion. Unfortunately, $200 billion is only 7% of the $2.7 trillion in insured deposits. If you're counting on the FDIC to bail out the banks, visit their webpage at <www2.fdic. gov/qbp/1998jun/qbpall.html> and dig through the facts. Simply put, the FDIC only has $1.25 to bail out a collapsed bank for every $100 deposited in that bank. If bank runs begin, the President might have to close the banks or limit cash withdrawals per person per day. The Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology believes the President may have to "escalate the Year 2000 problem to a National Emergency" if not enough progress is made as we approach the January 1, 2000, deadline" (<www.house.gov/reform/gmit/y2k/y2k-reportIsummary.html>).
NOTE: This report and the following practical suggestions can easily be photocopied and transmitted to others. Help educate your friends and neighbors.
What Can You Do To Prepare?
In a worst-case scenario-unreliable computers, no electricity or water-it is better to be prepared. If nothing happens, at least you'll be ready for the next earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or flood.
Here are some things you can do.
·Inform your friends, neighbors, church, workplace, and organizations about Y2K, so that no one gets caught unprepared. You might buy the The Millennium Bug by Michael Hyatt or Time Bomb 2000 by Ed Yourdon to read and loan to those who need more information. For a 6-part email version of the Y2K Citizen's Action Guide, edited by Eric Utne and available for downloading, see <www.utne.com/y2k> .
·Start or join a preparedness action group in your community. Paloma O'Riley, founder of The Cassandra Project <http:www.cassandraproject.org> has links to Y2K preparedness action groups throughout the country. To see if one has been started in your area, check out <www.cassandraproject.org/commprepgrp.html>.
·Get to know your neighbors since you'll be counting on them to work with you and not against you. Work together to demand information on Y2K readiness from your state and local governments, banks, and utility companies.
·Start a home or community garden. Permaculture, community gardens, and bio-intensive mini-farming can all be promoted. People may need to connect to each other and to nature just to meet their basic needs.
·Check your home computer for its Y2K-compliance. Visit <www.pcmag.com/y2k> for some fixes.
1. DOCUMENTS. Keep a hard copy of bank statements, deeds, titles, insurance, receipts, pensions; birth certificates, social security cards, marriage license; medical records, mortgages, credit card statements, and other loan agreements; tax returns, W-2's, IRS agreements; educational records, transcripts, diplomas, etc.
2. CASH. Have enough cash on hand in case the ATMs don't work or banks are closed. Paloma O'Riley recommends having enough cash for two months and paying your bills at least 3-4 months ahead, extending into February of 2000. If you are well-off enough to have extra cash or bank deposits, Y2ksupply.com recommends converting some of it into gold because gold is universally recognized, easy to use in barter, portable, intrinsically valuable, and cannot be printed into inflation by the federal government.
3. WATER. Store a minimum of 1 gallon of water per person per day-two quarts for drinking, the rest for food preparation and personal hygiene. Purify all water of uncertain purity before using it for drinking, food preparation, or hygiene. To purify drinking water, add chlorine bleach to prevent the growth of microorganisms. FEMA <www.fema.gov>) recommends using liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite and no soap. Some containers warn, "Not For Personal Use." Disregard the warning if the label states sodium hypochlorite is the only active ingredient. Add 2 drops of bleach per quart of water, or 4 if the water is cloudy (or two scant teaspoons per 10 gallons), and stir. Boiling water will also kill microbes, as will iodine tablets available at any sporting goods store.
If you have infants and want to go a step further, distill your water to kill microbes, remove heavy metals, salts, most other chemicals, and radioactive fallout. To distill water, fill a deep pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot's lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down. Don't let the cup dangle into the water. Boil for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled. Use thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Soft drink bottles and juice bottles are best. Store them in a cool, dark place (FEMA). O'Riley recommends buying 55-gallon drums made of food-quality plastic to store your water. They're available at hardware stores or through mail-order catalogs. You will need a siphon.
Other sources of emergency water are water in your plumbing, water beds, ice cubes, and hot water tank. To use water in your hot water tank, be sure the electricity is off and open the drain at the bottom of the tank. Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot water faucet. Don't turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty. For more info, see <www.cassandraproject.org/indprep.html>.
4. FOOD. Build up your everyday stock of canned goods until you have a two-week to one-month surplus. Rotate it periodically to maintain a supply of common foods that will not require special preparation, water, or cooking. Store enough long-term food: large amounts of staples along with a variety of canned and dried foods; bulk quantities of wheat, corn, beans, and salt. If necessary, you could survive for years on small daily amounts of these staples. Stock the following amounts per person, per month: · Wheat-20 pounds · Powdered Milk (for babies and infants)- 20 pounds · Corn-20 pounds · Iodized Salt-1 pound · Soybeans-10 pounds · Vitamin C-15 grams.
From a sporting or camping equipment store, buy commercially packaged, freeze-dried, or air-dried foods. Although costly, this will be your best form of stored meat, unless you buy a dehydrator (recommended to dehydrate your favorite fruits and meat ahead of time.) To prolong shelf life, store dehydrated food in your freezer until power goes out.
Also include · Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, and vegetables · Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water) · Sugar, pepper · Vitamins · ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers) · Dry, crisp crackers (in metal containers) · Potatoes (fresh or dried flakes) · Foods for elderly persons or persons on special diets · Comfort/stress foods-cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags, cocoa, chocolate bars, canned nuts · High-energy foods-peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix ·Vegetable oils · Dried spices (garlic, onion, oregano, chili powder, etc.) · Noncarbonated soft drinks · White rice · Bouillon products · Dry pasta.
Tips: Keep food covered at all times in the driest and coolest spot in the house-a dark area if possible. Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight containers. Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits, and nuts into screw-top jars or airtight cans. Inspect all food containers for signs of spoilage before use. Include foods your family will enjoy which are also high in calories and nutrition. Nursing mothers may need liquid formula in case they are unable to nurse. And don't forget nonperishable foods for your pets. Make sure you have a nonelectric can opener and disposable utensils. For emergency cooking you can use a charcoal grill or a good propane camp stove.
5. Clothing, Heating, Lighting. If the power grid goes down in the middle of winter, make sure you have lots of warm clothing, blankets, and a good sleeping bag. Sources of heat recommended by the Cassandra Project are kerosene and propane heaters or wood stoves. Make sure you have several flashlights and plenty of batteries, kerosene or propane lamps with enough fuel, and an abundance of candles and matches.
6. Household Necessities. The basics include extra toilet paper, plastic garbage bags, extra (manual) can openers, a Swiss army knife (always a handy item), paper plates, and plastic utensils in case you can't spare water to wash dishes, baby supplies such as diapers and ointments, pre-moistened towelettes for cleaning without water, soap, toothpaste, feminine products, heavy-duty aluminum foil (it can be used to cook food in), and tools like an adjustable wrench, hammer, screwdriver, pliers, small hand ax or hatchet, folding shovel, and a saw for firewood.
7. Health and Medical Supplies. Make sure you have a first aid kit equipped with the basics: aspirin, bandages, iodine, antibacterial medicine, rubbing alcohol, pain relievers, antacids, or any prescription drugs you may use. Paloma O'Riley suggests getting hard copies of your medical files, x-rays, etc. If you require medication regularly, ask your doctor to give you a prescription in advance. Do not schedule any elective (non-life-threatening) surgery during this time. According to FEMA, anyone requiring any type of life support that uses electricity should register with their local Emergency Management Office regardless of possible circumstances. Devices that may be affected include:·Infusion pumps in intravenous drips ·Heart defibrillators · Pacemakers · Intensive care monitors · MRI's · CT and PET scans · Dialysis · Chemotherapy and radiation equipment · Laboratory, radiology and other diagnostic systems · Monitoring and control systems, including environmental and safety equipment. Those who have the following conditions may be especially at risk and should take special precautions: · Acute or chronic respirator illnesses · Heart ailments · Unstable or juvenile diabetes · Dependence on tube feeding · Epilepsy · Tracheotomies · Urinary catheters · Colostomies · Dialysisp;dependence.
8. Communication. Y2K News Magazine (<http://www.y2knews.com/y2k/intcom.htm>) suggests buying a reliable battery-operated radio with a shortwave band if possible, as well as AM and FM. Paloma O'Riley recommends a CB Radio and/or a Family Channel walkie-talkie, provided they won't be affected by Y2K. To inquire about generators for power, contact: 2K Store (208) 365-1513, David Poole, fax 208-365-5856.
9. Entertainment. Get books, board games, cards to keep you and your family entertained.
For more information, (1) call toll free (877) 4-Y2KCPR for free copies of Y2KCPR audio and print material you can use to inform people; (2) check out Emergency Essentials at < www.beprepared.com> or call 1-800-999-1863; (3) write to FEMA, P.O. Box 70274, Washington, D.C. 20024, and ask for any of the following publications: Emergency Preparedness Checklist (L-154), Item #8-0872 Are You Ready? Your Guide to Disaster Preparedness (H-34), Item #8-0908; Emergency Preparedness Publications (L-164), Item #8-0822. (4) check out "The Survival Center <www.survivalcenter.com/foodstor.html> or call 1-800-321-2900 for their catalog; (5) visit the Cassandra Project website or request information from Paloma O'Riley, The Cassandra Project, P.O. Box 8, Louisville, CO 80027-0008, ( 303) 664-5227); (6) Check updates at Y2kSupply <www.y2ksupply.com>.