James Talmage Stevens, a San Antonio-based guru for the nation's preparedness movement and author of Getting by With the Basics, says scores of companies selling food driers, disaster supplies, generators and emergency lamps are going belly up.

The Connecticut-based GartnerGroup, recently said 90 percent of millennium bug problems should be corrected within three days of Jan. 1, 2000—but advised individuals to keep two weeks' salary in cash on hand and a five-day supply of food, medicine and fuel. The American Red Cross recently recommended that people keep a week of disaster supplies and extra cash. The Y2K preparedness movement that began with survivalists and militia types, has gone mainstream.

Weyandt says he thinks men like Harris are part of a growing movement of Americans who believe their country is in great danger. He falls short of saying we are riding hell-bent for Armageddon, but listen carefully and you might better understand the essence of the preparedness movement.