Subscribe to Listverse
There is a chance that the world could be heading in to a depression, so it seems appropriate to make a list that will come in handy should that eventuate. We all hope that it won’t be the case, but there is no reason at all to not be prepared just in case. Hopefully at least one or two of these tips will be useful to you all.
It is a very good idea to get to know your neighbors well – even in times of a normal economy. Your neighbors can keep an eye on your home while you are away, they can feed the pets, and they can lend you a cup of sugar if you need one! In the event of a depression they can be even more useful – you can create a small community where you can share necessities that one may have and others lack, you can set up patrols (if the situation were so dire as to need it), and you can even have shared meals which can help to keep waste and costs down.
If you have a considerably large amount of money, you will probably want to consider investing some of it in metals – such as gold and silver (though these are already seeing massive price increases). Of course, if you have a fortune you probably already know this, but it doesn’t hurt to remind people. In the event of a collapse of your nation’s currency, you will need a backup – and precious metals have been shown in the past to be an excellent one.
If you regularly take medication, try to stockpile as much as you can. In a depression you may find that you can not afford drugs, or – in a worst case scenario, the drug companies may go under! Additionally, store up bottles of aspirin and other common over-the-counter drugs that we all tend to use from time to time throughout the year. As you use these drugs, be sure to use the ones that are the closest to their expiry date – to prolong the life of the others.
Right now. Begin saving as much money as you can. Cut down on all of your expenses (except debt repayment) and save every penny. If we end up in a depression, you are going to need it. This is also a good time to start thinking about selling any items in your home that you may not need. If it becomes very likely that a depression is going to hit, sell everything non-essential – that means the TV, DVD player, stereos, etc. I would recommend that you keep your computer (preferably a laptop in case you lose your home and need to move around) as it will come in handy when the depression ends.
You should try to get rid of as much debt as you can right now. While you can pay your mortgage now, you may not be able to in a month – and as banks are feeling the pinch, they are not going to tolerate even one missed payment. This can obviously lead very easily to you losing your home. If you think the recession now is painful, try suffering it on the streets! This is a tip to help you cope before the depression hits. If you find yourself in an untenable situation and the depression has already arrived, forget this tip and read the bonus item carefully.
If you own stock, it is now a good time to consider the types of companies that are likely to do well in a depression – these are the companies you should move your stocks in to. The companies most likely to survive and profit are dry food manufacturers, diaper and toilet paper manufacturers, and any company making products that are seen as essential to survive. “Comfort” and “sin” stocks like cigarettes, alcohol, etc. are also stocks that do extremely well during bad times as people rely on them to blot out their suffering.
Some trades are more in demand during a depression than others. For example, a baker, a handyman, or an electrician should be able to find work during the worst economic downturn, but a change control facilitator may not. Invest in some good old fashioned skills now and not only will it help you survive a depression, it may well be a complete career change for you in the future.
Right now you should be hoarding dried and canned foods. Also tablets for purifying water and other nice-to-haves like toilet paper, candles, and batteries. I know this sounds like preparations for a nuclear holocaust, but the effects could be horrifyingly similar. Keep all of your goods in a dry clean area. I would also recommend a book on the basics of cooking, so you can convert your flour to bread and perform other culinary miracles that require nothing processed or pre-packaged. This is a skill that will be invaluable whether we have a depression or not.
If you think you are in a job that is likely to not be needed during a depression, you should consider relocating to an area that has a lot of wildlife and land. If you lose your house, an investment in an RV now (not on credit!) could be your life-saver. You can drive it to a new town, find a private area where you won’t be disturbed, and park up while the depression rides out. Make sure you find an area where you can rely on plentiful fresh water and animals – which brings us to item one…
If things get so bad that people begin to steal off each other, this will come in very handy. You can use it to protect your family and belongings, as well as to kill animals for food. And if you really are in dire straits, you can use it to rob someone else! (Okay – I didn’t mean that – we should all try to help each other out – not kill each other). A gun will be most useful in hunting so be sure to buy one that is practical for shooting birds and larger animals. You will also want to buy a book on how to skin, clean, and prepare wild animals for human consumption.
Okay – this is going to appear very controversial – but this is about surviving a depression; this is a matter of living or dying. If you are about to go bankrupt, are out of work, and see no hope in the foreseeable future of correcting this situation, use your credit cards right to the limit to put yourself in a better position – whether it be buying food, or moving somewhere you might be able to find work. If we really do enter another great depression, you will have to be prepared to do things you would normally not do in order to ensure the survival of your family and yourself. Under any other circumstances, this would be a very very bad thing to do.
Furthermore, if money is tight and you turn to a cash advance website or local payday loan type of business, be sure to understand the penalties of late re-payments or for bounced checks in order to keep your debt under control.
November 14th, 2008 at 1:49 am
i hope the economy won’t get so bad that I might actually find this list really helpful!
still, what a great list!
November 14th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Good list =) … never suspected #1
November 14th, 2008 at 1:56 am
lol, pics look funny,, cant guess why they look funny.
, 
But they made me laugh atleast
November 14th, 2008 at 2:10 am
I think a gun would help just in case things get so bad that my all white neighborhoods explodes into violence haha
November 14th, 2008 at 2:35 am
The picture for hoarding food…are those cans of food? It looks like vintage motor oil cans. But I could be wrong. Good list and yes maxing out your credit cards is controversial and not a good thing to do. But whatever it take…right? Totally agree with #1. For those of us in America you might want to purchase a firearm before Obama is inagurated.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Space-barred guns on the list, g, although I was hoping it related to real depression, not a financial one.
Yikes!
November 14th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Ducky423: I must confess – it is a photograph of what MY hoard will be – it is a room full of beer cans!!!
November 14th, 2008 at 2:46 am
Dont see any Lion Red
November 14th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Lol people will have to start buying guns if I don’t get any money.
I will be like a ravenous dog clawing at your pennies…
Great list
We’ll need it…
November 14th, 2008 at 2:59 am
OMG, only Americans could come up with a list like this. Buy a gun and move to RV.
Ever heard about working harder, not only eating? In times of great depression, unemployment rate was around 20-30%. Wich means that the best workers kept their job. Others were probably thinking about buying a gun…
No wonder the rest of the world think about You as retards…
November 14th, 2008 at 3:00 am
looks like this is a jamie list -and i know you’re a kiwi- but #1 leaves a bad taste in my mouth as an american.
reason? well, regardless of what is happening in the global economy (and bad things are happening) since the obama election all the right-wingers are rushing to buy guns like it’s the end of the world. they’re all so terrified that “democrat gun control” is going to rob them of their arsenals that gun sellers have said the sales figures are higher than the reactionary sales for 9.11 or hurricane katrina. that, coupled with the same redneck/closeted racist/open-about-it-racist segment of society constantly muttering “he’ll be shot within a month” is pissing me off.
now i agree that having the knowledge and fire power to shoot and eat game in a post-supermarket world would be a life saver, but the timing of this list is unsettling to me. my cousin just visited her southern baptist (white) farmer inlaws in oklahoma and they basically told her to expect a total failure of all society within ten years because obama was elected, it made me want to puke!
anyway, i still love LV and this is a great survival list, let’s hope nobody needs it any time soon.
p.s. you can see a humorous take on the gun-crazy thing on the nov. 13th daily show clip “baracknophobia!”
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
November 14th, 2008 at 3:11 am
See thats what I have been saying for years. GET A GUN!!! Because even if there is no depression you still need protection. And I’m not saying carry one every where you go but at least have one at home away from children that can be accessed in a emergancy. To put this in perspective the average police response is up to five mins. Thats alot of time for someone to harm your family.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:17 am
The best way to get a country out of depression is to continue to spend responsibly in order to stimulate the economy. If everyone took this advice, decided to stop spending money, live as cheaply as possible, and not do anything productive then it would be the end of society as we know it. How will the depression ride out if we don’t do something to help stimulate trade and economic activity? Keep buying products responsibly, keep using the services of professional tradespeople, keep spending at a balanced and regular pace – these are the ways to stop a depression.
Telling people to max out their credit cards is plain ridiculous too. Perhaps better advice would be to suggest that people with big credit card bills to consider bouncing the balance over to a new card that offers a 0% balance transfer rate for as long as possible. Failing this people should consider getting unsecured loans to pay off credit card bills. Unsecured loans in the UK can still be arranged with an APR of around 7% – this is far better that the 16% – 20% you’ll be paying on a credit card. Plan your finances responsibly, come up with a decent financial plan, set a monthly budget, save money, stop buying things on credit if it can be avoided.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:31 am
you have a Tagalog (Filipino) advertisement?? “Ikariam”??
November 14th, 2008 at 3:51 am
Alex #10-Actually the guy that wrote this list is in fact NOT an American. He is from New Zealand.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:06 am
@10, alex
I don’t even think you understand what a depression is. You can be the best fucking worker in the world, but if your company goes belly up in a depression you are up shit creek without a paddle. In the first depression some people with high level college degrees were camping out in hoover-towns. My great grandfather lost his construction business when the depression started, but he barely scrapped by working at fishing docks up in Maine. Once the economy stabled again he started his business backup and made it highly profitable.
Having access to a firearm is always a good idea. Maybe you don’t realize it, but nearly the entire mid west and north western states are forest and rolling plains. Perfect place to hunt, if you know how to, considering that in some places in the mid west the damn deer breed like locusts. You give me a good tent, a durable rifle, plenty of ammo, and some basic camp tools and my family and I could ride out a depression. Not to mention the thousands of heads of cattle some of my family members own up in South Dakota/Montana.
And if you’re from europe then don’t even get me started on “hard work.” Half you western european countries are quasi-socialist ministates. I hope to god our country doesn’t follow europes lead with our new president who has a raging hard on for european style politics.
Oh, and for the record, Alex, this list wasn’t made by an american. If fact, the author is literally on the other side of the world.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:16 am
@luna1580
People are buying their guns now because two years from their either wont be able to, or the red tape they have to cut through just wont make it worth it. Say what you want about gun ownership, but it is protected by the constitution and those “rednecks” are doing nothing more than excercising their rights that were guaranteed by the founding fathers.
I also think that before Obama’s first term is up an attempt will be made on his life by some nutjob. Now I didn’t vote for Obama, and I dont like him much at all, but I hope to god he isnt murdered. The last thing america needs right now is a dead president. We have enough problems to deal with, lord knows we don’t need riots in every major city with a large black population. I mean shit, look at what happened to Los Angeles when Rodney King was brutalized by the police. Now imagine that x100.
November 14th, 2008 at 4:44 am
#7: “Cut down on all of your expenses (except debt repayment)”
#6: Get rid of debt
Wrong. Wrong. Double wrong!
It’s a completely stupid idea to increase debt payments before a depression. In a depression, you get inflation. Lots of inflation. Hyper inflation. The thing with inflation is that everything goes up. Price of food, price of fuel, price of energy, price of labour, price of materials. Everything except debt. Debt stays the same. If you remember the Great Depression (hypothetically speaking, because nobody alive then would be on LV, prove me wrong if you can though :p ) the value of money went down, so in order to buy a loaf of bread, you might may 100x or more what you paid previously (especially so in Germany). The benefit of not paying off loans before is that your loan then becomes worth 100x less as well. Pay rates go up (although not as much as inflation) and as a result of the numbers being higher (not value, just numbers) loans are a LOT easier to pay off. The bank can’t adjust your loan for inflation, if you borrowed $10,000 then that’s what you borrowed, if inflation goes mental and suddenly a bottle of milk is $500 and the hourly pay rate is $70, the bank gets ****ed, not you. That’s one reason they justify their relatively high interest rates. So basically a period of hyper inflation is good for your loan to be paid off, not before the inflation sets in. Obviously if your house is at stake, it’s a different matter, a house is a solid asset and you wouldn’t want to lose a solid asset during a time of economic turmoil.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:08 am
A well thought list.
But does it not seem a little far-fetched???
I accept the situation is bad. But getting a gun, stocking up food, getting an RV all prove the insecurity of the western world…
But the list would be of great help, when the situation really does arise.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Wow, that is a lot to go through just for depression. I would just take some Cymbalta or something. I also don’t think you should suggest someone with depression to buy a gun! Yeah, just goofing. Really good list.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:32 am
A list of little practical help in the UK methinks…especially numbers 8, 3 and 2. Stopping spending will only increase an economic downturn/recession – spending, both public and private, is what is needed to reverse a recession. Still, decreasing your debt and learning a useful trade is good in any economic environment, as is getting to know your neighbours.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:33 am
ScubaSteve – this is for an ECONOMIC depression…not the mental condition
November 14th, 2008 at 5:34 am
wait…just read the ‘just goofing’ part…nm!!
November 14th, 2008 at 5:38 am
Well, I don’t think most countries allow people to have guns anyways.
At least in Korea they don’t.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:40 am
i>if you borrowed $10,000 then that’s what you borrowed, if inflation goes mental and suddenly a bottle of milk is $500 and the hourly pay rate is $70, the bank gets ****ed, not you.
Jono – don’t forget that the small matter of interest-rate changes can apply.
Eg. you borrow your $10,000 @ 10% pa, to repay monthly over 10 years.
Repayment = $132 per mth.
Hike the interest rate to, say, 50%, and the monthly repayment increases to $420 per mth.
This equation is especially evident with credit card debts, whose interest-rates are typically variable.
The exception to the above is where you have a personal loan with a fixed interest-rate, which, in the UK at least, is relatively common. I’m not sure about the US.
In any event, banks are – from long experience – very smart. Always check the small print!
November 14th, 2008 at 6:15 am
ohh.. great list, but thinking about Depression, bad, bad, bad… i don’t want to experience a Depression..
November 14th, 2008 at 6:26 am
I call this survival tips. Interesting read. What about those of us who find ourselves in countries where credit cards are not used?
November 14th, 2008 at 6:42 am
You might want to be careful about using credit cards when it is evident that you are insolvent and would not be able to them back. A bankruptcy court could easily order this debt to survive bankruptcy.
November 14th, 2008 at 6:50 am
#1 is the best!! how about handgranade…….
November 14th, 2008 at 7:07 am
this is really a ridiculous list. & not helpful at all. sounds like a child that doesn’t quite know what a depression exactly entails wrote a list of things he’d do.
this is a miss as far as i’m concerned.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:14 am
if you want a gun “that is practical for shooting birds and larger animals” you probably need two guns.
You shoot birds with shotguns. You shoot large animals with rifles.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:28 am
I really hope I don’t need to buy a gun and subsist on Korean wildlife…thankfully rumour has it this whole thing will resolve in a year or so, and not blow up into a 1930s “Angela’s Ashes” ordeal for most people.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:32 am
The guy at number four looks like a giant tool. He’s so out of place in that factory and I can totally see him thinking of “you want my peice of wood? How about this lube?” jokes.
Nice list though. I always wanted permission to run up my credit cards
November 14th, 2008 at 7:40 am
How does one buy a gun if he/she does not live in America? Especially in my country where the penalty for owning just a single live round can be life imprisonment?
November 14th, 2008 at 7:56 am
This list was a joke right? Just making sure…
November 14th, 2008 at 8:16 am
since luna(c) was so quick to crush gun owners and point out the true whack job rascists I suppose someone should point out to her that not all of the guns being bought up are civilization marring rocket launchers, uzis, and anti aircraft weaponry. There handguns and rifles. And maybe its me being a little bit cynical but Im part of that crowd thats making sure I have my guns(whether for protection or for hunting) before the restrictions on them are set in place. If you remember back to the brilliant idea of outlawing alcohol in this country that didnt work out so well did it. If criminals and generally shady people want to get a fully auto rifle or 15 shot handgun clip theyre going to get it. Drug runners and criminals arent going to start packing heat in the form of baseball bats, machetes, and slingshots just because their guns are now considered illegal. so when it comes down to it I would rather have the ability to defend myself and fight fire with fire rather than run to the police and hope they catch that mean man who just stole my wallet.
And just because I like my guns doesnt make me a “redneck” who hates black people. Im from a suburb of Toledo, OH. Trust me its far from southern baptist farmer, in-law country. But I do like to hunt and I would like to protect my wife and 2 sons. When an intruder smashes my back window and comes in in the middle of the night I would like it to be a fair fight. And dont tell me about odds or chances because it only takes once and when you win the unlucky lottery I know I would like to be prepared. Its probably hard for you to see that,though, with your “guns are bad” blinders on.
BTW I did vote for McCain. Does that mean I think Obama is going to fall flat on his face and destroy this country? No, not at all. Im going to suck it up and stand by the president until he gives me a reason not to. I didnt like some of his policies that’s all. And to be honest with you I think there are some crazy ass irrational rascists out there who wouldnt mind if someone made an attempt on his life. And god forbid if that time comes I dont think the assassin is going to be wielding a hatchet or bazooka he’s going to be using one of the recently outlawed guns.
There’s a reason felons cant own guns. They lost that right when they broke the law. Why should I lose that right? I never broke the law. All Im saying Miss Luna is dont punish me because some jackass decided to break the law.
Guns Dont Kill People. People Kill People. Lock Them Up, Not The Guns.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:29 am
wow…intense
November 14th, 2008 at 8:36 am
@badlist: Well said.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Re: Badlist
Seriously, how many times does someone break into your house while you’re asleep and murder your children. Can’t say it happens to me very often. A thief is more likely to break in while you’re out of the house, and that gun you keep next to the kid’s room is a good target to steal. Where do you think the bad guy’s stolen guns come from?
If you’re that worried, buy a dog you redneck.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Buy a freakin Gun jeezz what is wrong with you people. Its just an economic downturn, its not like the Zombies are battering down your door. I understand that Americans are fond of their money but for christsake buy a gun, get a hold of yourselves. Guns don’t kill people morons do.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Lark- insert tongue in cheek.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:05 am
shit..buy why not buy something better than a gun..dickhead
November 14th, 2008 at 9:09 am
this is stupid!
we are only scaring people! buy a gun???!!!
this is so wrong!!!!
November 14th, 2008 at 9:20 am
flgh said:
“Especially in my country where the penalty for owning just a single live round can be life imprisonment?”
A country exists on the planet Earth where this statement is true? Please elaborate…..
November 14th, 2008 at 9:21 am
How f’in stupid. I work for Americans, clearly this list was done by stupid Americans.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Your bonus item is a big reason why a depression may occur in the first place. Two main reasons for the declining economy are that people are buying houses that are too expensive for their income range, and that people are racking up debt by making unneeded purchases using credit cards. It is a very similar situation to the depression of the 1930’s in which people bought stocks on margin despite the fact that they couldn’t afford them.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:36 am
wouldn’t saving all your money help lead us into a depression? people need to spend money and keep the economy moving.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I agree with you, Sam. Fear is what is going to lead to a depression. We can’t be afraid of a depression and start selling our stocks, because then the economy will continue to decline. I think that instead of bailing out the major corporations that are struggling, the United States government should send out stimulus checks to every citizens so that the ecomony can improve from the bottom up.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I also disagree with the “buy a gun” thing. I’m sure a gun is useful for hunting, but the people talking about defending their families forget that they’re not living in an action movie. The chances of someone breaking into your house and giving you the chance to pull a gun on them are very slim. I have never met a single person who defended themselves this way. On the other hand, I have known personally, or known the families of, nine people who have committed suicide by way of a gun. Seven of these people were teenage boys who took the gun from their parents. Their parents bought it to protect them, and the only use they ever got out of it was the death of their kid.
Also, enough with the American bashing. We get it, you don’t like Americans, they’re arrogant and stupid. Perhaps, though, before you launch into a tirade about the ignorance of Americans, you should check to see if the “ignorance” you are witnessing is even written by an American. In this case it is not. In fact, I see America bashing of non American blogs so often, I’m starting to wonder if it’s more along the lines of the “shopped” joke. I shouldn’t get my hopes up, though. Seriously, how ironic is it to blindly hate the entire contents of a single country because some of them are ignorant?
November 14th, 2008 at 10:06 am
#2… if preparing for a “Depression” involves spending $100K or more on a moving house like the one pictured… well, it can’t be much of a Depression, can it?
November 14th, 2008 at 10:25 am
49. Hillery
It’s a shame that you’ve been personally involved with not just one, but NINE tragedies like that. That’s a shame for everyone involved, especially the families.
However, you make it seem like these boys committed suicide BECAUSE their parents had a gun in the house. When someone is in such a mental state that they want to commit suicide, then they’re going to find a way to do it, gun or no gun.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:28 am
lighten up you lot
November 14th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Ok, so i’ll begin with this: i’m french, and i don’t want to get abused for what i’m going to say because we’re supposed not to like americans (for those who think we do, i suggest you stop watching foxnews).
Anyway, i read a few comments and got quite appalled! Jeez, why do you all rely on guns so much? Do you really think someone is going to break into your house anytime soon? And don’t you think that violence might come from the fact that so many people cary a weapon? Why do you live with so much fear about being mugged, violented, etc…
And I will add that carrying a weapon during this kind of crisis might not be the best idea at all: you’ll get into a never ending circle of violence once someone starts using his/her.
All the best to everyone
November 14th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Chichikov, first of all, you can use one gun for hunting both animals and birds. A shotgun can come with a rifled barrel suitable for animals when outfitted for slugs, though admittadly it is generally reserved for large game like bear and deer.
Without #1, you are risking your ability to protect 9,8,7, 3,& 2 if neccesary, not to mention the food resources it would help you obtain.
When did owning a gun automatically make you a redneck? I know several white collar people who work in skyscrapers who enjoy hunting and gun ownership, some making 7 figures with MBAs and law degrees. Also, many consider shooting a gentlemen’s sport – just ask the wealthy in Great britian and other countries. Hardly rednecks, don’t you agree?
For all you non-Americans (as well as those Liberal Americans), the right to gun ownership is ingrained in our Constitution, as well as the country’s psyche. Also, hunting plays an important part in control of certain animals, as the alternative is generally population explosions followed by large starvations.Study ecology and you will find that every healthy environment needs a top predator, and in virtually all cases, this has become man. What is more humane for an animal, starvation or a quick death by bullet or shotgun shot? Also, lack of hunting can lead to dangerous interactions with humans, be it car/animal collisions, attacks, etc. In cities where hunting has been prohibited here in Wisconsin, for example, the deer poulations are actually higher per mile than in areas where hunting is allowed, and there are higher rates of deer/car accidents. Often these communities pay sharpshooters to come in to hunt the deer, at literally thousands of dollars a deer. Is this supposed to be extended to all areas? This would be neccessary if guns of all kinds were outlawed. I know this is a nonissue in most of Europe since centuries of killing and dense populations throughout have removed virtually all large wild beasts of from the countryside. Here in the US, we pride ourselves on managing our animals through humane population control. In other words, killing them as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Two final points: Since a person already committing illegal acts has no reason to worry about commiting another crime (possesion of a firearm), why wouldn’t criminals keep their weapons while law abiding citizens gave theirs up? The last thing a criminal wants is an even fight while commiting a crime, so their possession of a gun when it is improbable that their victim has one would only encourage them to commit more criminal acts. Finally, most guns here in the states are not obtained through theft; most are obtained through illegal purchases known as “straw purchases” where a legal buyer buys it new and immediately sells it to a criminal, or through private legal transactions between citizens of used guns where the seller is unaware of the buyer’s intentions (or doesn’t care). Outlawing them would just mean they would be smuggled in, giving criminal enterprises the profits rather than companies and their shareholders. Think the prohibition with guns instead of booze. In case you didn’t know, this is how the Kennedy’s made their fortune…
November 14th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Canadian Dan: Again, this list was written by a Kiwi, not an American. Damn, you are more stupid and lazy than Alex; he was the first to say it and you were just too much of an idiot to actually look at the previous comments.
18. Jono: I can. Anon, who lists here frequently, has revealed his age to be 72.
For those opposed to guns, as am I in this current time, they can actually be quite handy when things get very dire. Should you have the suggested stockpile of food, are you going to just let someone walk in, take your supply, and be chipper as your family STARVES? How about if you do live in an RV, near the woods: you now have something to hunt with. It really comes down to how desperate the depression is. Hopefully we will never see one so bad that people kill each other over food and shelter, but JFrater wrote the list with that probability in mind.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:53 am
list was not written by an American. America is not only not the only country this site is accessible in, it is also not the only country @ threat of economic troubles. there’s a reason why its called ‘a global economy’.
as a Texan..wish folks would stop w/ the America bashing or assuming every list or comment on this site is American. its the internet for chrissakes…the freaking world reads LV, k? geesh.
generally..i think any prudent person anywhere would be already preparing for more econonmic troubles. i do think things have changed across the globe in terms of becoming more realistic about how we should spend money. the party is over folks! time to pay the band. way too much excess for way too long.
as for guns..hell, i’m in Texas so not only is gun ownership not an issue ..if i could afford one, i’d have one!
November 14th, 2008 at 10:54 am
“Guns Dont Kill People. People Kill People. Lock Them Up, Not The Guns.”
Funny then, how in countries where fewest people own guns, fewest people get killed by guns, eh?
So logically, ever household and every law-abiding, responsible adult citizen in the USA needs, and should have, an efficient firearm to protect themselves and their family, if they have one. It is also their right. That’s how it reads. How many guns might that amount to, allowing for the odd multiple ownership?
Pardon my non-US doubt, but under that circumstance, might not a whole ton more of people get killed in error and even by the design of opportunity than if a really massive effort was made to eliminate and control firearms altogether, as far as possible?
And of course, let’s be quite clear that guns are ‘locked up’ BEFORE anybody gets killed. You can only lock up a person AFTER they have killed (with a gun). Rather cold comfort for the dead person.
Apropos, I enjoyed the *gun-happy* Marge Simpson episode.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:55 am
51. Phillies
Certainly it is not the only way to commit suicide, but I do feel the immediacy and efficiency of gun death is tempting people who might otherwise not go through with suicide. For the people I have known, I won’t say I wasn’t shocked for every one of them, but some where more shocking than others. There were a couple I believe would have found a way, but for many of them, it was after the heat of an argument or a breakup- something that could have been resolved if they had taken more time. I am not completely against owning a gun, but if depression runs in your family, I wouldn’t take any chances. Even among inevitable suicides, it is an exceptionally upsetting way to find your own son (or husband,or best friend).
November 14th, 2008 at 11:09 am
It’s not going to get as bad as a depression, but you can count on a deep and long recession.
Many of the suggestions above are good, while a few are pretty wacky.
My husband and I play by a set of very firm rules, which keep us financially sound at all times:
1 – We pay cash for everything. I mean everything. If we want to go on vacation, we simply save up enough money to pay for it before hand.
2 – We don’t eat out as a rule. In the last year, I can think of 3 occasions on which we dined out. This rule includes stopping off at a Starbucks for coffee, we can make coffee at home.
3 – We use utilities wisely. This is just common sense. Turn off lights when you leave the room. Same for the TV. Take short showers, etc.
4 – We make our own household cleaners. A bottle of ammonia, mixed with water, makes gallons and gallons of glass and surface cleaner. Bleach and water make a great mildew cleaner, better, faster and cheaper than anything you can buy.
5 – We do stock up on non-perishables, but not to the extent in the photo. I can easily make either a yeast or non-yeast bread. Rice is always at hand. Dried beans and peas are also in abundance for soups.
Like I said, just common sense stuff. No debt, money in the bank and in stocks, no debt, and a stockpile of food.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Onwisconsn, if i get you right, you’re saying that legalizing weapons is a way of controlling their selling? But, unfortunately, illegal weapons have been sold everywhere, whatever the time. We have bank- robberies wiyh men carrying guns in france all right, but still, far less people being killed by their use. i still believe that this is not the right solution. As for the american psychee, i am well aware of that (i graduated in american history, amongst other, so i know your history rather well), but that is not reason for it to keep going on. Not much more than a century ago, samurai were still carrying their katana in the street. As for who carry a weapon, be it an american, a kiwi, an aussie, etc… the result is the same everywhere, i think.
And hunting is all very well, but what about reintroducing natural predators?
November 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I tried to buy one of those $80,000 RV’s but my card flaked out at $199 NOW what do I do!
November 14th, 2008 at 11:50 am
This seems more like a list on how to survive an apocalypse, or a zombie outbreak.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Whew, just reading this list pumps up the old adrenaline. Always good to have a Plan B just in case the economy ever completely tanks.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
hey frenchie maybe if a few more of you had guns when the nazis came us bad americans wouldnt have had to bail your asses out
As to the gun argument, I don’t really understand all the controversy. That is, I understand why gun owners want to continue to own guns, but I do not understand why others want to take them away. This is coming from a Democrat who has never touched a gun and hopefully never will. I just feel that there are two main problems that guns (not the gun culture)pose in America. First, they cause accidental deaths, more than they save in things like home invasions. Well to the best of my knowledge these instances are infrequent, and generally negatively affect the gun owners themselves. The second problem is the fact that guns are accessible to those who would do us harm, and I will just reinstate what others have already said, that these same people will find guns, just like people still find guns and get abortions. I honestly don’t believe that our founding fathers intended guns to be as accessible as they are today when they wrote the 2nd amendment, but let me just say that even so this is not an issue that should drive us apart.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Hey hick, maybe if you had fewer guns in your country there would be fewer gun-related murders. Maybe that’s why Britain hasn’t had a school massacre since the banning of handguns in 1994 and America has one every six months or so. And maybe if there were fewer ignorant rednecks spouting off about “frenchies” and the like then Nazism wouldn’t have been such a problem. And before you get all high and mighty about “bail(ing their) asses out”, just remember which country was playing the wilting violet across the pond for the first two years of the war.
November 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Though I should clarify that I agree with what you said about the 2nd amendment. Got a little hostile there, didn’t I? Good thing there aren’t any guns laying around! :L
November 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
funny not sure what disliking the french for being bitches had to do with the rise of nazism but I’ll let that slide
the problem in america is the gun culture, not the guns, outlaw the guns and nothing will change. that is one way in which England surpasses the United States, the US has a culture which glorifies voilence and brutality, which is what really needs to be fixed
i find it funny that you call me a redneck because I can respect anothers point of view, didnt i mention the part about having never touching a gun? all i can say is that i can empathize with gun owners without sympathizing with them
as a liberal, i have encountered many hostile conservatives in my day, but I have encountered far more liberals who will not tolerate the slightest doubt of doctrine, which is pretty bad as well i.e. ever tried to debate against the legalization of gay marriage in an American high school, I have not and would not as I do not agree with it but I have seen someone try and he was not allowed a word in edgewise, essentially there was no debate and no one learned anything- that is what happens here when people start calling eachother rednecks
November 14th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
“hey frenchie maybe if a few more of you had guns when the nazis came us bad americans wouldnt have had to bail your asses out.”
Considering French support for the American revolution: considering the number of brave Frenchmen who fought and often died in both wars defending their homeland and doing their best, that remark is in pretty poor and xenophobic taste, regardless whether or not it was simply intended as provocative. So how about asking yourself what fucking use all YOUR guns or any other of your mightly weapons were when the fundamentalists came and YOUR homeland was attacked recently? It was the sheer sacrificial bravery of unarmed US civilian heroes that saved it from being even worse.
Well, at least you didn’t say “hey froggie”, I suppose!
November 14th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
The replies to this list are astonishing.
I’ll preface my remarks by stating that while I am an American, I have never owned nor fired a gun of any kind.
With Obama and a far-Left Congress set to take power in January, gun ownership by private citizens certainly faces the possibility of extinction. Obama has made no bones about the fact that he sees the Constitution as more a nuisance to be rewritten as he sees fit than as a document that should guide and govern this nation.
Owning a gun in uncertain economic times, whether for hunting, protection, or in the event of a total breakdown of society as an item of value to be bartered, should be at the top of anyone and everyone’s list who is comfortable possessing and/or firing a weapon.
The advice on this list is common sense, stuff most of us should be doing anyway, regardless of the economy. Having extra food/medicine/water/toilet paper/candles/batteries/etc. around in the event of an emergency (natural disaster, war, power outage, or a million other reasons) is a habit any sane person adopted long ago.
AN RV is something I can’t currently afford, but I’d love to have one.
Far from being a “joke” as some of you have described this list, it’s among the most important and valuable lists yet published on thie site.
November 14th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I am a gun owner, American, Texan. I am not a redneck. I am not a racist. I’m not even a man. I’m a middle-aged woman who lives in a not very good area. During one week at my apartment complex there were 3 domestic violence calls, one stabbing, and one shooting.
Now there is a sociopath murderer who is stalking one of the people I work with. He knows where she lives, and he can certainly find out where she works.
No one is going to take my gun away from me.
The U.K., you say?
People were killing with guns, so you banned guns.
Now people are killing with knives, and some are talking of banning knives.
Ha, ha, ha.
What’s next? Banning baseball bats and umbrellas?
It’s not the weapon, it’s the bad guy.
November 14th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Are you people that are raging against the American that wrote this list just plain ignorant ? J F looks like you would make a excellent American redneck.Come on over to the dark side!
November 14th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I would like to just point out that I wrote this list. I am not American. The country I live in allows people to own guns as there is a lot of farming. I think it is a perfectly reasonable addition to the list!
November 14th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
I, and everyone else should thank you for the clarification on who wrote this list, Jamie.
And I, once again, appreciate your list very much. I think about this scenario a lot. And for the record, I feel that your list was not necessarily meant to create controversy so much as it is a list to make people think about the “what ifs” of a worst case scenario. Everyone needs to calm down.
Some of the people commenting on this list seem to make themselves look even more ignorant due to the fact that they assume that you alone create each and every list on this website. Those rogue commenters disregard which author may have contributed to this list. Add that to the fact that these comments on this list are becoming nothing more than finger-pointing, displaced blame and misdirected hostility.
Once more, thank you, Jamie! I do not say that in sarcasm, but out of personal respect.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
GPinLV:
You make several ridiculous statements that bear rebutting.
1) There is no cause or evidence to support your blithe assertion that the Congress we now will have, post-Election Day, is “far-Left.” The Congress will be controlled by the Democratic Party, yes, but that is NOT the same thing. In point of fact, the Democratic Party has moved a substantial degree to the “center” in my lifetime, perhaps as far to the center as the Republican party has woefully drifted to the extreme Right. Social “issues” and “values” are not the only measure of this—there is certainly a world of difference between the ultra-left economic policies that often dominated the party in days gone by (in, for instance, the 70s) and the much more business-friendly, middle-class friendly Democratic paradigm of today. But even on certain social issues–for instance gun control/ownership–the mainstream of the Democratic party is, today, far from its overriding attitudes of the past. There is little call today for an outright and total ban on handguns, for instance, whereas it was once held as essentially a basic principle. This is not to say that many Democrats wouldn’t support such a ban if they felt the country was leaning that way; but the party has tended, in the last couple decades, to follow the tone and lean of the American public in general—as opposed to the Republican party, which, over the last two decades, has tended to follow a minority of that same public which is extreme Right, and often extreme Religious Right. Hence the situation today, where the Republican party has lost and lost big across most of the country, and has right-drifted itself into very nearly becoming a regionally-limited party. Whereas the Democratic party, in tending to follow somewhat more directly the broad leanings of the American people, has found success. This is the reverse of the situation that was predominant in the late 70s/early 80s.
Bottom line is, you’re way off base to refer to this Congress as “far Left.”
Next ridiculous statement: That “gun ownership by private citizens certainly faces the possibility of extinction.” Excuse me? What a load of utter nonsense. On what do you base this absurd assertion? Obviously on your totally mis-informed and skewed view of reality, which I’ve already addressed and debunked above. At any rate, you’re laughably wrong. There is no stated or suggested threat in the Democratic platform, that I’m aware of, which would indicate even remotely that “gun ownership faces extinction.” AGAIN, the Democratic party in recent years had moved to the center on this issue and there is no reason to think otherwise. For a very long time it has been quite obvious that the American public is open to some measure of limitation on gun ownership–but most emphatically NOT to the illegalization of ALL guns or even to most. Certainly there has been support for banning such things as private ownership of assault weapons. But as we know, the tide of the American electorate has, in an OVERALL sense, drifted back and forth across the issue of gun control, wanting at turns more control and less. This also, of course, varies according to region and between rural and urban attitudes. But it is CLEARLY obvious that there is no overweening support in this country for an out-and-out ban of private gun ownership, and politicians are well aware of this, and the drift of policy in recent years has reflected it. You have utterly nothing to go on, therefore, to support your silly and overblown fear-mongering. The Constitution is intact, as is the Second Amendment, and both parties are well aware of this, and aware that, for the present and the foreseeable future, this is how the American people want it.
Which brings us to your next asinine statement: that Obama has “made no bones about the fact that he sees the Constitution as a more(sic–’mere’) nuisance to be rewritten as he sees fit.” Where on earth do you get this from? My guess would be one of many absurdist (and outrageously distorted) right wing talking points spread around during the election. At any rate it’s explosively and sickeningly wrong. How someone who lives in this country and would presumably lay claim to responsible citizenship could believe such bilge is beyond me. It makes me fear for the overall intelligence of our electorate when people like you pop up on the web and lay down a stream of such utter crap, clearly believing his or her own words without the slightest hesitation of thought that, hey–it might be silly and stupid! But of course it is just that.
Barack Obama has never given any indication that he holds the Constitution in contempt or would rewrite it at will. One could safely argue that this is in opposition to our still-current president, George Bush, and his behind-the-scenes string-puller, Dick Cheney, who have BY THEIR OWN WORDS AND ACTIONS suggested quite clearly that the Constutition IS a nuisance to them, to be run over roughshod whenever they felt it served their plans and policies. Where you get off saddling Obama with that kind of outrageousness, when he repeatedly spoke out AGAINST the behavior of the President and Veep, is beyond me. Obviously from the same, dark, silly, lunkheaded place where you dug out your ideas about Democratic gun policy.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
This is the single worst list ever. You are a blatant scare-monger, and the idea that you would tell people to buy guns to protect themselves is the exact way hundreds of innocent people die every year. Guns kill many more people than they protect. Children accidentally shoot themselves and their friends constantly, especially when new gun owners don’t know how to keep their guns safe. And in a time of panic, such as right now, you are going to promote that?
Nice.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
this is just a list on a website! so calm down people.
i doubt seriously J or anyone is promoting anything here, k? geesh!
as for gun ownership…we can do that here in the US. its not only constitutional its cultural..especially in places like Texas. owning a gun makes perfect sense in terms of self protection not only against human predators but non human predators and vermin. so long as the gun owner handles a gun responsibly, i don’t see the issue. there are still vast rural areas here. hunting and fishing are huge industries as well as tourist attractions here…hence massive revenues to support government services. so this insistence on handguns only and human violence..just doesn’t make sense to me.
there are shotguns. there rifles. think in Texas we have all the varieties of poisonous snakes. we also actually have to occasionally ‘cull’ our deer population to keep it in check. and deer do carry the tick for Lyme disease, ’sides making right tasty sausage.
anyway..chill out.
November 14th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I do not agree with some of his points. Metals have dropped down their value lately and if things get REAL bad, food will be the only thing people will look for. You can’t eat gold and nobody will trade food for metal.
Also buying a gun is something I think can’t lead to anything good. Thanks god I live in europe where people can’t buy guns so easily.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
After reading this list I was getting ready combine a dose of cyanide with a gunshot to the head.
Seriously though, there is some practical advice in this list providing that it actually gets to an every man for himself scenario.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
After reading through this list, and the comments following it, it seems to me that this is a very fought over list.
I am not one against speaking your mind, or any of that. What I find as truly rude is that when some of you were speaking your minds you were putting others down, and it seems to me that those you were putting others down for the sake of it and to win your agruement you were trying to inflate your otherwise overinflated ego!
Those of you on this site are from all over the world, so of course there is going to be a difference of opinon, hell that happens if it is just all from city! So, there is no point in yelling at poeple for there opinons and humour! This list, I am pretty sure, since I am not the writer was meant to be humourous!
All of you are being rude- including myself at this point- calm down, realize that it is not REAL, and stop being so damn mean. Now, time to follow my own advice,
Those of you who tried to stand up for the more man being beat sensless (figuritavely speaking) at least you realized that it was a stupid, moronic thing for poeple to get exicited. As the course of history goes, we often get upset at stupid things and start revolutions! Just think about it!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
kiwiboi:
Most loans are fixed rate, at least for 2-3 years anyway, enough time for the hyper inflation to make it completely useless. Hyper inflation is classified as 50% inflation a month, far more than interest rates would ever reach, especially on a fixed loan as well.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Top 10 Tips To Prepare For A Depression?
looks more like Top 10 Tips To Prepare For The End Of The World!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I just wanted to get a comment down as I warm up for my essay. 36, 54, and 74, jeez. Relax!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
LMFAO! I immediately started laughing when I saw #1!
November 14th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
‘Folks are dumb where ah come from….’
November 14th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Wow..you folks need to CALM DOWN!!
November 14th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Cyn: I agree with your view on firearms and animal population.
In Kentucky, currently, there are an abundance of deer. So, we are faced with a dilemma:
Shall we allow the deer to be hit by a vehicle rather than provide food? Shall we hunt them for sustenance? I prefer the latter. The same concept applies for the annual hunting of Puffins in Scotland.
In Kentucky my Native ancestors consumed meat in which to survive. Yes, I am recognized as a Native American. Shall we eliminate humans in order for the deer population to propagate? No.
I am not “proud” to kill anything, but if the need sustains me then I will fish for fish, hunt for deer and kill that which I need to sustain myself.
Overall, I give respect to that which I kill for food. Their life was sacrificed for you. The least you can do is give thanks to the animal itself.
That is just my take on things.
November 14th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
i just wanted to point out that my original gun comment (11) says right in it that “having the knowledge and fire power to shoot and eat game in a post-supermarket world would be a life saver,” so you shouldn’t all assume that i’m some anti-gun antichrist. i think guns for hunting have their place (my house-mate has guns for everything from squirrel to deer in the place where i live, he stores and uses them safely so i don’t care.)
i know the word “redneck” was inflammatory, sorry. i was implying that the racist gun-nuts were rednecks, NOT that all gun owners are nuts, rednecks, or racist (that would be stupid and untrue.)
my original point was my displeasure with how a certain segment of the U.S. population -who overwhelmingly already own guns and are rushing to buy more- has reacted to the election of obama. the comments themselves reinforce this observation. obama has never said he wants to “take your guns away!” it is true that he may favor a ban on combat-style automatic weapons, and other than a pure principle of some “right/freedom to bear arms without any limitation what-so-ever” being expressed, i don’t think anyone in civilian life should ever need one. if my house mate and his fiancee had a stack of those under their bed i’d want to move.
if you live in the states and are still afraid of the big O stealing all your guns away, you should remember that his own vice presidential pick (joe biden) said on tape on the campaign trail essentially “obama will never take my guns away!” here’s the clip:
obama is not stupid, he would never alienate the public at large by trying to ban all guns in all circumstances -it would be bad politics, and it will NEVER happen- so calm down
if you’re scared AND confused, please read randall’s excellent comment (74) for detailed clarification.
thanks
November 14th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Welcome back, Randall. You’ve been rather quiet lately, but you’re obviously still alive and kicking strenuously.
There is degree of self-fulfilling prophecy about all of this. If enough people believe that there is going to be a recession, then, hey presto, there’s going to be a recession. If enough people believe that there is going to be a depression, then, hey presto, there’s going to be a depression.
If any country had a reason to arm its citizens, it’s South Korea: officially still at war with an ongoingly argumentative neighbour officially vowed to its destruction. Nope. No private ownership of guns. All males (apart from a few in various categories of exemption) serve two years of military training, and occasional refreshers. And the gun death rate is tiny. And the crime rate is tiny.
November 14th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Wow JFrater, betcha didn’t know what you were getting into with that “get a gun” aside!
One quibble for those who say they want to keep guns in their homes to protect their families in the event of home invasion:a) Home invaders, by and large, don’t break in while people are at home.
b)Even if it happens, most thieves aren’t killers.
c)What would you do with your gun assuming someone *did* break in? I believe in the USA self-defence only applies if there is an immediate threat on your life- so presuming you’re shooting to kill, YOU could be the one in jail. Even if you’re only thinking of wounding or knee-capping the guy, you could get into pretty significant legal trouble. Right or wrong, that’s how it is.
I’m from Canada. We have guns, and we have regulations on guns. It’s a very rural country compared to the United States, and people hunt. That said, except in the largest urban centres, there is fairly little gun crime (I’m from the capital city and every gun-related incident in that city makes headlines). Even Toronto, considered the country’s worst offender on that front, is joked to “look quaint” to people from Detroit.
I think this demonstrates that a wholesale banning of firearms is not the answer we need. I think if gun crime is indeed a problem in some parts of America, there are problems beyond simple access to guns- after all, you can access guns in Canada, which does not share these problems (at least not to the same extent). Seeing as the USA is not the only country that has legal access to guns, I think the big question is…
Why are they the ones with the problems?
November 14th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Great list, jfrater! I agree with these recommendations, except possibly the credit card one. As for #1… seriously, people, all debates about the second amendment aside, having a good hunting rifle could save you from starvation during a severe depression. For most of the Great Depression, my grandmother’s family survived on the wild game that her father shot. It’s good advice.
(I say this as a college-educated woman who has never owned a gun.)
November 14th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
I agree with 53. Moineau. Also, what does it say about the state of human kind(ness) that even before a crisis people are already deciding on ‘dog eat dog,’ and violence to get by? Are people really that awful/selfish/immoral that mass roiting, theivery and assault would be the inevitable outcome?
I am not an American basher, plenty of great things and people have come from America (And I think OBama will be good for the country.) but looking in from the outside you can see a paranoia and the tendancy to think, and so react, to the worst case senario. It almost seems that some people are so geared up to an apocalypse senario that they are actively wishing for it. (A kind of get it over and done with now attitude.) That coment wasn’t directed at people on this list. Last year I joined something as innocent as a Sims 2 site. The site owner was American and all seemed fine for a while. I pop on one day to messages about the end of the word, Satans mark being on the dollar, and we’re all doomed to certain Hell forever. I have encounterd this kind of end of the world thinking again on other sites run by Americans that are nothing to do with that subject matter.
I hope to God that nothing ever gets so bad we are facing an apocalyptic senario in any way. I also wish each and every one of you and your families a safe time now, and always.
November 14th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
*sorry, JF not, JR.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Seriously,
“I hope to God that nothing ever gets so bad we are facing an apocalyptic senario in any way. I also wish each and every one of you and your families a safe time now, and always.”
10. Can I discuss other topics in comments?
No – you must stick to the topic – when comments go so far off the topic they cause people to lose interest and they add nothing to the list. Of primary importance is the fact that the comments are meant to enhance readers time on the site – not cause them to get bored with idle chit-chat.
Thanks for sticking to these rules – they make the site much more enjoyable for all!
November 14th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I asked Jeeves about a world depression. There were plenty of articals saying things will get bad, but recover. I also found this (It opens as a pdf document):
http://www.islandifa.com/We‘re%20Not%20Headed%20for%20a%20Depr…
Now I don’t understand anything about shares, markets, funds, ect, but I got the jist.
It seems things will get worse before they get better, but it’s a recession, not depression.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
You having a dig shade? No problem. I’m not about to get arsey with some stranger over the internet! lol
I also find it funny that out of my whole post, you take umbridge to me wishing people a safe time. Lol! I think that says more about you than it does about me.
Oh well. Live and let live.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
i want to add that my favorite thing about LV is reading comments from people all over the globe -not just americans like myself.
i like to hear the different perspective and we will never all agree, we don’t need to. it’s also worth mentioning that people in so many places bother to read and comment on a site that is english only (i’m working on a functional second language and it the hardest mental task i’ve undertaken -props to you bi-tri-& multi-linguals
)
so let’s not hate on people from other places and chill out a bit. debate is fun, name calling gets boring.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
here here Luna.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Kitty, my apologies for insulting your point of view.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
No need to get snivy.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Appology accepted Shade.
No harm done. Have a good night. 
November 14th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Great list.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Great list.
I would like to point out that godforbid if there is some massive depression there will be people that will resort to violence in order to survive. We already have excellent examples of this happening all over the world.
I can also tell you, that a person who is committing a crime against another person, does not care about the life or the emotional sanctity of the person being victimized. I have been a victim of violent crime, and the words “stop” and “no” might as well have been words of encouragement.
As a gun owner (this is partially because I have been openly threatened by my attacker since the crime occurred), I have no intention of killing or harming an innocent person under dire circumstances. Quite the contrary: I would be more apt to assist my neighbor, or help provide food and protection for the community. I would not be happy without having a gun, though, because as I said before: I would rather have food on the table, and I’m really not about letting criminals having the upper hand.
November 14th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
I have no intention of killing or harming an innocent person ^even under dire circumstances
November 14th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
List should be renamed: Top 10 Tips To Prepare For An Apocalyptic Economic Collapse.
Bonus Tip: Strap in and wait for Thunderdome to begin.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:05 am
second the renaming suggestion (104). i think living in a country where some of the people wait for “the (biblical) end-times” with bated breath is what really touched a nerve on this one in the 1st place -not the gun detail.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:08 am
meant touched a nerve for me.
November 15th, 2008 at 2:57 am
Great List..as a Canadian, we have pretty decent access to guns and I am personally armed with one handgun and 3 rifles…
But Lord knows if I have a clue about hunting and surviving off the land??? Oy….
I like Guns simply for home protection if the masses get out of control…..but I don’t have a clue of how to hunt? I do all my hunting at the Safeway meat department….
Man…I don’t even know how to grow a garden…I am so urbanized…
Scary times afoot it seems….
November 15th, 2008 at 5:54 am
10 alex : So true
November 15th, 2008 at 6:38 am
#39–I think its rather funny how the people who are so shocked and awed by the fact that rascism still exists (.39) and probably voted for Obama because “its time for change(a black president)” are the ones calling gun owners rednecks and hillbillies. And as for his comment about how often people break into your house while youre in it. It just takes one lunatic like Charles Manson. His ‘crew’ broke into houses that people were in. And if you need something more recent —http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/southside/article/police_suspects_break_into_home_assault_husband_and_wife/20363/
Hate exists because of ignorant people like poonus. In no way am I comparing being a gun owner with years of repression and rascism. But clearly its because of fools like that that I feel like I should have protection.
Is poonus a dangerous member of society? probably not. but the fact that he has anger toward a group of people just because they have an opinion he doesnt like, whether it be owning guns, abortion, same sex marriage, makes him someone that has to be watched.
And to be honest with all of you that dont live in the United States youre the exact same way. You cant compare your country to The US and We cant compare ours to yours. Getting Life in prison for owning a gun doesnt make guns bad it just shows how your government leaders want to control “their” citizens.
Would it be nice if everyone would just get along? Yah it would be awesome but thats not going to happen ever. And Im not saying at all, like Poonus suggested, that everyone should own a gun. Not everyone is responsible to own a gun. But that doesnt mean that because one ass hole is a detriment to society that I should have my rights taken away. Trust me I know a lot of people that have never committed a “crime” that shouldnt own a gun because because theyre an irresponsible jerk. And I also know alot of people that are incredibly responsible that dont own even a pellet gun or slingshot because they dont want the responsiblity.
Grow up and stop thinking that if you just pray enough and eliminate all the “bad” things then we can live in our own little paradise. Its not going to happen and that very depressing
Guns are only considered bad because people made them that way.
Grow up and stop living in fantasy land the world is dangerous and I would like to protect my children should anything happen. And that means both from the evils of the world and by being a responsible gun owners.
Make gun related crime punishments more severe whether they result in a fatality or not. Thats being responsible not pretending that overnight everything will be peachy.
November 15th, 2008 at 6:58 am
I have to reiterate if I didnt say it in my above post.
I DONT BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A GUN IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD.
That would be foolish and asinine. Not everyone is responsible enough to have that right we see that from the accidental shootings every year. What we dont see is the responsible gunowners who take their huge responsiblity very seriously because they know its a privelege and a right not just a right.
I think thats where alot of people tend to stop understanding and take the issue a little more personally and less objectively.
I really think this website, for as corny and cliche as it may seem, how responsible gun owners should and do act.—NRA.com—
dont get me wrong like every publication(im looking at you NY Times and Foxnews) there are some radical points of view. but if you care enough to be informed of the other side before you judge you might just learn a little about how “MATURE ADULT” gunowners perceive this right,responsiblity , privelege.
“Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to Suffering”-Yoda-
Its funny how a fictional character has nailed American society so perfectly. From gun control to religion to alternative lifestyles. Its what we dont understand that scares us into being someone we know we shouldnt be and going down a path we know we shouldnt walk.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Q–>As a mother of seven I am worried that the value of my children may have fallen over the last year. My eldest daughter has been getting good grades at school but should I cash in now before her first GCSE year? I am also thinking that putting the twins into a hedge fund might protect against future market free fall but is it best to act now or hold on for a few months?
A–> Selling your children is one of the most stressful decisions a parent has to make. I would not want to advise further without knowing your social status. Working class children are changing hands for a pittance at the moment but the market may recover in the next quarter. Upper class children attract premium rates however so now is a good time to sell especially if it looks like there is a risk that they are an underperformer
Q–> Hi there. I am currently in possession of large amounts of booty, a chest of various trinkets, pieces of eight and doubloons. I have not invested this as of yet and I am unwilling to consider sharing these spoils with my men, who are a swarthy lot, dishonest as the day is long, but a finer more loyal crew ‘tis hard to come by. Any thoughts?
A–>I would not hesitate in recommending that you find a sandy beach and bury it all. A desert island with tax-exempt status would be ideal.
Do you have a question about debt and financial problems? Then email your credit card details and security code to our Nigerian office and we will make sure that money worries are a thing of the past!
November 15th, 2008 at 8:46 am
OMG, there are so many ignorant remarks being made, i don’t know where to begin.
Alex you don’t even know what the fuck you’re talking about. if getting thru a depression was as simple as ‘working harder’ then there wouldn’t be a depression b/c everyone would have jobs b/c they’re ‘working harder’. see how that makes absolutely no sense?
Moineau: if you want to know why we fear being attacked and want our guns, i have 2 really good examples for you: hurricane Katrina and hurricane Ike, the latter which effected me. you see, when the dregs of humanity can no longer make money b/c of job losses or b/c of a natural disaster, they decide to steal and loot. also when there’s a widespread lack of electricity, people get bored and start looking for ways of entertaining themselves. don’t act like this isn’t true b/c i’ve seen it and trust me you will want some sort of weapon to keep these assholes for using you and your property for ‘entertainment’.
As for all you Obama-hating jerkoffs; honestly, do you think Bush was doing a good job? the majority of the country in both political parties says ‘no’ and that we need major changes. however, you then want to vote for mccain who sided with bush 90% of the time? btw, this is a fact mccain has acknowledged so no one’s making it up. doesn’t make a shitload of sense now does it! i’m pretty sure our country needs more than just a 10% chance of ‘change’. i fail to see how obama can screw things up anymore than retarded ol’ W has already. you’ll support his ass even though you don’t agree w/ him and he’s turned half the world against us, but you won’t even give the new president a chance?! that screams ignorance and closet-racism whether anyone wants to admit it or not. and what makes any of you think that Obama alone can take your guns away? do yall honestly not know how our own government works?! the president doesn’t make all the rules. he has to get the approval of the house of representatives and the senate, providing the population calls for it! then it can be protested in the supreme court if some find it unconstitutional–which it is. you can’t just pull out a pen and rewrite the constitution no matter what those paranoid right-wing imbeciles on fox news tell you. there should be laws stating who can have guns and what kind they can have. people who’ve been convicted of felonies shouldn’t get to own guns just like they don’t get to vote. assault weapons and armor piercing bullets shouldn’t be possessed by civilians b/c they just get used against our police. i don’t know why anyone in their right mind couldn’t agree with simple laws like that.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Badlist: I am not anti-gun. My niece is an international Jr. Muzzle Loading champion, I have many friends who are either farmers who shoot vermin, or hunters who shoot prey. That said, I still don’t agree with you. Half the reason that you perceive danger (unless I’m mistaken and you live in public housing in New York or Chicago or some other huge urban area)is because of the unregulated and ease of hand gun ownership. Sure we have hand-guns here too; that cannot be stored at home unless separate from both the ammo and the firing pin, and can only be fired at licensed gun ranges. If there are fewer guns in circulation, there are fewer guns available to steal. It is a fact, not an opinion, unless of course you believe Canadians to be inherently less violent than Americans. I don’t believe that and our comparable rates of other violent crime bears this out. The only real difference is the murder rate; our aggravated assault levels are higher but our murder rate is just a fraction of yours. Could that be because all other methods of assualt/murder just aren’t as efficient as a hand gun? I think so.
PS: If you are at all familiar with the Manson murders you would realize that a gun would have done them no good. The victims did not realize the threat until far too late in the day. A poor analogy.
November 15th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Mom424: i believe that Badlist was just using the Manson murders as an example of the unforseeable things could happen since many people are familiar with the crimes. i doubt that he/she was insinuating that a gun would’ve helped the victims.
November 15th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Gilraen, (70),
“The U.K., you say?
People were killing with guns, so you banned guns.
Now people are killing with knives, and some are talking of banning knives.
Ha, ha, ha.
What’s next? Banning baseball bats and umbrellas?”
Just addressing that as an argument, regardless of the practicalities of banning guns, knives, etc., or not. Holes have been shot in your argument (good metaphor?) from at least two perspectives long before now. I believe in one instance against Prince Phillip, who made a similar ironic comment. But I’ll repeat them here.
1) Please name any knife killer who murdered about 14 people in the space of a brief few minutes and then committed suicide with said weapon. If you can do that, match it with baseball bat and umbrella mass-killers.
2) Let’s imagine you’ve got an unhinged kid or person in your school/workplace/community who is about to go on a killing spree. You are lined up as number one victim, but let’s suppose a fairy godmother gives you the power to choose whether he is armed with a gun, a knife, a baseball bat, or an umbrella. Which are you going to choose? Now think very carefully, your life is on the line and let’s also allow that you CAN run faster than the killer.
November 15th, 2008 at 9:53 am
A gun is useless without bullets. Stock up on bullets. They can be bartered with and you can kill people who try to steal your salts and flour.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I agree with the credit card thing. When my health went downhill, I used them to move to a place where I wouldn’t have to spend as much, then bought tons of canned food when I got there. The companies are bugging me now, but I can pay them off when I get disability.
I won’t own a gun. I won’t say other people need to, but I grew up in an area with lots of gun violence. Besides, you waste all that money with bullets. Learn how to throw knives or use a bow and arrow (yes, there is such thing as hunting with a bow and arrow). It may seem silly, but once bullets are used, they’re gone.
November 15th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Hmmmm,
Nice world some of you live in, or expect to live in.
November 15th, 2008 at 11:28 am
perhaps we should stock-pile those lethal umbrellas.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
64. Guns/Rifles were ALREADY that accessible when they wrote the constitution. Most importantly … accidental gun related injuries and deaths ARE reported EVERY time. There is NO statistical category for reporting injuries avoided or lives saved by an armed citizen. But it’s typical fuzzy math of democrats, you know the shrill, loud mouthed, bigoted, “I’m massively superior to you less sophisticated (as determined by them) hillbilly redneck etc etc etc people are so stupid as to disagree my trite bumpersticker parroting of party talking points. Mainly that part is aimed at #11 who seems appalled by a second hand account told to her by a cousin visiting (white (but hey, at least you’re not racist for classifying people by race!) farmer (how gauche, working with dirt?!?! GASP !! they MUST be stupid, rednecks, unsophisticated, let’s call them names, they’re less than human, too the reeducation camps!!) relatives in OK. Your reference to Katrina. Reactionary sales? Huh? Where? you arent’ talking about NO. Those weapons illegally confiscated by the police (the ones bothered to show up) were of LEGAL firearms. Why did those people have them beforehand? Look up the murder by gun for NO prior to Katrina. Look up the same for NYC. Look up the population for both. What would be NYC rate be if NO’s murder rate was scaled up to NYC’s population? Find out how many NO murders were done with LEGAL firearms vs ILLEGAL. Case closed. You are talking out your ass. Typical for a liberal.
November 15th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
#64: that remark about france was wrong. it’s that kinda macho-dickheaded-bullshit that fuels alot of the anti-american sentiment in here.
#65: i support your being defensive toward the ignorant comment made beforehand, but try to keep yourself from as ignorant as well. ‘rednecks’ bitching about the french doesn’t have shit to do with the nazis. that’s a fucking ridiculous comparison. as for that ‘wilting violet’ shit, we jumped into the war AFTER we were attacked. am i wrong or isn’t that how countries usually get involved in wars?
November 15th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Badlist:
Really. You need a gun just in case Charles Manson’s grandchild breaks into your house? How many hundreds of millions of people live in your country, and how many serial killers are on the loose in your town at any said time? Small odds my friend.
And I suppose its a handgun you own, not a hunting rifle. A nice deadly package a criminal can fit in his pocket.
There are a lot of stupid people in the world, and a lot of mean people too. Giving them instruments that cause death and can fit in your pocket is not a smart idea. You might be responsible enough, but giving you the right to own a gun means giving everyone else the right. If you’re that paranoid, move to a safer country. Amen.
November 15th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Just a comment on the gun issue.
We have a 357 Magnum, a shotgun, and a rifle. I *can* shoot any of them, but would choose the shotgun if I needed to protect myself simply because you really don’t have to aim it, just as long as you point it in the correct general direction (at least that’s true with the shot we keep for it. I understand there’s other kinds of shot which would require more of a solid aim).
I doubt I could use any of them unless it was absolutely required, unless it was a question of defending the life of my husband or my family or myself. And if it was just my own life, I’m not entirely sure I could pull the trigger.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Seems like a lot of people use the argument, “why do you need a gun? no one *needs* a gun, so they should be outlawed.”
This makes as much sense as, “why do you *need* alcohol or junk food? no one *needs* it, so it should be outlawed.”
In my country, it’s my right to own a gun. So I own a gun.
And to all those people that say, “oh, c’mon, how often do people break into your house?” well, FYI, on Halloween night someone let himself into my house. While I was home. I wasn’t near my gun, so I grabbed a sword off the shelf. He left in a big hurry. Situations like this can become more common when people are in dire need, and in a situation like that my gun will be close to me at all times. What if it had been my girlfriend at home alone instead of me?
As a side note, I have a .22 rifle and a mosin-nagant. Do you gun owners think this is enough?
November 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Actually, the constitution guarantees the right to keep and maintain a well-armed malitia…
Not so much the right to own, carry, or brandish a firearm, just because you want to.
Details, I know, but try and keep up.
And anyone who is so deluded as to think Barack Obama, or the ensuing congress are far-left, need to break out their history books and dictionaries. The vast majority of them are as far to the center as humanly possible. I also hate to break it to you, but they’re not going to take your guns. I know that ruins the whole “OMG THE WORLD IS GOING TO END BECAUSE THE SOCIALISTS TOOK OVER” bit of rhetoric, but I think we can all admit just how scary that mindset is.
FWIW, I’m not only a lifetime gun-owner, I’m also a center-right republican. Well, I was until the GOP decided to become full time panderers to the religious fanatics.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Excuse me, “militia”. Typos, typos.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Although, the REAL question is, when did the hard-a$$ Americans suddenly become so terrified?
So much FEAR in some of these posts. It’s so very arrogant to think that somebody is constantly out to get you, when in reality, 99.9999% of the world doesn’t care if you live or die.
Grow up.
Sorry for the multiple postings.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Haha. I doubt the economy would get this bad, but I guess it’s good to be prepared. Good to be careful too. Look what happened during the last depression in the 1930’s *cough*Nazis*cough*.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I don’t know about the US, but the whole business of shooting (and especially killing) in self-defence is not the simple issue as presented by various posters here. I’ve an idea that quite a number of folks who BELIEVED they were defending themselves legitimately are probably now languishing in gaol for unlawful killing. In some countries, including where I live, you may need a damn good lawyer to get you off shooting an intruder, and a damn good reason to have pulled the trigger. In many cases the situation of a break-in is confused. A softer baddie may only be trying to kid you with a toy. Also in a real life situation, a pro is likely to be ready to shoot before you are, as well as being more ruthless and less inhibited or hesitant. Would you take on two or more armed hoods? A shoot out might put your family more at risk than handing over that box of insured jewelry (O.K. that’s a simplification, I know). Perhaps the biggest problem (at least in countries I know of) is that it may be difficult to justify reacting in self-defence until the villain has made it quite clear that you are justified. And by then it may be too late. To be effective you need the initiative. Taking the initiative may be classed as unlawful action if you’re unlucky. However, I imagine a lot of folks in the U.S. spend time practicing all these situations under police tuition and the like.
Personally I have better things to waste my time on. If the situation were to get that bad, rather than go for gun law, I think I’d move to one of those nice, friendly underpopulated territories or countries in the previous topic but one!
November 15th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Anon (129) I love you, man, but I must comment on your comment:
Your scenario is indeed legitimate and I agree with some of the points that you provided.
The problem with shooting someone who breaks into your home is a matter of judgement.
First and foremost, let us pretend that this person has forced his/her way into your home in order to do something wrong and illegal. If they were a welcomed person then they would simply ring the doorbell or knock on the door or perhaps telephone the residence prior to their arrival. This person did not do this so…
This unwelcomed person might have the intention to steal something or they may want to do harm to those who reside within the home. How easily is it to determine what the intruder’s intentions are at a moment’s notice? Either way this person is apparently unwelcomed.
You posted: “In many cases the situation of a break-in is confused. A softer baddie may only be trying to kid you with a toy”
How easy is it to mistake a toy gun for a real gun or a replica gun for that matter? I suggest that you purchase a toy gun, paint it black (matte or gloss) and walk around with the thing. Try pointing it at random people and you will see how they react.
I personally prefer a fair-to-fair fist fight and a man-to-man struggle over a shoot-out, but if it comes down to a “kill or be killed” situation then, given the proper circumstances, I would prefer to shoot at someone who has pulled a gun on me rather than have my obituary in the local newspaper a few days later.
November 15th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I just bought an AK47 for the self defense purpose. I already have a good game rifle. I thought I should have one before the Almighty O tries to take the away.
November 15th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
The odds of anyone actually breaking into our home, considering the area in which we live, is pretty close to zero. The guns are leftovers from my husbands Airforce career. We didn’t go out and purchase them in case of riot or ruin.
But here’s the thing, I feel secure knowing they’re in the house. As I said above, I doubt I’d actually pull the trigger, but just looking at that Magnum or shotgun is a fairly humbling experience if you’re on the wrong end.
More to the point, the bears have become more and more brazen lately, certainly due to a shortage of favorite foods; our home is surrounded by woods, we’re already getting nearly daily visits by fox and bobcats, the bears have come as close as 1/4 mile. I don’t want a bear in my kitchen. They tend to get angry.
We’d leave (if we could) before we did anything like shoot at one, but having to pass a bear to get to the garage?
Not likely.
Maybe nothing will ever happen. That would suit me best. I just like being prepared.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Hillery-
Going by your last statement about sucicide seeming more accessible when the victim is a gun owner, I do have to disagree. Guns actualy are NOT the most common way of commiting suicide. Overdosing on meds is. It is much easier for a person to overdose on some sleeping meds than it is to pull a trigger. For some reason people assume they will just pass out and go in their sleep. Depending on the medication, this may or may not happen. If we are going to ban things from the house that may tempt suicide, we needs to ban knives, forks, medication, alcohol, ropes, ties, shoe laces…I could go on and on. While it is unfortunate that you have known so many to take their lives with a gun, it is not nearly as common as you think. Oh, and I know all of this from working on a crisis hotline for some extra cash while in college. It’s what talked me out of pursuing a psyc degree. I can’t deal with that all the time!
November 15th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
@ bosco (120) i’m not sure you’re worth responding to, as you didn’t seem to understand my previous posts, but here goes:
you, not me, read your own prejudices into what you assumed to be my take on my cousins family.
why did i even describe them? i don’t know them well (we’ve met twice and they seem like nice enough people) but from what i do know i don’t find it hard to believe that their genuine fear of obama is influenced by the fact that they are right-wing religious conservatives (i know this to be true from the few family holidays we shared =firsthand experience). i noted they are farmers because it tells you they live in rural oklahoma, this is a tip off to the fact that they own and hunt with guns (their son confirms this, and again i have NO problem with people hunting -see post 87) and is it’s a safe bet that they don’t know many black people because of where they are (again their son confirmed this for me, he knew more native americans than black people ’till he went to college out of state.) this is worth mentioning because it’s much, much easier to fear the unfamiliar. as obama fucking terrifies them, i think his race could play a part in their feelings.
even funnier is who you assumed i am! it’s true, most people would consider my views on public policy to be progressive/liberal. but you made the narrow-minded mistake of thinking all people fit into your stereotypes of them.
your quote, “farmer (how gauche, working with dirt?!?! GASP !! they MUST be stupid, rednecks, unsophisticated, let’s call them names, they’re less than human, too the reeducation camps!!)”
this actually made me laugh out loud, because this year i decided to go back to school and switch my career focus. i’m studying plant and soil sciences with an interest in aquaponics and urban agriculture -basically learning to BE a modern farmer! so you know, i like TOTALLY look down on people in agriculture, they are the true scum of the earth!!! (that last bit was sarcastic, catch it?)
now, “reactionary sales” i don’t think you know what they are:
this is your quote, “Reactionary sales? Huh? Where? you arent’ talking about NO.”
i’m not sure what that means. a “reactionary sale” is when something happens that scares people (perhaps very legitimately) and they buy a gun as a “reaction.” in the case of katrina people noticed that the government wasn’t very good at keeping order after a major disaster. you noticed, your own post says, “the police (the ones bothered to show up)”. so legal gun sales went up because people thought “if this happens again, or if something else this bad happens where i live i might need my own gun, the government might not be able to protect me” (and they might be right.) all those legal sales are the “reactionary” ones. i don’t know why you thought i meant “gun crime” as opposed to “gun sales” but you did, you seem to get confused easily. if you want a firsthand example of the conditions that lead to “reactionary sales” see lilith hel (112) i’ll quote it for you,
“hurricane Katrina and hurricane Ike, the latter which effected me. you see, when the dregs of humanity can no longer make money b/c of job losses or b/c of a natural disaster, they decide to steal and loot. also when there’s a widespread lack of electricity, people get bored and start looking for ways of entertaining themselves. don’t act like this isn’t true b/c i’ve seen it and trust me you will want some sort of weapon to keep these assholes for using you and your property for ‘entertainment’.”
if you want more examples go to google news and search the words “gun sales” it will pull up over 3,000 news articles about people buying guns as a “reaction” to the obama election, you can read them yourself.
next time don’t yell at me if you can’t understand my post, ’cause it might make YOU sound like the one “talking out your ass.” in in your own words that would make you “a liberal.” oh the horror!
November 15th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
for the record, i don’t own any guns and don’t want to. but i know this is a complicated issue.
November 15th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
BrotherMan,
Thanks, much appreciated.
Yes, of course, I’m totally aware that when one is being pointed at you or even brandished, a replica handgun is impossible for an average person to tell apart from the real McCoy. Sorry I didn’t make that clear. To that extent anyone who does carry one on a felony can be said to get what they deserve.
But I believe (note only believe) the law can take a more ambiguous view. To begin with, it does indeed take a dim view of threatening with a replica, but the penalty for the real thing is far greater. That might actually encourage petty criminals to take less risk in the case of being caught. Secondly, I’m not sure how the law might react to, say, shooting a fairly young intruder with a replica. I believe I’ve read of cases where investigation has revealed the intruder was shot in the back, i.e. was fleeing, and the self-protection defence failed.
Again, I’m working a lot on memory here, and things may well be different in the US. I recall when we were looking at wildflowers during a lecture tour there, a friend (it was either in Oregon or Calif.) told us never, ever, to go through a fence to look at or photograph one. It was one of the easiest ways to get shot dead! Well, that may or may not be true. I’ve had a couple of apologetic verbal run ins with pissed-off landowners in the UK! But in all the places in the world we’ve look for plants, our records would be a deal slimmer if we stuck to completely open ground! We always try to ask permission if possible, but have never been in any other country where we might get shot on sight just slipping under the wire for a quick, harmless shufti!
November 16th, 2008 at 12:10 am
segue,
On our first field trip to Turkey many moons ago, we took a shotgun with ball ammunition (lethal stuff, like mini cannonballs, but needs aiming unless used point-blank – this must be what you meant earlier, although there are several categories of scatter shot. Use too coarse a one and you blow your lunch into feathers and mince-meat!). We had been warned about wolves in Kurdistan, and particularly bears, which were said to come in droves to the fields after the grapes in summer harvest-time, and also to be singularly dangerous when with their cubs. It also seemed sensible protection in case of *highway robbery*. Well wolves in Turkey may pack up and very rarely attack people out of sheer hunger during the bitterest of deep-snowed winter in the east. But usually they wisely run like the clappers at the slightest sniff of man, their deadliest enemy. We once saw a pair close-to from the Land Rover at a small river ford at dawn. That was it in four years of springs and summers in the country. Bears were even rarer. A friend with good eyesight swore he caught a glimpse of one at dusk disappearing behind high ground half-a-mile or more away on a remote mountain. As for robbery, we knew of one or two cases where people fresh to the country had been shot dead by local peasants. Trouble is easily avoided though by confidently taking the upper hand verbally, once a handful of words or more are learned. In fact I found swearing angrily in English was enough! Our wise and experienced diplomatic friends advised us weapons were no use at all, and were more likely to create problems than solve them, not least with country Turks being extremely exciteable. I once walked past an old bearded Kurd sitting on a rock with a modern automatic on his lap on the outskirts of a mountain village near the Iranian border. That made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. But what could I have done had he decided to blow me away?
But I know what you mean about feeling safer with a gun. It’s all in the mind. I’m sure we do with our shotgun here, even though we know perfectly well it would be quite useless in the event of a real villainous break-in.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Seriously, by a gun? I’m hoping that that was to get a rise out of people or written as a joke of some kind. Guns (in my opinion, I know many people like them and that’s fine) do nothing, and I would rather save my money and stockpile food before ever buying a gun.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Gah, I hate spelling errors
*Buy, not by
November 16th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Anon,
The only “dangerous” things that seem to run in packs here, so far, are coyotes and turkeys! I add the turkeys because they are dangerous to a freshly planted seed-bed; that’s where my my bb gun comes in handy. It does the turkeys no harm, but does get their attention and moves them off.
Bears around here seem to be solitary creatures. Whether by choice or necessity is anybodies guess. Foxes are dangerous only to smaller game, and so are allowed to roam at will.
I believe you hit it on the head about the shot. All I know is that it requires a general, rather than specific, aim, and will dispatch whatever is in the line of dense fire.
I’m rather a neophyte at guns. The shotgun scares me, but the feel of the magnum (even though my husband assures me I couldn’t stand the recoil) is good in my hands. It feels like safety, though I suspect the opposite to be true.
I never imagined I’d own a gun, much less several. I’m sure if someone broke in I’d forget we had them. They aren’t all in the same place, and the ammo is in different places from the guns. I don’t think I could match them up in an emergency. I don’t think I’d want to.
Oh well.
That’s his business, not mine.
November 16th, 2008 at 4:03 am
I really didn’t think the situation would get that far, but it is after all a major issue.
For all of you who think obama ’s going to ruin your country because of his leftist politics, don’t you worry: from european standards, he is barely (i should say: not even) center-right. You don’t have socialism in the states. I’m not saying it is a good or bad thing, it just is. And from what we hear from here, he never promised to take away your guns (but, i concede that i might be mistaken when it comes to that).
As from the gun issue, well, i used to live in new zealand for a while (just one year ago) and news were reporting more and more gang violence, due to the fact that firearms were more widely spread. So, i think the gun issue is probably the same everywhere, not just in the states. That is why i think that to allow ownership of firearm to (almost) anyone is such a bad idea. I would also add, and i’m really sorry for the cliché, that it’s time you americans overcome your “western movies issues”. Conquest of the west is over now. Just TRY to have a little faith in the people that surround you.
I know your country was carved out violent times, but that’s it, that’s over now.
From my point of view, guns are not so much the real issue for you. You have always lived surrounded by violence of any kind and it seems that even now, you can’t get read of that distrustul habit you got. I never said it would be easy, but as a people, you should aim at getting over this ‘man is a wolf to man” thing.
One of the very first line of you constitution is that you should be free to pursue hapiness. How are you going to reach that hapiness if you are so distrustfull of one another?
That is (for me) the core of the issue. Owning guns and using them is just one its expression.
To conclude, i apologise to those i may have offended with cliché stuff. Once again, i don’t want you to think that i’m full of french spite towards americans because that’s really not the case. To put it staight, what bothers me is not that it concerns americans, it is that it concerns people, whenever they come from.
Just a piece of idealism.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:14 am
All this stuff going on about WWII…just thought I would point out that, IMHO, the only nation with the moral highground is the UK. We entered the war not because we were attacked but because it was the right thing to do (and as a sort of pre-emptive measure I suppose) We came out of the war with nothing…something that the (then) USSR and the USA cannot say.
As for that ill informed francophobe – if it wasnt for the French, there wouldnt BE a USA. You should be thanking them, not criticising them for being unable to withstand the massive standing army of Nazi Germany alone!
As to the gun control – people need to chill out! You are not going to change anyone’s opinion on this issue – it is WAY too ingrained in people’s psyche. Personally I believe that if you have a gun you are going to fight, whereas without one you can back down, accept the robbery (or wotever) without the situation escalating. Guns contravene standard natures law. Then again, so do most human activity.
Just chill out, live and let live, and get on topic. This isnt an Obama list……or am i missing something!
November 16th, 2008 at 9:39 am
cym (142) when the #1 on the list is “buy a gun” all the ins-and-outs of gun control aren’t that off-topic.
the politics, yes. but laws, politics, and gun control are pretty much inseparable. controversial topics invite controversial comments.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:29 am
also, i’m (fairly) sure jamie had no intentions of creating “an obama list.” and i know this is an internationally read site, and i’m very glad of it (see comment 96). but remember there are 300 million americans and it seems all of them have gone a little crazy since november 4th. be it with enthusiasm (predictions of an obama baby boom, see link)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/169073
or paranoia (increased hate crimes, see link)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iEyLuiVkdd-f1RM5wnoR0kF4WbvgD94FQJKG0
i was going to say that americans under age 10 probably care more about “high school musical” than the presidency, but the 2nd article references 8 and 9 years olds chanting “assassinate obama” on their school bus -and the associated press is a pretty reliable source. and the topic of guns is intimately tied to this election in the minds of many americans, so obama was going to come up (if you say i helped start is with comment 11, guilty as charged. i’m sorry, but i read the list and it was the first thing i thought of.)
so if you’re not in the states just be glad you’re -sort of- missing the madness.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
i’m a constant reader of this site, and a sometimes commenter, and one of the biggest things i notice and am disappointed by is how almost every comment list turns into a fight.
say what you need to say. fine. you have opinions. so does everybody else. get over it.
i’m an american and i don’t hate anyone else simply because of the country they are from. i understand why people hate americans as a whole, but i don’t take it personally.
the reason why america is in a recession right now is because we’re out fucking up other countries and leaving ours to rot. trillions of dollars on the war for oil, and kids don’t even have books to read in school. we are crumbling from the bottom up while big oil and the prison companies have more money than they know what to do with. things are simply ridiculous, and everyone’s too busy bickering over the color of the skin of the president to stand up and scream at the government to cut out this bullshit, quit bailing out the banks that screw over the average middle class american, stop digging ourselves into a depression for oil, and actually make america the great country it once was.
i guess what i’m trying to say is that at the end of the day, there’s government and there’s people. either the government controlls the people, or the people control the government. think about how you’d like to have it, and how it really is right now.
November 16th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Oh great, depression
November 17th, 2008 at 4:36 am
Luna,
Sorry I didn’t make myself clear – it was the politics (particularly Obama politics) I was referring to as being off topic. I completely agree with you as far as guns and gun control (and by proxy the american constitution and politics) are inseparable and well within debate here. I just think that dragging the President-Elect into this debate before he has made any policies or executive orders is a little foolish; wait until he makes mistakes (which he is certain to do-he is human after all) before criticising him. Even more off topic is the racist opinions of a very few on this site.
From an overseas view, I would say people have far more to be frustrated, angry and embarassed about the incumbent president rather than the incoming one. I would also say that the whole world doesnt “hate” america, we just roll our eyes at the actions and beliefs of your political elite and the zealous statements of religious fundamentalists. Frustration also comes at the (apparant) belief of americans that it must police the world. The Iraq war is war for oil not to liberate a people (not that having Hussein out of the picture is a bad thing but remember that NATO put him there in the first place)
I would say people dislike us Brits (particularly the English) just as much, and there is Zenophobia throughout the world.
For the record I enjoy a healthy debate as much as the next person, I just don’t like it when a debate descends into a slanging match with ad hominem attacks – sign of a failed argument
PS – That is the last I am going to say about Obama. I dont want to break my own rules!
November 17th, 2008 at 4:37 am
Xenophobia*
November 17th, 2008 at 5:45 am
cym (147) i’d say we are in complete agreement.
almost point-for-point. following my actual comments: 11. 87. 96. 105/106. 134/135 (response to bosco 120.) 143/144 (response to you.) -whew! i admit to being a bit overboard with my comment interest on this list
we are thinking along the same lines. i recently lived in south america (peru) for just over six months, and it opened my eyes to another perspective on my home country. i think that many other americans forget to see our country from an outside perspective (damn, i predict someone yelling “elitist!” on this comment, ‘though that would be weird, as i was helping indigenous people with land-title rights and agro-forestry programs, not some conspiracy to over take the world. this lead to my current interest in agriculture: tropical AND american midwestern.)
but it is admittedly the weirdest time to be an american in my 28 years, the president-elect has people freaking out! you made a very good point that we should all wait for his actual POLICY before getting so riled up, unfortunately people who base their actions on emotions, not facts, are seeming to find this very difficult to do.
anyway, back to the actual list:
if there is “An Apocalyptic Economic Collapse” (comment 104, excellent re-name) wouldn’t buying an RV not really help, as fuel is sure to be in short supply?
November 17th, 2008 at 5:52 am
cym (147) according to recent polls (granted the accuracy of all polls is debatable) our yes-he’s-still-president-bush has only a 16% approval rating. so many americans might agree with your “over-seas stance” of being “frustrated, angry and embarrassed about the incumbent president”.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
“..coupled with the same redneck/closeted racist/open-about-it-racist segment of society constantly muttering ..”
I didn’t write that, you did. I didn’t start the conversation labeling people. “..her southern baptist (white) farmer inlaws.” It’s really curious why you felt a need to name their religion and race if you didn’t find contempt for both. As you later relabed them right-wing social conservatives was better, social conservatives even better. God know there are now left-wing social conservatives (I apologize for using the G word I know it must “terrify” you.) You don’t know them well but know Obama instills ‘genuine fear’ and ‘terrifies’ them, uh .. ‘fucking terrifies’ them, this from personal experience with them. An experience apparently gained from them visiting you, otherwise you wouldn’t have ‘to bet they don’t know many black people (I prefer the term African-American. Black seems so demeaning, don’t you think so too?). I live in the rural South (surprised?) my two neighbors are African-American, I haven’t shot them yet because I don’t have a firearm, and I like them. Though I doubt it’s crossed their mind as much as it has yours they may even like me despite being afflicted with whiteness (I prefer the term European-American, being of Italian descent have taken the white name of Guius Bosco Maximus Bootayous).
This is to say, who gives a fuck about your personal antidotes? They prove nothing. The words you use to describe people do. You used the wrong words. You won’t admit it even with the blatantly pejorative terms, redneck/closet-racist. Rather you rationalize. (BTW after the fact ..to me. For yourself you long ago rationalized your delusional worldview.)
Let’s see … you say .. It’s funny I assume a stereotype, but it is true! you ARE progressive/liberal (progressive = socialist for those of you playing at home) yet I’m mistaken. Hummmm… how mistaken could I have been if you agree it’s true?
Aquaponics! AND Urban Agriculture! Woot! Woot! Growing Guppies and planting the median outside the Unemployment Office. Guess you hope to marry money. J/K’ng! Wise change in majors, you would have sucked at PoliSci.
“.. reactionary sales for 9.11 or hurricane katrina. ” Had you been literate enough to have used ” after ” instead of ” for ” it wouldn’t have ‘confused’ me (of course I had to be confused for assuming (again with the assuming) what you write is what you mean, it couldn’t be you being confused for having written what you didn’t mean.)
Even so I knew what you meant but that isn’t what I was responding to.. continuing the same line ” .. that, coupled with the same redneck/closeted racist/open-about-it-racist segment … ” etc, oh and the aforementioned right-wing .. I was pointing out the murder rate for “Chocolate City” (85% African-American I believe) if prorated to a city of NYC’s size would make our two wars look like a Beverly Hills CampFire Girls meeting hosted by Goldie Hawn. Notice also I mention legal firearms were confiscated, your ‘reactionary sales’ hysteria might be in part due to the fact those weapons were NOT immediately returned despite being a violation of Constitutional Rights, and in fact, were NOT going to be returned. Eventually they were but under litigation. Given an astronomical murder rate, illegal confiscation of legal weapons, reports of city wide sniper fire during and after Katrina, looting and the failure to return legal weapons to legal owners except by litigation, do you really have to call them rednecks/racist reactionary? Give your righteousness a break, you are what you hate. Prejudiced, narrow minded, intolerant, hateful, brainwashed, worse still you THINK you aren’t these things. Queue the inevitable, na-na-so-are-you, reactionary retort!
Reactionary … a word rarely used but by Marxist and uh … oh yea “progressive/liberals” And really your attempt to explain it’s use is rather lame.
Quoting from a post made after to justify a statement made before … I don’t know … well whatever. These little stories are quite nice but really lack value outside what they are. If Obama or Bush tells a little story it has value because they are policy makers. If your cousin tells a story, and you tell it to me, or some schmo post a story it has little value outside the personal. I was living in NO when an African-Americans (which HAS to be mentioned to counter point your need to vehemently blame so called racist rednecks) walked out of the projects not three blocks from the French Quarter to make a young tourist beg on her knees for her life and shoot her through the head anyway in front of husband and family. I was there when an African-American shot a nurse as she started her car after work. I was there during a year when well over 500 people were killed, those solved or witnessed were, by a vast majority, done by African-Americans. Of those not solved were OF African-Americans usually drug related. Ya, everyone has stories, so what? Don’t use parables to make a point. Make a point and MAYBE use a parable to emphasize the point.
Since I know you are a little slow and mush brained I’ll make clear. The point above is rise above YOUR prejudices before attempting to chastise others on what you think theirs are. Because believe it or not, white/black/yellow/atheist/religious/homo/straight/etc we all are open to heavy criticisms (I mean, you know, like, besides me)
I’m not at all as confused as you would like me to be but it would help if you made an attempt at punctuation, grammar, complete sentences, coherent thoughts, you know stuff like that. Thanks!
November 17th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I do get carried away … quick points to you and your bud there … 16% approval, so what? What’s Congress’s? 8%. What does that mean? Nothing because it’s been controlled by Demorats for two years.
‘base actions on emotions not facts…’ Pretty rich coming from liberals, but why quibble. Perhaps it’s not emotion so much as his history. What do you think? I mean when you do think. Lawyer and “Community Organizer” … for ACORN. Wright and Liberation Theology, the flip side to Klan theology. Ayers, white violent left-wing fanatic, neighbor, guy who wrote one of his books, sponsored him into politics, but hey, really don’t know him. The missing years at Harvard and NYC. Etc., nope, what facts that are available shouldn’t bother anyone. Just because he’s surrounded himself with the most radical people in America all his public (and possibly his private life) gives no indication about what his policies will be. MSM gives a comical take on this insisting he “will govern from the middle” Well ya, if he ignores his every political input, his own words up to now, OR the media redefines “middle” as extreme leftwing.
To your bud, NATO did NOT put Hussein in. You see this is so easily disproven one can only conclude the person stating this is throughly propagandized, stupid, or willfully lying. Only they know but if not lying I’d suggest reading any of a number of books from different sources to find out different. Hey Hussein, that names sounds familiar, humm… escapes me where …
Since all of Europe is a socialist cesspool it’s little wonder the Brit noob agrees with you.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I sure would like to figure out what Bosco & Luna 1580 are arguing about!
November 17th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
…but why would anyone bother to buy electronic equipment in a depression?
November 17th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
151. Bosco – November 17th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
What’s interesting about you, is you make long disjointed posts, whining about being labeled, while you proceed to label and use pejoratives at least once in every sentence. Not only are you a massive hypocrite, you’re arrogant and unbelievably pompous, with a big dose of BORING thrown in there for good measure. What a sad cry for attention.
Not to mention, you seem to fancy this place as a stomping ground to bloviate, belittle, and preach. Endlessly.
I don’t really think that’s what it’s meant for.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
what really gets me is how Bosco says, ‘it would help if you made an attempt at punctuation, grammar, complete sentences, coherent thoughts, you know stuff like that. Thanks!’ yet i could scarcely make it through his rambling run-on paragraph without becoming confused; having to frequently re-read sentences on account of his frequency to NOT use periods, commas or semi-colons.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:57 am
There’s no time for line breaks and punctuation when you’re busy spreading the “Truth”…
November 18th, 2008 at 4:25 am
Bosco,
You make such a fuss about being labelled and yet you refer to me as “the Brit noob”! You are a perfect example of why there is such a negative overseas opinion of the US. There are plenty of eloquent people on this site and sadly you are not among them – I cannot figure out what you are arguing about! From what little I understand of your ramblings, you seem to be describing Obama as extreme left wing. Elaborate. 8% congress aproval rating. Sources please.
Europe is a socialist cesspool…have you BEEN to Europe?
Denmark – Right wing
France – Right wing
Iceland – Right wing
UK – centre-left (currently – will change to conservative at the next election)
Spain – currently socialist
Germany – experiencing a right wing comeback; incumbent chancellor is a member of the Christian Democratic Union
(If any of this is wrong then someone correct me. Its based on my loose knowledge and a bit of wikipedia
)
Kindly do not delude yourself that the entirety of Europe follows the same political alignment. Western Europe is vastly different from Eastern Europe. EU countries tend to differ from non EU countris You seem to be deluding yourself that you know the ins and outs of european politics…very few people do as the politics varies drastically from country to country. I hope I have not given the impression that I understand American politics – if I have then I apologise – so do not try and do the same with European politics. You are making yourself look foolish and making america look ignorant (apologies to the rest of you american guys – most of you are great!)
As to NATO instating Sadaam, I was generalising. It was mainly the CIA and his contacts with this organisation date back to the late 1950’s. CIA documents leaked to the press state that they supported actively the Ba’athist party of which sadaam was vice chair. The CIA planned the assassination attempt of Abdul Karim Qassim and when sadaam botched it they put him up in an apartment in Cairo where he was debriefed at the american embassy.
After the Baath party coup, the US resupplied Iraq with weapons, American and European companies took a firm root in the country. When sadaam userped government in 1969 both the British and Americans immediately recognised him as “the recognized heir-apparent” and “a formidable, single-minded and hard-headed member of the Ba’athist hierarchy, but one with whom, if only one could see more of him, it would be possible to do business”.
Not only do these quotes appear in government documents now released under freedom of information act, they are in newspapers and several reputable websites. If you START at wikipedia and then independently confirm the sources then all of the above is apparant!!!
Sorry for so much being off topic (I’m breaking my own rules by feeding the trollz and going off topic) but it grinds my gears when someone immediately rejects someone’s opinion without proper argument or back up.
IF you are going to reply to this, do so in a courteous manner as I have tried to do despite your insults on my person.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
As an American, I am hereby disowning and disavowing Bosco.
November 18th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
158. cymraegbachgen87
Are you trying to tell me that the whole of Europe isn’t praising Karl Marx every morning, before having their tea and participating in their evil nationalized medicine!?
Surely you must be joking! lol
You’ve already shown a firmer grasp on reality and facts than the person you’re replying to.
Revisionists, be they left or right are a sad and scary lot. Bosco is the type of person that will tell you that Barack Obama is a super-secret muslim, part of a left-wing/marxist cabal, intent on over-turning the U.S. government and economy in an effort to take over the world!
All while ignoring the fact that the participants in these grand conspiracies need the economy to do well just like everybody else! Not to mention he seems to forget the GOP (can’t call them conservatives since they’re NOT) had a mighty hand in our (our being the U.S.) current economic situation.
Reminds me of the 9/11 “truthers” we had running around in this country, all of them insistent that George Bush and Dick Cheney personally piloted jumbo jets (via remote control, of course!) into the World Trade Center. These are also the very same people that toss the word “fascist” around while talking about George Bush.
Am I saying everything is cut and dry, and that I of all people understand the inner-workings of our world economy, or that I understand the true intentions of world leaders, or of the people that are actually pulling the strings? Of course not! I would never make such a ridiculous claim of unknowable knowledge.
Sadly, Bosco wants to do just that! Only HE (and Rush Limbaugh) know what’s ACTUALLY going on!
Truly hilarious.
If Barack Obama is a leftist, then you can just call me Queen Elizabeth!
November 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
TexasFool … er .. flood … yes, I am telling you that. No I’m not joking. IF you weren’t a clown intent on minimizing what I say with general statements and instead used your time thinking you might realize every country in Europe is indeed socialist. If you like others make such silly statements as Chairaq was a “conservative” (as was claimed at the time) then you are a greater fool than you let on.
If I wanted to tell anyone something I would tell you. Don’t claim to speak for me. Oh sorry, forgot you are liberal, you already KNOW what I think, and already KNOW what’s best for me.
9/11 ? Like Wow Duuuuuddde wtf are you talking about? Just pulling crap out of the air are we? I guess that makes sense to liberals, in your delusional world you figure you made a devastating point, even though it has nothing to do what has gone before.
Any reference to my perfection was an attempt at self depreciating irony. You should have been able to recognized it as a little humor.
Finally. I don’t know why I replied to this. Ignorance such as yours can’t be argued with. See ya Queenie.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
TexasFlood,
The First or the Second? Cate Blanchett or Helen Mirren?
Your maj…
(Er. Just anticipating the all-seeing, all-knowing Bosco.)
November 18th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Who is Chairaq? You havent addressed any of my points suggesting that you cannot. please give evidence for your assumption that europe is socialist – I have already done that above! It seems you are pulling your assumptions out of the air.
I don’t know why I am feeding this troll. Ignorance like his cannot be argued with
November 18th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Curses, too late, foiled again … Pipped at the post.
“TexasFool”
” don’t know why I replied to this. Ignorance such as yours can’t be argued with”
LV wisdom standards: Resort to childish, unwitty ad hominem abuse and you’ve lost in everyone’s eyes bar your own … Boast emptily of your own superiority over your opponent and you’ve finally pulled the chain on yourself.
Bon voyage, as they say in socialist Europe.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
161. Bosco – November 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Who in the world is “Chairaq”?
Who in the world said I was a liberal? I know I certainly didn’t. Which makes sense, since I’m NOT. The devil is in the details!
It’s sad that the only response you can come up with is ad hominem bullsh*t. Makes a fine statement about the quality of education in America. Would you care to cry some more about being labeled while you toss them about, all willy nilly, with NO regard for what they actually mean?
Tell you what, you spend a couple days working on your spelling, reading comprehension, punctuation, and throw a little cohesion into your ramblings, we can continue talking.
For the time being, you sound like a sexually frustrated high school kid, frothing at the mouth as you run from message board, to blog, to comments section, spreading the “truth”.
Grow up, read a book, and cut the name calling.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
lol
November 18th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
162. Anon – November 18th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I fancy myself more as the Judi Dench incarnation.
Poor Bosco, his exhibition of his various psychoses is truly startling.
November 18th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
The best part is, I mentioned Bosco, a total of TWO times in my entire original post, and he felt the need to take it personally, even though I was responding directly to cymraegbachgen87.
The lady doth protest too much, eh?
November 18th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
For Bosco:
run-on sentence
n : an ungrammatical sentence in which two or more independent clauses are conjoined without a conjunction
Just thought it would help out in your quest for grammatical perfection!
November 18th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
TexasFlood, (167),
“I fancy myself more as the Judi Dench incarnation.”
Ah. You’ll never know how close I came to offering the *Great Dame* (not a Bosco misspelling!) as an alternative alongside Ms Blanchett.
I know. You secretly harbour fantasies about being M, controlling 007, and sending him after Bosco, don’t you?
November 18th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Fantasies….I am M
November 18th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Stockpile Drugs – Brilliant esp coke
Stockpile Beer/Tequila
what about bitches? you really gonna be depressed if you ain’t gettin none.
You forgot to add “Move back in with the folks”
November 18th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Do you know what I find the saddest of all about the entire Bosco fiasco?
His choice of nick!
He has blasphemed the name of my favorite childhood cartoon!
November 18th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Not sure I agree with the coke…but as for the beer – Amen!
November 18th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
cymraegbachgen87 – what I was rambling about was in reply to luna’s mishmash of crap. You’d have to … do whatever to figure it out. I doubt you care, and I don’t care if you do or not. I know it makes sense in that context so wtf.
Yes I did call you Noob (you called yourself Brit) did it bother you? Uh huh, it’s all so very nice for lib’s to use rednecks etc as a curse but Noob? or whatever term offends them. Well that’s different. Maybe that was my point.
Yes I have been to Europe. Yes Obama is extreme leftwing. Yes all of Europe is socialist. No I don’t know the intricacies Euro politics. Yet I know Euro “rightwing” is still extreme leftwing here despite how it’s labeled there. Before Texasfool jumps in with some moronic statement proclaiming his gayness historically, in the American context, Obama IS extremely leftwing, Euro is socialist.
CIA’s contacts with Saddam were few, and superficial. They certainly had little to do with installing him in office. His own ruthlessness worked quite well. When assigning blame for conditions in the ME, Brits, French, and other Euro colonizers have long been involved with screwing up. Who armed Saddam ? Come on guy, give it a rest. Russian planes, tanks, and small arms. French helo’s and jets. German bunkers and chem’s. Rockets, French weren’t they? or Russian, doesn’t matter, wasn’t American. We gave them selected sat data in their war with Iran, didn’t seem like a good idea to let them win.
Everyone recognizes the Castro government despite his bloody ascension. Examples are endless. So what? No one has high moral ground on it. Libs are just better at pretending they do.
November 18th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
cymraegbachgen87 – sorry to keep you, I haven’t been breathlessly waiting for any possible posting by you. This is the slow class? Chirac = Chiraq because of his deep involvement and relationship with Saddam over the decades. And of course, French OIL companies huge contracts with Iraq, supplying them with weapons, intelligence, working for them in the UN, bag holding their money.
TexasFool – Gosh now you’ve made me feel bad. Sorry I got under your thin skin. Had I know you were so sensitive I’d have let my 3 year old talk to you. She makes things up also.
Ummmm : Thanks for the attention. Sorry you can’t keep up. At least you didn’t stoop to my level and call people names, you are kinda my hero now. Doesn’t matter what you think it’s for.
Lark : Attempt is the keyword. Fantasy Island Queen claims to the contrary I never suggested I sought or thought I had achieved perfection.
TexasFool : you referred to me four times. Except for two mysterious paragraphs about 911 and world economy, the rest was about me. Lying isn’t good for your Karma.
November 18th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2737&dept_id=576361&newsid=19839570
to whoever asked .. Congressional approval rating in July 08 = 09%. So shoot me for being one off.
Unfortunately, I can only find indirect references, not the poll itself. Rasmussen has a premium side where the actually poll is likely archived to. Still there are plenty of references to it including this example.
November 18th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Look out there`s a mean British nanny lurking about ready to straighten you lads out,and spew clever anecdotes.
November 18th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
170. Anon – November 18th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
lol
I don’t think executing the illiterate is worth the taxpayer dollar.
Bosco’s true punishment will come in the form of having to live through the rest of his smarmy, childish existence.
I can’t think of much worse to do to him, other than having him spend the next 30 or 40 years of his bitter life, masturbating his ego on the internet. Although his ego probably isn’t the only thing that’s being massaged during Bosco’s internet “alone time”.
176. Bosco – November 18th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
“TexasFool : you referred to me four times. Except for two mysterious paragraphs about 911 and world economy, the rest was about me. Lying isn’t good for your Karma.”
The arrogance is astounding!
Look through the post you simpleton. Your name is there TWICE. “2″ is the number that comes after “1″, if you’re having a hard time keeping up.
You have failed in every aspect possible to look even the slightest bit intelligent or knowledgeable. Everything you say from here on out just digs your hole of ignorance deeper.
Now, child, would you like to tell me how I’m a liberal again?
November 18th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
TexasFool : I can’t help you. You wrote the crap and pretend you don’t know what you wrote. You mentioned my nick twice, and referred to me twice more. 2 + 2 = 4. You do have trouble counting eh? Lying doesn’t get better with repetition.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Bosco,
The reason I didnt reply was a little thing called TIME DIFFERENCE between the UK and the US. I was bored with trying to open your eyes at 1am.
The term noob is not offensive to me. I called myself British as most americans don’t know where Wales is. I am Welsh. Hence the name cymraegbachgen…(which few people I have met can even pronounce!
) For the record I have never called anyone a redneck so don’t sling that argument my way.
“her Euro colonizers have long been involved with screwing up.” Does that mean we screwed up when we colonised america? You are a nation of colonisers! BTW this is reductio ad absurdum before you get on my back. I’m sorry I was unclear – I meant have you LIVED in Europe? Going for a holiday is hardly basis enough for your views and opinions.
Until you can site references I cannot help but think you are exagerating all of your comments. Get a clue – USA is the largest arms supplier in the world, and at the time Iraq was an excellent customer. American Oil companies have a very lucrative deal in Iraq after the second gulf war giving them a massive share of profits for decades. If you cannot refute my resources with ones of your own then don’t bother; your persistant denial without citations just makes you look foolish.
I’m struggling with why you think Europe is all left wing and socialist compared to the US. Can other US residents confirm that, compared to Europe, the US is extreme right wing? I’m also struggling with why anyone who disagrees with you is a liberal…and why you think liberal is the insult of all insults. There is no such thing as liberal and conservative anymore; people have conservative views on certain issues and liberal on others. Take your own advice and give it a rest. You are a petty, name calling, close minded, ill informed xenophobe.
(btw u sed chairaq not chirac – try reading your own posts)
I hope sanity returns to this list soon
Bigski – who are you referring to?
TexasFlood – I agree whole heartedly with you. Bosco’s rambling makes him seem extremely ignorant
November 19th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Not You.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
180. Bosco – November 18th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
So now you’re seeing things too?
LOL, I “referenced” you, eh? You wish! Hush now child, and return to your sad little life. The adults are talking.
181. cymraegbachgen87 – November 19th, 2008 at 6:48 am
His posts don’t make him SEEM ignorant, they simply make him ignorant.
FWIW, Bosco’s way of thinking has been totally marginalized in this country. He is in the very bottom 15% with the rest of the so-called “hard right” (even though most right-wingers don’t understand conservatism unless it’s of the social variety), and is NOT a good example of American capacity for critical thinking.
Luckily, people actually seem to be shunning this sort of willful ignorance.
All we need is time!
November 19th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
cymraegbachgen87, (181),
“Bigski – who are you referring to?”
He meant me. But it’s all over. Total peace has broken out in another (the original) topic.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Point: Socialism has nothing to do with working hard or not working hard. Pure communism (which is, I suppose, a theoretical precursor) aims to free people from money /so that/ people can work their butts off in fields that interest them, intsead of working their butts off (or not) in jobs chosen mainly out of monetary considerations.
I’ve always wondered why my fellow Americans have historically had such a phobia and hatred of socialists. It’s certainly /different/, and in their pure forms, communism and capitalism can’t coexist – but a lot of people seem to have conflated “socialist” with “fascist” or something. And what I can’t understand AT ALL is why /Christians/ would hate socialism, seeing how Jesus/NT was all “Property redistribution yay” and “Place your burdens on me” etc.
But whatever.
November 21st, 2008 at 3:04 am
The Filipinos will love this list!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:33 pm
To #6: Buying a gun in preparation for a *mental* depression is hardly a good idea
November 21st, 2008 at 11:18 pm
187. LaSombra: A question. How would one know a mental depression was on the horizon? Usually they arrive on little cat feet, silently, in a fog-bank, sneaking up on you unaware….;-}
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
“Does that mean we screwed up when we colonised america? ”
Ask the native americans, it was after all European colonizers who wiped out 90% of them on two continents.
Yes I was alive when in Europe. For a year.
Google : largest arms seller in the world is
Ooops seems we have competition.
I have known where Wales is for a very long time now. Sorry you think everyone but you is stupid.
Until you can site sources for every assertion YOU make …
Do you always struggle with the truth? What is, is. Well until Bush turned over the economy to government. Bush is not rightwing, he isn’t conservative, he is a RINO. BTW I did not vote for McCain.
you worry about my name calling. So what? this “conversation” began with name calling by another. I know people who live on farms, work the dirt, I know them as good people. When a person begins by calling another names, redneck/closet racist, where is there to go from there? What is lost by returning the favor? Respect? It was never given to start with.
Don’t like being called Noob? I don’t like being called redneck. Who is the hypocrite? Everyone who allowed luna’s slur to pass. Deluded is how I’d describe those who then turned around cursed me. You people aren’t better than redneck/closet racist, you just think you are.
November 28th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
good advice
November 30th, 2008 at 3:57 am
Reason #1 has got to be the most ill advised piece of shit I’ve ever read.
Guns should be outright banned and destroyed.
There is *no* such thing as responseible gun ownership or gun use. The very act of owning or using a gun is irresponsible.
The idea that people will be “stealing” from each other is based on selfish greed. If the econcomy does colapse then everything should be fair game. No such thing as theft, because there should not be personal property. I’ll take anarchy and/or socialism over capitalist democracy any day.
End of story.
November 30th, 2008 at 3:58 am
that should read responsible not responseible (thanks to having very little to no sleep I can’t type well.)
November 30th, 2008 at 4:04 am
Wanted to clarify that I find it morally reprehensible that people lord over their “belongings” and do not feel the need to share with the community. I don’t think that the government should step in and force people to give up their things, because they should have an attachment to the items in the first place. The government shouldn’t have to step in at all if things were going the right way.
I find the problem to be with society, not the system (be it political, economic, or religious) that is in place.
November 30th, 2008 at 4:05 am
AAAAAGh. That should read : They *shouldn’t* have an attachement.
going to go now.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:00 pm
…there you go again. When have I called you a redneck? When have I called ANYONE a redneck!? You seem to be slinging more insults than anyone else on this debate. I have already stated that noob is not offensive to me, it just makes you look hypocritical.
I don’t think that everyone besides me is stupid. I have met people far more intelligent than me and far less intelligent than me. On my travels, however, and by experience I have found that more people know of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland than do Cymru (Wales)….which your probably reading wrong. No slight on your character but I’m guessing you don’t speak Cymraeg; few people do.
As to the arms dealer issue. Yes I got hasty and spewed USA. Depending on the stats you get different answers. The fact remains that the five permanent members of the UN security council are the five largest arms dealers in the world.
The only truth I’m struggling with is how someone can appear as foolish and juvenile as you…
If you bothered to read the FAQ on posting it says to address arguments, not character. Ad Hominem attacks are the sign of a failed argument. I know I havent followed that advice this post but your attacks on peoples character are making me weary of addressing the few and irrelevant issues you bring up. Until you can address me in a mature way, don’t bother. I wont answer another rude and offensive post like the last one you posted.
Nos da ‘m chyfaill Americanwr!
December 1st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I find it hillarious that liberals and some non-Amercians are lecturing American’s about buying a gun under these circumstances when this list was written by a Kiwi! Search the internet and read other so called “lists” of things to do or have to survive a depression. Read some books about survival in a economic collapse and read about the “Great Depression”, then you might learn that the Kiwi is absolutely right! Now I don’t own a gun and never have, however, I might buy one and there’s nothing wrong with owning a gun in a responsbile manner. I’m also from Wisconsin and the gun owner from Wisconsin is absolutely right.
The thing is a horrific depression is coming and Obama’s stated policies are going to make it worse. Right now we’re bailing everyone out and Obama is talking about printing or borrowing another 2 trillion or so next year when he becomes President for more bailouts along with stimulus packages. We should be doing the opposite which is letting poorly run companies fail, cutting spending and saving. Spending trillions will only temporarily prop up a failing economy and will prolong the depression. Studies show that this is exactly what happened with Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and we’re making the same mistake again. Back then we were not in debt, so having about 11 trillion dollars worth of debt by the time Obama is done will make this depression significantly worse.
Now we live in a modern society where most people don’t know how to provide for themselves without grocery stores. If food became scarce or so expensive that you couldn’t afford it, knowing how many worthless ignorant people there are in this country who always rely on “daddy government”, I don’t think that it’s a stretch to assume the lazy ignorant thugs out there would just try to take it from someone else. People will get crazy when they’re hungry and will do things they might not otherwise do. Therefore, guns become important for survival and so will be neighbors you can trust if you live in a city. Don’t be surprised if neighborhood watch groups become armed neighborhood watch groups with check points and regular patrols. The larger the city, the more chaos there will be.
So you can disparage gun owning American’s and this Kiwi’s list all you want, however, in the end unfortunately, his advice will become a lifesaver if you heed it. Those of you who don’t, I’m afraid will suffer the consequences!
It’s not just wacko’s who are saying this anymore, it’s sain experts who have been right in predicting the sub prime mess and where this is leading. Peter Schiff and Gerald Celente are two such people who’s business is predicting future events and they’ve been amazingly accurate in their economic predictions. Check them out on youtube!
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am
196,
“Now we live in a modern society where most people don’t know how to provide for themselves without grocery stores.”
I’m sure the multiple millions (billions?) presently committed to a fully urban and landless city life would appreciate a few hints from you.
By the way, it’s fascinating to note the ease with which the armed *haves* believe they will suceed in holding off the presumably far more numerous and perhaps equally or more heavily armed *have nots* in a situation of total anarchy.
“People will get crazy when they’re hungry and will do things they might not otherwise do.”
Quite.
December 13th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
This list is moronic.
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:49 am
Great list! I found this site after having a hypothetical conversation (mostly jokingly) with a coworker about how to prepare. Food, I’m good. Guns, I’m good. I can shoot away bank people. Now my only problem is….I don’t like squirrel, oppossum or raccoon…. Guess it’s a learned taste. I heard marinating them in sugar makes them more tasty!
January 19th, 2009 at 4:45 am
I think you are thinking like sukrat, but I think you should cover the other side of the topic in the post too…
January 28th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
please you guys are retarded I’m only 15 years old and I know what is goin on better than you guys obama in office if I were 18 I’d vote for him he’s a good politician in case you haven’t watched cspan guess what I also love guns too I’m gonna buy one soon I’m saving up obama isn’t really that anti gun he’s anti gun violence the murders are mostly with illegal unregistered guns that those drug dealers who drive those crappy hondas with the tinted windows. Obama has bigger fish to fry like trying to slow down the downward progression of the economy after 2 billion $ of taxpayer money to bail out mr. Fatpocket he doesn’t have enough resources to outlaw guns America was built with guns and will die with guns eventually. I believe in hard work and the American spirit I believe that the people who starve in America don’t put enough effort and think out side the box invent something or find a job invest in a corrugated tin buiseness it’ll be good when everyone is living in shanty towns get a gun for hunting intimidation and try not to have 20 cause that’s 19 your not holding that can be stolen you don’t need a 308. 30-06 and a 30-30 use the money for food you work hard enough you will provale
January 29th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
#201 has to be the silliest bunch of claptrap put onto the internet in some time.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
It’s like the world’s worst run-on sentence.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
hey man put up or shut up
January 30th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Hush now child before I tell your mom and dad you’ve been using the big boy voice online.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:10 am
hah your the only one who thinks your funny you started this because you are bored because you don’t have a girlfriend a life your parents hate you and your only friends are on world of Warcraft
January 30th, 2009 at 11:22 am
The “.” key is two keys to the right of the “m” key.
January 30th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
207. damien_karras -
u so funnee! not!
had to really read your comment and the preceding comment for context and still took a moment (or 2) for it to sink in (& cheated by actually looking at the keyboard!)
so i think you owe me at least 5 mins. of my life back!
January 30th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Cyn : Yeah, considering the mentality that seemed to be lurking behind post 206, I can understand why he didn’t respond. I think he blew a microchip or two when he encountered a structured sentence.
I don’t have 5 minutes to give back to you but how about a chilled bottle of Ketel?
January 30th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
209. damien_karras -
ha! only if its w/ caviar.
doubtful a microchip more like a brain cell. more the pity since doubtful many to begin w/.
January 30th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
damien_karras -
granted i am assuming you ‘get’ how i write. if not, be happy to enlighten you.
NOT!
January 30th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Cyn – The “shift” key is just to the left of “z” or just to the right of “/?”! (Smiley face!)
January 30th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
212. astraya -
good thing i like your commenting, else i’d HaVe to sLaP uR fAcE. smiley is : )
January 30th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
all this time that we wasted here could have been spent looking at internet porn on addicting games or on youtube
January 30th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
There’s PORN on the internet? When the hell did this happen? DAMN YOU INTERNET!
January 30th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
OoOh, PlEaSe!!!!
January 30th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I just googled and got 216,000,000 English and Korean pages, so I’m going to have a busy day.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
216. astraya -
well, now that i know you’d enjoy it..never mind.
215. damien_karras -
its an urban legend.
there is only LISTVERSE. there has always only been LISTVERSE. there will always only be LISTVERSE.
got it?
January 31st, 2009 at 9:48 am
206. little man – January 30th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Hey little buddy, we can keep talking as soon as you get a job and start paying your own bills. You’re not a real human yet, so I’ll let your little indiscretion here slide for now.
January 31st, 2009 at 2:33 pm
ha look you already probably live in a dumpy apartment and live off of potato chips and hotpockets and your overweight or underweight you choose with an Internet girlfriend(at the most) what money you have is not enough for you to FET by let alone pay off all your debt man your life sucks getting as little pussy as possible and spending massive amounts of time on the computer your pathetic
sucks for you and your dissapointed parents
e
January 31st, 2009 at 9:19 pm
lol
Not to feed this troll too much, but:
1. You can’t drive
2. Can’t work
3. Live with your parents
4. Have never seen boobs
So essentially, you’re a penniless virgin, living with your mom and dad.
I’ll take the debt and the shitty apartment lol
January 31st, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Jeez dood, how much do you bench!
LULZLMAOROFL
February 1st, 2009 at 4:26 am
I know a lot of people are freaking over the whole get a gun thing, that it’s extreme, guns kill people, etc.
Though it’s slim, there is still a chance that things will get bad enough that you’re going to need a firearm. I think it’s a much better idea to have one around in advance and not need it than to need one when you don’t have one.
Truth be told, if things get bad enough, people will get that bad.
February 1st, 2009 at 10:47 am
223. Anima: Although I have always been anti NRA, we have 3 guns in the house and I am quite comfortable with that. One is just a pellet rifle to annoy the wild turkeys with, but the other two are a shotgun and a 356 magnum. If I had to use one, if your scenario of people getting *that bad* actually happened, I’d have to use the shotgun, since aiming isn’t required so much as just pointing.
Still, this is a small village, and everyone knows everyone. I seriously doubt that within the confines of the village anyone would attack a neighbor.
February 8th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Very good list .In reference to the gun issue.. I invite all to realize that this list has to be applied on a territorial basis. I am an American who have lived in Europe and Asia. Any intelligent individual would know that America does have more crime than many other countries.I can personally say that in the outlying areas where I live in the South, many small towns are now at 13.5% unemployment and law enforcement are now being laid off due to budget cuts. I saw last week where one small town has had a high number of home invasions and break-ins and people are breaking in to steal food. Curfews are also being instated to deal with increased homicide rates. I can tell you people that we are indeed in a “Crisis” in America and even our leaders cannot fully assure us that all economic sanctions being put forth will provide any relief, if any. For many years, I have delayed the decision to buy a personal firearm, but as I look around me, I see that a year from now, things will be twice as bad and being able to protect my family will be of great concern for me.
So before any non-Americans make quick judgement on this issue, I invite you to do more research on what’s really happening in this country and you will see that gun debate in Asia or europe is totally different from gun debate in America. Although, I am of the anti-gun point of view, I am a realist and realize that this is a pandora’s box issue that occured on American soil from hundreds of years ago and it aint goin back in the bottle folks. If this all goes south, then we each have decisions to make on where it will be safest and most advantageous to lay low until the storm passes over. good luck to all..
February 8th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
225. joey: carpé magnum
February 26th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Anima – Dangit! You stole my blasted comment! But I gotta say it anyway r.e. the whole gun thingy; It’s better to have something and not need it than need it and not have it.
I don’t want to sound like some sort of morbid doomsayer, but I tend to treat any serious situation (including the financial hooraw we’re in now) a-la Clausewicz on War. You should always prepare for what COULD be, not what is LIKELY to be. Anyone disagree with me?
Incidentally, I STILL find it hilarious that so many people were mistaking JFrater for a Yank…. Wrong hemisphere, Magellan
March 17th, 2009 at 6:34 am
what country is the best country to ride out the global depression. Me and my fiencee have 20g saved. we live in NYC. i know spanish. We were thinking about New Zealand. Costa Rica.
April 15th, 2009 at 4:37 am
prepare for depression, buy a gun so when you’re really low, you can shoot yourself!
April 26th, 2009 at 4:36 am
Survive a depression is simple. Just do these 3 things.
Make sure you have a trade or skill that is useful (as mentioned above).
Stock pile only those things that will be in demand or are import reliant. Such as food items, ammunition (I know, I know)and medicines.
Clear all and any debt you have up to and including foreclosing on your mortgage. If you can’t pay with cash on the table you can’t afford it so don’t buy it.
TC
June 15th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I am a union electrician and haven’t been able to find employment in 6 months. There are a lot of unemployed electricians. The union keeps a list of workers and it has hundreds of names of unemployed electricians waiting for jobs to open up and this is true for all the counties within at least 100 miles of me.
My sister is a nurse and it took her a year and a half to find employment.