[Vinny]

Originally Posted by billethkid

so those of us that already own the guns but just need to stock up on food are OK....eh?

btk

I always assumed that those with guns get their food from those without them.

[raynitsche]

Those with guns can protect their family.

[BarryRX]

Originally Posted by Ripcord13

Just duck and cover and you'll be OK

Heehee.....or if that doesn't work, drop and roll!

[Golfingnut]

This is but one of the many many fears we live with today. Read some of the organized fears in this link:
List of conspiracy theories - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am not sure who if anyone benefits from these delusions, but I am sure they are nothing but destructive to the way should be living. They go against the teachings of my faith and my love for my neighbors and all mankind. If these conspiratorial theorists would put half the energy given these doomsday scenarios toward helping those in fear we could all have a better existence on earth. I vote for not blessing your own little group and even stop with the building walls and bunkers around the US and start by saying GOD BLESS THE WORLD. I mean, it is 2012 and we still have folks talking like my CAVE vs your CAVE.

[CarolSells]

Originally Posted by John_W

In 1962 in St. Petersburg when I was 12 one of my friend's father built a bomb shelter in his back yard. He worked for Florida Power and got hold of some discarded 2" thick steel shafts that were 4'x4'. He dug down quite a few feet and hooked together about 6 sections and poured cement all around and covered with dirt on top.

Essentially it became it became our playhouse, hideout, whatever. My favorite memory was once we let some other kids go down and check it out and we dropped a cherry bomb down the air shaft.

Cute story, John. That was back when kids were actually still allowed to have fun! Today you'd probably be surrounded by a SWAT team!

[dwebb]

Thank you for your replies.

I have received a few private messages from members that believe being prepared for the possibility of a national emergency makes sense. Now, if there are any other serious thinkers out there you can send a private message to me and avoid public criticism of us ants by the grasshoppers. Winter is coming!

[graciegirl]

I am a serious thinker. Most of us are over the hill looking down. Live now.
Dance now. Smile now. Hug now, Care now.

Don't worry. Be happy.

[kentucky blue]

Originally Posted by CaptJohn

That reminds me. I bought a house one time that had an underground fallout shelter in the back yard (remember those from the 60's missle crisis?). It wasn't the reason I bought the house but just happened to be there from a previous owner. It was full of roaches and my wife at the time would never go near it until a direct hit from Hurricane Frederic (33 years ago last night) was due at night and we cleaned it out and stayed in it (her choice), not hearing any wind or noise from the outside. It had an air pump for fresh air. We were in walkie talkie contact with our neighbors who also had one but chose to stay above ground to their regret. When we came out the next morning there were 30 trees down in our yard!
Much like a tornado shelter.

The home i have in Lexington has a huge "safe room" in the basement,built by the previous owner back in the early 60's,i've turned it into my wine cellar.If something catastrophic ever happens i will not know about it, or care,or have to worry about a hangover the next day.Speaking of worry and fear of the future,it's like a rocking chair,it gives you something to do,but it gets you nowhere.Why lose today by being fearful of tomorrow......live,laugh,and love.

[dsned]

I like preppers and think they might have something on the ball. They are young people with young families, so they have a lot to live for. And so what if they choose to spend their money on supplies? They would probably not agree with what you spend your money on.

[Golfingnut]

Originally Posted by dsned

I like preppers and think they might have something on the ball. They are young people with young families, so they have a lot to live for. And so what if they choose to spend their money on supplies? They would probably not agree with what you spend your money on.

I don't think the issue is being prepared, but rather why they are being prepared. You can have natural and man made disasters, but the true preppers IN SOME CASES live afraid and in a paranoid state of mind. That is like being an extremist against your own mind and not allowing yourself to live a normal life. Being prepared is a good thing, but believing in some of the wild way out there conspiracy theories is not healthy.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I don't have a clue what preppers are.

Do they like dogs? I like dogs. I suspect not.

Gracie:
There was a popular show last winter that showed how various families all over our nation are preparing for possible upcoming catastrophes.
Not to be taken lightly, it is important to have supplies of bottled water, foods that are not perishable, reliable vehicles, and other common sense items such as a supply of first aid stuff, prescription meds for those who take or need them.......and so on.........

The die hard ones have actually built "bunkers" in various forms all across our country.

Other die hard ones are teaching their kids to eat insects, worms, etc. in case of food shortages.

Up here, we always have alternate heat sources in case of a blizzard or whatnot.......weather radios, woodpiles, etc. but these preppers each have a unique way of "getting ready" for possible diaster.
Ditto for stocking up on pantry items, things like toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, you name it...........things you would really need if , for some odd reason, supplies did NOT GET TO THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET.

It isn't a joke. Mother Nature could be the culprit....not alkaeda.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by billethkid

so those of us that already own the guns but just need to stock up on food are OK....eh?

btk

They should all come to Vermont and see how Vermonters stock up.
It isn't about everybody being dead.......it's about shortages.

Or, what if all the banks fail, and people can't get their funds out?

Everything is dependent on computers nowadays......if a major glitch happened, and all computers were down.........the supermarkets couldn't even tally up your supplies; you wouldn't pump gasoline, banks couldn't function..........and so on.

So, better to have something to fall back on. It isn't paranoia.

Yes, some of those preppers were beyond the norm. I would never live in a bunker.........for fear of radiation. I'd take my chances with that.

But I do need my bottled water and a full pantry or two....just in case.

Never say never...........esp. the way the world is going at the moment.
WE feel we are in a relatively very safe location, but you never know who could come over the border from Canada.

When we cross the border, they really and truly check out the big trucks and pull them over........the border guards know that people try to sneak in and Vermont is perceived as an easy border to cross.....way up in the Northeast Kingdom as they call it..........

We don't live in fear at all. Just have always been prepared.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

They should all come to Vermont and see how Vermonters stock up.
It isn't about everybody being dead.......it's about shortages.

Or, what if all the banks fail, and people can't get their funds out?

Everything is dependent on computers nowadays......if a major glitch happened, and all computers were down.........the supermarkets couldn't even tally up your supplies; you wouldn't pump gasoline, banks couldn't function..........and so on.

So, better to have something to fall back on. It isn't paranoia.

Yes, some of those preppers were beyond the norm. I would never live in a bunker.........for fear of radiation. I'd take my chances with that.

But I do need my bottled water and a full pantry or two....just in case.

Never say never...........esp. the way the world is going at the moment.
WE feel we are in a relatively very safe location, but you never know who could come over the border from Canada.

When we cross the border, they really and truly check out the big trucks and pull them over........the border guards know that people try to sneak in and Vermont is perceived as an easy border to cross.....way up in the Northeast Kingdom as they call it..........

We don't live in fear at all. Just have always been prepared.

Forgot to add:
Generators in case the power goes out.
Alternate sources of "light".......
It's what we all do up here.........be prepared.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Wayne_TN

dwebb - I try to prepare for bad events as i think most reasonable folks do - hope you find some like-minded individuals to correspond with.

Bogie - Do you need a hug? The guy asks a reasonable question and you go off on him. Shame on you.

I agree with you . "Reasonable" people would prepare for any eventuality.

There was a time when paper money was worthless.

We know folks who collect gold coins and such; others have things to barter.

In New England I do attribute "stockpiling" to the harsh winters of old.

Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are also known for keeping large supplies of foodstuffs and rotating them.......my husband really admires how they stockpile.

In Florida I would definitely keep one of the walk in closets stocked with bottled water........as you all would need it.

Click on hyperlink below and keep scrolling down as it is a very long article on hyperinflation and what has transpired in the past in other countries; scroll down past the large blank space to read in its entirety.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...&printable=yes

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by createquilts

Remember Katrina, when within two days people were on roofs with signs no food, no diapers, send help? Perhaps we would all be well advised to be prepared for whatever disaster is likely to impact us- bad storms or a disruption in the supply lines of food in this area. Tornados, earthquakes and hurricanes can wreak havoc and being prepared for whatever is likely to happen in your area is sensible. Such as having a week of water and food, a way to heat food, getting messages out.

I echo exactly what you state above. It doesn't have to be a world wide catastrophe........even a local one would be hard.

We had an October ice storm when everything in town just came to a halt.

The heavy ice on the foliage laden trees was just too much for them to bear and they were cracking and falling all over town and on the roads exiting town.

Since we had a Jeep four wheel drive, my husband towed several neighbors to where they wanted to go.......they couldn't get up the icy hills.......one guy was trying to meet his limo to the airport........

Meanwhile, my son's high school teacher called to have me call all the parents to cancel the study group for their SAT tests.......he was stranded on his dirt road and couldn't get to town to the high school........

Trees down, power lines down.........I was able to make a few calls at the most before we lost our power. People were actually killed when falling trees fell on them while they were just on their front porches.

This was OCTOBER.........not the dead of winter, but people didn't have hot showers, didn't have HEAT , couldn't cook.........the ones who were prepared like us.....managed fine. Others we helped.

Since we had a kitchen wood stove plus a fireplace in the living room plus two furnaces in the basement (an oil furnace and a wood furnace as an alternate source of heat) we were toasty warm.......

The woodstove was a small Jotul and had cooking burners on top; it was on a red brick hearth.......came in handy for cooking. We also have camp stoves to cook on if need be........in that other great room we had a Jenn Aire electric grill, but didn't do us any good as we had no electric.

My husband made hot cocoa, coffee and hot oatmeal and brought it around to those with children or the elderly neighbors who were close to us. These people didn't know what to do. We could also boil soup, etc.

Within a few days, our other neighbor who worked for the power company as a lineman was the most popular guy in our neighborhood when he came around and turned back on all of our electricity by climbing the poles...........this only after two days without.

I can't even imagine what those poor Katrina victims went through in the heat and flooding with no water, no food, no airconditioning, no diapers, no diabetes meds, etc...........better to be prepared.

To us it is intelligent to do so........we don't believe in putting our heads in the sand. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared.

Now, going to the extremes like those on the preppers show.......again, I would not live in a bunker below the ground.

However, imagine if there was a really bad hurricane like Andrew was.
I still remember pics of those people standing in long lines for water and ice...........a couple whose roof blew off in Andrew bought our Vermont home.........she was traumatized for sure by that storm. Supermarkets would NOT BE FUNCTIONING.