So is the s*%t starting to hit the fan for you?

[Up-the-Creek]

(I really need to strive for brevity in my writing )

To summarize: America once had more power over other nations, those nations are in the process of developing similarly to America and crave the same level of power. As you sow, so will you reap.

Perhaps it's not about maintaining what was in the past, but moving beyond the past to a new and better future. Loss is a great way to let go of what has tied you down and embrace new possibilities.

That said, the sky still isn't falling. There are simply challenges to be met intelligently.

Both posts are very well said.

 

[moolie]

Icu4dzs asks a good question above (twice).

What exactly are we talking about? The OP asked how it's going, and references unemployment and how the economic downturn is affecting her local community/region. But what exactly is the dealio with the impending doom that seems to be part of the collective consciousness on this forum?

The financial markets? The Great Depression didn't last forever. The recessions of the 70s, 80s, and 90s didn't last very long at all. Sometimes the system gets out of whack and needs re-setting is all, and some nations have more to "fix" than others. The Depression resulted in changes to banking systems, rules that slowly got changed back resulting in what we see today. It hurts. Individuals. Real people. But it will again re-set with time. And it doesn't have to go back to what it was before.

Civil or national unrest in the news? This is a human condition and has never gone away, there have always been issues between nations as well as within the borders of individual nations. Sometimes they are far away and don't affect us, sometimes they are closer or affect aspects of our personal lives.

Natural disasters? Again, a global norm--weather/plate tectonic action happens. Regularly. And the world has been in a constant state of "climate change" since it began--regardless of how one species may or may not have affected it. The planet is a system, and everything on it is a part of that system.

It's very easy to see the "end times" in events we perceive to be negative. Biblically, what we've got here is nothing like how I've read the "end times" described (whether you are pre or post-trib in your outlook). Those of us in the "developed world" tend to have a collective belief that we control world events more or less, and we begin to feel powerless when things go awry. As Dunkopf noted above, blame is easy to assign.

Are there any real threats out there? Perhaps to what we've become accustomed to as a "normal" way of life. But I don't think the North Koreans or Iranians or Russians (or anyone else for that matter) really wants to bomb America. Well, a few of them might just on principle. But I don't really think it will happen. I think any situations involving nukes are more likely to be accidents or limited events caused by total rogue psychos rather than intentional. People in the know, with the ability to push the red buttons, know better. I suppose total anarchy is a real possibility, but deep down all people need boundaries and rules and even anarchy can't last.

Maybe I'm too optimistic. Maybe I don't have enough drinking water stored for even a minor disaster. But I live near a creek that doesn't run dry and have camping/other supplies and survival knowledge at the ready so I know my family and I'll get by regardless of whatever the "sh*t" might turn out to be, should it materialize in my lifetime.

 

[Rebbetzin]

I think this explains it pretty good...

Luke 21:24-28

24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 mens hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

 

[SKR8PN]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Rebbetzin/Email icons/2008 new icons/Words/thHmmmm.gif I think this explains it pretty good...

Luke 21:24-28

24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 mens hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/Rebbetzin/Email icons/2008 new icons/Words/thBanned.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../2008 new icons/Words/Tomatothrownewsmall.gif

NO JESUS
KNOW PEACE

 

[gettinaclue]

Well, DH and I are still going strong. The money we have been able to keep in the household because we no longer have a childcare bill has been a real blessing. You would think that we are rolling in it and having a good 'ol time, but that is far from the truth.

For one thing, the cost of food is taking a huge bite out of it. We are getting smaller packages of what we buy and it is costing us more. Also, we had absolutely no money for so long and we were never able to do the repairs and whatnot around the house, that is taking a big...no.... GIGANTIC GOBBLE out of the rest-and I'm not talking fancy. The cost of lumber is ridiculous!!! Even the two local lumber mills seem to have lost their minds!!! I feel sure most of it has to do with the cost of fuel they have to recoop.

My next door neighbor was foreclosed on. They moved out at the beginning of November. A few weeks ago, the repo man came by to pick up his son's car and stopped by to ask us where they went (I'm sorry Mr Repo man, I can't help you). Thier house was bid on multiple times the day after it came on the market and now we are waiting to find out who our new neighbors are.

There don't seem to be as many foreclosures as there were, but they are still happening. FOR SALE signs still dot my drive to work, but it's not as bad as it used to be

I'm seeing A LOT of chickens free ranging these days. I never saw a chicken at someone's house 3 or 4 years ago, and the other day, I counted 6 houses on my drive home that I SAW chickens in their FRONT yard. A few even had guineas! One house had a whole gaggle of geese strutting around the yard (I have a 30 to 45 minute drive home FYI).

I've had a very good friend get laid off of work after 13 years with the same company. He has a wife and 3 kids under the age of 6 at home, and a mtg on a house they only bought 2 years ago.

My mother was also laid off last week - she's a nurse. They have enough of a tax refund to pay the mortgage once - they have no savings, no stockpile, and two old vehicles that are beginning to gasp their last.

To get to the question, what do I think the "S" is? Well, this is it. This is definately a depression, people can kiss my patoot that think it's a recession.

No money, high costs of food and shelter and no work. A big problem is that a lot of people don't know how to put away food from what they grow. A lot don't even know how to grow it. Most of the women I know got preserves or what not from an older family members, some are now learning how to do it themselves (this is the catagory I fell in).

I have seen an incredibly large incease in mutigenerational households. I talked with a woman yesterday...she and her husband had scrimped and saved all their lives, finally felt like they were in a good place to retire, and then both of their sons moved back home. Both of them over 30 and had been laid off. They still can't find work. That seems to be what I'm seeing over and over.

I'm not a doom and gloomer, but we aren't out of this yet. It's going to last a bit longer I think. I do think that having a gun and stockpiling ammo is a good idea, just like I think having a pantry and stockpiling food is a good idea. Being prepared never did anyone anything but good. It sure helps the sleep factor if nothing else.

The cost of food, gas, electricity are not going to fall. They are just going to go up. Brace yourselves and squirrle away what money you can (I say this with 4 bucks in my savings account) - it will only come in handy later.

As far as feeling insulated here in the USA. YES!!! It drives me crazy! There is little news about what is going on in the outside world. As someone else said, I find myself reading BBC just to get a different take on things.

I rarely find anything in the news about Canada, and all I ever hear about Mexico is that mexico city floods a lot do to poor planning, and they have an astronomically large drug problem in the country in general. I wouldn't put a toe in Mexico if you promised to pay off my mortgage...well, maybe a toe- but that's it.

Overall, I think that yes, people resist change- I'm one of the main ones. I like things just so and that's the way I like them. I don't even rearrange my livingroom furniture. (I do crave a small change once in a while, but nothing drastic). That being said, I recognize the need for change and that I have to change, but I know I'm dragging my feet and not doing all I should/could.

 

[Dunkopf]

Icu4dzs asks a good question above (twice).

What exactly are we talking about? The OP asked how it's going, and references unemployment and how the economic downturn is affecting her local community/region. But what exactly is the dealio with the impending doom that seems to be part of the collective consciousness on this forum?

The financial markets? The Great Depression didn't last forever. The recessions of the 70s, 80s, and 90s didn't last very long at all. Sometimes the system gets out of whack and needs re-setting is all, and some nations have more to "fix" than others. The Depression resulted in changes to banking systems, rules that slowly got changed back resulting in what we see today. It hurts. Individuals. Real people. But it will again re-set with time. And it doesn't have to go back to what it was before.

Civil or national unrest in the news? This is a human condition and has never gone away, there have always been issues between nations as well as within the borders of individual nations. Sometimes they are far away and don't affect us, sometimes they are closer or affect aspects of our personal lives.

Natural disasters? Again, a global norm--weather/plate tectonic action happens. Regularly. And the world has been in a constant state of "climate change" since it began--regardless of how one species may or may not have affected it. The planet is a system, and everything on it is a part of that system.

It's very easy to see the "end times" in events we perceive to be negative. Biblically, what we've got here is nothing like how I've read the "end times" described (whether you are pre or post-trib in your outlook). Those of us in the "developed world" tend to have a collective belief that we control world events more or less, and we begin to feel powerless when things go awry. As Dunkopf noted above, blame is easy to assign.

Are there any real threats out there? Perhaps to what we've become accustomed to as a "normal" way of life. But I don't think the North Koreans or Iranians or Russians (or anyone else for that matter) really wants to bomb America. Well, a few of them might just on principle. But I don't really think it will happen. I think any situations involving nukes are more likely to be accidents or limited events caused by total rogue psychos rather than intentional. People in the know, with the ability to push the red buttons, know better. I suppose total anarchy is a real possibility, but deep down all people need boundaries and rules and even anarchy can't last.

Maybe I'm too optimistic. Maybe I don't have enough drinking water stored for even a minor disaster. But I live near a creek that doesn't run dry and have camping/other supplies and survival knowledge at the ready so I know my family and I'll get by regardless of whatever the "sh*t" might turn out to be, should it materialize in my lifetime.

You're not too optimistic. Things are already getting better. Like you said we are going through a reset. Those that are unemployed will find employment again. It just won't be at the same level as most. I'm sure a lot of people that were doing well before the depression and had to stand in bread lines and live on the street became employed again. They just had to hit the reset button.

Manufacturing will be back. It will just be a lot lower pay with fewer benefits. Health benefits will be on a Medicare from birth type system and will reduce overall cost for all businesses allowing them to build and make the US a more friendly place for business. Obama is already pushing for lower corporate taxes to try to encourage businesses to stay here. Eventually they will get it together and quit playing politics on every little thing.

As for nukes. The only kind of nuke we might see is a suitcase nuke. Relatively low damage and casualties but terrible none the less. It would turn the country upside down, but cooler heads will prevail. We just need to be sure we don't elect any real radicals. Even the President has some safeguards when it comes to nukes. All nuclear releases are at least 2 man or woman control. The cold war has been over a long time.

The US will still be a leader. Other countries will just be closer than they used to be. In another hundred years we may see an entire world that is humane with little or no starving.

Too bad there isn't any press or media to point out the good stuff. They do a great job on doom and gloom.

 

[THEFAN]

I live on an island with 1800 people or so. Double that number in the summer when all the zombies come. We have a lot of 4 sale signs but these are peoples 2nd or thrud house here. Most of them are owned out right but see tougher times ahead and are getting ready. The local foreclosure seemed to have peaked last fall. I don't think we will see them like we did last yr this coming yr. People here are ajusting and going what there parents and grand parents did and that is survive. A roof over your head is the only way you live on an island and that is priority one. Those who forgot that lessoon are not here anymore.

GET OUT OF DEBT!!!!
PAY OFF HOUSE!!!!
PREPARE!!!
The only way to be truelly worry free in there system!!

 

[Dunkopf]

I live on an island with 1800 people or so. Double that number in the summer when all the zombies come. We have a lot of 4 sale signs but these are peoples 2nd or thrud house here. Most of them are owned out right but see tougher times ahead and are getting ready. The local foreclosure seemed to have peaked last fall. I don't think we will see them like we did last yr this coming yr. People here are ajusting and going what there parents and grand parents did and that is survive. A roof over your head is the only way you live on an island and that is priority one. Those who forgot that lessoon are not here anymore.

GET OUT OF DEBT!!!!
PAY OFF HOUSE!!!!
PREPARE!!!
The only way to be truelly worry free in there system!!

If you're out of debt and have a solid roof over your head with a heat source and water you're 90% of the way there.

 

[FarmerChick]

I sure agree 100% on that one....own your home.
as long as you can cover those property taxes you are fine. there are ways around everything, but a good PAID roof over your head is key to a good life!

 

[Sunny]

I think it is hitting the fan.

Gas is up to $3.38 yesterday. Who knows how high it is today. It seems to go up every 2-3 days. This is at the cheapest gas station, and the cheapest gas-regular unleaded.

Bananas went up .20cents a pound..

The cheapest loaf of bread went up .20cents each.

Even a poor persons food of ramen noodles went up .05 cents each. And mac and cheese went up about .10 cents each.

Of course coffee went up. But I dont have the money figure on that.
I think it is at least $1.00 a can. And that is when they are on sale.

Chips went up. No money figure on that. But it is about .50 cents a bag. I buy them for DH's lunches for work.

Meat has gone up at least .50 cents a pound, even on sale. And this is for all meats.. Even cheap hotdogs went up .10-.20 cents a package.

Its getting bad. All prices are going up. But the pay is the same..

And they say the recession is getting better.. Well maybe for the gov. because they are taking more from us to pad their wallets with. And it leaves us with less and less..

Its starting to get real scary. The only commody I get is the phone and internet. And we pay for that with sales on ebay. So, so far we are ok with the internet. But if those sales stop.. Then I will have no outlet to the outside world.. LOL.. We dont even have cable tv... Nope.. To expensive. The phone and net are cheaper than tv. And we can make money on the net and not tv. So we knew which one went.. We havent had cable tv for more than 2 years..