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I think they are just sensationalists, atheists and out for money.....sm [2008-11-15]
Now this woman/man has BOTH sexual organs, supposedly, one grown through testosterone supplemts, how ridiculous. Who needs this crap? And Barbara Walters stirs the pot. Degrading. This 'Thomas' got death threats.

my money's on your dog. Listen to [2008-11-13]
him. My old dog one time was growling so low I did not hear her,I felt it through the leash at a park. It was a really nice looking young man whom I would not have been suspicious of at all, but when I looked down at her, her fur was up and she was poised to attack, a typical german shepherd stance with one back leg crouched. She did not like him at all and was not even wasting her time barking. I had to hold up hand up to him and tell him to stop where he was. This was a first although I had seen her become very protective in the house, always slept between me and the door and she always tried to answer the door ahead of me. It turned out these were gypsy pavers staying in my sister's park and they were all nothing but trouble, even making the news in Chicago when one mistreated her child in the parking lot.

In the old days, they gave the carolers money [2008-11-02]
My ex-husband said that when he and his brothers were little boys, they'd go out carolling for money and make a killing. That was around 1962 or so.

You've been married 15 years [2008-11-02]
and you've put up with it for 15 years. There's really no reason for him to change, is there? You've allowed him to do this to you. Sorry to be so blunt.

yeah well it's only wasting money when you lose [2008-10-22]
a deal when you could win millions. I can give up a few cups of coffee or something else rather than my lottery tickets!!

No way would that save me money -- [2008-10-21]
we'd end up divorced and that's more expensive than a haircut!! LOL!!!

If I have the money for something I can buy it - without asking permission! nm [2008-10-08]
x

Husbands and money [2008-09-19]
I keep a spreadsheet of our income and expenses for a two-month time span. That way, I know in advance how much, if any, extra cash is left over on payday and can plan for any unusual expenses that might be coming up. Every couple of weeks, I sit hubby down in front of computer and together we look over where the money is going and how much cash we have until the next payday. I update it every other day as we spend pocket money, unexpected expenses etc., and keep him informed if we are broker than expected. It's never richer than expected unfortunately! I also take care of all the bills, etc., so it is easy for him to fall into a state of ignorant bliss. But I am an organized computer nerd at heart, so I like playing with the numbers. But I think if your husband had concrete numbers of your financial situation, he would realize what a difference that $3 can make.

Husbands and money [2008-09-19]
I keep a spreadsheet of our income and expenses for a two-month time span. That way, I know in advance how much, if any, extra cash is left over on payday and can plan for any unusual expenses that might be coming up. Every couple of weeks, I sit hubby down in front of computer and together we look over where the money is going and how much cash we have until the next payday. I update it every other day as we spend pocket money, unexpected expenses etc., and keep him informed if we are broker than expected. It's never richer than expected unfortunately! I also take care of all the bills, etc., so it is easy for him to fall into a state of ignorant bliss. But I am an organized computer nerd at heart, so I like playing with the numbers. But I think if your husband had concrete numbers of your financial situation, he would realize what a difference that $3 can make. Or even see that if he didn't drive home, he would save a gallon of gas a day, x5 days = $20 bucks or whatever.

Anyone know other ways of making at-home money sm [2008-09-03]
I have been transcribing for over 12 years - and I do like the profession and I am grateful that it has allowed me to stay home with my children. But I am getting sort of burned out....and want to do something different for a while at home. Have been looking at all sorts of online sites that advertise working from home but I don I know this is an MT site but does anyone do anything other than MTing that has been successful? I am thinking of maybe doing MTing part-time to stay up-to-date with it, and doing something else part-time, or maybe just taking a break from MTing for a while altogether. Any ideas would be appreciated.

He kept his $10 and only used her money for gas. [2008-09-02]
x

Dave Ramsy, The Total Money Makeover.... [2008-08-24]
His message, Live like no on else so later on you can live like no one else. Budget is not a bad word and saying no to the kids is not wrong and does not make you a bad parent.

We got married [2008-08-20]
in the country by my husband's nephew's backyard pond. It was beautiful. I walked down on a long white aisle runner and stood under a decorated trellis. Wouldn't have traded an outdoor wedding for the world.

had to be married twice the same day. [2008-08-20]
Married at a beautiful,famous restaurant in the state of Kentucky. Lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is right across the bridge from Kentucky. At the last minute the rabbi said I can't marry you there, I am not a licensed Rabbi in the state of Kentucky. We were married legally early in the morning at 8:00 am at the rabbi's house in Cincinnati where he was licensed as a rabbi, in his flannel shirt, his wife in her housecoat to witness the wedding, my hair had not been done yet by the hairdresser and was standing on end, so much for the groom seeing the bride 24 hours prior. At 12:00 noon the wedding progessed in Kentucky with 350 guests and 32 yards of chantilly lace in my gown, but we were already married. The ceremony was for show only.

Being married to a recovering [2008-08-20]
alcoholic (he was an active alcoholic for 15 of the 30 years we JMO

We got married on our property... [2008-08-20]
just a little ceremony with a few friends and the pastor. We have 15 lovely acres of land and were married near the barn. Everytime we walk past that spot we stop, say I do, kiss and walk on. If we ever leave here we will take some of the dirt with us as a fine memory.

Where did you get married? [2008-08-19]
A church, city hall, a park, on a beach, on a sailboat, a private home, a cabin in the woods, other? Was it in the U.S. or a foreign country? I got married (eloped) in a chapel. It had 4 pews in it. Made in the U.S.A.

church, church, courthouse. Married the same man [2008-08-19]
all 3 times.

priceless! I would have bet money [2008-07-30]
NO Transcriptionist ever actually won! Guess I would have lost that one, too!

money [2008-07-29]
Has anybody ever heard of a Transcriptionist winning the lotto? thought not...lol, and if you did, I bet she didn't keep on working!

This comes from Money Magazine e-article. See link inside. [2008-07-19]
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ManageDebt/Your5MinuteGuideToManagingDebt.aspx When the collectors are knocking If you've gotten in so deep that debt collectors are at the door, know your rights: Debt collectors may not harass, oppress or abuse you or any third party they contact. (See Make a deal with debt collectors.) They may not falsely imply that they are government representatives or that you have committed a crime. They may not tell you that you will be arrested if you do not pay your debts. I hope this helps.

Where is she getting all the money for cabs? nm [2008-07-16]
nm

she works part-time so has money. nm [2008-07-16]
nm

yep...got married. [2008-07-14]
sheezh

Big bunch of lies...look at all the inconsistencies in ages/virgin when married 14yrs ago, but has a [2008-06-30]
Please see a psychiatrist. You are obviously seeking attention by posting lies. Furthermore, you said he was your prince charming...then you said he talks like he is retarded and that people have asked you if he is retarded. What was so 'princey' about a man who sounds like a retard and has psoriasis all over his body. Why would you have married him in the first place? How does a woman who was a virgin almost 14 years ago end up with a child who is already 14? You make it seem as though you are always without food but you are extremely overweight after having what you described to be a perfect body 14 years ago. How did that happen?


Google

Has anyone ever made any extra...sm [2008-11-19]
money selling things on ebay? I have went through the closets and have a lot of things I need to get rid of. I am posting them on ebay. After selling those things I may open an ebay store with things I may buycheap and resell. I even thought about making little throw pillows and throws and things. I can make pillows. My mom is great at sewing and I can sew some things. Just a thought. Anything to make some extra cash. Has anyone had success selling on ebay?

I'm in Florida and spend about $175/wk for 5 sm [2008-11-18]
I5 and 158 lbs,eats more than my husband, who is 6 and 345 lbs. FIL had to have a feeding tube put in last July, and I had to cut down meals by half because we were having so many leftovers and wasting money. Just when I thought I had it figured out, he was able to get the tube removed, so II donwe (FIL and I) will just eat a sandwich or leftovers from the fridge As far as special foods, we dona recipe, and for a while we were buying meat ata butcher shop but have had to cut that out for now. It was really good but was close to DH's work, and if he couldn't pick it up while he was in the area, it was a 45-minute drive. I cook most things from scratch, except lasagna because I hate making it. Once a month, we have a luncheon at church that I bring a dish and a dessert, and I cook Wednesday night dinner there one night per month, but I get reimbursed for the Wednesday night dinner. I do include paper products and toiletries in with my grocery budget but that's it, and I usually go to Sam's once a month for those. I have it easy compared to my parents though. My dad got paid once a month, and there were 4 kids at home all the time, 5 when my sister came up during the summer. They used to have 3 grocery carts slap full of food, and my mom figured out that it took something like 18 boxes of cereal to last a month, each one with a date marked on it so we didnWe also hada freezer to keep extra bread and other things, and my mom also used to mix in powdered milk when the gallon was half-way gone. I never knew until I was grown, so she definitely blended it well.

We have a Chevy HHR and a Jeep sm [2008-11-18]
The HHR is the first new car we have had, and it was a year old when we bought it. DH also had a Chevy C-10 pickup truck that he sold a couple of months ago because it needed a transmission. The Jeep was my mom's that she sold to us when she moved a couple of years ago. We have mostly had GM products. The only foreign car we ever had was a 1985 Mercedes 300 SEL that turned into a money pit. We ended up selling it a year after we bought it and barely got back what we paid. It was a nice car for about 2 months but unless I can afford to buy new with a warranty, which will most likely be never, I wouldn't buy another one. My dad drives Toyotas now, which is so funny because he is the one who got me into liking classic cars like Mustangs, Impalas, Firebirds, etc.

It's actually something like a second job to get the bill that low. [2008-11-18]
I spend a lot of time studying sales and clipping coupons (doubled and sometimes tripled in our area). And I use bonus cards and shop at places like Aldisauce I just use olive oil, salt and pepper, GOOD cheese, maybe a little bit of chopped ham or dried sausage as a flavoring. Add some sauteed spinach or escarole, a little salad from whatever veggies looked good at the market. Add some beans to the salad to boost the protein, and we're eating very fine! I also haven't bought canned soup in .... probably ever. I save up chicken carcasses or buy the backs to make stock. I also make veggie stock and buy beef soup bones and make my own beef broth. The home-made stocks make all the difference when cooking from scratch. I keep the grocery bills low by planning my shopping expeditions and cooking from scratch. It depends on how far you want to go with it. I love to cook. It's a creative outlet for me, so I find it relaxing. Someone else may not, in which case, buying convenience foods would lower their stress level and would be worth the extra expense.

I can't imagine affording all those meals out, but I have some suggestions sm [2008-11-18]
I usually cook from scratch. My idea of fast food is a can of lentil soup, and I have that about once a month, occasionally twice. I make crockpot soups a lot because I am busy. I will tell you, there is a place that is sort of between a restaurant meal and home cooking. I used to have kids at home, lots of them, and I would get too tired to cook. My answer was to hybrid the dinner, so to speak. You can get Stouffer's lasagne which is good. You can pickup some ready-made stuff in your grocery store deli or freezer case. We liked the frozen Banquet chicken back in the day. I might get that, a box of flavored instant potatoes, potato salad or ready-made mashed to go with it. We might get a bag of salad too. Fresh fruit cups were nice if they were on special. You know, make a nice meal you don't have to 100% cook, but isn't going out. These days, I see that you can get beef tips in gravy, or sliced beef in gravy and other prepared stuff at the store. It just takes looking. It is more expensive than doing it all yourself, but it is much cheaper than going out. You can try another thing that is NOT everyone's cup of tea, and that is OAMC or Once A Month Cooking. This is my favorite website: http://snider.mardox.com/plans.htm I donmini plans using what is on special in a given week. They have breakfast plans, muffin plans, potato plans, chicken, beef, pork plans, ground meat plans, even some dessert plans. With planning, you can do this in bits and pieces. From people who have done far more of this than I have, they tell me that with soup already made, no chopping or messing, they are more likely to make fresh rolls, salad and even a quick dessert...round out any meal because the work is done. Obviously, it saves money.

YEAH baby!! Me too. sm [2008-11-18]
About 10 years ago I bought a Honda HX with prototype gas-efficient trannie, light wheels, no frills. That puppy would still be with me if not for the prototype trannie pretty much fizzled on most of the HXs but I milked mine for as long as possible. Ex had a Prelude, same year (99). He loved the car and took great care of it. Gas was killing him though (uses it to drive and travels a bit). He wanted to keep it in the family so he sold it to me. I drive about 5000 miles a year, if that. Amost 300,000 miles on that one and what a dream it is!!! He bought a new Civic. Another SWEET car. My son has a 1990 Accord, bought it used with less than 100,000 miles about 3 years ago. We've put some money into it, mostly cosmetic and just catching stuff up, but it runs like new. My Civic was actually built in US, so I didn't feel too guilty, but how many years have US automakers had to see the writing on the wall? I'm sorry, but I like keeping a car forever. No car payments are great. Honda fits that mold.

I used to own only foreign cars [2008-11-17]
I had Mazdas when I was younger. Then I married my husband, and he works for a Chrysler/Jeep dealship so no more foreign cars for me, but I do love my Jeep.

Oh, yeah, it's very nice and improved over the first models, of course. [2008-11-17]
It's roomier on the inside than you might expect. We bought the basic version, and it still has plenty of features. When gas was over $4.00 a gallon, my DH, who drives 50 miles round-trip to work each day, was saving $200 a month. Gas is lower now, but we still are saving money. Plus you never have to replace brakes on a Prius, and here in PA, I don't need to pay for emissions inspection since it burns so clean. We get our emissions sticker for free. There are a couple of other little perks like that with a Prius. And, of course, I just think it's fun. :)

Trak phone users -- [2008-11-17]
I He He often earns money mowing grass, in addition to birthday/holiday money that he receives throughout the year. He So, my question is, can you text with Trak phones? I don Do the minutes expire on Trak phones?

apologies [2008-11-16]
I just wanted someone When I was young and stupid I broke someone We were best friends. I have been thinking about this person a lot lately. They moved on to get married and have a family, so that is great. I recently sent a letter saying howsorry I am for being so terrible and asked for forgiveness. I did not give my number or put a return address on the envelope becuase I did not want anyone to think I was wanting a reunion or anything. I just really wanted toapologize and maybe get some sort of closure. Do you think there is a statute of limitations on saying I'm sorry and asking for forgiveness?

Anonamiss, you are a sweet person too [2008-11-16]
and you I I had a neighbor drop 2 elderly ponies offin my pasture under the pretense of needing a place for them to stay for a week until she sold them.I fed and cared for them for half a year before my husband called her and demanded she come pick them up. They went to a really good home at a therapeutic riding stable that same day, thankfully, but it turned out she was trying to get money for them all that time and HER husband didnUGH. I would have kept them myself if it came down to a choice between that and letting them go back to her. Blondie, men don Women are caretakers by nature. I think your husband and his friend are inconsiderate and immature, but my husband is like that too. So glad to know the dogs don't hurt the rabbits!

Well it is best I think if you don't say...sm [2008-11-16]
anything to them since you are friends. The company needs to step in and tell them if you are an on-call employee you are not to work if the work is low. The company needs to reinforce this. I understand they want to make Christmas money, but the company needs to tell them full time and part timers come first.

Eeew. This just popped into my head [2008-11-15]
If this she/he can claim to be a man, then when are they going to do the first female organ transplant into a man who wishes to experience the pain of pregnancy without becoming a full blown woman? Just the reverse of what this she/hedid. It would probably take as long to change, but how many real men would think about it if they could make all this money? Can you imagine the confusion? I thinkcloning is just as bad. Weoriginal not a manufactured person.

Extended warranties are the biggest waste - sm, [2008-11-15]
of money, and the all time scam of the century. The couple times I was d*u*m*b enough to buy one they never, never paid for themselves. I never buy them now, haven't for years and have never had a problem with any of the products I bought that offered them. Believe me the companies that offer them (just about everyone) are laughing all the way to the bank....they take in way more then they ever have to pay out for repair work/replacments, etc.

I did buy the extended warranty last...sm [2008-11-15]
week when I bought my son's Playstation 3 for X-Mas. It was $400, and it is only under warranty for 90 days. So I said if something were to happen to this thing after I have paid that kind of money that would not be good. So for $30 I got an additional 2 year warranty. So for 2 years if it quits working or anything they have to fix it or replace it. When I spend that kind of money I want a longer than 90 day warranty. We bought the Playstation at Wal-Mart.

very displeased with 2 of my friends right now [2008-11-15]
We all work for the same company. Our employer offers three types of employment: Full-time, part-time and on-call. Well, work has been low and the on-call gals have been asked to halt production and allow those of us full and part-timers to meet our quota. They know I work full time, as I must, being the sole-provider for my family. They both have husbands and only work on-call for spending money. So, of course, I ran out of work today. Friend number one calls and tells me she I don I asked her why she was working, knowing work was low, and she stated to me that with the holidays coming up she needs a much larger paycheck this next time around. ARRGHH! I already talked to our supervisor about the two of them. I feel that since we are friends, I should not have to be the one to tell them that they are taking food off my plate. I I know there Thanks.

Blondie, have read your posts before sm.. [2008-11-15]
You sound like a very good person, very caring. I was in the same situation once with a neighbor's dog. He would go to Canada hunting and just leave his dog tied to a dog house in mid-winter in New England and I would take her into my home, feed her, keep her warm and all. This neighbor today I can say with full confidence was borderline-retarded without a doubt. I am so glad I did this. I even at one time went to the dog pound and claimed this dog who had gotten loose and said it was my own. I could not let this poor dog suffer because of its owner. All I can say is do what is in your heart, it may cost you a few dollars more but think of it is abandoned children and you are there for them. Take a good look at this guy and truly ask yourself is he is capable of the love and caring you have in your heart. I know times are tough, but perhaps you are the one who is meant to save these poor animals. Sounds like this guy is either not the sharpest tool in the shed or something else wrong with him. Does he have enough money for beer or etc., and not his dogs? Then he doesn't deserve them! Think hard about the dogs and what would happen to them if it were not for you. You are a very nice person. I hope you find an answer. As for your husband, only you can answer that question. I think he should at least stick up for you and address his dumb friend as to what his responsibility is in the situation. Good luck, Blondie, you are a sweetheart to put up with all this, and I am sure the dogs are in a better place with you. Do you have an SPCA or someone who could help with the food? Perhaps online you can find a way to make your own food suitable for dogs at a reasonable price. May God be with you. Perhaps you are meant to care for dogs in some way that would be beneficial to you in other ways. God bless you for caring.

I need some advice [2008-11-15]
Ok this is the story: My husband is still friends with his first girlfriends family. This does not bother me. She did a couple of things to really disgrace her family when she was dating him but after a period of time he still kept in touch with them as we live in a very small community. When we met and got engaged they were all very kind to me and the mother even did the cake and flowers for our wedding. The ex is never around much so no big deal. Well this past weekend her great grandmother passed. My husband had known this woman for sometime and the mother asked him to come to the funeral and told me I was not to feel like I shouldnI. To which the ex rolled her eyes and looked at her HUSBAND. So we walked away. To tell you the truth, we didn't really care. Well we get a phone call about an hour ago from the exum we aren Well, knowing how immature the ex and her husband are, we knew they were behind this (plus we could hear them in the background). So my husband told the boy Look, it Well a few minutes later he gets a text message from the brother saying my mom can (which obviously is not true since we saw her Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon and she was obviously not mental). So my husband sent back a message saying Look, whatever issues your sister has with me and your mom having an ADULT friendship, she needs to take those up with your mom, but quit trying to start drama. Well a few minutes later the phone rings. My husband handed me the phone. Knowing how mad he was at the moment, I answered. It was the ex. She asked if she could talk to him, and I said No. This needs to stop right now, it She said well my mom is really going crazy and she can. She went on for about five minutes and I said fine, we won I'm just so angry right now! I mean this is high school drama! What would you do? I know the mom will be absolutely heartbroken if my husband and I just stop coming to see her and talking to her (since her lovely daughter never comes home). I mean except for the funeral, we never go around if she is going to be there, and we don't sit there and talk bad about her or anything. I honestly think she knows she screwed up by messing around on him SIX YEARS AGO and is just upset that he's married and happy and it sounds like her husband is a jerk.

Must be nice to know you have in-laws ...sm [2008-11-14]
who would help. My parents couldn't help. My father in law couldn't either BUT mother in law could but wouldn't I know because she is so tight. She would just say oh well loose all your sh**. She wouldn't come off her money.

Congratulations Kendra! [2008-11-14]
Assuming from your post you are pregnant too. That's wonderful! :) I'm pregnant and there's a lot I would tell people for the money too. Can't say I blame he/she...I blame the people who buy the magazines and watch the TV interviews. I don't support it one bit. No different than any other woman getting IVF.

Barbara Walters [2008-11-14]
I think Barbara Walters lost it! She is so obsessed with this woman turned pregnant fatherstory, it is ridiculous. What is so 'mysterious' about it? It was a woman, who wished she were a man, got rid of her breasts, took testosterone which caused her masculine features and beard etc....andBW thinks this is all a She will even talk about it and interview this freakish creature today in 20/20. I think BW should finally call it quits. These 2 people only want to make money out of this.

They talked about this on The View for 2 days and [2008-11-14]
even to the point as to how they have sex and thatmake me sick, especially now that she/he is pregnant again and due in June! BW thinks she's doing the world a favor by doing this special report. The reasonit keptits female parts was to have kids. What gets me is they never heard of adoption? Why not adopt? Because they wanted to make money, that's why. I don't know how many times they pointed out that she is now a legal male on all records, SS#, birth (how'd they accomplish that?), marriage license, medical history, etc. If she/he is a legal male, she/he shouldn't have the reproductive organs. Period. I feel sorryfor the kids. They will be so confused because they are going to tell them as soon as they to speak and/or understand. This world is going to h---- in a handbasket.

Explaining a couple of things sm [2008-11-14]
I studied IQ as part of my Masterget you because your sense of humor is probably well off the beaten track. You probably lack social skills from an early age. Your peers would play childhood games while you preferred to try to improve upon the toys they played with. In school, you didn't have to work very hard in most areas. It all came very easily. You didn't learn how to learn, which is a very valuable skill. You probably have a low frustration level and when something doesn't come very easily, you are prone to giving up. Because you see the world in completely different terms than people of more average intelligence, those same average people call you crazy or mentally ill and tell you that you should be locked up. You don't fit in and despite the higher intelligence, you are remiss to know how to accomplish the feat of being more ordinary. I alluded to this in my previous post. I have the unusual combination of being very artistic, creatively gifted AND being rather intellectually gifted. Yes, I did fall at the 99.6% percentile on the Wechsler. I know what it means and I have a firm understanding that indeed, that score suggests that I possess more intelligence than 99.6% of the people who have taken that test, and only 0.4% are smarter than I am. It has been a life-long struggle to fit in. I am too cerebral for artistic people, and too artistic for intellectuals. I literally have no one I fit in with. I have learned to tone myself down to make it work. I didn't say dumb down, I said tone down. That means I don't intentionally talk over the heads of others and I won't cram what I know down anyone's throat. I have had those people in my life who have been jealous of me. I learn quickly if it is artistic, musical, creative, the written word, history and philosophy. I struggle with math. I took piano lessons 10 years ago. I had 40 of them and had never played the piano before. In 40, 1-hour lessons I could play the Moonlight Sonata in piano solo (not a dumbed down easy version). Most people cannot do that. There many other things I have done in a similar fashion, but this is an example for you. You ask why I am an MT if I am so smart. I make very good money as an MT and I enjoy the challenge. My photographic memory comes in very handy too. I often stop and read up on a disease process I am transcribing about, so that I know what it means. Show me a word once and I'll know it forever. It makes my job easier for me to accomplish. This all sounds like I am blowing my own horn, but I am merely trying to explain. Being highly intelligent wonreally smart is not only not helpful, I think it is the root of the housecleaning issues in my life. In short, it is just great to have a good ol' high number and in the end it makes absolutely difference...if you don't count the fact that people with IQs over 150 are 3 times more likely to be depressed and commit suicide than the average population. People who are 125 to 140 are the most fortunate. They succeed in greater numbers in school, in a job, in life. They are very bright, and likely have learned how to learn. They are more likely to persevere in the face of frustration and challenge. It really isn't all you think it is.

Before you push the panic button sm [2008-11-14]
This is a recession, quite possibly the mother of all recessions. It may turn into a depression, but it will run a very distant second to the Great Depression, IF it does. Pre the GP (Great Depression) you several things going on that are NOT true today. We had come out of WWI not that long before. It had been a very bloody war, the first war with mechanized destruction. What the Doughboys witnessed was for them what we saw on 09/11...unimaginable death and destruction. It changed how they viewed America. When these boys came home from the war, they came back to the farm, by and large. We were an agrarian country and with the exception of east coast, there were hardly any factory jobs and most people worked the land. Plenty of places all over the country people worked on shares and they were not all in the deep south and they were not all black. There was not nearly the land/home ownership that there is today. Most of these dirt farmers lived in poverty and barely scraped by enough to eat twice a day. When the great Dust Bowl came through Oklahoma, it took the enormous clouds of dust eastward and dumped it into the Atlantic Ocean. This was a man-made disaster and the story of the Joads in the Grapes of Wrath centers on the Dust Bowl and the farming habits of families, like the Joads caused them problems. It was their fault that the top soil blew across FDR's desk in the Oval Office. There was no infrastructure to speak of, in those days. There were roadways, but not the spider web of paved roads there are today. Goods were carried on the rails, not over the roads. You didnin town and the Sears-Roebuck catalog. If you couldn't find it there or could not afford it you either cobbled something together or did without. You can look the Coal Miner's Daughter about being so low-down dirt poor it is unbelievable. That movie is quite cleaned up and Hollywood presentable. You could look at the sparse surroundings of the ranch house in Broke Back Mountain where Ennis goes after Jack dies, and while the time frame is more modern, the very plain, only the very basics of life appear in that ranch house. They are both a bit sanitized, but reasonably realistic. Today, Americans live extraordinarily different lives than we did 80 years ago. Most people have a vehicle. Most people have more than a dirt floor shack to live in. We, have thanks to the Great Depression and FDR's recovery plan, electricity, roads, water, sewage and other sanitation. We take these things for granted, but we should not. The GP did bring some food shortages, not because of the depression, but because of the lack of infrastructure combined with people on the move to find work to subsist. The food shortages you are thinking of came with WWII and rationing...another problem secondary to lack of infrastructure and subsistence farming where there was not enough food produced to meet the need. If you are going to stock up on food, let be for more common sense reasons. If you put your money in the bank, you will make 2% or 3% return on $500. If you put that same amount into nonperishable food (think canned goods), you make a better return on an investment. You don't earn 2% or 3%, but you can end up leveraging against future price increases that will meet and exceed what interest you make from a bank, which is nothing right now. You will need food whether you buy it now or buy it later. Squirreling away extra under the bed or whatever place you can find room, is a wise investment...financially and in peace of mind.

Better get your [2008-11-14]
If prices are super lowor there are a lot of sales,that means inventories are still too high at the stores. This won Stores will have a lot less inventory next year and not many discounts. So if there was something you had your eye on, don Major department stores have to borrow money to buy inventories, and with the credit crisis that is harder to do. This might be the lastdiscount sale year for the next ten years.



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