Another Great Depression?

[Crankin]

Yes, people have been routinely paying 7-10 dollars a gallon for gas in Europe for a long time. Guess what? They have cars that get good gas mileage, they have good public transportation, and they ride their bikes. When are we going to wake up?
I am still an optimist, even if banks keep giving mortgages to people who can't afford them...

[Trek420]

I am still an optimist, even if banks keep giving mortgages to people who can't afford them...

Yep, and I just need ONE of those folks to buy my condo, or one of our Bay Area super commuters wising up to the fact that "hey, having a smaller place less than 2 bikeable miles to light rail is smart. I never see my MacMansion anyway with all the hours spent driving"

But I've noticed even with our tiny patios more of my neighbors are growing vegies. Who knew corn grows well here?

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I always like to see the good side of things n I'll duck any salmonella peppers (cause we ran out of tomatoes) that people will throw

I think "whatever you would call this financial situation" has a hidden blessing for the USA. It reminds me of the 70s with the gas crisis (I was 4 at the time) and for the most part, it is teaching people how to live 'simply' and with less things. It's getting people to ride bikes to work, hang laundry out to dry and grow tomatoes where ever they can. It is getting people to look at solar energy and alternative energy a little more seriously. Maybe this time we will follow through?

The money part always makes my head whirl, but I'm really good at buying and selling stocks. I buy low and sell high. I'm not being a wise pants about it, I really do. I bought Northwest Airlines at .53 and sold it at almost 7. There are other ones, but I digress.

If you have the cash, invest in some stock that you like. I loved Northwest. There are some stocks I'm eyeballing right now. I guess the bottom could just fall out and everything could crash, but I don't see that I guess.

As far as the FDIC that is one I sometimes don't understand- the banks I have my money in, if they went under, and my $100K was still in the vault, how is the FDIC going to get it for me? That is the part I don't understand, if things are that bad, how is the FDIC going to make everything better? Money is so transparent that it's electronically moved around and around, there really isn't anything kept in a vault....is there?

As an aside, and anybody speak up if they know better, just because you have a second account in the same bank with $100K doesn't mean you are insured. It's only one account per bank per person. Unless it is a 401K or IRA.

[grey]

*snip* it is teaching people how to live 'simply' and with less things. It's getting people to ride bikes to work, hang laundry out to dry and grow tomatoes where ever they can. It is getting people to look at solar energy and alternative energy a little more seriously. Maybe this time we will follow through?

I agree 100%. This year I have really been learning how to can, freeze, and preserve just about everything I grow, and I put in a much larger garden this year. Next year's will be even bigger. I do hang laundry on the line - I actually enjoy it, somehow it doesn't bother me as much to fold laundry as I take it down as it does to pull that big wad of clothes from a dryer. When gas hits $5 a gallon, I hope I'm in good enough shape to finally ride up that mountain for the place I work at on some weekends. It may be brutal, but at least the route home is cake.

*snip*As far as the FDIC that is one I sometimes don't understand- the banks I have my money in, if they went under, and my $100K was still in the vault, how is the FDIC going to get it for me? That is the part I don't understand, if things are that bad, how is the FDIC going to make everything better?

As I understand it, the FDIC can return your money to you anytime within 50 years or something like that. They aren't under the gun to give it to you during your lifetime.

[Mr. Bloom]

As I understand it, the FDIC can return your money to you anytime within 50 years or something like that. They aren't under the gun to give it to you during your lifetime.

As a practical matter, I don't believe that this is true for insured deposits. That may be the case for uninsured deposits where the underlying assets (generally loans) of the institution have to be collected first. Uninsured deposits will still have priority to other creditors in liquidation. With Indymac, they've already approved a 50% dividend which means that half of the uninsured deposits are being made available to the account holders (indicating that they believe there's value in the liquidation).

As a practical matter, on insured deposits, the name of the bank simply chanages following the failure...

If anyone knows differently, I welcome the record being set strength.

Keep in mind, when I say "as a practical matter", there's been over 3,000 bank failures in the last 30 years...there's good precedent on their actions/behaviors.

[OakLeaf]

Water's going to be the big sticking point.

It's easy to learn to grow your own food - even staples aren't TOO terribly hard to thresh, such as many people did when they were panicked about the Y2K bug. And transportation machinery (bicycles, wagons etc.) can last a long time.

Water is another thing. In many parts of the country it's easy enough to build windmills. In other parts, people's water currently comes from as far away as their electricity. (Remember the opening chapter of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" on why she decided to move the family back East? And, water was the huge omission from "The Omnivore's Dilemma.")

There used to be a saying "water will be the next oil." Now that we're far enough past peak oil that people are starting to notice, I think we're about to understand that saying.

[Jolt]

Yes, people have been routinely paying 7-10 dollars a gallon for gas in Europe for a long time. Guess what? They have cars that get good gas mileage, they have good public transportation, and they ride their bikes. When are we going to wake up?

That's been my thought...yes it's a pain that gas prices are going up but it may have some positive results. For example, I heard on the news yesterday that Amtrak's ridership has increased quite a bit on the Downeaster line (and probably others as well). This will hopefully result in expanded service making it a more convenient travel option for more trips. One thing I would really love to see would be an Amtrak route into the White Mountains...it would be so much more relaxing to hop on a train rather than having to drive when we want to hike up there!

[GLC1968]

All my money is in a mayonnaise jar on the kitchen counter.
As long as I have my dogs, it's safe.

What if the US dollar isn't worth anything in 2 years? The paper may be safe, but it may be just that...paper.

Water's going to be the big sticking point.

It's easy to learn to grow your own food - even staples aren't TOO terribly hard to thresh, such as many people did when they were panicked about the Y2K bug. And transportation machinery (bicycles, wagons etc.) can last a long time.

Water is another thing. In many parts of the country it's easy enough to build windmills. In other parts, people's water currently comes from as far away as their electricity. (Remember the opening chapter of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" on why she decided to move the family back East? And, water was the huge omission from "The Omnivore's Dilemma.")

There used to be a saying "water will be the next oil." Now that we're far enough past peak oil that people are starting to notice, I think we're about to understand that saying.

Very, very true. People can live without comforts but they can't live without water. And we can't grow food without it either, of course.

This is why I find the technology to drive cars on water just laughable. Water is WAY more precious that oil!

[Zen]

What if the US dollar isn't worth anything in 2 years? The paper may be safe, but it may be just that...paper.

Point being, I'm poor now and can't get much poorer.
there's always oragami

[Aggie_Ama]

I figure I will just move to my husband's grandma's ranch and live in a tent. My Mammaw did it when she was 18 and first married, why not? It is hard to think that in 1936 my Mammaw and Pawpaw just threw up a tent and lived in it for about a year. No one does stuff like that now days. They were tough stock.

[Trek420]

No one does stuff like that now days. They were tough stock.

Not to contribute to the general "how'd we get in this handbasket and where's it going" tone but this is what I've been trying to say. Not only is there whatever's going on financialy but some argue that climate change (whether you feel it's a hoax, fad or real) may be the most important challenge the world's known.

In my work at the antique store I talk to a lot of folks. A dozen years ago when I started most of those were this "best generation". Coworkers would shake their heads "oh, I'm so sorry you have to talk to old people all day".

I'm having fun, these folks are great. I'm so impressed. And the stories? Impressive.

Are we up to a task like that? I don't think so

[Aggie_Ama]

In my work at the antique store I talk to a lot of folks. A dozen years ago when I started most of those were this "best generation". Coworkers would shake their heads "oh, I'm so sorry you have to talk to old people all day".

I'm having fun, these folks are great. I'm so impressed. And the stories? Impressive.

Are we up to a task like that? I don't think so

My favorite customer of all time at Lowe's was a man who came in and would tell me "I am A&M Class of 47. Would have been sooner but this little thing called World War II got in the way. I was going to go to Law School but I became a vet and I was okay at that. The dogs were nice co-workers." I always liked the elderly people at Lowe's a great deal more than the 30-50 crowd that is for sure.

I never get tired of hearing my 90 year old Mammaw and my husband's 80 year old Oma talk about being teens in rural hill country. Those two women could take care of cattle, kill a snake, skin a critter, grow an entire salad and mend your britches. I cannot do one of those things.