Well, that is still an opinion, which is just as good as the next one I suppose.

As far as Reagan's quote goes, that only applies to the ones he knew of, of course.

"Cross me, and I will make you curse your mothers for ever having borne you." Captain Bligh

[EDITED BY STRETCH]

And all this time I thought I was infillable. Next they'll tell me I'm not really Pope...

Hey, I kinda like that, Pope Thomas I.

Works for me

BTW, ever make it down to Summit? How far NW in Jersey are ya? There's a dairy up that way that has some really good cheese I hear. I wanna get up there sometime and give it a try. Maybe when I get back from OZ, assuming that they don't send me somewhere else.

OBG, I think I just realized what the answer to your original comment here might be. (Late is better than never, right?)

The average American has no control over what is going on in Iraq, or in Washington, D.C. They can't help how Katrina survivors are being handled. They don't know what has happened to the two little kids who disappeared with their mental father here in WA. They have no control over any of the thousands of other problems they're exposed to daily, but they might be able to do something about saving their pets or the pets of friends.

***

If you're going to kill the kids anyway, don't do it when they're the size of a pea, do it a few years later, as they're cowering in terror from years of abuse from the people who produced them. And NO, these people do not put them up for adoption... get real.

Sue

I'm in Warren County, less than 15 miles from the Delaware River. I don't usually head East unless I can't help it. Too much traffic.

BTW, Sue - You are even more cynical than I thought.

Yes, but a wonderful cynicism it is....

OK my comment has nothing to do with the media. I think I wrote somewhere sometime that I didnt understand why people have to prepare for pets. It is OK to have pets, but if you are really really focused on being prepared, one of the things you should do - in my opinion off course - is to give away that little cat or dog and focus all your preps on yourself and family. That is what I said earlier. Less live creatures to worry about in case of SHTF and less preps to accumulate.

With this in mind, I have read this story.
http://www.alpharubicon.com/prepinfo/what6monthspreps.htm

Now, I really need someone to help me understand why a couple with medium income and need to save to build a decent amount of preperation have to have FOUR dogs.

I liked the idea of wheeled garbage cans, but NOT for dog food. I can steal the idea and use it for FAMILY preps that need to be hidden or transported in an emergency. They can be considered mega-sized BOBs.

Even the parrots that may not need much to eat, they still need to care for them. Imagine your self in a case of panic trying to remember as many things to do as you can beofre bugging out. With these parrots in your truck , you have to make sure that heavy tool box wont crush their cage. Their cage has to stand straight up in your truck or their water will be spilled...etc.

You know, if i had them I'll just open their cages give them freedom, preferably BEFORE SHTF, so that they learn to live on their own. If they want to come back and visit time to time, they are welcome and some seeds and water will be there in the balcony, but they shouldn not depend on me to survive.

That is how I see it.
Do you think I am being illogical ??

IMHO, I believe that you are missing the Morale Factor that pets provide. In the case of dogs (in particular), they are a part of a family's "early Warning System". I personally believe that my dogs and cat are an asset, Not a liability.

This is part of what separates us from barbarism and makes us human.

I am not asking anyone to shoot pets or kick them out. All I am saying is: Dont have them in the first place. Not if you are preparing for possible bad times.

Its like you are going somewhere important ; a busines meeting , a tricky situation, a risky mission ..etc. will you take kids with you ? I will prepfer to be alone or with responsible adults only.

Likewise, how can I predict pet behaviour in messy situations? I can hardly manage crying kids and under-prepared wife ..etc. not to mention my own fears and shortcomings. So, in a survival situation it is better - IMHO at least - to have less dependents and less things to worry about. That means less pets or NONE.

Even in case if I bug-in. With family members suffering from prolonged shortage of nutrition and hygeine after SHTF, pets may become a source (carriers) of diseases, especially if they wander out around corpses of dead animals or sewage or whatever.

Please notice, I am in no way saying : Keep the pet and when you hear that Katrina is approaching take your gun and shoot your pet.

What I am saying is : think about it as a part of preparing for a possibility. If you think the pet could become a source of trouble in SHTF, you still have the time NOW to consider giving it to another loving home. IMHO, you will be better prepared that way. That wheeled garbage can mentioned in the story above could be full of wheat and beans instead of dog food.