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Well, it's always good to be prepared, but I really don't think it's quite the end of the world, yet. We've had wars that seemed like the end in past generations, but people still got through them.

I would be more worried about 2012 when the Mayans prophesied that the end of the world would come about, and they were much more advanced when it came to astronomy than anyone back in the day.

Just be sure to have a good family unit that is open and honest with each other and gather more information before hunkering down in a bunker. ^_^

my spouse and I stocked up on a few things... more so for the event of an economic crisis which seems more likely. We've been using the stuff for meals as time goes by and just restocking if something seems low so we don't just have a bunch of food sitting around and going bad.

If you're going to stock up on food, it's good to get things that you would normally use and not MREs, unless you plan on feeding your family MREs for regular meals, otherwise, it could be a waste of money. If you get things that you would normally use, then in the event nothing happens, you just have a stock full of supplies that you'll eventually use up. You just won't have to buy groceries for a while.

As for the "end of the world" theme in the media... it's -always- a prominent theme. Everyone loves a good "end of the world" story. The only reason that comes to mind of why there might be more is because of the 2012 "prediction". A lot of theories are out there about it and it all originates from the Mayan calender. However, the Mayans did not predict the end of the world being 2012... that's just the last year on their calender. How many more years in advanced were they expected to plot out? sweatdrop The calender ending there could actually have very little significance and it's being blown out of proportion just like y2k.

...Okay, yeah, it's a little bit wackadoo. However, there are natural disasters and civil revolutions/coups that do occur from time to time, and when they do, the wackadoos start to look pretty smart. But if you're going to prepare for something that (hopefully) won't happen, prepare in the most intelligent way possible.

1. Stock food items that will remain usable for at least two years, and then make sure you use and replace in a rotation, so that those items don't go bad waiting for an apocalypse. Check expiration dates on a monthly basis. Also remember that if you don't like a certain food, having tons of that food in an already stressful situation will make it worse, so stock foods you know you'll enjoy. Stock a wide variety, as well, and make sure that a lot of it is calorie-rich food. MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) are fun to take camping, but they're not really great for long-term eating. Plus, you then have packaging to throw away. It's better to buy staples in bulk, then go through them and get new supplies.

2. What is valid for food is also valid for medicines. They expire, too, so be sure you don't just buy bottles of painkillers and then leave them there for ten years. They could lose efficacy, or worse, undergo chemical reaction that, over time, could render them not just useless, but actually harmful as well.

3. Plant vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a garden. Canned goods and dry stock foods will get really old, really fast, if you don't have fresh items to eat. Also, the canned items probably won't have all the nutrients you need. Having a food source right in your own yard will not just save money (both in crisis times and right now, in fact), but will ensure that you have access to food that doesn't depend on a delivery truck getting all the way across the region, and you being able to get to the store and back without being harassed. Better yet, see if you can grow things that will ripen at different times of the year, so that you've always got one crop that's fresh. Learn canning techniques, drying techniques, and so on, so that you can preserve things out of season and keep eating your produce all year long.

4. Get certified in first aid, CPR, and other emergency medical services. Doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other first-responders will be highly valued. Martial arts are good for anyone to learn, of course, but once there's been some kung fu fighting in the streets, the participants are going to have bruises, bleeding, broken bones... they're going to need someone who knows what painkillers to give and how to set those bones so they don't grow back at funky angles. This is good advice anyway, since you have a daughter and she will doubtless get into some scrap or accident at some point, and you may be the closest and most logical person to render assistance.

5. Learn the more common signs of the more common illnesses or reactions. Diabetics have bad reactions from too much sugar, too little sugar, too much or too little insulin -- learn the difference. Learn what to do for an epileptic having a seizure, someone with a heart attack or stroke in progress, anaphylactic shock from bee stings or ingestion of allergens like nuts, fish, eggs, wheat, dairy. Learn to recognize and respond to common things.

6. If you get very enthused about this, see about installing solar panels, windmills, and/or a watermill (obviously this will only work if you live by a river). These will be expensive to start with, but they'll save you a fair bit -- maybe even all of your electricity bill -- and let you keep using electricity even if, God forbid, someone bombs or disables your local electric company.

7. If you get even more involved, see a surveyor about locating a water source on your property, and get a well dug. Alternatively, put a couple of cisterns and filters on your property to catch and filter rainwater, making it usable for your family.

8. Look into composting toilets. Also think seriously about creating a compost heap or bucket for your property. Compost is great for adding nutrients to soil, which will help your vegetables grow nice and plump and juicy.

9. Electricity isn't the only type of power you may need. Look into natural gas, propane, and other sources of power. Find ways to store and recharge batteries. Look for clean-burning fuels. Get a good stock of candles, firestarters, and so on. A woodpile wouldn't hurt, either.

10. Take a drive and physically locate your local landfills, recycling centers, and so on. If there's a civil war or revolution going on, your garbage collectors aren't going to keep going on with business as usual, so you'll have to get rid of your own trash. In order to minimize this as a problem, though, learn to compost vegetable matter; make animal food out of meat and dairy scraps; find ways to re-use glass, plastic, wood, and metal rather than throwing them out (re-use is even more efficient and environmentally friendly that recycling!).

11. If you have any weapons at all, make sure that you can own, store, and/or carry them legally. Keep your permits up to date. Then make sure everyone in the household knows where they are, how to use and clean them, and how/when/why not to use them.

12. When you buy clothing, make sure that most of it is in neutral colors. If it gets so very bad that it's dangerous to walk out into the street, you don't want to draw attention to yourself. If there's a civil war or gang war, and the factions distinguish themselves by color, you don't want to be wearing the "wrong" color and become the target of violence.

13. Learn to make your own soaps, detergents, clothing/fabrics... Learn everything you can, really, about how people lived before we became dependent on the water and electric/gas grids and modern technology. The Amish are going to do fine if things fall apart, so learn what they know.

14. It never hurts to have a ready source of information. Looking things up online is a great idea... but if the internet suddenly disappears, what will you do? Print out the information you find handy, and file it in a very organized way, so that people can look up exactly what they need. Make multiple copies to store in your home and any other bolt-holes you have, as well as a small emergency-information file to keep in your car(s).

15. There's a difference between being prepared and being paranoid. Do small things, little by little. When learning and teaching survival skills, make it a hobby: "Let's go camping! Let's spend the summer living off the land! Let's plant some tomatoes!" Your daughter, especially, will be nervous if you make it seem like all of this is very urgent and that life depends on it, but if you make it sound like just a fun thing, she'll think of it as a cool thing she gets to do with daddy. If you go as far as installing solar panels and windmills and water cisterns, address it in terms of environmentalism, not survival, or she could grow up into a very fearful person instead of a happy-but-prepared person.

I am 24 and helped my sister raise her oldest daughter since I was 12, now I am helping her with her one month old as well. I think when people realize they have something else to live for other than themselves, they put forth every effort and energy into trying to better themselves for that sake.

If anything, I believe people should live life to the fullest no matter what because you never know what will happen tomorrow. One day you're here, the next you're 6 feet under.

mre's are meals ready to eat. theyre basically military rations that if you dont mind the kinda card board taste are pretty good. i used to use em when my wife and i would go camping.

as for being prepared? I used to be into scouting, so yeah. I've got what my wife calls an, "oh sh** kit. It's pretty much enough food and essentials set to one side if anything should happen. sweatdrop enough to survive 3-7ish days is whats been set to the side.

on a lighter note, some friends of mine and i know where to run for the zombie invasion rolleyes

the bible also says that the signs of the end would not be known to man. and blah blah blah. so it describes some things and it also says that no one will know. so prepare.

Honestly people have been predicting the end of the world since. October 22, 1844 with the Millerites. Of course, The world didn't end. So after that they predicted another date. Which of course failed. Then they gave up trying to say omg the world ends tomorrow.

In short: The world just doesn't end because a large amount of people think & want it to end.

I think being prepared for this new next "scare" is fine biggrin I honestly feel that people might get a bit rowdy and especially being drunk on new year's that there could be looting and riots. but really, it's not like there's going to be a sudden "oh no it's 12:01 in 2013 and look everything is blowing up" i think that if the world would end, it's going to take several hours to days or so on. xD

Soo stock up because I know people will be rushing in the winter months like the grasshopper who chose not work as hard as the ant? i think that's how the fable goes. anyhow biggrin stock up before it's too late and just expect people to act crazy. biggrin