saulgoldie: well said.

The unthinkable just may be about to occur. All those brightly-lit nightmares of my college days under Reagan, a doddering old fool who saw it as his manifest destiny to push that button, gradually faded and receded under Clinton (the first president since Carter to even consider any form of disarmament, and who matter-of-factly had a number of nuclear warheads decommissioned because of their age and lack of utility, and did not, unlike our current war-mongering moronic chief executive, see a need to build up the arsenal again).

What is it? Do these guys really WANT to go live in a bunker underground?

I can't think what to do beyond get in some supplies and go about my life as if not too much will change. Attending a peace rally at this point, even a big one, seems futile and sad. No one cares.

I've got some nice hash from India, a pantry full of dry goods, some steaks in the freezer and enough chocolate to share among my friends. I have tampons and cat food and candles. There's a foot of snow on the ground so maybe that means there will be enough water for everyone hereabouts. I am worried that this old house is heated with oil (though most of our heating oil comes from Venezuela I understand). I feel a bit like I did when people were stockpiling and hoarding in preparation for the Y2K disaster that never occurred (which would have come during some evil winter weather in Boston). When martial law kicks in, I know how to kick someone in the groin. I don't own a car so I don't care about long lines at the pumps or clogged thruways.

Get to know your neighbors now if you haven't already. We may all have to pull together in ways untalked of an unseen in our lifetimes...

Protect and Survive? How?