Forget the fortress o' doom, the preps for the zombies, the 3 ton lay away plan of freeze dried spelt in the basement. This unfolding Depression means most all of us have our jobs in jeopardy. And for most of us, if we don't have a job, things start to go downhill fast.

So post your fears and hopes about keeping or losing your job. Post your local news of unemployment rates and mass layoffs. Here is the meat of the matter...did you prep well enough to keep income flowing in adequately as the s proceeds to h the f?

I work in research at a university. Obama has pledged to double the amount spent on research. I doubt if he'll be able to increase funding but I am betting that he wouldn't cut funding either. I go under when the government goes under.

The whole point of the fortress o Doom is that it is your retirement plan.

Otherwise you are just having a career change, hopefully to a gun for hire, otherwise just to a gun.

Right now I have no fears of losing my job, even though its a private business. Enough people remain employed to be sending me their kids to teach. There are also quite a few ways we have to cut expenses in the business as we lose clientele. Much of the staff is part time, they would be the first to go. We also at some point might stop paying on the mortgage. I am pretty sure until the dollar tanks that my job is safe.

In the aftermath of the crash, I intend on reorganizing up here on a barter system. All the folks I know have kids and they will still need a place for them to learn. I intend to keep teaching, but more than that I intend on helping my friends and this comunity with what I know.

The fallback position is of course Subsitence living, Hunting and Fishing. However, I am hopeful that the Fundamental Jobs of a community will remain intact, albeit with a barter system rather than a currency system. My community is small enough that such a system can work.

The Fundamental Jobs, as I have described before are the following:

Toolmaker
Transporter
Domestic
Medicine Man
Teacher
Protector
Food Producer
Leader
Prostitute

Do any of these jobs well, you probably have a place in your community. I am in good shape to fill at least 4 of those roles. That is my plan.

Reverse Engineer

I'm trying to guess which of the 4 are on your list. I take it you don't look like Richard Gere or Mrs Doubtfire?

So you have enough food and supplies to hole up in your FO'Doom for an extended period and you have enough reserve cash to pay mortgage, taxes and for any extra problems that may come your way (regrading a road, digging a new well, repairing the roof, etc?)?

Great! Sounds like you're a retiree.

But for the rest of us plebs, our slave to da Man days are not over. We must deal with the reality at hand. A job is a necessity...not a choice.

Yah, Domestic and Prostitute are not likely future occupations for me. I'd be Bear Food if I was looking to make a living with either of those.

Reverse Engineer

Likely to be much call for gunslingers in your neck of the woods, maaiitte?

And you plan to hold out for the rest of your life in the Fortress O' Doom, "retired", with no income, and no need to replenish supplies or maintain the FOD, or require medical attention?

How might one do that?

I think we might have an oversimplified view of a "doomstead."

My grandfather (83 years old) retired with very little savings yet continues to draw interest on nearly every dime of SS money he has received. What he has spent he has invested in property.

He sells eggs, chickens, rabbits, goats and sheep as well as raises/shoots all of his own food minus bread, butter, milk and cottage cheese. His animals more than pay for themselves, they pay his property taxes, phone, sat TV, LP (for cooking only he heats with wood) etc etc...

Many would look at it and say it was a "doomstead." In reality it is just a way to get buy in the world.

I work for a company that is in the catering industry (supplies fancy cakes to hotels etc.) Christmas is usually the time when we make huge profits. Because of the recession people aren't eating out or eating desserts. I don't think we will even see a profit this Christmas trading period. I will probably be unemployed by the middle of next year unless we are bought out by a larger company.

Idioms in New Zealand Thuja, his entire damn country is a fortress O'doom. Justs spent 2 mo holidaying there and checking it out. If the zombie hoards look like coming I can't think of a better place to be.

I/we mainly rely on my WW's (wonderful wife) job as an RN for the mortgage, while the farm and odd jobs add in. She has 30+ years experience. When the hospitals start laying off, well it will not be pretty at home or anywhere else for that matter.

Actually there is no suh thing as zombies. They're really kown as "unemployed people". And Believe me, there will be plenty of them in New Zealand in years to come.

At present we are just getting started with the job losses.

The real and lasting pain will begin when those who have jobs find that the tax burden is so large that they are better off taking the dole.

Those who follow Gault will then head for the gulch, then look out below.