Call me a naysayer, but this average-joe race to create improved and inexpensive firearms in the home doesn't do much for my sense of security or positive worldview.

It's true that the amenities an office provides can sometimes serve as a barometer of things to come, but not always. Obviously some layoffs can be so drastic that there is no warning beforehand.

My concern is with the emphasis upon unhealthy junk food being prized as tokens of opulence. Besides the questionable practice of "rewarding" employees with diabetes mellitus, tooth decay and hypertension, there are ethical concerns with supporting Nestle, Mars, and Hersheys, who buy cacao from west coast African nations that exploit child slavery, and palm oil harvested through Amazonian deforestation. Maybe the trophy should not be crappy food that's ruining your health but locally sourced produce and bean-to-bar chocolate. That latter should more clearly be recognized as a sign of prosperity.

I tried to discuss disaster preparedness with my friends: they balked and reared like I was going to bunker down with an ammo and gold cache in Montana. Why do people spend more energy arguing against preparedness than it would take to buy some jugs of water and a box of non-perishables? My wife and I took a CERT training course and point anyone who'll listen to http://www.ready.gov/ and http://72hours.org/. I backup non-confidential medical records on Google Health (www.google.com/health/ - useful when going to different providers) and put my pets' records on an old thumb drive.