Ze Germans
I live in a pretty out-of-the-way rural location. Last year a German couple moved into the wee village down the road. They are nice enough, but clearly a little strange.
It all came out one evening after they had a few beers too many....
They moved here from their German city because they are certain the world is going to end in 2012. Not actually wiped out Armageddon style, but they reckon something along the lines of a plague decimating the population or massive globe-spanning wars or complete failure of the banking system leading to global anarchy etc etc.
They moved here to be far away from big cities when this event happens. They reckon only rural folk will survive as they are far enough from cities to avoid fallout/fighting/looting etc, and have land to grow produce and raise animals for food.
They are collecting animals, like sheep, rabbits, hens, geese etc, which they breed for food, and have a veg garden. They plan to drastically scale up their production as the date looms to becme self sufficient and have enough excess to barter for goods or services from others, as money will seemingly be worthless.
They are slowly stock-piling tinned foods (but early for that surely? some of it will be out of date by 2012!), they have bought a couple of basic, easy to fix diesel cars and a big diesel generator
Its all a bit mickey-mouse though - as if they arent sure if it is all necessary. They are certainy going about most of it in a pretty amateur fashion. They are breeding llamas, which will be ued as pack animals (surely horses would be better?), their veg garden is mostly flowers, and most worryingly, they are stockpiling diesel in their garage. It in a random assortment of old oil drums, jerry cans and big plastic water bottles. Although there is only (!) about 800 litres there, it looks like an old episode of Londons Burning, just waiting to happen. They are also buying it at retail price from the petrol station. They looked prety crestfallen when I showed them my basement, where there is a 2000 litre diesel tank for the heating system, which I get filled with red diesel at a fraction of the cost of pump stuff.
They are now looking for a 2nd hand diesel tank.
Seemingly, they have also made less-than-discreete enquiries around the village about aquiring a couple of guns without having the necessary licences.
(dave likes cheese, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 15:16, 5 replies)

It's illegal to stockpile petrol and diesel
You are allowed to store a 5 litre jerrycan of petrol and a 10 litre jerrycan of diesel.
( Colonel Dracula Two manky hookers and a racist dwarf, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 15:22, closed)

Of course it's illegal...
Because then you are not subject to the same type of inflating prices on a constant basis and can be held to ransom by oilco's/governments - all part of the conspiracy!
(Galahad is out of his gourd on yellow bentines, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 15:51, closed)

bonkers
they are clearly bonkers, but just in case, be ready to kill them and take over their stockpile of food, llamas and hardcore german p0rn if the end of the world does happen to come along in 2012.
(cornishbob is going to hell on, Thu 27 Aug 2009, 16:05, closed)

horses
are rather high maintenance animals. donkeys and cows are much better pack animals
(seshmarls, Fri 28 Aug 2009, 9:56, closed)

And of course
llamas or alpacas can be sheared for woolly warmth
( Tiffany Aching 's bowl of oatmeal tried to stare her down and won, Sun 30 Aug 2009, 4:29, closed)