Doomsday bunkers hot buy

Have you finished your April Fools Day shopping yet? Only four more days left! Let’s look at the headlines:

•”Sales of luxe doomsday bunkers up 1,000 percent“: Events in Japan and the Middle East have increased sales of bunkers anywhere from 20 percent to 1,000 percent, CNNMoney.com reported.

Northwest Shelter Systems, an Idaho company that offers shelters ranging in price from $200,000 to $20 million, has seen sales surge 70 percent since the uprisings in the Middle East, with the Japanese earthquake generating further interest, CNN reported. The company has 12 bunkers already booked, when it normally sells four per year.

So, despite the doomsday nature of these times, this is a good-news economic report. Who said sales of new homes, er, bunkers, were down? And there must be slightly lower-tier action going on as well — people who can’t afford a brand new bunker but are nonetheless splurging to upgrade their outdated Y2K shelters, which are so 1999. Doesn’t A&E have a “Flip This Bunker” series?

•”Arizona golf course hole is par 5 and 3 mountain lions“: Finally, something to spice up the game. And a fresh use for the phrase “To Coug it.”

•”Coyote delays jets at busy Atlanta airport“: He was late for a big golf tournament and didn’t want to miss his plane.

•”Shark bites Cancun tourist in surf despite warning“: Those darn sharks, not following warnings…

•”A durable doomsday preacher predicts the world’s end — again“: Preacher Harold Camping, 89, was wrong about his prediction about 1994, but he’s certain about the upcoming end in just months — May 21, Religion News Service reported.

Hmmm, makes one think twice about ordering that $20 million bunker.

•”Protect yourself: Don’t hold more than $500,000 in any single account“: Well. No problem then. Some financial advice is certainly easier to follow than others.

•”America’s millionaires on the rebound“: Well, thank goodness. The rest of us were worried. The millionaires said two things were key to their survival: The $500,000 under the mattress and the $500,000 stashed in the bunker.

•”Artificial cloud designed to offer shade at Qatar’s 2022 World Cup“: No, that’s not artificial thunder you hear. It’s the entire Pacific Northwest Emirates groaning in unison, “We’ve got your #$&%@$^ cloud right here.[”] Holding the World Cup in the Middle East may, in fact, be a sign of the apocalypse, even if Preacher Harold Camping forgot to mention it. Wouldn’t it be easier to play the games in air-conditioned, underground bunkers?

Go ahead, make soccer-is-a-sign-of-the-apocaplypse jokes. Just turn the artificial sun up a little higher.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, May 1, May Day

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

County Council members Jared Mead, left, and Nate Nehring speak to students on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, during Civic Education Day at the Snohomish County Campus in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Editorial: Students get a life lesson in building bridges

Two county officials’ civics campaign is showing the possibilities of discourse and government.

Comment: A 100-day report card for Trump’s Cabinet

With the exception of his Treasury secretary, Trump’s Cabinet picks have confirmed earlier concerns.

Comment: Remember Virginia Giuffre for her courage to speak out

She changed the way society and the criminal justice system treat victims of sex crimes.

Comment: In ‘60 Minutes’ exit, Trump exploits media vulnerability

Amid a fragmenting news media, CBS News is left open to Trump’s threats of lawsuits and FCC action.

Kristof: What a nation loses when anyone is ‘disappeared’

Members of my family disappeared in Nazi and Soviet control. A survivor, my father found himself in the U.S.

Comment: ‘Neutral’ language isn’t fit to describe horrific actions

In using language that looks to avoid taking a side, we’re often siding with an imbalance of power.

RGB version
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, April 30

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Welch: State’s gun permit law harms rights, public safety

Making it more difficult for those following the law to obtain a firearm won’t solve our crime problem.

Comment: Trump faithful need to take a chill pill

The president is struggling because his most ardent supporters have overestimated threats to the U.S.

Snohomish’s Fire District 4’s finances OK without levy measure

During the April 15 Snohomish City Council meeting, Fire District 4’s architect… Continue reading

Overblown ‘crisis’ blocking legitimate prescription opioids

Over the last decade or so, mainstream media like The Herald have… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.