No. 322 - Pawn Stars

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning titled, What Real Men Watch. It mentioned shows that I have seen, like Deadliest Catch, and ones that I may have seen, or at least heard about, like American Chopper.

There was at least one that I never heard about. The article said that one of cable TV's most-watched shows is History's "Pawn Stars."

I learned that Pawn Stars chronicles the daily activities at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, a 24-hour family business operated by patriarch Richard Harrison, his son Rick Harrison, who opened the shop with his father in 1988, and Rick's son Corey, who has worked there since childhood, and who is being groomed to one day take over the shop. The show debuted in July 2009.

On Gold & Silver Pawn Shop's website it says:

In the past 100 years, the number of pawn shops has skyrocketed in the United States. During the Great Depression era, pawn shops were among the only institutions offering cash as banks failed and people were forced to give up their cherished items to make ends meet.

I have made reference to the Great Depression in many posts throughout the year. It wasn't just coincidence. I believe we are in, or are on the verge of, the Second Great Depression. It just hasn't been announced yet. I hope that I have done enough in the past year to ready my family for it. Only time will tell.