With the country sliding deeper into a recession, and my husband?s workplace going out of business after 23 years (meaning he?ll be unemployed for the first time since we?ve known each other), our family is going into survivalist mode.

We won?t quite be hunting "wild wabbit" or drinking our own urine to remain hydrated, but we are trying to figure out how not to end up living in a cardboard box. They simply don?t make cardboard boxes big enough to fit six people, two stupid dogs, three noisy birds, and two destructive cats, not to mention my laptop and big hi-def television.

Since I am the one who handles the household finances, I?ve decided to seek out survival tips from 10 science-fiction television series where the entire modus operandi of the cast of characters is survival. I?ll have to consider whether their approach will work for us, and try to implement some of their strategies and tactics.

1. ?Battlestar Galactica?? Any version of the series is about humanity trying to survive extermination by Cylons rebelling against their enslavers. Since I was never into the original series, but love the current reimagining of the story, I?ll take some lessons from our galactic survivalists.

I?ll have to rule with an iron fist and make sure alcohol is available for every occasion, even when we have no food. I?ll also throw my toaster out of the airlock, because I truly believe it?s evil, especially after the incident where it burned my toast.

2. ?Firefly? ? Here we are on the raggedy edge. Birthday cake will be made of the same protein rations (aka tofu) that we?ll have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

We?ll eat food out of unlabeled cans. We?ll have to plan to steal medical supplies from a nearby hospital disguised as doctors and dead folks. We?ll trade cattle and purchase mud to make useful stuff. We can even sell our internal organs.

Mostly, I just want to look like Gina Torres, even if things improve and we manage a really big take in our next heist.

3. ?Farscape? ? If I can?t be Zoe, I want to be Aeryn Sun, but I?m not sure I ever want to consume vomited clam and someone else?s pee. The collection of beings who can?t return to the places they call home for various reasons (false murder charges, deposition by a corrupt pretender to the throne, accusation of treason for simply trying to survive adverse conditions, got lost in a wormhole) have to endure eating tons of crackers, roasted spider soup, jilnak, marjools, and dehydrated food cubes.

4. ?Lost? ? The problem with trying to learn how to survive from ?Lost? is that I have yet to find mysterious portals that lead to a food bank and a sexy English guy, or even a strange assortment of medical supplies. Still, it would be cool to have my house and yard vanish when the bill collectors come, and we can pretend to be The Others and start a book club to pass the time.

5. ?Jericho? ? This is what survivalism is all about. Again we have to make sure we have plenty of booze, and can construct a rudimentary still to keep it flowing, because even though most of my household is still under the drinking age, nobody is going to care after a nuclear holocaust. Oh? we need to stock up on peanuts, too.

6. ?The Incredible Hulk? ? OK. The cast of this show was mainly two guys who were one guy (forget anyone else ? they don?t count), who had to find ways to eek out a living on the run and off the books. Since I tend to go up and down in size as quickly and as regularly as David Bruce Banner, I?m prepared with both fat and thin clothes, so that won?t be a problem. Also a good thing, my kids think I originated the line ?You wouldn?t like me when I?m angry.?

7. ?Star Trek: Voyager? -- If I were 70,000 light years from home and wanted to get back before I die, I?d cut out the whole side trip to explore nonsense, because the cost of the gasoline isn?t worth it! Still, creating our own hydroponics bay and cooking from scratch will save on replicator use. And if Q offers to use his powers to save me, I will not refuse.

8. ?Lost In Space? ? Lame. My apologies for daring to even think this show should be mentioned, because there is no way in Raxacoricofallapatorius I?m going to be Maureen Robinson, and I will kill anyone who insists on shouting ?Danger, Will Robinson!?

9. ?Three Moons Over Milford? ? This largely ignored and short-lived series took a look at what people would do if they knew their last days on Earth were imminent. The moon had broken into three parts, and the Earth would follow in its demise. What would you do if you knew the end was near? I?d eat all the potato chips I could get my hands on ... and I wouldn?t pay for them!

10. ?Dead Like Me? ? I admit it. I was stuck for a 10th series, until my son suggested this one. Why? ?Everyone is trying to survive life, but they?re already dead.?

Works for me!

Robin Brownfield is a staff writer with Airlock Alpha, writing out of New Jersey. She can be reached at rbrownfield@airlockalpha.com.