Where to put your money

Of these asset classes, where would you put your money now for the purposes of long term appreciation? Stocks, bonds, cash, commodities, real estate?

Not in stocks until there is evidence of a bottom in place.

Bonds will likely prosper as long as there is a global flight to safety into the US. (All other major countries have been infected by the US financial disease and are worse off.)

Cash -- ie, $USD -- same as above.

Commodities in a tanking economy will likely tank, also.

The single home & commercial property real estate markets are overbuilt, overbuilt, overbuilt. Great values will be available after massive personal bankruptcies (most people in the US are no more than three or four paychecks away from personal financial disaster!). Apartment complexes in food producing areas are OK if you can find something at a reasonable price. (If you do, and it is of no interest to you, please let me know where.)

IMHO, these are times which will severely test the preservation of one's capital, and not afford the average person much opportunity for speculative gain.

stocks from here are probably your best bet

it all depends when you need it

if you wait for a bottom you will have missed out on the move, stocks will turn up before the economy bottoms