A Stockpile of Disposable Goods

I have a friend who works for a rather large aerospace company and his union happens to be on strike at the current time. When I asked how he was doing, he said fine. Being one of the old timers, he knows well that strikes happen with surprising regularity so being prepared, especially for a financial crisis, is just a way of life for him and his family. One thing that he does, in addition to stocking up on food and keeping lots of cash in savings, is to buy enough disposable goods to last for a year at a time. Not surprisingly, his garage looks like a section of Costco! Although I have a good supply of the basics such as toilet paper and laundry soap, I thought this was a great idea so I recently made a "shopping list" of things that I need to buy in order to stock up for an entire year. Here's my list:

• Laundry room: laundry soap (10), dryer sheets (6), Spray and Wash (4), bleach (4).
• Family room: boxes of Kleenex (6).
• Bathrooms: shampoo (18), packages of bar soap (8), razors (10 packages), toothpaste (20), toothbrushes (24), floss (6), frilly bathroom hand soap (16), toilet paper (18-12 packs), lotion (5), hair gel (12), feminine hygiene supplies (14 boxes), rarely used items (Vaseline, peroxide, alcohol, cotton balls, q tips, suntan lotion, handi wipes: about three of each), deodorant (16). basic first aid supplies (band aids, antiseptic, aspirin, Motrin, TheraFlu: about six boxes of each).
• Kitchen: 13 gallon garbage bags (4-100 piece boxes), dish soap (12 bottles), dishwasher soap (4), scouring powder (16), Pinesol (8), sponges (30), mop heads (10), paper towels (18-6packs), Windex (6), furniture polish (4), ziploc bags (25 of each size), aluminum foil (industrial sized roll from Costco), plastic wrap (industrial-sized roll from Costco), picnic supplies (paper plates, paper cups, plastic utensils: enough for 200 settings), 32 gallon garbage bags (4-100 piece boxes), batteries (9v-6, D-25, C-16, AA-100, AAA-100).
• Office: printer ink (6 color, 10 black), stamps (roll of 100), DVDs (100 pack), printer paper (1 case).

I think that's about it. Of course I will have to refine the amount of each product but I think that will give me a good start. On a side note, not having to shop for all of these items for an entire year will be great!

25 Thoughts on Today's Bailout News

In no particular order here are my thoughts on today's bailout news...

1. Wow! Our representatives are actually representing their constituents instead of big business and big government.
2. This is a step in the right direction.
3. I don't know what will happen but bring it on. I feel like we have been bullied by all sides and the intimidation and fear needs to stop. How do you handle a bully? You stand up and fight instead of cowering or hiding.
4. I'm hoping that people will go back to basics and take a breather. Living on credit, living in fear, living to pay bills instead of to play with your kids, living to buy the next gadget...sounds tiring to me. Time to relax and enjoy life.
5. I'm happy I have my preps.
6. Don't panic. This too shall pass. Remember the rice crisis? Remember the stock market drop of '87? What were you worrying about last year on this day? See, we worry about things each day that won't even be a concern to us in a year.
7. I'm a news junkie. I think I need to head off to somewhere where they don't have news and take a news vacation.
8. I have faith in our basic economy, in people's ability to persevere, and in the consciousness that has developed in our populace to where expectations of a better future will create that better, and wiser, future.
9. Look around at what we do have...lots of natural resources, an entrepreneurial spirit, options via the net to sell our products and services to those who want them, etc.
10. What would happen if every talking head, if every news source, if every leader in our country decided that beginning tomorrow they would give a concerted message that our economy was looking up, things were getting better in the financial markets by the moment, and that a turn around in our economy was going on as we speak. The power of positive thinking. Confidence would return, people would start buying (responsibly, I hope), and attitudes would be positive--problem solved at a grand total of $0.
11. Or there is the other idea that has been proposed. Instead of approving $700 billion to bail out businesses and banks, divide it among all of the adults in the US (I believe they said it would be like $100,000 per person). The economy would be stimulated, the people would be happy, and I would have a kick ass new gun collection :)
12. Attitude is everything. I know it sounds like I am on a constant rant but actually I am almost always pretty happy with life. Good attitude = less problems.
13. I can live on less. We all can. When I see how people live in third world countries, I realize how wasteful Americans usually are and how much less we actually NEED to survive.
14. When you see where the crowd is going, head the other way. Did you see the huge lines, arguments, and no fuel in some southern cities today? The reporters noted that less than an hour away there was plenty of gas and no lines.
15. Focus on what you do have instead of what you don't have. You can look at the negative (I don't have this, I don't have that) or you can look at the positive and be thankful for the things you do have (wonderful spouse, blog that I look forward to posting to each day, some trout a friend just brought over).
16. When something scares you, take a deep breath, analyze the situation, and make a plan. Someone may be afraid they will lose their house. Then what? They can live in an apartment that maybe costs half of what the house did and pocket the leftover money. What if they can't get approved for the apartment because of their credit? They can become modern day nomads and live in a travel trailer for a year in order to save money. Radical? Yes. Adventurous? Yes. Permanent? No. The only constant thing is change.
17. Some of the best meals I have had lately have been made at home. Some months ago we made a conscious decision to eat out much less (like once every other week or so) instead of daily like we had for so many years. Home cooked food tastes better, the portions aren't overwhelmingly big, and I know exactly what went into it.
18. Watch the Dave Ramsey Show. He is the voice of reason and calm in these turbulent times.
19. I like a challenge. These are challenging times. I am kind of enjoying all of this. Sounds odd, huh?
20. You wouldn't know the economy was tanking by the number of shoppers at Walmart, Ross, Barnes and Noble, and our local Applebees this weekend.
21. Be happy with frugal things during hard times. I learned this from my grandmother. She and granddad would put together barn dances which both made them a bit of cash and made people forget their problems for a little while during the Depression. She told a story of being happy to buy a pair of new socks at the five and dime; she could have been sad that she couldn't afford a new coat but she was happy to have a simple pair of socks.
22. Take tiny steps each day to make yourself feel more secure. Buy an extra bag of rice. Take on a small project and teach yourself a valuable skill (like sewing a jacket, fixing the broken outlet, etc).
23. Try something new. Have a picnic in the park at lunch instead of spending money at the over priced deli like you always do. It seems odd at first but after a period of adjustment you may find it enjoyable if you give it half a chance.
24. Times of great change usually lead to some very good changes.
25. The year 2012 is quickly approaching...something else to worry about for those who like to worry.

How is Your Life? A Checklist

Some time ago there was a very good author named Thomas Leonard. He basically founded the field of personal coaching and his website was a continuing evolution of ideas and projects. Unfortunately he passed away at a fairly young age in 2003. One thing he left behind, however, is one of the cornerstones of his coaching program. The Clean Sweep checklist provides 100 areas of your life to evaluate and improve. When you get all of the boxes checked off, it means you will probably be living very well in all senses of the word. If you would like to make a "Clean Sweep" of your life, check out the list here.

Pet Preps

A reader recently asked why I haven't written anything about preparedness for pets. Since I currently don't have any pets, it didn't dawn on me to write about them. Unfortunately, this often happens in disaster planning--just because the people who are doing the planning aren't in a specific situation, doesn't mean they shouldn't be aware that the situation could affect friends, family members, or the community at large. Nowhere was this more apparent than during Hurricane Katrina when rescuers told stranded victims to come with them and leave their pets behind. To many people with pets, it was like telling them to leave their children behind!

The simple way to prepare to help your pet during a disaster is just like if you were preparing your child, elderly relative, or special needs client for a disaster. Considering their specific needs and situation, here's what you can do:

• Make them a BOB that meets their needs. Include in their bag food, water, a blanket, any needed medication, a toy, etc. You can skip the clothes...nothing makes me more incredulous than to see a poodle dressed up like a Barbie doll when many children in our world have one set of threadbare clothing to wear.


• Have a way to transport them. A carrier is a good idea. I wish I would have got a photo of a guy who got on the city bus a few days ago carrying a small cage with a very large snake in it. Nobody said anything but I'm sure that would have cleared the entire bus in a couple of countries I've been to. It's important to have the items needed to contain and transport your animal on hand (ie: a small fish tank if your fish usually reside in a 100 gallon aquarium; a leash and muzzle for your dog, a halter for your horse, etc).


• Have an evacuation plan. How will you be able to evacuate with your pet? Of course you can take a dog in your car but what will you do with your pot bellied pig, horse, or llama? Once you evacuate, where will you be able to stay? Do you have friends who can board your horse temporarily? Does the hotel you are going to allow pets? Have you checked with your county disaster planners to see if they have a plan for evacuees with pets?

Those are just the basics. I came across an animal preparedness web page from the AVMA which elaborates on these and many other things to consider when prepping with pets or large animals. Check it out here.

More Prep Conference Notes

Here are some of my notes from a recent preparedness conference. Although some items may pertain only to larger organizations and institutions, many will be able to be modified for use in your own home or small office:

• Know what your generators power. In one large facility during a disaster, their generators seemed to power some unneeded things while some important things weren't connected to the generator. It's good to know this and make needed changes before the winter storm season starts.
• You need a lock down procedure even if your facility is usually open 24/7 and the doors have never been locked before.
• It is important to have a designated area for cell phone charging with the ability to charge many cell phones at once. Having an assortment of cell phone chargers available is also important because employees usually leave their cell chargers at home.
• In a storm, especially big windstorms where the trees are toppling, stay inside. If you aren't responding to a life or death emergency, don't risk having a tree fall on your head by going out while the storm is still in progress.
• Have current maps of your area which include DNR and logging roads. If bridges go down or roads are closed, having maps to plan your escape via little used roads can be useful.
• When evacuating, take a chainsaw, bolt cutters, gloves, goggles, a tow rope or chain, and other items that can help you clear a path if the roads are blocked.
• Have a disaster recovery directory. When the dust has settled, you don't want to have to hunt down a phone book and try to figure out who to call. Make up a directory that includes contact information to get your utilities restored, supplies delivered, employees back to work, non-urgent medical assistance, construction people to help (plumbers, electricians), etc.
• If you work where your uniform is supplied or you are an employer that supplies uniforms and employees will be required to work during a disaster (utility people, medical people, police people, etc), make sure there are plenty of uniforms in reserve. People will want to change every so often and laundry services may not be available.
• The most urgently needed items during a disaster: fuel, medications, water, food, tarps and ropes.
• People need BOBs with them at any location they will be during a disaster (at home, at work, in a shelter, etc). this way they will be self sufficient and have all of the items (including food and water) that they will need to take care of themselves until the disaster has passed. This also takes the pressure off of family members, employers, and shelter staffers to provide the basics (hygiene items, clothing, etc) which may or may not be available.

Mate Picking 101

A girl in our office came in with her usual relationship drama yesterday. Sad to say, unless she significantly raises her standards for the people she dates, this looks to be the course that her life will continue to take. Whether you are male or female, gay or straight, White, Black, Asian, or Hispanic, there are standards that need to be met by a future mate in order to have the basis for a good, solid relationship. Here they are:

1. No current or recent drug or alcohol problem. I know some guys who are wonderful husbands and fathers and who have been sober for decades. They will tell you themselves that when they were alcoholics and drug addicts they were the worst people on the planet to be around. This is a problem that can't be fixed by another person, only the person with the problem can fix it.
2. If they are chronically jobless and always borrowing money from you and not paying it back. Guess how your financial life will look after you marry this winner?
3. If they lie all the time. No one is 100% honest but there is a difference between the occasional lie to save someone's feelings and the person who lies so often you can't trust them to tell you how the weather is when they look out the window.
4. If there are any signs at all of domestic violence. These include manipulative and controlling behavior, physical aggression, and stalking/spying on you/calling to check where you are twenty times a day. Run for the hills and don't look back.
5. Ongoing mental health issues. Some people have minor mental health issues that are under control and don't affect their relationships, however others seem to be in a permanent state of out of control; this doesn't bode well for a good relationship.
6. If they blame everyone else for their lot in life. How your life turns out is totally up to you; how you handle setbacks, and how you respond to others no matter how they have wronged you is also up to you. If a person refuses to take responsibility for themselves and their life, move on, because you will be the next cause of all of their problems.
7. If they alienate everyone around them. Sometimes issues will arise with friends or family members that will cause people to become estranged, however if the object of your desire has alienated themselves from their entire family and all of the friends they have ever had, this should be a sign.
8. If something JDLR (just don't look right). Sometimes you get a feeling about someone that you dismiss because you can't pinpoint what the issue is; you want to be the nice person and give them the benefit of the doubt. This is your intuition saying "get out now!"
9. If you don't click and feel like you are forcing yourself to make the relationship work. One friend considered relationship counseling with a guy she had only known for two months! If you can't get along during the developing stages of a relationship, it's time to cut bait and move on.
10. If you are a better person by yourself. The mate you are with is supposed to add to your life, not detract from it.

The bottom line is that, theoretically, when you are dating someone and they are trying to woo you into being more than a casual date, they should be on their best behavior. If they show any of the above traits and this is their best behaviour, think of how they will be when they know they "have" you and can relax and be themselves. Scary.

Random Notes

• Thanks for taking the poll. It is interesting to see what preps others are doing. If you have ideas for future polls, let me know.
• While at Barnes and Noble yesterday I was browsing the magazine racks and came across a special edition of Guns and Ammo 'Book of Personal Defense' magazine. It was a good read with lots of interesting personal defense info including tips on concealed carry, the best firearm to have for self defense, choosing ammo, etc.
• In the aforementioned magazine, I ran across a term I had never heard before..."shoot me first clothing". While I say that one should wear the clothing that will allow them to blend into the crowd (ie: leave the cammo at home if you are heading into the city), this term kind of makes that recommendation crystal clear. If a shooter/bank robber/other criminal type comes into your location, who do you think they will perceive as a threat and shoot first? The grandma hobbling by with a cane, the soccer mom trying to corral three kids, or the guy that looks like he is dressed for battle?

Take the Poll >>>>>>>

How prepared are you? I'm guessing that people are all over the board on this question. Some may have excellent food preps but not much of an emergency fund. Some people may have lots of money but not much in the way of emergency supplies. Anyway, since Blogger has this little widget that creates polls, I thought I'd put together a weekly poll to see how prepared people are when it comes to various aspects of disaster planning. Take a look at the poll on the right side of the page below the ads and give us your answer. This should be interesting!

The Credit Card Story

I was watching the Dave Ramsey show on TV today and he had a very interesting guest. His guest, Elizabeth Warren, gave a very critical (but honest) and very succinct overview of the credit card industry. She carefully outlined all of the ways that the credit card industry goes out of its way to help keep credit card holders in perma-debt and very often helps push them over the edge of bankruptcy. While I realize that getting into debt is the fault of each individual who chooses to use credit to their detriment, a lot of the scams perpetrated by the credit card companies is unconscionable--shooting up interest rates even if you have been a perfect customer, changing due dates without notice hoping that you won't notice and will therefore incur further fees by paying late, excessive fees, etc. I couldn't find the interview that was done on Ramsey's show, however the link below will take you to an interview that she did on PBS. Check it out at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/credit/interviews/warren.html

20 Reasons Why The Bailout Idea Sucks

The bailout idea is wending its way through congress as we speak. In my non-economist, common sense, uneducated opinion, here are 20 reasons why the bail out is a bad idea all the way around...

1. One person will be in control of the program without any kind of oversight. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
2. The government is in charge of making and enforcing laws and some other things. No where in the Constitution does it say the government should own major businesses. The government can't even run the government and now we are going to expand its reach? Dumb.
3. The plan is to use good taxpayer money which could be used for infrastructure, children's health programs and a million other good causes in order to buy bad debt. If my broker said "I'm going to take your retirement money and buy bad debt with it" I would fire him. Immediately.
4. The bad debts are supposedly going to be purchased, repackaged and sold to...who? Let's see...the largest generation in history is heading towards retirement--they will be taking money from the system instead of putting money into the system. The government is gung ho on deporting 12 million wage earning, car/home/food buying illegal immigrants so scratch them from the pool of purchasers. The birth rate is 14.1 per 1000 in our country so we aren't growing a huge crop of new investors. That leaves...?
5. The free market needs to correct itself. Meddling by anyone (the government, investors, financiers, the mafia or anyone else) does not work over the long term.
6. Congress was given exactly seven days to sign off on this program. My grand daddy used to say that anyone who uses a hard sell tactic ("buy now or you will never get the opportunity to do so again") to get you to hurry up and make a decision without thinking things through completely usually is trying to rip you off. Grand daddy was right about 99.9% of the time.
7. The economy is going to implode to one extent or the other; I would rather have it happen now and not push the problem off to my kids and grand kids.
8. If a company is failing, no matter its size, that means it isn't economically viable. What happens when the government's money stops coming in?
9. You can't artificially keep prices up forever. Whether we are talking about home prices, stock prices, interest rates, etc, artificially inflating prices eventually back fires.
10. Let's see...over paid executive drives company into the ground. Government rewards bankrupt company and over paid executive. Over paid executive gets to keep job and continue running company into the ground and continue being over paid. Lovely.
11. If this bailout happens, all big companies will assume that the government will bail them out no matter how stupidly the run their companies.
12. Who will be next to suck the taxpayers dry? ATT? Microsoft? Exxon? The Big Three Automakers? Hell, why doesn't the government just take over all of the businesses in the US--we will be just like the Communists, our staunch enemy for so many decades. I'm confused.
13. The powers that be said the bail out "might work", "should work", "will probably work". Obviously they don't know since this has never happened before. I don't want to bet the farm of "might", "should", and "probably".
14. Companies that behaved badly, stupidly, fraudulently, et al. will get rewarded and companies that were responsible, honest, and fiscally prudent will get..squat. Great.
15. The bail out costs nearly a trillion freaking dollars!
16. The American economy needs to rebuild itself on real dollars from real people not on hyped up investment schemes that crumble like a house of cards with the first small breeze.
17. Elections are coming up. When people are scrambling to keep or become elected to their job, I wouldn't trust any of 'em.
18. This plan would cause the government to be the enabler in the financial disaster relationship. Much like parents who continue to bail out their children who run up huge credit card debt by paying their bills and hoping they will change (they never do), the government will be enabling big business to continue down their financially destructive path.
19. The people who are putting this plan together say that without the bailout, credit markets will tighten up and people won't be able to get credit. Hooray! Can you imagine people paying cash for the things they want and need? Can you imagine people not living under the yoke of permanent debt? Can you image people saving money for future purchases? Wow.
20. The Bush/Cheney regime has been using fear and intimidation to reach all of their ends. The Patriot Act? Check. The let's send $600 to each taxpayer so they can go shopping? Check. The Iraq war? Check. I'm tired of my government keeping me in a constant state of fear. No wonder high blood pressure is rampant in our country. Good grief!

I'll hop off of my soap box now.

10 Quick Fall Safety Tips

Today is the first day of fall so what better time to think about some safety tips we haven't needed to consider for months. Here's the top ten:

1. Be careful driving. As the days get shorter and the weather gets greyer, people, bicycles motorcycles, and other cars can be harder to see. Drive carefully!
2. Be careful walking and riding. On the flip side, if you are the pedestrian or bicycle rider instead of the driver, know that the change in weather and shortening of the days can make you harder to see by vehicles that are bigger than you (cars, trucks, semis). Be as visible and careful as possible when you are on the road.
3. Now is an excellent time to make sure your generator is in good working order, is correctly vented, and that you have some extra fuel stored for the appliance. As soon as the first winter storm hits and causes the power to go out, people will turn to their generators which need to be working both safely and efficiently.
4. Heating in general can be dangerous--make sure your furnace is in good working order, make sure space heaters are away from anything combustible, and ensure that your fireplace is safe as well (the chimney is clean, a guard is in place to keep sparks in the fireplace and not on your furniture, etc).
5. Be careful on ladders. Falls are a huge cause of accidental death and injury in our country and the fall season is when people are most likely to use ladders (cleaning gutters, fixing leaky roofs, hanging holiday decorations, etc) so be careful using that ladder!
6. Keep walkways and driveways clear. As the leaves start to fall, they can make a slippery mess on your driveway and other walkways. Likewise, prepare now for the below freezing days on the horizon--keep salt or sand at the ready to control icy patches where you and the family will be walking.
7. Have everyone in the family keep their awareness levels up. The start of school makes people excited and aware of whats going on, however once everyone settles back in the groove, awareness levels tend to drop. No one should let their guard down no matter how routine the day seems.
8. Prepare now for Christmas. This is more of a financial safety tip as buying loads of gifts at the last minute can either bankrupt you or give you some huge credit card bills after the first of the year. A better idea is to pay cash for gifts and spread the purchases out over the next few months.
9. Winterize your car now. Everything from changing to a heavier weight oil to flushing the radiator, restocking your car's emergency bag, checking the air in the spare tire, and making sure the windshield scraper is where you left it at the end of last winter will ensure a safe and prepared drive whether you are going across town or across the country.
10. Keep up the daily exercise regimen. Daily exercise will pay off in a number of ways: it lessens the number of falls that people experience as they age, it will allow you to easily shovel snow without needing a chiropractor afterwards, and you will be able to haul firewood and hike through the mountains while hunting with ease.

Random Shootings

I'm not sure what the deal is with the northwest corner of our country (US). Is it because people are amped up on caffeine as a rule? Is it the depressing weather? Whatever the case, I'm about fed up with all of the random murders around here--20 and counting in the last two years, the two most recent taking place this weekend.
Even though I usually carry concealed, looking at most of these cases, I hazard to guess that even someone who carries would, in most of these case, have been shot out of the blue with no forewarning at all. In one case, a family was getting ready for Christmas when another family member came over and killed all six people in the house. In another case, a group of young adults came back to one guys house to chill after a rave party at around 6am and someone they didn't even know followed them home and killed all six people. In another recent case, a mentally ill man killed a sheriff's deputy, two road workers as he drove by them, and three others. In this weekend's case, a man killed a forest service officer, then randomly stopped by a house, killed a man who was working in his yard, and stole his truck.
At least if you are in a war zone, you are looking for something to happen. In the aforementioned cases, the shootings were truly random, no previous altercations took place to put the victims on alert that something could happen, and one minute the person was chatting with friends or family, working in their yard, or fixing the road, and the next they were dead. The two law enforcement officers were even taken by surprise and killed without getting off a shot.
Wanting to post useful information, more specifically, provide info that could help you prepare and survive such an attack, I researched the topic and came up with exactly nothing. No tips, no best practices, no "do this" kind of information. Having no experience with this subject, here's what I think in general:

• Concealed carry makes sense. In mass shootings, if you are carrying concealed and aren't the first victim, you may have the opportunity to fire back.
• In almost all of these cases, the perpetrator was mentally ill which speaks to the need for services (and facilities!) for the mentally ill.
• Limiting gun ownership and creating "gun free zones" seem to be diametrically opposed to to public safety. It's like putting an arrow up for people who want to find locations where no one would shoot back at them. Yikes.
• It speaks to the need to find the line between being paranoid/defensive and being aware/cautious in our daily lives.

Vagabonding

Vagabonding has been a part of our culture for practically forever. I clearly remember guys coming back from the Vietnam War, determining that the rat race was for rats, and then choosing not to participate. They lived on the fringes of society, being what was termed a hobo or vagabond. Years ago a distant aunt did the same thing. She came home from work one day with a backpack, packed what she could carry then walked away from her husband and teenage kids to live, to this day, as a traveler with no address, no job per se, and not many ties. She had always been politely called "eccentric" (that meant crazy to the family) and I'm sure her actions traumatized her family so I would highly not recommend this course of action unless your kids are grown and you are single, but it shows how the "call of the road" can make people question, and even give up, living is what is considered "normal" society. I was reading Rolf Potts' blog today and I can definitely see how living as a modern day nomad (especially after the work week, financial week, and people week I just had!) has it's merits. Here are some of my favorite vagabonding blogs:

• Rolf Potts Vagablogging
• Hobo Poet (old site)
• Hobo Poet (new site)
• Female Nomad
• Nerdy Nomad
• Greg Rodgers Vagabonding
• Life Nomadic
• Working Nomad
• Location Independent
• Vagabondish

Good Reads for Tough Times

If the non-stop news about our entire financial system meltdown has you depressed and feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, here are some good books about prosperity. Note that many of these were written around the time of that other US financial disaster, the Great Depression.

• The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity by Catherine Ponder
• The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles
• The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr Joseph Murphy

Ron Paul for President

If only we had a President like this: http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/022940.html

Clear...concise...common sense...educated...analytical...a leader...I could go on and on....

Stop the Insanity!

I don't know about everyone else but my taxes can't afford to prop up every greedy, over extended company in the country. First the government bailed out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and I thought the idea was ludicrous. Hello--us tax payers (that's where the government's money comes from to bail out these companies) have enough problems without taking on the debt of these huge corporations. Anyway, next came rumors of a proposed bailout of Lehman Brothers which didn't happen. Hallelujah...finally I thought someone figured out that the citizens of our country shouldn't have to finance bankrupt companies that will gladly take our money when they are scraping the bottom of the financial barrel yet when they are swimming in profits do you think these companies would give some of their excess income to the citizens of our country? Um, not a chance. If you read today's news, you will see that WE (you, me, and everyone else we know) has bailed out yet another company (AIG). When will this insanity end???

Observations from Hurricane Ike

Here are some long distance observations on the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. All of this information is garnered from the media, having not been there myself, and all of it relates to preparedness and the 20/20 hindsight that comes after such an event:

• When everyone is saying evacuate or die, take the warning seriously. I think the death count is 20+, not bad for a major hurricane but some of the deaths could have been prevented if the people would have evacuated.
• If evacuation in eminent, leave (much) sooner rather than later. Towards the end of the evacuation when the storm was bearing down on Galveston, it was virtually impossible to evacuate because there was one road and way too many cars all trying to get out of town.
• According to one report, a couple "overslept" and missed the evacuation. It wasn't like they only had an hour's notice. How can you oversleep and miss a multi-day evacuation??
• One lady said her life jacket saved her because her husband had her put it on while they were waiting out the storm in their home. If you are in a room that is filling up with water, carry the life jacket outside and put it on as you don't want to be trapped in the life jacket in a room filling up with water.
• Food, both the stockpile in the garage and the portable kind you can take with you when you evacuate, is of critical importance. There was a huge line outside of a store in Texas, when the reporter asked why the people were waiting, they replied that they didn't have any food in their home. Gather up enough food to last you for a number of weeks prior to a disaster--it will be virtually impossible to do so after a disaster. In a related news article, the food banks in the area are also out of food.
• Next to food, gas is another primary need before, during, and after a disaster. Some people could not evacuate because they could not afford gas. Others ran out of gas because the line of evacuating cars stretched for miles (and hours) and the local stations had run out of gas. After the hurricane, the gas stations were empty and people didn't have gas stored for generators (if they had a generator available).
• Another critical need in the affected area is water. The water is contaminated and residents must drink bottled or treated water.
• The importance of having somewhere to evacuate to is something to consider before a disaster. Many people will need to stay where they evacuated to because going back to their home either isn't an option due to lack of service (water, electricity, etc) or because their homes are totally gone. Imagine what would happen if your only option is a community shelter.
• If there is a chance of flooding where you're at, it's a good idea to have some type of boat and life jackets.
• Cash is better than credit cards in a disaster situation. Some of the stores could only take cash as they were running without electricity and ATMs weren't working.
• Surviving the hurricane was just the beginning. Clean up, repair, and rebuilding will take quite a while, quite a bit of work, and quite a lot of materials.

You Will Be Fired In One Year...What Do You Do Now?

Here's the scenario: you have a crystal ball, you have the gift of future sight, you just know it's going to happen...however you figure it out, you know with certainty that in exactly one year you will be fired, let go, kicked to the curb, RIFed, given a pink slip, etc. You know this is going to happen but quite frankly, you NEED your job if you want to keep junior in sneakers and your wife in Fendi. What would you do in the ensuing year to secure your life as you know it? Here's some ideas:

• Work five jobs if you have to in order to pay off all of your debts.
• Polish up your resume and your networking skills.
• Put some time into developing the side business that you have always wanted to start.
• Cut expenses like your life depended on it.
• Build up your stockpiled food.
• Be so excellent at your current job that they couldn't let you go.
• Get a grip on your entire financial life (review your insurance coverages, know what COBRA is, make sure your investments are well diversified, etc).
• Do all of your home improvements now while you still have a good cash flow.
• Review your current needs. Do you really need three cars when there are only two drivers in the family? Do you really need a boat that is only used a couple of times a year?
• Boost up your emergency fund (try to have six months to a year's worth of expenses socked away in a savings account).
• Be involved in the community in a variety of ways. Often people whose entire lives are built around work are left with nothing when they lose their job.
• Connect with people. It's easy to be aloof and solitary when you are the master of your own destiny but when the chips are down, other people often become very important--connect with them now before you need them.
• Use your current insurance plan to the max--get your physical, get dental work done, order new glasses, basically do all of the things that you keep putting off now while you still have insurance.
• Look into your end-of-job options. Are worker retraining programs available? Would you get a severance package?

Anyway, you get the idea. Even if you intend to be at your job for the rest of your life, every once in a while act like you will be let go within a certain period of time and take the actions that you would have to do if job loss really was on the horizon. There are currently tens of thousands of people who have been recently let go from their jobs that wish that they would have done this a year ago.

Strategic Planning in Three Easy Steps

Strategic planning is usually used by organizations to set goals and a path to follow in order to fix problems or realize a process that will move their organization forward. Strategic planning is also useful to help you move your life forward and reach your own goals. It really is much simpler than the mountain of books on the topic would have you believe. Here's how:

1. Decide what you want the outcome of your situation to look like. For example, if you are feeling less than prepared for the possibility of a hurricane in your area, your goal may be "I am completely prepared for the possibility of a Category 5 hurricane to make a direct hit on my neighborhood".
2. Do some research and then make a list of all of the components that being prepared for the hurricane would entail--the bigger the list the better. Your list should include things like make sure I have full coverage insurance for my home, including flood and hurricane-type coverage. Other components may include getting a weather radio, having $5,000 in the bank specifically for evacuation, never having less than a half tank of gas, having BOBs at the ready, having enough plywood and screws stored in the shed to cover all of the windows, having a plan to move or rebuild if your home is destroyed, etc.
3. Make a "to do" list based on the items in #2 that you need to accomplish to reach your ultimate goal then take steps everyday to knock these things off of your list. Obviously big components should be broken down into smaller pieces in order to make them more reachable such as putting $5 in the bank every day for 1,000 days if that's what it takes to get the money put aside. You will also want to prioritize your "to do" list based on the importance or necessity of each task. Something like making sure your insurance is in order should be of the highest priority, while getting a special weather radio may be of lower priority due to the possibility of receiving the same news on your local radio or TV.

DPT--Vote!

You can't miss the fact that it is election season. No matter what side of the issues you are on, it is your right (and your duty) to vote. There's only 53 days left until the November 4th general election. Register today! Go to http://www.eac.gov/ for more information.

101 Survival Skills

There are lots of skills that come in handy in a disaster/survival situation. Here's 101 of them:


Food/Water

1. How to purify water.


2. How to grow a garden.


3. How to forage/gather food in the wild.


4. How to kill and dress an animal.


5. How to cook (in home/over a fire).


6. How to bake (in home/over a fire).


7. How to raise animals for food.


8. How to fish.


9. How to preserve food (dry, can, freeze, pickle, etc).


10. How to seek food in other ways (dumpster dive, barter, etc).

Outdoor Skills

1. How to navigate via GPS, map compass.


2. How to start/maintain a fire.


3. How to set up a primitive camp (shelter, fire, water source, etc).


4. How to camouflage yourself.


5. How to leave no trace.


6. How to traverse ice, rocks, mountains, water, etc.


7. How to stay warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot.


8. How to dress appropriately for the outdoors.


9. How to track (people and animals).


10. How to avoid outdoor hazards (animals, poisonous plants, quicksand, etc).

Communications

1. How to operate a HAM radio.


2. How to use a computer.


3. How to publicise an issue in the national media.


4. How to set up a pirate radio/TV station.


5. How to send and receive secret, encrypted messages.


6. How to gather information in a survival situation (from the media, from the street, from officials, etc).


7. How to contact the people you need in an emergency.


8. How to signal in a variety of ways (smoke, Morse code, SOS, etc).


9. How to do dead drops/live drops.


10. How to use sign language to communicate.

Disasters (what to do before, during, and after)

1. How to survive a hurricane.


2. How to survive an earthquake.


3. How to survive a tornado.


4. How to survive a tsunami.


5. How to survive a wildfire.


6. How to survive a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) incident.


7. How to survive a flood.


8. How to survive a winter storm.


9. How to survive a personal disaster (financial, medical, social, etc).


10. How to survive a socio-economic collapse.

Transport Skills

1. How to drive.
2. How to ride a motorcycle.
3. How to swim.
4. How to fly a plane.
5. How to ride a bicycle.
6. How to pilot a boat.
7. How to ski/snowshoe.
8. How to ride a horse.
9. How to walk long distances.
10. How to hitchhike (by car, train, small plane, etc).

People Skills

1. How to lead people.
2. How to mediate problems.
3. How to read people.
4. How to gain people's trust.
5. How to coordinate a response.
6. How to barter.
7. How to sell your services/products.
8. How to teach others.
9. How to learn from a variety of sources.
10. How to acquire the things you need (through legal and not so legal means).

Medical Skills

1. How to do CPR, use an AED, and perform the Heimlich Maneuver.
2. How to treat viral and bacterial infections.
3. How to treat for shock.
4. How to deliver a baby.
5. How to set a bone.
6. How to suture a wound.
7. How to prevent the spread of disease and infection.
8. How to put together a comprehensive first aid kit.
9. How to treat basic medical conditions (bleeding, puncture wounds, gun shot wounds, allergic reactions, etc).
10. How to perform medical rescue techniques.

Firearms/Self Defense Skills

1. How to use a handgun, rifle, and shotgun.
2. How to clean your firearms.
3. How to reload ammo.
4. How to set traps.
5. How to fight (hand to hand combat).
6. How to set up a comprehensive home security system.
7. How to use escape and evasion tactics.
8. How to fortify any location you happen to be in.
9. How to use alternate weapons (knives, Mace, Tazer, throwing stars, etc).
10. How to utilize combat shooting techniques.

Home Skills

1. How to sew.
2. How to do basic plumbing.
3. How to do basic electrical work.
4. How to do basic carpentry.
5. How to do basic masonry.
6. How to use basic tools (everything from a hammer to a chain saw).
7. How to budget, spend, save, and invest your money.
8. How to educate your children.
9. How to process your own garbage (recycle, compost, burn, etc).
10. How to do an assortment of rural skills (raise children, bury the dead, make candles, tan animal hides, etc).

Other Useful Skills

1. How to travel in foreign countries.
2. How to speak a foreign language.
3. How to play games of skill (pool, poker, chess, etc).
4. How to dress and act appropriately in various situations.
5. How to maintain physical fitness and health.
6. How to stockpile food and supplies.
7. How to do basic educational tasks (read, write, math, history, science, etc).
8. How to disguise yourself.
9. How to perform an investigation.
10. How do do basic auto repairs.
11. How to build assets and create passive income for your future.

Your Survival Community

When TS hits TF, who will you rely on? Do you know who makes up your survival community? Here they are:

• You. When it comes down to it, you really have only yourself to depend on.
• Your immediate family. If you have family (spouse, kids, cousins, etc) living in your immediate vicinity, they will usually be your first "go to" people during a disaster and vice versa. Some pre-planning and pre-preparing with these people is a good idea.
• Your neighbors. In many disasters, the people that you will be in it with, what ever it is, will be your immediate neighbors. It's good to know a bit about your neighbors. The information you want to ascertain about them can range from who has a generator and who is elderly and would need checking on after a disaster, to which neighbors you personally know to be reliable, responsible, and preparedness-oriented.
• Your friends. Friends will play a part in your survival whether they live near or far. If they live near you, they will be able to come to your aid or vice versa. If they live far away from you they can be equally valuable by acting as a central communications point for your family, as your bug out location, or in some cases they may be able to swoop in and rescue you if need be.
• Your survival team. Some people have gone to great effort to gather like-minded, survival-oriented people and create survival teams specifically for the event of a local, regional, or country-wide disaster. Usually the teams meet in person or online and focus on a wide range of disaster preparedness topics including resource typing, training, drills, etc.
• Your co-workers. Depending on the type of job you have and the type of co-workers you have, these people may be an excellent resource during a disaster. Some workplaces have a comprehensive preparedness plan, some may require you to come to work (first responders), while others don't intend or expect for you to come to work after a disaster and really have no plan in place should the worst happen.
• Your community. Before a disaster, you can connect with the Red Cross, the Department of Emergency Management, or other disaster preparedness groups in your community. These groups usually offer disaster skills training and the opportunity to network with like-minded people. After a disaster, many of these same agencies will be responsible for search and rescue, setting up shelters, and providing other needed information and services.
• The Feds. These are the last people on the list for the reason that they may come eventually but depending on the type and extensiveness of the disaster, your area may be first or last on their list to provide assistance to.

In order to connect with any of the people listed above, you usually have to take the first step. Discussing what to do before, during, and after a disaster with your family and friends is often the simplest way to get started. You may also want to talk to your employer about their company disaster plan, sign up for training with local disaster preparedness agencies, participate in survival/preparedness forums, meet ups, and other groups.

Insider Info

Insider information, the kind that helps you survive in a new place, not the kind that brings the SEC to your door, is one of the basics of preparedness. Imagine moving to Florida and not knowing anything about prepping for a hurricane! A good way to get insider info is either from the school of hard knocks which means you fumble around and hope you live to learn the lesson (not recommended) or you learn from the locals before you find yourself on the losing end of a hard lesson learned. Living in the northwest part of the country, we see a lot of tourists and newbies, some of them doing things that require a Coast Guard rescue or a Godly intervention. Here's some insider info about the Pacific Northwest:

• Tide tables are important. Numerous people get stuck on the jetty or remote beach trails because they didn't know that high tide was coming. If you don't live near an ocean you may not know that but here, it's required info.
• Watch out for bears and mountain lions. Bears are pretty common around here and every once in a while, one will find its way to the suburbs and even small cities looking for food. Keep your food and garbage locked up tight.
• The water in the rivers, lakes, and ocean around here is COLD. It stays cold year round. It is also usually swift moving and there are generally currents, underwater snags, and hypothermia to contend with. Drownings are quite common so be careful.
• If you see a fighter jet scrambling above you, a multi-vehicle camouflaged vehicle convoy rolling by you, or a carrier floating past you, don't panic. There are about a dozen military bases nearby so that type of activity is normal.
• Racism is not so much of a problem here. Due to a wide range of workers, refugees, immigrants, military personnel, and everyone else who has come here, you don't see the degree of racism that you see in other parts of the country.
• There are very few poisonous snakes, spiders, or plants in the area. Unlike tropical locales where all kinds of things can kill you, that sort of thing is much less likely to happen here.
• It rains often but it isn't a wet rain. Like the Eskimos and their many words for snow, we have many words for rain, however the rain here seems to drizzle (that's one of the rain words) all day but it is very rare that we see a deluge like they get in the east and southeast. Bring a rain coat, even in summer.
• Which brings us to dressing in layers. The temperature can go from 40 degrees to 80 degrees and from sunny to windy to rainy all within a few hours. Dressing in layers that you can adjust according to the whim of the weather is a good way to dress.
• People tend to be name-brandish here. All of those layers seem to have a name on them: Columbia, North Face, REI, Carhartt, etc. They also like their Sigs, H & Ks, and Mossbergs. On the other hand, you won't find too many Dolce and Gabbanas or Hermes (probably due to the rain). You also can't go far in many directions without seeing Starbucks; even the panhandlers use their empty Starbucks cups to gather up handouts.
• Winter days are short and summer days are long due to our distance from the equator. Simple science, however many visitors who have never come this far north before are amazed that the sun is still shining at 9pm in the summer.
• The earth is mostly dirt and sand here. Bad during the winter (landslides), bad for free climbing (your perch can crumble right out from under your clinging fingers and toes), good for construction (it doesn't require blasting to lay a foundation or dig up a spot for the pool like it does in the north east).
• In the rural areas, the next town over may be an hour away. And if you are driving there at night, watch out for deer which are prettier hanging on a wall than they are as a hood ornament.
• If the ground starts to shake, get under a desk, if you hear a tsunami warning, run to higher ground, if the wind is howling, stay inside (to avoid having a tree land on you), if you live in a valley, be ready to move your stuff to higher ground during flood season, if you see a tornado coming (rare), get in the basement or an interior room.
• Always take the ten essentials with you when you head out in the woods, even if it is just for a day hike. People are continually getting lost in the woods around here.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Do you have any insider info from your neck of the woods?

11 Internet Cautions

The internet is a critical part of many people's lives, however simple actions online today can have lasting repercussions. Here's some things to remember:

1. Never have a photo taken of yourself that you wouldn't want your grandmother to see. Once a photo is posted online it is there forever.
2. This goes for videos too. This especially includes sex videos even if it is with someone you trust (it's surprising what trustworthy people will do when they are seriously pissed off).
3. If you are going to rant at someone, take a deep breath and wait until you calm down. If you still want to rant at them, do it in person. Anything you put in print can and will be used against you. It will also be circulated through email, blind copied to your boss, and generally spread throughout the net. Also, if you do it over the phone, it is possible that the call will be recorded (generally only one person needs to know that the recording is being done and it won't be you) and spread around the net as well.
4. Be careful what you say in chat rooms and instant messages. These can be saved, emailed around, and used against you in court. Note the (numerous) cases of the online sex predators who have been arrested and charged in part because of their chat logs.
5. Use good passwords, disable fire sharing, and secure your internet connection so that others can't hijack your system and incriminate you in some way.
6. Be careful what you write on your blog, website, My Space page, and in your profiles. Anything you write (ie: my boss is a f%&*ing idiot and here's some of the things he has done...). Even if you take it down, it will still be hovering in the webosphere and someone is guaranteed to find it and get it back around to your boss, your future employers, etc.
7. Look at anything you post and consider how others could interpret it. You may be using a racist phrase from a song to make a point, it could be read by someone who has no idea about the song and/or take it out of context, and then you will be branded as a racist for the rest of your life.
8. Don't put your personal info on the web. The less information people have about you, the less likely they will be able to find you if they suddenly have a psychotic break and decide to go all stalker on you.
9. Know that everything you do online is tracked including the ISP you use, which location you signed in from, how long you were online, which websites you looked at, etc.
10. Look at your overall presence online as the reputation you are generating about yourself. In a small town people get to know you, people talk about you, they exchange information about what you do or don't do, and your reputation is developed. It is a similar process online. Often people don't realize that the shield that the internet seems to put between people doesn't cover up the reputation they are developing over a period of time, whether or not it is completely true.
11. Google yourself and see what comes up. It may be quite the eye-opening experience. Note that this is also what future clients, employers, social contacts, and others can do just as easily. What will they find out about you?

Bye Bye Fannie and Freddie, Hello Socialism

I was shocked (in bad way) when I heard the news that the government was going to take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This is not good. Here's my top ten list as to why this is so:

1. Have you seen the way that the government runs its own departments such as Department of Homeland Security, the Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Social and Health Services, the TSA? Yikes.
2. The free market works bet. The market likes to correct itself when it gets way overboard one way or the other. Make stupid loans=get slap in the face correction. With a government takeover, the equilibrium process does not get to right itself.
3. How is the government going to pay for this mess? My tax dollars and your tax dollars. I would rather have investors lose the money over bad decisions than the tax payers. That's how the market works. It is also how companies learn to run lean and mean--have investors breathing down your neck and you perform better. Have the government throw money at a bad situation as it continues to grow worse and there is not much incentive to improve.
4. The government ALWAYS adds another dozen layers of bureaucracy to any organization it runs. Yep, we get to pay for these dozen layers of unnecessary jobs.
5. You will now get to ask the government if you can buy a home. That thought makes my skin crawl.
6. First socialized home ownership, next socialized medicine, what will the government take over after that? Frightening.
7. Where does it say in the Constitution that the government is responsible to bail out investment bankers, the housing industry, or any other organization? Someone in the upper echelon of government PLEASE read the Constitution. Where is Ron Paul when you need him??
8. Bailouts of any kind mean a lesson was not learned. If your child maxes out a dozen credit cards and you feel bad for them suffering the wrath of the credit companies and you pay off their credit cards, what lesson did they learn? That they don't have to fix their own problems, that they aren't responsible for lousy decisions, that someone else will always be there to clean up their own messes. What will they do next since they didn't learn this vital lesson? It is the same for the Fannie/Freddie situation but on a larger scale.
9. What does this say about companies that were responsible? Companies that did follow protocols, that did only make responsible loans, that took all of the steps necessary to ensure that their company remained solvent. Too bad, so sad? You could have behaved as irresponsibly as all of the rest and enjoyed the fruits of a government bailout? Good grief.
10. The political motivation in this situation reeks. Hmmm, election coming up in a few months, the Republic party trying to get elected while following the Republican president with the lowest voter approval rating in history, a strong Democratic candidate, and an odd choice for Vice Prez on the Republican side. Gee, no political motivation there. Yeah right.

DPT--Stretch Your Food Dollars, Go Ethnic

As I was thoroughly enjoying a nice Indian lunch today, it dawned on me that more people should eat this way. Not only is it nutritious, it is also way cheaper to prepare (they use lots of vegies and less meat), and it tastes great. In fact most ethnic food is based on simple, inexpensive ingredients, interesting combinations of spices, and very little meat. The results? A less expensive grocery bill, less cholesterol and fat, and more of what is good for you (vegies, whole grains, and spices). Why not visit some local ethnic restaurants or check out some Mexican/Greek/Asian/Latin food cookbooks at the library and try your hand at creating some new, inexpensive, healthy dishes?

Spare Me the Gung Ho Survivalists Who Have Gone Off the Deep End

I love preparedness stuff. I love gadgets. I love having an small armory of firearms and a year's worth of food in my home. The only thing that I don't like so much about this field are the wackos that seem to pop up regularly. They either brag about how great they are, claiming adulation and honor that they don't deserve (wacko type #1), or they are so far past the preparedness/survivalist mode that they think that being a survivalist means being set to take on the US government and overthrow the country (wacko type #2).

Over the course of a number of years, I have run into quite a few people who have either stretched the truth so far past reality that it was no longer discernible or just flat out lied about such things as being a soldier, being a war hero, being a cop, firefighter, etc. I'm not sure what drives people to do this but it drives me crazy. I don't care if they have raging insecurities, I don't care if they couldn't get past the psych test, what I do care about is people who talk about "the war" when they weren't even there just to get the esteem and accolades that they didn't earn and don't deserve. Years ago I was at a function and a group of people were standing around chatting. One guy started talking about 'Nam--going into detail about his Special Forces unit and throwing out so many insider terms I thought he was going to choke on them. Now, I did pass math and something didn't seem to jive, namely his youthfulness, so I asked him what year he was born which he told me without giving it much thought. After a quick calculation I announced that he would have been about 12 when Saigon fell. The room got quiet awfully quickly. Now I may need to work on my social skills but when someone defies logic or is just flat out bullshitting me, I tend to point such things out, crowd or no crowd. Moral of the story: if you want to be able to tell great war stories, you need to have have earned the right to do so by putting in the time and the work to qualify; if you want to spew fiction, go write a book.

The other category of people that I tend to run into seem to have a distorted view of survivalism. Yes, I firmly believe that everyone should be able to take care of themselves (physically, financially, psychologically, etc), and being a survivalist who can grow your own food, raise up good kids by example, go kill your dinner and bring it home, run off any roughneck fool who is dumb enough to target your home or family, help rescue people during a disaster, and do the myriad other tasks that true survivalists can do should be applauded. Being a survivalist means being prepared for any eventuality. It is not all about having guns and being prepared to play shoot 'em up. Actually that is the fastest way to get killed which would preclude 'surviving', which would be the antithesis of being a survivalist. While I enjoy a good Rambo type movie as much as the next person and scenarios of action adventure flicks give me some ideas of things I could improve upon (I definitely need to shoot better, I would like to be able to run further, one movie that showed a guy with a huge safe full of cash made me think that's a good idea, etc), being a survivalist is less about getting ready to shoot all comers and more about getting ready for the next big winter storm. Moral of the story: true survivalists include the guy who puts money away for his kid's college education so his kid can "survive" in the future job market, the woman who can raise three kids single-handedly, the karate instructor who imparts skills to his students that could save their lives, and the average Joe who knows his rights and exercises his right, for example, to bear arms while encouraging others to know and defend their rights now instead of waiting for the world to cave in then gleefully fighting their way through the mess that is left over. I'm thinking it won't be such a gleeful situation and that fixing small problems as they occur, surviving each day with an eye on how to improve your future and survive future problems, is a better option.

...I'm done ranting and have now hopped off my soap box...

Participate in YOUR Government

Our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people. That said, how have you participated is the governing of this great country lately? Here's some ideas:

• Vote. This has got to be the easiest way to participate in our government. With vote by mail happening in many areas of the country, you don't even need to leave the comfort of your Barcolounger to do this.
• Contact your governmental representatives. Everyone from your local mayor and city council members to your state representatives, senators and the president of the country are technically your employees. They work for you. If you never tell them how they can help you or what you want done with specific issues, how are they supposed to represent you? Imagine if you had a boss that always paid you on time but never once, in years, ever contacted you and told you what you needed to do? Would you just take the salary, kick back, and do whatever you wanted to do? You bet you would. Someone needs to hold these people accountable.
• Run for office. So you have a lot of good ideas (or a lot of complaints about how things are currently bring run)? Think you can do a better job? Why not run for office. You don't need to start out in congress, you can work your way up the political ladder from the basic political positions in your own community such as fire commissioner or city council member.
• Volunteer on citizens committees, advisory boards, or work on a political candidate's campaign. Who knows, if you work on a high level campaign and your candidate wins, you may end up appointed to a very comfy job.
• Make your voice heard. Speak on an issue at a city council meeting. Write a letter to the editor about a specific issue that impacts/bothers you. Attend a protest if something really bothers you. Start a media campaign for or against an issue.

The bottom line is that you can't complain about something unless you have tried to fix it first. The most obvious thing that needs to be fixed...according to just about everyone, is our government. Why not be part of the solution?

15 Rules for Concealed Carry

If you choose to carry a concealed firearm (I highly recommend it), here are a number of "rules" to live by:

1. Have a concealed carry license. Some people don't like this but it alleviates some legal issues.
2. Know the laws of concealed carry--where you can carry, where you can't, how you can carry (in some states you can carry openly), etc.
3. Have a concealable firearm. Carry a .50 S&W Model 500? Not unless you are a 350 pound linebacker.
4. Know how to use your firearm. Practice A LOT.
5. Always carry a spare, loaded, magazine or speed loader.
6. Carry effective ammo. I like 147 grain jacketed hollow point.
7. Never carry a weapon when you are intoxicated.
8. Always keep your firearm in your immediate possession. Don't leave it laying around in an unsecured gym bag, for example.
9. Try a variety of holsters. Some are more comfortable for longer wear than others.
10. Dress appropriately (ie: avoid tight clothing that gives the public a clear outline of your firearm).
11. Avoid places where you are likely to need your firearm (bad neighborhoods, bars, ATMs in bad section of town at midnight, etc).
12. Learn de-escalation tactics so you can diffuse a situation and not need a firearm.
13. Practice drawing your weapon, practice stance, practice quickly identifying shoot-no shoot targets, practice scanning what is behind your target, practice close combat shooting skills, etc.
14. Practice for unusual situations--low light shooting, multiple attackers, what to do when an animal (usually a dog) is attacking, weapon retention, etc.
15. Never draw your weapon on someone unless you intend to kill them.

10 CNI Challenges

Here's a recap of the ten Code Name Insight Challenges:

1. No Spend Day/Week/Month
2. Live Out of Your BOB for the Weekend
3. Make a Fire Without Matches (or a Magnifying Glass)
4. Can You Walk a Marathon?
5. Take Public Transportation for a Month
6. Provide All of Your Food for a Day...Yourself
7. Do a Long Distance Hike
8. Earn $500 in One Day
9. Barter for Something Big
10. Set Your Own Amazing Goal

The purpose of these challenges? To get you to think outside of the box, to develop creativity, to develop strength in areas you never thought you had, to become better prepared, and to amaze yourself at what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it. Plus, if you can live out of your BOB for a weekend, walk a marathon, survive the Pacific Crest Trail, barter for a car, earn a blackbelt, and rub two sticks together and make fire, you can survive anything!

CNI Challenge #10 Set Your Own Amazing Goal

The idea of this challenge is for you to craft a goal to meet your needs. It needs to be a challenge physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. The goal needs to be big, something you would otherwise never do, and it has to be useful. It needs to be something that makes you really stretch to reach it and something that requires a deal of blood, sweat, tears, time, investment, et al. For example, if your goal is to purchase a BMW with cash and you can easily write a check out of your money market account for it, it doesn't count. If, on the other hand, you make minimum wage and you have the goal of paying cash for a new BMW, that will take quite the large amount of effort and be quite the story to tell afterwards. Other big goals that require time, work, discipline, and creativity may include: earning a black belt in karate, getting a pilot's license, winning a national shooting match, finding a long lost relative, opening your own business...you get the idea.

10 Things You Must Take With You When You Evacuate

Last month there were wild fire evacuation and this month there are hurricane evacuations. Add to that the possibility of tsunami evacuations and the occasional winter storm evacuation and you see the need to have things ready to go in an instant. Of course we always recommend that everyone have their BOB ready to go, but for friends and family members who think being ready to "bug out" is a bit of the extremist side, make sure they at lease bring the following items:

1. Cash—there may not be an ATM (or it may not be working) when/where you evacuate to.
2. Medications—you may not have your prescription on hand or pharmacies may not be open so bring your own necessary meds.
3. Food and water—when you evacuate, stores may not be open or the place you end up may not have food and water so bring it with you.
4. Important papers—things such as passports, birth certificates, marriage license, financial document, etc. are necessary to prove who you are and what you own. Bring them with you.
5. An overnight bag—if you have a hygiene kit and a change of clothes, at least you will be able to clean up after you evacuate; this is a big psychological boost in a trying time.
6. Communications stuff—a cell phone and a hard copy of your contact information (friend’s and family member’s phone and email contact info).
7. A thumb drive with all of the contents of your computer backed up on it.
8. Something to pass the time—playing cards, a book, an iPod, etc.
9. Emergency supplies—first aid kit, flashlight, emergency blanket, etc.
10. Any special, hard to replace item—dentures, hearing aids, glasses, nebulizer, etc.