Survival Skill #1--Find Stuff

The survival skills I am talking about here are not the go out into the wilderness and live off the land survival skills. Although these skills are extremely valuable, this first series will focus on general survival skills that the majority of the population will be able to use.

I think the reason I am fascinated with the homeless, illegal immigrants, rural homesteaders, the "mole people" who live in New York's subway tunnels, survivalists, and others who live on the fringes of society is because they don't play by "polite society's" rules. Cool. This series will look at a bundle of ways that these people survive on a daily basis which we all can learn from.

This first survival skill, finding things, is one way that people who are short on cash and long on ingenuity and creativity use to take care of their needs. Most Americans have a pretty cut and dried way of acquiring the things they need: write list, go to store, charge needed items and some extra stuff, go home, show off your purchases, then pay for purchases for the next 18 months.

This process has a number of problems. First, many of the "needed" things on our lists are made up of stuff we see advertised on TV or things that our friends have. For example, a friend gets a 160 gb iPod and all the sudden you need one too. If you think about it, a 160 gb iPod holds 40,000 (!) songs. If you (legally) pay to fill up your iPod with 40,000 songs, that would cost around $40,000 (!!) dollars, and then it would take about 160,000 minutes, or 2,666.66 hours (!!!) to listen to the music. When you think about it like that, it really doesn't seem as necessary as it first did. Other reasons, in no particular order, that this system doesn't work as well as people think include: this is an expensive way to acquire things, charging stuff on your credit card is not good for your finances, this system leaves no room for serendipity, and how do you know that what you may find won't turn out to be something very useful?

On to our topic: finding things. Kids are good at this. Their minds are more open, or maybe their line of sight is just better because they are shorter than we are. So they spy something different in their environment (a new trinket at home, a hidden Easter egg, a toy left by the side of the road) and just like that, without any expenditure of money, time, or much effort, they have acquired something new. This is what we want to accomplish with this survival skill. Find things that have been forgotten, discarded, or otherwise left behind and--legally--take it. Here's some ideas:

• Dumpster divers have made finding stuff that has been discarded and using it for their own purposes (a desk for their office, a slightly stained jacket they can use for fishing, food for lunch that has been tossed by the local grocery store, etc) into an art form.
• Beachcombers find all sorts of interesting stuff that has washed up on the beach. Everything from items to decorate their homes with to things to sell on eBay can be had, for free, by smply taking a walk on the beach.
• Walking down the road last week, I found a 5 gallon gas can in the ditch. It was new, empty, and I'm guessing it wasn't secured in someone's truck and went flying off the back. I passed it when I went on my morning walk and an hour later it was still there. Now it's in my shed. You can find all kinds of stuff on the side of the road...ladders, mattresses, clothing, et al.
• Pets. Strays cats and dogs seem to find you rather than vice versa.
• Other things...how many times have you found money on the ground simply by looking down? Letting the kids outside and telling them to find things to use for an art project usually yields all sorts of stuff. Some people have a habit of checking the change return on vending machines in case someone forgot to pick up their change after their purchase.

So your task tomorrow is to find something. The more extreme action that is required--such as jumping into a dumpster--the better. Keep both your eyes and your mind open and see what turns up. Be sure to report back here on your find!

Poll Results and a New Poll

I've been a bit lax on the polls over the holidays but here are the results from the last poll:

The question: What are your most pressing survival threats in the next few months?

The answers:

• The weather (5 people/11%)
• Job loss (5 people/11%)
• Homelessness (3 people/7%)
• National economic issues--gas prices, food shortages, economic collapse (38 people/42%)
• Personal financial disaster (4 people/9%)
• Personal health issues (1 person/2%)
• National societal collapse (6 people/14%)

Obviously many people have concerns about where our economy, and therefore our futures, are headed. Scary.

The new poll: In what part of the country do you live? People in the northeast are known for being both thrifty and prepared. People in the west are known to be able to take care of themselves. Just wondering if there are people from certain parts of the country that are more interested in preparedness than others or if preparedness is a topic that interests people from all parts of the country.

Report: After the Storm

Well the snow is melting and people are getting out and about. Here's some things I've noticed:

• If you have a flat roof and there is a heavy snow, scoop the snow off the roof. Most people in snowy areas probably already know this but in areas that only rarely get big snow storms, they usually remember this lesson after their carport/shed/barn/building caves in from the weight of the snow on the roof.


• I may be wrong about the economy. Before the storm, commerce in our area looked like it was at a dead stop. Restaurants were empty and what few shoppers were at the malls weren't really buying anything. Fast forward to after Christmas sales and after people had been stranded in their homes for over a week and EVERYONE is out shopping. Restaurants are full, malls are crazy, and people lugging shopping bags are everywhere. Whether this is from the after Christmas sales or due to severe cases of cabin fever, I'm not sure.


• A big snow storm (or other disaster that affects a wide area) can have lasting repercussions (see photo). I went to the grocery store today and although the snow had been neatly plowed to the side and lots of people were shopping, the shelves looked pretty sparse. According to the store manager, this was because pre-storm, people had stocked up on everything, during the storm, all of the delivery trucks were stuck and could not get to the stores, and post-storm, they were still trying to catch up on both stocking the shelves and waiting for more deliveries. This was less than a two week period and something as basic as access to food was severely disrupted. Yikes.


• People did a good job of helping each other out. Those who had a generator for their wells provided water to those who didn't. Many people were out on the road helping to push vehicles that were stuck in the snow. Neighbors checked on each other. People with backhoes and plow attachments for their trucks ran around the neighborhoods clearing snow just to help out, not because they were being paid to do it. I hope this is what will happen when something really big and bad happens.


• The buses were a hit or miss proposition. Very limited routes were being served and if I needed to get to the bus I would have had to hike a couple miles to a main highway since our off the arterial road was not being served due to the hills and snow. Although I think riding the bus for general purposes is a wonderful way to save money and stress, depending on it always being there won't work. Glad I have a car so I have a choice.


• Can one overdose on "Survivor Man" and "Man versus Wild"? Me thinks yes. But now I know that if I have to walk over a glacier all I have to do is slip off my socks and put them over my boots for traction. Hmmm.


• Worst thing I saw that had nothing to do with the storm--some guy in Southern California who was mad at his ex wife over their divorce decided to kill her and eight of her family members on Christmas Eve. At least he took his own life and saved taxpayers some money. This type of behavior is so frustrating and infuriating. There are plenty of people dying in hospitals and on the battle field who would really want to live if given a choice and here is some idiot taking lives for no apparent reason. Anger is temporary, death is permanent. Plus it seems like the worse you feel for what ever reason, the better things turn out in the end so why not chill and wait and see what is going to happen rather than going on a killing spree?

Skills You Need to Learn from an Expert

You can learn many preparedness skills on your own. Watch a video, read a book, experiment a little, and pretty soon you can become quite proficient at a wide range of skills. On the other hand, there are some skills that really require advanced tutelage from an expert. Basically anything that can threaten life and limb would fall into this category. Here's a number of topics that a) require advanced learning under the care of an expert, and b) I won't write about in depth in this blog because I don't want people reading about a dangerous topic in a blog and then go out and experiment thus risking life and/or limb.

1. Advanced medical procedures. Having advanced medical skills is a wonderful accompaniment to your preparedness repertoire. There are, however, many reasons that medical school takes a decade or more. Everyone should have basic first aid skills but when it comes to the point of needing to perform surgery, sticking an ET tube down someone's gullet, or using a bone gun to get a line, you need to stop and get thee to a classroom, not use an online "let's perform cyber surgery" website as a guide. If you do want to increase your medical skills, you can start as an EMT and volunteer with the local fire department or ambulance crew. You will get some education and critical field experience that is above and beyond basic first aid. If you are still enthralled by the topic, you can go to nursing school, paramedic school, or even medical school!
2. Anything at all related to explosions, detonation, blasting, and the like. There are plenty of websites that can teach you how to build a bomb, but that doesn't mean you should (and it is illegal). Some years ago I went to visit my sister and her kids. Her ten year old son was in his bedroom emptying the powder out of a handful of M80 firecrackers because he wanted to make a "bomb" like he saw on the internet. My sister bragged about how "smart" her little boy while I was wondering how big the blast zone would be if the materials went off. Yikes. While knowing how to blow things up is a very useful skill, it is best (and more legal) if you learn this via your job (such as from the military, in a university science lab, or at a rock quarry).
3. Most "dangerous sports". These include SCUBA diving, mountain/rock climbing, sky diving, flying, etc. Many of these sports require a license of some sort to prove that you have the skills to not do yourself in due to lack of education and experience. There are plenty of people who participate in these sports and many are actually pretty simple to learn, however these is no substitute for experienced guidance from someone who is well versed in the sport of your choice. Many colleges and private businesses offer certification courses in these sports. Again, the military will teach you for free if you qualify then sign over a chunk of your life. Either way, learning these sports the right way, from an expert, will go a long way towards both your enjoyment of the sport and living long enough to participate in them for a number of years.
4. Less dangerous things. Anyone can go out and buy a chain saw. Almost anyone can go out and buy a gun. While there are no hard and fast requirements for owning and using these and other items such as table saws, cars, backhoes, et al., having someone teach you how to safely use these items is quite valuable. If you don't know what you are doing with these items you can end up missing some fingers or with a tree on the roof of your house (and those are the good results...death and dismemberment would be the worst). Choose a knowledgeable friend--the one that has the heart of a teacher, not the one that likes to destroy things on a regular basis--to give you a few lessons and you will be well on your way to successfully using your new toys...uh, tools.

The bottom line is that anything that can harm you necessitates education in how to effectively do/use said item. Throughout the ages, many of these skills were passed from father to son, however in the last couple of generations, there has been, unfortunately, a steady increase in broken families causing these skills get lost. If you are so inclined, go, learn, and expand your skills in the safest way possible.

Merry Christmas To All

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Here's hoping you are enjoying a wonderful holiday with friends and family.

It's Not If, But When, The Economy Willl Collapse Part 2

So like every problem, large, small, annoying, or hugely traumatic, there is not much value in worrying about it incessantly. The only two things you can do with the problem of the economy or anything else, since you can not change the situation, is to prepare as best you can before something terrible happens and respond after the event as best you can. Here's some thoughts:

• Don't stress over the problem, or worse, panic. This impacts your ability to think rationally and takes up valuable time that you could be spending on more important things.


• I've posted some informative links on the CNI site (http://www.codenameinsight.com/) in the Daily INsight section on economic collapse--check them out.


• There's always hope that things will turn around...I'm just not holding my breath...


• Think preparedness, creativity, and as the comment on the last post said, look for new opportunities.

Some pros and cons in regards to preps:

• Home/land ownership: Pros--once your home is paid in full, all you need to worry about is getting together the money to pay the taxes; definitely a huge financial burden lifted. Depending on your lot/acreage your land can be useful for gardening, raising animals, and other cash crops from which you can earn a bit of income. Cons--governments have a way of just taking any land they want, especially right after they declare martial law. This is a huge amount of money to sink into one asset. You may be less than eager to leave your land even when it becomes necessary. You will need to protect this asset from the marauding hoards.
• Investing money in dollars/stocks/bonds/government securities: Pros--if the monetary system decides to stabilize, you will be ahead of the game and your investments will grow. Having a lot of cash on hand is a very secure feeling. Cons: If the economy continues to tank, so does your investment. Currencies can implode and lose all value and all you end up with is worthless paper. Overall, it's a crapshoot.
• Investing in materials (food, tools, fuel, firearms, items for barter): Pros--these items are there for your use no matter what is happening in the larger society. These items, during a total collapse, are the items of currency which will be mighty useful to barter with to get the things you need (you can't eat, plant a garden with, or defend your home with dollars or gold). Cons--like a house and land, you need to store, care for, and protect these assets. If you do need to flee, you can't carry all of this stuff with you.
• Investing in gold/foreign currency/foreign assets (like land in a foreign country): Pros--gold has been a standard currency for centuries. Foreign currency may be more stable than the dollar (this is iffy since all currency is intricately interwoven with the US currency system). Foreign land will give you a bug out location outside of the US and depending on the country may either have a lower cost of living or a higher stability in price. Cons--you can't eat gold; it's fairly heavy and you need to protect it too. Foreign currency, like I said above, is a crap shoot and isn't a good investment choice for the novice. Foreign land purchases are fraught with pitfalls including a line of red tape for foreigners that will make your head spin. Again, you will need to protect it (some countries squatters rights are amazingly bad--for the legal owner). And, you may need to flee from it.
• Investing in your own skills and social connections: Pros--these are things that will serve you well no matter what is happening in the society at large. The process of learning, both technical skills and social skills, will not only expand your abilities, it will increase your creativity and put you far ahead of the crowd when TSHTF. Cons--there aren't any.

The bottom line: No one knows what is going to happen to the economy or the overall state of the US. If someone tells you "you must buy gold now! you must buy land now!" or anything else where they want to part you with your hard earned money, they are feeding you a line of crap. It takes careful consideration of all of the facts, careful consideration of your own situation because everyone's situation is different, and your own best educated guess before you take action to avert any repercussions of an economic collapse or other disaster. Here's what I am doing:

• I am continually investing in my skills and social connections. Any class that comes up, I'm there. Even if it has no bearing on anything I am doing now, all knowledge is good knowledge. Usually classes are very inexpensive, they give you an opportunity to meet other people who are interested in the same thing, and you never know when a particular skill will come in handy. Ditto with social connections. Start by leaving all judgmental inclinations at the door. Then start acquiring connection with people from all walks of life--rich people, poor people, drug dealers, immigrants, doctors, scientists, homeless people...all people have something to teach you; close mouth and open ears.
• I pay for a house and land that I can easily afford. Some people are up to their eyeballs in house debt to the point that the majority of their income goes to support a house and leaves them very little to invest in anything else. I find my house comfortable and useful but I'm not tied to it. If I had to leave it tomorrow, it wouldn't bother me overmuch.
• I put some money towards cash and well diversified mutual funds but not a lot. Like I said, when you put all of your eggs in one financial basket you are bound to lose.
• I put more money towards hard assets. I feel comfortable having a year's worth of supplies in my home (food, toiletries, etc); this isn't a huge amount of items so I could leave them behind (but I would be real bummed). I also like finding very good deals on assets which have a high probability of being useful to me or for barter (firearms, ammo, tools, gardening equipment, etc) and which also hold their value.
• I am not so much into gold except for some baht jewelry as it is risky both value-wise as the price tends to fluctuate like currency and there is also the part of having to possibly carry it away and protect it. I keep some foreign currency on hand as this makes it easier when I travel but I wouldn't even think to trade in the stuff--too volatile. I minimally invest in foreign assets through others who I can trust however, again, this is a very small part of my investments because 1) I don't completely trust anyone, 2) foreigners tend to get ripped off if they aren't there to watch their investment 24/7, and 3) I don't want to go through the expensive, mind-numbing red tape to put these assets in my name so I certainly won't throw all of my money at such an asset.
• I am continually looking at the situation and making adjustments that make sense for me and my family. Right now I am looking at other housing options as the kids are grown and moved out, we travel often, and we don't need a big house. The idea is to be flexible, always keep your options open, and be prepared to take advantage of random opportunities as they come by.

That's all I have to say on the topic. Be prepared as best you can and hope for the best.

It's Not If, But When, the Economy Will Collapse Part 1

I make it a point to not go out of my way to stir people up, scare them, or otherwise be the bearer of bad news, but the more I look at the economy, the more I see no viable options for turning things around. I am no economist but simple math isn't that far out of my realm of abilities. Here's my concerns:

• The largest group in US history, the Baby Boomers, are beginning to retire. No longer will they be producing for the economy but rather withdrawing money from Social Security and pension funds.
• Social Security requires tax payers to support this fund. Fewer tax payers (look at all of the job loss) and less money (wages and income dropping) means less money in the fund.
• Ditto for pensions, many of which are invested in the stock market which has nosedived.
• EVERYONE is asking for a government bailout and seemingly everyone is getting one. Insurance companies then auto companies and now commercial real estate companies are asking for and often getting a bailout. The only problem with this is that the government gets this money from us, the taxpayers, or they just print more money. Neither one is an unlimited source of funding but it seems like the government hasn't figured that part out yet.
• People have stopped shopping and spending with abandon as they did through the 90's and early 2000's. Some because they came to their senses and decided to get their financial house in order and many others because they ran out of both money and credit. No shopping and spending leads to layoffs, business closures, and an economy that quickly comes to a screeching halt.
• You can't prop up an economy with sporadic injections of money. Even Warren Buffet couldn't pull this off. Economies aren't top down sorts of things, they are bottom up entities where the 310 million people in the US need to have confidence in order to shop, spend, open a business, invest in the stock market, etc.
• You can't prop up an economy with injections of money at the top. Of all of the bailout billions given to companies over the past year, how much have you or any of your friends seen? About nothing? I thought so. The money was used to prop up these companies books and did not trickle down in any way that impacted "regular" people.
• You can't reward bad behavior and expect to keep the economy neatly humming along. Integrity and responsibility go a long way towards building confidence in the economy. Now I can keep paying my mortgage because that is the responsibility I took on when I signed the contract but it looks like if a big bailout for homeowners comes along, it would make more sense (for those with less than stellar integrity) to not pay their mortgage until it goes into default so they can get a better deal. Honest, responsible people see these deals and wonder why they are being punished for doing the right thing.
• Accountability has gone out the window. If you ask where the bailout money went--even if you are a congressman or other powerful person--you will get the answer "we don't know". Apparently they forgot to put an accountability clause in the bailout contract. Duh.
• Oversight has gone out the window too. Can you spell MADOFF? And it wasn't like his scheme was a secret, people had been telling the SEC about it for years.
• The little people (the bulk of us 310 million US citizens) are getting hit in all directions: job loss, fewer new businesses being created, reliance on government support which will at some point run out, increasing prices, investments that are losing money at a furious pace, money that is losing value, high debt load, etc.

Where will this end? I have no idea. If a reader has a better grasp feconomics than I do, please enlighten us. It just looks like a steady, downward spiral with no natural stopping point before complete bankruptcy (in this case, from the top down) of the US government, US companies, other companies around the world, and then the little guy. I give it about eight months before all Hell breaks loose.

p.s. I hope I am wrong.

More Interesting Ideas

I'm cleaning out my favorites list--getting organized for the New Year and all, and found these interesting "thinking outside of the box" links...

• Almost Fearless (quit your job, travel the world)
• Lives in a Van (a creative look at housing yourself, by choice of course)
• Early Retirement Extreme (retiring in your 20's? Sounds like a great idea!)

Snowed In (Again)

Over the past week, we've been snowed in for three or four days. The snow cleared a bit yesterday so we ventured out and took a look around. Today the snow is about a foot deep with no end in sight. Here's some random observations:

• Getting out yesterday, I went by the office to drop off some things and ran into a guy who was entering the building as I was leaving. "Jeez you should have seen the store!" he said, lamenting the fact that it was a zoo and he wasn't prepared so had to partake in the zoo-like atmosphere. Being curious, my next stop was the store. I didn't need anything but wanted to see what he was talking about. It was the craziest sight I've ever seen. The parking lot was jammed and the line of people and carts waiting to check out completely circled the outer perimeter of the store. Those people probably had a good hour or more wait to get checked out. If this is what happens when a couple day storm is forecasted, can you imagine what would happen if a long term event took place? Scary. Think I'm uping the production in my garden next spring, looking into powdered eggs, and improving my stock of milk (frozen milk, canned milk, and powdered milk). I already have plenty of grains stocked along with canned goods and baking ingredients but it seemed like at the store, everyone needed milk and eggs as well as baskets full of processed food. Note to them--with the basics, you can make just about anything from potato chips to frozen burritos to chocolate donuts.
  
• Later yesterday, I left the spouse with the car at the mall and took the bus into the city and back (btw, traffic at the mall was craziness redefined yesterday). This was the first time I had ever taken public transportation when the roads weren't so great. Lesson learned: be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait. The buses got there eventually but nowhere near the scheduled time.
  
• People here do not know how to drive in the snow! Driving in huge snow storms on the east coast is a piece of cake compared to driving here. I guess because this area does not get much snow, people don't know how to drive when a bit of snow falls. Some problems: driving too fast (duh, even with a four wheel drive, you can't really drive regular freeway speeds), driving too slow (on the other hand were people afraid to go anywhere near normal speed and they ended up getting stuck because they have no momentum to carry them over the slippery, hilly parts), and not being prepared (no chains available meant no go up many of the hills around here). Another note, if you have a front wheel drive car, it helps to NOT put the chains on the rear wheels (another duh).
  
• It's best to stay home. It's not like we will be snowed in forever. A few days and all of this snow will be gone. Today, either because it was a weekend day or people decided not to risk it, most everyone in our neighborhood stayed home. Unless you are an emergency service provider, why risk it to get to work? Besides, everyone else will be home anyway so it isn't like your phone will be ringing off the hook at the office.
  
• Being snowed in is a great time to catch up on little home projects that have been waiting. I got my files all sorted out for next year, a door knob fixed, and some writing caught up on. The spouse baked some bread, finished a sewing project, and cleaned out a closet. Overall a very productive day.
  
• We broke out the cold weather gear. Since the first day of snow, our daily exercise has consisted of walking through the neighborhood, checking on an elderly neighbor, and walking out to check the main roads. This required gathering up all of the cold weather gear that hadn't been used since last winter. Insulated boots, socks, ski pants, long underwear, fleece jacket, parka, gloves, hat, etc. Now it is kept in a central location and ready to go. A recent apartment fire in the city pointed out that you need to have this gear ready to go. The poor people from the apartment were left standing outside in the snow as their building burned, some with only thin jackets. Not good. Be prepared.
  
• Stay informed. If the power is on, this is easy. Simply check the website for your local newspaper, local department of emergency management, and local road department for updates. If the power is out, listen to your battery-operated radio or use your cell phone to check the aforementioned websites if possible.

25 Uses for Blue Tarps and Paracord

Reading a comment from Ron at Survival Topics got me to thinking about the ubiquitous blue tarps that can be found just about everywhere. They are cheap, sturdy, and really quite useful. Toss in some 550 paracord and duct tape and then you can really get creative. Here's a bunch of uses for a simple blue tarp, paracord, and duct tape:

1. String the paracord between two trees or poles and make a pup tent. Use rocks or sticks to hold down the edges.
2. With a pair of scissors and a bit of creativity, you can fashion a rain poncho.
3. Putting a tarp under your tent protects the bottom of your tent from stuff on the ground that could damage the floor.
4. A temporary fix for a damaged or leaking roof.
5. An emergency litter--place an injured person or deer carcass on the tarp, everyone grab a corner, and haul said victim out of the woods.
6. To protect your floor from painting or woodworking projects.
7. To cover your firewood until a better structure can be built.
8. Kids entertainment...lay the tarp on the hill, let the hose run down the tarp from the top, and let the kids slide down it.
9. As a way to signal if you are lost in the wilderness. Find an open spot and spread the tarp out on the ground so it can be seen from the air.
10. To save the day at a picnic. Many a summer downpour has threatened a picnic outing; with a bit of rigging, you can cover at least the food area to keep everything dry.
11. For instant shelter from the sun. Whether you are making an awning from the side of your mini van or the side of your home, this is a quick way to block out the sun.
12. To make a quick backpack-type device. Put your stuff in the middle of the tarp, wrap it up in a tight roll, and with a weaving of paracord attached, you can carry it like a backpack.
13. A make-shift sail if you are stranded at sea.
14. To set up your own cubicle-type area at the flea market.
15. With scissors and duct tape you can fashion a basket/bucket to carry water, vegetation, or other items.
16. To make a kiddie pool (or bathtub) outside. Dig a reasonable sized hole, lay the tarp down so that all sides of the tarp are above the top of the hole. Fill with water and let the sun warm it up.
17. To make a private area for outside showers or latrines.
18. For covering an unstable hill so it doesn't slide away in a rainstorm.
19. As a plastic toboggan for either you or your gear when you are crossing snow or ice fields.
20. To wrap a body in. Not that I would do this but research shows this is a common use by people who need to dispose of bodies.
21. Sections of the tarp along with duct tape can be used to prevent flooding around your home. Use these items to seal opening such as vents, windows, the bottom of garage doors, etc.
22. In farming: to cover hay bails, to cover small crops prior to a hail storm, etc.
23. To cover your car. This isn't a great way to conceal it but at least it offers some anonymity.
24. To wrap up a hypothermia victim. Stick them in a sleeping bag then roll them in the tarp to help them retain even more body heat.
25. Around the house: quick shower curtain, to cover storage areas in the garage, to divide the kids bedroom so each gets their own "room", etc.

Any other ideas?

Prepping for a Power Outage

After being snowed in for the past couple of days, the news is now warning of lots more snow, ice, and winds up to 90 miles per hour. I'm guessing we are going to have a power outage within the next few days. Although we are well prepared for a short or long term outage, I'm guessing that many in our area won't be. As a quick refresher, here's how to prep for a power outage:

The Basics (inexpensive preps): Get a large plastic tub and fill it with flashlights for each family member, extra batteries, a phone with a jack plug-in only if you have house phone service, a car charger for your cell phone, a battery operated/crank radio, a manual can opener, a large tarp, and 100' of paracord (never know when a tree will fall into the house; a tarp is a quick stop-gap measure until the damage can be taken care of). Make sure to store water if you have a well with an electric pump. For warmth you can use the blankets on your bed. For food you can eat what food you have in the house (just make sure you have an assortment of canned and pre-prepared foods on hand). If you have a fireplace or wood stove, have enough wood on hand to keep your home warm for a period of time.

Intermediate preps (if you have a bit more money): Have sleeping bags for each family member, a camp stove and extra fuel, and a kerosene/multi-fuel heater with extra fuel.

Advanced preps (if you have lots more money): Get a generator and have plenty of fuel on hand for it. Even better--live off the grid with solar, wind, or water power (however this entails a complete change of lifestyle).

Some things to consider:

• Candles can be dangerous. We have some candles stocked but use them sparingly and carefully.
• If possible, bug out to a local hotel or friend's house if the power outage will be more than a day or two long.
• Always vent any combustible equipment (generator, camp stove, BBQ grill, etc) outside and away from your house.
• Like in the olden days, sleep when it gets dark and open up all of the curtains to let as much light as possible in during the day.
• If the weather is excessively hot or excessively cold and you aren't adequately prepared and don't have a place to stay such as a hotel or friend's house, consider going to a community shelter.
• Up your security awareness. While most neighborhoods will pull together and with everyone's power out, people will be busy taking care of themselves, there is still a criminal element that may strike when it looks like the pickin's are easy. Don't make it easy--either keep adequate fire power on hand or band together with neighbors to take turns walking through the neighborhood in groups as a crime deterrent.
• Be prepared to keep the family entertained. Some years back when the power was out for a few days, the family spent the first day in a techno-stupor...no computer, no cable, no video games. It took a while for everyone to remember that in "the olden days" people played card games and board games and read books to pass the time.

Insurance 101

What is one of the best ways to protect yourself financially? Have the right insurance to cover any disaster that could impact you financially. Here's some insurance coverages you should have:

• Health insurance. Yes it's hella expensive but so is cardiac surgery, neurosurgery, and treatment for chronic medical conditions. Depending on the extent to which you can self insure yourself (which means you have money in the bank to cover minor medical expenses), you may want to look at high deductible catastrophic coverage which only kicks in when a high deductible has been met. In addition to health insurance, practice some "do it yourself medical insurance" where you exercise daily, eat right, have annual physical exams, de-stress on a daily basis, and stay on top of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. An aversion to dangerous activities (bungee jumping, drunk driving, live fire situations, et al) will also help improve your insurability.
• Home insurance or renters insurance. You don't realize how much money it takes to replace a house and all of its contents until you lose everything and have no insurance. One simple window in your home can cost hundreds of dollars to replace--multiply that by all of the windows, sheet rock, joists, appliances, and even paint that it takes to make up your home and the costs add up quickly. If you don't have home owners/renters insurance, get it. If you already have this kind of insurance, pull out the policy and review it. Many people think they are covered for things such as floods or earthquakes but often that isn't the case. Also be sure that the amount of coverage is adequate--don't undervalue the cost to replace your home or its contents. To make sure you are totally prepared if the worst should happen, make sure you do an annual home inventory (written down with pictures) so you will quickly be able to ascertain what was lost.
• Auto insurance. Automobile insurance is required in most states, however many people drive without it. Big problem. Not only can you be fined for driving without car insurance but if you inadvertently kill someone with your car, you will be paying for it for the rest of your life. Everyone should have at least liability insurance on their cars. Whether or not you need comprehensive insurance depends on a number of things including the value of your car, whether or not you can afford to pay for your own repairs or replace the car in the event of an accident where you are at fault, and how likely it is your car will be damaged (if you live in a high risk neighborhood, drive thousands of miles a year, or live where a tree might fall down on it, this could impact whether or not you need collision insurance). Another must have is uninsured motorist insurance. Like I said, many people opt to drive without insurance and if they are destitute it is unlikely you will recover any damages from them; you could be left with a pile of metal where your car used to be or a pile of medical bills and you will be responsible for paying for it. Some tips to lower your insurance--drive less, don't get tickets for speeding, DUI, or reckless driving, and keep your car in good working order.
• Life insurance. We opted for 20 year term insurance a number of years ago as whole life is a poor way to invest your money. Our first round of insurance was at a significantly higher limit because if one of us were to die while the kids were young, the other would have a huge amount of expenses to cover (child care, children's expenses, funeral, replacement of the spouse's income so the bills could get paid, enough to pay off the house, etc). Now that we are heading into our second round of term insurance, we have chosen a lower amount because the kids have all moved out, our debts are much less, and there are very few bills to be paid so if one of us dies, the remaining person would not need as much money as previously. Some hints to make the most of your insurance: don't smoke, stay healthy, and look at the exclusions in your policy (sometimes adventure activities such as scuba diving or parachuting aren't covered...better to know this ahead of time).
• Disability and long term care insurance. What would happen if you were suddenly, through accident or illness, made bed ridden for the rest of your life? It would put quite a crimp in your income and lifestyle, no? This is what disability and long term care insurance is for. It will pay for your care so that you won't lose all of your assets in order to keep up with ongoing medical and care expenses. Now that we are getting older, we will be looking into this type of insurance.
• Other insurance policies. If you Google "insurance" you will get a list of 76 types of coverages on the Wikipedia "insurance" page. That's a whole lot of coverages you could get if you want to. Some are very important (professional liability insurance, flood insurance), some are ridiculous for the average person (terrorism insurance, child life insurance), and some may be useful in certain situations (marine insurance, crop insurance). Consider whether or not you would need these types of insurance.

The bottom line is that each person's situation is different. The assets they need to protect are different, their risks and liabilities are different, and their ability to pay for these insurances is different. While you can't insure for every little thing that could happen, being covered with a nice selection of the most important types of insurance will make a huge difference in your future should the worst happen.

15 Ways to Expand Your Horizons

Part of being a survivalist is being able to adapt to a wide range of situations. Just because things have always been a certain way, doesn't mean they will remain that way forever--better to be ahead of the game than behind the curve. Here's some ways to "stretch" what your idea of "normal" is (and maybe learn a few things about yourself in the process):

1. Eat something you've never eaten before. Try durien, haggis, or pickled pigs feet. The odder the better. You may or may not enjoy it but at least you have stepped up to the challenge and expanded your idea of what food can be.
2. Attend an event you have never attended before. Sturgis? Cool. Burning Man? Odd (kind of). The ballet? Yawn. The point is to go with an open mind and enjoy the experience as much as possible (if nothing else it can be a learning experience in watching the crowd).
3. Make money doing something you have never done before. Most recently I have noticed a lot of people hanging around freeway off ramps in the hopes of collecting money from generous motorists and people standing on street corners holding signs for hours on end to advertise going out of business sales. Both of these would be "beneath me" and a very odd way to earn what I assume to be a little bit of money, however, the point is to step out of my comfort zone and do something very different so who knows...you may meet up with me on a street corner one day.
4. Do something that the kids think is the biggest adventure they have ever seen and the spouse thinks is one of the crazier ideas you have ever had. Some years back after a nice snow and the announcement that school would be cancelled the next day, I got the kids and our camping gear and announced that we would be camping outside...yes, in the snow. Being fair weather campers this was a wholly new experience that the kids loved (the spouse spent the night inside if I recall correctly).
5. Dress diametrically opposite than how you usually dress. If you are a blue collar worker, dress up in your best suit and head out to the grocery store. Your friends will think you are going to a funeral but you will notice that people will tend to treat you better. If you are a suit and tie guy, dress like a blue collar guy or even a homeless person as an experiment. You will learn a bit about costuming and a bit about human nature (how you are treated according to how you dress).
6. Try a sport you have never tried before. Is there a climbing wall, golf course, paintball park, or ice rink near your home that you had never thought of using before because you think you are too old, too unathletic, or too embarrassed to try something new? Give it a shot and see what happens.
7. Talk to someone you would not ordinarily talk to. We are generally forced by circumstance to talk to only certain people (co workers, neighbors, service providers, etc). Use a pretense if necessary (ie: say you are doing research for a project) and invite a homeless guy/the richest guy in town/the tattoo-covered fellow on the corner/the pro sports player for a cup of coffee and a chat.
8. Take a gamble. Sign up for a poker tournament, drop a twenty on the craps table, buy $5 in pull tabs, or buy a lottery ticket. You don't want to make yourself broke, just experience the gambling/blind luck experience.
9. Build something with your own two hands. Something as simple as a bookcase or something as extraordinary as your own home will teach you a lot about your own abilities.
10. Teach someone something. Teach your child how to fish, teach an immigrant how to speak English, teach a class in the community on your favorite topic...the list is endless but the opportunity to learn more by teaching others will be a unique experience.
11. Learn a new skill. This can be anything from how to knit a sweater to how the play the saxophone. The process of learning is a horizon expanding process.
12. Set a challenging goal and reach it. The goal needs to be challenging enough that you really have to work for it such as running a marathon or climbing a mountain. The amount of effort it takes to reach a major goal is the experience you are after.
13. Visit a foreign country, the more different it is from your own culture, the better. Foreign travel is a continual lesson in adapting to various circumstances,
14. Perform experiments...on yourself. We aren't talking about the Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde kind, more like the non-life threatening kind. For example, you hear about the benefits of the raw food diet and wonder how it would work on you. Set up a one month raw food diet experiment. The idea is to work through different scenarios and find out what works best for you.
15. Become an expert in your field. It's amazing how many horizon-expanding opportunities will come your way when you move from middle of the pack mediocre to the top of your field. Whether you are shoeing horses, developing software, or painting portraits, being the go-to person for your particular skill will bring you more insight and opportunity than you ever dreamed of.

Baby It's Cold Outside

As I write this I am holed up in my office with a space heater on my feet and an outside temperature that is plunging towards 10 degrees. It's snowy and icy and if you stay outside too long your face goes numb. Now if you live in the mid west or northeast this is pretty normal during the winter but for where I live, this type of weather is relatively uncommon. For those who need some cold weather survival tips, here they are:

• If you don't need to go out on the icy, snowy roads, stay home. The fewer people sliding around on the roads, the better.


• If you must go out, be prepared. Make sure you car has all of the cold weather gear you need including an ice scraper, tire chains, a full tank of gas, spare blankets, food, and water. If you will be driving a long distance in bad weather, leave an itinerary.


• Consider taking the bus or a cab if you aren't comfortable driving in bad weather.


• Practice driving in icy and snowy conditions by heading to the biggest parking lot you can find and testing your car's ability to stop, start, and maneuver on the slippery road surface.


• Dress appropriately. Sturdy shoes, socks, layered clothing, a hat, gloves, scarf, et al will help protect you from the bitter cold. Make sure your kids are similarly dressed--frostbite and hypothermia are unpleasant.


• Be aware of your surroundings. If you are walking by cars, they may not be able to stop so give them plenty of room. If the walkway is steep and icy, walk to the side in the grass. Watch out for frozen tree branches and power lines; they can sometimes break under the weight of the ice.


• Take care of animals and pets. Ensure that they have a relatively warm and dry place to sleep. Make sure their feet are not damaged by the ice and cold. Also check their water to make sure it isn't frozen solid.


• Keep an eye on the kids. Not only is school usually out when there is heavy snow and ice, the most exciting things to do can be dangerous such as sliding down the biggest snowy hill in town which ends at a busy road or playing on a pond that is not sufficiently frozen solid.


• Check the outside of your home. Make sure that faucets and pipes are protected from freezing. Take down weak tree branches (hopefully before the big freeze hits) before they fall down. Keep walkways and driveways snow and ice free to prevent slips and falls.


• Hunker down inside your home. Close doors to unused rooms and concentrate the heat in the lived in areas (our heat is down at 60 degrees and is continually running because it is so cold outside and we are using space heaters to quickly and efficiently heat the room we are in). Instead of each family member hanging out (and thus requiring a high level of heat) in each of their rooms, fire up the wood stove or space heater and have everyone congregate in the family or living room.


• Should the power go out, determine if you can stay in your home or must evacuate.


• If you must evacuate, call 211 and find out what local shelters are open. Or you may want to head to your bug out location or drop in for a period of time with family, friends, or a local hotel that has power.


• If you decide to stay home during a power outage, gather everyone and their blankets into the warmest room in the house and close the door. Set up your alternate heat source and/or generator (ensure these are safely vented to the outside!) and break out the non-electric entertainment items (books, board games, etc).


• Regularly check on elderly or infirm friends and neighbors to ensure that they are warm and safe.


• After the thaw, check your home to make sure pipes hadn't been damaged and to clean up whatever mess is left from the storm.

Old Poll, New Poll, and Thinking Outside of the Box

First...the results of the last poll...
The question: When it comes to Christmas spending this year, how will it compare to your spending last year? No suprise...

• Spending more--only 2 people (4%)
• Spending less--13 people (28%0
• Spending waaaaay less--19 people (41%)
• Spending the same--12 people (26%)

POLL: What do you see as your most pressing survival threats in the next few months? Take our new poll...>

And some interesting websites for thinking outside of the box...

• One Dollar Diet Project (a thoroughly interesting idea--the kind where you cheer others who do it but hope you never have to)
• Tiny House Blog (I seriously want one of these...now to convince the spouse...)
• Breakfast at Sally's (I recommended this book when I first started reading it. Now that I've finished reading it, I really really recommend it as it gives a lot of survival tips that can come in handy for everyone)
• Voluntary Simplicity (the older I get, the less I need...)

5 Super Cheap Meals

In an effort to share useful information, help people stretch their hard earned money, and give a few pointers for preparedness, I offer these five super cheap, super easy (because I really don't cook well) meals:

Red Beans and Rice

• 1 can of pinto beans, drained (about 50 cents on sale, cheaper if you use dried beans)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (also about 50 cents on sale)
• Half a diced onion (about 15 cents)
• Couple of cloves of garlic chopped (about 10 cents)
• Salt, pepper, chili powder (pennies)
• Steamed rice (about 50 cents)

Put all of the ingredients except for the rice in a big sauce pan, add a couple of cans of water and simmer for an hour. Serve over rice. This makes enough for three or four people at a cost of less than $2. Note that all of the items can be stocked up on during sales and stored with your emergency foods (except for the garlic and onion, for long term storage buy garlic powder and dried onion flakes).
Spaghetti

• Spaghetti noodles (about 50 cents for a half pound of noodles)
• Spaghetti sauce (canned/bottles sauce runs about 75 cents to a dollar on sale)
• Bread (about 50 cents at the bread outlet store)
• Salad fixins--a tomato and a cucumber with Italian dressing or lettuce and tomatoes with Italian dressing (about a dollar if you use homemade dressing)

Boil noodles, heat sauce, toast bread with a little butter and garlic powder, and mix up a quick salad and feed three or four people for about $3. Noodles and sauce can be stockpiled, bread can be made with stored flour, oil, yeast, and salt, and salad-like greens can be made from sprouted mung beans.
Tortilla Bake

• Corn tortillas (about 50 cents)
• Can of Refried Beans (about 50 cents on sale)
• Cup of steamed rice (about 25 cents)
• Large can of tomato sauce (about 75 cents on sale)
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder (pennies)
• Shredded cheese ($1 for about 5 ounces)

Heat up the tomato sauce and add about a half can of water; season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add a layer of sauce to a 9'x9' baking dish. Cut up about six tortillas into quarters and put a layer of tortillas on top of the sauce. Layer tortillas with rice and beans. Repeat (sauce, tortillas, beans, and rice). Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about a half hour or until hot and bubbly. Serves three or four people for about $3. All of these items can be stockpiled except cheese (which can be frozen) and tortillas (simple to make from scratch with Maseca flour).
Curried Vegetables Over Rice

• Chopped onion (about 25 cents)
• Two potatoes peeled and diced (about 15 cents)
• Three carrots peeled and diced (about 10 cents)
• Chopped other vegies that you have on hand--broccoli, cauliflower, beans, peas, etc (about $1)
• Salt, pepper, curry powder, cornstarch (pennies)
• Steamed rice (about 50 cents)

Stir fry the onion and vegetables in a bit of oil. Add water and spices and simmer for about a half hour. Mix corn starch with a bit of water and add to the curried vegetables to make a thick sauce. Serve over rice. Serves two or three people for about $2. For emergency preps, all of these vegies would need to be properly stored in a root cellar. Spices and rice will store well with your stockpiled food.
Pizza

• For the dough--flour, oil, yeast, sugar, salt (about 50 cents total)
• Can of spaghetti sauce (about 75 cents on sale for a can; use half of this for a cost of 40 cents)
• Shredded cheese (about $1.50 for a half pound block of cheese)
• Chopped vegies--tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, olives, etc (about $2)

Make dough, let it rise, punch it down, flatten it out in a 9"x13" baking pan. Spread sauce on dough, spread shredded cheese over sauce, top with an assortment of vegetables. Bake at 400 degrees until brown and cooked. For under $5 you can make a fairly good sized pizza that will feed three or four people.
The bottom line?

• You don't have to be a good cook to create simple, tasty meals.
• By shopping sales and cooking at home you can save a whole lot of money.
• Going ethnic usually saves a lot of money too. Check out ethnic stores for really cheap prices on food that is commonly used in various cultures (and is usually really over priced at American stores such as spices, vegetables, and grains).
• Cut your serving sizes, you don't need to eat all 2000 calories in one meal (I have yet to see a seven course gourmet meal, an "if you can eat this 72 ounce steak you get it free", or a per person serving size as big as a Cadillac's hubcap in most other countries; eating until you are in a food coma is a uniquely American sort of thing.)
• The best way to stretch your food funds is to go vegetarian as much as possible.
• If you have a bit more money, consider adding some ground beef, sausage, or chopped chicken to the above recipes.
• Don't overlook other additions--the day old vegetables that you get at the store for pennies, the venison that a friend brings you, the fish you just caught...all of these things will help you spend less yet still eat well.

Camping Gear EVERYONE Should Have

If you head out to the mountains every weekend or experience shopping bliss as soon as you step into Cabelas this post probably isn't for you. If, however, you think "roughing it" entails staying at a three star hotel because all of the five stars are sold out and cooking outside usually is done in conjunction with a tailgate party, read on.

EVERYONE should have a nice stash of camping gear. Even if you live in an apartment in the middle of a huge city and never intend to go camping in this lifetime, the following items may come in handy sometime (like during a power outage or after an earthquake):

• A free standing tent with room for the whole family. This item could be used if your house is destroyed in a tornado or earthquake and you end up camping out in the back yard for a time. Also, if it is below freezing and you somehow end up with no heat in your home, you can simply pitch the tent in the living room and stay considerably warmer since it will help hold your body heat into the small space.
• Sleeping bags--one for each family member. Sleeping bags have lots of uses--slumber parties, bedding for spare guests, camping out in the backyard in the above mentioned disasters, etc.
• Flashlights. I don't know anyone who hasn't experienced a power outage and the first thing you want to grab during a power outage is a flashlight. Be sure you have one flashlight for each family member and lots of spare batteries.
• A cooler. Aside from its usual use, that of storing food during camping trips, having a cooler on hand is useful for grocery shopping trips when you don't plan on coming straight home yet still need to keep your milk and eggs cool. Coolers are quite useful for parties--just add ice and beverages and you are good to go. My cooler has been used for everything from an impromptu fish bucket to the spiked punch dispenser at the kid's last party (after we found out what was going on it was their last party period!).
• A manual can opener. Just a reminder. Most people who camp have a separate set of eating and cooking utensils however if you never camp you may forget that a manual can opener is quite useful when the power goes out and all you have is the electric version.
• A camp cook stove and fuel. We have a barbecue grill on the deck for barbecues but for emergency cooking when the power goes out, the grill is kind of tough to use. With a camp stove, cooking is a breeze. Just remember to use the stove outside or in a very well ventilated area to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. You will also need a stash of matches to light up your stove.
• GPS device. For city dwellers, GPS devices can be used for "geocaching", or, in the case of Hurricane Katrina, when all landmarks were washed away, a GPS device would have been useful for even knowing which was was up.
• A first aid kit. Even though you may have a collection of random first aid supplies spread throughout your home, having a thorough, comprehensive kit all together in one bag is really useful in the event of an emergency--you don't want to hunt through the house for the supplies you need.
• Other useful stuff: tarp, rope/paracord, binoculars, a really good knife and sharpener, two-way radios, chemical hand warmers, bug spray, etc.

Most of the other things you need during an emergency can be fashioned from what you have on hand at home. Remember, a hundred years ago people survived just fine with the basics such as a blanket instead of a sleeping bag and a piece of canvas for a tent. With a little pre-planning and keeping the basic camping gear on hand, however, you and your family will be a whole lot more comfortable during a disaster.

Remembering Our Soldiers at Christmas Time

If there is one time of year that people's thoughts turn to others, it's during the Christmas holidays. This year is no different--other than the fact that many people are broke--but there is still a simple, inexpensive way to let those who have served or are serving our country know that you remember and appreciate them. Here's how:

• There is an address going around the internet (Any Recovering Solider at Walter Reed Medical Center) however after a bit of research, it looks like this is not the way to reach a soldier as due to new security regulations, all mail to US soldiers must have a specific person's name on the envelope. So don't do this.
• Walter Reed does have in informative web page about how the public can donate to service members; check it out here.
• Another great site to connect the public to our men and women in the armed forces is www.anysoldier.com.
• There are a couple of military sponsored websites that allow you to send messages to the troops. Check these out here and here.
• Finally, while it is too late to mail an actual card to our men and women in the military through the Red Cross, you can access their email a card service here.

Random Musings from Today

It's been an eventful day...most days usually are. However now that my brain is slightly scrambled, I don't think I can write a lengthy coherent post so here are a bunch of random musings from today:

• When you have to go through hard times, I would rather do it with poor people than rich people. Seems odd...wouldn't one rather hang out with rich people instead of the poor? From what I have seen, poor people who have hardly anything will give those in need half of their hardly anything while rich people usually don't go THAT far out of their way for anyone.
• It is quite a valuable, useful thing when you have people you can call on for help at any time of the day or night.
• Parents set the example and the standard for their kids. I see three kinds of kids coming through the court system--those whose parents do everything for them, even filling out their paperwork and signing their names; those who could care less and dump their kids on the steps of the courthouse if they even bother to drive them to court at all; and the regular parents in the middle who don't seem to do too much or to little for their kids. I have serious concerns about how the first two groups of kids will turn out.
• Simple preparedness activities can go a long ways towards keeping you healthy and comfortable. Might rain? Bring an umbrella. Weather may turn cold? Dress in layers. Walking outside at night? Bring a reflective vest or band? Long stretch between meetings? Toss a couple granola bars in your briefcase. All of these situations can be "toughed out" but why? With a little pre-planning you don't need to be inconvenienced.
• How happy am I to be self employed? Let me count the ways...(you can tell my mind drifts during long commutes)... Being an employee with annual leave and sick leave gives people a false sense of security. It is not always easy to be self employed and if you want benefits you have to pay for them yourself but at least when you are your own boss, you know the score and you also have the ability to do something about it. If I had a dime for every employee I knew who a) came to work and the doors were padlocked shut, b) got laid off, RIFed, or fired, and/or c) was under paid, over worked, under appreciated, and over qualified for the work they were doing, I would be a very wealthy person. For people who are self employed, I think times of economic turmoil are less scary--they are already used to rolling with the punches, finding or developing new opportunities in response to the current political/social/economic climate is the norm, and most importantly, they love a challenge.
• I read this article and had instant admiration for this guy who lost his entire family when a fighter jet crashed into his house. Someone who can have compassion for the pilot of the jet at the height of his grief over the loss of his family is utterly amazing to me.

Health Prep Tips

While you are busy getting ready for the holidays, take some steps now to make sure you enter the new year in the most healthy way possible. When it comes down to it, your health is one of the most basic factors in your preparedness arsenal because without reasonably good health you will be seriously behind the eight ball when TSHTF. Here's how:

• Have a complete medical check up. Even with no or limited health insurance, paying out of pocket for a preventive health screening makes good financial sense. This should include screening for common medical problems (cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and a colonoscopy/mammogram/other age-related health screening)
• Have a dental check up and cleaning, or a reline for dentures, or whatever else it takes to make sure your teeth are in good working order.
• Have your vision checked and corrected if necessary. Good vision is necessary for many survival situations.
• Have your hearing checked and corrected if necessary. Good hearing is also necessary for many survival situations.
• Exercise everyday. Exercise isn't a five day a week thing. Our ancestors were physically active all day, every day in centuries past and the need for such activity hasn't diminished just because technology has made our lives more sedentary.
• Eat nutritious food every day (and skip the chips, pop, donuts, cookies, Big Macs, etc). Surprisingly many people standing in line at the food pantry are fat. Seems odd doesn't it? People often go for cheap high calorie/low nutritional value food when they could ratchet back their spending and live much better on simple grains and whatever fruits and vegetables are on sale each week.
• De-stress. Stress is one of the leading killers in our society. Living in a constant state of semi-panic does nothing to solve the problem you are experiencing and can seriously trash your immune system.
• Do some of the old fashioned things that your grandparents used to do: go fishing, grow your own food, get fresh air every day, play outside, open the windows to air out the house on a regular basis, etc.

Good health isn't as hard as it seems--the old fashioned basics tend to work better then all of the new fads that come down the pike. Take care of yourself now so that during an emergency, your body can take care of you.

Preparedness, Survivalism, and the Cascading Domino Theory

What we usually talk about here is preparedness with a touch of survivalism. Preparedness means you have taken the steps to be able to take care of the basics for your family (food, shelter, transportation, safety, etc) for a period of a few days to a few weeks depending on the disaster that strikes your area.

Survivalism takes preparedness a couple of steps further. In addition to doing the preparedness stuff (stashing food, cash, and supplies) you learn and practice the skills that you would need to create your own shelter, grow your own food, fix your own car, and perform a multitude of other tasks that could sustain you and your family for a few weeks to a year or longer should TSHTF in a more serious manner.

When you reach the point of needing to be a survivalist, then we really have a problem. In most parts of our society, it isn't very feasible to strike out on your own and live a life of subsistence for very long. Although in many rural areas, this would be a slightly more realistic scenario, the majority of our communities, our states, our nation, and in fact the world, are so intertwined that once things start to fall you have a disaster of exponential proportions on your hands (the cascading domino theory). Actually we, all of us, have a disaster of exponential proportions on our hands.

The first domino was given a swift kick about eight months ago. The situation had been building for some time--consumers buying to the point of complete over-extendedness, stupid housing loans that made absolutely no sense (the people in the know conveniently looked the other way since they were making so much money), government bail outs (bail outs don't much work for a number of reasons) and now you have consumers with no money and/or no will to spend, and without consumers you have very little economy. Which leads to the bottom line of this story...

When you have a multi-faceted breakdown of society, it starts with one domino falling (consumers unable to buy) followed by the next (restaurants, car dealerships, etc not being able to sell their wares), followed by the next (manufacturers not having any orders from vendors) followed by the next (layoffs), followed by the next (extreme reliance on government programs that will not have the funds to support such programs for long because there are less and less tax dollars coming in), followed by the next (homelessness, hunger, etc) followed by the next (desperation, violence) and then pretty much your society has gone to Hell in a hand basket.

Remember how Barack Obama was all smiles and positivity when he was running for office? Now that reality has set in (and he is receiving daily briefings by the top economists in the country) he isn't smiling so much any more. As well he shouldn't...an entire country of people is looking towards him to save them. Talk about pressure.

The CNI response to most problems is to watch where the crowd is going and swiftly move the opposite way. So here are some humble suggestions to help rescue our country and our way of life:

• Don't rely on the government unless absolutely necessary (you are ill, you are a widow with a half dozen kids, etc).
• Build relationships in your family, neighborhood, and community. These are the people you are going to be relying on in the toughest of times.
• Look for any way possible to save, not spend money--bartering, doing things for yourself, forgoing purchases that you can't afford.
• Stimulate your local economy. While saving money just makes sense, in order to create an economy, there needs to be some spending and buying. Instead of purchasing something from China, shop and buy local whenever possible. Then the vendor will have money to spend to order from a manufacturer, who will have money to hire staff, etc.
• Get creative if you lose your job. Future jobs may look different. Instead of a 9-5 with pension, benefits, and 20 minute breaks every four hours, you may have three part time jobs including selling firewood, hustling your services as a contract accountant a couple of days a week, and working a seasonal job in your home town until the economy picks up enough to need a full time accountant. Better yet, repackage your skills into a new type of career. If you were an accountant, check into the possibility of teaching accounting at a local college, setting up a kiosk in the busiest part of town during tax season for quick tax prep services, etc.
• Change your attitude. Life can look crappy or like a wondrous adventure depending on your attitude.
• Keep preparing if only on a limited basis. Even during the height of the Depression, grandma had her "pin money". She couldn't save as she had before the crash but she could certainly save a tiny bit out of every dollar made.
• Volunteer in your community. Not only does this strengthen the fabric of your community, it provides much needed services that may have dropped by the wayside due to lack of funding.
• If you have it, don't flaunt it. In very poor countries, you only flaunt your wealth if you have a death wish or a cadre of body guards. Why people think that they should separate the well-to-do from their wealth instead of earning it themselves is beyond me but that's what happens if you have and others have not.
• This too shall pass. Life can look pretty lousy for a period of time but things always turn around eventually. Vietnam was a Hell hole a few decades ago now it is over run with tourists. After the Wall Street Crash and Depression in 1929 people were flinging themselves out of windows yet a couple of decades later things were going well.

With creativity, personal relationships, hard work, and a good attitude, this current disaster will be a great story that you can tell your grand kids.

Pacquiao Won!

I'm taking a few minutes away from the celebrating to make a quick post. In one of the bigger surprises in boxing history, Manny Pacquiao just beat Oscar de la Hoya is a fight tonight at the MGM in Vegas. To give you the CNI take on the fight, here's some things to consider:

• Pacquiao is much smaller than de la Hoya yet he won. This means: you may be smaller than an opponent and still win the fight.
• Pacquiao was the underdog (odds-wise). This means: if you bet on him you made a whole lot of money. Plus, even if the odds are against you, you can still succeed.
• There was no grand knock out of a better fighter besting a lesser fighter. It took eight rounds for Pacquiao to win a technical knock out. This means: sometimes winning isn't a quick knock out. Sometimes you have to just slog away at your goal until you win.
• For both fighters, daily training and preparation is key to even being able to step into the ring. This means: preparation and training is key to success no matter what your goal is. As the old saying goes "success is preparation meeting opportunity".
• The Philippine military and the armed rebels they are fighting called an unofficial cease fire for the fight as has happened during other Pacquiao fights. This means: some things take precedence over war...like, um, a fight. Interesting...
• Pacquiao was born and raised in a small town in the relatively poor country of the Philippines. This means: it doesn't matter where you come from or how much money you have, keep your goals in mind and work hard to reach these goals and you can absolutely be successful.

Pink Slip? Here's What to Do

'Tis the season for pink slips. Each day I turn on the news and the number of layoffs for that particular day is what leads the program. Scary. Whether your job is on the chopping block or not, here is what to do before, during, and after the death knell is sounded for your job.

BEFORE

• You need an emergency fund and you need one NOW. Even if your job seems secure, sock away at least six months of living expenses as quickly as possible. You could reasonably do this within a few months if you drastically cut expenses and work like a maniac at two or three jobs.
• You need to pay off your debts NOW. Your emergency fund will go further if you end up jobless IF you don't have a stack of credit card bills to pay each month. Ditto what I said in the last paragraph--cut expenses, work more.
• Keep your ears open. How are things going in your industry? How are things going in your town? Is the need for the product you create something that can weather a financial storm? Is management nervous? Is tension high at work? If you are self employed, how are your invoices looking? How are your client's invoices looking? Getting laid off shouldn't come as a complete surprise if you are aware of what is going on.
• Diversify. If you are a specialist in a very narrow field, you may want to expand your skills and your job options. In fact, this would be a good idea for anyone.
• Don't get cocky. The idea of "my job will be secure forever" is a myth. In this crazy economy, anyone can lose their job or source of income.
• Be proactive at your job. Look for ways to save your company money and increase your company's income. The very valuable people will be the last ones to be let go.

DURING

• When you get the pink slip, leave gracefully. There's no purpose in going down in flames--you might meet up with the people you leave behind again so be someone others would want to help out.
• Get all that you are entitled to. Golden parachute? Take it. Severance package? Ditto. Unemployment compensation? Apply for it.
• Cut back expense to the most basic of necessities.
• Don't panic. This too shall pass.
• Don't stick your head in the sand. After you are laid off, you may be in denial, grieving, or angry. Deluding yourself, ignoring the bill collectors, or trying to put on a show for the neighbors will accomplish nothing. Be aware of what is going on and take action.
• Get a job ASAP. If you wait for the "perfect" job to come along or will only accept a job with a similar status and paycheck as the one you were laid off from, you may be waiting with tens of thousands of other people. Get any job you can in order to get some cash coming in then make it your part time job to look for a better job.
• Change your employment future. Maybe now is the time to start that side business you have been thinking about (of course you would do so slowly and without ringing up debt to do it). If there are funds for job retraining, take it and look towards a new and different employment path.

AFTER

• Once the initial panic has subsided, take a deep breath and regroup.
• Modify your lifestyle if necessary. Just because you have always driven a BMW and wore a Brioni suit doesn't mean you have to continue to do so. If anything, a major employment shake up usually snaps people back to reality and makes them aware of what is really important (namely the family and friends who will stick by you through thick and thin), not all of the consumerist trappings.
• Be creative. Think of this period as an opportunity to meet the requirements of the emerging new economy. What fields are growing or remaining strong? What new businesses or jobs are emerging out of the current economic crisis? How can you take advantage of this situation to niche yourself into a new paying gig?
• Should you move? Sounds extreme but during times of financial disaster (think the Great Depression or the bottomed-out oil economy in Texas in the late'70s/early '80s) people tend to migrate to where there are jobs.
• Remind yourself that you are not your job and your economic "position" does not define you. You may not be able to change the situation but you can change your attitude and attitude is often everything when it comes to surviving a crisis.
• Remind yourself that you life is a work in progress. Change is fun and the challenge allows you to grow. Unfortunately most people hate extreme change, however the things you learn when moving through periods of big change allow you to become a more skilled, more well-rounded person (and it gives you some great stories to tell the grandkids).

Consumer Problem? Get Consumerist

Years ago if you had a problem with a local store or service provider, you would complain to your neighbors or friends and that was about all. Usually the local retailer would resolve your problem because he knew how much his reputation meant in the community and if that didn't work and you had enough friends you may have been able to stage a small protest at the store that did you wrong and get enough local negative publicity that your problem would be fixed. Now with the mega box stores, interminable waits for an email response from corporate or a language lesson when contacting their customer service department (which are all now located in third world countries) is the norm. And resolving a problem for one little guy is not something you can count on happening.
Enter the internet, where if your situation is grievous/interesting/horrifying enough, your message can go viral and bring the wrath of thousands of articulate emailers to your defense (and usually shame the company into resolving your problem). In addition to complaining to the Better Business Bureau, a great place to post/find out what's happening with consumers--both good and bad--is The Consumerist.
The moral of this story is that if you have a legitimate problem, take action. The little guy doesn't have to be at the mercy of the giant corporations, there are valid ways to fight back and get what is due to you, by harnessing the power of the internet.

The Four Commandments of Firearms Safety Explained

There is no excuse for the "accidental" discharge of a firearm (which mostly has fatal results). Every time there is a news report of someone involved in an accidental shooting, you can be sure that they broke one (or more) of the Four Commandments of Firearms Safety. Here they are:

1. Treat all firearms as though they are loaded. Simple. If everyone did this, there would never be someone saying "I didn't think it was loaded" as they watch their friend or family member hauled off to the hospital or morgue. Anytime you pick up a firearm to check it out, whether it is at a gun store or handed to you by a friend, your first task is to clear the weapon and make sure it is not loaded. I don't care if the firearms instructor or gun store owner tells me a firearm is unloaded, it is my job to ensure that it is so. That being said...
2. Never allow the muzzle to cover (point at) anything you are not willing to destroy. This is a simple concept that actually takes a lot of care and attention to do. If I had a quarter for every time I've seen someone with a firearm inadvertently cover someone with their weapon, even if it was just for a millisecond, as they are moving to their target (I've even seen very experienced people do this), or swing around in excitement (new shooters) not paying attention to the fact that their firearm is moving around with them as they turn to talk to a friend who ends up with a weapon pointed at them, I would be rich. This rule needs to be followed 100% of the time whether holstering your weapon, drawing your weapon, firing your weapon, carrying your weapon, et al.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until your sights are on the target and you are ready to fire. This is a dead giveaway--when I see a shooter with their finger on the trigger when they are carrying the weapon, picking up their weapon, or holding their weapon, I know this is a sign of a very inexperienced shooter (and I really don't like being anywhere in the vicinity of an inexperienced shooter unless they are under my direct supervision).
4. Be sure you have an acceptable target, know its surroundings, and what is beyond it. This is another common cause of firearms "accidents". Some idiot "thinks" they see a burglar walking around outside their home and they fire their weapon in the general vicinity--this often leads to the death of a friend, family member, or a neighbor. Why? Because the shooter did not have a clear view of their target. You cannot guess at your target--whether you think you are shooting at a burglar, shooting through the door at something, or shooting at what you "think" is a deer that you actually couldn't see very well. There is no excuse for not clearly identifying your target BEFORE pointing and firing. Drive by shootings are another example of breaking this rule--gang banger #1 fires at rival gang banger #2, not paying attention to the surrounding area and what is beyond their target which means someone in the house behind gang banger #2 or the grandmother walking a few feet away from gang banger #2 gets hit.

Four simple rules. By following these rules at ALL times the number of "accidental" firearms will be reduced to almost nil.

Poll: What's The Most Important Thing You Carry With You?

Our last poll about the most important thing that you carry with you on a daily basis turned up some interesting information. People's most important item--a pocket knife (15 people), was followed by a cell phone (11 people), a firearm (7 people), money/credit card (3 people), and lastly "other" (2 people).
Those results pretty much mirror my thoughts. I use my pocket knife all the time for random tasks, almost as much as my cell phone. Money is always good to have on hand, and while I have never had to use my firearm, it ranks up there in importance like a seatbelt--you don't realize its critical importance until the split second when it will save your life.
BTW...head over and take our next poll...>

20 Random Safety Tips

Safety, doing things to prevent or mitigate death and injuries, is an important part of preparedness. Here's 50 random tips to keep you safe and healthy:

1. Never store poisons in old food containers. Many people have been poisoned when they drank gas, anti freeze or other items from what they thought was a bottle full of soda pop.


2. Wear your seatbelt low around your hips. If your seat belt is high up on your waist or wrapped around you in a fluffy parka, you can get serious spinal injuries in a car accident. Wear the belt properly.


3. If you have the old blinds with the loopy pull cords on your windows, cut the cords so they do not form a noose that can strangle young children.


4. Don't take medication prescribed for others. Prescription meds are given based on a number of factors (weight, condition, interaction with other meds the patient is taking, allergies, etc); these factors might not be your factors.


5. Wear a helmet. With motorcycles and bicycles it isn't IF you will crash but WHEN. Better to have a cracked helmet than a cracked skull.


6. Don't drink alcohol. Sacrilege some might think, but if people were never intoxicated there would be no DUI crashes and the number of domestic violence incidents would drop dramatically.


7. Exercise every day. Not only is is good for heart health, diabetes, and cholesterol levels, it makes you less prone to injury should you fall or otherwise injure yourself.


8. Use safety tools at home and at work. Saws have blade guards for a reason. Ditto for trench bracing, chef's gloves, and the like.


9. If you are taking heavy duty pain killers or a handful of prescription meds, use those little pills boxes which have a compartment for each day to store your meds. It can be confusing (especially under the influence of pain meds) to remember what you took and when you took it; accidental overdoses are on the rise for this very reason.


10. Be careful on ladders. Falls are quickly becoming the leading cause of death an injury simply because as we get older our balance, vision, and bone strength are all not what they used to be.


11. Be careful crossing the street! When you think of vehicle/pedestrian accidents, you often think of children not paying attention and being hit by a car. The stats, however, show that adults in the 45 to 65 year old range are actually more likely to be hit by a car than a child.


12. Be fire safe--have working smoke alarms, fire extinguishers on hand, and a fire escape plan.


13. Never use combustion appliances in an unvented area--open the garage doors before starting your car in the garage, use all barbecue appliances outside, open the flue before starting a fire in the fireplace, run generators outside and have the exhaust pointed away from your house, etc.


14. Wrap your baby up in a warm sleeper then put them to sleep on their back in a crib without any pillow, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. Suffocation in their sleeping environment is a common cause of death for babies.


15. Water safety is huge--swim in marked areas with a friend. Never swim alone, in situations above your swimming ability, and certainly don't dive into unfamiliar water.


16. Turkey deep fryers make a tasty turkey but they are a huge fire/burn hazard. Use this type of fryer outside and don't put too much oil in the fryer as it could over flow when you drop in the turkey.


17. Put ICE (in case of emergency) on your cell phone attached to the phone number that should be called in the event of your incapacitation. Put ICE 2 and ICE 3 if you would like to add additional contacts.
18. Use a lock and key when necessary--to lock up alcohol if you have a house full of teens, to lock up your firearms, to lock up your medications, etc.
19. Have a code word with your family to alert them to a dangerous situation.
20. Be proactive instead of reactive--make your home secure, get regular medical check ups, have an emergency fund for future emergencies, etc.