Historical Perspective of Influenza Preparedness

I came across this article on CNN today and it offers a number of preparedness options that we can consider for protecting ourselves from the flu:

• A big point in the article is that the spring flu was mild prior to the more lethal version that arrived in the fall. If this is the case, we have some time to get prepared.
• It looks like a vaccination could be developed prior to the fall that may offer protection from the more virulent form of the flu. Note that I am not a big fan of untried (meaning lots of studies done over time) vaccines.
• I liked the part about the town that closed itself off from the outside world for three and a half months. Could you isolate yourself for such a long period of time? Do you have the food, supplies, gear, income, and other resources to do such a thing?
• Social distancing works. Keeping your distance from others (ie: stay away from crowds such as at the ballpark, at school, or on airplanes) is an effective way to keep from getting close enough to others to catch their illness.
• Since there may be more time than first though to get prepared, consider ways you could set yourself up to be more isolated yet not so out of touch (ie: online bill paying, online banking, ways to work remotely from home, socializing online, etc).
• Developing good prevention habits also helps: wash your hands often (I think one lady in our office is going to wash her finger prints off she does this so often), be aware of how often you touch your face with your hands and try not to do this, cough/sneeze into the crook of your arm instead of into your hands, etc.

Poll Results and a New Poll

Our last poll asked the question 'Do you own firearms?' The answers:

• 3 people (5%) said no, don't want one, don't need one
• 10 people (18%) said they have one for protection
• 35 people (64%) said they have a range of firearms for various needs
• 6 people (11%) said they have an armory!

I think that is an interesting range of responses. Again, our readers are normal! People who are interested in preparedness don't have to have firearms. Being prepared means that you have the intelligence and wisdom to make your own decisions and not follow the crowd. You take your own situation into consideration--not what "everyone else" is doing--and make the choices that work for you.

With the flu being all the news this week, take the new poll and let us know what you think >>>

Should You Run Out And Buy Face Masks?

The recent flu news has once again sent the public scrambling. If you are looking for the face masks which the news has been showing the masses wearing in Mexico, you may have a difficult time finding them in some locales. Which brings me to the point of this post: Preparedness is an ongoing activity. Forever. Many people only think to prepare when the disaster is at their doorstep. Hurricane coming in three hours? The stores are packed and the plywood is flying off the shelves. Gas prices shooting past $4? People are lining up to buy. Need ammo? Due to a war, high demand, and low supplies, it is hard to find and quite expensive when you do find it. Possible pandemic in the making? Tamiflu and face masks are hot commodities.

Real preparedness means that you have a list of skills that you are either learning or refining on a regular basis. Real preparedness means that you add to your food supplies with each week's grocery shopping trip, not just when a storm is forecast. Real preparedness means that your stockpile of survival supplies in the garage or under the bed already has plenty of batteries, flashlights, face masks, duct tape, medical supplies, ammunition, and all of the other things you may need for a disaster. Preferably these items are purchased on sale, not when demand is at its highest and supplies are at their lowest.

Obviously you can't forecast every unique disaster and you may not know every item that you would need to survive said disaster, but for disasters in general, many of the supplies you need are fairly common. Make stocking up on supplies a weekly event, not just something you do when the news sends the unprepared running to the store.

More Flu Info

Here's the latest info on the flu that I have received:

Swine Flu

What you should do:
1. Stay home if you are sick.
2. Don’t get on an airplane if you are sick with respiratory symptoms.
3. Wash your hands regularly.
4. If your child is sick, don’t send him/her to school.
Information and Resources:
Outbreak Information
For complete information: CDC Swine Flu Investigation site
.

April 27, 2009

Swine Flu Update:

The following states have confirmed cases of H1 swine flu: Ohio – 1 case with history of travel to Mexico, California – 7 cases, no hx of travel; Texas-2 cases, no hx of travel, Kansas-2 cases with a travel hx; and NYC – 8 cases with hx of travel. The age range is 7 yrs -54 yrs of age. The incubation period is 2-5 days (primarily 4-5 days). The attack rate for acute respiratory illness is 27% and the attack rate for ILI (influenza like illness) is 13%. It appears to be a mild illness and only one case has been admitted to the hospital. This is just the opposite of Mexico who is seeing a large number of deaths. CDC is trying to determine why our cases are mild and Mexico is so severe. They do expect it to spread throughout the U.S. and current recommendations are to treat it like our usual seasonal flu.
There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
New Zealand has reported several possible cases as well as Canada and Israel .



Definitions of Respiratory Illness
Influenza-like Illness
Fever or feverishness (fever >37.8°C (100°F)
Plus one or two of the following: Rhinorrhea or nasal congestion
Sore throat
Cough
Myalgias

Case Definitions for Infection with Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus
A Confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection is defined as a person with an acute respiratory illness with laboratory confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection at CDC by one or more of the following tests:
1. real-time RT-PCR
2. viral culture

A Probable case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection is defined as a person with an acute respiratory illness with an influenza test that is positive for influenza A, but H1 and H3 negative.
A Suspected case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection is defined as:
1. A person with an acute respiratory illness who was a close contact to a confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection while the case was ill OR
2. A person with an acute respiratory illness who has traveled to an area where there are confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) within 7 days of suspect case's illness onset.

Infectious period for confirmed cases = 1 day before onset to 7 days after onset of illnessDay before onset = Day -1Onset day = Day 0Days after onset = Days 1-7
Close contact is defined as: within about 6 feet of an ill person who is a confirmed or suspected case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection during the case’s infectious period.

Antiviral Treatment (guidelines from CDC)

Suspected Cases
Empiric antiviral treatment is recommended for any ill person suspected to have swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. Antiviral treatment with either zanamivir alone or with a combination of oseltamivir and either amantadine or rimantadine should be initiated as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms. Recommended duration of treatment is five days. Recommendations for use of antivirals may change as data on antiviral susceptibilities become available. Antiviral doses and schedules recommended for treatment of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection are the same as those recommended for seasonal influenza: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/antivirals/dosagetable.htm#table

Confirmed Cases
For antiviral treatment of a confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, either oseltamivir or zanamivir may be administered. Recommended duration of treatment is five days. These same antivirals should be considered for treatment of cases that test positive for influenza A but test negative for seasonal influenza viruses H3 and H1 by PCR.

Pregnant Women
Oseltamivir, zanamivir, amantadine, and rimantadine are all “Pregnancy Category C" medications, indicating that no clinical studies have been conducted to assess the safety of these medications for pregnant women. Only two cases of amantadine use for severe influenza illness during the third trimester have been reported. However, both amantadine and rimantadine have been demonstrated in animal studies to be teratogenic and embryotoxic when administered at substantially high doses. Because of the unknown effects of influenza antiviral drugs on pregnant women and their fetuses, these four drugs should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the embryo or fetus; the manufacturers' package inserts should be consulted. However, no adverse effects have been reported among women who received oseltamivir or zanamivir during pregnancy or among infants born to such women.

Antiviral Chemoprophylaxis
For antiviral chemoprophylaxis of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, either oseltamivir or zanamivir are recommended. Duration of antiviral chemoprophylaxis is 7 days after the last known exposure to an ill confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. Antiviral dosing and schedules recommended for chemoprophylaxis of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection are the same as those recommended for seasonal influenza: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/antivirals/dosagetable.htm#table
Antiviral chemoprophylaxis (pre-exposure or post-exposure) with either oseltamivir or zanamivir is recommended for the following individuals:
Household close contacts who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly) of a confirmed or suspected case.
School children who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions) who had close contact (face-to-face) with a confirmed or suspected case.
Travelers to Mexico who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly).
Border workers ( Mexico ) who are at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly).
Health care workers or public health workers who had unprotected close contact with an ill confirmed case of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection during the case’s infectious period.
Antiviral chemoprophylaxis (pre-exposure or post-exposure) with either oseltamivir or zanamivir can be considered for the following:
Any health care worker who is at high-risk for complications of influenza (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, elderly) who is working in an area with confirmed swine influenza A (H1N1) cases, and who is caring for patients with any acute febrile respiratory illness.
Non-high risk persons who are travelers to Mexico , first responders, or border workers who are working in areas with confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection.

Pandemic Flu?

Unless you have been totally incommunicado over the weekend, you have probably heard that there is a swine flu outbreak which started in Mexico and is now spreading. As of this writing, there have been more than 80 deaths in the last couple of days attributed to this virus. I knew something was wrong when alerts from various health agencies started flooding my inbox--these people are notoriously cautious with alerts so that's an alert in itself that something is up. Here's my take on the situation:

• Don't panic. That's always my first piece of advice. The media likes to inspire panic in the masses because it raises ratings but until there is a reason to panic, don't.
• Get your news from a trusted source. I like Fox news because Dave Ramsey's show is on their network but if I am looking for medical information, I will go to the CDC's website. Other good sources of information can be found at your state and local health department websites and your state and local Department of Emergency Management websites. I also briefly scan the media (CNN, etc) as well as international media sources for new or unusual information on the topic.
• Know the basics about flu. There is the standard flu which makes you feel like you got ran over by a truck but does no permanent damage (this flu can and does kill people--usually the very young, the very old, or the already sick). Then there are the more virulent strains (Asian flu, bird flu, Hong Kong flu, swine flu). These types of flus can be mild or serious, and often spread quickly and easily. When a particular strain of flu is seen in a population with no immunity to it and passes quickly from person to person, you can get a pandemic. These types of flu can be deadly (usually due to respiratory problems) and often kill healthy 20-50 year olds. Flu vaccines often don't work for unusual strains of the flu virus which can mutate from animals (pigs, birds, monkeys) to humans, changing components of the virus as it goes.
• Passing the flu around. The flu is spread like other viruses, by contact with infected people. The infected person coughs or sneezes and the droplets from their nose or mouth can get onto other people causing them to become infected. Most often someone coughs into their hand, shakes hands with another person, the other person rubs their eye with their newly infected hand and "ta da" the virus has been spread.
• How to protect yourself. Keep your distance from people (you don't know if the healthy looking person you are talking to is infectious but at least if you are a few feet away from them, they can't sneeze on you). Wash your hands regularly. Don't touch your face with your hands. Don't spread your germs around to others. If you are sick, stay home so you won't infect others.
• Preparedness tips. Take extra precautions if you will be traveling in areas where outbreaks are occurring. Gather up your "flu meds" before you need them (Tylenol, thermometer, cough syrup, etc). In highly contagious areas or when caring for people infected with the flu, wear a mask.
• When to seek help. Like any medical situation, you should go to the hospital if you have severe, possibly life threatening symptoms including difficulty breathing, very high fever, dehydration, altered level of consciousness, etc.
• Pandemic concerns. When a flu spreads quickly and causes many deaths, you have a pandemic on your hands. This causes problems, including overwhelming the medical system (medical providers become ill which cuts the number of care providers, meanwhile so many people are sick that they overwhelm the hospital). Difficulty finding medication (over the counter medication may be bought up and hoarded; prescription meds such as Tamiflu will be in short supply and these can also be hoarded). The need for isolation and quarantine in order to keep sick people away from health people--this impacts the economy in many ways, especially when people can't work, can't earn money, then can't pay their bills. Should there be government enforcement of isolation or quarantine, you can image the havoc that will cause.
• What I'm doing. Nothing yet. Even at the height of the bird flu in Asia in 2005, I traveled through Asia with no problem. Currently I have no plans to travel to Mexico, and even if I did, I would be more worried about getting caught in the middle of the narco war than catching the flu. That said, I do keep a daily eye on what is happening. Should swine flu infections and deaths be reported in my area, I will take extra precautions. I have my emergency food and medical supplies ready to go. I can easily stay home for a couple of month with no problem (although if everyone did this, our economy would be in more of a shambles than it is now).
• Here's some more info: CDC swine flu guide. CDC Video. Caring for Someone With the Flu. Flu Care Information Sheets.

More information to follow should this situation become more serious...

Reevaluating Your Preparedness Supplies and Gear

When it comes time to reevaluate your BOB, preparedness gear, and emergency supplies, here are some things to keep in mind:

• With your emergency food supplies, be sure to incorporate them into your normal food rotation. For food in your BOB, change it out completely every six months.
• Always check everything with a battery (flashlights, radios, etc) to make sure the batteries still work. Consider replacing the spare batteries straight out--use the older batteries for your home electronics and put spare packs of fresh batteries in your BOBs and with your survival supplies.
• Try on your clothes! I generally revamp my BOB every six months or so. Be sure to actually try on the clothes that are set aside in your BOB and with your survival gear because we tend to grow over time and you want to know that the clothes will actually fit when the time comes to use them.
• Always rotate medications continuously as these tend to expire very quickly.
• Consider survival supplies that you may no longer be able to use. Case in point...I have heavy ropes which are knotted and tied to each bed post in all of our second floor bedrooms. Now a few decades ago I may have just jumped out of the window in an emergency. A couple of decades ago, I came up with the knotted rope idea as a way to exit these upper floor rooms in an emergency; simply toss the rope out the window and climb down. Now I am reconsidering how people (us and guests who are getting a bit older and less limber) might exit these rooms. I am thinking about getting the rope ladders that can hang from the windows and allow people to climb down for a quick escape. As people get older, considerations need to be made for physical abilities that may not have had to be considered years ago.
• Consider survival supplies (and gear) that you didn't need before but may need now. Acquiring a new kid, a new pet, or a new person in your life or moving to a new location or acquiring a new place to live or...you get the idea. Any new change in your household or to your household will require you to make changes in your survival supplies. Baby supplies, pet supplies, or supplies for the elderly or infirm may not have been needed when you originally packed up your survival gear but things change and your emergency supplies need to change with these changes.

10 (Very Useful) Free Things

I like a good deal. I like quality free things even better. Here are 10 free, and very useful things, that can help you with preparedness and life in general:

1. Free software. I generally check out Download.com when I am looking for some types of software and I always use their links to free software such as AVG, Ad Aware, etc. Check out this post from Trent at the Simple Dollar for more info on useful free software.
2. Free exercise. Years before exercise infomercials and morning TV exercise classes featuring hot locations, hot bodies, and hot new equipment, there was Jack LaLanne. Many people grew up on his exercise program which featured a simple guy on a simple set doing simple calisthenics. He is 94 today and still exercising--he can even still do finger tip push ups! Exercise does not need to be expensive, in fact, it can be free. Try putting together a program of walking and calisthenics and you may, like Jack LaLanne, improve your physical fitness for life.
3. Free books. The single best ways to educate yourself is through books. It would be impossible to take a class from an expert every day but it is quite possible to read a book, written by an expert, everyday. Through books you can increase your job skills, figure out how to open your own business, survive in the wilderness, and do just about anything else you would ever want to do. Best of all--books are free at the library.
4. Free food. I was showing a young woman from China around our city and when we went by the Mission, I explained that the organization provided free food and meals to those who were hungry. You would have thought I was telling her how to split an atom in five easy steps, she was so shocked at the concept of providing food at no charge for those who are hungry. Free food can be very useful for those in need, especially in these economic times. Other sources of free food include wild food (I can find apples, blackberries, nuts, and mushrooms growing wild just near my home), free food samples in grocery stores, and free food samples found online from manufacturers.
5. Free wi-fi. Being able to connect to the internet is quickly becoming a necessity for modern life, much like having a phone or a TV was considered a "necessity" for all but the poorest people in decades past. Fortunately, you can be poor or even homeless and still get connected to the internet. Libraries often provide free wi fi and the computers to access the net and if you have your own laptop, you can usually find free wi fi access at many locations around your city. Simply Google 'free wi fi' and you will pull up many websites to help you find free internet access where ever you happen to be.
6. Free parks. City, county, state, and federal parks are still, for the most part, free. Parks are a great place to breathe some fresh air, get some exercise, entertain the kids, connect with nature, and enjoy some peace and quiet.
7. Free water. If you drink bottled water, then water most definitely is not free. In fact, bottled water costs more than gasoline! It is, however, quite possible to drink FREE water and it won't kill you. That may be a revelation to some. While the media has done a great job at thoroughly convincing us that we must pay for water, us, our parents, grandparents, and their ancestors lived quite fine by drinking water straight from the tap, from drinking fountains, from garden hoses, and even from wells, and streams. When I go to restaurants I always order water--from the tap, not the fancy stuff--and it comes free of charge. When I travel, I carry a water bottle and fill it up at drinking fountains or ask at restaurants to fill it up to me which they always gladly do.
8. Free radio. While TV is moving away from being free (with the digital turn over everyone will need to pay for cable or at least buy a converter box in order to receive TV), fortunately radio is still free. Radio is still how I get much of my news and it is still how we will receive emergency information during a disaster since TV will not be accessible without electricity.
9. Free education. Education through high school is still free. That may be why so many kids take it for granted whereas kids in many other countries could only hope for such an opportunity. Some colleges still provide a completely free education, and a free college education, sans degree, is also available from many prestigious universities online.
10. Free entertainment. Free entertainment can still be found at no charge. Our city and local communities offer a wide range of free things to do--concerts, parades, free nights at the museums, and free bands and dancing at the casinos, are just a few of the many entertainment opportunities that the whole family can enjoy.

The Good News About a Lousy Credit Score

Many people have seen their financial stability (and thus their credit score) plummet over the past few months. Allow me to quote, paraphrase, and somewhat channel Dave Ramsey on this issue:

• The more money you have, the less you need to rely on your credit score. Credit scores are basically for getting credit. If you have plenty of money, you will not need credit and therefore it won't matter what your credit score is.
• Cancel your credit cards, get out of debt, stay out of debt, and never use credit again. Yes this will mess up your credit score because your credit score is based on having and regularly using credit. On the positive side, if you have no debts, you will actually be able to SAVE money.
• Lousy credit entries stay on your credit report for seven years; after that they will drop off.
• People become so worried about their FICO scores that they do dumb things...like fall victim to credit cards with high interest, get deeply in debt, or open credit accounts in order to get a T shirt or Frisbee (especially on college campuses). They justify what could turn out to be poor credit habits in order to "build up their credit".
• Now that the credit markets are tightening up, if you have a bad credit score, you will not be able to get any more credit. This is how it should be. Unlike the financial fantasy many credit companies were in for the past decade and which led to the downfall of our economy, people with bad credit don't need even MORE credit to add to their problems.
• If you have bad credit, you probably have been treated to a close up view of the credit industry underbelly--skyrocketing interest rates, horrendous collection practices, poor customer service, and randomly cancelled credit cards. What's good about this? These things will make you never want to use credit again. Kind of like reaching for a cigarette and getting a shock therapy jolt; this physically and psychologically sours you on what you originally thought was such a wonderful idea.

Now don't let these points encourage you to trash your credit score. It is just a reminder that there are many things that are more important than a FICO score and going through a tough financial time can realign your common sense and actually have a positive outcome (like not letting you bury yourself deeper in debt or making you hate the credit industry so much that you never touch debt again). Note that credit scores can be used by potential employers, insurance companies, landlords and others who will use your credit score to rate you as a person and this could have a negative impact in these areas. There are ways to work around these issues, however.

A Small Rant About Firearms Ownership

Usually I am very supportive of firearms ownership. The only people who I think absolutely SHOULD NOT own guns are the mentally ill and the stupid. Note the stupid gun owners in this article. They are idiots for the following reasons:

• They "forgot" they had a gun. Firearms are deadly weapons. As such, you need to know where they are at all times. If you don't want this responsibility, sell the guns to someone who is more responsible.
• They did not educate their child about firearms. I never leave a child, unsupervised, with any kind of weapon. However, if you own a firearm (and even if you don't because you never know when your child may come upon a gun so they need to know what to do), you need to educate your child about proper firearms handling and use. It's kind of like if you live near any type of water (swimming pool, lake, river, etc)--common sense says that you need to teach your child to swim even though you never intend to let them swim unsupervised because with kids you never know what situation they may find themselves in.
• They "hid" their firearm in a box. Unless your firearm is in your immediate possession, it needs to be secured. Which means that kids and anyone else in your home cannot pick it up and shoot themselves or anyone else with it. Secured means, um secure. Duh.
• They never used the firearm or checked on it. Responsible firearms owners know where their firearms are at all times. You shouldn't have to guess where you left it and by all means, if you own a firearm for any reason (defense, hunting, target shooting) you need to use it regularly. If not, you will pull it out in a defensive situation and either hit someone other than your intended target or said intended target will take it away and use it on YOU. You also need to check on your firearms regularly to make sure they haven't disappeared. Firearms are more often stolen by family, friends, and household help then they are lost to a burglar.

I don't have to guess how this event will impact the family. I have seen way too many parents of dead kids. No matter how the child died, even if by natural causes, the parents think they could have and should have done something to save their child. When a child is lost to a senseless, stupid accident due to the parent's negligence, I have no doubt that these people will blame themselves thoroughly and forever. Fortunately their child is still alive. Many parents aren't that lucky in this situation and what follows for these people is deep depression, divorce, job loss, PTSD, sometimes suicide...and that's just within the first couple of years of a child's death.

Some Options for Medical Care

Having been a bit under the weather this week, I got to thinking about medical care. I have been extremely fortunate to have full coverage medical insurance practically since birth. Many people are not that fortunate and healthcare coverage is a major concern (it can also be a major cause of bankruptcy!). Here are some options for care when you get sick--both during "normal" times and during times of disaster:

• Obviously if you are in a life threatening situation (chest pain, shortness of breath, in active labor, a serious infection, been stabbed, been shot, etc), go to the nearest emergency room. The EMTALA Act says that emergency rooms MUST treat you whether you can afford to pay or not. Of course you will get an armload of bills after your treatment, but at least you will be alive to deal with them. Note that in some disasters or TEOTWAWKI scenarios, many hospitals may not be open/staffed.
• Your regular doctor. Hopefully you have a regular general practice doctor that can help you with general medical problems, chronic condition care, and preventative wellness checks. This is a less expensive option than an emergency room and hopefully, with preventative checks, your doctor will be able to find and treat problems while they are still minor. You may want to ask your doctor if he has a disaster plan, just to figure out if he would be available during a disaster situation.
• Community clinics. These range from "free clinics" to "sliding fee scale" clinics, to "you must pay a set fee" clinics. If you do not have insurance, these types of clinics may be the first place to look for affordable care. Less urgent and chronic condition care is very common at these types of clinics. Ditto on the note about disasters and TEOTWAWKI.
• "Urgent Care" clinics are springing up all over around our state. These are a less expensive option than an emergency room for urgent, but not life threatening, conditions. If you don't have insurance you will need to pay at the time of service and there is no way to tell if these places would be open during a disaster (I'm guessing no).
• Lower level providers. In some cases, depending on your jurisdiction and what level of care lower level practitioners can provide, you may be able to get limited types of medical care from Physician's Assistants (PA), Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP), and Registered Nurses (RN).
• Vets. For your everyday medical care/medical emergencies, vets will not treat you. There is a small problem with malpractice and providing care outside of their scope of practice that usually (as it should) stop them from treating human patients. This is not to say that veterinary care is not an option when TSHTF. Way back in the day in very rural areas, it was not uncommon for vets (and farmers who knew some vet skills) to provide antibiotics or sew up a gash on their (human) neighbors.
• Home remedies. I can count the number of times my grandparents went to a doctor on one hand. This was probably because of the cost but also because they pretty much didn't trust doctors unless it was an emergency. What they did do, however, was tap into their huge knowledge of home remedies to treat just about any problem that came along. This is an excellent kind of knowledge to have at any time, but most especially during a disaster.
• Specialized types of medicine. Homeopathy, herbal medicine, and Chinese medicine are considered "alternative" types of medicine however a billion Chinese can't be wrong. These types of medical practices are used to cure a wide range of ailments and most of the components of the medicines and treatments are available to anyone, not just licensed doctors. Note, however, that some of these treatments use plants and other natural items that can be toxic or fatal if used improperly so you really need to know what you are doing before you attempt to use these items.
• Other resources: For other medical care information consider nurse hotlines which can provide information over the phone that may save you a doctor's visit. Also, Poison Control Centers can provide information on whether something that was ingested was poisonous and requires an ER visit or if the substance is actually non-toxic and not a problem.
• And some tips: The best solution to a medical problem is to not have the problem to begin with so preventative care is important. Take care of your health by eating right, exercising, wearing a helmet and seat belt when needed, and generally staying away from situations that can make you ill (stress), injured (skateboarding), or dead (smoking). Getting some medical training is a great idea, so consider signing up for a first aid or EMT class. Make friends in the medical field; during a disaster there will not be enough of these people to go around (look at the situation in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina). Get some reference books. "When There is No Doctor" is a classic tome and you should also have a book (with lots of color pictures) about the types of plants that grow wild in your area that can be used for medicinal purposes. Also consider planting some medicinal herbs in your garden.

Making Yourself Useful (and Wealthy) in the Marketplace

I had lunch with a friend yesterday which gave me the idea for this post. He is the epitome of wealth and success in the market place. I am guessing that he makes close to seven figures a year and has a list of credentials as long as your arm. This man is a well respected cardiac surgeon, actually Chief of Cardiology at a major medical center, and he is also a professor who teaches cardiac surgery at a top 10 medical university. His research credits are numerous and renowned. He is sought after to speak at medical conferences around the country and around the world. In addition, he has a wonderful family, is an excellent golfer, is a tech whiz, and is an overall good guy. What does this have to do with you? Plenty. Let's look at all of the components that lead to success and wealth in the marketplace using this guy as an example.

• He chose a profession that used his innate skills and interests. He always has been a "science geek" which helped spur him towards a career in medicine. What are your skills, aptitudes, and interests? If you spend your career chasing a goal that you have no natural ability or passion for, it will be an uphill battle and you will probably end up miserable.
• He decided on a goal (becoming a doctor) and stuck with it until it was achieved. Many people have plans and goals but most don't stick with them until they are reached. Do you have clear goals that you work towards diligently until they are reached?
• He chose a profession that is necessary and in demand. Many professions are subject to the whim of the economy (car manufacturing, construction, stock trading) and are not critically necessary, while others (doctors, lawyers, nurses) are both in demand and necessary no matter what the economy is doing. People can skip the restaurant and cook at home but they can't perform surgery or dental work on themselves. Is your profession both necessary and in demand?
• He chose a profession that requires specialized knowledge, skills, and training. The difference between a burger flipper and a surgeon is the knowledge, skills, and training that are required to be successful. Generally a job that requires a couple of months of training is much less valuable than a job that requires a decade of training. Do you have specialized knowledge, skills, and training that separates you from the masses?
• He has multiple sources of income. There are many ways to spin a profession off into different types of money-making opportunities including doing, teaching, and writing. If you are a plumber, you could do actual plumbing but you could also write articles or books on the subject, teach classes on the subject, and maybe even have a TV show on the HG network.
• He works. Hard. I know a range of very successful people and they are always doing something. Most watch little if any TV, they don't spend all day doing useless things on the computer, and they don't spend the day attached to their Wii. What they spend their time doing includes reading, increasing their skills and knowledge through classes and conferences, and sharing knowledge with others.
• He has made many sacrifices. The successful people I know have sacrificed sleep, college parties, money (in the early years), fun (wild spring break vacations usually aren't even on the radar), a social life, and many other things to reach their goals.
• He makes time for other important things in his life such as family, vacations, golf, and learning the latest tech. All work and no play, you know...

Anyway, you get the idea. This isn't to say that everyone can or even should strive for the heights of wealth and acclaim that certain careers provide. I thoroughly appreciate my postman, car mechanic, and the lady that serves coffee at church, however if this is something you seek, there is no "secret" that you need to be let in on. Common sense, a clear path, hard work, and some thought towards the needs of the market place will take you as far as you want to go.

Blogroll

A reader asked for a list of the blogs/websites I read daily. Of course when I am looking for good articles for the main CNI site, I usually browse through the CNI website since most all of the links are suvival related. For general reading, however, I usually peruse the following blogs (note most are self improvement, travel, finance, and health related):

Simple Dollar
Popurls
AllTop
Lifehacker
Lifehack
Consumerist
ProBlogger
Survivalist Boards
Life Remix
Wise Bread
Zen Habits
MarcandAngel
Joyfully Jobless Blog
Dumb Little Man
Art of Nonconformity
Less is Enough
Tech Tips
Marcacito
Life Optimizer
Get Rich Slowly
Digerati
Violent Acres
Copyblogger
4 Hour Work Week
Ask Metafilter
Seth Godin
Web Worker Daily
Save Money
No Impact Man
Frugal for Life
Freelance Switch
Lazy Man and Money
Pinoy Tech
100 Goals in 100 Weeks
Vagabonding
Boots 'N All
Vagablogging
Independent Traveler
Travel Channel
Brave New Traveler
Backpacking Travel
LIP
Vagabonding Life
Vagabondish
Family on Bikes
Female Nomad
Nerdy Nomad
Hobo Poet
New Hobo Poet Site
La Gringa
Coonys Adventure
World Hum
NG Adventure
Traveler's Notebook
The Longest Trip
Trail Dreamer
Pat's Bike Blog
Biking Bis
Most Traveled People
Legal Nomads
Rough Riders
Kent's Bike Blog
Dr Weil
Prevention
Worlds Healthiest Foods
Edgar Cayce
Active
MediterAsian
Oldways
Chet Day
Map My Run
Hooah 4 Health
Barbara Sher
Dollar Stretcher
Tightwad
Dave Ramsey
Oprah
Bottom Line
Edgar Cayce Site
Barbara Winter
Something You Should Know
John Goddard
Wayne Dyer
Self Growth
Points to Ponder
The 100 Action Principles
100 Tips to Improve Your Life
Discovery Health

Living in Your Car: A Compendium

I would like to write a detailed, useful post about living in your car, as many people are now fining themselves in this situation and the info may be useful for other reasons as well. I have never, however, had to live in my car so it wouldn't be very useful to the readers if I just throw out a bunch of platitudes. Being able to live in your car is a useful skill and even if you think it will never happen to you, the following information may prove quite useful at a later date:

• How to Live in Your Car Forum
• Car Living a Vital Skill
• Car Living and Communication
• Wikihow: How to Live in Your Car
• How to Live in Your Car
• The Other Mobile Home
• How to Live in Your Van

Anyway, that should give you some good general knowledge about living out of your vehicle should worse come to worse.

A Nice Suprise

Today I was reading through my usual list of blogs (which is fairly long, numbering maybe 50 or so) and I came across an article about...the CNI blog. You can find the post at Trail Dreamers blog. I liked her take on our post about living low profile and hadn't even thought of having to get back into society after you have dropped out. Interesting concept.
One of the comments to her post suggested this article from Tim Ferris which I hadn't seen even though his blog is also on my reading list. ....some interesting reading...

Poll Results and a New Poll

Our last poll "What are your views on financial Independence?" garnered the following results:

• I AM financially independent (4 people/7%)
• It is the main goal that I am working towards (29 people/56%)
• It's a nice dream but very far off (13 people/25%)
• There's no way I will ever be financially independent (5 people/9%)

I am happy to see that more than half of the respondents are either financially independent or heading in that direction. There is no better way to be prepared than to have the yoke of financial debt lifted off of your shoulders. If you need some inspiration, check out Dave Ramsey (either his website at www.daveramsey.com his show on Fox Business, or on the radio).

Be sure to take our new poll. With so much TV time spent of the gun issue lately, this seemed like a timely poll.

20 Items for Your Low Profile Life

Moving on with the low profile living theme, here's some things you may need to live on the down low:

• A pre-paid cell phone purchased with cash and not associated with your name in any way.
• A firearm not registered in your name (I am not advocating anything illegal. In many jurisdictions, you can buy a firearm from a private party and you don't have to register it in your name).
• $1000 in cash. At least.
• A netbook or laptop which is not registered in your name. Use it via free wifi portals instead of through a work or home internet service which can be traced to you.
• A generic phone calling card, paid for with cash of course.
• A ghost address (an address where you receive mail that is in no way connected to you).
• A car which doesn't have a "black box" in it (older than mid '90s for many, but not all, cars).
• A bicycle. Seriously. This in one of the few forms of transportation that doesn't need to be registered to you.
• Medical/dental care done in a foreign country (it helps if you live overseas or close to the Mexican border). Medical care in the US forms a paper trail that will follow you forever.
• A skill. Maybe many skills. With a skill you can work just about anywhere, often times without all of the paperwork that regular employment entails.
• Minimal disguises (ie: glasses, sunglasses, hats, etc).
• A bank account in some else's name (off shore accounts are growing more "iffy" by the day).
• A cross-cut shredder.
• A secure storage unit that is not associated with your name.
• A "hide out" in case you need to crash somewhere for a night or two (this could be an abandoned home, a friend's cabin, etc).
• A safe (preferably hidden where no one else knows where it is).
• Nothing with an RFID chip in it (or if there is a chip, conveniently disable it).
• If you must use store loyalty cards, have them in a random assortment of names/info (of course you will be paying cash only for your purchases).
• Electronic voice changer.
• Pre-paid Visa/debit cards.

More Interesting Ideas

Cleaning out my favorites file again...here's some interesting ideas:

• This is my kind of lawmaker.
• Note this guy's use of Couchsurfing and Craigslist.
• This is why I work for myself.
• And a business idea.

Urban Bug Out Gear...Some Ideas

When people think about putting together a Bug Out Bag, they often think of lots of camo, lots of (impressive) weapons, and lots of other cool gear that they can pick up at the local military surplus store. In most environments, especially urban environments, you may want to think again. Here's some stuff to consider for your low-profile urban Bug Out Bag:

• Instead of an ALICE pack, consider a more urban option for carting your gear around such as a messenger bag, or urban-styled backpack (Dakine, etc)
• Instead of camo clothing, consider urban appropriate clothing in generic colors (khaki, brown, black) from REI (west coast) or LL Bean (east coast)
• Instead of combat boots, consider, again, well made urban option such as Keen or Merrell shoes/boots.
• Instead of an AK or other similarly impressive firearm, consider something much more concealable (for close quarters urban needs, a good handgun will lend an element of surprise and be more easy to conceal).
• Instead of radios to communicate with your team, cell phones are a more urban alternative if the system is still up.
• Instead of canteens hanging on your belt, consider a more urban SIGG or Nalgene water bottle in your backpack.
• Instead of a bag of MREs, consider some urban options such as beef jerky, dried fruit, nuts, and other portable foods found in your local grocery store which has a long shelf life.

Anyway, you get the idea. Take a look at your BOB and compare it to the location you are most likely to use it. Does it match? Does it stand out like a huge target? Do you look "like everyone else" or do you look like you just stepped out of a military movie? Consider "un militarizing" your BOB so that you will be able to more easily blend into your environment.

Joining Up

I have a small concern about many of the organizations I belong to/participate in. The concern? The majority of the participants are getting OLD. HAM radio club? Median age 60+. Shooting club? Median age (not of the shooters who are all ages but of the administration) 60+. A church I visited with a friend? Median age 70. It sees like younger people these days don't join organizations like they did in years past. Of course it is wonderful to have retired folks volunteering everywhere from disaster prep groups to community clubs. These people have the time to work on club activities because they are retired and they have the experience from previous work to get lots of things done, however, I am just wondering what will happen when this demographic dies off. We need younger people to become involved in order to keep many of these organizations going. Even more concerning is the fact that it seems like the younger generation listens less to wise locals who can impart wisdom and common sense and more to centralized media that leads the populace around by the nose whether they make any sense or not. Anyway, I'll hop off my soapbox now. I guess today's message is to encourage the younger generation to participate, join up, and keep our local organizations going by sharing our knowledge and wisdom in order to create future leaders (and to protect them from media brainwashing!).

DPT--Some Power Options

A friend of mine is THE HAM radio guy. While perusing his very cool equipment, we had a conversation about powering up all of his gear. Since he often responds during disasters, being able to keep the juice flowing to his radio gear/home/etc is a top priority for him. Here are his power options:

• A generator that will power most of his home.
• A deep cycle battery in the garage that he keeps charged up which can be used to power his radios.
• A DC adapter/converter that can plug into the lighter socket in his car and be used to power many low draw items.
• A boat load of batteries in every conceivable size.
• A portable solar charger. It doesn't have huge capacity but can keep laptops, cell phones, and other small items charged.

Workplace Security

Fourteen people were killed today in yet another mass shooting, this time in Binghamton New York. When I hear about this on the news, I often think, like many other people, that such an event could happen at my office but probably never will happen because a) I live and work in a nice community, b) the people in my community are by and large pretty good people, and c) I have an illusion of safety that may or may not really be true. After all, I don't live in the ghetto and the most common types of crime around here are DUIs, white collar crime, some drug crimes, and the very rare assault/homicide/etc. I'm sure the people at the office that was hit today and the many other locations where random shootings have taken place, felt the same way before the shootings happened.

So while I am usually pretty security conscious out of habit, the increasing frequency of these shootings and the sheer randomness of these tragic events, has made me reevaluate the security measures I take at work. Here's some things I am considering:

• First step: a security evaluation of each office site.
• Physical security considerations: facility access control (remote locks, solid core doors, key card access to interior parts of offices), panic button, escape plan, video surveillance, panic room, etc.
• People security considerations: visitors kept in area exterior to main office, inform all staff members of pending issues (employee domestic issues, pending legal issues, client issues that could impact employee's safety)
• Staff training: lock down drills, fire drills, escape/evacuation drills, hostility diffusion training
• Communications plan: PIO plan, emergency communications plan (within the facilities and outside of the facilities), floor plan of each facility available electronically
• Information file: emergency contact numbers posted, staff emergency contact info with photos available electronically, etc.
• Employee protection: allow and encourage properly trained employees to carry firearms

What Do You Read?

I haven't subscribed to a magazine or newspaper in quite a while, but I do keep up with what's going on in the world by perusing magazines when I am at the book store and, of course, with daily reading online. Here's what I read on a regular basis:

• Backwoods Home


• Mother Earth News


• Make Magazine


• Popular Mechanics


• Popular Science


• Handguns Magazine


• National Geographic Adventure Magazine

Basically any magazine that can teach me something is something I want to read.