The Benefits of Being Flexible

I was reading a comment from a reader about the last post and had to agree that when people are under pressure (like from the current economic problems we are facing) they can tend to flip out at the least little thing (which for them may be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back). This is where the ability to be flexible--in thinking, in expectations, in creativity, in compassion for others, in all other facets of your life--comes into play.
People can become pretty set in their ways, especially as we get older and/or live life in a very vacuum-like setting. A couple hundred years ago, change came slowly and the pace of life was pretty much the same for most people, their kids, their parents, and everyone else they knew. Fast forward to today when change is happening nearly at the speed of light. One day you are messing around on your computer and a few days later your little creation is getting bought by Google for millions of dollars.
The opposite can also be true--one day you are mowing the lawn around your suburban home, thinking about the day you just had at work, and wondering how you are going to pay for junior's college (because after all your parents mowed the yard around their home, dad's job kept the family in clothes and paid for enough food so that no one went hungry, and they somehow managed to send you to college, just like everyone else you knew--see how the expectation becomes set?). Within a few days you find out that your job is history, your adjustable rate mortgage went through the roof, and junior's SAT scores will barely qualify him for community college--and there are no scholarships in sight. That kind of thing can send people over the edge, especially if they have followed all of the "rules", tried to be good, productive members of their community, and paid their tithe in church each week. Sudden change, especially when it is the negative variety, can have a dramatically bad effect on people who have certain expectations about the way things are "supposed to be."
This is where having the ability (and skills) to be flexible comes into play. Here's a handful of my rules about being flexible:

• I have two priorities in life, the spouse/kids and the rest of the family. If I have nothing else but these people around me, I will be a happy camper because I can be content with these people and it won't matter if I am eating "rice and fishheads" as one friend puts it, if I am wearing a suit or a clearance outfit from Walmart, or if I live in a tent or a big house.
• I love a new adventure. From my point of view, the more situations change, the more opportunities there are.
• I don't need much stuff to live. Read Waldon Pond or blogs from the many other minimalists out there. Try backpacking for a couple of weeks or traveling overseas with only what you can put in a carry-on bag and you will see how very little you actually need to survive.
• Get rid of any preconceived notions about how things "are supposed to be." Preconceived notions can often be wrong. When I had the opportunity to be an exchange student in Japan, Granddad was partially horrified--he said the "Japs" were going to get me. From his experiences in WWII, he had one idea about how Japanese people were and that was as far as his mind would allow him to think. Fortunately I didn't let his preconceived notions slow me down and I went on to experience many amazing things it what is a pretty wonderful (albeit different) country. Different from what you are used to is not necessarily bad.
• Keep a positive attitude. Grandma was the most positive person I know and she had every right not to be. She lived through Prohibition, the Depression, getting married at 16, having her husband shot and killed at 17, moving across the country to start a new life... Bad things happen to everyone at one time or another--sometimes what seems like a lifetime of bad experiences all seem to hit within the same couple of months--but with a positive attitude, things tend to work out well in the end.
• Think about things from all angles, and do your due diligence research, before you make a judgement. It's easy to lump all things, and in many cases all people, together and judge them as a whole. Over the course of my life I have learned that #1--You need to judge people individually--most are good, a few are bad, and you often can't tell this just by looking at a person. #2--The economy goes in waves. Remember the 70s? It was similar to what was going on now with a couple of differences. For instance, I can't believe so many people took out adjustable rate mortgages on their homes then were shocked when they adjusted astronomically, but then again, I saw this happen in the 70s so I wasn't surprised when such a thing happened but others who weren't around then were. #3--There are two sides to every issue. Am I thrilled with 'Obamacare'? No, but then again I already have pretty comprehensive (basically free) health insurance. If I just had a child born with a major medical problem and I had no insurance at all I would probably be singing a different tune. #4--That it is easy to jump on the bandwagon with the media and other talking heads goading you so you have to be aware of such a possibility and think for yourself. The immigration opponents want to "send all of the illegals back to Mexico". Never mind that the cost to deport 12 million people would be unfathomable, illegal immigrants are hardly all Mexicans (they can be white, black, and all colors in between), and the small fact that if I lived in a dangerous and horribly poor country that was just a walk away from a rich, first world country I would probably be walking over here myself.

Being flexible is a mental skill, an attitude really, that can either carry you to wonderful experiences and great success in life or bury you under a pile of unmet expectations. Which one will you choose?

A Note About Militias

You have probably no doubt heard about the arrest of members who were part of a Michigan militia group. Now I am as open minded as the next person and am very supportive of the constitution (freedom of assembly, right to bear arms, etc), but I have a few problems with how this group went about achieving their goals:

• If you are going to take on a government with violence do you think it is wise to choose the US government? I didn't think so.
• Paramilitary training=good. Using those skills to kill innocent people (like police officers)=bad. Very bad.
• Politics is a game. These people should study and practice the rules of said game instead of coordinating a half-assed plan to over throw the government.
• I have often found that fighting against something works out much less advantageously than fighting for something.
• Are we getting the full story about this situation from the media? I doubt it. I find the popular media to be biased. Just sayin...
• If you are doing something illegal/borderline illegal/has the appearance of being illegal even if it isn't, do you think you should have a FaceBook page that shows your wedding party dressed in camo and adorned with firearms. Did these people miss my post about keeping a low profile??
• Do I believe the government is 100% right about everything and is completely innocent when it comes to annoying the general populace til they feel like they want to join a militia? Um, no. Not even close.
• Should you overthrow the US government if you feel like it is trampling all over the constitution and going to Hell in a handbasket? I would say no. It is incredibly difficult to overthrow a government--even a third-world, banana republic government--so overthrowing the US government would likely be impossible.
• I am all for the right to bear arms for personal defense but using violence to overthrow the government because a group of people is not happy with the current state of said government seems to trample on the rights of the majority (we are a democratic society after all). What makes this small militia group think that what they want is more important than what the majority of the people in the country want?
• I wonder if these people have ever lived or traveled outside of the US? People can get pretty worked up about how horrible the US and the US government is but I have yet to find a better country in which to live. If they would have tried such a plan in many other countries they wouldn't have lived long enough to even be arrested and charged. Just sayin...

40 Survival Skills Your Kids Need to Know

As adults, we take it upon ourselves to make sure that we are prepared, that we have a safe home for our family, that we have planned to protect our family members in the event of a worst case scenario, and that we are up on all of the survival skills (from HAM radio use to tactical shooting) that could see us through a disaster. One thing many adults fail to consider is that after a disaster, they may be the one who is incapacitated, that their kids may be far away from home and left on their own to survive, or that your well studied skills may not be able to save your kids and they may, in fact, be forced to save their own lives. Here's the skills your kids need to know in order to save themselves or even save you in a SHTF scenario:

1. CPR and AED certification. Let's face it, if you are old and over weight and your teens are young and healthy, who is most likely going to have to perform CPR on whom?
2. Basic first aid. If your kid is with their friend and their friend is bleeding to death, it just makes sense that they know to apply a towel and direct pressure to control the bleeding because there is no way you will get there in time to provide this type of first aid.
3. Their personal information. I have seen teenagers that need to ask their parents when their birth date is. Duh. Either the kid was an idiot or the parent was for not teaching them this basic information. All kids, from the time they learn how to speak, need to know the basics--name, address, birth date, parent's information, allergies, etc.
4. How to feed themselves. This includes everything from how to shop for food to how to cook safely. Some teens have no idea how to fend for themselves where food is concerned unless there is a McDonald's nearby. Additionally, everyone should know how to forage for food (very useful in an emergency) including dumpster diving, foraging in the wild, etc.
5. How to use money effectively. This includes how to save money, how to spend money, how to stay out of debt, and how to invest money.
6. How to earn money. From a very young age, kids need to know that you don't get paid just for existing. There is a process for making money and everyone needs to learn this process.
7. How to speak well. This is a multi-faceted skill which will allow them to speak clearly and politely to others, address a crowd, speak persuasively, tell a story, tell a joke, etc.
8. How to read and write well. I don't mean how to read a couple of books then never read again or how to write a sentence. We are talking about how to read up to the college level, how to read for pleasure and read to educate themselves (without being told to), and how to write everything from a research paper to an advertisement to a letter to a friend to interesting website content.
9. How to deal with fire. This includes everything from how to start, maintain and extinguish a camp fire to how to extinguish a fire in the home and/or how to escape from a house fire.
10. How to procure water. Yes, water usually comes out of the faucet but that may not always be the case so kids need to know where and how to find water in an emergency, how to purify water, and why this is necessary.
11. Outdoor survival skills. If your kid ever ends up lost in the wilderness, you will want to make sure that they have the best opportunity survive. This is done by ensuring that they have a very well rounded, and well practiced, slate of outdoor survival skills (how to find food, how to find shelter, how to stay warm, how to signal for help, etc).
12. How to handle firearms. Growing up this was a skill every kid learned however this is getting rarer and rarer these days. Everyone needs to know how to handle a firearm whether you ever plan to use one or not. Not knowing anything about firearms and ending up having to use a weapon like you learned on TV or in the movies can get you killed.
13. How to fight. Yes I know that teaching kids to work out their problems by talking is important but sometimes they may find themselves in a position (ie: being kidnapped or in a situation when they are being attacked by other kids) where there is no substitute for knowing how to fight. Consider a karate class.
14. How to drive. Another very useful skill. Growing up on a ranch, we all learned how to drive (tractors and trucks) by the age of 12. While the last thing I want to see driving down the road is a 12 year old, knowing how to drive (motorcycles, jet skis, manual and standard transmission vehicles, etc) is a skill that most older teens should know.
15. How to make good decisions. Unfortunately the judgement/decision making part of a kid's brain isn't fully developed until they are in their early twenties, however it is never too early to start teaching your kids how to make good decisions and rewarding them accordingly.
16. How to report a crime or other emergency. Kids should learn when and how to call 911 as soon as they are able to grasp the concept of calling for help.
17. What the family communication plan is. This may start out as an emergency contact info card attached to your kindergartner's backpack and evolve into the local, regional, and national family contacts from your family emergency communications plan being put on your teen's cell phone. In all cases, your kids need to know how to contact someone other than you in the case of an emergency or disaster.
18. How to swim. Swimming is a basic skill that everyone should know how to do whether you plan to swim much or not. Better safe than sorry.
19. How to properly use, and the importance of using, safety gear. Everything from child safety seats to bike helmets to life jackets should be covered here.
20. How to protect themselves from dangerous people. You don't want to scare them so they won't talk to anyone, but kids need to know that there are sexual predators (both strangers and those known to them), drug dealers, gang bangers, and others who pose a threat to them. Teach them how to identify and deal with these types of people.
21. How to protect themselves on the internet. Since kids these days consider the internet as necessary as air, they are often very comfortable with putting their whole life online. Common sense safety guidelines need to be taught to kids in order for them to stay safe (ie: don't put your phone number and address online), out of jail (ie: absolutely no sexting), and psychologically unharmed (ie: how to diffuse cyberbullying, etc).
22. How to keep their stuff organized and well cared for. This means their BOB is stocked and ready to go, their homework is organized and turned in on time, they can clean and safely handle (under your supervision) their firearms, etc.
23. What to do in the event of a school shooting. Again, you don't want to scare your kids needlessly however school shootings are happening more and more often. Do your research, find out what your kid's school shooter plan is, and then share information with your kids in an age-appropriate manner (note there is no "right" answer to what to do during a school shooting as each situation is different, raising awareness levels about this topic, however, is the goal).
24. How to navigate. Map, compass, GPS device, etc. Being able to navigate from point A to B, whether by understanding and using the subway or local bus system map, or finding their way in the wilderness with a map and compass, is a good skill to have.
25. How to travel by themselves. One mom let her nine year old son travel by himself on the subway a year or so ago and the backlash was both quick and loudly negative. This is too bad because the kid did fine, got himself home, and was all the more independent for the experience. Kids should be able to travel (age appropriately of course) by themselves so that should TSHTF, they will at least have some skills and practice at getting home by themselves.
26. How to make basic home repairs. Obviously you don't give a five year old a soldering iron and let him go to work on the plumbing, but by starting kids out early (even a three year old can learn the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer), and by steadily giving them more knowledge and practice, you will end up with a teenager who will be able to help you around the house and turn out some pretty amazing projects as well.
27. Hunting and fishing. Learning how food gets from walking on all fours to laying on the dinner plate is an experience that sadly, fewer and fewer kids get to learn. These are, however, very useful skills to have (and also makes for good parent-kid bonding experiences too).
28. As many sporting skills as possible. Skiing, boating, horseback riding, basketball, baseball...there is a very long list of sports that kids can learn that will build their strength, endurance, team work skills, and self esteem.
29. How to help others. Babysitting is a good skill to have, so is volunteering. By learning how to take care of others, kids learn leadership skills, empathy, decision making, and how to help out when needed whether it is an ordinary day or they are caught in a disaster situation.
30. The sciences and math. Yes, I know kids take these classes in school and think they will never use the information they learn (so why learn it?), however judging distance, probability, basic physics, how chemicals react, etc. will put them in good standing for college and could also come in quite useful during a disaster.
31. How to walk. Seriously. My two pet peeves are parents who are still rolling their kids around in a stroller when the kid is four or five years old and parents who drive their kids back and forth to school each day when they only live less than a mile from the school. Kids have feet, let them use them. Often.
32. How to think logically. Kids can solve quite a few problems, both large and small, when they know how to think logically. A good way to do this is by playing games with them--chess, checkers, Monopoly, etc.
33. How to be observant. Kind of like the "I spy" game but with the need to remember a whole bunch more details.
34. How to build things. Not only can kids exercise their creativity skills, but by learning how things work and how to build things (a tree fort, a simple radio, etc) your kids will be better prepared for a disaster as well as life in general.
35. How to keep and improve their health. The number of obese kids these days is horrifically high. A kid can't take care of themself if they can't even run a half block, if they eat "empty" calories that keep them hungry all the time, and if their blood sugar/blood pressure/cholesterol numbers rival that of a senior citizen.
36. How to hide, how to evade, how to escape. Hide and seek is a kids game with its basis in some very real necessary skills for survival. Hopefully your child never finds themself in a dangerous situation, and of course, you can't just assume a kids would know how to escape from say, kidnappers, but by "playing" games that can help them develop skills that would help them hide, help them evade someone who is following them, and how to escape should they become trapped, these critical skills can become second nature.
37. How to be alone. Our society is becoming more and more connected (as evidenced by kids who send 5000+ text messages each month!) yet there is an art and skill in being able to be alone, all alone, for a period of time without suffering from abject boredom or panic.
38. How to recognize and deal with natural disasters. One of the "heroes" of the Indonesian tsunami was a kid on vacation who had learned how to recognize the signs of a tsunami in school; she told her family and others in the hotel that they needed to flee to higher ground and this saved their lives. No matter where you live, there are probably natural disasters that you can more or less expect to happen, learn about the dangers, and how to protect yourself, and make sure your kids learn this as well.
39. How to seek help. This includes teaching your kid how to determine what kind of help is needed (ie: is the teen suicidal, addicted to gambling, being threatened at school), and who can best help them (parent, teacher, school counselor, etc).
40. How to plan, manage, and complete comprehensive projects. Think Eagle Scout type projects. By undertaking such challenges, kids learn all kinds of skills that will put them on the road to success in school and in life, in addition to preparing them to deal with whatever other challenges come their way.

Just like adults, kids need to be skilled and prepared for the vagaries of life. Although it is human nature to try to protect children from "real life", teaching your kids the skills they need to survive a disaster will also pay dividends as they also learn to become better prepared for life in general.

Your Advisory Council

Heads of State have them, CEOs have them, and religious leaders have them. Do you have one? An advisory council? While it doesn't have to be as official as a high-powered group of political advisers to assist in your every decision, having a council of people available to help you can be very beneficial. Here are some people you may want to have on speed dial:

• An accountant. These people can keep you out of trouble with the IRS and hopefully, financially solvent.
• A lawyer. The law is a game and unless you have enough time to study and practice the game, you will find yourself on the losing side of said game. A better idea--have a very good lawyer that you can rely on to have your back.
• A business advisor. If you have a business, having a business advisor or two who can guide you or at least act as a sounding board can be very useful (and lucrative).
• A doctor. Without your health, everything else is just not that important. A wise doctor can help keep you healthy (and/or give you a verbal smack upside the head if you aren't).
• A politician. The more powerful the better. There are some situations that just work out better when you have someone with political clout on your side. Their advice on how to use the political system to your greatest advantage can also be quite helpful.
• A "no" man. Which is the opposite of a "yes" man. When you get to a certain point in your life/career/income earning ability, you may find yourself surrounded by people who agree with everything you say. This can lead you down the wrong path. You need someone in your inner circle to pull you back to reality, tell you "no" if a "no" is warranted, and keep you on the straight and narrow.
• A specialty advisor, or two, or three. In my line of work, I often need specialty information so among my collection of "experts on speed dial" are a firearms expert, a couple of high ranking military officers, a PR expert, a technology wizard, an assortment of medical experts, and a couple of people who are just old and wise and worth their weight in gold.

I hear the phrase "you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with" and I can't agree more. If you want to be successful, healthy, wise, creative, et al. you need to surround yourself with people who are where you want to be, people who can help you, people who can provide good, useful advice and information, and people who will help move you forward in life.

The Magic of Checklists

Checklists have been used for quite a while in the airline industry, they are becoming more and more common in the medical industry, and many list-oriented people wouldn't think of starting off their day without cranking out a "to do" list before they head out the door in the morning.

For preparedness/survivalist-oriented folks, having checklists is an excellent way to be prepared for anything that may happen. Here's some lists to consider:

• Travel often? Or even not so often? Having a checklist of what to take, what to do before you leave, and what to do when you come home is a great way to alleviate the "did I remember to turn off the stove?" thoughts that often race through people's minds as they pull into the airport parking garage.
• How's your BOB? Hopefully you have taken a weekend or two to live out of your BOB and figure out what stuff you need, what stuff you forgot, and what stuff was just extraneous weight that would be better left at home. The art and science of refining your BOB has everything to do with actually writing down what is in it. This way you can continually refine your BOB, share your list with newbies who are just creating their first BOB, and/or have an instant shopping list in case you get caught far from home during a disaster...say while you are on vacation in Florida during hurricane season. Simply whip out your list, head to Walmart, and stock up quickly and completely.
• Do you have hobbies? Most of my hobbies include doing activities away from home--shooting, backpacking, distance bike rides, Volksmarching, etc. There is nothing worse than getting miles away from home, breaking open my shooting bag, and seeing that I forgot to restock my ammo from my last excursion to the range. Ditto for forgetting Moleskin on distance hikes, a spare tube for my bike on an organized ride in the next state, or my sunglasses while walking around a new city. The way that I have solved this problem is to make a checklist for each of my hobbies. This way, I can quickly scan the list before I head out to the range, or go on a weekend backpacking or climbing trip, and ensure that I have all of the stuff with me that I will need.
• Job action sheets are de rigour in the preparedness industry. You never know who will show up (or in fact, who will be left standing) after a major disaster. Most disaster managers of entities large and small keep job action sheets on hand which include step by step instructions for completing jobs that will need to be done after a disaster. This way, even the least-trained person who shows up to help will be able to do something, just by going down the job action sheet and completing tasks as they are outlined.
• A babysitter info sheet is not only useful, but could save your kid's life. Like any other checklist, by providing simple, outlined information, you will be able to communicate with the person who is responsible for your children while you are out. This could be a lifesaver if, for example, your kid has peanut allergies. Other important information you would want to include, besides allergy info, includes your cell number, a contact number for a neighbor, how to deactivate the alarm system, who your kids can and can't play with, etc.
• Checklists for the family are also useful. Right after a disaster, especially if you are not home, do you want your spouse wondering if they should cut the electricity or the gas first? Do you want them to decide, in a high stress situation, who to evacuate to or where to meet up with you should communication systems be down? If information is important enough to save a life, it is important enough to write down and share with others.

The bottom line is that the more critical a task, or the more time consuming, or the more frustration-inducing should you forget something, the more important it is to create a checklist to aid your memory and provide guidance as to what you need to have/do/remember.

A Short Post on Self Control

Most survivalist blogs cover all of the "high points" about survival--how to live off the land, how to shoot, how to make a bunker out of your downtown apartment, etc. What many blogs don't cover are the personal skills needed to be effective in any situation.
One of the most important skills a person can have is self control. Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen guys who drink, not to be amiably social, but to excess--to the point where they are rolling drunk. I have seen a guy spend his entire paycheck on the roulette tables--money that his family was probably counting on him to have in order to keep the rent paid and food on the table. I've seen more than a few people take a swing at someone, not in order to protect themselves but because some fool was mouthing off to them.
No matter the situation--whether you are having a bad day at work, you are in a physical situation that is quickly heading south, or TS is hitting TF, keeping your self control will do a few (good) things for you: your good reputation will remain in tact, you won't be known as the guy who can't hold his alcohol/temper/etc, you will throw others off balance (people may be taken aback when they can't push your buttons), you won't regret your actions later, and you will be known as the guy who can handle any situation with class and aplomb.
Keeping your self control, no matter the situation, is one of the classic personal skills that will help you during a disaster, but more often, during your everyday life.

Link Round-up: 10 Things to Consider This Weekend

Gathering up my wits after a busy month or so of traveling (with more to come), I figured I would clean up my favorites list and offer some random advice:

1. A good article about the current state of the economy for the middle class. Note that the last three sentences of the article sum up my feelings exactly.
2. The whole health care debate/debacle makes me want to stick a fork down my throat. As always, I usually side with Ron Paul on these things. His list of recommendations here.
3. Speaking of health care, I haven't been able to find anything about the impact of the health care reform on TRICARE on other military/vets programs. Here is an older article that was rattling around my favorites folder.
4. Immigration is still very much in the news as well. See rally info here. The immigration process is broken on so many levels it is hard to know where to begin...
5. Just made a run to Walmart (why does it cost almost exactly $100 each time I go into that store??). Now seemed like an opportune time to do a couple of simple preps around the house: stock up on batteries since my stock is running low, a run through the clearance aisle netted me some super discounted candles, winter clothing is being heavily discounted (sweatshirts for $3!), and a restock of basic home supplies (garbage bags, ziploc bags, a couple rolls of duct tape, a gas can to replace one I sent with a friend who was heading to Alaska, etc).
6. It's yard clean up time. All of the neighbors seem to have the same idea. Better to gt a jump on these tasks now instead of waiting for a few more days of good weather which will cause the grass to grow a couple of more inches. It is also gardening time!
7. Spring cleaning will take place next weekend. The entire house gets scrubbed clean from top to bottom (followed by a huge garage sale in late April).
8. If you are in need of new appliances, check to see if your state has started a new "cash for clunker appliances" program. 12 states have done this so far, beginning last week.
9. Done your taxes? Just a friendly reminder that they will be due in a few weeks.
10. New favorite website for interesting questions and intelligent answers on a broad range of topics...AskMetafilter.

10 Things You Need to Survive a Disaster

Disasters come in many shapes and sizes. Just this past week I have helped people deal with a death in the family, a completely unexpected divorce, a kid in the trauma center, and the loss of a job. Aside from the big disasters such as earthquakes, winter storms, or floods that make the evening news, the aforementioned things are some of the most common disasters that the average person will face in their lifetime.
Unfortunately, the people who come to me for help are usually missing one (or many) of the following things, much to their detriment. Here's what you need to survive a disaster:

1. An emergency fund. The bigger the better. No matter what type of disaster you are facing, having money can often smooth the way for you whether you need to get a hotel room for a few days, hire a pit bull of a lawyer, pay a doctor bill, or just fill up the gas tank and drive away from a bad situation.
2. Be debt free. When you are constrained by debt, it is like you are being suffocated and locked up in a strait jacket all at the same time. Your options are severely limited (like you can't pick up and move away from an abusive situation) because you are worried about paying your bills. You can't take six months off work to sit with your child in the trauma center because...yep, you need to pay your bills. How much more free and easy would your life be if you had absolutely ZERO debt? How much better would you be able to react to a quickly changing situation if you had ZERO debt?
3. A variety of options for making money. Right next to having money in savings and having no debt, is having ways to make more money that don't require your presence at a particular desk each weekday morning at 8am. When your life is in turmoil, schedules usually go out the window. You may need to move, you may need to pull the blankets over your head and not get out of bed for a week, you may need to focus on things like picking out caskets...all of these things are in direct opposition to keeping up appearances at work. If you have a range of ways to make money, particularly a few that are fairly automated and can keep a steady stream of income coming in, no matter how small, you will be in a much more flexible position to deal with the occasional disaster.
4. A fairly comprehensive "BOB". Sometimes you gotta get out of dodge. You may be hiding out from a psycho ex in an unnamed hotel, you may be racing to follow the ambulance to the hospital for an undetermined length of stay, you may be tossed out of your home by the sheriff. In all cases, it is quite possible to survive for an extended period with just the stuff you can carry in a backpack. The problem is that people often don't have a BOB they can grab in a minute's time complete with the items they would need to set up a home away from home. Put one of these together now.
5. Knowledge. Obviously you can't be well versed in everything from traumatic brain injury to the vagaries of spousal support or probate, but no matter what disastrous situation you find yourself in, you need to be able to get the knowledge that you need, ASAP, in order to make some good decisions on your own behalf. Practice now, when you aren't facing a life threatening situation, to gather the knowledge you need to fix various small problems in your life. What resources can you access immediately (Google? Ask Metafilter?), what resources are available in your community (the legal aid clinic? the local librarian?), what people do you know (your congressman? a friend of a friend who is an attorney?). It is not important whether you have the knowledge now, but it is most important that you know how to gather the knowledge that you need, when you need it.
6. People to help you out. In a crisis, you may need to depend on yourself immediately, but eventually you will need to depend on other people as well. Who are these people? Do you have people you can count on for a place to hide out, a car to borrow, a ride to the airport, a cash loan no questions asked...?
7. A range of skills. Obviously if you aren't a surgeon, no one would expect you have have surgical expertise no matter how useful such skills may be during a crisis, however, having a wide range of general skills can be of the utmost usefulness during a crisis. Can you do basic car repair? If you can't change a tire in the dark, along side a road, on whatever car you happen to be driving, you probably should learn this skill. If you have absolutely no job skills and are relying on someone else for everything in your life from your home to your food to your weekly manicure, you need to develop some job skills NOW. Can you shelter your family outside, in the winter, in the snow? Earthquakes can happen at the most inopportune time and most often after such a large disaster, you will be on your own for a while until shelters can be set up (if the disaster isn't very wide spread. If it is you may be SOL and really on your own). Basic camping skills--setting up a camp, cooking over a fire, purifying water--are basic skills that anyone can learn with a little practice.
8. An attitude of perseverance. A good attitude is nice to have but in really crappy situations, no one will expect you to be happy or even pleasant. You do need, however, an attitude of perseverance that will help you weather any disaster. You are entitled to a mini meltdown at the beginning but after that you need to be able to pull yourself together and get things done no matter how horrible the situation (you will be entitled to a larger meltdown after everything is done and you can take a breath).
9. A "plan b". Sometimes you cannot change a situation or make things go back to the way they have always been. You cannot make a spouse stay married to you if they refuse to do so. You cannot bring back someone who has died. You cannot "undo" a flood that ruined your home or a tsunami that carried away your village. In these cases you need a "plan b". People don't like to think about the worst happening because it is rather unpleasant to think about bad things that could happen to you, but every once in a while let your mind wander to the "what ifs". What if your spouse packed up and left tomorrow? What if you went to work tomorrow and the doors were padlocked and you had no more job? What if your house burned down next week? Like I said, unpleasant thoughts, but by running through some scenarios of bad things that could happen, you will give your mind a bit of exercise creating "plan b" scenarios.
10. Faith. Some people are Catholic while others are atheist. One things that I have seen carry people through the worst of times is a faith of some sort. Whether they think God has a plan, or all things eventually work out for the better, having some sort of faith in something other than yourself seems to make the worst a bit more palatable.

54 Safe and Legal Deductions to Save on Taxes

Got this list in my email and figured it would be good (financial) preparedness information...

1. Cost of having a tax return the previous year.
2. Dues to professional societies and subscriptions to professional journals.
3. Medical insurance premiums.
4. Union dues and expenses.
5. Liquidated damages to a former employer, such as for a broken contract.
6. Gambling losses. (However, winnings are taxable)
7. Money given to non-profit charities.
8. Cost of uniforms and/or special clothing required on the job.
9. Special shoes required for your job.
10. Special tools, equipment, and supplies necessary for your job.
11. Credit for political contributions.
12. Credit for care of a child or dependent.
13. Earned income credit (for low income workers.)
14. Energy tax credit, for making energy efficiency improvements to home.
15. Charitable gifts such as clothing, furniture, real estate, etc.
16. Doctors, dentists, hospital bills.
17. Cost of prescriptions, drugs.
18. Expenses for eyeglasses, hearing aids, dentures, contact lenses, etc.
19. Employment agency fee when looking for work.
20. Moving expenses, when necessary for business related reasons.
21. Fees for books, newsletters, seminars, etc., that give tax advice.
22. Upkeep expenses (including laundry, cleaning) for uniforms, work clothes.
23. Protective clothing such as safety shoes & glasses, hard hats, etc.
24. Appraisal fee to determine market value of property claimed as deduction.
25. Home telephone expenses relating to your job, including long distance.
26. Customer entertainment.
27. Professional licenses.
28. Malpractice insurance (as in case of nurses, doctors, etc.)
29. Investment expenses for advice paid to banks, brokers, advisors, etc.
30. Travel expenses to consult with broker, to do investment research, etc.
31. Cost of safety deposit box rental.
32. Cost of preparing, typing, printing, mailing, etc., job resumes.
33. Cost of seminars, books, classes, etc., on how to write a job resume.
34. Travel and transportation expenses necessary for finding new employment.
35. Meal and lodging costs when necessary for finding a new job.
36. Cost of education required by your employer for keeping your job.
37. Cost of education to improve skills required for performing current work.
38. Donations to churches, religious, non-profit organizations.
39. Losses caused by accidents, storms, floods, thefts, etc.
40. Elective surgery such as face-lifts, breast implants, thigh-tapering, etc.
41. Acupuncture.
42. Laetrile, in states where it is legal.
43. Psychiatric and psychological care and treatment.
44. Transportation to and from places for medical examinations, treatments, etc.
45. Sales taxes, including big items such as car, etc.
46. Mortgage interest.
47. Interest on credit card and department store charges.
48. Interest on loan purchases, such as automobile.
49. Closing costs when selling home and moving, for business related reasons.
50. Capital gains and losses.
51. Personal retirement plans such as IRA and Keogh plans.
52. Personal property taxes, state and local taxes.
53. Real estate taxes.
54. Alimony.

This list was accurate at the time of publication. Be sure to contact your nearest IRS office or your tax preparer for the most recent changes in tax laws.

20 Must-Have Items for Your First Aid Kit

I have various sizes of first aid kits, from a tiny one that fits in my briefcase to slightly larger ones for my car and office, to full-fledged trauma medic kits for my home and bug-out-gear box. Here are the basic must-haves for your first aid kit:

1. Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Tylenol (acetaminophen). Yes you need all three because they are all used differently.
2. An assortment of bandages, gauze, and tape.
3. Alcohol (rubbing alcohol/alcohol wipes).
4. Acidophilous (great for upset stomach, diarrhea, and the imbalance in your gut common after taking antibiotics).
5. Benadryl (good for hay fever, allergies, and allergic reactions).
6. Antibiotic ointment.
7. Noxema (best sunburn treatment I've come across).
8. Tweezers.
9. Utensils: scissors, scalpel, flashlight (penlight), safety pins.
10. Needles and thread.
11. Feminine hygiene products (maxi pads and tampons) which are great for wound compresses.
12. Duct tape--hundreds of uses.
13. Ziploc bags (also many uses...fill up a bag with water then cut a small piece of the corner away and use for irrigating wounds or eyes).
14. Things you know how and when to use: Epi Pen, insulin, glucose tabs, salt tabs, nitro tabs, etc).
15. Thera-flu and vitamin C.
16. To prevent the spread of infection: nitrile gloves, mouth piece for administering CPR, waterless hand sanitizer.
17. Broad spectrum antibiotics.
18. Burn gel or aloe vera.
19. Other nice to have stuff: AED, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, LMA, etc.
20. A thorough first aid guide.

DPT--A Clever Idea for a Power Outage

A friend was without power for a few days. His wife has a beautifully decorated yard with a whole bunch of those small lights that rim the yard and come on at night to light up the place. During the day, the tiny solar panels on the lights charge up the batteries in order for the lights to run all night. During the power outage, he went out in the evening, snapped the lights off of their bases, and placed them all over his home, lighting up the house (when everyone else was in the dark) just like they had never lost power. In the morning he replaced them so they could re charge then in the evening, he went out and got them again for use in the house. Good idea!

20 "Radical" Tasks You May Want to Complete

I say "may want to complete" because I don't want to specifically contribute to the delinquency of my fellow US citizens...but then again, maybe I do...

1. Open a foreign bank account.
2. Get a second passport or better yet, nationality.
3. Live life on your terms.
4. Choose the material goods you need and dispense with the rest.
5. Radically simplify your financial life.
6. Become debt free.
7. Minimize your possessions.
8. Start carrying cash.
9. Find a place to flourish.
10. Set up your office where YOU want it to be.
11. Achieve a goal.
12. Take responsibility for your own health.
13. Wear good shoes.
14. Go car free.
15. Learn how to dumpster dive.
16. Don't give in to excuses like "I'm too old to...".
17. Be armed.
18. Find an ideal spouse.
19. Prepare for the future.
20. Live like no one else.

And why these specific tasks? Because they are so unusual as to be practically un-American. When you look at the average American you will find that they #1 have no idea about having some back up money in a foreign account, #2 don't even know they could hold dual passports or citizenship (which may be important in the future), #3 live life on terms set for them by their parents, employer, friends, etc, #4 chase after ALL of the material goods that "everyone" says you have to have, #5 have highly encumbered financial life, and are #6 up to their eyeballs in debt, #7 own tons of junk that they paid good money for, #8 never carry cash and rely on the credit Gods for financial "rescue", #9 will stay where they are even if it is killing them, #10 will work where they are told to even if it is killing them, #11 don't have goals, #12 think that doctors are responsible for their health, #13 wear shoes that are stylish versus shoes that are good for them (this is also synonymous with what they eat, where they work, and a whole host of other social ills--style over substance), #14 own a car because "everyone else does, #15 would never consider dumpster diving, mostly because of the social implications, #16 make excuses of every possible type to explain their current situation instead of doing something about it, #17 are afraid of guns (mostly because they listen to the media hype and have no actual knowledge of them), #18 have spouses that make them miserable and vice versa, #19 are too busy living for today to prepare for the future, and #20 live like EVERYONE else.

Why be normal? I would highly recommend being as "abnormal" as possible...

The Tech BOB

Of course I have a BOB (Bug Out Bag) which has been fully detailed in a number of posts, however I also have a separate bag, my Tech BOB, which I always have at the ready as well. While my BOB stands by until the time comes to evacuate post haste, my Tech BOB (more accurately Tech Bag) is used nearly every time I leave the house. Here is all of the technology I need, whether I am heading to the office, meeting clients at a coffee shop, bugging out, or just running errands and may have a bit of down time to get some work done. In other words, I never leave home without these items:

• A netbook. Thank goodness computers have continued to shrink in size and increase in power. I have carried a laptop since about the time they were invented (back when they weighed as much as a sack of flour) and am more than thankful that a very small, lightweight netbook now can do the same things, and run the same software, that my full sized laptop (which I use as a desktop) can. I don't go anywhere without my netbook which has the same software as my main work computer and has the added bonus of being under a pound or so. Hooray for technology.


• A cell phone. I carry a basic Nokia cell phone which can take grainy pictures and play MP3 music on it as well as receive FM radio. Yes people have been after me to get an iPhone or iTouch but this set up works fine since I rarely ever use my phone for entertainment purposes. My cell phone also allows me to access the internet (slowly!), do email, send a Twitter tweet, and pull up my contacts list.


• A digital camera. I carry a Canon Powershot camera since I often take pictures in the course of my work. The camera is small, produces clear, clean pictures, and is simple to use.


• A webcam. Now that digital camcorders have also shrunk considerably in size, I carry a Sony "webbie" camcorder. While I take many more photos than videos, the small size and usefulness of this item makes me create a space in my bag for it.


• Accessories. Along with these items, I carry a handful of memory cards, three or four thumb drives (one has my backed up files on it, one I use for transferring files, and two I use to put files/photos/etc on to give to other people), and the requisite power cords.


• Software. There are now some good, free software apps available (Open Office for example), however I have used MS Office Pro since it first came on the market so I stick with this known quantity. Other software I use includes: AVG anti-virus, Ad Aware ad blocker, Chikka to text people in Southeast Asia, Adobe to read PDFs, OmniFormat to create PDFs, WinZip to unzip files, Skype to make calls all over the world and do video conferencing, and Expression Web for when I want to take a stab at designing websites.


• Things I don't have: a separate MP3 player since I very rarely listen to music and the 4meg card in my phone is more than adequate for my sparse collection of music; e-book reader since I am old fashioned and like to hold an actual book while I am reading (I am sure I will be dragged into the 21st century eventually but for now I will read e books on my netbook if necessary), any kind of portable gaming system (I think the last video game I played was the Atari game that you hooked up to your TV...yes it has been that long).


• Things that I occasionally bring along: if I will be traveling, I toss my GPS into the bag, this is invaluable when traveling around a new city. I also carry an AC car power converter if I will be on the road a great deal so that I can charge my electronics while I am driving.

To contain all of these items, I use a small Timbuk2 bag which is generic enough (a Targus bag tells the world you are carrying electronic items), and tough enough (way more ruggedized than any other bag I have used) to safely and comfortably haul all of these items everywhere I go. It looks professional enough for a business meeting, is excellent to use as the smaller of your two carry on bags when traveling, and can be slung over your back and out of your way when riding a bike.

Support the USO

Everyone has some idea about what the USO does. Mostly we associate the USO with bringing celebrities and others overseas to entertain the troops, however, this past weekend I found myself temporarily delayed in an airport so I wandered upstairs to the USO office to check out their offerings for weary travelers.
I was fairly overwhelmed with all of the services they provided. We were greeted warmly by the lady at the front desk, they quickly whisked our luggage away to storage, offered us food and drinks, gave us the code for free wi-fi, pointed out the TV room, the showers, and the bunk room. They even had a nursery for families traveling with small children, free computers to use if you didn't have your own, and a large area with couches just to relax on. EVERYTHING, food and beverages included, were offered free of charge. What an amazing oasis in a chaotic airport. There was even a (very old, circa World War II) retired soldier there volunteering and just chatting with the guys--mostly young soldiers in transit from various military stations--who had some really interesting stories to tell.
When I asked how these airport USO services were funded, the lady said by donations and volunteer help. I donate my time/money/services to various organizations in my community and abroad but this organization will definitely move to the top of my giving list now after seeing in action what donations and volunteering for such a good cause can do.
If you would like to support the USO, go to www.uso.org for more information.

Link Roundup: Vacation Edition

I'm taking a short vacation which is the reason for the dearth of blog posts this past week. Here's some reading material while I'm gone...

• Is this the safest house in the world? While your home may not stack up safety-wise with this house, that is no reason not to make your home as safe as possible for you and your family.
• An interesting Speech Accent Archive. Never know when a good accent will come in handy...
• One of the better social networking/message boards sights I have found...Ask Metafilter
• Some of the best aggrgator sites around: Life Remix, Popurls, AllTop