Lessons Learned from the First Snow Storm of the Season

Fortunately I am in the sunny southwest basking in 80 degree weather.  If not for a last-minute schedule change, I would be freezing my bum off with millions of other people in the Northeast.  This is what we can learn from this very early, very big snow storm:

• No matter when you fly, you could end up stranded on your plane for hour after miserable hour.  Are you prepared?  Be sure you bring plenty of food and water with you.  A good book (or five) is nice, as well as a netbook/iPad/laptop to keep you occupied.
• These passengers also ended up stranded in the airport overnight.  When you travel are you prepared to sleep on an airport floor for a night or two?  Since this happens with surprising regularity (whether because of bad weather, a 9/11 type event, or a volcano erupting), don't think that your quick four-hour flight is only going to take four hours...it could end up taking four days.  Plan accordingly.  Again, bring extra food, water, entertainment material, a charger for your cell phone and laptop, and something you can fashion into a blanket.
• Just because you are home, doesn't mean you will fare much better.  In order to be prepared at home, you need to have at least a week's worth of food, water, and disposable goods (diapers, toilet paper, etc) so that you won't need to leave you home and run out to the closest grocery store with hoards of other unprepared people.
• You also need to be prepared for fairly long power outages.  You have extra batteries for your flashlights right?  An alternate way to cook (I'm a fan of cooking on a gas stove or wood stove in these instances).  And an alternate way to keep warm (again, a wood stove is nice.  A fireplace is OK.  It's also a good idea to have lots of blankets and warm clothing for each family member).
• For people who must drive in this weather, preparedness is a must.  These days I don't have to risk life and limb on slippery roadways with crazy drivers (aka city people who own four-wheel drives).  In bad weather I stay inside by the fireplace and watch the snow come down.  But for people who absolutely MUST go out in bad weather, they should prepare in a number of ways: make sure your car is in tip top shape, have chains and use them if necessary, bring along extra food, water, and blankets in case you get stranded, check out the local roads department website to check which roads have been sanded and take these, be aware of the danger of falling trees (common in heavy snow and ice), and always keep a full tank of gas (and spare gas at home if it is safe to do so).
• Note the most common ways people die in these types of storms (car crashes, electrocution from downed power lines, carbon monoxide poisoning, fire from candles and alternative heat sources, crushed by a falling tree) and take steps so that you won't become a statistic.
• Finally, help those who can't help themselves.  It's a fact that many people are unprepared for these types of storms (oddly enough these people live in these areas for years so they SHOULD be prepared, but I digress...) and end up needing your help.  In this case, it is a good idea to check on elderly neighbors and relatives, find out where the local warming shelters are so that you can give this information to people who need it if you can't/don't want to take them in yourself (a lot of single moms have a hard enough time getting by day by day let alone preparing for a disaster), and people with severe medical issues can find a simple power outage to be a major crisis (people on home ventilators, people with severe medical needs, people who run out of critical meds, etc).

For readers of this blog, this shouldn't come as new information.  Being prepared for whatever may happen is just a normal part of your day.  Employing common sense when the worst happens should, again, be a normal part of your day.  And if your normal day entails watching the snow pile up by your home today--stay in and stay warm...and have a Happy Halloween (something tells me you will have a lot of candy left over this evening).

Be a Survivalist in 10 Easy Steps

Being a survivalist is fairly simple.  I know this because I have met many, many people who have survived some of the worst things that a person can encounter (wars, genocide, grinding poverty, famine, et al) and they not only survived, but they were able to share their lessons learned with others, such as myself.  These people weren't former military, they didn't have an arsenal of food and guns and medical supplies.  Most often they had very little formal education and even less in the way of material goods.  What they did have were skills and common sense.  Here's what I've learned:

1. Step 1: Have the best health and fitness levels possible.  Much of surviving entails being able to literally run for your life if necessary.  I'm guessing that 75% of Americans would find this impossible to do what with super high obesity rates and reliance on a daily regimen of drugs for a litany of chronic health problems.  Your health is YOUR responsibility.
2. Step 2: Have assets.  This includes not only tools and firearms but money in the bank, gold jewelry, "people assets" namely people you can rely on in a crisis, a stockpile of food, cash on hand, etc.  In a true survival situation, you may lose many of these items but having a wide range of assets to draw from will give you an advantage over others who live paycheck to paycheck and spend every last dime they make on stupid stuff.
3. Step 3: Have no debt.  As Ron Paul says, "debt is the limiting factor."  I like that saying.  If you are carrying a lot of debt, you will severely limit yourself when it comes to preparing for a survival situation.  You can't eat as healthy if every dime you earn is going for a massive car payment, you can't control your stress level if you are forced to work at a job you hate because you have bills to pay, you can't stock your freezer or buy a nice firearm if every penny you earn is already spoken for.  Get out of debt NOW.
4. Step 4: Have knowledge.  There is no way to predict what skills will be needed to survive the next disaster you will encounter.  Will you need to perform CPR on a spouse who just had a heart attack?  Will you need to be able to evacuate within minutes after a chemical spill?  Will you need to shelter in place without the benefit of electricity for a week due to a severe winter storm?  Will you need to get your family out of the house in the middle of the night because your home is on fire?  Will you need to hunt for your own food because the store shelves are empty due to a total economic collapse?  Who knows. What I do know is that the more wide-ranging your survival knowledge, the more likely you will have these skills in your head when they are critically needed.  Take advantage of every opportunity to learn skills that would be useful in a survival situation (CPR, hunting, fishing, HAM radio, dressing meat, foraging for berries, etc).
5. Step 5: Have a BOB.  Sometimes you gotta just go.  Now, you can go with only the clothes on your back or you can go with a knapsack of items that would come in handy during a disaster.  Which option sounds better?  In an emergency you won't have time to pack up this useful bag so do it now and have it ready to go on a moment's notice.
6. Step 6: Have multiple ways to make money.  In other words, you need skills.  This was one of the major problems faced by people during the massive economic upheaval of the past few years.  They worked in middle management, paper-pushing jobs and had absolutely no other way to make money other than to wait for a paycheck from their boss.  What happens when these types of jobs go away?  You know the answer to that...massive unemployment and people ending up jobless, homeless, and hopeless.  You should be able to walk out your door and come back with $20 via a skill or service you can provide.  This doesn't include stealing, taking advantage of others, or begging on the streets, but rather it entails the ability to trade your services or skills for either cold, hard cash or a barterable item (dinner for two at a fine restaurant with the spouse perhaps? Yes, that would be a nice trade.).  There is no other way to learn how to do this but practice so get out there and...practice.
7. Step 7: Have people skills.  One of the most fascinating things I have learned from many of the refugees, illegals, and others I have encountered is how precision their people skills are.  They can read other people's intent and will stay away from "bad guys".  They have a person to person network that rivals AT&T (the immigrant word of mouth grapevine is massive and quick).  They aren't afraid to ask for what they need (money, a job, help with whatever it is they need help with).  Keeping their word and having a good reputation is important (like it was back in my grandfather's day). They help others out and expect help in return when they need it (again like back in my grandfather's day).  Overall, these are some very important skills to have.  Again, the only way to develop these skills is to practice.
8. Step 8: Have a survival mentality. The "poor me I'm gonna wait for my government handout" attitude will get you dead eventually during a disaster.  The "I don't care what I need to do I'm going to survive even if I haven't had to clean a restroom since I was in high school and even thought this job is beneath me any job is better than starving" attitude will serve you much better.  In a survival situation, people who embrace the challenge with both hands and do whatever it takes to come out the other side successful will survive.  The people who screechingly demand that the government save them will be screeching to themselves while others are eating eventually.  Kind of like Darwin's theory.  Rolling with the punches takes practice but it is also amusing, interesting, and can even be fun in some ways so go...roll with the punches.
9. Step 9: Have scavenging skills.  I know that many survivalists are told that they need to be able to "live off the land" and "head for the hills" during a disaster.  That's just going to get a lot of people lost, shot, or starved.  In a complex society which is what we live in, a much better skill set is to know how to scavenge.  With just the waste that the average American makes each year, people who are in third world countries could live happily for quite some time.  Reuse, recycle, make do, or do without is the motto of many people who embrace a scavenger lifestyle.  To practice, start with shopping at thrift stores and garage sales then work your way up to dumpster diving and re-purposing stuff that other people throw out.  In a true survival situation, scavenging what you need will be way more common than trying to survive a snowy winter in the mountains.
10. Step 10: Have the ability to protect yourself.  When society goes to hell in a hand basket, you will need to be able to protect yourself.  First of all, the police won't be there to do it for you and second of all, people can turn mean and socially psychopathic in post-disaster scenarios. There are a range of skills that fall under this category but basically you will want to band together with others (there is safety in numbers), use common sense (just because you can walk through any neighborhood you please during normal times doesn't mean you can do so after a disaster), and have the means to protect yourself (shotgun, pistol, rifle in that order).  And don't forget to practice.

There you have it.  Ten simple steps to become a true survivalist.  No go forth and practice.

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween is coming up next Monday.  Here's some safety tips for you and your kids:

• Make sure your kids can see and breath well in their costumes.
• Make sure your kids are easy to see by drivers and other trick or treaters.
• Always make sure your kids go trick or treating with a group and a parent (although each year I get trick or treaters that look like college NCAA players on my doorstep so if your kids are that big, they may not need the parent but they should still never go out alone).
• Make sure your kids each carry a flashlight to light their way.
• Make sure your kids only trick or treat in areas you deem safe (I've seen some ghetto areas I wouldn't let my kids walk through during broad daylight...).
• Host a Halloween party at home instead of having the kids trick or treat if necessary.
• Don't let your kids eat the candy they collect until they get home (and until you've had a chance to check out the candy first).
• Some areas are just too unsafe to trick or treat in, if this is the case, check to see if a local mall or business district is hosting a Halloween night complete with candy for the kids to trick or treat for at each store.
• Make sure your kids are aware of basic stranger danger safety tips (ie: don't go into a stranger's home no matter how nice the person seems, don't give out personal information, don't walk around behind the back of a house even if the sign on the door says to, don't go off with someone who asks a kid for help--if the person needs help, they should be asking an adult not a child; etc).
• Make sure each of your kids carry a cell phone with them.
• Set a curfew for your older kids to come back home by if you are not going with them.
• Have a zero tolerance policy for violence either on your kids part or their friends (no real guns with their costume even if it is just a BB gun, no real knives, no egging or TPing houses, etc).

A bit of common sense will go a long way towards ensuring that your kids have a happy and safe Halloween.

It's Evil Week Over at Lifehacker

In honor of Halloween (and probably to let out some pent up aggression) the writers and editors over at Lifehacker are hosting an "evil week" full of interesting ideas and topics.  Check out their many interesting 'evil week' posts down the right side of this page. 

10 Must-Have Items For Your Car

It's nice having my car to drive around.  It had been nearly seven months from the time we left our vehicle in storage to travel until we retrieved it and drove to Las Vegas where we will now "home base" ourselves while we continue to travel.  Here are ten items that I absolutely MUST have in any vehicle I I own:

1. GPS device (so I never get lost)
2. DC to AC outlet converter adapter (so I can charge my cell phone and laptop without a special car charger)
3. Flashlight (stuff always happens at night which is when this flashlight comes in handy)
4. Basic tool kit (so I can fix simple problems in an emergency)
5. Spare food and water (has come in handy many times; usually during multi-hour traffic jams)
6. Cash (I always have around $500 in cash hidden in various places in the vehicle)
7. Car BOB (a small backpack with stuff that I need to survive for 72+ hours on my own; has been used many times for unexpected overnight stays out of town)
8. Copy of my driver's license, insurance card, registration (items needs if pulled over by the police)
9. Basic first aid kit (has been used a number of times for everything from a headache to a major traffic accident)
10. Pen and paper (to leave a note for someone, take down details of an accident, etc)

These are simple, inexpensive items that will make your drive across town or across the country much better in the event of an emergency.  I carry all of these items organized neatly in various locations in my car (ie: not piled in the backseat so it would be an invitation to thieves) and make sure to check/update/replace these items annually or as needed.

Do I Need an Address?

For the most part the answer is no.  Actually this topic came up when I was trying to determine if and where I should get a PO box in Las Vegas.  We haven't actually had a physical address for almost a year and while I have a mailbox/remailing service in Seattle, it now looks like Vegas will be our home base for the time being.  Eventually we will have a physical address (when the sale closes on the property we are buying here), but it kind of dawned on me that now nearly everything is done online these days, so is it even necessary to have an address?  Here's some thoughts:

• A "ghost address" is recommended by JJ Luna in his book 'How to Be Invisible' as an added layer of personal security.
• My driver's license still has my old address on it since the state department of licensing refused to change it to my mailing address, stating that it would require legislative action since "everyone has to have a physical address on their license."  They also noted that homeless people don't drive but I didn't want to argue with idiocy so I restrained myself.
• All of my bills are paid online, my banking and investments are taken care of online, and my clients pay me online so none of these items need to be mailed to me.
• I am much easier to find online than at a stationary location as I am almost always out and about and frequently traveling all over the US and occasionally the world.
• About 99% of the mail I receive at my mailbox is junk mail.
• I don't subscribe to newspapers or magazines as I read all of these online now.
• It is a very rare occurrence that I receive a personal letter now that everyone has email and/or text messaging.
• Almost everything you sign up for has a space right after your name for your address (credit cards, library cards, Costco card, frequent flyer cards, etc). 
• When you call 911 they ask for your address even if the event you are reporting isn't happening at your address (it took a few minutes of explaining to them why I don't have an address during the few times I have called in the past year, a waste of time--and invasion of privacy--if you ask me).
• Some things are dependant on the city/county/state in which you live: concealed carry license, auto and boat registration, insurance rates, business license, voter registration, etc.
• If I do need something mailed (ie: from Amazon, Newegg, prescriptions, etc), I have it sent to where ever I happen to be at the time.
• Many travelers have mail delivered to them via "general delivery" as explained here.

I'm thinking I really don't need an address, however a ghost address would probably be the best way to go as the places that do require an address generally won't take a PO box.  I don't want to use the address of any of the places I stay as I don't want my mail going to a dozen different places, so now I am off to consider the possibilties of/find a ghost address.

The Limiting Factor is Debt

When I was listening to Ron Paul speak a couple of days ago he said something that caught my attention and hasn't left my thoughts since.  He was talking about the US debt crises and he pointed out that the limiting factor (for anything that the US government wants to do) is debt.  Want to go to war?  How are you going to do that when the US is buried in debt? Want to fund a whole bunch of new jobs? How you going to do that when the US is buried in debt?  Want to improve infrastructure so that the people of our country will have safe bridges to cross and safe water to drink?  How you gonna do that when the US is buried in debt?  Although he didn't use these examples--these are mine--he made an excellent point.  A point that applies to the US economy as a whole as well as to your individual financial life--no matter what you want to do, you are limited by the amount of debt you have.
Now in the example of the US economy, our government continues to print money and borrow to fund their high flying spending...we know this isn't going to end well.  But for your own personal economy, there is hope.
Do you want to tell your boss what he can do with your employee review?  Your ability to do so is limited by how much debt you have.  If you have a giant mortgage, two car payments, and a handful of credit card bills, you won't be able to say jack...you have bills (debts) that need to be paid.  If you have zero debt and a big, fat savings account, you will be in a much better position to say "take this job and shove it" if the situation necessitates such action.
While there isn't much we can do about the national debt (aside from electing people who will actually DO something about it instead of lamenting the spiraling debt as they continue to spend like drunken sailors that just hit port), we can adjust this limiting factor in our own lives simply by getting out of debt.
I'm not talking pay off your credit cards and your horizons suddenly expand but pay off every single debt you have (house, car, credit cards, personal loans, student loans, et al).  Can you imagine what your life would be like if your only bills each month were for utilities?  When you get to this point, your opportunities will then truly be limitless.  Kind of a nice thought...

A Little Bit More About Politics Then I Will Hop Off My Soapbox For a While

I'll round up some political stuff and then we will be on our way to other topics...

• Dave Ramsey's Response to OWSers (which, of course, I whole-heartedly agree with)
• Yet another problem with OWS's structure of having no structure...eventually you need structure.
• Ron Paul rocks.  I saw him at UNLV yesterday and while I don't agree with him 100% (I don't agree with anyone 100%) he has the most well thought out conclusions of any presidential candidate I have ever heard.  But then again I am partial to the "no BS" approach to most everything.  The country would probably have a conniption fit if he were to be elected president but what a nice change it would be for the people of America to return to solvency and the constitution.  Just sayin...

And something fun...one of the more interesting blogs I have come across in recent times.

What Are You Doing on November 5th?

In case you haven't heard, November 5th is "Bank Transfer Day".  This day (which you can read more about here) was determined--by whom I don't know--as the day that everyone who is a customer of big, offending banks is encouraged to transfer their money out of these banks and into credit unions or local banks.  I would join in but I already did this long ago. 
At first I had accounts at a credit union and at Washington Mutual.  Then Washington Mutual was taken over by Chase.  Then my free savings and checking accounts were going to be assessed a monthly fee at which time I calmly went into the bank, spoke to the manager, and told her I wanted to close my accounts after more than two decades at her bank.  I told her that if the bank ever decided to rescind the fee, she should give me a call and I would reconsider opening another account at her bank.  Needless to say, she never called and I have never had another account at a big bank.  Now my money happily resides in two local credit unions where I get great customer service and completely free banking services.
FYI, the reason I keep checking and savings accounts in two separate credit unions is because I travel a lot and since I don't use credit cards (only ATM cards/debit cards linked to my bank accounts which can be used just like credit cards) this is a redundancy in case one bank decides to put a fraud hold on my account and I can't use their bank card (it happened once years ago because I had forgot to alert the banks that I would be using my bank card outside of the US).
In case you need another reason to do this, check out this article.

More On Occupy Wall Street From a Reader

The day after I wrote this post, I received this letter from a reader.  While it didn't really fit with his own blog, he wanted a place to share his thoughts on the Occupy Wall Street protests and asked if I would mind posting it on this blog. Here it is:

OWS or Victim Complex?

Two weeks ago, as I sifted through many of the different blogs and news sites I read on a daily bases I got a phone call. It was one of my good friends telling me that he had just visited the protests down on Wall Street. What a coincidence! I thought to myself as I was currently attempting to wrap my head around the idea of the protest, and if it would be able to have a positive outcome for the people of this country. My friend, who is best described as someone who suffers from a self-inflicted lifelong victim complex, seemed very excited and sold on the idea of what was to become the Occupy Wall St. movement. He continued on to say that he thinks this is a great idea, and will continue to go downtown to support the movement when he has free time. The moment I heard 'great idea' hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and if there was a mailbox being pictured in my mind's eye, a little red flag would shoot up announcing 'I've got mail!' If he feels this is good idea I think to myself, I need to really assess this whole thing from the beginning.
You see this friend is not bad natured. He is very intelligent, up to date on current events, reads the same books, blogs, and watches many of the same movies as myself. He is also a long term New Yorker like me. Why be so concerned if he thinks something is positive? Well as I said, we intake much of the same information, and I notice his take on things is always a bit different then mine. He tends to focus on the negative aspects, and loves the things that make him feel miserable, horrible, and that 'the man' is holding him down. I tend to enjoy the positive side of things and veer towards information that is spiritual, and puts wisdom, logic, and love above all else.  So when something is what he deems 'positive', I know that somewhere deep inside of him, his inner victim is being fed and reassured that everything in the universe is out to screw it! Personally!
Over the many years of our friendship, I have learned to use his interesting views as my litmus test.  He was my first clue that something was not kosher in my thought process. You see, I wanted to support the people protesting downtown, but something inside me was just not letting it settle in. I continued on my search, researching more, and reading views from both sides. I knew I didn't agree with those that said it was a waste of time, but there was something in the logic that I couldn't fault either. I believed any awareness of the Fed and the corrupt bankers, is a good thing. My internal dialogue was not so easily sold though. You see the problem with that, my blasted brain countered is, the awareness has been there for a longtime. A point I had to concede to my brain as my brain was right.
How many songs, books, movies and TV plots had we seen making jest of the 'corrupt fat cat bankers'? Not just recently, but for generations. I could quote songs from the 1800's that you would swear were written today due to the lyrics fitting current social and economic conditions. Break out some of Mark Twain's old political commentary, and you would think you were reading an op-ed from this past weekend's New York Times. The problem is not awareness at all, in truth we have an over awareness and are over saturated in the facts. We make fun of the truly disturbing reality that all banks and bankers are crooked. As if the knowledge of the shady dealings that happen on a daily basis in our banking systems are enough to make it ok.  Well after I realized that the awareness was sort of a moot point, and still left with the question I started out with; 'Do I think it's a good idea to protest Wall St.'? I decided to take a quiet moment and really contemplate the facts.
My thought process instantly rebelled, and I was then slammed with the notion; 'At least people are not going to sit back and continue to do nothing! They are taking to the streets, and telling the big bad bankers that they need to share their ill gotten profit with the many, not just the few.' I could picture the people of this country outside of the banks chanting; It's our money, and we want it now! This mental image made me bask in a moment of patriotic pride for my country, and then the harsh reality hit me. Yes, they are doing something, but what are they doing really? They are wasting time and energy sitting in front of buildings trying to raise awareness of something that is already known in a place where the people they are trying to convince, see them as an inconvenience to their daily commute. I had to admit to myself. I started to think of the notion that if a protester happens to get the chance to be a fly on the wall (no pun intended) inside one of the many banking offices around the country, what do they think they would see and hear? Not bankers hiding under their desks sucking their thumbs asking for the great creator (Ben Bernanke) to come save them, that's for sure. I promise if they even heard mention of the protest, it would be in joke form. Nothing has changed inside these offices and its business as usual.
So where the hell do I stand, and what can I tell the reporter if stopped on the street by chance one day? I want to sound cool, you know, hip. After I quieted the pretentious side of my brain with the mute button, I was ready to get into the meat and potatoes of the question. I started my intensifying internal debate by pondering this; the point of the OWS protests is to raise awareness. Answer from the radio signal my brain pulls out of the depths of the universe; 'In this case yes, but the awareness is already there'. 'But at least people are doing something' I state. A mysterious logical answer to my question calmly replies; 'True, but in so doing this something, they are wasting time doing nothing'. 'But it is the beginning of something big, and more then we as Americans have done in a longtime, we're letting the 1% know we are not happy!' I retort, feeling pretty damn confident in that one. Yes, but this is no different than the many other uprisings that started as protests throughout history. Humans that come from a war-based society tend to only know anger and rage when it comes to trying to make a point. The ominous thought firmly concludes.
It is about that point the answer to the question slaps me square in the face; by getting angry about the perceived injustices faced on a daily bases, we are bound to be met with the same anger and rage from those that do not agree with our version of reality. Now the OWS is not violent (yet), but as the anger builds and gets fed, it will only take a small ember to light it ablaze. If it does not turn violent (which is preferred), it will fizzle out, accomplishing very little I'm afraid. This protest, no matter how much it hurts to say, is missing the boat, and ultimately shows how immature we as a race and nation are.
My answer was then obvious; I couldn't support something that just didn't make sense, I thought. The nagging uneasy feeling I was having about the whole thing just wouldn't go away though, and I couldn't figure out why. I knew I didn't believe it was the right way to wake up the masses, but the puzzle was still incomplete, and I needed to be sure this bold statement was how I truly felt. At the same time, a word was slowly uncovering in the depths of my mind that was there from the very beginning of this whole journey and was starting to force its way through the fog. My friend, it turns out, was the key to it all. As I sat in front of the computer a few days later I received a text from him asking if I wanted to come down to Wall Street and join him in being a presence for a while. I politely refused and asked how long he would be staying. He said he was going to stop by to show his support and then run some errands after. The thought of him running errands instantly dissipated the fog of my mind, and you could say I had my 'eureka' moment when the word that was so reluctant to manifest itself came to mind; hypocrite! That one word was the biggest pieces of the puzzle for me, and epitomized what the debate inside my mind was all about! If I was to go join these people in protesting things that I do agree with, I would be a hypocrite. In fact, I would not be a protester at all. Instead I would be a hypocritical New Yorker who would rather feel like I'm being victimized by a system though I do little to actually change it in my daily life!
I'll use our familiar number to elaborate more, 99% of the people protesting on Wall Street, and all over the country for that matter, have credit cards and bank accounts, cell phones, debts, and every other thing that goes with being a 'normal' American citizen. We are willing to shake our fists in fury over the fact that we get taking advantage of by the system, but we do very little to break the chains of the actual system. That is why you won't see the banks, big businesses, and The Fed, bat an eye or break a sweat over this, because people still continue to use these institutions, some while in the middle of the protests. We would rather it be known to the world, and nightly news, that we are doing 'something'. We will not get the satisfaction of tweeting to our friends that we are down on Wall St. fighting the man with our AT&T cell phones, and our frappucchino's to keep us warm. No one will care when you actually do something in private like getting rid of credit cards or bank accounts. This is why my friend is so enamored with this protest, it feeds his victim complex, while not changing all the little conveniences he has come to enjoy.
We all want our cake and eat it too. We want the world to know it is not right, but we don't do the real things to force real change. Can't ruin Capitalism, it has treated us pretty good thus far, right?  At this point I am completely certain that my stance is the right one. So problem solved, case closed right? Not exactly. A new word, or quote I should say, has surfaced in my mind. This one is completely clear and repeating over and over; 'Be the change you wish to see.' If the movement was based off of something like that, you might peek my interests. Saying you want to camp out on a street and do nothing proactive but sit there, will not. What change do I wish for myself and others? Would be the logical question a person would come up with after being told such a potent statement.
I know my answer, and I've truthfully known it for a while now. I want to live a life of self-reliance and self-sufficiency using limited resources, relying on external help only as a last, not first resort. I want a system that empowers me, not forces me to work a pointless job just so I can afford to live in said system. I am not the first one to wish to see these things. In fact, we live in a country founded by people with very similar wants for themselves and their fellow man. That is not something that should have been forgotten or lost sight of.  If people in this country truly want change, they are going to have to take a long hard look in the mirror and start there. We can't cause change by waving our fists in anger, we need to be an example to others by proving things like it is possible to live without credit cards, you can pay cash for items, or better yet barter for goods and services. We can't be afraid to lose certain conveniences just because we are used to them. Downsize, downgrade, and stop buying into the system. You don't need the new iPhone, but you should need to be complete and happy. The only reason they seem to control it all is because, like my friend, we play the victim. We have the power over the so called 1%. In fact we always have, and always will. My pretentious side is now appeased, and I feel I'm prepared for any possible street interview I may happen upon. Be the change you wish to see if you truly want change, if not, stop being a hypocrite and go do what you've always done; consume. The corporations will thank you!   J.V.

From CNI: That post was way more elegantly put and thought out than my little rant.  We both, however, came to the same conclusion.  Instead of 99% of the population standing on the corner and whining about Bank of America, how about 99% of the population immediately go and close their BOA accounts, sell their BOA stock, pay off their BOA loans as quickly as possible, get a mortgage from a company other than BOA, and not buy mutual funds that contain any BOA stock?  Can you imagine what would happen?  BOA would pretty soon cease to exist, people would have made their point loud and clear, and then we--collectively--could go to the next large corporation that hasn't learned to be a good steward with the money and power they were given.  It's simple, it's fast, and it's much more efficient than sleeping in front of City Hall for days on end.

If You Want to Radically Change Your Life, You Need to Take Radical Action

This post was kind of inspired by a comment about the last blog post.  Apparently Mr Anonymous thinks that my current status as a traveler is a burden on society.  While I seldom explain myself to anyone and generally advise that if you don't like something (like this blog), you should probably not read it.  The whole story, however may prove useful for others who are seeking change in their lives.
A little back story:
Around about 2005 we (the spouse and I and everyone we knew) were living the high life.  Big house (and big house payment), a housekeeper, a gardener, every possible cable channel and the fastest internet possible, two cars in the drive way (and two big car payments).  Four or five (expensive) vacations each yet.  Shopping for entertainment and buying a bunch of stuff we didn't need but wanted because it looked so enticing in the stores.  Eating out every day, multiple times a day.  At the time I was still a preparedness buff and I thought that I was becoming more and more prepared each time I purchased an item that had the remotest "survival"-related value.
Somewhat after that time, and due to a whole bunch of factors (major clients who looked like they were on the verge of bankruptcy, friends who had always dreamed of travel and hobbies "after they retired" but instead they got sick and died at relatively young ages, financial stress--when you have a $10,000 a month lifestyle you look like everything is ducky but are nevertheless aware that your house of cards can crumble at any time so you are stressed...) we decided to make some major changes.  It was like a light bulb went off in my head (too bad it didn't fully go off until the housing market tanked otherwise I could have made a mint on my house but I digress...).  I started reading more and more about people who weren't living the typical American dream lifestyle.  It looked kind of scary.  They basically gave up the things you really weren't supposed to give up (house, job, status car, etc) in order to live a life of less money but more freedom.  That sounded pretty good to me.
It took about four years to get out of the mess we had worked ourselves into.  During that time we built up an emergency fund, paid off our debts and stopped using credit cards, cut down on eating out to about once a week instead of three times a day, listened to Dave Ramsey until I could quote him in my sleep, stopped shopping for entertainment, cut down on vacations unless work was paying for them, cut back cable to the basics, sold one car and paid off the other...basically if there was a way to save money, we latched onto it with both hands.  Financial freedom is the first step to any other sort of freedom.
The final push came last year.  We were in pretty good shape by then but still had a big house payment and house-related expenses that made sense when there was a bunch of kids living at home but didn't really make sense for only two people.  So with a spouse who was leery of giving up the last vestiges of "normalcy" I made a push to try a one-year experiment.  The deal would be to sell the house and nearly everything in it, put enough stuff in storage that we could set up a new home with the basics if we decided to do so, and then just travel.  The spouse had already been out of work for a year or so by this time, and my major client went toes up at the end of the year which was the final push we needed to try something new.  I could still easily work with a couple other clients via the internet from where ever we happened to be, we would get to travel before we got too old/sick to enjoy it, and with a retirement and the spouse's social security coming in, we would still have a steady source of income (albeit MUCH lower than when I was working 80 hours a week). So it was agreed, the house sold quickly and at a price that gave us a chunk of cash out of the sale (we had bought more than a decade ago so the house had some equity in it), we had garage sales every weekend and CraigsListed stuff like crazy until the house was nearly empty, we put the rest of the stuff in a cheap storage unit, stored the car with a friend, then hit the road with what could fit in our backpacks.
It's been a pretty good year.  Here's what we have learned:

• Survival is a mindset, it isn't all of the gear you own.  Even though I don't have all of my gear with me, I feel just as comfortable as I always have should a survival-related situation occur.
• You don't spend a lot of money when you are traveling since you don't have anywhere to store stuff.  I have worn the same clothes for a year and am happy with that (if I would have still been in the corporate world, this would be impossible as it is de rigour to keep up with the styles, the Joneses, and whoever else sets the stupid 'this is what you must wear/have/do to be socially acceptable' rules).
• We are paying A LOT less taxes.  This is the first year I am actually looking forward to doing our taxes.
• We have been graciously housed by friends and relatives around the country and around the world (oddly enough we just realized that almost everyone we have stayed with has also stayed with us for weeks or months in the past, not uncommon in the military community with transient housing situations).
• Our expenses went from around $10,000 a month to under $1000 (for two people!).  This includes cell phone ($30 prepaid plan each instead of the newest iPhone and $100 a month service fee to match; I don't need to be that connected since I am no longer working), food, storage unit, car insurance (very cheap as it is liability only on an older car that gets driven maybe 5000 miles a year instead of the 25000-300000 we previously drove), health insurance (very cheap as well thanks to Uncle Sam).  The rest is used for saving and spending on bigger trips (like our recent trip to Asia).
• There is a lot less peer pressure when you don't have any peers.  With co-workers and neighbors, and even close relatives, there is a kind of peer pressure to have the latest and greatest things to keep up appearances.  Since we don't stay in any one place very long this is a non issue.
• There is a lot more free time to do useful things.  Standing by the water cooler, dealing with cranky clients, and meeting deadlines for inane stuff is not a useful way to spend your life.  We think it is because we have been trained to do these things since we entered preschool, but you know what, this kind of crap isn't necessary.  So helping out people, volunteering, blogging, and exploring new places has become the new way of life for us.
• Change now occurs on a daily basis and it actually welcome.  There is always something new to do/learn/experience.  In fact the most recent change is that we want to once again have a home--much smaller this time--that we can use as a home base while we travel and host friends in.  We have decided to find a super cheap house in, of all places, Las Vegas.  The reasons for this are numerous: the housing market is lousy here so that makes for really low prices and motivated sellers, the weather is good here most of the year (at this point you probably couldn't pay me enough to stay another winter in rainy Seattle), there are plenty of national and international flights out of Vegas at pretty good prices, the cost of living here is low, there aren't many jobs but with an income and a frugal lifestyle this won't be a necessity, there's plenty to do here (can't wait to check out he local gun clubs and I just noticed they have a gun show this weekend--my kind of place), and friends tend to gather here anyway (people hardly ever came to Seattle unless on business, yet quite a few times we have met up with people in Las Vegas because it is a central place to gather).

The bottom line? If you are dissatisfied with you your life is going now, change it.  It is that simple.  Obviously change doesn't happen over night and there are always obstacles (some real, some made up by your mind to knock you back in line with everyone else), but it can be done. 
Here's some more people who have figured this out as well:

• How I Live on $7000 A Year (this guy's entire site is a good read)
• Reflections on Leaving My Career--One Year Later (again, their entire blog is a good read)
• How We Afford Long Term Family Travel (these guys have come full circle, from a family with a home to striking out for more than three years to bicycle--with little kids no less- from the North to the South Pole to once again settling down)

So my challenge to you is this: if you are not happy with your current situation, change it.  You may need to make small changes at first or you may need to make drastic changes but if something isn't working, waiting for the situation to resolve itself isn't the answer.  Set your goals and GO DO SOMETHING.

My Five or Six Problems With the 'Occupy Wall Street' Crowd

It's a free country so of course people are welcome to protest anything they want. Do I think the 1% is a bunch of con artists and scammers, well yes but that is another post.  But for the 99%, the issues I have with the latest group of protesters to make the front page of the newspaper are thus:

• The masses want high paying jobs yet they want to pay the very least possible for consumer goods (clothes manufactured in third world countries, cheap imported consumer goods at Walmart, etc).  That doesn't even make mathematical sense.
• Ditto for services (they always seek the lowest bidder and look the other way at cheap, undocumented labor).
• The masses want more and more social services yet they don't want to pay any more in taxes than they absolutely have to (of course the wealthy SHOULD pay their fair share of taxes too, but that is part of that other post).
• They don't let their money do their talking.  Today's news about the protest was that their next target is mammoth banks.  IMHO, if you don't like their policies DON'T BANK THERE.  That should make mammoth banks smaller in no time.
• The masses also have a short term memory when it comes to politicians.  They believe the politicians are corrupt and don't do anything even though they keep getting re elected.  Well here's an idea--put all of this effort into electing people who will actually do what you want them to do.
• They want to compete in the marketplace but don't realize the market place is now an INTERNATIONAL marketplace and there are a whole bunch of Indian and Chinese guys with a lot more (and probably better) education than they have (and they will work at much lower rates too).  Yet another mathematical conundrum huh?
• Finally, there are a whole bunch of factors at work here, not just the obvious.  Consider the baby boomers, the largest demographic in history.  Thirty years ago they were having kids, buying big houses, shopping like crazy (mostly on credit they couldn't afford), had big incomes, etc.  These days they are down sizing, don't have kids to buy for, have lost their jobs or retired so are paying less in taxes, etc. That makes a significant impact on the economy.  The housing bubble is often blamed on banks but a large majority of Americans were buying huge houses with payments that made no mathematical sense so no surprise that when a crisis came up, they couldn't make their payments.  If they had been responsible borrowers and only took out loans for houses that came in at 25% of their income on a 15 year note, we would all be in much better shape but they didn't.  They took out balloon loans, interest only loans, and all kinds of other stupid mortgage financing loans for houses they couldn't afford.

The bottom line is that there is enough blame to go around and nearly everyone in this country has some share of responsibility for what happened.  To blame only one large target--banks and big companies for this mess (even though IMHO they should have been allowed to fail) doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  People need to quit complaining and start doing.  Start saving money so the next financial disaster doesn't take them out, start a small business to generate financial flow in their own communities, play an active part in the political process and vote people out who don't do anything, pay their fair share of taxes, volunteer in their community in order to help people who need a little extra help (instead of relying on burgeoning entitlement programs to which everyone feels entitled to yet no one wants to pay for).

Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about economics.  But I do know the common sense that my granddad taught me: pay cash for everything, then you are never in debt and no one ever will repossess your stuff; if you need a loan (for a house only) make sure you can still make the payments on half of your income (and make the loan on the shortest term possible, you don't want to owe anyone any longer than necessary); don't take charity unless you will literally die without it; give to people in need when you can; always have a means to procure food (gardening, hunting, fishing, foraging).  If everyone did this, we wouldn't be in the financial quagmire that we now find ourselves in. 

10 Things That Every Survivalist Needs

I use the word "survivalist" in the most all-encompassing way, meaning that anyone who wants to/plans to survive a fairly good sized disaster falls into this category. As a survivalist, you need these ten things if you want to have a chance of coming out the other side of a disaster in a rather whole manner.

1. An emergency fund.  Cash works wonders in most disasters.  It can get you a ride out of town, fill up your gas tank, get you some food, buy you an airline ticket to a better place, etc.  To do: get your emergency fund together now.  I used to recommend $1000 but now I have upped it to $5000.
2. Basic survival skills.  No matter where you are, can you get/make/barter for/steal/hijack/or otherwise acquire: water, food, clothing, shelter, medication?  To do: if there were a disaster tomorrow, where would you get water (the most vital of necessities in a disaster), food (second most important), clothing (pretty vital), a place to shelter from the elements (ditto), and critical medication?  Make a plan for this and an a back up plan as well.
3. Material goods.  This can be important for your survival comfort (on the other hand, in many disasters you are often left with what you are wearing on your back and no more, anyway...).  Once you come through the initial disaster, some basic material good will come in handy.  Do you have: a BOB?  Basic camping supplies (even if you live in the middle of a city)? Firearms? Booze (actually useful in multiple ways after a disaster)? Tools? To do: start to acquire a small collection of each of these items.
4. Knowledge.  The good thing about knowledge is that once you learn something it is yours to keep.  You can't lose/have stolen/have confiscated the things that are in your head.  To do: read widely.  And conduct experiments as necessary.  Reading/studying/practicing should encompass: camping and survival, basic medical care, navigation, how to drive anything that moves, how to grow/forage for/hunt for/fish for your own food, how to process said food, how to make your own electricity, how to make your own medicines, how to defend your home and your person, etc.
5. Friends.  No man is an island and in a crisis situation, some extra pairs of hands will come in mighty handy.  Obviously you should still prepare on your own but cultivating a group of people who could band together to help each other before/during/after a disaster is quite useful.  To do: help others with general things and expect them to help you in return.  This is the fastest way to see who you can count on in an emergency (if they won't help you with simple, everyday tasks, how useful with they be in a disaster?).  The more you have in common with said people, the better (ie: those you hunt with, fish with, camp with, participate in shooting/exercising/other survival-related events with, the better).
6. A prepared home.  Did you know that most common survival situation you are statistically likely to encounter is common, every day disasters like a house fire, domestic violence event, health crisis, etc.  To do: while it is great to practice with your handy dandy night vision goggles on a scheduled recon mission of the city park, you actually will be better served to spend some time at home getting your home prepared (all safety items should be in place--fire extinguisher, smoke detector, etc), your people prepared (if there are internal issues in the home that could lead to a dangerous situation such as domestic violence, that needs to be rectified ASAP), and your health prepared (exercise and eat right and you may have a chance of hauling your ass out of a crisis on your own.  If you don't do this you will most likely be left behind hoping someone will come along to save you).
7. Advanced survival skills.  This is where things get fun.  Anyone can forage for food but how many people can go out and bring back a gourmet salad (something like this).  Anyone can construct a rudimentary shelter during a storm but how many people can make this?  Anyone can point and fire a weapon (well, almost anyone) but how many people have this kind of training? (note: I don't know anything about this particular school, they just had a nifty list of skills to use as an example).  To do: get as many practical, advanced, survival skills under your belt as possible.
8. People skills.  Oddly enough, much of survival isn't like you see in action films with the hero single-handedly walking into a situation and fighting his way through a gauntlet of gunfire, physical violence, and high-speed chases.  Much of survival has to do with people skills.  Can you talk your way into getting help as quickly as possible?  Can you size up a person's intent quickly and accurately?  Can you talk your way out of a brawl before it starts and diffuse a tense situation?  Can you be a physical threat if necessary? Can you lead a team, especially under high stress conditions?  To do: brush up on your people skills (if necessary, use books, classes, and actual practice to get this done).
9. Get the hell out of dodge skills.  Sometimes you can do nothing but flee if you want to save your skin and live to fight another day.  To do: plan multiple evacuation routes from your home and work, have the means to evacuate if necessary (everything from a car that works, plenty of gas, a place to stay far away from your home, etc), have a BOB or at the last a small "go bag" that you always carry with you, have the foresight to leave BEFORE it becomes impossible to do so (don't even get me started on those people who hang around home until a hurricane is minutes away before they call 911 for help, never mind that the news has been telling them to evacuate for DAYS).
10. A heightened sense of awareness.  Again, much of survival is just being aware of whatever situation you happen to be in.  If you live in an earthquake zone, you should know this and be prepared for such an event. If you are heading down to a seedy bar, you should not be surprised if a fight breaks out and someone pulls a gun (why would you want to be there anyway?).  If you are in a public building, you shouldn't have to wonder where the emergency exits are if the fire alarm goes off, you should already have ascertained this information as a matter of habit.  To do: actually practice being more aware of your surroundings/situation.

When the Economy is Going to Hell, The Barterers Get Busy

I came across this article about how bartering in Greece has exploded since their economy has tanked.  Then I thought about what I could write about bartering.  Then it dawned on me that bartering is something so interwoven in my life that, it turns out, even though I don't stop and think about what I do as bartering, it is done nearly as much as working for actual cash.  The list of things I have received in trade for my skills includes dental work, food, construction labor, construction materials, karate lessons, tools, firearms, books, dental work for the spouse, dance lessons for the kids, cars, housing, airline tickets, etc.
I come by my bartering skills from my grandfather.  He was a horse trader (literally) from way back, and bartering--trading for good and services--was something he did as naturally as breathing.  He was a welder by trade but fully half of the items he acquired (guns, tools, horses, guitars, furniture, et al) were via trade.  It didn't seem so unusual to us kids because in the country, that is just how things got done (bought) since cash was often scarce but hard workers were plentiful.
Here's how to get started with your own bartering:
Once you have a skill/item/service you can provide (and that can be everything from unskilled labor to highly skilled legal/medical/dental work), you are ready to get busy bartering.  All it takes is to talk with others and/or pay attention to conversations (mostly your own but also those of strangers) and when you hear someone has a need, simply ask if you can help them out.  The conversation may go like this:
--Stranger #1: "My parents just got into town and they expect me to unload their moving van."
--Stranger #2: "That sounds like hard work dude...wish I could help you out but I am busy all weekend (week, month)."
--Stranger #1: "Yep, I'm sure that's gonna throw my back out for the rest of the month but I can't afford to pay someone to do it--tough economy you know--so I guess I'll have to do it myself."
--You: "Excuse me but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation...small coffee shop you know...but I would be happy to trade you my labor unloading your truck if you are interested."
--Stranger #1: "Sounds great but I don't have anything to trade."
--You: "What kind of work do you do?"
--Stranger #1: "I'm just a paper pusher, I work for the tax firm down the street."
--You: "Well I could definitely use some help.  My taxes are due next month and I haven't even got started on them.  They aren't complicated and I would be happy to unload your truck if you want to do my taxes."
--Stranger #1: :Deal!"
It works the same way when you see someone who has a skill/service/item you need.  You simply mention that you would like (a deck built, your car fixed, an apple pie) then mention that while you don't have much money, you can do (whatever you can do, of commensurate value) and ask if the person would like to trade you.  Since more and more people are struggling these days--people who have skills/services/items often don't have so many clients coming in these days and people who need said skills/services/items don't have very much money--a bartering arrangement looks better to all parties.
So your next assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to go forth and barter.  Even if the deal is only worth 50 cents, at least you have taken a small step towards jumping into the game of bartering.  And if you need inspiration, check out this book about a guy who started by trading a red paperclip and ended up with a house (and a lot of adventures along the way).

Traveling in the Desert? Here's What You Need to Know

I've been tooling around the backroads of Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico for the past week and a half.  By "backroads" I mean barren desert where you might not see another car for the better part of a day.  Here's what you need to know about traveling in the desert:

• Gas stations, or towns of any size for that matter, are few and far between.  Plan accordingly.
• My cell phone hardly worked at all during my travels.  If you will be relying on your cell phone in the desert, check to make sure that your carrier even provides coverage in the areas you will be visiting.
• Just because the GPS gives you a route to your destination,  that doesn't mean it will be safe, accessible, or accurate.  Again, plan accordingly.
• Make sure your car is in tip top condition before heading out to such desolate places.
• Speed limits are fast, roads are narrow (and undivided!), and the pavement is of varying degrees of quality.  Drive accordingly.
• In your car you should have no less than: your car BOB, extra food, (lots of) extra water, the means to camp if necessary, a good tool kit, extra gasoline (depends on where you are traveling and what kind of car you are driving...attaching the gas can to the outside of your SUV may be an option. Putting it in on the floor behind the driver's seat of your mini van is a bad idea).  I would also highly recommend a firearm if you are so inclined. 
• Pay attention to the weather.  Searing heat, high winds, shivering cold, drenching rains, flash floods...I ran across all of these in my travels.  The only thing I didn't see was a wild fire, however the signs of previous wildfires were clearly visible.  Know how to receive warnings about these conditions (the radio cut in with emergency warnings about flash floods a couple of times), and what to do in the event that you find yourself facing one of these dangers (besides the road, my eyes were on the washes).
• The time of year that you travel in harsh desert conditions can make a huge impact on the outcome of your travels.  Spring and fall are usually optimal times for desert travel while summer can be deadly hot and winter can, surprisingly, be freezing cold depending on where you are.
• Wear/bring appropriate clothing.  Heading out in a tank top and shorts may be appropriate on a summer day in your city but what happens when your car breaks down and you end up camping next to it?  The last thing you want to do in very hot, very dry temperatures is to expose your skin to the elements (ie: wear loose fitting, long sleeved shirts, long pants, and sensible shoes.  A hat is also a good idea).
• Speaking of camping near your car, if your car should break down and you become stranded miles from civilization, it is recommended that you stay with your car as it is easier to see by air searchers than a single person walking down a desert road (it is much safer too).
• If you are traveling in iffy conditions, you may want to leave your itinerary with a trusted friend who will send a search party out if you don't return in a reasonable amount of time.
• Beware of desert dangers. Scorpions, snakes, spider, old abandoned mines, prickly plants, "off roading"...basically this means you should calculate the danger quotient BEFORE partaking in activities that could be dangerous in the desert (remember the guy who had to cut off his own arm when he was trapped in the desert under a rock?).

The desert is truly beautiful at this time of year and there is probably no better place to 'get away from it all', but unlike road tripping to most places in the US, there are a variety of conditions in the desert that make pre-planning and being prepared a necessity if you want to have a favorable outcome.