25 Health Questions

Funny that we should be talking about health--right after a food-coma-inducing Thanksgiving weekend and before all of the goodies that will be popping up for the Christmas holidays--but getting a handle on your health isn't something you can wait to do.  In fact, there are people dropping dead today, as I type this, because they put their health on hold in order to concentrate on "more important things".  I can't think of anything that is more important for increasing your survival odds than being fit and healthy.  Here's 25 questions you should be able to answer about your health (and a good base-line for improving your health):

1. What is your height? I know plenty of guys whose driver's licenses say they are 6' tall when clearly that was either wishful thinking or they have greatly shrunk over time.  Knowing your actual height is part of the formula for finding your BMI.
2. What is your current weight? I also know plenty of women whose driver's licenses include a lot of wishful thinking when it comes to this question.
3. What is your body mass index? Your BMI tells you how much body fat you have and is a good indicator of your overall health.  Here is a simple calculator.
4. What is your blood pressure? This is another critical factor in your overall health--too high and you are much more prone to heart attack and stroke.
5. What is your blood glucose level? Many, many people are diabetic and don't even know it.  Don't wait until your eyesight, a kidney, or a limb is gone in order to be tested for--and control if necessary--this pervasive disease.
6. What is your cholesterol levels (HDL/LDL)?  This is yet another factor in determining your overall health and risk of heart disease and stroke.
7. Have you had your vision tested lately? You may not realize a decline in your vision but having your eyes tested regularly can preempt vision-associated problems.
8. Have you had your hearing tested lately? Ditto.  Many people don't realize their hearing is less than satisfactory because it declines so slowly.
9. Have you had a bone density test? This test, usually conducted on women, can tell you how strong your bones are and how likely you are to fracture your bones as you age as well as allow for preemtive treatment.
10. Have you had a complete physical lately? Men and women should have complete physicals every couple of years or as recommended by their doctor; this is a great way to catch disease early so you will have a better opportunity to treat it.
11. Have you been tested for cancer lately?  Tests for everything from breast and cervical cancer to colon and prostate cancer generally come along with your complete physical and are an excellent way to catch cancer when it is still treatable.
12. Have you had your thyroid checked lately?  This test can be overlooked during a complete physical but can often alert you to the reason you are having trouble with weight gain and other metabolic issues.
13. Have you had your blood iron level checked?  Anemia is quite common in women during their child-bearing years but isn't routinely tested for unless you have specific problems.  This test will, like many other tests, allow you to head off problems in their early stages.
14. Have you had your vitamin D levels tested?  Most Americans suffer from very low Vitamin D levels which can account for a multitude of problems ranging from depression to cancer.
15. Do you have persistent digestion issues?  You may want to be tested for parasites, especially if you have traveled widely.  If it isn't that, you may want to experiment with pro-biotics and decreasing stress to head off stomach issues.
16. What is your waist measurement?  This has recently been publicized as a pretty good indicator of your risk for diabetes and cardiovascular issues.
17. Have you had a c-reactive protein test done?  Like many of the other tests mentioned here, this isn't a normal test to do but it can shed a great deal of light on your your overall health as it measures the amount of inflammation in your body.
18. Do you smoke?  Smoking or using other tobacco products is detrimental to your overall health and predisposes you to a number of cancers and other diseases.  If you smoke, stop.
19. Do you have allergies?  Sometimes people are well aware of their allergies (to nuts or bee stings, for example), but many times people have food sensitivities or allergies that mimic other types of health problems and can cause sinus problems, stomach problems, migraines, etc.
20. Do you take drugs or drink alcohol in excess?  While a glass of wine occasionally is fine, ditto with a rare course of antibiotics, taking any sort of drugs or alcohol to excess will predispose you to a number of chronic--possibly fatal--health problems.
21. Have you been tested for sexually transmitted diseases lately?  Many STDs can have no symptoms for years so many carriers don't even know they have them.  Be tested regularly if you have multiple sex partners and occasionally if you are in a monogamous relationship (I hate to say it but there are quite a few people in supposedly monogamous relationships who end up with "mystery" STDs...).
22. Do you exercise regularly?  I hope the answer is yes.  Exercise is one of the leading prevention factors for a number of diseases and health problems.
23. Do you eat nutritious food as a rule instead of as an exception?  Again, I hope the answer is yes as the combination of healthy food and exercise can beat nearly every common medical problems that afflicts people in our society today.
24. Do you get regular vaccinations?  Every time I hear a parent say they don't want to vaccinate their kids I cringe at their stupidity.  Vaccinations may cause problems in a very small percentile of people but for the vast majority of human being, vaccinations are life savers.  Ask you doctor what vaccines you are due for. 
25. Do you chill out and de-stress regularly?  Some researchers put chronic stress above many of the most common causes of diseases and chronic illness simply because continuous stress can cause a person to have all sorts of health problems.

Answer these 25 questions then make a concerted effort to improve in ALL of these areas.  Being fit and healthy is, besides being a major factor in survivng TEOTWAWKI, a way to avoid illness and disease as you age.

Have a Safe Thanksgiving!

A few "rules of the road" for Thanksgiving:

1. Be extra careful if you are deep frying the turkey (check YouTube for videos where this tip was not heeded).
2. Be careful driving (driving over the holiday can be extra dangerous as the weather isn't so good in most parts of the country, DUIs are usually up, there's more people on the road, and people are impatient).
3. Be careful with the food (luckily the weather is cool most places so the rates of food poisoning don't usually spike but you still want to be careful to keep hot food hot and cold food cold.  If you have new people coming for dinner be sure to ask about food allergies before serving dinner).
4. Fires and carbon monoxide poisoning cases pick up this time of year so be careful with candles and cooking fires and NEVER use outdoor appliances to heat the inside of a house or to cook on inside a house.
5. Be aware that domestic violence also tends to spike around the holidays and take care to avoid volatile domestic situations.
6. Know some basic first aid skills.  At the least it should be CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver.
7. Ratchet down the stress.  Many people find the holidays stressful but they don't have to be. Start with the premise that it is a good thing to have food to eat and people around that you like and work up from there.  You don't have to spend a fortune on dinner and it doesn't need to look like Martha Stewart landed on your porch and you don't even have to be around people you don't like because, well, it's a free country.
8. Monitor the alcohol.  Especially due to the aforementioned items.  Some alcohol can make a football game more interesting and your uncle more jovial but too much alcohol can lead to DUIs and domestic violence.
9. Be aware of your kid's activities during the busy holidays.  With so much going on it could be easy to miss a kid who has ducked out or small children doing something they aren't supposed to do.  Check on the young'uns, as my cousin calls them, often.
10. Do a "house check" after everyone leaves.  Toss leftover alcohol (so kids of all ages can't get to it), make sure all of the windows are locked (some people open windows to cool off the room but forget to close them afterwards), ensure that your forgetful Aunt didn't leave any of her prescription meds laying around (so kids and animals can't get to it), don't let pets get to the chocolate and don't overload them on scraps, etc.

Who to Follow on Twitter

Here's some interesting people/organizations you may want to follow on Twitter:

• Code Name Insight
• FEMA
• CDC Emergency
• CDC
• Adventure Doc
• Masaad Ayoob
• Weather Channel
• Preparedness Pro
• WHO
• The Survival Mom
• NRA
• GDACS
• Red Cross
• CNN Breaking News
• CNN
• Your local newspaper
• Your local television news station
• Your local department of emergency management
• Your local fire department

Know of anyone else that should be on this list? Let me know who I missed.

A Round-up of News Headlines...With Lessons Learned, Of Course

It's been a busy week of news headlines (and with a little fore thought and preparedness most of these items wouldn't have happened/made the news)...

• Big fire in Reno this morning.  I woke up to hear about this on the news.  Lesson learned: have a BOB and an evacuation plan.
• Girl gets DUI. Girl blames getting caught on her shoes.  Girl is soundly thrashed in the comment section.  Lesson learned: if you get a DUI it's your own fault.  Never drink and drive.  If you drink don't drive, if you drive don't drink.
• Crazy man kills woman.  Unfortunately with our mental health system in shambles, this isn't an uncommon event.  Lesson learned: you always need to be on alert and you always need to be able to defend yourself.
• Snow storm causes drop in slot revenue.  An FYI for your business (and for you if you are an employee).  It's not if a disaster will happen but when.  Lesson learned: sometime, something will happen that will disrupt your business, this is why you need an emergency fund to tide you over through drops in revenue caused by a disaster large or small.
• Guy murders ex boyfriend and says "oops".  Apparently the gun was supposed to just scare the guy.  Lesson learned: if you pull a gun on someone assume that you will kill them.  A weapon should never be used to "scare" someone.
• Man killed when tree falls on SUV during a storm.  This happens often.  Lesson learned: stay in during a storm if at all possible, one of the most common ways to be hurt or injured during as storm is to have trees/power lines/other stuff blown down onto you.

Thanks to the Campers at Camp Price...

...we have a new section in the CNI Link List (and a bunch of new Daily Insight links as well). 
I got a nice email from some campers at Camp Price sharing some outdoor survival links that they found useful when learning outdoor survival skills at camp.  Since we didn't have a separate outdoor survival skills section, I decided to add it to the link list on the front page of the CNI website (you will find it towards the bottom of the second column).  This information should be reviewed and practiced by everyone as you never know when your cushy, modern life...you know, the one with heat and running water and computers/TV/smart phones...will come to a screeching halt and we will be forced to recall (and rely on!) the outdoor survival skills that came naturally to our ancestors but not necessarily so naturally to us.  Thanks campers for the great information!

5 Emergency Funds

Here's the five emergency funds you need:

1. The family emergency fund. Kept in the bank or other very safe location, comprised of enough cash for six month's of expenses, accessible by both spouses.
2. Your emergency fund.  Kept in a safe location, comprised of $1000 to $2000, inaccessible by your spouse (however your spouse should be able to access the funds in the event of your death).
3. Your spouse's emergency fund.  Kept in a safe location, comprised of $1000 to $2000, inaccessible by you (although you should be able to access the funds in the event of your spouse's death).
4. A small emergency fund for each child.  Kept in a safe yet accessible location, comprised of around $500, accessible by you and your child (the challenge is to make the money accessible by your child in the event that they have a major crisis--ie: your death or incapacitation--yet kept in such a way they can't get to it for video games or the like).
5. And random small piles of cash in a variety of locations (I keep about $500 in each of the following location: my vehicle, my BOB, my office, and my home...a bit more in my home).

The reason for all of these separate emergency funds is because in the event of a crisis, you need a pretty good-sized emergency fund to cover expenses should you be laid off or laid up for a period of time.  Each spouse should also have their own personal emergency fund in the off--but not unheard of--chance that one spouse goes to the bank one day and cleans out the family emergency fund (yes, it may not happen to you but I've seen it happen to enough people to know that it isn't in the realm of impossibility for anyone).  Now, too, I am a believer that each child should be able to access some emergency cash as well after talking to a teen aged boy who found out on the evening news that his dad had been killed in a car accident--at the time, he didn't even have enough money to put gas in his car to get to the hospital where his dad had been taken and he had no friends or relatives in the area to provide him any cash as they were new in the area and his father was the only parent he had.  Finally, the random piles of cash can come in handy for a variety of reasons (ie: you only have a second to grab your BOB so that's the only cash you will have, your house is leveled in an explosion--along with your emergency fund--and the only cash you have is what was hidden in your car or office, etc).

50 Things to Do Between Now and the End of the Year

There's a lot to do before the end of the year.  Here's a list:

1. Pay off a debt.
2. Go to a gun show (I happen to like gun shows so thought I would throw that in).
3. Go for a hike in nature.
4. Review your annual credit report and correct any mistakes.
5. Fund your IRA or other retirement plan for the year.
6. Make any tax deductible donations before the end of the year.
7. Update your vaccinations.
8. Take any "use or lose" leave from you job.
9. Use up any "use or lose" health spending account funds.
10. Dump out your BOB and revamp it for winter.
11. Clean out and organize all of your files (both computer files and hard copy files in your file box).
12. Make sure your vehicle is in tip top shape for winter.
13. Gather all of your tax receipts to get ready for filing your taxes.
14. Make appointments for your annual: physical/vision/hearing/dental check ups.
15. Back up all of your computer files.
16. Get a new calendar for 2012 and get organized.
17. Check all of your important documents (passport, CCL, driver's license, etc) to see if any are expiring in the upcoming year and need to be renewed.
18. Plan your annual vacation for next year.
19. Set your 2012 goals.
20. Clean out your house and minimize your possessions.
21. Clean all of your firearms.
22. Stock up on ammo.
23. Get out to the shooting range and practice (a nice change from sunny, summer shooting).
24. Is it still hunting season in your area? Go out for a winter hunt.
25. Try backpacking or camping for a weekend during the winter.
26. Winter is a great time to stay in and bake. Try your hand at baking bread, cookies, even pizza.
27. Stock up. After Thanksgiving and Christmas a variety of holiday-related food is on sale. Now is a good time to stock your freezer with turkeys and your pantry with canned goods.
28. Make sure your emergency fund is fully funded by the end of the year.
29. Review the monthly bills you have paid over the past year; how can you reduce or eliminate these?
30. Set your goals for next year (consider ways to increase your income, decrease your debt, train in a variety of preparedness/survival skills, etc).
31. Get some exercise, eat better, lose some weight.
32. Connect with friends and family (kind of what the holidays are for).
33. Spend time with your kids (kind of what all of the school holidays this time of year are for).
34. During the next big snowfall, practice: driving in snow, building a snow shelter
35. Check your house now for problems you can fix in the spring (how is the roof, are there any drafts, how is the water run off near your place, etc).
36. Order your 2012 seed catalogs.
37. Experiment with winter gardening.
38. Eat through your food stockpile and restock.
39. Teach yourself (or your kids) some winter survival skills.
40. Update your Will, Power of Attorney, insurance coverages, etc.
41. Volunteer (at a school, thrift store, homeless center, etc).
42. Become an expert on something next year; use this time to figure out what and how.
43. Enjoy some winter sports: skiing, skating, etc.
44. Join a club (hiking club, shooting club, chess club...so you can learn some useful prep skills).
45. Celebrate the holidays and maybe start a new tradition.
46. Learn a new skill (you are spending more time indoors at this time of year, so it's a good time to learn how to knit, sew, do some woodworking, etc).
47. Help your kids get ready to be successful (SAT tests are coming up, scholarship applications will be due soon, they may want to consider joining the military after graduation, etc).
48. Fix a persistent problem.  Start the new year off lighter by fixing a problem that has been bugging you.
49. Have a fire drill.  Yes in the middle of the night.  Yes in the middle of winter.
50. Consider what you are thankful for this year.

Some Lite Reading for a Saturday

I came across this post on reddit and thought, you know, someone may read one of these tips and it may save their life someday. Happy reading.

Happy Veteran's Day And Some Reasons to Support Our Vets

First off, Happy Veteran's Day to all who have served and those who continue to do so now.

Everyone once in a while I come across a blog post or article or comments on an article saying how veterans get too much from the government and how they shouldn't be able to retire in their 40's and how their compensation package should be just like that of people in the corporate world.  When I read those things my first thought is that those people have no idea what it is like to be in the military, otherwise they wouldn't compare it to your standard nine to five job.  Let's take a look at why our military folks and vets deserve what they get--and more--using the example of someone who retires from the military at the age of 43 with 25 years of service:

• For 25 years the serviceman has been on call 24/7/365.  It isn't like you do your shift and you go home at the end of the day.  When you are in the military you are ALWAYS on call.  For your entire career. 
• For 25 years the serviceman has had no choice of where he will live.  In a 9-5 job you can always pick up and move, go back to the family farm and help the folks, or decide that you don't like the cold so head south.  In the military, aside from requesting an open billet in a specific location which may or, more likely may not, happen, you live where the military tells you that you will live.
• For 25 years the serviceman has not had much of a choice of careers.  Of course there is some choice but there are lots of things that come into play with jobs in the military so again, you basically get what the military gives you.  In the 9-5 world, you can be a barber today, quit tomorrow, and go start up a tech company.  In the military you don't have the option of quiting a job you don't like.
• For 25 years the serviceman has more than likely missed: multiple wedding anniversaries, multiple birthdays, multiple holidays, the birth of one or more children, and their children's first steps, first words, first fishing trips, first experience driving, and high school graduations.  So not only has the serviceman given 24/7/365 to his country, his family has as well.
• For 25 years the serviceman gets the home that is issued to them.  Of course this isn't always the case.  With a long enough duty station, military members can buy houses in the community but depending on a number of factors (the economy, the next duty station, the availability of houses to buy at a particular location, the cost, how long they will be stationed in each location) it isn't like they are going to have a family home to raise their kids in from infancy through graduation.
• And speaking of the kids, many servicemen's kids can attend up to a dozen schools between kindergarten to their senior year of high school.  They don't get their military parent around all that much, and family dynamics are continually shifting.
• The military spouse is also on call 24/7/365.  When the serviceman is gone, everything falls on the spouse even if it is a "man's job" or a "woman's job".  The spouse at home gets the kids 24/7, the problems 24/7, the difficulties with finding work or an education or even a babysitter so that they can work for that matter.
• The military also has higher divorce rates and higher suicide rates.

So while I am not knocking the military as a career (many people have had amazing careers in the military, you get to see the world, you get a free education, etc), I do want to point out that it is about as far from a corporate job as you can get and due to the many hardships faced by those in the military--truly a sacrifice they make for our country--they are more than entitled to the full benefits they were promised when they first joined up (medical for life, a pension for life, etc).

Social Survival Skills: Be a Social Ninja

Sometimes being social is something you need to do whether you like it or not.  In order to participate, get done what you need to get done, then make your escape, consider these rules:

• Dress appropriately.  You don't want to dress to draw attention to yourself by either being too flashy or, on the flip side, dressing like someone who just woke up under a bridge.
• Arrive at your event slightly late.  Again, you don't want to be the first one to arrive and you don't want to be the one who is always late in order to "make an entrance."  Arrive a few minutes late and blend in with the crowd.  For meetings, however, always be on time.
• Make small talk.  If you don't know how, practice.  The good thing is that once you start the small talk, you will most likely not have to say much more as most people will continue to talk (and talk and talk) with little more encouragement from you than a couple of "uh huhs" and a couple shakes of your head.
• Don't give out too much information.  You may have to be social but you don't want everyone knowing your business.  Make your work sound as uninteresting as possible and skip the part about you having just made your 500th jump or that your tan line was gleaned from a desert 6,576 miles away instead of down south on vacation with the family.
• Mind your manners.  Even if you have the manners of a king, don't use them (too memorable).  On the other hand you don't want to have the manners of someone raised in San Quentin either.  If you are unsure of what to do, do what everyone else is doing.
• Mind your presence.  Everyone has a presence.  The way you walk, the way you gesture, your facial expression when you aren't paying attention, the amount of eye contact you make...  You want your presence to be as milquetoast as a CPA on a Sunday.  If your presence screams "Special Forces" or "thug" that is...let's just say...not very ninja-like.
• A bit of confidence, charm, and attitude will go a long way towards making you seem...very average. You don't want to be the most confident guy, the most charming guy, or the guy with the most attitude, you just want to be...average.
• Hold your alcohol.  One drink is fine, eight drinks is stupid.  If your social events usually result in pictures you wouldn't want to show your boss or wife turning up on FaceBook then ninja up and chill out.
• Avoid the cameras.  I'm not sure why everyone and their brother feels compelled to record every last minute of every last event on a social media site for posterity but I have a strict no photos policy. 
• Listen and pay attention.  I find social gatherings a great place to both watch people and find out what is going on.  People who don't follow the above rules (ie: too much alcohol, too much bravado, too much posing for the camera, too much information) are generally the best people to listen to (you can glean everything from insider trading tips to who's getting fired next week to who's sleeping with who.  Valuable information if you know how to use it).
• Leave.  When you have achieved your objective, make your escape.  Obviously if you achieve your objective only a few minutes after arrival, you may want to stick around a bit so as not to draw attention to yourself but you don't want to be the one they have to start flashing the lights at either.

That's all.  I usually find social events to be a necessary evil but by paying attention to these few rules, you can make them as painless as possible.

Link Round-Up: Things to Do Edition

Here's some interesting ideas to try:

• 11 Uses for Coffee
• Get Healthy During a Power Outage
• A Reminder to Watch What You Say in Public
• Make Yogurt
• Anything on this list

5 Things I Would Like to See Gone In My Lifetime

I'm feeling a bit ranty today so here goes...
There are a lot of things that we don't really need in the US, either because they are redundant, annoying, unnecessary, or all of the above.  Here are five things I would like to see done away with in my lifetime:

1. Section 1 of the 14th Amendment which provides for birthright citizenship.  This is no longer necessary and, in all of the countries of the world, nearly unheard of. Children should receive citizenship through their parents. Period.
2. The US Postal Service.  I'm as happy as anyone to be able to send a letter anywhere in the country for 44 cents yet when you veer away from the free market, you end up with something like the USPS.  Lousy customer service because there is no other option and a benefits and pension package for employees that makes no fiscal sense whatsoever.  Unlike regular businesses that have to actually be able to cover their expenses lest they cease to exist, the USPS just keeps asking congress for more money to cover their expenses which makes it....a charity?
3. Nearly everything about the US immigration system.  What a disaster. I don't even know where to begin.  I do know that we are one of the few places on earth where illegal immigrants can come to our country and then demand their rights.  It is a frustrating and convoluted system overall that splits up families (if an American marries a foreigner and has kids with them and said foreigner through their own fault or no fault of their own is not allowed to immigrate to the US, the American basically has to self deport in order to be with their spouse), easily allows to people who are near elderly to immigrate thus allowing them to work a bit and receive full Social Security and Medicare benefits (parents of US citizens only take a year or so to get a visa to come here as opposed to siblings that can take up to 20 years to get a visa), and there is no process once an immigrant gets here to integrate into the US culture (ie: an immigrant can be a permanent resident for decades yet never speak the language, never apply for citizenship, never vote, never actually become a "card carrying American" yet still get to enjoy all of the free social services that come with being a resident of the US).  Somethings needs to change about this...and soon.
4. Undeclared wars.  There is a process to declare a necessary war which congress is supposed to be a party to.  The only problem is that congress has been bypassed and wars have been "unofficially" declared in Vietnam, The Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, and to a lesser extent Lybia.  Why even have rules for declaring war if they aren't used?  And please, get our guys out of Afghanistan...it's a no-win situation for no real purpose but to "fight terrorism" which isn't actually an enemy but a method of war.
5. America being the policeman, social worker, and banker to the world.  We need to focus on our own problems.  America is called on (or maybe American powers that be volunteer themselves for whatever strategic purpose) to police countries that bother us or our friends, provide for social welfare (everything from food to vaccinations to medical care) for people in other countries, and provide financial bailouts for...basically which ever country that asks.  Meanwhile we have rampant crime in our country, Americans who can't even get food/vaccinations/medical care/etc in our own country, and we are currently teetering on the edge of economic collapse while congress appropriates billions of funds to send to foreign countries.  We need to help people in our country first and foremost.  And the corollary, when we do send aid to other countries, maybe a very meager amount will get to those who need it--most is siphoned off by government officials and others while the aid is on its way to those who really need it (how do you think third world politicians in Africa fund their lavish lifestyles?).

That's all. End of rant.

A Few Reasons Not to Run Into Battle (For Civillians Who Don't Have This In Their Job Description)

I came across this article and thought "oh jeez...not another one."  It's fairly common in major disasters to have all kinds of people coming out of the woodwork to "help" (never mind that they have no skills and no experience in such situations, no gear, no team, no training...), a bit less common in war zones is to see the same (although not completely unheard of, re the story referenced above).  Unless the terms "run into a disaster area/war zone/life-threatening situation" is in your job description--and there are plenty of soldiers and first responders where this is the case--don't do it!  Here's why:

• You need training or else you will be a liability to those who are on scene providing actual help (ie: you mess up and they will need to rescue you too).  For people who have it in their job description to work in disaster areas/war zones, special training is provided for just this environment--training that is not provided otherwise.
• You need a team.  People aren't dispatched to war zones/disaster areas individually.  They are dispatched as part of a team, a team made up of people with complementary skills, who will work as a unit for a common goal.
• You need the blessing of the powers-that-be.  This provides everything from liability coverage to supervision to official permission to be where you are to evacuation if necessary...basically everything that random individuals who just "show up" don't have.
• You need the right gear.  During Hurricane Katrina many people drove down to the disaster area to help.  Unfortunately they were not prepared to even take care of themselves let alone other people.  They didn't bring enough water for themselves, enough food for themselves, any means to shelter themselves...basically they made the situation worse instead of better.
• You need protection.  This can vary from actual armed guards who shadow you as you go about your work to daily "sit reps" to let you know ahead of time what kinds of situations you should expect to encounter.
• You need the infrastructure that accompanies official emergency responses.  This can be everything from the knowledge of the NIMS/ICS system to professional trauma care provided on-site by trained professionals to supervision to make sure you don't exhaust yourself to protocols to work under specifically for the situation you are in.
• You need legal coverage.  Legal coverage is part and parcel with official emergency response/military action.  As long as you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, the officials who dispatched you will ensure that you are legally covered (yes, even after a major disaster people will actually sue their rescuers).
• You need to be credentialed.  After a history of disasters and disaster responses, it has become more and more important that responders have the proper credentials when they show up at a scene.  There have been many disaster situation where people show up, claim to be a doctor or fire man, and run in to help when they are actually neither.  Not only do they put themselves at risk but they put the people they are "rescuing" at risk as well.
• You need to be in a position where if you get arrested, get kidnapped, or otherwise go missing, the powers-that-be will come and rescue you.  For people who self-dispatch to disaster scenes/war zones, no one may even know they are there let alone know when they need help (such as having just been kidnapped).  As in the article, if a family really presses, they can probably find a congressman to push the issue but often times, civilians not only get themselves in trouble, but cause problems on a national scale (in tense political situations, the random civilian who gets caught up in the mess usually comes out on the losing end).

The bottom line is that if you find yourself wanting to help in a disaster situation/war zone--other than the "you have no other option but to respond because it happened in your neighborhood" type of scenario--go about it the right way instead of self-dispatching yourself into a situation that you may not even survive.  There are plenty of ways to join the cause if this is what you want--join the military (lots of training is provided for free, you just need to give them a few years of your life), join FEMA or the Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders...even your local Search and Rescue can provide some useful training and interesting opportunities to help in crisis events.

10 Reminders

Some random stuff to remember today:

1. It's Bank Transfer Day.  Did you move your money to a credit union or local bank yet?
2. Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow so set your clock back an hour before you go to bed tonight (for those of you in the US).
3. Now is also a good time to check the batteries in your smoke detector.
4. Next Friday, November 11th (or 11/11/11 for those of you who are keeping track) is Veteran's Day.  Check out what is happening in your part of the world to celebrate this important day (ie: some places have parades and in Las Vegas tickets to most of the Caesars Buffets and the V Theater will be free to Veterans).
5. Winter reminders: some of the most common causes of death and injury as we enter the winter months are carbon monoxide poisoning and house fires.  Take care to mitigate any of these issues in your home.
6. November 8th is Election Day.  Are you going to vote?
7. November 27th is Thanksgiving.  What are you thankful for this year?
8. November is American Diabetes Month.  Have you had your blood glucose levels checked lately?  This is a very common chronic illness in America but one which can be put under control with effort and diligence on your part.  It's definitely worth the effort.
9. RIP Andy Rooney who passed away today.
10. Can you do a "cash only" December?  Plan to spend only cash (no checks, credit cards, or debit cards) during the month of December.  What better way to get through the holidays without looming credit card debt than to only use the cash you have on hand?

Three Days, Three Unsettling Events

It's been a busy few days here in Las Vegas as we continue to look for property and consider heading to Asia again for the winter (even though the sun shines here nearly continuously, it's cold!).  The last few days have been not only busy but have been a bit unsettling:

• Three days ago I was driving down a busy street when a few cars ahead of me there was a near head-on accident.  This has happened to me a few times where one minute you are scanning the roadway and the next you are laying on the brakes as you watch dust and debris fall down from the sky.  It takes your mind a few second to realize what just happened and then you look around at the damage and say "holy cow" or some other more colorful phrase.  After pulling onto a side street, which was where I was going anyway, I called 911.  There were already people converging on the accident scene so having me there as well would have been of little use but I was surprised that I was the first person to call about the accident.  I gave the reason for my call, the location of the accident, an estimate of the damage (ie: mechanism of injury was a fairly high speed crash so they should probably send an ALS ambulance response) and a description of the vehicles (my description was "you can't miss it--there are two vehicles in pieces all over the intersection" and the operator just said "oh").  In the city, with help nearby, I tend not to get involved in running over to help.  If this had occurred in a remote or rural place then I would have jumped in and helped until assistance arrived. 
• Yesterday I was leaving an office when a man came in ranting and raving.  Since the office had its own security officer I let him handle the confrontation but waited a ways away in case the confrontation escalated.  The man appeared to be on drugs or mentally ill, or possibly both, and while I have had occasion to deal with such people in the past, it's best not to have a whole group of people surrounding him.  Generally if you leave them an escape route (ie: not block the door) and talk to them in a non confrontational way, they will wander off which is actually what the guy did.  Again, since this was in the city, the incident didn't escalate, and the police were called, then it is best to let the authorities deal with the situation.
• Today I was in a small store standing in line when two young people in front of me set a six-pack of beer on the counter.  The clerk bagged it up and when he asked them for the money, the kids grabbed the bag and ran off.  Oddly enough they ran out the door and jumped in to their car which was parked close by.  I looked through the door and go the license plate number and gave it to the clerk who called the police.  If it was a stolen car then they may get away but if it was their own car (or their parents car) then they really are idiots. 

In all of these incidents there were choices to be made.  I could have ignored what happened and went on my way, I could have helped in a non-intrusive way, or I could have jumped in the middle of the fray.  I chose option number two in all three cases because none of these appeared to be life and death situations and in all three cases there were already people on each scene who were handling things appropriately. 
Also, in the last two incidents, escalating the situation could have led to a much worse outcome. 
I was, of course, armed, but none of these incidents rose to the level where pulling a weapon would have been appropriate.  In the case of the crazy guy, he did not appear to be armed and there were enough people around to have subdued him if necessary (although subduing someone on PCP is an entire article in itself).  In the third case, theft is not a reason to draw a weapon on someone (although someones I wish it was but anyway...).  I have seen too many incidents where someone is caught up in the moment, pumped full of adrenaline, and doesn't take a few seconds to think the situation through then decides to go all Rambo on a thief and it ends up badly for all involved (note that a thief in your home, IMHO, would deserve a whole different--armed--response).
The general rules for handling any of these type of emergent situations are:

1. Call 911 first before acting.  Once you are in the middle of the situation, whether it is performing CPR or holding someone at gunpoint, you won't be able to just stop and dial 911.
2. Assess the situation before you act.  Look at the incident then look around (ie: are there other people waiting to jump in on behalf of the perpetrator, are there downed power lines which could pose a danger to rescuers, is there more going on than just the incident you are seeing)
3. Determine the best course of action.  Instead of running into the center of the fray like a mad man, determine how best you can help.  It could mean watching and waiting, it could mean providing emergency assistance such as grabbing a fire extinguisher from your car or performing CPR, it could mean writing down as many details of the incident as possible to provide to law enforcement.  In some cases it could mean acting--usually this is a split second decision which needs to be made quickly and after a logical evaluation (ie: I would jump in if there was a physical assault on someone who could not fight back but I wouldn't physically go after someone who steals $5 worth of beer or even a car for that matter since a material item isn't worth the possible negative outcome).
4. Wrap up the situation.  Whether it is ensuring that the police arrive before you leave the scene, providing necessary information to EMS staff or law enforcement, or calling your lawyer (something you should do any time you pull a weapon whether you were in the right or not), you will wrap up the situation and leave the scene.  Be sure to take a few deep breaths to dissipate some of the adrenaline you are feeling then go on your way. Obviously if you were in the middle of a traumatic incident there is more to wrapping up the situation... 
5. After action.  It is standard practice in many arenas (military, law enforcement, the medical field, etc) to conduct an after-action review of the incident that just happened.  On your own, you can do the same by reviewing what happened, considering what went well, and considering what went not so well.  For the things that went not so well, consider what should have been done to have had a better outcome.  For example, if someone collapsed at your feet and you had to perform CPR but couldn't remember exactly how to do it besides doing some chest compressions, you may want to take a CPR class to refresh your skills.  If you hopped out of your car in the middle of an intersection to run to help people who were in the accident and nearly go run over by drivers who were too busy looking at the accident to see you in the street, make a mental note that you either need to park somewhere safe or check to see that there are enough people parked behind you and all traffic has come to a halt before you get out of your car in order to ensure your safety next time.

I'm hoping the rest of my week is a lot less interesting...

Check Out the New CNI Site!

If you head on over to the main Code Name Insight site you will see the same useful information but in a new and better format.  Also on the newly designed site are ways you can help support both the CNI site and blog by either making a donation, clicking through the ads, or ordering your products from Amazon through the widget on the site.  The idea is to make this site self-supporting without trying to hawk a bunch of products which takes away from the main focus of this site, namely, being prepared with a bunch of knowledge instead of a bunch of products.  Enjoy!

10 Alternatives to Occupy Wall Street

I thought I was pretty much done on the subject of Occupy Wall Street but an article today caught my attention.  Seems like the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York had actually led to job loss, as opposed to increased economic opportunity as some say the protests were designed to do.  And then there was a second article stating that many of the protesters may be closer to the 1% than the 99% yet they are still partaking in the protests just to enjoy the party atmosphere. So for those who want to actually accomplish something of a change in their economic and political lives sans the sleeping outside and protesting just for the sake of protesting part, here's some ideas:

1. Shop local.  Skip the Starbucks and make your own coffee at home or patronize a locally owned and operated coffee shop.  Spend your money in your community and not with large out-of-state chains.
2. Spend cash or barter.  Skip the big banks and spend cold, hard cash while you are shopping local.  Better yet, barter for the things you need.  A local cash and/or barter economy will do more to improve your local economy than shouting idiotic messages on the streets of New York City.
3. Choose to not participate with big business as much as possible.  I say "as much as possible" because while it is simple to move your money from Bank of America or another national bank to a local bank or credit union, it is impossible to find a locally-based cell phone carrier.  But you can be aware of how you spend every dollar and spend it where it will do the most good and have the most local impact.
4. Reuse and recycle.  Obviously there are many products that you want and need that are not made locally (or even in this country, for that matter).  Before you go shopping at Wally World and purchase a cart full of items made in China or Honduras, look at ways you can reuse and recycle these products that are already in the local economy (ie: shop garage sales, CraigsList, and thrift stores first).
5. Cut back.  I am a huge fan of minimalism these days.  After purging almost everything I owned nearly a year ago (and selling most of it for pennies on the dollar before giving away what was left--about four truck loads), I have realized that the quest to have nearly every single item man has ever made is an exercise in futility.  There will always be better deals, there will always be newer products, there will always be more advanced technology...the secret is to buy only what you really need and then use it to death before replacing it.  We don't need that much stuff to live happily and the feeling of not being responsible for a mountain of consumer junk it truly liberating.
6. Instead of being against something, be for something.  This is a paraphrase from Mother Theresa but the gist is that if you are always fighting against something you really don't accomplish much but if you are fighting for something you are much more likely to see results.  You can scream about being against the big agricultural complex but what good will that do?  The companies aren't going to shut down just because you tell them to.  On the other hand, if you are fighting for cheaper, locally-grown food, you can plant a garden or better yet, start a community garden, and actually accomplish something with all of your efforts.
7. Do the work yourself.  We may rail about illegal immigration and big pharma yet we continue to eat vegetables picked by illegal immigrants and continue to rely on big pharmaceutical companies for our chronic illness medications.  How about growing your own vegetables and picking them or exercising and changing your diet so you no longer need to medicate yourself into oblivion because of poor health choices?
8. Live as close to the source as possible.  I'm not talking about this in a spiritual source sort of way(although that isn't such a bad idea) but by living simply and locally you not only will be healthier and wealthier but you will be more in tune with...life.  Why drink bottled water from a municipal tap in a big city when your own water is probably much better?  Why buy fish flown in from Asia when you can throw a line in your nearest lake and enjoy really fresh and really local food? 
9. Ignore advertising.  This is a hard thing to do for many unless you are one of the TV-less crowd since advertising is a constant barrage of messages of which we have been inculcated since birth.  The problem is that advertising makes you feel worse about yourself unless you immediately run out and buy the product being advertised.  Want women to fawn over you (women that, no offense, wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole no matter what you do)? Then you better run out to a national chain store and pick up a national-brand deodorant and "poof" Playboy-bunny like women will come running to you.  Want your kids to be happy (never mind the fact that the food that will make them happy will also make the sick, hyper active and pre-diabetic)? Then you better run out to the store and buy them choco-bunny-breakfast-flakes so they will look as cute and happy as the kids in the commercials.  The bottom line is that commercials are selling you a line of BS and if you want to make significant changes in your perception (and ratchet it back somewhere closer to common-sense normal) then you need to ignore these psychologically manipulative messages and think for yourself.
10. Challenge everything.  Just because you aren't protesting doesn't mean you can't challenge commonly held beliefs.  Start asking why.  Start asking if there is a better way to do something that the status quo.  Start making changes in your life that the "Joneses" wouldn't understand.  Just because something has "always been that way" doesn't mean that you have to "go with the flow" and be just like everyone else.  Yes, it is easier to do that as it takes very little effort but it also lulls you into a false sense of security and it has been proven to have quite a few negative affects that people (sheeple) don't realize until it is too late.  My grand dad would be rolling over in his grave if he saw how people so willingly gave up their freedoms just to fly on an airplane (in his case, he probably would have learned how to fly and just flew himself...he was an ornery as his old bull when someone/something got his dander up and any sort of taking away his freedoms would do just that).

Eventually the Occupy Wall Street people will dwindle away but if you want to do something with staying power and if you want to do something that will make legitimate, concrete changes that will impact your life, you need to take control of your life and your self and put your efforts into being/making the changes that you want to see.