Saturday, January 31, 2015

10 Things to Consider as You Age

Since I am in the "aging" group, here are ten things that become more important as you get up in years...

  1. Get your ducks in a row.  Have an "if I die today" sheet which lists all of your important information (user names and passwords, location of will, account info for all banks and investments, etc).  This makes your death insanely easier on your next of kin.  I've seen grieving kin take months and months trying to figure out everything needed to take care of a loved one's estate and this is wholly unnecessary if said loved one is a bit prepared for their eventual demise.
  2. Downsize and minimize you stuff.  After cleaning out my mother in law's place when she passed away and watching my aunt literally give the fire department my grandmother's home for a practice burn because she didn't want to clean it out, I can definitively say that no one wants to clean out decades worth of your junk.  If you do this for them it will be a great gift to your next of kin.
  3. Plan and pay for your funeral.  Again, when your (broke) next of kin are grieving, the last thing they want to do is figure out how to afford your death.  Funeral and burial expenses are getting to be astronomical these days so another kindness you can do for your loved ones is to have your funeral arrangements all taken care of before you die.
  4. If you are going to leave things for your next of kin, why not give them those things before you die?  Not only does this simplify the estate process after you die (and keep people from fighting over your stuff like a bunch of rabid hyenas) but you get to enjoy seeing them appreciate and utilize the stuff you give them.
  5. Plan out your end of life.  Things usually don't go as we expect them to.  If I had a choice I would--as a fan of compressed morbidity--like to be healthy and fit and clear of mind until the last minute when I die a quick and merciful death.  But I know that may not happen.  There are all kinds of horrible and sketchy things that can happen at the end of your life should you become ill or suffer from dementia and be unable to advocate for yourself.  Long term care insurance is one thing to consider.  Also consider what would happen to you if no relative wants to take care of you, if your estate runs out of money before you run out of life, and how/where you want your last years to be spent.  Then make a plan to make this happen.
  6. Have a will or trust, a living will, and a medical power of attorney.  It makes the probate process either unnecessary (common in the event that the deceased has a trust) or much smoother and the living will (also POLST form if necessary) as well as medical power of attorney can speak for you if you are unable to.
  7. Plan now for the common problems of aging.  Many of the retirees I've met in Vegas purposely chose to buy single story homes when they moved here because they know that sooner or later they may be unable to navigate stairs.  Some couples I know are already having the 'when do I stop driving talk".  Needless to say this talk never seems to go over well especially if it is their kids who are doing the talking (aka "Powdered butt syndrome").  
  8. Make your health your first priority.  Ideally, by paying attention to your healthy (exercising daily, going "nutritarian", etc) you can avoid or put off many of the markers of aging in a Western country (namely high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc).  On the other hand, things like vision and hearing loss tend to sneak up on you (you don't know what you can't hear because the decline is so gradual) so keeping up with these types of screenings is imperative.
  9. When you do find yourself at the doctor's you need to advocate for yourself (or have someone do it for you).  Almost without exception, someone going to the doctor for a common Western disease is going to be handed a stack of prescriptions and scheduled for a follow up which means come back for another stack of prescriptions.  I know only two doctors who regularly tell their patients "you are too fat and too sedentary and if you don't get moving you will die" and put the onus on the patient to fix the problem which they created.  Prescriptions have side effects and taking pills to fix the problem while still doing the things that caused the problem in the first place is ludicrous.
  10. Finally, start now (if you are getting up in years, I hope you started some time ago) to plan for your financial future.  What will your income sources be?  What will your expenses be?  How will your investments change as you age?  Do you really need term life insurance now that the kids are grown and you are financially secure?  Where will you live?  How will you take care of yourself when you become old?  

Sunday, January 25, 2015

The Five Items You Need Before You Get Snowed In

Although being snowed in is light years away from my current situation (it was 74 degrees here today), folks in the North East are getting ready to be walloped by a huge snowstorm which should begin by tomorrow.  And like any storm that makes the news, reporters only have to go as far as the local Home Depot or grocery store to see how many people are unprepared for such an event.

Of course you can put together a list of a hundred items you might need to weather the storm, however, there are only five items that are critical to your survival:

  1. Medications.  If you rely on medications for sustaining your life, make sure you always have a couple month's supply on hand.
  2. Water.  For whatever reason, you might turn on the tap and the water won't flow.  By having a reserve of a week--or more--worth of bottled water on hand, you will be set.
  3. Food.  Most Americans won't starve to death in a week, they are too fat for that, but by having the barest of basic food on hand, you will weather the storm with no problem and with no reason to snow shoe your way to the local grocery store.  You can literally have 21 cans of soup or 21 packets of oatmeal or 21 granola bars per person and hunger will be taken care of if you can't leave your home for a week.  Simple.
  4. Toilet paper.  While not critical, these days we don't have a lot of alternative paper products laying around (catalogs, newspapers) so while millions of people survive without toilet paper everyday in our world, most first-world people will be mighty unhappy to have to use their left hand to take care of business.
  5. Blankets.  Obviously if you are preparing for a winter event, the more blankets you have, the better.  Your heating system might break down, the power may go out, but if you have a stack of extra blankets, you probably won't freeze to death.
There is no reason that people should have to run out and get any of these items the day before a predicted weather emergency.  These items can be bought and stored (and rotated, of course) any time during the year and you will be ready to meet any winter weather crisis. 

Friday, January 23, 2015

100 Skills to Teach Your Kids

I forgot that JAMZ was in town until I headed over to play poker this morning.  If you don't know what JAMZ is, it is some sort of cheerleading thing with a bajillion tiny cheerleaders (maybe 5 to 10 years of age?) hopping all over the place (well, at least hopping all over the food court, the arena, and all public spaces in between).  Which got me to wondering if parents still teach their kids actual skills these days (I have no idea what parents teach their kids these days as our kid-raising days are long since past).  Being able to lead cheers is a skill, I suppose, but I hope that parents also realize how important it is to teach their kids actual useful skills that could come in handy in an emergency.

Here's a hundred real life skills to teach your kids for both fun and usefulness (note, it is up to each parent to determine when to teach these skills based on the abilities and maturity of their child):

  1. How to fish.
  2. How to hunt.
  3. How to prepare a fish or animal for cooking or preserving.
  4. How to use and properly care for a firearm.
  5. How to protect themselves from identity theft.
  6. How to hike, camp, and backpack.
  7. How to build an emergency shelter.
  8. How to signal in a variety of situations.
  9. How to purify water.
  10. How to use a map, compass, and GPS.
  11. How to speak in public.
  12. How to be respectful of others.
  13. How to lead a group on a project.
  14. How to cook.
  15. How to grow food.
  16. How (and when) to harvest food.
  17. How to preserve food.
  18. How to forage for wild and medicinal edibles.
  19. How to sew.
  20. How to knit.
  21. How to communicate in sign language.
  22. How to speak, read, and write in a second language.
  23. How to ride public transportation.
  24. How to plan a vacation.
  25. How to research.
  26. How to physically protect themselves.
  27. How to (safely) make and use a fire.
  28. How to save money.
  29. How to earn money.
  30. How to spend money.
  31. How to invest money.
  32. How to start and run a business.
  33. How to volunteer to help others.
  34. How to be physically fit.
  35. How to take care of their teeth.
  36. How to take care of their health.
  37. How to protect their hearing.
  38. How to protect themselves online.
  39. How (and why) to lockdown their house quickly.
  40. How to escape from their house if necessary.
  41. How to take care of and breed animals.
  42. How to do construction work.
  43. How to do plumbing work.
  44. How to do electrical work.
  45. How to drive a bike/car/motorcycle/boat.
  46. How to do basic car maintenance (check the oil, change a tire, put in gas, etc).
  47. How to take care of themselves when they are sick.
  48. How to perform CPR/the Heimlich Maneuver/use an AED.
  49. How to clean the house and do laundry.
  50. How to handle a medical emergency.
  51. How to call 911.
  52. How to read (to at least college level).
  53. How to write (reviews, essays, reports, etc).
  54. How to do math (up to calculus).
  55. How to understand science (biology, chemistry, physics, geology, etc).
  56. How to think critically.
  57. How to argue effectively.
  58. How to learn on their own.
  59. How to swim.
  60. How to be independent.
  61. How to advocate for themselves.
  62. How to take responsibility for their actions.
  63. How to be kind and helpful.
  64. How to utilize technology.
  65. How to play an instrument.
  66. How to prepare for an emergency.
  67. How to play chess and other games.
  68. How to be good citizens in their community.
  69. How to choose and enjoy hobbies.
  70. How to repair things (home, bike, car, etc).
  71. How to perform extreme sports (scuba diving, rock climbing, kayaking, etc).
  72. How to take care of others (from small children to the elderly).
  73. How to be disciplined (show up on time, take criticism, plan their day, etc).
  74. How to do chores.
  75. How to properly groom themselves.
  76. How to do gardening tasks (mow the lawn, plant trees and flowers, mulch, etc).
  77. How to understand contracts and other legal documents/situations.
  78. How to find appropriate help when needed.
  79. How to interact well with people (friends, adults, strangers, teachers, etc).
  80. How to set and reach goals.
  81. How to observe and "read" people.
  82. How to comparison shop, use coupons, find deals.
  83. How to make difficult choices.
  84. How to participate in team sports.
  85. How to keep good friends and end toxic friendships.
  86. How to play unsupervised.
  87. How to dress appropriately (for church, for a party, for winter, etc).
  88. How to escape from a dangerous situation.
  89. How to cope (with the death of a relative, with getting a bad grade, with losing a friend, etc).
  90. How to compete (for a job, for a scholarship, in sports, etc).
  91. How to fill out applications (for a job, for a rebate, for college, etc).
  92. How to use social media appropriately.
  93. How to respond if they get lost (in a city, in the wilderness).
  94. How to maintain situational awareness.
  95. How to spot a rip off or a scam.
  96. How to manage anger and frustration.
  97. How to understand biases (in what they read, in what they are taught, etc).
  98. How to pack (for vacation, for backpacking, for everyday carry, etc).
  99. How to de-escalate a negative situation (with siblings, with teachers, with the police, etc).
  100. How to avoid peer pressure situations (drinking, drugs, illegal acts, etc).

Thursday, January 22, 2015

News Roundup: Today's News Edition

Here's some stuff from today's news...

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Cyber Attacks...They're Getting More Dangerous

Forty years ago there was no such thing as cell phones, social media, and the internet.  We all had things to worry about back then, of course, but the range of worries was rather small--money, the weather, family, work, medical issues.  That's about all.  These days the number of things we need to worry about has grown exponentially.

With the advent of social media and the internet, suddenly problems half way around the world have become our problems.  Also with social media and the internet, no matter how prepared you keep yourself and your family, some idiot in a cyber cafe in a third world country can start World War III with a bit of hacking.  Here's some things to consider:

  • There was a recent cyber attack on a German steel company that caused massive damage.  Not only did this damage the business but imagine the ripple effects--people out of work, steel orders unable to be fulfilled, less economic activity in the area affected because people aren't going out and buying new TVs and new vehicles if they don't even have a job to go to, etc.
  • The Sony hacking scandal had world wide repercussions as people pondered how a hacker (or hackers) could bring an economic powerhouse to a dead stop.  Suddenly, because of the massive embarrassment caused by the release of hacked emails, a multi-million dollar movie wasn't going to be released.  It brought into focus the intersection of corporate decision making, free speech, and the power of one, or a few, people to make the decision about what kind of media the public can or can't see.
  • If I were wearing a necessary-for-life medical device, I would be worried.  Hackers now have ways to hack into these devices and the outcome with a concerted hacking effort could be deadly for many, many people.
  • The recent mass murder at Charlie Hebdo in France once again throws free speech, religious fanaticism, and social media into the blender and out comes the ability of a small minority to cause panic on a world-wide scale.  Now, with the click of a mouse, a group of people can recruit and direct people all over the globe to perform acts of terrorism and mass murder.
  • And then there was the recent hack that announced World War III had begun on what are considered reputable Twitter feeds.  Knowing how people are likely to react first and ask questions later, this could have ended very badly.
  • Then there was the ode to knee jerk reactions which started the whole "hands up, don't shoot" movement.  Immediately after the Michael Brown shooting, the social media universe jumped on the bandwagon to portray police as crazed killers and this poor black teenager as a victim who had his hands up in surrender and got shot anyway.  So major sports stars and TV personalities were throwing their hands up in support of a "victim" who had actually just committed an armed robbery and tried to murder a cop. 
  • Finally, while many of the above issues may have little actually to do with you, there are the hacking events that can affect you directly such as the Target hack which hit a lot of everyday citizens where they lived including yours truly.  Shortly after this event I went to Target to buy a couple of TVs and my debit card was refused there.  When I called my bank to figure out what was going on they said they were not allowing any charges at Target for the immediate future.  Good thing I always carry cash on me but what would happen if someone was trying to buy food before a major storm, they didn't have any cash, and due to a hack, their perfectly good bank card was rejected?
These are just a few of the ways that the world can intrude into your perfectly ordered universe and cause quite a bit of headaches--if not more serious damage--at the click of a mouse.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Some Tips to Protect Your Teens

This story came up on my feedreader this past week and there were so many fails that it is really no wonder these teens died (although to be fair, many many kids do stupid stuff like this in their teenage years and live to recount their escapades decades later so there is that...).  Here's what should have happened which may have led to a different outcome:

  • At 18 years old, teens pretty much make their own decisions.  At 17 they are well on their way to doing what they want.  But the 14 year old?  She should have been home in bed, not partying all night with 18 year olds.  
  • Driving around at 3am is a bad idea for most everyone (the number of drunk drivers on the road at that time is staggering...pun not really intended but anyway...).
  • Even though intermediate driver license regulations are in place, mostly for 16 and 17 year olds, these limitations should be mandatory for anyone under 18.  No driving at night, no driving with other kids in the car...that reduces driver distractions exponentially.
  • Kids are going to find a way to party.  Even "good" kids.  But any adult who hosts or knows of such a party taking place at their home should insist that no one leaves until the next morning.  The only thing worse than aiding and abetting teen partying is doing so then letting the kids drive home afterwards.
  • Most parents give their kids a car with the happy thought that they will no longer need to chauffeur them around.  Rarely do parents think of the negative things that can happen when they give their kids a car.  When you provide your teenager a car, you need to realize that either your kid can get killed when driving and/or they can kill someone else when driving.  Rare, but it happens.  In this case, not only is the kid facing real prison time for vehicular homicide but the parents will probably be sued five ways from Sunday by the parents of the dead kids.  
  • The longer you can put off your teen's driving, the better.  In my generation, getting a license the moment you turned 16 was pretty much expected.  Fortunately our kids weren't really interested in driving until they were around 18.  Based on brain science, even 18 is a bit young for driving as the important parts of the brain necessary for driving aren't even fully developed until the mid 20s.
  • Being a good influence on your kids is important.  I saw the driver's dad's Facebook page and it was all about the awesomeness of marijuana.  Then a later article reported that the young driver was stoned on marijuana when he crashed.  Go figure...  Obviously event the most Puritanical parents can end up with messed up kids, but every bit of positive influence helps.
  • Lay down the law.  These days it seems that parents want to be friends with their kids.  Kids, however, have enough friends.  What they need are parents who aren't afraid to lay down the law and provide consequences for bad behaviour.  All kids are going to mess up occasionally but by providing rules and consequences for breaking the rules (starting at age 2, not when the kid starts going off the rails at 13), parents can nip a lot of bad behaviour in the bud before the kid gets too far out of hand.

Saturday, January 10, 2015

10 Items for the Prepared Minimalist

I am pretty much a minimalist (as well as a gear geek).  In no particular order, these are some of the things I pretty much can't live without:

  1. Good shoes.  I tend to walk a lot so one of the most important items I own is a good pair of shoes (or three, or four).  Lousy shoes can ruin your whole day so make sure the shoes you choose fit properly, are comfortable, are durable, and work well for your circumstances (ie: your Vibram Five Fingers might be acceptable on the trail but a bit out of place at a business meeting).  I tend to favor Merrill, Keen, and New Balance.  Brooks are OK.  Most other brands don't work well for me.
  2. A pocketknife.  I've had the same pocketknife (a Swiss Army Tinker) for decades and use it quite often.  I would be lost without this little item.
  3. A good pen.  Again, I am fairly particular in regards to items I use everyday so for pens, I favor the Pilot Precise v7 (they DON'T fly well) as well as the Zebra F 402.
  4. A good day pack.  I've tried fanny packs, I've tried messenger bags, I've carried briefcases and satchels.  Nothing compares to the usefulness of a good day pack.  I can toss in what I need and be set for the day or even for a month of travel.  I favor Gregory packs (and have quite the assortment to show for this) and use my day pack for everything from traveling around town (not usual to see in a tourist area like Las Vegas), to frequent hikes in the local mountains, to infrequent trips on a plane (I never check luggage so my day pack is quite convenient for carry-on travel).
  5. A cell phone.  Again, if I am purchasing an item to use everyday, it needs to be exceptional and not at all annoying.  My Galaxy Note 4 (I'm a huge Android fan) works perfectly all the time.  I don't even carry a camera with me any more as this phone takes great pictures.  Apps work great, and I love the big form factor (I can even read and edit documents on it in a pinch).
  6. A firearm.  While I have a collection of firearms and wouldn't want to part with any of them, a go-to firearm (IMHO) is a necessity.  In my case, it is a Sig Sauer P239 9mm.  I've had this particular pistol for so long that I've grown quite attached to it.  Other friends favor their Glocks or H & Ks, but for me, this is the one pistol I would happily carry into TEOTWAWKI.
  7. A thumb drive.  If my laptop were to be stolen or smashed to pieces, I am secure in the fact that my obsessive habit of backing up my files on a thumb drive kept on my key chain would allow me to walk into Best Buy, purchase a new device, and be back in business in a matter of minutes.  A thumb drive is one of life's necessities.
  8. Earbuds/headphones.  Unfortunately I have yet to discover the best earbuds/headphones but I am forever on the lookout for such an item.  I carry an adequate set of Skullcandy earbuds with me for the impromptu Skype conversation/Netflix movie on my cell phone while in public situations.  With prices for these items reaching the stratosphere, I don't want THE BEST that I can find but I would like a set that are: super small and portable, noise cancelling, not in-ear but possibly on-ear, and with exceptional sound.  
  9. The clothes you wear.  I guess I've met too many refugees and others who have fled literally "with only the clothes on their backs."  So when determining what to wear on a daily basis, my thoughts wander to "would I be able to fit into the situations I will encounter today/bug out/survive with only what I am wearing?".  Obviously people can survive with flip flops and Goodwill cast-offs, but being a minimalists, I like to have each item I own be superior in its own right.  This includes clothes as well.  Some examples: socks (Darn Tough), underwear (ExOfficio), pants (Outlier), shirts (Icebreaker), and jackets (Marmot).
  10. A laptop.  Again, I am still on the lookout for the *perfect* laptop.  Since this is an item I use for (literally) hours each day, I am quite picky as to what I use.  My current set up is a 14" HP i5 laptop which is portable enough but not really.  In addition (and after trying 10" netbooks and a random number of tablets) I also have an Asus Transformer T-100 laptop/tablet.  The Asus is a tiny 10"-er which is great for traveling (it can be both a tablet and a laptop) but the screen is way too small.  Since I am not an Apple fan, Macbook Airs aren't even under consideration although I know plenty of people who swear by them.  My current quest is to find a laptop with a 13" screen that is ultralight yet has a really good keyboard, an i7 processor, and can survive the daily rigors of being carted around in a day pack. 

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Are You Prepared for a Mass Shooting at Work?

A few decades ago, a mass shooting was a rare event.  These days it is happening with more and more frequency.  Yesterday's mass shooting in Paris is the most recent even to send the media into a frenzy and the general public into a minor panic.

I say minor because no one ever thinks such a thing will happen to them.  Yes, we know that it could happen but really, what are the odds?  Whether the shooter is a mentally ill person targeting children at school or religious terrorists striking in such a way as to receive the most media coverage possible, there is a very, very slight possibility that such a thing could happen to you.  Are you prepared?

Now I won't say that the office workers targeted in Paris weren't prepared--one of the people targeted even had his own police guard because there had been threats on his life and if you aren't even safe with someone guarding you then, well, there isn't much that I can say that would be of use.  However, for the average person, there are some things that can be done to prepare for such a scenario:

  • Always be on alert.  Be aware of your situation--where you are, who is around you, what is happening.  Most people wander around on auto pilot and someone could be pulling out at Uzi and the people walking by wouldn't even take notice of such a thing.
  • Be inconsistent.  Obviously this is easier for some people than others but being consistently inconsistent in your schedule and activities makes you, specifically, a more difficult target.
  • Make sure your workplace has a security plan.  The more comprehensive the plan, the better.
  • Carry a concealed firearm and know how to use it.  When it comes down to it, the (second) best response to someone shooting at you is for you to be able to shoot back.
  • I say that shooting back is the second best response because, if possible, your best response to an active shooter situation is for you to be able to escape immediately from the area.  Sometimes this is possible, sometimes it isn't, but by the time you get into a firefight, it's iffy if you will even survive such a confrontation.
  • Practice multiple responses to a mass shooter in your home/office/work area/etc.  Where would you hide?  How many ways could you escape?  Is there cover and concealment if you do need to take up a defensive shooting position?
  • If you are going to carry a firearm is it licensed?  Are you licensed to carry a concealed weapon?  Do you have extensive training not only the basics of using a firearm but using it in a tactical situation?  Do you practice tactical shooting on a regular basis?
  • Are you in good physical condition?  You can't run away from an active shooter if you can barely walk a block without having to stop and catch your breath.  You can't hide in certain advantageous places if you can't even squat down in a hidey hole without throwing out your back.  Plus, if you need to make a last ditch effort at saving yourself by physically attacking your attacker, the better condition you are in, the slightly better your chances are of being successful at this.
  • Always attempt to have multiple layers of security around you.  In the same way you want multiple layers of security at your home (a perimeter fence around your property, a couple of dogs in the yard, reinforced doors and locks on your home, an interior and exterior security system in your home, a safe room in your home), you want the same emphasis on multiple layers of security at work if possible (a guarded gate to get into the facility, a secure way to enter and exit the facility itself, securable interior spaces, etc).  Obviously this isn't possible in all types of employment scenarios, especially if you work with the public.
And here are a few more resources you should check out to prepare for such a scenario:
The bottom line is that anytime there is a workplace or school shooting, people aren't prepared because, psychologically, no one thinks it will happen to them.  Also, due to the randomness of such a situation, there is no step-by-step guide that can be given to you that says "if you follow this plan, you will be able to save yourself."  Each active shooter situation will be different necessitating variable responses depending on what is happening on a minute-by-minute basis.  A little practice and preparation on your part, however, can only be a positive thing in preparing you for the remote possibility of such an incident occurring at your workplace. 

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

20 Things to Carry With You at All Times

One of the subreddits I occasionally browse is the EDC page.  In some cases, I think that what people carry with them might be too minimal, in others, I'm wondering if what they carry isn't a bit of overkill, no pun intended.  These are the 20 items I always carry with me:

  1. Wallet (includes ID and a couple of credit/bank cards)
  2. Cash (usually $100-$200 in both large and small bills as well as some coins)
  3. Keys
  4. A tiny flashlight (similar to this, kept on my key chain)
  5. A tiny flash drive with all of my (encrypted) back-up files (also kept on my key chain)
  6. A pen (Pilot Precise v7)
  7. A notebook (Moleskine)
  8. A pocketknife (a Swiss Army knife I've had for decades)
  9. Floss (Glide, in a tiny, flat dispenser)
  10. Whistle (also on the key chain)
  11. Mini first aid kit (couple of band aids, alcohol wipe, packet of Tylenol)
  12. A Wet Wipe (individual packet)
  13. A couple of tissues
  14. A condom (non lubed; multiple emergency uses)
  15. A small lighter
  16. A couple of safety pins
  17. A rubber band
  18. A laminated list of emergency numbers (should my cell phone die)
  19. A Fresnel lens magnifying card (can be used to start a fire in an emergency, I use it to read print that is getting tinier by the year)
  20. Cell phone (currently a Note 4 which--IMHO--is the best phone on the market)
These are the basics that I have on me every day and can be carried in my pockets.  Since I wear sunglasses (this is Vegas after all) I wear them so they aren't on the list.  If I know I will be out all day, I take my daypack, and depending on the situation, I may add the following items: bottle of water, granola bar, firearm, and a hat.  If there is a chance I will pull off the road and go on an impromptu hike I will toss in my outdoor packet as well (Mylar survival blanket, sunscreen, paracord, small compass, poncho, couple of water purification tabs, bandana, etc).

Monday, January 5, 2015

If You Are Going to Be Driving On Snowy and Icy Roads...

...then here are some tips for you because this arctic blast thing is going to make driving (and all other outdoor activities in the hard hit areas) very dangerous.

  • Consider changing your plans.  The best way to avoid driving in dangerous conditions is, obviously, not to drive if possible.  If that isn't possible...
  • Be sure your car is in excellent condition.  Good tires, new wiper blades, engine in good working order, battery in good working order, washer fluid filled, antifreeze in the radiator, etc.
  • Have snow tires or carry tire chains.
  • Always keep the gas tank at least half full.
  • Keep adequate emergency supplies in your vehicle (tow rope, shovel, cat litter, flashlight and batteries, jumper cables, first aid kit, flares, good spare tire and jack, etc).
  • Keep survival supplies in your vehicle (water, food, blankets, extra clothes, spare medications, cell phone charger, etc).
  • Leave your itinerary with a responsible person who will begin a search if you turn up missing or overdue.
  • Know where you are going (don't just rely on your GPS), and don't take "short cuts", stick to major roads (lots of roads on maps could look like faster ways to get to your destination but they could be dangerous or impassible in the snow and ice).
  • Pay attention to the weather reports and adjust your travel plans or change your route as necessary.
  • Know how to drive in inclement weather (rain, snow, ice).  If you don't have these skills, practice in a safe area before heading out.
  • Don't drive like a maniac (slow down, be careful passing, keep lots of space between your vehicle and others, etc).
  • Try to drive during the day when you can see and when you are wide awake instead of at night.
  • Have some outdoor winter survival skills (obviously learn them before you head out in very bad weather). 
For more info on the topic check here, here, and here.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

8 Types of Security for Your Home

Guess I dodged a bullet as the "flu-ishness" from yesterday is now gone.  On to better topics...

Here's eight types of security to consider for your home:

  1. Security theater (ie: a 'beware of dog' sign even if you don't have a dog, a security system sign even if you don't have a security system, fake security cameras, etc).
  2. A dog, or two, or more.  The bigger and louder, the better.   
  3. Steel doors, bolt-locks, secure window locks...basically reinforce any opening into your home.
  4. Exterior security: fences, gates, floodlights, motion sensor lights, landscaping with an eye towards security (such as rose bushes planted under windows, etc).
  5. Interior security: lights and TVs on a random timer, safes, safe room, no items of importance (keys, wallets, laptops, etc) left within view of the windows.
  6. A do-it-yourself home security system (wireless systems can be purchased at home stores or electronics stores and can be set up yourself).  These can be cheap, moderately-priced, or expensive depending on the system you choose.
  7. Good security habits: always keep your doors and windows locked, don't make your home look like you have lots of expensive things inside, don't brag about your (coin, jewelry, etc) collection. 
  8. An elaborate security system from a vendor.  These will probably be monitored at at off-site location, may include security patrols, include a set-up fee and a monthly charge, and can be as generic or as elaborate as you choose to pay for.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Flu Season is in Full Effect

If you've been watching the news of late, you know that the flu season is in full swing.  The spouse was a bit under the weather last week and that quickly turned into the full-fledged flu (fever and chills, sore throat, headache, etc).  Recovery is taking its sweet time.  Today I feel like I am teetering on the brink of illness too and this is not good (I say, as I sound like I am hacking up a lung).  Meanwhile our guests are wisely keeping their distance from us.  Here's a few tips:

  • As I've outlined in the last couple of posts, everything is organized and staged in our house including a fairly comprehensive "sick kit" or first aid kit.  You don't want to drag your carcass out of your nice warm home when you are feeling sick as a dog to schlep down to the store to buy cold remedies, soup, tissue, etc.
  • There are antivirals available but they need to be administered right after symptoms start.  Many people don't receive antivirals because you need a prescription from a doctor to get them and they often wait a week or more before going to the doctor which makes them ineffective.  So while antiviral medication is an option (and no, it is not the same as antibiotics) many people don't get them.
  • So that leaves someone with the flu to treat the symptoms and suffer until the virus passes.  This means using Tylenol or Thera Flu or a variety of other medications on the market to treat the symptoms (reduce fever, tame a cough, etc), getting lots of rest, and pushing soup and other liquids to avoid dehydration.  A massive pile of Kleenex helps too.
  • Of course, anyone who is more susceptible to illness (pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, the very old, very young, or very ill) should see their doctor at the first onset of illness.
  • And others who think they will "tough it out" should not hesitate to see a physician for severe symptoms (difficulty breathing, very high fever, extreme weakness, signs of dehydration, etc).
  • While it is often recommended to get a flu shot, this year, for example, the vaccine was created for a different strain of flu than what is currently going around.

Friday, January 2, 2015

10 Tips When You Have Houseguests

We've just had yet another set of house guests arrive (actually it is more a group, two parents and two kids); these are just a few of many, many people we have hosted over the past couple of months.  Funny how no one wanted to come visit when we lived in rainy Seattle yet now that we live in sunny Las Vegas we have been overrun with people.  In fact, since we moved to Vegas we have hosted over a hundred people and our guest book continues to increase.

Over time we have developed a general set of rules, or tips, for dealing with all of these people...


  1. All guns, unless I have one on my person, get locked up, all medications get locked up, and anything else that can pose a danger gets locked up.  We tend to keep weapons in hidden yet easy to access locations around the house but when other people are here, especially people with kids, anything that can pose a danger gets locked up because there is no other way to ensure people's safety without doing this.
  2. We make it a habit to keep the pantry and the freezer well stocked since we often have unexpected or last minute guests and the last thing I want to do is run out to the grocery store every time someone shows up in order to feed them.  We often rotate our emergency food stockpile into our pantry as well.  All of this effort allows us to cook for one to a hundred people with no notice at all.
  3. When people let us know they are coming to visit I send them an email with the following info: our address (so they can GPS their way to our house when they arrive), a couple of cheaper car rental places (it's pretty much a rule that people who come to visit need a car since we now have only one vehicle and a pretty busy schedule), the password to our WiFi network (very important), our schedule (like I said, we keep a pretty busy schedule so this way everyone can plan based on ours--and their--schedule), my cell number and the spouse's cell number (most communication happens through email and Facebook these days so having these numbers in case of emergency is important), and any special requests (if people request something special--from certain groceries to show tickets--we try to help them out but it works out best when we have this info ahead of time instead of after their arrival).
  4. I make it a habit to secure the house before we leave the premises and before everyone goes to bed for the night (you never know when a guest will run outside and forget to lock the door on their way back in or open a window and forget to close and lock it).  This increases safety for everyone.
  5. We generally provide a handful of "services" then let the guests work out the rest for themselves.  We provide: a ride to and from the airport if necessary, laundry, the occasional tour (I've seen the Strip a bajillion times so usually let guests enjoy that attraction by themselves but if they want to do something specific like going for a hike at Red Rock, I will happily take them along with me), and all the food they can eat (we recommend that our guests enjoy the great buffets here and other nice restaurants but by providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner--or at least having these available since the spouse cooks All. The. Time.--we find this saves them a lot of money during their stay).
  6. I keep a list of things to do based on the weekend (National Finals Rodeo was here a few weeks ago, there are a few fun runs coming up, as well as other events such as First Friday) as well as generic stuff (the Fremont Experience always has stuff going on), and a list of specific activities for kids as well as specific activities based on things I know our guests enjoy so that our guests will have entertainment options when they come to visit.
  7. We ensure that the guest rooms have everything they need so again, there won't be any last minute runs to the store.  Things such as a small space heater, extra blankets, a second set of sheets for each room, and extra toiletries in case they forget something like a toothbrush are all stocked ahead of time and, per yesterday's blog post, restocked after the guests leave so the rooms will be ready for the next guests.
  8. We have subscriptions for House Seats, Fill a Seat, and Show Tickets for Locals which means that after paying for an annual subscription, we can get up to four free tickets for a wide variety of shows and provide these to our guests if they want them.
  9. Our house is so generically boring that it doesn't lend itself to being "cased".  Of course we generally know everyone who comes to visit but occasionally our visitors bring guests that we don't know.  The gun safes are hidden so unless people are specifically looking for them they won't find them.  Our electronics--from TVs to computers--are decidedly average and nothing that draws attention.  There is no clutter (bills, bank statement, and other mail are sorted and put away or shredded, not left lying around which prevents identity theft and nosiness), nothing of value is left laying around (these things are also locked up in a hidden safe), and all survival gear, food stockpiles, etc. are neatly organized and stored in tubs in what looks like a typical garage.  In other words, people who come to visit won't think "holy crap a survivalist lives here" or "holy crap whoever burglarizes this house is going to make a haul".
  10. We have a few regular guests that we trust implicitly who get keys to the house and an open invitation to drop in at any time (with a bit of forewarning, of course, so I don't think someone is breaking into the house).  
All of these rules allow us to host loads of people with ease...it all comes down to preparedness.

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Happy New Year! Let's Talk About Staging Your Gear

One of my new year's resolutions (one of the few since I have pretty much given up on the efficacy of said resolutions but anyway...) is to blog daily here (a big improvement over the past couple months).  So off we go!

First, Happy New Year!  I hope this is the beginning of a prosperous, healthy, and interesting new year for you.

And now our first topic of the year...staging your stuff for ease of use and efficiency.

I headed out at daybreak for my morning run this morning (sadly, I have been slacking on this for the past couple of months as well) and thought about how easy it was for me to jump out of bed and be on the trail quickly and with a minimum of effort.  The reason for this is that my running gear, like everything else of importance, is already staged so all I need to do is go to my closet and, since everything is organized and easy to get to, gear up and be out the door in minutes.

This is a good lesson for all parts of your life.  If you are in your home office working on a project you don't want to have to stop and run around the house looking for the scissors, put everything on hold and run to the office store because you ran out of printer ink, or email a half dozen people to find someone's contact info because you wrote it on a scrap of paper and it is...somewhere.

The same is true for your camping equipment, bug out gear, travel stuff, etc.  If you keep all of your stuff organized in the same area, where it is easy to grab and go, you save yourself a lot of time and excess effort.  I no longer even have a bug out bag.  Instead, I just go to my closet (it's a big closet plus my daily wear clothes and shoes only take up about two linear feet of space leaving the rest of the closet for my sporting/survival gear), pick up a backpack, and fill it with whichever kits I need for the occasion (toiletry kit, international travel kit, office kit, backpacking food kit, wilderness survival kit, first aid kit, appropriate clothes and shoes, etc).  This entire process takes less than five minutes and I am ready to go anywhere from across the city to across the world.

Here's a few important reminders about staging your gear:

  • Put things back where they belong (you want to be able to grab and go in the dark if necessary and you can't do this if you don't know where things are).
  • Keep a list of what goes into each kit (this makes it easier to remember everything when you are repacking).
  • Refine your lists and your gear continually.  When you get back from a trip, a hike, a run, etc. is the best time to determine what stuff works and what you want to get rid of and replace.
  • Repack as soon as you get back from a trip.  Don't dump your stuff back into your closet when you get back from a hike and forget about it until next time.  Instead, as soon as you get back, don't put your stuff back into your closet until it has been cleaned, refilled, and repacked.  This way you will ready to pick up your stuff on a moment's notice and leave.