What's In Your Go Bag?

Not to be confused with a BOB, here's what's in my Go Bag--a bag I carry with me everyday:

• A day pack. I'm still looking for a good bag. I found this in the garage, probably left by one of the kids. When I was driving (I mostly take public transportation to commute now) I would carry a briefcase. When I decided to commute via bus and train, I switched to a messenger bag, the weight of which nearly did in my rotator cuff. So I switched to a backpack in order to distribute the weight better when I walk. I have yet to find a good pack that looks professional, is padded but not too padded and is big enough but not too big.


• A bottle of water. I bring this from home instead of purchasing one every day. A better option would be to carry a refillable Nalgene bottle.


• Umbrella. This one is a bit big but the really small portable ones are flimsy pieces of crap.


• Date book. Also found in the garage, I switched to a smaller calendar (I can't function with the electronic calendars--I need paper) from a larger-sized one to save weight and space.


• Note pad and pen. I guess I could ditch the leather binder to save weight but it protects the paper from getting mangled.


• Book. Something to keep me occupied during the commute. I pick up books on sale at B & N or on the sale table at the library.


• Business cards. Always need to have these on hand.


• Jump drive. I back up all of my files on this drive weekly so if I know I will have access to a computer in a client's office I can use the files on the drive and not lug around my travel laptop.


• Bus pass/building pass. I buy a monthly bus pass (which I laminate to avoid premature destruction). and also carry a pass card for one of my client's secure offices.


• Keys. For the home, office, and car that I hardly drive anymore.


• Ear buds. These allow me to listen to music or the radio on my phone as well as talk hands free.


• Mini hygiene kit. The basics--toothpaste and toothbrush and also a small bottle of suntan lotion (you never know when a friend will want to head out on his boat after a business lunch).


• Granola bar. Never know when you will get hungry and need a small snack to tide you over.


• Wallet. Full of the basics--drivers license, concealed carry permit, other ID, credit cards, etc.


• Camera and the Altoids can it fits in. This Pentax Optio camera is the best digital camera I have owned, it also fits nicely into the Altoids can. Took the picture with a new Olympus digital camera but I still like the Pentax better.


• Laptop and cord. This is a 12" Dell that a client gave me as a bonus. It is smaller than the laptop I use as my desktop in my office so I tend to carry this one if needed. It still weights a ton--I may have to check into the Mac Book Air.


• Office supplies that I carry in a Ziploc bag. These include a mini stapler, stamps, pen, highlighter, mini permanent marker, and paper clips.


• Jacket. This is a super lightweight Nike jacket for when it gets cool and I am still out. I like it because it folds up super small and also has glow in the dark strips to keep me visible when I am walking at night.


• Daily carry pack. Click here for an explanation.


• Sunglasses. For obvious purposes.


• Not pictured: .380 which I always carry concealed on my person and cell phone which I always carry on my belt.


• Also bring occasionally: documents in a folder for work if needed.

That's about all I carry with me on a daily basis. Since I have started commuting, the only thing I really miss is having my BOB with me at all times (I have one BOB in my house and a smaller version in my office but I may not always be in these two locations). Of course this is a go bag for an urban/suburban environment so it may be different from what is carried in a rural or very remote environment. Also, contents are subject to change without notice--I am continually refining what I bring with me both for weight and usefulness purposes.

10 Good Things About the Tanking Economy

There's no limit to the whining about how our economy is tanking--just look at any financial website or turn on the evening news. Here's some reasons why it may actually be a good thing:

1. We're "going green". When you drive less, you use less gas and therefore cut emissions from cars. When you shop less, you buy less, and therefore don't need all of the packaging and plastic bags that go along with your purchases.
2. We're getting healthier. Many people are walking more, maybe riding their bicycles to work, eating out less...all things that lead to better health.
3. We are getting an economic reality check. When the economy is booming, it's possible to live on credit, get an interest-only mortgage, and lease a car that is way out of your league. Finally our economy is slapping some financial sense into people.
4. Frugality is coming back in style. In the late '90s and early 2000s frugality was laughed at even though all previous generations in our country survived by these very skills. Now people are re-learning the value of frugality--more by necessity than choice.
5. We're spending more time with our families. People are traveling less, shopping less, staying home more, and undoubtedly getting to know those other people living in their homes a little better.
6. We're less wasteful. When food costs shoot up exponentially, we are more conscious of the food that gets thrown away and therefore prone to be less wasteful.
7. All of our preparedness efforts seem justified. The public may panic over food shortages, sub-prime mortgages, and gas prices while the prepared folks just kick back and watch their disaster mitigation plans go into affect.
8. We're putting our creativity to work. People's creativity tends to expand when their comfort level decreases. If people are fat and happy, there is no need to fix a problem with creativity. If you are uncomfortable, however, you tend to use your creativity to come up with ways to alleviate uncomfortable situations.
9. We are realizing the value of cold, hard cash. Being up to your eyeballs in debt while the dollar is shrinking and the credit market is tightening is not a pretty place to be. All of the sudden, using real cash makes a whole lot of sense.
10. Our priorities are getting back in line. Previously, many people's priorities were name brands, restaurant meals, vacations on credit, and shopping themselves into oblivion. Now our priorities are taking care of the family, putting food on the table, paying bills, and cutting out the non-essentials.

Obviously, if you can honestly afford to keep up the lifestyle you have become accustomed to, there is no harm in it. If, however, like many Americans, you have been living in a la-la land dreamed up by marketers and credit companies, the current economic situation in our country may actually be a blessing in disguise.

If You Must Watch TV...

Ideally you would be spending your time in activities that will make you more likely to survive the next disaster such as exercising, working in your garden, reading, taking a class, etc. But if you must watch TV, you might as well watch something useful. Here's some ideas:

• Mega Disasters
• Man Versus Wild
• How It's Made
• It Takes a Thief
• Mythbusters
• The Dave Ramsey Show
• Survivorman
• Ninja Warrior
• Unbeatable Bansuke
• This Old House
• Nova
• Forensic Files

I guess you can tell that I mostly watch the Discovery and the History channels. Of course this is TV so you really can't believe everything you see here but at least these shows will give you some preparedness/survival tips and ideas. Happy viewing.
p.s. If you do watch TV and use an antenna on your roof or rabbit ears to acquire your TV signal, you will need to buy a set top converter box prior to February of next year when televisions in the US stop broadcasting in analog and begin broadcasting in digital. Go to http://www.dtv.gov/ for more information and a coupon to purchase the converter.

Link Round up--Interesting Stuff from the Web

Once again I am cleaning out my favorites file and have a bundle of links that are interesting but don't really fit anywhere. Here they are:

• Random Facts But All True http://www.thecryptmag.com/Online/29/RandomFacts.html
• A Video Game That Teaches AP Level Immunology http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/29/198238&from=rss
• The Price of Food 2007 vs 2008 http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Content.asp?ContentID=230814
• 10 Things to Do in Europe That Will Make You Smarter http://matadortrips.com/10-things-to-do-in-europe-that-will-make-you-smarter/
• 30+ Tools for Cheap and Convenient Air Travel http://mashable.com/2008/06/17/tools-for-cheap-air-travel/

25 Important Documents to Keep in a Safe Location

When TSHTF or even a minor disaster occurs, you will usually need to provide a variety of documents before receiving help from FEMA, your insurance company, the Red Cross, or other agencies providing assistance. Even if you don't deal with these agencies, it is a good idea to keep the following documents safe but easily accessible:

1. Birth Certificates for all family members
2. Marriage/divorce certificates
3. Adoption Paperwork
4. Wills for each Adult
5. Living Will/Financial Power of Attorney/Medical Power of Attorney for each Adult
6. List of all financial accounts (Bank, Savings, Investment, etc)
7. Personal Information file for each family member (social security number, birth date, diplomas, etc.)
8. Real Estate Deeds/mortgages
9. Car titles
10. Tax records
11. Insurance policies
12. Passport for each family member
13. Debt/credit account information
14. Original social security cards
15. Medical history/allergies/medications/doctor’s info for each family member
16. DD214/military paperwork
17. Citizenship documents
18. Business documents (incorporation papers, business licenses, etc)
19. Credit reports
20. Stock/bond certificates
21. A complete home inventory
22. Historical family items (photos, genealogy records, etc)
23. Receipts for major purchases
24. All computer files backed up on a jump drive
25. Any other document that would be difficult or impossible to replace (foreign birth certificates, employment documents, etc)

If you are taking care of your parents, you may want to have them fill out this document (http://www-tc.pbs.org/wgbh/caringforyourparents/handbook/pdf/cfyp_imp_doc.pdf ) so you will know where to find their important documents.

DPT--Always Carry a Camera

I don't know when I started carrying a camera with me but it has been a part of my "Go Bag" for years. Whether you carry a camera on your cellphone (most phones have cameras now), a small digital camera, or if you are a photographers and carry a high end camera and a bundle of lenses, always having a camera near can come in handy. Here's how:

• to document a car accident
• to take photos of your rental car before you leave the lot to document any damage you don't want attributed to you
• to photograph once in a lifetime event (tornado, fire, other disaster)
• to take photos for your website or blog
• to take pictures of friends and family members
• to remind yourself of "to do's" (ie: photos of the roof that needs cleaned, the yard that needs some landscaping, etc)
• to document ideas you may want to remember later (ie: photos of a display at the home show, or photos of the kitchen in a model home)
• to photograph gift ideas (in other words if you want your spouse to get you a specific item, a picture is worth a thousand words)
• to take photos of important documents or other evidence you my need later
• to photograph a crime scene
• to take action shots (at the fight, football game, shooting range, etc)
• to document the big catch--a huge fish or buck, for example, before it is turned into freezer-sized packages
• to take an impromptu photo of you and someone famous (surprisingly this has happened to me a half dozen times over the past few years)
• to document damage (a broken window, a broken watch, or a broken nose)

How To Beat the Heat

It's a bit toasty here today which made me reminisce about how homes were kept cool in the "olden" days.

New-fashioned way to keep your home cool:

• close all of the windows and doors
• turn on the central air
• stay home all day and you won't even know it is hot outside

Old-fashioned way to keep your home cool:

• site your home to take advantage of natural cooling and heating (a nice southern exposure is good here in the US)
• insulate your home to keep the home at a more steady temperature (thus the use of adobe in the southwest)
• plant deciduous trees to shade your home in the summer
• open windows and doors when it is cool to allow the cooler air to come into your home
• close the windows and drapes on the "hot" side of the house during the heat of the day
• cook in the morning when it is cool then eat salads and cold sandwiches during the hottest part of the day
• put a blanket down under the shade tree and relax outside
• set up a portable fan
• turn off lights and heat-generating appliances
• hang out in the cooler part of the house (possibly the basement or the shadier side of the house) during the heat of the day