101 Ways You Are Being Tracked

The recent release of the NSA spying documents is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways that you are being tracked.  Consider your activities and how they can be tracked via:

1. Cell phone usage
2. Smartphone apps
3. Cell phone cloning
4. Social media post/tweets/etc
5. Items you buy with store rewards cards
6. Items you buy online
7. Items you buy with credit/debit cards
8. Your car's GPS system/On Star system
9. Your library activity (recorded via your library card)
10. Your internet (ISP) activity
11. Red-light/traffic cameras
12. Private, public, and government security cameras
13. People with cell phones recording your activities
14. Your passport and other RFID-chipped cards
15. Your banking activity
16. Your casino player's card
17. Facial recognition software
18. DNA
19. Microchips (ie: in your pets)
20. Biometrics (for work/banking.etc purposes)
21. Public sound surveillance systems
22. Computer cameras and microphones
23. Public transit cameras
24. PC printer/copier machine tracking
25. Digital camera GPS tracking
26. Fingerprints (for Concealed Carry license, etc)
27. Online public records 
28. Online forums, comment activity
29. Your website/blog/Facebook page, etc
30. The emails you send
31. The search engines you use
32. The web browser you use
33. The torrents/videos/etc you stream/download (ie: Netflix activity)
34. The organizations you participate in/join/volunteer for
35. Cookies and caches on your computer/smartphone
36. Credit reporting agencies
37. The wi-fi networking in our homes (everything from PlayStation usage to networked lights and thermostats)
38. Google Earth and other satellite tracking systems
39. Medical records (irrespective of HIPPA)
40. Dental records 
41. Airports (flight records, TSA searches and body scans, etc)
42. Public transit and toll pass card records
43. ATM usage
44. License plate recognition systems
45. Border crossing automated record systems
46. Unusual financial transaction reports (SARCs, Form 8300, and other government mandated reports)
47. PayPal, eBay, and other online financial activities
48. Everything that falls into the SHODAN search engine
49. Any barcoded activity (from your VIN # to your employee ID badge to your luggage)
50. Activity trackers for your car provided for a "discount" on your auto insurance
51. The black box in your car
52. Any cyber stalking activity (ranging from a hidden camera in your home to hacking into your computer or online accounts)
53. Online accounts where you provide personal information (dating websites, Linked In and Monster, etc)
54. Malicious software downloaded to your computer
55. Anything you leave in "the cloud"
56. All account information (from your online comment account for your local newspaper to your online utility accounts)
57. Your utility usage
58. Charities you donate to
59. Collected personal information sold by data brokers
60. Anything that can be found online by Googling you
61. Any activity that triggers social security number usage (from Medicare payments to government pensions, etc)
62. IRS/tax collection information
63. Data collected from your employer (everything from attendance records to performance reviews)
64. Keylogging software on your computer/browsing history stored on your computer/etc
65. Caller ID
66. Insurance claims/disability claims/etc.
67. Any legal actions by/against you (lawsuits, tickets, fines, criminal records, etc)
68. Firearms registration
69. School records
70. Your investment history (401k, stock purchases, etc)
71. Any surveys you participate in (census, consumer survey, psych evals for work, etc)
72. Crowd scanning data (everything from chemical surveillance at a football game to photographic records by law enforcement at big events)
73. Government data collection (Fusion centers, Echelon, PRISM, Carnivore, etc)
74. Any interaction you have with the government (jury duty, college loans, government-backed mortgages, etc)
75. Anything put online by or about you (from naked pictures to viral videos of poor behavior)
76. Any job you apply for
77. Any gathering you partake in (from hacker conferences to football games to "subversive" gatherings)
78. Data collected by any "service" you join (from the military to AmeriCorp to FEMA, etc)
79. Anything you create on your computer
80. Everything you buy that's traceable (whether by payment type, store security video, etc)
81. Any debts you owe 
82. The people you hang around with (maybe you aren't under surveillance but they are)
83. Your habits (a daily Starbucks addiction, a penchant for strip clubs, etc)
84. Any surveillance or data collection done by your employer
85. Tattoos, scars, or other markings that permanently identify you
86. Data collected by companies on your shopping habits (Amazon for example)
87. Any prescription medications you require
88. Records kept for anything you rent (apartment, storage unit, car, tools, heavy equipment, etc)
89. Any "subversive" group you belong to (can be anything from your local shooting club to the local mosque)
90. Any odd/unusual behavior that is noted by neighbors, coworkers, etc.
91. Random checkpoints (DUI checkpoints, traffic stops when the police are looking for a fugitive, etc)
92. Any documents/items found in your trash or your shredder
93. Through friends, family, and associates (if someone wants to find you, this is often their first stop)
94. Through professional societies, school alumni groups, etc.
95. Through licensure (from the basic--driver's license--to the professional--DEA license)
96. Through subscription services (from Netflix and magazine subscriptions to CSAs and online subscriptions)
97. Through your children (everything from consent forms to school/CPS/children's club activities)
98. Through your spouse (your spouse often needs to list you on financial/business/other official records whether you know/approve of it or not)
99. Rebates, warranties, service contracts, and other information you provide to businesses
100. Your religious affiliation
101. By your shoe prints, tire marks, etc (crime scene investigators can use this information to great effect)

NSA Leak 101

Here's some stuff you should know about the recent leak of NSA spying documents (yep, the NSA is spying on YOU).

• In a nutshell, this is what happened.
• And another article on the NSA spying program.
• This is the guy who did it.
• These are the leaked documents.
• Why the big deal (tldr; unchecked government spying on innocent people flies in the face of your 4th amendment rights)
• Restore the Fourth (4th Amendment protests being planned for the 4th of July complements of Reddit)
• A Change.org petition to pardon Snowden can be found here.
• Ron Paul's take on the situation (here, here, and here).
• Social media and the NSA leak:  Reddit, Twitter, more from Twitter, more from Reddit
• Is Snowden a hero or a traitor?

It's Wildfire Season, Prepare Accordingly

While some of the country is battling massive rainstorms and flooding, for folks in the west, it is time to get ready for wildfire season.  Here's some tips:

• If you have a lawn, keep it mowed and watered (a tall, dried out lawn is much more likely to catch fire and/or help encourage a fire that is heading towards your property).
• Keep the land around your home/detached garage/out buildings/propane tank/etc. cleared (this will serve as a buffer against wildfires).
• Keep your gutters and roof clean and clear of all debris.
• Don't store firewood next to your house/garage/outbuilding; you should have a separate wood storage area away from the house for this.
• Dead or dying trees/shrubs/other vegetation should be cleared immediately (not only is this a hazard during wind/ice storms but dead trees easily fuel wildfires as well).
• Have a plan to evacuate your home in the event of a wildfire (this includes having a BOB on hand as well as a few planned routes out of your neighborhood).
• Be able to evacuate via a variety of means in the event of a wildfire (by car, by motorcycle, by bicycle, on foot, etc).
• Have a plan for evacuating your pets and livestock in the event of a wildfire.
• Consider fire-resistant landscaping around your home.
• Use common sense when burning outdoors (ie: if it is dry and windy, reconsider your need to burn the brush pile or have an outdoor barbecue).
• Be sure your children don't have access to matches and lighters (and be sure older teens know when it is safe/not safe to burn outdoors).
• Make sure your chimney has been cleaned recently and it has a spark arrester on it.
• Have the means to fight a small fire yourself (fire extinguisher, long garden hose, buckets for water, rakes and shovels, etc).
• If you are living in an area that is prone to wildfires/where an active wildfire is burning, stay tuned to local news for info on when and if to evacuate.
• Make sure the fire department can respond to your home (keep driveways clear, make sure your home is well marked, make sure your driveway is wide enough for emergency vehicles, etc).
• If you must evacuate and have time, be sure to close and lock all windows and doors, water your roof and lawn, shut off your gas or propane, etc).
• If you see a fire, call 911 and report it immediately; you can always cancel the response if necessary, but if you are fighting a fire, you want professional back-up on its way ASAP.

10 Summer Safety Tips

Summer is coming up for most of us (well, at least those of us not in upper New York state...).  Here's some safety tips to remember:

1. Drowning doesn't look like drowning so think water safety anytime you are near a river, lake, ocean, etc.
2. Watch your pets (and small kids) around wildlife (example here).
3. Never use gasoline to start your barbecue grill, bonfire etc. (example here).
4. Beware of burglars (summer is prime time for home burglaries).
5. Don't drink and drive (alcohol is often served at beaches, barbecues, and other summer events...that's no excuse for drinking and driving).  Watch this, have your kids watch this too.
6. Prepare for summer wildfire season (tips here).
7. Prepare ahead and avoid sunburn/heat stroke (example here).
8. And keep your kids--from small kids to older teenagers--supervised (their brains aren't fully developed until they are in their early 20's, which means stuff like this happens).
9. Remind your kids about stranger danger (tips here).
10. Don't leave your kids or your pets (or anyone else for that matter) in a car during hot weather (this is all too common during summer months).

50 Things About Tornados

If you missed the news, there was a huge (EF5!) tornado in Moore, Oklahoma a few days ago.  While the town begins clean up and wraps up search and rescue operations, here are 50 things to consider about tornadoes:

1. While there is such a thing as Tornado Alley, tornadoes can happen pretty much anywhere so everyone should know what to do in the event of a tornado.
2. Anyone living in an area prone to tornadoes or other weather-related emergencies should have a NOAA-approved weather radio.
3. Always have your BOB ready to grab and go at a moment's notice (see the after photos of Moore, OK and then think about what you would wear or eat in the aftermath of such an event.  Hint: it will be located in your BOB).
4. Know what your local area has planned in the event of a tornado.  Most tornado-prone areas have special news broadcasts, tornado sirens, info on tornado shelters, etc.  You need to know about all of this stuff AHEAD of time.
5. Follow the news prior to and up to the disaster (afterwards as well but this may not be possible).  When I am in the midst of a possible disaster I have CNN on, the local news on, the weather station on, Twitter up on my computer screen, NOAA up on my computer screen, etc.
6. Heed the warnings.  When we spent a spring in Georgia it was nearly habit to get in the basement every time the newscaster came on and said "ya'll better head for the basement now".  This happened multiple times during a particularly short period of time a couple of years ago.
7. Monitor social media.  Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, etc will probably have more timely updates than the standard TV and newspaper media outlets.
8. Hold regular tornado drills with your family so everyone will now what to do in the event of a tornado.
9. Realize that after a disaster your communication options will be limited.  Cell phones probably won't work, text messages may not either, wi fi networks will be down, land lines will be down.  When a whole city is wiped out, your communications options may be limited to satellite phones (rare that people have these), HAM radios (yes you should have one and know how to use it), and sending a runner to the nearest manned disaster station.
10. Fortunately disaster response has improved exponentially over the past decade.  In most places in the US, a coordinated disaster response will be set up shortly after the danger passes.
11. Before a tornado strikes you will need to seek shelter--in a basement or cellar is best (provided you aren't in an area that could flood), in a bathroom is OK, in an interior closet is OK, in your car isn't OK).
12. If you are out in the open when a tornado strikes, lay down flat in the lowest-lying area you can find and cover yourself as best as possible.
13. While you are sheltering, cover yourself with things that can protect you as you may look up during the tornado and everything--roof, walls, etc--could be gone.  Put on a motorcycle helmet, cover yourself with a mattress or a heavy blanket, put on a bicycle helmet...all of these things will provide extra protection between you and falling wood/metal/debris.
14. Don't try to drive home from work or drive to your children's school if a tornado is bearing down on you.  You simply won't make it and will be even less protected in your car than you would be in your home or office.
15. Get your insurance coverage in order now--life, health, auto, home.  All could come into play after a disaster.
16. Prepare your home for a tornado: tie down heavy furniture, secure your home to the foundation and reinforce the roof per code, glue down glass knick knacks on shelves so they won't go flying, etc.
17. Prepare the exterior of your home for a tornado: before a tornado hits bring in anything that could fly away (patio furniture, planters, the barbecue grill, etc), remove old or dead trees so they don't become a hazard, etc.  Here's more info on the topic from FEMA.
18. Take a bit of time now to make a video home inventory of everything you own.  Save this video on a flashdrive and put this in your BOB or backed up in the cloud (you will need this for your insurance claims after the disaster).
19. If you live in a tornado-prone area, plan ahead with neighbors for such an event.  Who has basements where those without could shelter?  Who can take care of the elderly or children left at home by themselves when a tornado is coming?
20. Consider where you fall on this map of tornado strikes since 1950.
21. Consider your transportation options after a disaster.  As you can see from the photos of the tornado-struck area, cars are buried and roads are impassible.  Having a bicycle or motorcycle (and a way to fix multiple flat tires since the roads are covered with debris) may be a good option.
22. If your city has tornado shelters, physically go and take a look at them so you will know exactly where they are located.
23. Consider storing survival supplies in a basement or cellar.  Generally when there is major destruction coming it is good to put supplies in an outbuilding (less debris to hunt through afterwards to get your stuff) but in the case of a tornado out buildings are usually demolished and blown away...along with everything stored inside them.
24. Among other items to stockpile in your basement: bottled water, canned/no prep food, medications, etc.
25. After a tornado you will want to have clean up supplies on hand: work gloves, goggles, hard hat, tarps, rope, duct tape, etc.
26. Be able to signal for help if needed (a whistle is an item everyone should have with them, spray paint will allow you to make a big sign requesting help very quickly).
27. Be prepared to camp out after a tornado (as you can see from the after photos, there were no structures left standing in a large swath of the town after the tornado went through).
28. Also be prepared to stay at a shelter if they are available or pay your way to stay in a hotel should your home become uninhabitable.
29. Realize that looters can be an immediate problem after any type of disaster--tornadoes included (thus the reason people camp out on their property instead of going to a shelter; an adequate way to protect yourself and your property would be required).
30. And scammers can be a problem after a disaster as well, unfortunately.
31. Immediately after a tornado, determine if first aid is needed by anyone.  Assist with this if possible or evacuate the person a medical facility.
32. Also after a tornado, check your home for damage (if it is damaged you may need to leave your home immediately), also check for broken gas or water mains (which also means you will need to evacuate).
33. Watch where you walk after a tornado--hazards range from nails and metal that you could impale your foot with to downed power lines that are still live and could electrocute you.
34. Be careful if you need to conduct a full-on rescue of trapped people.  Helping someone out of the wreckage of their home can be easy (they simply need physical help to get over small obstacles) or deadly (they are trapped and the entire structure could fall down and trap you as well; in this case wait for professionals to arrive).
35. Realize that the police car or fire engine passing by may not stop to help.  After large disasters, many first responders are sent to survey the entire disaster scene before they provide assistance.  Obviously this shouldn't stop you from signalling for help if help is needed, it is just a reason that they may not stop.
36. Be sure your office/worksite has a tornado plan if you are located in a tornado-prone area (this is a good place to start).
37. Also be sure your children's school has a tornado plan (ditto).
38. And for your own home, this prep sheet should help.
39. After a tornado, find out what resources are available.  Often the Red Cross will set up shelters and mobile units to provide food, water, and shelter for those left homeless.  Note that "finding out what's available" could mean walking to the other side of town since all other ways to receive news and information could be gone. 
40. After a tornado file an insurance claim with your car insurance company if needed and your house insurance company.
41. Depending on the type and range of a disaster, finding people afterwards can be difficult.  Having a place for your entire family to meet after a disaster is a good idea (which can be much more difficult if the entire town and all of its landmarks are wiped away).
42. Other options for finding people after a tornado or other disaster include: Safe and Well and Google Person Finder.
43. Google also has a useful Crisis Response page for disasters.
44. In the aftermath of a disaster, you may want to contact the Red Cross (for a variety of types of assistance) as well as FEMA (for assistance after a disaster) or your state/local Department of Emergency Management.
45. If you want to help victims of a disaster, you can give blood or donate money (only to reputable agencies! Scammers come out of the woodwork after such an event and would be only too happy to rip you off).  This gives you an idea of reputable agencies who are responding to the tornado area/victims.
46. What you don't want to do to help is drive yourself to the disaster area and jump into the fray--you will become yet another person that disaster response teams will need to deal with.  Should you want to be able to respond personally to a disaster, sign up with a reputable agency (Red Cross, FEMA, Mercy Corps, etc), get trained, then if needed, get deployed with the full backing and support of those in the first responder community.
47. Realize that the disaster will fade from the news in a few days but recovery and clean up will last for months, sometimes years.  Cleaning up, getting insurance money, rebuilding...all of these things take time and a lot of effort.  The more self-sufficient you can be during this time (financially, physically, etc), the better.
48. Don't scrimp on insurance.  Full coverage auto insurance will pay for your car that was blown into the next county, renter's insurance will cover the loss of all of your belongings as well as a temporary place to stay, home owner's insurance is invaluable to getting the funds to rebuild (make sure your insurance covers the disasters most likely to happen where you live!).
49. Sometimes, you just need to rely on instinct.
50. Never stop preparing.  The things you learned in first aid class could save a life, the HAM radio you play with on the weekends with your buddies could become a lifeline in a disaster, the ammo you reload could save your life.  Prepping, planning, and most important--practicing--is a daily thing, not a thing to be needed during a once in a lifetime disaster event.

25 Skills to Practice This Summer

Summer is a great time to practice a bunch of survival skills.  Obviously the ability to perform a variety of survival skills in the dead of winter, in the middle of a storm--basically under least optimal conditions--is crucial, getting the hang of these skills under more optimal conditions (namely in the summer) is a good idea.  Here's some things to learn/practice:

1. Geocaching (no better way to learn how to use your GPS device).
2. Camping/hiking/backpacking (how to survive without running water, electricity, etc is a necessary skill).
3. Fishing (catch your own food).
4. Swimming (a vital skill that everyone should know).
5. Growing your own food (a great way to produce food on the cheap and develop a useful skill).
6. Preserving the harvest (can you can, freeze, pickle, and otherwise preserve your own food for future use?).
7. Walking (there are plenty of people who can't walk more than a couple of miles.  Regular nice, long walks are great for your health as well as survival in some situations when you need to evacuate on foot).
8. Shooting (I'm becoming more of a fair-weather shooter as the years go by).
9. Distance bike/canoe/kayak trip (being able to cart yourself a long distance under your own steam is a valuable skill).
10. Home improvement projects (to develop self sufficiency skills and save money).
11. Barbecuing (learning how to cook over an open flame is both useful and tasty).
12. Shelter building (this could be something as simple as building a chicken coop or a garden shed).
13. Plant and tree identification (can you identify which plants in your area are poisonous? which can be used for medicine? which ones are edible enough to add to your usual meals?).
14. Raising animals for food (chickens and rabbits are easiest; pigs and cows much more complicated).
15. Boy Scout merit badge stuff (can you tie a variety of knots, navigate by the stars, etc?).
16. HAM radio (summer is a great time for HAM Fests).
17. First aid (your local Red Cross, DEM, fire department, etc. usually offer a variety of first aid classes--a set of critical skills you should know and practice).
18. Making money (extra cash is always useful; hold a garage sale, sell stuff on CraigsList, mow lawns and challenge yourself to do other things to raise a set amount of cash).
19. Do preventive maintenance things (clean your guns, sharpen your knives, change the oil in your car, etc).
20. Master a new skill (make cheese, knit a sweater, reload your own ammo; the more skills you can add to your repertoire, the better).
21. Revamp your BOB (not a skill necessarily but a continual opportunity for improvement and preparedness).
22. Conduct drills: fire drills, lock-down drills, evacuation drills, etc.
23. Entertain yourself without electricity (this is, surprisingly, a useful skill as when the power goes out, people have absolutly no idea how to entertain themselves without a working cell phone/TV/computer/etc.  Play cards, read a book, whittle a figure, etc).
24. Develop a hobby (be known as the guy who can: build a bird house, make a robot, make his own moccasins, etc.  Hobbies are useful for developing useful skills, creating another stream of income, entertaining the kids, amusing the neighbors, killing time, etc).
25. Travel (make your summer vacation a survival-worthy adventure.  The further off the beaten track you go, the more survival lessons you can learn).

Your Disaster Recovery Kit

As the last couple of weeks has shown, disasters can happen anywhere and at anytime.  While there is a small chance that you could become a victim of the disaster (either killed or injured), there is a far more likely chance that you will be on the periphery of the disaster and will end up less in survival mode and more in recovery mode.  Here are the items you need to respond immediately after a disaster:

• A BOB (you may end up displaced from your home and need to evacuate).
• A vehicle with a full tank of gas (ditto...and gas stations will probably be closed).
• Heavy, steel-toed work boots (necessary for rescue and clean up after a disaster when the ground is covered with nails/pieces of metal/other things that can pierce regular shoes).
• Heavy, leather work gloves (ditto).
• Multiple communication tools (a cell phone and a portable HAM radio, for example).
• Appropriate training (basic first aid is a must, search and rescue training is also a good skill to have).
• Bottled water (rescue and clean up is hard work...keep hydrated).
• Portable food (ditto).
• Wet wipes and alcohol hand cleaner (sanitation is important in a disaster area)
• Breaker bar and other basic tools (useful for wedging open stuck doors, etc).
• Bigger tools (such as a chainsaw, a wench on your truck, and other items for major rescue/clean up).
• Giant Sharpie marker (for leaving info on the wall about evacuation, help needed, etc).
• Cash (ATMs probably won't be working).
• Hard hat, goggles, ear plugs, etc (ie: things to protect you while you search through rubble).
• Clean up items: tarp, rope, duct tape, bleach, towels and rags, shovels, rubber gloves, PPEs, etc.
• Situational awareness: know the area you are working in and be aware of fire/electrical/chemical/biological/other hazards that could adversely affect you.