Enduring Disasters While On The Road
My hometown newspaper carried this story from the county's emergency management coordinator who was visiting the Washington, D.C. area during last week's derecho. He makes some very good points about what to expect in a grid down environment, and what you can do when you travel to help prepare you for that possibility.
In my new job, I will be traveling quite a bit. I will really focus on preparing for such contingencies in the coming weeks.
Getting Kids Involved in Preparedness
Tonight, we had the family of one of my wife's co-workers over for dinner. They are very nice people, and perhaps more importantly, they are "awake" to what's going on around us.
We spent a fair amount of time this evening letting their kids play with my Airsoft gun. We talked a few minutes about gun safety, about how semiautomatics work, and then the kids (and the other adults) got to have fun - by shooting me. I demonstated how it's difficult to shoot people on the move, and I let them practice getting hits on center mass shots.
Needless to say, kids love shooting adults with Airsoft guns. Adults love shooting lawyers with Airsoft guns. Kids also love watching their parents participating in the fun. Parents love watching their kids learn important preparedness skills.
If your kids are reluctant to get more engaged in preparedness, try using an Airsoft gun as a gateway into the subject. You may find it works well. If not, you'll at least have your own Airsoft gun for the next force on force class. What's force on force? Check out this article by Glenn Meyer featuring action shots of Karl Rehn of KR Training.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Daily Briefing for Friday, July 6, 2012
Weekend Reading Assignment
- Is it necessary to own gold physically, rather than in an ETF or have it held for you by a broker? One expert makes the case for holding it yourself, rather than having someone else do it for you. Thanks to Jerid for the link.
- The International Monetary Fund expresses concern over a slowing global economy.
- "Uncertainty about U.S. fiscal policy, Europe’s sovereign crisis and slower global growth have turned the U.S. economy into what feels like a slow-moving zombie, leaving businesses and consumers hesitant and reluctant to act."
- Two Miami entrepreneurs have created the Hurricane Store to sell supplies to you people.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Daily Briefing for Thursday, July 5, 2012
Recent Product Acquisitions
And One Set of Products To Study Up On
Austin Jill shared this with me - a list of products you can use to recharge your various electronic gadgets when the grid goes tango uniform. I'd like to learn more about items three and four on the list.
- A tumbling composter for Father's Day. I've already started loading organic matter into it. I hope to be making my own dirt in the coming months.
- Two live traps. One is for squirrels; the other for opossums and raccoons. Yes, here in the suburbs we have a need for such products. I'd like to relocate the squirrel which has destroyed my allegedly squirrel proof feeder. To date, I've unintentionally trapped a wren and dove in it, both of which were released unharmed. I'm rather surprised birds would go in there. So I'm spending some time learning how to trap squirrels.
- A Midland Weather Radio. Until now, all of my weather radios came from Radio Shack. I've not had much success getting the Shack to service their products when the break, so I am going to give Midland a try.
And One Set of Products To Study Up On
Austin Jill shared this with me - a list of products you can use to recharge your various electronic gadgets when the grid goes tango uniform. I'd like to learn more about items three and four on the list.
Is It LIBOR or LIE-BOR?
I am still trying to get a better understanding of this story. Jerid shared this link with me from ZeroHedge earlier today, which begins to help put things in better perspective. If you aren't doing so, please start reading news articles on what is going on in the financial system. At a minimum, you need to know this to be an informed citizen. You may need to understand it if we have some sort of correction in the broader markets.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Daily Briefing for Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Would The Founding Fathers Qualify As Terrorists?
It may seem like a silly question to you. It certainly would have seemed silly to me. And then I read this.
Professors at the University of Maryland and University of Massachusetts released a report earlier this year entitled
It's certainly an interesting title. The content will blow your mind.
The authors of this report (which you can download here) describe a number of categories from which terrorists in the United States might come. For example, the authors deem those who are extreme right-wing as likely terrorism perpetrators. In their estimation, those who are extreme right wing are those in
groups that believe that one’s personal and/or national "way of life" is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent (for some the threat is from a specific ethnic, racial, or religious group), and believe in the need to be prepared for an attack either by participating in paramilitary preparations and training or survivalism. Groups may also be fiercely nationalistic (as opposed to universal and international in orientation), anti-global, suspicious of centralized federal authority, reverent of individual liberty, and believe in conspiracy theories that involve grave threat to national sovereignty and/or personal liberty. (emphasis added)
Friends, the fact that the intelligentsia would put this in writing as part of a project with the Department of Homeland Security ought to scare the living hell out of you.
I tend to think those brave men who literally risked their lives when they signed the Declaration of Independence precisely 236 years ago today would be classified as potential terrorists today, based upon the description above. Many on the left may not like our founding fathers, and to be sure they were not perfect people. But they had a vision for constitutional, limited government, self rule by the people, and the ability to pursue their lives in a way they sought fit.
And for that, we should be grateful. Not critical.
Let me assure you - if you are preparing for the next derecho, hurricane, economic downturn, terrorist event, or regional emergency, you are in no way a right-wing extremist. You are a patriot. You are a being a good citizen. You are being self-sufficient. You are taking responsibility for your own welfare and that of your family's.
If you have the audacity to be (and I can't believe I am typing this) "reverent of individual liberty," you are not a right-wing extremist. Read the writings of our founding fathers. You'll see liberty referenced many times in their missives.
If you are "suspicious of federal authority," you are not a right-wing extremist. If you are "fiercely nationalistic," you are not a right-wing extremist. You are simply an American, with the right to have any opinion of the federal government you damn well please.
So what are we to do with this? Talk to your friends and family. Remind them our liberty and ability to have dissenting opinions about the federal government's actions is what makes our country great. Keep doing what you're doing in terms of preparedness and educating yourself. Share what you're doing and learning with others to the extent you can. Engage your political leaders. Let them know you value self-sufficiency, patriotism, and the right to dissent. Ask them to do the same when they vote on key issues.
Don't let the federal government define you. Only you can do that.
It may seem like a silly question to you. It certainly would have seemed silly to me. And then I read this.
Professors at the University of Maryland and University of Massachusetts released a report earlier this year entitled
| Hot Spots of Terrorism and Other Crimes in the United States, 1970 to 2008 |
It's certainly an interesting title. The content will blow your mind.
The authors of this report (which you can download here) describe a number of categories from which terrorists in the United States might come. For example, the authors deem those who are extreme right-wing as likely terrorism perpetrators. In their estimation, those who are extreme right wing are those in
groups that believe that one’s personal and/or national "way of life" is under attack and is either already lost or that the threat is imminent (for some the threat is from a specific ethnic, racial, or religious group), and believe in the need to be prepared for an attack either by participating in paramilitary preparations and training or survivalism. Groups may also be fiercely nationalistic (as opposed to universal and international in orientation), anti-global, suspicious of centralized federal authority, reverent of individual liberty, and believe in conspiracy theories that involve grave threat to national sovereignty and/or personal liberty. (emphasis added)
Friends, the fact that the intelligentsia would put this in writing as part of a project with the Department of Homeland Security ought to scare the living hell out of you.
I tend to think those brave men who literally risked their lives when they signed the Declaration of Independence precisely 236 years ago today would be classified as potential terrorists today, based upon the description above. Many on the left may not like our founding fathers, and to be sure they were not perfect people. But they had a vision for constitutional, limited government, self rule by the people, and the ability to pursue their lives in a way they sought fit.
And for that, we should be grateful. Not critical.
Let me assure you - if you are preparing for the next derecho, hurricane, economic downturn, terrorist event, or regional emergency, you are in no way a right-wing extremist. You are a patriot. You are a being a good citizen. You are being self-sufficient. You are taking responsibility for your own welfare and that of your family's.
If you have the audacity to be (and I can't believe I am typing this) "reverent of individual liberty," you are not a right-wing extremist. Read the writings of our founding fathers. You'll see liberty referenced many times in their missives.
If you are "suspicious of federal authority," you are not a right-wing extremist. If you are "fiercely nationalistic," you are not a right-wing extremist. You are simply an American, with the right to have any opinion of the federal government you damn well please.
So what are we to do with this? Talk to your friends and family. Remind them our liberty and ability to have dissenting opinions about the federal government's actions is what makes our country great. Keep doing what you're doing in terms of preparedness and educating yourself. Share what you're doing and learning with others to the extent you can. Engage your political leaders. Let them know you value self-sufficiency, patriotism, and the right to dissent. Ask them to do the same when they vote on key issues.
Don't let the federal government define you. Only you can do that.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Daily Briefing for Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Ice Ice Baby
The chumps are acting ill because they're so full of eight balls
Gunshots ranged out like a bell
I grabbed my nine
All I heard were shells
Fallin' on the concrete real fast
Jumped in my car, slammed on the gas
Bumper to bumper the avenue's packed
I'm tryin' to get away before the jackers jack
Police on the scene
You know what I mean
They passed me up, confronted all the dope fiends
If there was a problem
Yo, I'll solve it
Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it
-- from Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby."
Andrew in Virginia, who endured the Great Land Hurricane of 2012, shared some of his thoughts on last night's blog based upon his recent experiences. I'd like to discuss a couple of points he brought up.
The chumps are acting ill because they're so full of eight balls
Gunshots ranged out like a bell
I grabbed my nine
All I heard were shells
Fallin' on the concrete real fast
Jumped in my car, slammed on the gas
Bumper to bumper the avenue's packed
I'm tryin' to get away before the jackers jack
Police on the scene
You know what I mean
They passed me up, confronted all the dope fiends
If there was a problem
Yo, I'll solve it
Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it
-- from Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby."
Andrew in Virginia, who endured the Great Land Hurricane of 2012, shared some of his thoughts on last night's blog based upon his recent experiences. I'd like to discuss a couple of points he brought up.
- Generators. I am in the minority on this. I don't think most people should go out and buy one for emergency preparedness. I can think of five big reasons: (1) they cost a considerable amount of money that could be better used towards other preparations; (2) they must be maintained to be reliable; (3) they require fuel that, unless you're using propane, must be rotated or treated for long term storage; (4) they can draw unwanted attention to your house if everyone else in your 'hood is grid down; and (5) if you do have one, it requires having a plan to utilize the generator efficiently so as to maximize the energy production capacity of your limited fuel supply. Most people have neither the time, resources, nor commitment to make the generator a viable part of their emergency plan.
- Ice. Andrew took issue with me on this one, and since he's now an experienced operator in a grid down environment, he's entitled to some deference here. He doesn't full embrace my assessment from last night's blog, where I pooh-pooh the notion (pooh-pooh being a technical term, of course) that one should make acquiring ice a priority in the grid down environment. I can tell you from personal experience that I made it 17 days in Miami without ice (or electricity) in my apartment after Hurricane Andrew. You can live without ice. Been there. Done it.
What many of us cannot afford to do is to stand in long lines, in brutal summer conditions, just to get a small amount of ice. Many in Miami who did so after Andrew were overcome with dehydration and heat exhaustion from standing outside in line in the August heat and humidity. And in those grid down conditions, where debris littered the roadway, traffic lights didn't work in huge sections of town, and everyone was calling 911 with various self-inflicted chain saw injuries, it wasn't like the ambulance could get to them in five minutes or less. In short, the risk of acquiring ice in those conditions can outweigh the benefit it provides.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Daily Briefing for Monday, July 2, 2012
Ask Those Million Plus People How Not Being Prepared Is Working Out For Them.
This not meant to be heartless. It is meant to be instructive.
The severe weather over the weekend has caused tremendous damage and disruptions to large portions of the United States.
These are often the same people who stand in line for ice or donuts after the storm. These individuals expect the nebulous "they" (i.e., the government, volunteer relief agencies, private companies) will come in and fix things for them.
Don't be one of these people. Have some basic supplies on hand. Be able to feed and hydrate your family for a few days until electricity is restored. Be ready to protect your family from those who will take advantage of the situation with looting and home invasions. Pay attention to the news. Know what the weather forecast is for the next day. Know where you'd take your family if you had to leave home for a while.
Many won't do these things, despite being able to do so. For those who cannot do these things - the disabled, the elderly, those with other significant challenges - the resources the unprepared yet able bodied are consuming could be better used for those who cannot do for themselves.
Don't be a drag on the system in a grid down scenario. As legendary firearms instructor Tom Givens once told me and my classmates in one of his courses, "it's time to get your feces coagulated."
Indeed.
This not meant to be heartless. It is meant to be instructive.
The severe weather over the weekend has caused tremendous damage and disruptions to large portions of the United States.
- Thirteen dead, millions without power due to weekend storms.
- Cellphone service remains elusive for many in the Washington, DC area.
- Gasoline shortages due to widespread power outages.
- People lining up at donut shops and ice distribution points in affected areas.
- Newt Gingrich on D.C. Weather: 'Mild Taste of What an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) Attack Would Do'
- “Total failure” of 911 call centers throughout northern Virginia.
- People return to charred cities from Colorado wildfire.
- Three die in Kansas heat wave.
- Own a weather radio.
- Have enough batteries to run our flashlights and small AM/FM radios (assuming we have one) for an extended period of time.
- Have some water set aside to be used in an emergency.
- Have some foods that can be prepared during a power outage, and a way to do that.
- Think about creating a plan on where they might go and what they might do in case they lost power for a week (You do know that in many cases, if your home has been damaged by a storm, your homeowner's insurance policy will pay for you to stay in a hotel, right?)
- Own the means to protect our family from criminals during regional emergencies like these.
These are often the same people who stand in line for ice or donuts after the storm. These individuals expect the nebulous "they" (i.e., the government, volunteer relief agencies, private companies) will come in and fix things for them.
Don't be one of these people. Have some basic supplies on hand. Be able to feed and hydrate your family for a few days until electricity is restored. Be ready to protect your family from those who will take advantage of the situation with looting and home invasions. Pay attention to the news. Know what the weather forecast is for the next day. Know where you'd take your family if you had to leave home for a while.
Many won't do these things, despite being able to do so. For those who cannot do these things - the disabled, the elderly, those with other significant challenges - the resources the unprepared yet able bodied are consuming could be better used for those who cannot do for themselves.
Don't be a drag on the system in a grid down scenario. As legendary firearms instructor Tom Givens once told me and my classmates in one of his courses, "it's time to get your feces coagulated."
Indeed.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Daily Briefing for Sunday, July 1, 2012
Because We Are Called To Do More.
Preppers can be a rather self-centered lot, and for good reason. Operational Security, aka "OpSec," often requires we keep our efforts on the down low, lest we invite others to avail themselves of the fruits of our efforts in a crisis situation. Further, most of us who are into this to one degree or another often feel a sense of frustration with those who see absolutely no need to be more self-sufficient for the next round of severe weather, an economic emergency, or their kid's lacerated scalp.
Yet many in the movement got into it because their moral code moved them to do so. For many of these people, this same moral code also prods them into helping others. How do we reconcile these? Can we?
Becky shared this Tanqueray commercial with me, as part of James Altucher's daily email.
Below, I share Altucher's analysis of the video and his reasons for admiring the bartender:
Physical – Clearly he seems healthy. In addition to being a bartender who also serves as bouncer, kicking out a rough patron to the cheers of the other bar patrons. He also has the balance and poise to carry drinks through the room (while precisely messing with the arrogant pool player).
There's a lot we can take away from this. Prepping is about self-sufficiency. Being able to help others is a by product of that. We need to be confident, versitile, ever-mindful of the needs of others, attentive, physically fit, engaged with the others around us, and able to inspire others. It's a tall order, but the successful prepper will work to cultivate the skills.
Preppers can be a rather self-centered lot, and for good reason. Operational Security, aka "OpSec," often requires we keep our efforts on the down low, lest we invite others to avail themselves of the fruits of our efforts in a crisis situation. Further, most of us who are into this to one degree or another often feel a sense of frustration with those who see absolutely no need to be more self-sufficient for the next round of severe weather, an economic emergency, or their kid's lacerated scalp.
Yet many in the movement got into it because their moral code moved them to do so. For many of these people, this same moral code also prods them into helping others. How do we reconcile these? Can we?
Becky shared this Tanqueray commercial with me, as part of James Altucher's daily email.
Below, I share Altucher's analysis of the video and his reasons for admiring the bartender:
Physical – Clearly he seems healthy. In addition to being a bartender who also serves as bouncer, kicking out a rough patron to the cheers of the other bar patrons. He also has the balance and poise to carry drinks through the room (while precisely messing with the arrogant pool player).
Emotional – The bartender seems
to instinctively be on the lookout to help people. If your constant thought
throughout the day is “What life can I save next?” then over time you build
this instinct and opportunities will happen throughout the day. You will be a
non-stop superhero and the people around you will sense this about you.
Another way to cultivate this
instinct is to be in a constant state of surrender. You don’t have to believe
in a higher power, you just have to picture yourself as transparent to ANY
power (higher or inner or whatever you want to call it) and simply ask (out
loud if possible) “What do you want me to do next?” If you always ask, “what
you do want me to do next?” and you ask it with sincerity and without trying to
control the answer, the answer will always come. Again, it’s a practice but,
built up, it has many rewards. When you give, you can’t help but receive.
The bartender gives repeatedly
and again almost on instinct. He helps the junior bartender with the message to
the girl. He helps the bride jilted at the altar, while politely putting off
other customers. He makes her laugh. He helps the girl playing pool by messing
with the arrogant guy she’s playing.
And in doing so, you can see
the respect the crowd gives him. The looks the girls give him. The space he
becomes entitled to while he does his job. I know - it’s a commercial. But it’s
not imaginary if you cultivate these things inside of yourself.
Mental – He’s the head
bartender for a reason. He knows hundreds of drink recipes. He can make the
customer’s laugh. He deals with the stress of having hundreds of customers asking
for a drink, some of them so drunk he has to evict them. And he plays the piano
and hasn’t given up on it after childhood was over (like I did).
Spiritual – he needs his moment
at the end of the day. His cave. Again, he has given throughout the evening,
always looking to save a life, to help where he can so that it became an
instinct. And he gets to enjoy the fruits. Not by going home with any girl
(which he clearly could’ve, given the looks he was getting) but finding his own
private time to relax in peace.
And it’s all connected. Being
open to helping people is spiritual. Being able to show balance and poise is
spiritual and physical. Handling all the drink orders shows abilities in both
the mental and physical categories. This is why no one “body” is more important
than the others. They all flow together and building one up to the detriment of
the others will ultimately create blockages in life.
There's a lot we can take away from this. Prepping is about self-sufficiency. Being able to help others is a by product of that. We need to be confident, versitile, ever-mindful of the needs of others, attentive, physically fit, engaged with the others around us, and able to inspire others. It's a tall order, but the successful prepper will work to cultivate the skills.
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