CLINGING TO THE RAFT

How Many Diversities to a Dollar?

2009-07-16T19:28:00.003-04:00

The U.S. dollar is on its deathbed, and the anti-capitalist policies of the Barack Obama administration are hastening the currency’s demise.

On his Fox News program the other day, Glenn Beck proffered a sad but well-reasoned analysis of the left’s push for a single global currency. He explained how the left’s desire to create a global economy (as advocated by the likes of Al Gore and other supporters of a unified world government) has decimated the value of America’s currency, thereby causing the world to turn its collective back on the greenback.

To those paying attention, it has now become obvious that the absurd economic policies of the Obama administration, such as its zealous push for the passage of the cap-and-trade bill–operationally the equivalent of a crushing tax that will cripple America’s industrial output–will drive the final nail into the dollar’s proverbial coffin.

Skeptical?

The Russians and the Chinese are pushing for a single world currency. So are the Brazilians, the Europeans and the Indians. Even our “friends,” the Saudis, recipients of billions of dollars of U.S. aid over the years, are nervous about the future of the dollar and are looking into other options.

The entire Middle East, in fact, is so frightened about the future worth of their investments that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, whose own attempts to balance the dollars in his household budget were mysteriously confounded by TurboTax, is traveling to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States this week to reassure them that the dollar remains viable.

Are you still skeptical?

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev displayed a sample of the new currency to journalists in Italy after the Group of Eight Nations Economic Summit last week. Theatrically extracting a shiny new coin from his pocket, he said, “Here it is. A united future world currency. You can see it and touch it.”
He explained that the coin, bearing the slogan “Unity in Diversity,” represents “a good sign that we understand how interdependent we are.”

There should be no more skeptics at this point.

So what’s next for Al Gore and the other globalists?

After the dollar is gone and we’re all using the new “diversity coin,” maybe they could then work on passing legislation mandating a single, unifying, global language.

Perhaps Chinese?

And Obama Said: "Let There be Light!"

2009-07-02T19:30:00.001-04:00

In typical Orwellian fashion, President Barack Obama, in his assumed role as Big Brother, has announced that beginning in 2012, all homes and businesses will be required to replace their incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent ones (known as CFL’s). This will result, according to the White House, in huge savings of anywhere between 15 and 25 percent in electricity usage, and will save cash-strapped Americans between $1 billion and $4 billion a year.

The CFL’s are touted as being a critical part of the solution to the “problem” of “global warming.” The little coiled bulbs are purported to use 50% less energy than the incandescent bulbs they will replace. Said Obama: “Now I know light bulbs may not seem sexy, but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is used to light our homes and our businesses.”

What the President didn’t say, however, speaks volumes.

He never mentioned that the bulbs are in fact dangerous. That they contain mercury and pose a huge disposal problem. The Department of Environmental Protection, in fact, issues this warning about what to do should you have the misfortune to break a bulb:

“Don’t vacuum bulb debris because a standard vacuum will spread mercury-containing dust throughout the area and contaminate the vacuum. Ventilate the area and reduce the temperature. Wear protective equipment like goggles, coveralls and a dust mask. Collect the waste material into an airtight container. Pat the area with the sticky side of tape. Wipe with a damp cloth. Finally, check with local authorities to see where hazardous waste may be properly disposed.”

Neither did the President mention that most of the CFLs are made in China, the world’s largest polluter, under that country’s shoddy and corrupt system of quality-control, using mercury that was mined in China, the world’s largest mercury producer. Presumably none of this was important enough to tell us.

Nor did Obama delve into what the consequences of not complying with this new light-bulb policy will be. A heavy fine, perhaps? Prison?

Maybe the President will emulate the tactics of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, who ordered “youth brigades” into every home to literally bully reluctant homeowners into replacing their incandescents for CFL’s?

Lest you think that could never happen in the U.S., consider this: The cap-and-trade plan that Obama and the Democrats are currently pushing includes a provision that would dispatch an army of inspectors to every home in America, compelling every homeowner to “retrofit” his or her dwelling to the new standards of energy-efficiency. As CNS News explains:

“The program would involve a system of certified auditors, inspectors, and raters who inspect homes and businesses using devices such as infrared cameras (which measure how much heat a building is giving off) to measure their energy efficiency.”

Power-crazed tyrants, you see, do not always come in the form of defiant, revolution-preaching, arm-waving, finger-pointing, long-bearded maniacs like Castro. Indeed, some of the most dangerous tyrants on earth are cold and calculating men who speak in measured tones, are clean-shaven, and knot their ties perfectly.

More Money Wasted

2009-06-29T17:11:00.001-04:00

One evening back in July 2008, a woman named Amanda Kiefer had the misfortune to run into a violent illegal alien on a San Francisco street. Alexander Izaguirre, a Honduran national who had snuck across America’s southern border the previous year, was on a “purse-snatching spree“ when he spotted and attacked Kiefer. Not content to just relieve her of her purse, Izaguirre then hopped into an SUV driven by his accomplice and goaded the driver to run Kiefer over, fracturing her skull in the process. Kiefer later told police that Izaguirre and the driver “were both laughing” as they drove away.

The incident was barely noted in the press; that is, until the Los Angeles Times mentioned Tuesday that there was more to the story. Much more.

What came out was the disclosure that Izaguirre was enrolled in a taxpayer-funded job-training program whose sole purpose is to expunge the criminal records of illegal immigrants so that they can secure employment – something the law explicitly forbids them to do.Izaguirre was in the program because of a one-man crime spree he began shortly after jumping the border fence. He would subsequently be arrested twice for drug offenses and purse snatching, and then again for attempting to sell drugs to an undercover officer. It was this last crime which landed him in the Back on Track program, just four months prior to his vicious attack on Kiefer.

This too, would have barely made a blip on the mainstream media’s radar screen, if not for the fact that the program has supporters in high places. Very high places. Senator Diane Feinstein, for one, and Nancy Pelosi, the sanctimonius Speaker of the House, are both strong backers of Back on Track. Pelosi, for her part, has touted the program as a huge success and secured $400,000 in additional funding for it by means of an earmark in the 2009 federal omnibus spending plan.

Does the program even work, or is it just another obscenely wasteful leftist boondoggle? See for yourself — here are the stats:

212 Enrollees in Back on Track
113 Graduates
99 People who failed
4 Years since inception
$5,000 Cost per enrollee
10 Percent of graduates have committed crimes again

Kiefer, understandably, is not buying any of this and wants some answers from officials. “If they’ve committed crimes and they’re not citizens, then why are they here?” she wonders. “Why haven’t they been deported?”

How Not to Prep

2009-06-10T19:15:00.003-04:00

Thought you might find this horror story interesting (especially those of you who hide your money).

This from an AP News story today:

An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress she said had almost $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites on Wednesday. The woman told The Associated Press that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday — and threw out the old one.

The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened," said the Tel Aviv woman, who asked not to be identified.

She went to look for the mattress, but it had already been hauled away by garbage collectors, she said. Searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.

She said the money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. She refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she said. There was no way to verify her claims, and she refused to disclose key details.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he was not familiar with the case and no report had been filed.

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel. The picture shows the woman, dressed in a white top and black pants with her back to the camera, picking through a huge pile of trash that fills the frame about 10 feet (3 meters) in all directions.

Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told Army Radio that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage that arrives at the site every day.

He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away.

The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate.

Obama Admonishes Us to Ignore Islam's Deeds

2009-06-03T22:20:00.001-04:00

The British government announced on Wednesday that one of their citizens, Edwin Dyer, who had been held captive for over a month by al-Qaeda militants, has been killed by his captors. Dyer was captured on the Mali-Niger border along with three other European tourists on January 22. "We have strong reason to believe that a British citizen, Edwin Dyer, has been murdered by an al-Qaida cell in Mali," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a statement issued by his office. "I utterly condemn this appalling and barbaric act of terrorism." Also on Wednesday, Osama bin-Laden, the al-Qaida leader, issued another audio tape calling for Muslims to rise and slaughter Americans."Let the American people prepare to continue harvesting what their White House leaders grow, in the years and decades to come," bin-Ladin said.

At about the same time that these stories broke, another story hit the airwaves. A new national poll suggests that only one in five Americans has a favorable view of Muslim countries.That view compares with 46 percent of the people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey who say they have an unfavorable opinion of Muslim countries. That's up 5 percentage points from 2002, when 41 percent indicated that they had an unfavorable view. What's going on here? These poll results are probably not what the pandering Obama administration wants to see, especially on the eve of his meeting in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah and his subsequent trip to Egypt, where he'll deliver a much publicized speech on the relations between the United States and the Muslim world.

With the words "Islamic" and "terrorist" understandably linked in peoples minds in this post 9/11 world, the results of this survey really shouldn't be a surprise to the administration. And yet, in Obama's typical mea culpa fashion, it is somehow a failure on the part of Americans that they have these perceptions. Therefore, in the interests of better U.S.-Muslim relations, Obama is implying that it is incumbent upon us to become better informed about Islam. The United States and other parts of the Western world “have to educate ourselves more effectively on Islam,” said Obama. One group that's trying to help the President educate us is Washington-based Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the radical extremist linked organization that believes that 9/11 was an understandable response to Israeli brutality. CAIR's national executive director, Nihad Awad, who in the past has claimed “I am a supporter of the Hamas movement,” published an open letter to President Obama. "We should have [a] clear stance by the U.S. government to fight against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination that has been rampant after 9/11," Awad says. "In particular, there have been some decisions to target American-Muslim institutions and individuals, and there has been politicization of terror trials. All of these things have to be re-evaluated and reversed."

Despite this, the poll shows that Americans already know a lot more about Islam than Obama gives them credit for.

Geithner in China With His Beggar's Bowl

2009-06-01T21:42:00.004-04:00

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who when President of the Federal Reserve Bank became so baffled by TurboTax that he neglected to pay thousands of dollars in personal income taxes, arrived Sunday in Beijing for two days of economic talks with Chinese leaders.

On his first visit to China as treasury secretary, Geithner said the Obama administration was committed to forging a new relationship with China after trade disputes with the U.S. over the past decade. China is America's biggest creditor, holding $768 billion in Treasury securities, and the U.S. needs China's money more than ever to finance U.S. budget deficits, which have soared to nearly $1.84 trillion this year--four times last year's deficit.

The success of the tax and spend economic policies of the Obama administration are now practically completely dependent upon the securing of additional funding from China. China now has so much power that this trip will be remembered more for what Geithner doesn’t say than for what he does. One can be certain that on this trip the easily offended Chinese will not be offended by any repeat of past criticisms levied against them for their environmental (they are the worlds largest polluter) or economic (i.e., their total disregard for the damage they are doing to the world economy by keeping their currency artificially undervalued). But most of all, nothing will be said on this trip about the lack of human rights in China.

Whether by coincidence or by design, the Obama administration has chosen the twentieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre to send Geithner on his China trip. The world recalls how on the night between June 3rd and 4th twenty years ago, the “people’s liberation army” erupted onto the square in armoured tanks to “liberate” the square occupied by defenceless students and workers. According to international organisations (Red Cross and Amnesty International) over 2600 people were killed that night in that square and surrounding streets. At least 20 thousand people were arrested in the following days, putting an end to the “dream of democracy”. Of course, none of this can be mentioned now.

We must go humbly and meekly to China, lest they refuse to lend us any more money.

The Future is Here.

2009-05-18T21:08:00.004-04:00

In his 1966 book How to Learn Languages and What Languages to Learn, the late Mario Pei, who was proficient in over 40 languages, wrote the following:

"...a record is not something you can slip into your overcoat pocket and carry with you for use on the bus, as is a book. It calls not only for time, but for absolutely free time, and for the necessary equipment. Someday a genius will create a set of language records that will work like a transistor pocket radio, and that you can transport with you and use at will, anywhere. But it hasn't happened yet."

The device that Pei could only fantasize about in 1966 is now here. It's called the Ipod.

I have always considered myself as being an autodidact. An autodidact is someone who teaches himself things, as opposed to trying to be taught by others, whether in a classroom setting or with a tutor. For example, although I studied French and Spanish in high school and college and getting nowhere, it was only after undertaking to study on my own that I began to make real progress.

How did I proceed? By listening to hundreds of hours of materials which I had loaded onto my Ipod. I was able to download audio and video language courses, news, music, internet radio programs, books and podcasts in French and Spanish. Some of this material, which was recorded in a country where those languages are spoken, became available to me the same day! The content was interesting, meaningful and relevant to me. It went way beyond the boring textbook "where is the train station" type stock phrases normally found in textbooks. These materials held my interest and I profited by them.

I made such great gains with those two languages that I began to explore other uses for this fantastic device. I began downloading materials on other topics. I downloaded podcasts on survival topics, cooking, do-it-yourself projects--anything that interested me. I listened to an entire lecture on container gardening while painting my bathroom. I used my commute to bone up on my Italian and Japanese. I listen to podcasts when I walk the dog. Itunes now has free "university" courses on a variety of topics which are available to all with no strings attached.

Miraculously, all of this utility comes in a device fits in my shirt pocket. Pei was right. The invention of this device was genius, and it will give you the freedom to learn on the go, anytime and anywhere. It has changed my life immensely.

Is it Really Necessary?

2009-05-07T20:36:00.003-04:00

Read an interesting survey on MSN Money today where people were asked about what they believe is a necessity and what is a luxury.

Interesting results:

1. A car. Necessity. I agree.

2. Air conditioning. Necessity. I think I lean towards agreeing with this.

3. Microwave. Luxury. Agree here.

4. Television. Necessity. Don't think so.

5. Internet. Necessity. Yes, I agree.

6. High speed internet connection. Luxury. I think if you have No. 5, you may as well make it fast.

7. Cell phone. Luxury. I think I disagree.

8. Flat screen TV. Luxury. I agree.

9. Clothes dryer. Necessity. I think a clothesline works fine.

10. Dishwasher. Luxury. I'd rather have this than a clothes dryer.

Interesting what some people consider necessities that were once luxuries.

What do you consider necessary for basic survival?

The Alarm Means Something

2009-04-25T13:11:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading The Survivor's Club by Ben Sherwood, and was especially interested in the survivor accounts relating to the World Trade Center. It seems many of the people who perished did so because they looked to others for guidance on what to do, instead of thinking for themselves.

This was brought home to me last week when I was at the office and the fire alarm went off. Those of you who work in hi-rises know that there are always false alarms. If there are enough false alarms, people seem to get complacent, even annoyed when the alarm goes off. Anyway, the alarm went off in our building on Friday, and nobody moved!

Now, our office is on the 15th floor, so I can understand people's annoyance at having to walk down all of those flights, but, really, how much do you value your life? If it's a false alarm, what have you lost except a few minutes away from your precious work?

Anyway, out of 39 employees, only 3 of us left the building! Not only that, we were actually made fun of for evacuating! I know we all have to go someday, but I would prefer not to go up in flames with my co-workers. To my co-workers, I say this: if there's ever a real crisis, you can stay if you want to, but stay out of my way--I'm getting the hell out.

Product Review Update: Water Filter

2009-04-12T17:42:00.004-04:00

I've lived with the Katydyn Ceradyn Water Filter for about a week now, and after a disappointing start I've gotten to really love it. The instructions were horrible, and the filters (there are three of them) came out of the box coated in an orange dust that imparted an off color to the water. As far as the taste, if you recall from my previous post, it was vile. Like drinking liquified plastic.

I'm happy to report that the water is clear and now tastes fine, but it took some doing to get there. First, I had to dis-assemble the unit twice to scrub it out and clean the filters individually under running water. After that, it still took 20-30 gallons of water running through the filters before the water began to taste good.

If you're considering a high volume water filter that requires no electricity, this is a good choice. The manufacturer claims it will clean over 30,000 gallons of water before the filters need replacing. It filters (realistically) about 6 gallons of dirty water a day by way of gravity and is perfect for a family in a survival situation, yet is portable enough to take to a base camp in an evacuation.

Would I buy it again? Definately. My advice, though, is to break it in before you need it, unless you enjoy the taste of plastic.

Tips From a Burglar

2009-04-10T23:26:00.007-04:00

I have been researching hiding places for hiding cash in your home. This from an interesting interview with a former burglar:

The 6 worst places to hide money in your home:

1. Toilets tanks or behind toilets.

2. Cereal Boxes (very common place for drug addicts to stash their goods, so burglars look there).

3. Refrigerator & Freezer - everyone thinks this one is so unique.

4. Medicine Cabinet- too obvious.

5. Bed-guns and money are usually hidden here.

6. Dresser Drawer-second place burglars look after the bed.

How to hide money in your house the smart way: the 6 best places:

Most burglars don't have too much time to thoroughly search your house. They usually grab small easily transportable things first, especially if they don't have a lot of time. Some better places to hide money:

Toys. Burglars generally don’t bother to look for money in kid’s bedrooms. A stuffed animal with hidden cash sewn in or an envelope taped to the bottom of a toy box will frequently be overlooked.

Picture Frames. Hide money behind a picture frame on the wall.

Rugs. Almost nobody will look under the center of a carpet (the edges, maybe; but not the center: too much work).

Electric sockets. There’s a lot of unused space behind the switches and electric outlets on the wall. How to hide money in a socket? First, turn the main power off! Place the stash in the corner and insulate it with a tape. Be careful, failing to insulate anything made of metal you put inside a socket may cause a short circuit.

Upholstery. How to hide money in the underside of chairs and sofas: Remove the staples, fit a couple of Ben Franklins inside, staple again.

Books. Avoid encyclopedias; old hard-cover romance novels work well.

Keep in mind that you shouldn't make it to hard to get at the money if there's an emergency and you have to leave fast.

So Far, So-So

2009-04-07T23:45:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I put together the Katadyn Drip Ceradyn Water Filter which I received over the weekend. It was much bigger than I was anticipating (which is a good thing) and wasn't very difficult to assemble. The instructions, however are terrible. I'm used to horrible Chinese manuals advising you to "connect A to B, no" but the Katadyn is made in Switzerland. The instructions referred to parts not diagrammed in the illustration and vice versa. Very confusing. So much for Swiss efficiency. After assembly, I screwed in the three filters and filled it with water. It took about 8 hours for the water to filter. End result--the water tasted horrible.

After some internet research, I removed the filters and washed them and filled the filter again. This time, it filtered faster (at about 3 hours for 2 gallons of water). Tasted the water again and it was better but still much worse than the tap. Wife and kids thought it was awful, plastic like.

Took the filters out and washed them again. Re-filled and three hours later took the taste test (so much water wasted at this point!). Better, but still a plastic aftertaste.

Another dis-assembly followed and I let the inside soak a bit in a white vinegar solution. Re-assembled, filled and waited. Almost as good as the tap.

I'm hoping for an improvement in taste after the filters completely break in. However, if this is the best it gets, I'm going to dread having to look forward to water that tastes this funky in an actual emergency.

Simple Math

2009-04-01T18:47:00.003-04:00

The Air Force Rules of Survival:

Maintain 98.6 degrees as your body temperature. Protect your body core temperature. Period.

The rule of 3

You cannot survive:
3 Seconds Without Spirit and Hope
3 Minutes Without Air
3 Hours Without Shelter in Extreme Conditions
3 Days Without Water
3 Weeks Without Food
3 Months Without Companionship or Love

Potability and Portability

2009-03-29T10:08:00.003-04:00

In my part of the country, I don’t really worry too much about the availability of water. We generally get enough rain and snow to keep our reservoirs full. There are plenty of ponds, lakes and brooks. What I do worry about, however, is insuring that the water supply is clean enough to drink. I can remember at least two occasions in the last 10 years where we were advised not to drink our tap water without boiling it first. All well and good if you are in a position to boil water. If not, you had better think of something else.

Sometime ago, I wrote a review of a fine product called a Steripen (see my review here). It’s a great device to always have with you in your bug out bag. Its only limitations are that it requires batteries and only sterilizes a liter of water at a time. Yesterday I placed an order for a Katadyn Drip Ceradyn Water Filter. This unit is able to filter 2.5 gallons per hour and requires no electricity. You simply pour the water in the top reservoir and gravity pulls it down through the 3 ceramic filters into the bottom reservoir. It has a bottom spigot so you can fill your containers with the clean water.

I also purchased a quantity of 32 ounce Nalgene bottles. These are made of tough, food grade heavy-duty plastic, which are sturdy enough to be run through the dishwasher with no ill effects. My plan is this: 2.5 gallons of water per hour (as needed) should take care of the family’s drinking water needs as far as removing bacteria and other nasties. The Nalgene bottles will be filled daily and carried around and will replace bottled water purchased from the supermarket (saving money by not purchasing somebody else’s treated tap water). The ceramic filter elements of the Katydyn will last for 39,000 gallons before they need replacing, theoretically giving me many years of worry free usage.

For an initial investment of about $250, I save hundreds per year on bottled water and may save myself and the family from exposure to parasites in the water supply in the event of an emergency where the water company’s filtration process breaks down.

Believe Me, That's Not a Pearl

2009-03-27T22:44:00.003-04:00

Hospitals have been reporting an alarming trend. There has been a huge increase in the number of children being treated for kidney stones!

As the economy continues its downward spiral, parents are faced with a dilemma: what to feed the family? A lot of people are eating more fast foods than ever before. Dollar menus and value menus entice us with the promise of a cheap hot meal.

Others eat at home from pre-packaged convenience foods like canned meats and other processed foods. The problem with both approaches is the same: salt.

Excessive salt is in all of the foods that are popular with children. Cheeseburgers, fries, chips, pickles, canned spaghetti, chicken nuggets, ramen noodles and cold cuts all have high levels of salt and these junk foods are being consumed in larger and larger quantities by children, to the detriment of their health.

When an overabundance of salt is consumed, it increases the amount of calcium that is excreted. These calcium deposits form crystals in the kidneys that aggregate and soon form a stone. If it’s small, like a grain of sugar, it might pass through your urinary tract without you even noticing. If it’s larger, like a pea, watch out. You’re in for some serious pain.

Ever have a kidney stone? It’s an excruciating pain. It’s a pain that you feel even with morphine. A pain so intense that it makes you vomit.

Now imagine a child with a kidney stone! As a parent, that thought would be inconceivable. And yet, doctors are seeing more and more cases. One hospital in Pennsylvania went from no children’s cases at all to over 5 a week last year!

Can you prevent kidney stones? Most of them, but not all. Sometimes people are just dealt a bad hand and are genetically predisposed to getting them. But the vast majority of stones are diet related. Get your kids to drink more water. Cut down on the salt. An adult should consume no more than 2000 milligrams a day. A child considerably less. The average American probably takes in about 8000 milligrams of salt a day. Way too much.

Get your kids to drink water. Cut down on their salt intake. Check their urine. If it’s clear, their fluid intake is probably adequate. If you neglect your health, it’s tragic. It’s criminal to be negligent with a childs.

Lightning Does Strike Twice

2009-03-25T19:13:00.004-04:00

How's this for bad luck:

On August 6, 1945, a businessman named Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima when the United States dropped the atomic bomb on the city. He suffered serious radiation burns, but survived. His first thought was to get home. It took him three days, but he made it to his house--in Nagasaki! On that day, August 9, the United States dropped the second atomic bomb on that city. Again, Yamaguchi suffered radiation burns. Again, he survived.

He's now 93 years old and still very much alive. Wow.

Mind Those Distractions

2009-03-23T21:44:00.003-04:00

I went to the supermarket today. As I was meandering down the produce aisle, my way was blocked by someone’s shopping cart. The owner of the cart was nowhere to be seen. Apparently, they had gone over to the next aisle to get something and left their shopping cart where it was. As I reached over to move it so I could get by, I noticed an open purse.

This isn’t the first time I have seen an unattended purse at the supermarket. In fact, I can usually count on seeing an unattended purse almost every time I go. I just don’t understand this. Why make it so easy for someone to run off with your cash, credit cards and ID?

Now, for those of you who wish to make it a little harder for people to separate you from your belongings, here’s some advice:

Women should only carry purses that zip. Keep them closed. Carry your purse tightly under your arm and slightly in front of you. If you have the backpack-type purse, swing it around so that it is slightly in front of you as well. We don't have eyes in the back of our heads, so keep your purse where you can see it.

Men should keep their wallets in their front pocket. Put a large gummy rubber band around it. This makes it very difficult for a pickpocket to take it out of your pocket.

Don’t carry more on your person than you are willing to lose. Do you really need to be carrying $500 cash and 20 credit cards with you?

If you’re traveling, make a copy of your passport, and front and back of everything that you have in your wallet or purse. In case something happens, you have all the numbers and contact information to cancel your cards and replace your passport. Most, but not all pickpockets work in groups. They are often adolescents, since it is extremely difficult for minors to go to jail.

If your wallet is lifted and you realize it, even if you chase the culprit down and catch him, chances are he has already handed off your wallet to somebody else working with him (at this point kicking his ass will probably get you into trouble).

Be aware of your surroundings. The most popular method of pickpocketing, especially in crowded, cramped areas like a train or bus is the “crush and grab.” You will be swarmed by several people. While they are distracting you, they are also picking your pockets. Sometimes they can grab the purse of someone sitting right by the door and to hop off just as the doors are closing (always try to find a seat away from the doors). If you can't sit, back yourself up against one of the sides. Try to minimize access to your pockets and purses.

On the street, the most frequently used tactic is the “distraction technique.” Two or more people will approach you and ask for directions, try to sell you stuff, or just crowd you. While you are occupied with one person, another is picking your pocket. Another technique is to have something thrown or spilled on you, like water or ice cream.

Someone will approach you and offer to help clean you up. Another person then picks your pocket while you are distracted.

Be especially careful at ATM machines, especially at night. Use one that is well lit, at a reputable bank and not in a deli down some dark, deserted alley. Don't talk to anyone while you are using the ATM. Walk up, get your money and then get on your way. If somebody is milling about while you are in there, turn around and leave.

If you look like an easy mark, you will be targeted.

From Pink to Blue

2009-03-20T20:09:00.002-04:00

I read a news account today of a 46 year old Japanese man who the paper identified as “Taro.” Japan, as you know, has the world’s second largest economy and in the 1980’s its business model was envied by the rest of the world. When you got a job with a major Japanese corporation, you were set for life. Along with your salary, you were provided with housing for yourself and your family, food subsidies, free transportation to your job and numerous other perks. Fast forward to the present, and Japan’s economy, like ours, is in freefall.

Now back to our friend Taro. Something which was unthinkable just a few years ago happened to him (and is happening to others like him)---he received a pink slip. Guess what? If you lose your job in Japan, you lose everything. Income? Gone. House? Gone. Social standing? Gone. Marriage? Gone. In one fell swoop, all gone. Just a few short months ago, his lifestyle would have made the average American envious. Yet it all disappeared virtually overnight. Taro, now swimming in debt, took the train to a beautiful place outside of Tokyo with spectacular views of Mount Fuji called Aokigahara Forest.

When he got there, he slashed his wrists.

So many other people have gone to Aokigahara Forest to kill themselves, that it has become known as “suicide forest.”

Fortunately, Taro was found by a passing hiker and was rescued before he bled to death. For him, the story has a somewhat happy ending. He's living in a shelter and still looking for a job, but he now counsels other people who are contemplating killing themselves in the forest. This has given him something to live for.

For my part, I got to thinking about Taro’s old life. Was having his entire existence tied to one entity a good idea? If you depend upon your company or your government to provide for your every need, you are no better than an indentured servant. Imagine if Taro would have been a bit more self reliant? What if he would have put some money away, stockpiled some food and supplies, had another skill which he could have used to earn more money or done a bit more to prepare himself for the inevitable burst of the economic bubble?

Perhaps with a little preparation, things wouldn’t have gone so bad so quickly for him.

How about you? Are you living the way Taro was? What are you doing to avoid his fate?

Take Care of the Temple

2009-03-17T20:52:00.002-04:00

Here are some random questions for you: Suppose your car broke down and you had to walk six miles to the next town. Could you do it? Could you do it carrying a 25 pound load? How about 50 pounds? Do you fill up on a daily diet of processed junk food, or are you feeding your body good, wholesome foods? Do you take fish oil, vitamins and a baby aspirin daily (especially if you’re over 40) or do you think you get every nutrient you need from Spam? Are you still smoking a pack a day? Could you drop down and do 30 pushups right now (20 if you’re female)? How do you really feel? Are you always tired?

The great exercise guru Jack Lalanne (see a Youtube clip of him here), who at 93 is still in better shape than most 35 year olds, once wondered why it was that people will take such excellent care of their cars and yet ignore their bodies. He observed that they would never consider putting watered down gasoline in their gas tanks yet don’t think twice about starting the day with a breakfast consisting of coffee and cigarettes. You only get a finite time here above-ground; why not do what you can to not only prolong your lifespan, but to give yourself the stamina and enthusiasm to get through your day more efficiently?

Why not make a commitment to yourself to try, for just 30 days, to eat better, exercise and take some supplements? Start small if you have to. If you’re severely overweight or out of shape, try a simple walk around the block. Stick to doing something to improve your level of physical fitness everyday. Mix it up. Cut the junk. Skip the sugared drinks. You’ll be surprised at the difference you can make in how you look and feel in just 30 days. I started exercising at the age of 38 and spent a year just walking around my neighborhood. At 39 I started lifting weights. By my 40th birthday, I could do a set of 20 full squats with 300 pounds on my shoulders at a bodyweight of only 165 pounds. The improvements to your strength and stamina come faster than you would think possible. Why not give it a try? You’ve got everything to gain.

One is Better than Two.

2009-03-14T17:06:00.004-04:00

Ever hear the expression “a dollar saved is worth two dollars earned”? At first glance it doesn’t seem to make any sense. But consider this: depending upon where you live and how highly you are taxed (it may be slightly more or less after taxes and other withholdings from your paycheck), every dollar you earn is only worth about 58 cents. So you need to earn 2 dollars for every one you are able to save.

For those of you who are still employed and in a position to do so, now is the time to start putting those post-tax dollars to use by prepping for the inevitable global meltdown. Those of you who are expecting the government to come to your assistance are deluding themselves. No one is going to bail you out. It’s all up to you, Charlie.

People who used to laugh at others who lived frugally and tried to be more self sufficient are now lining up to learn how to become better prepared themselves. Not nearly enough people, but it is growing (up until last year, I was one of the ones laughing).

The most important thing you can do now to help you through the hard times ahead is to start living differently. We are very vulnerable in this country, because we’ve lost most of the skills that our grandparents had and have become too reliant upon our technological gizmos. Well guess what? When electricity becomes too expensive or rationed or the grid goes down altogether, you had damn well better know how to do a few things for yourself. I’m not talking about caulking your bathtub either, but skills that are even more basic and fundamental, like sewing, canning, planting, and cooking over a fire. Trust me, the government is not going to feed, clothe or house you when things turn really bad.

Anyway, back to what to do with that dollar. The best return you can get these days for your cash is not in stocks, bonds or mutual funds but with food. Any money spent on long term food storage will give you an incredible rate of return, in that a) food prices are rising and what you buy today will definitely cost more next year and b) food will keep you and your loved ones alive. Naturally, you should have a supply of water on hand and a way to purify more.

Other items that I’ll classify as “goods” are next. Toilet paper, fuel, clothes, candles, soap…you get the idea. Start stocking up. Now, depending on where you live and what your storage capacity is, if you’re not in a position to store at least a year’s worth of food (which you can stretch for a longer period with careful rationing if need be) and goods then store as much as you can. Put it under the bed, in the closet, on top of the fridge, behind the sofa--anywhere you can find some extra space.

You should also spend those dollars on knowledge.

Learn a useful skill you can barter, such as welding, carpentry, cooking, sewing canning, auto mechanics, etc. Learn a new language. The late polyglot (one who speaks many languages) Michel Thomas was a Polish Jew who grew up in Germany and spoke fluent German. He fought with the French Resistance against the Nazis and was captured. He was tortured mercilessly and the only thing that saved his life was that he was able to convince his Nazi interrogators that he was French. No matter how they tried to trip him up, he was able to keep up the ruse, pretending to understand only French. It worked and although he was sent to a labor camp, they never found out his religion or that he knew German fluently. He had convinced them that he was just a simple French housepainter who had had the misfortune of getting caught up over his head. Now that’s a survival skill!

Better yourselves and you may save yourselves. Remember, it’s up to you to tighten the financial belt, stockpile food, buy seeds, learn new skills. Nobody is sending the cavalry to your rescue. Hurry, there may not be much time.

Don't Leave Home Without It

2009-03-12T21:23:00.004-04:00

Normally, I’m not a fan of devices that purport to do everything. Remember that classic Honeymooners episode where Ralph and Norton make an infomercial to try to unload their supply of 2000 “Handy Housewife Helpers”?

It’s a bottle opener, screwdriver, combination Boy Scout knife and glass cutter, corkscrew, combination nail-clipper and corn remover, scissor sharpener, razor, can opener, self-propelled spearfishing attachment, pencil sharpener, fish scaler, tweezer, combination potato peeler and apple corer, cheese grater and skate key. To get one of these marvelous devices just call Bensonhurst 5-6698.

This makes for good comedy, but would you really want one?

On the other hand, there is a device that does have more than one use and should be a part of everybody’s survival kit: the multitool. For very little money you can have so much utility at hand. The great thing about them is that you can easily improvise with it if you don’t have the exact item you need at hand (Need an allen wrench? Try the tip of the fish scaler.). I’ve got one in each vehicle, one in my home and another I carry with me. I can’t count the number of times they’ve come in handy. Knife, screwdriver, pliers, file--this truly is a wonder tool. If you have one, keep it handy. If you don’t, order one now. Just call Bensonhurst 5...

Beware the Masked One

2009-03-10T20:52:00.002-04:00

Several years ago, while we were celebrating my oldest daughter’s birthday, my Mother looked out the window and noticed an unusual movement in the yard. She quietly slipped out of the house and went out back to have a look. My mother, who was 84 years old at the time and quite fearless, soon found herself face to face with a raccoon which hissed and lunged toward her. It was a bad decision on the part of the raccoon, which soon found itself trapped under a garbage pail weighted down with cinder blocks.

Animal Control was called and removed the animal, and we went back to having birthday cake. Fortunately, the raccoon never made it past my mother’s walking stick, but I was a little concerned nonetheless, as most rabid animals in our area turn out to be raccoons (followed by skunks and bats).

Fortunately, human cases of rabies are somewhat rare in the United States and that’s a very good thing, because it’s not something you ever want to deal with. Although most people don’t ever have the type of encounter with a raccoon that my mother had, they do have a higher risk of getting it from a dog.

The rabies virus is usually transmitted to domesticated animals from wild animals when they come in contact with each other, and that’s when we run the highest risk. Now a vaccine is available, but here’s the problem. YOU MUST GET THE VACCINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXPOSURE. There’s a very short window in which the vaccine will work, and once you start getting the first symptoms of rabies, then at that point you are the walking dead, because there’s nothing more the doctors can do for you.

If you are around a lot of animals, or you spend a lot of time outdoors and you should happen to come in contact with an animal acting strangely, take heed. Rabid animals may become aggressive, combative and vicious.

You can reduce your risk of coming in contact with rabid animals. Here's how:

Vaccinate your pets. Cats, dogs and ferrets can and should be vaccinated against rabies. Ask your veterinarian.

Keep your pets inside and supervise them when outside. This will help keep your pets from coming in contact with wild animals.

Report stray animals to local authorities. Call your local animal control officials or other local law enforcement to report stray dogs and cats.

Don't approach wild animals. Wild animals with rabies may seem unafraid of people. It's not normal for a wild animal to be friendly with people, so stay away of any animal that seems unafraid.

Keep bats out of your home. Seal any cracks and gaps where bats can enter your home. If you know you have bats in your home, work with a local expert to find ways to keep bats out.

Go with your gut. If something doesn’t look right about an animal’s behavior, be wary.

Beware the Sleep

2009-03-08T20:50:00.002-04:00

It’s odorless, tasteless and colorless. You can’t feel it. It makes no noise. And yet, it can kill you in minutes. The enemy here: carbon monoxide (CO).

CO is a common by-product of combustion. Normally, when burning something outdoors or in a well ventilated area, CO is not a problem. If, however, you are in your home, shelter, RV, tent, or stuck in your car trying to stay warm, then you need to be very much aware of the hazards of CO.

Anytime you are using some type of fuel burning appliance such as a lantern, heater or stove indoors, it is vital to provide adequate fresh-air ventilation. This can be as simple as opening the window (in your car or home) a crack, allowing fresh air in. Better still, open two on opposite sides of the room, allowing natural air flow throughout the area.

How does CO kill?

Normally, your blood hemoglobin delivers oxygen to the cells of your body. CO binds to the hemoglobin and prevents the oxygen from binding. In very short order your cells begin to starve. Your brain can no longer function properly. If you are already asleep, you’ll never wake up. If you are awake, you soon become disoriented, sleepy and ultimately, unconscious.

CO can hit you so fast that by the time you realize that there’s a problem, you’ll be too weak to do anything about it. Just opening the nearest window will require more strength than you can muster.

Symptoms of CO poisoning.

If you’re exposed to CO gas, you may first experience a slight headache. Nausea, vomiting, weakness, drowsiness and heart palpitations may all follow. All in a matter of minutes. Next comes coma and death. If you’re lucky enough to have someone pull you out in time, you’ll be sick for weeks as it takes a long time for CO to leave your system.

What you can do to protect yourself.

First off, carbon monoxide detectors are a must. They are cheap and effective and should be placed midway between the floor and ceiling, such as on a table top.

Have your vehicle's exhaust inspected for leaks. Many people are afflicted sitting in an idling automobile. Make sure your propane heater or cooker has a blue flame. Yellow or red indicate incomplete combustion which generates CO.

If you use anything with liquid fuel, make sure there’s cross ventilation. Never use a charcoal grill indoors. Never heat your home by opening the door of your gas stove.

Don’t sleep while your liquid fueled heater, stove or lantern is on.
This is one way of dying that can be prevented.

This post is dedicated to my friend Paul, who became homeless and died in his car trying to stay warm at the age of 37.

There Are No Easy Answers

2009-03-07T21:26:00.004-05:00

This is a difficult tale to recount, because it ends in the death of three men.

By now, you’ve all probably heard of the deaths of the two NFL players and their friend, who were drowned after their boat capsized off the coast of Florida last week.

The details of what happened after the boat capsized have not been widely known. There was, however, one survivor who has recently shed some light on the tragedy. These were four tough young men, football players in peak physical condition. And yet, something happened to each of them that robbed them of their will to live.

The lone survivor, South Florida player Nick Schuyler said two his friends just seemed to give up after a few hours in the frigid water and the third tried to swim away from the upturned boat.

Here’s the newspaper account:

Schuyler told investigators that all four of the friends on a fishing excursion were initially wearing life vests and clinging to the 21-foot boat belonging to Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper.

But two to four hours after the boat capsized, one of the NFL players removed his life jacket and let himself be swept out to sea, the St. Petersburg Times reported. A few hours later, the other one followed suit.

"We were told that Nick said the two NFL players took their life jackets off and drifted out to sea," said Bob Bleakley, whose son Will Bleakley, 25, is also still missing.

After Cooper, 26, and Corey Smith, 29, were carried away, Bleakley and Schuyler hung on until morning — but then Bleakley decided to swim to get help when he thought he saw a distant light, the paper said.

He, too, took his life vest off, 24-year-old Schuyler told the families.

"I think he was delusional to think he could swim someplace," the Times quoted Bob Bleakley as saying.

Schuyler, was rescued after a Coast Guard cutter crew found him clinging to the hull 35 miles off Clearwater. His doctor said it's a "miracle" Schuyler survived in the 60-degree Gulf water for nearly two days.

Schuyler suffered from hypothermia but was reported to be in good condition.

Doctor’s have credited Schuyler’s survival for 46 hours in 60-degree waters to the good shape he's in physically, his mental stamina, his experience playing college football — and luck.

And yet, there must be something more. He didn’t give up when the others did. I wonder why?

Cent' Anni

2009-03-06T22:23:00.005-05:00

One of the reasons I’m attracted to survival topics is that the subject of survival is so broad. Walk away from a plane crash? That makes you a survivor. Turn the tables on a mugger? You’re a survivor. Beat cancer? Survivor. In my book, however, there’s a kind of super, ultimate survivor. The centenarian.

Ever stop to think about what’s involved in reaching 100 years of age? It seems almost a miracle. The deck is stacked against you. Sure, some people here and there make it because they are blessed with great genetics, and others are just plain lucky, but the sad reality is that in some parts of the world reaching 30 is a miracle. There are, however some documented exceptions.

National Geographic has designated areas where a large proportion of the population live to be a hundred and over as “blue zones“. There are few blue zones on the planet. Okinawa, Japan is one such zone. The Island of Sardinia, another. Then come the people on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica and Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California. That’s about it. An analysis of what all of these cultures have in common is interesting.

For one thing, the people are active. In Sardinia, for example, long lived shepherds are known for walking five or six miles a day while following their flocks.

Secondly, they consume a mostly plant based diet. Protein comes from fish, beans, dairy and poultry. Meat is a rare treat.

A lot of these people (except the Adventists) have a glass or two of alcohol per day. Especially red wine and rice wine. As a rule, none drink to excess.

Generally, these people placed family as their number one priority. They, in turn, were taken care of when they got older by that same family. In these cultures the elderly don’t get shuffled off to the nursing home.

Finally, the vast majority of centenarians have a good sense of humor. No matter how tough things got, they were able to laugh about it later.

Could it be that easy?

Alms For the Poor?

2009-03-05T22:05:00.002-05:00

Today I read about another family that was reported to be in serious financial distress.

There are four members of this family. Husband, wife and two children. They live in a one bedroom apartment that is only 800 square feet, which is pretty tight once you add their bed, the small child's bed and the crib. They can’t find a two bedroom that they can afford. In this economy, they’ve had to do some serious belt tightening. They no longer go to the movies. They rent videos. They buy books for the children at garage sales. Their walls are decorated with photos they took themselves or framed pictures made by the children. They shop at Wal-Mart. Husband and wife both work hard, but between them they have no savings. Nearly one third of their income goes to childcare costs. Right now, with both incomes, they’re pretty much breaking even.

Wait a moment, gentle readers. Put your wallets away. I forgot to tell you something. You see, this family makes $400,000.00 per year. Yes. You heard right. Mr. Augustin Fou has a doctorate degree from MIT and works in marketing. Mrs. Fou has a dental practice. Their apartment, which they own, is on Fifth Avenue in New York City. It’s worth over a million dollars (even in this depressed market). They spend $15,000.00 per year on pre-school tuition for their 3 year old! I am not making any of this up. There's a lot more. Why don’t you check out the story for yourselves right here. Be sure to watch the associated video.

Please tell me, did I take a wrong turn somewhere?

It's For Your Own Good, Comrades

2009-03-04T23:52:00.005-05:00

The National Safety Council is proposing legislation to ban the use of cell phones while driving in all 50 States. Now, in my home nanny-State of New York, it is already illegal for me to drive my car and talk on my cell phone at the same time unless I use a hands free device.

This proposal, however, will go far beyond that in that it will make all cell phone usage while driving illegal--no speaker phone, no Bluetooth, nothing at all.

New Yorkers will probably not blink an eye at this. After all, we seem to like having the Government micromanage us. When driving in the rain, for example, if we fail to turn on our lights anytime our wipers are in use, we are breaking the law (and will get a fine). We must properly separate our garbage into different categories (or we get a fine). We must wear helmets when we ride our motorcycles (or we get a fine). In my home county, it’s even illegal to let your engine idle for more than 3 minutes. If the police catch you, it’s a $300 fine (see a pattern here?). Nobody seems to mind, as Government knows best. Obviously, the State is only trying to insure our survival as a species.

Now here’s the thing. People have accidents under all kinds of conditions. Snow, rain, while listening to the radio or talking to your passenger. And yet, it’s still legal to drive in the snow, rain, while listening to the radio, or while talking to your passenger. Why are these activities any less dangerous than talking on your cell phone using a hands free device? If this thing passes, I will no longer be able to call the wife to tell her I’ll be late. Doctors won‘t be able to take emergency calls while on the road. It’s crazy.

This proposal is unnecessary and redundant. If you have an accident while gabbing on the phone, then you’re already guilty of inattentive driving under our existing statutes (same as if you were putting on makeup or reading a newspaper while behind the wheel). We already have good laws on the books. We don’t need anymore asinine ones-especially those that chip away at our personal freedoms.

Don't be a Frog

2009-03-03T16:05:00.006-05:00

When I first started thinking about survival issues seriously about a year and a half ago, I ran different scenarios in my mind as to what I really needed to be prepared for. Considering where I live, a tsunami was unlikely. So was a volcano. I discounted forest fires, locusts and most other natural calamities. All the while, I knew that it was important to have my vehicle well maintained and supplied, and to secure my property as best I could, and to prepare for more mundane occurrences such as minor power failures and snow storms. The basic stuff.

I made a serious blunder.

I had my blinders on when it came to the economic meltdown that was going on all around me. The biggest economic collapse since the depression and I hadn't really comprehended its magnitude.

Just like the frogs in the kettle. Do you guys know that story? There are frogs in a kettle of water on the stove. The water starts out as cold and the frogs are happy, but little by little, the flame begins to heat the water in the kettle. It’s so subtle the frogs don’t even notice. Suddenly, the water is real HOT. By the time they finally notice, it’s too late, and the frogs end up as dinner.

I was a frog in the damn kettle.

And yet, all of the warning signs were there. I should have felt the water getting hotter. I should have opened my eyes. Here are some examples over the last two years:

1. I lost a good job. Not because of job performance or because my company went out of business, but because the entire industry collapsed. Although I found another job in an unrelated field (for which I'm thankful), it pays a whopping 50% less.

2. My retirement account has virtually evaporated with the stock market meltdown. It's down 60%. Basically, everything I threw into it over 15 years is now gone. To me, that’s serious money I'm sure I'll never see again. I used to be hopeful it was just a temporary aberration, but I now don’t expect to see the market go to its previous levels anytime soon, if ever. I should have closed the account, but the “experts” advised me not to. After all, as I was told, hasn’t the stock market given the best rates of return over time?

3. The rapid, obscene rise in the price of everything. Home heating oil, gasoline and food costs especially have caused me to dip into savings every month for the last year in order to meet expenses. Obviously, that can’t go on forever.

4. The value of my home has dropped considerably. Although I still have some equity (at this writing anyway), I couldn't sell it even if I wanted to. Three homes in my area have been on the market for over a year. No one is looking at them, even though the owners are so desperate they’ve dropped the price nearly 40% and would be happy to sell at an even higher loss. Anyway, If I did put my house on the market and succeed in selling it, where would I go?

All of these four events in isolation would have caused me some hardship and a change in lifestyle. All of them together? Now that’s a survival emergency if there ever was one.

Where does one go from here? Well, I’m awake now and trying to get the hell out of the kettle.

Here’s what I think I need to do (and all suggestions are welcome, dear readers):

1. Keep buying food, food and more food. With four mouths to feed, I’m going to try for 2 years worth (which seems to be how long people take to find work these days) of stock. I have the room so storage should be no problem.

2. I need to focus on my strengths and trust my gut more. Listen to “experts” less.

3. I need to learn a recession proof skill. I’ve worked in an office setting my whole life and can’t do much with my hands. My father could build anything yet I barely know which end of the hammer to hold.

4. I need to cut my spending even more. I need to sell a lot of things. Cash is going to be critical here in the short term and I need to start accumulating more of it.

5. I need to develop more than one income stream. I can no longer hope to rely on just the income from my primary employment.

6. I need to keep self-improving. Keep up with my exercising. Tighten up my diet. Keep studying foreign languages. Keep reading. Keep learning.

I was a frog, but I'm not going to remain a frog.

Batten Down the Hatches

2009-03-02T22:54:00.003-05:00

Your home is your sanctuary and you have an obligation to your family to make it as safe as possible. Since spending thousands on sophisticated alarm systems or hiring armed guards is not an option for most of us, should we just give up and allow our homes to become an easy target? Not on your life. What can we do, then, to make our homes safer for little to no cost?

Here are some frugal ways to make your home safer:

Keep your curtains drawn at night. It never ceases to amaze me how many of my neighbors parade around their homes with the shades up. People driving by can count the occupants, see the flat screen TV and the prominently displayed antiques. Why advertise the contents of your home like this?

Be aware of your surroundings. If you see something that just doesn’t look right, chances are you may be right. Don‘t go inside if the door is not how you left it when you went out. If you‘re not sure, call the police.

Put deadbolts on all your doors. Double keyed locks are best. A double keyed lock is one that requires a key to open both sides. These locks are good because if someone goes in through a window they have to leave through the window and can’t open the door to remove large items like a TV. You can have the locksmith key all of your doors the same to reduce the number of keys you have to carry.

If you can, brace a piece of wood against your door and something inside so your door can't be pushed in. If your front door faces steps going to your upstairs, for example, put a 2x4 on the floor against the stairs and the door.

Put motion lights by your front and back doors. Thieves hate light and the more you have, the better. Inside lights can be turned on when you’re not home to make it appear as though you are. Turn on the radio. A cheap timer can turn your lights and radio on and off at different times to keep thieves guessing.

Trim the bushes in front of your house and cut down any plants someone can hide behind. Don’t provide that kind of cover. If you do like plants along the house, make sure they have thorns.

Don’t open the door for people you don’t know, especially if you are alone. Teach your kids to do the same. If someone knocks at your door who you’re not expecting who says they are a utility worker or with such and such organization, ask them to slide their ID card under the door. Call the company to see if they are legit. Same if someone asks to use your phone to call the police or a mechanic. Keep the door closed and offer to make the call yourself.

A loud blast from a $20 marine air horn will scare the hell out of someone and alert every neighbor on your block at the same time. Buy one and keep it accessible.

Buy or make some “Home Protected by ____ Security Alarms” or “Beware of Dog” stickers or signage. Especially if you don’t have either.

Walk around your house and plan how you would break into your own home. This is a great way to uncover any weaknesses.

Lock the door behind you even if you just go behind the house to do something quick like replace the garbage pails. Someone can just walk in while you’re out of sight of your front door.

If you buy or rent a new place, change the locks immediately. If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.

Don’t give your key to the cleaning people. Don’t give it to the real estate agent. Don’t hide it in your mailbox, or under the mat, or on a nail over the garage; these places are all too obvious.

If you are not going to be home, don’t leave a note for anyone on your door. This just acts as an invitation for a burglar.

Don’t put your full name on your mailbox. Last name and first initial are sufficient.

Put a curtain on your garage door windows so people can’t look in to see if your car is gone.

If you are going to be away and the event has been publicized (such as a wedding or funeral), ask a neighbor or relative to watch your house. The bad guys often read the wedding and death notices in the paper to see who’s going to be out of their home. When you’re out, turn the ringer off on your phone. A ringing phone is a giveaway that no one is home. When on vacation, suspend all newspaper delivery.

This is all common-sense stuff. Not at all costly, and if you implement just half of the these suggestions, you can have more peace of mind while at home or away.

Thank You, But I'm Not Interested

2009-03-02T13:39:00.003-05:00

My fever has finally broken and it’s now time to vent my spleen.

Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to getting pulled away from the dinner table once or twice a week to take a call from a telemarketer. Even though I’ve put my number on the “Do Not Call” list, they either don’t care or use some loophole in order to ring me up anyway. I do understand that these people are trying to make a living and I’m never rude to them, but recently I’ve noticed a more disturbing trend which I find intolerable. Companies that I already do business with are sending salespeople to my front door to try to upsell me on another product or service.

Case in point, Verizon is my internet service provider. I have a DSL connection. Saturday afternoon there was an urgent pounding on my front door. Not being inclined to open it after seeing the young lady with the clipboard through the peephole, I asked through the door how I could help her. The conversation went like this:

Me: May I help you?
Young lady with Clipboard: I’m from Verizon and I’ve been by 4 times already and you weren’t home.
Me: So?
Young lady with Clipboard: Well, it’s just that everyone has been upgrading to FIOS.
Me: So?
Young lady with Clipboard: So can I sign you up?
Me: No, not interested.
Young lady with Clipboard: But it’s faster. All you have to do is open the door and sign this form. The installers are already in the area.
Me: Not interested.

And now the pièce de résistance…

Young lady with Clipboard: If it’s a bad time, I could come back?!

Here’s the issue for me: there's no such thing as a simple transaction with a merchant or service provider anymore. Every conversation is now an opportunity for a business to sell us something more. Buy a TV, and the upsell is the extended warranty. Buy a pizza, and for $3.95 more you can get the extra large with extra cheese. Call your credit card company with a simple question and they will now try to upsell you on their latest card or fraud protection service. Car on the lift for a $19.95 oil change special--guess what, you also need your radiator flushed.

You would think that the companies that you are already doing business with would leave you in peace, but here’s the paradox: upselling works! I’ve read that 15% of all customers actually want to hear these offers and don't mind the interruptions. And the percentage of those who take the bait make it profitable for companies to continue the practice. Unfortunately, in order to reach that 15%, they have to pester all 100% of their customers to root them out.

I’m going to have to check on this, but if clipboard sales are up, I think we’re all in trouble.

A Great Act of Selflessness

2009-02-28T15:26:00.003-05:00

Three of my co-workers were sick this week with the flu. Every one of them came to work. Every one. I guess they were all worried that during their absence the "management committee" would realize that the company could get along just fine without them and they didn't want to draw any attention to themselves. This is how it is now. This is the new economy. It's every man for himself.

Anyway, hard as I tried to avoid it, I'm now sick myself. It's Saturday afternoon and I've been alternating between fever and chills all day. Weekend ruined. I should call the doctor to get a refund on that flu shot. Must have been a placebo.

To those of you who came into work with your runny noses and slobbering coughs, I understand why you did it, but I'm not happy about it. To my fellow co-workers who have up to now avoided getting infected, fear not--the Pandemic stops here. I will sacrifice my weekend and Monday, if need be, in order to insure your safety.

Ignorance is No Longer Bliss

2009-02-27T20:13:00.005-05:00

One of the subtitles of this blog is "Self Teaching." I'm a huge believer in teaching yourself anything you want to learn or get better at, such as trades, crafts, foreign languages, etc. The Internet has made learning available to anybody with access to a computer. In the old days, learning was structured around a teacher, and it was almost always one teacher in charge of teaching many pupils. If the teacher was lousy, too bad, you were stuck with them (sometimes for your entire time at that school.) The rich were better off in that they had the resources to pay for private instruction, so for them the ratio was one teacher to one student.

Now, with the Internet, you can have thousands of teachers for every student, twenty four hours a day--and much of it is free! Since I like to study foreign languages, I’ll use this example: suppose I want to learn Mandarin Chinese. When I was in college, the odds of even finding someone who spoke Mandarin were slim; the odds of finding Mandarin taught somewhere locally were even slimmer. Even if I was able to find a class taught at some specialized Berlitz-type language school, there was no way I could ever even afford it. Today, I can now listen to Chinese radio, watch Chinese TV programs and download Chinese podcasts to my IPod, all from my computer, and all for free.

In the old pre-Internet days, if I was lucky I could find a dusty old Chinese language book at the library (probably from circa 1936, and probably for Cantonese and not Mandarin), which had such useful vocabulary words in it as “abacus,” “steamship,” and “fountain pen”. Today I can have access to Mandarin newspapers and magazines published this morning and written using today’s idioms. I now have my choice of dozens of textbooks which I can purchase from Amazon if I really want to buy one (and I’m no longer convinced that textbooks are necessary), or I can use a service such as LingQ which allows me to link up with native Mandarin speakers who will speak with me or correct my writing. I can Skype other Mandarin speaking people all over the world and converse with them using a ten dollar microphone from my laptop, who will be more than happy to give me a Mandarin lesson in exchange for an English lesson. Cost? Zero.

Before, if I wanted to learn vocabulary or the Chinese writing system, I could make paper flashcards. If I was really serious about it, I could eventually accumulate entire shoeboxes full of flash cards. Today, I can use a spaced repetition system (“SRS”) program like Anki or Mnemosyne or Quizlet, sophisticated computer programs which will take your vocabulary words, sentences and phrases and make electronic versions of your flash cards. And get this--because a computer can crunch numbers much faster than you can, programmers have designed these SRS systems with some pretty sophisticated algorithms which will allow them to quiz you on your data in such a way that the cards that are easier for you come up less frequently and the harder ones come up more frequently; this makes your brain more effective at remembering what is initially more obscure to you. If you’re really lazy, you don’t even have to make up your own flash card decks. You can use a deck created by someone else. People post flashcard decks for all types of subjects. How much for all of this convenience? The programs can be downloaded for FREE!

With all of this available to you, there’s no way that you can’t become conversational in any language within six months, if you put in the time.

The playing field has been leveled. We now have access to vast amounts of information on any subject. The financial hurdle to learning has been removed. Why in the world would you choose not to self improve?

Spring Forward, Fall back, the Better Way

2009-02-26T21:53:00.004-05:00

It's been a long cold winter here in the Northeast, but Spring is just around the corner. On March 8, 2009 most of us will go through the ritual of changing the clocks to Daylight Savings Time. While you're at it, why not also do the following:

1. Check/replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

2. Examine your fire extinguishers. Clean them off and give them a shake.

3. Go through your "bug out bag" and take out the old protein bars, jerky, tuna, water etc. and replace everything with newer items. Consume or donate what you've removed.

4. Inventory your food storage items. Check for rodent/insect infestation. Replace whatever you're running low on.

5. Weather permitting, give your vehicle the once over. Check tire pressure, hoses, fluid levels, etc. Clean and vacuum.

6. Check your flashlights, matches, propane--anything you're going to rely on in an emergency.

7. Give the perimeter of your house the once over. Any broken windows, loose hinges, broken lights?

8. Knives sharp? Guns clean? First Aid Supplies adequate?

9. Check your stored water. If needed, add a couple drops of bleach to each gallon.

10. Get your heating system checked out and cleaned. It's been working hard all winter.

Don't fret. It seems like a lot but it really isn't. Besides, it's only twice a year.

There's No Need to Recreate the Wheel

2009-02-25T20:08:00.003-05:00

Cibi condimentum esse famem.
Hunger is the best sauce.
-Cicero

A lot of people nowadays are having a very challenging time financially. Putting food on the table has become a great source of stress. Although it may be a little difficult for people to try and look outside of their own set of circumstances, history is replete with examples of others who have had to endure some very tough times. My parents used to tell me stories about how tough things were during the Great Depression and, later, the Second World War. This was a generation of real suffering. And yet, there was an underlying optimism that things would get better.

Anyway, when the food budget is tight, why not look to the past to see how others survived? One of my interests lately has been gathering Depression era recipes. It's amazing to me to see how creatively people used what they had at hand to create meals for their families that were tasty, nutritious and, most importantly, cheap.

At the same time, this was not processed food out of a box. It was good, wholesome food which did not make you feel deprived when you were eating it. Here's an example: when I was younger there were times when my father (who was a laborer) could not work because it was either too cold or building projects were scarce. When things got really lean, my mother would make a dish of spaghetti with garlic and oil and grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Now, if things got really bad, they couldn't afford the cheese. What my mother did then was season some toasted breadcrumbs and put this "cheese" on the spaghetti in lieu of the real thing. Tasted just as good to us. Now get this--there's a restaurant in the city where I work that has on its menu, prominently displayed in the window: spaghetti with garlic, oil and seasoned breadcrumbs, $15,95!

A simple, wholesome meal now at an obscene price. But the recipe is a good one and can be reproduced for a fraction of the cost at home. Have a look at these YouTube videos of a 93 year old woman telling about how her family lived and ate during the Depression. I doubt many people would turn down a dinner invitation at her house (check out her Poorman's Feast).

At any rate, for those of you who are trying to optimize your budget and trying to get the most out of your food dollar, look to the past. Learn from those who suffered during some real hard times. They know what they're talking about.

Small Steps Can Yield Big Results

2009-02-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

Many financial planners advise having an emergency fund of 3-6 months salary put away. Now I believe that this is a fine idea. The problem is, in this economy setting aside one-quarter to one half of your income is not the easiest thing to do. Like food storage though, one absolutely must put something away for emergencies. The key is to start small. If you can put aside just 500 dollars cash you are on your way to sleeping a little better at night. Here are a few ways that you can accumulate 500 bucks:

1. Sell some stuff. Everyone has something that they can sell. Clean out the attic or basement and have a garage sale or sell your things on Craig’s List.

2. Review your bills. This is something you should do regularly. Raise your insurance deductible. Pare down your cable service. Cut out caller ID and other non-essentials.

3. Go on a “spending freeze.” For an entire month, purchase only essentials (like food and gasoline). This is not the month to buy new shoes, or a DVD or even the newspaper. You’ll be surprised at what you can accumulate this way.

4. Put some or all of your tax refund into your emergency fund. If you’re getting money back, now is the time to put this “found money” towards your emergency stash.

5. Make extra for dinner and have it for lunch. This is so basic, but brown-bagging it and brewing your own coffee at home or drinking what’s available at work can save you $50 a week.

Just 5 small steps, but they can pay a big reward.

If You Have It, Hide It

2009-02-23T22:58:00.001-05:00

An acquaintance of mine put a fair amount of money into renovating his house. The exterior, especially, was so extensively re-done that if you had before and after pictures you wouldn’t have realized you were looking at the same property. By the time he was finished, he had the most beautiful home on his street, by far. In fact, his home now looked completely out of place, as though someone had placed a mansion in between rows of crack houses.

About three months later, he was robbed. Did you know people even steal landscaping? Trees, shrubs, bushes, thousands of dollars worth, all gone.

A co-worker put fancy wheels and tires on her car. $3,000 worth. One morning she went out to find her car on cement blocks and missing all four wheels.

Are you sending out the wrong kinds of signals--the ones that mark you as a target? Anytime you are perceived as having an excess of something, there are people out there who will try their best to relieve you of that excess. You don’t need to tell everyone about the existence of your stockpiles of food, or your expensive gun or coin collections.

In tough times, learning to blend in will be crucial.

In fact, adopting this policy now is a good idea. Watch what you say to people. If you travel, try to blend in. Dress like the natives. Leave the expensive jewelry at home. Don’t flaunt what you have. A little paranoia can be a good thing.

Keeping Clean and Healthy in an Emergency

2009-02-22T15:16:00.003-05:00

During an emergency, it is important to your survival to keep yourself healthy. One way is to keep yourself and your living area clean and sanitary. Poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions can cause sickness. The last thing you need during an emergency when people are counting on you is to get sick because you let your immediate environment get contaminated.

As part of your regular stockpiling, you should already have been storing water and have thought about a means of water purification. Water filters, Steripen (see my review here), chlorine and iodine are all good ways to purify water should you run out of your own and can’t boil water that you gather from questionable sources. Remember, experts now advise at least 1 gallon per person for five days, more if it’s extremely hot or in difficult conditions.

You can prevent a lot of problems for yourself by washing your hands often. Wash before eating, after using the bathroom, after you change a diaper, and any other time you’ve handled dirty objects, especially if they’re wet. Because clean water is the number one priority during an emergency (and where it’s unavailable, people die) you should always use only clean, purified water for drinking, cooking, and washing dishes. When bathing, you can make do with washing in a stream or river or even in the rain with a bar of soap if your supply of drinking water needs rationing. Other washing alternatives include moist towelettes, a spray bottle, sanitizing lotions, or a wet washcloth. Be sure to wear shoes in order to prevent cuts or wounds that can become infected.

Start acquiring a reserve supply of the following items which will be necessary for personal hygiene: toilet paper (one of the first things to disappear from store shelves during an emergency) toothbrush and toothpaste (extra toothbrushes will make good cleaning brushes or can be used for barter), feminine hygiene products, shampoo, combs and brushes, soap and hand sanitizers. Any special lotions, creams or medications you require should also be included.

Emergency toilet
If you have no water for flushing, a decent emergency toilet can be made out of a medium sized plastic bucket (5-6 gallon) lined with a heavy-duty garbage bag. Make sure you also purchase a lid to cover it. A plastic toilet seat can be purchased to fit on the bucket (or one crafted out of two small pieces of scrap 2x4’s) for ease of use. You can fill the bucket with kitty litter or add some bleach which should keep odors in check. If you have a large enough property you can dig a latrine as long as its far away from the house and downwind.

With a little knowledge and preparation, you can stay clean and healthy during an emergency situation.

Better Than a Doctor's Bag

2009-02-21T18:54:00.002-05:00

For the past 11 years I've carried a black leather briefcase to work. Recently I had a good look at it and questioned my reasons for carrying it. Examining its contents, I realized that 95% of what I was lugging around with me wasn't really needed or practical. Newspapers, magazines, downloaded articles to be read later, junk mail, receipts--nearly 6 pounds of paper alone!

The interesting thing was that nothing in my briefcase was work related! Here I was, lugging around all of this stuff and I couldn't think of a single reason why.

After emptying it, I was about to stash the case in the closet, when I had a thought. The bag was 11 years old and it still looked good. It had four zippered pockets on the outside and four divided compartments on the inside. It was expandable and had a comfortable shoulder strap. That's when it hit me--since I was already used to carrying it, why not convert it into the ultimate stealth office survival kit?

So I began to fill it. A flashlight; a first aid kit; light sticks; space blanket; a multitool; fire starter; food bars-everything I thought would be useful to have with me if there's a crisis or emergency while I'm at work and can't get to the car. Everything fits inside with room to spare. As an added bonus, it now weighs even less than before! I can take it everywhere I go and it draws no attention to itself whatsoever. Since everyone is used to seeing me with it already, no one takes any notice of it at all. Just one more thing that can be done to ensure that I'm a little more prepared if things go bad while I'm at work.

Why not try this? Who knows, even allocating half of the space in your briefcase or purse for survival gear can make a huge difference should you need to spend the night in your office or leave your workplace on foot.

Make Them Think Twice

2009-02-20T22:26:00.002-05:00

Four years ago, my daughters somehow succeeded in convincing me to get a dog. I really didn’t have anything against dogs, I just assumed that they were more trouble than they were worth. We didn’t have any pets when I was younger, and none of my friends had dogs either.

Anyway, on that fateful day off we went to pick out our puppy, crate, food, toys, bowls, leashes, etc. etc. We took the dog home, and within 15 minutes of arriving, the dog fell asleep and was out for a couple of hours. I commented to my wife that raising this little guy looked like it was going to be pretty easy.

As it turned out, the next four months were pure hell.

Never did something so small pee so much. Some days I had to take him out 17 times! I was cranky, tired and by the third month I wanted to get rid of him. I really did. He cried, chewed everything in sight, wanted to play when I wanted to sleep, bit off the keys on my laptop and tried to eat every pebble in my driveway. He doubled in size, then tripled in size, then quadrupled in size.

By six months, we had some return to normalcy. He only needed walking now 3 or 4 times a day, was sleeping most of the night and hadn‘t soiled in the house in a while. He was a great dog with the kids and never showed the slightest hint of aggression no matter how rough they played with him.

Early one morning, I took the dog for a walk. By this time, he weighed about 45 pounds. It was dark and I was the only one out. I was walking ahead, and my dog was on the leash about 4 feet behind me. Suddenly, two guys wearing hooded sweatshirts rounded the corner and were coming quickly towards me. Whether they meant to rob me or not I don’t know, because my dog saw them before they saw him. He ran around me and got between me and them and it was all I could do to hold him. He wanted to rip them to pieces!

They backed away, crossed the street and moved on. From that point on, I looked at the dog in a whole new way.

Dogs as a means of personal protection

A dog can be a great deterrent to crime and can be used as an effective weapon against those intent on doing you harm. Simply having a formidable looking dog with you can be a deterrent. Especially so, one that has a reputation as a protection dog. However, even a small barking dog can be a deterrent, and could cause a thief to choose an easier target. A dog automatically makes you a harder target by making the bad guys wonder if choosing you as a victim is worth it.

As for my dog, I’m going to keep him.

That Little Red Wonder

2009-02-19T20:08:00.001-05:00

Do you have fire extinguishers in your house? Do you know how to use them? Does the rest of your family? You didn’t just buy them, put them in a cabinet somewhere and forget about them, did you?

When you need a fire extinguisher, that is not the time to try and figure out how it works, or to realize that its empty. Here’s some simple preparation you can do:

Inspect your fire extinguishers regularly. Make sure they are accessible and that everyone in the family knows where they are. Make sure that the gauge shows that the pressure is in the “green zone.” The pin and seal should be intact. There should be no rust or other deposits on the unit.

Once a month, give your extinguishers a shake to prevent the contents from packing or settling. Replace any extinguishers that are questionable. Keep a few of them in the house, especially where there is any type of flame (kitchen, boiler room, etc.). They do not cost much, and could save your skin.

And don’t forget to buy one for the car.

Where to Get Your Grub

2009-02-18T19:23:00.003-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with warehouse clubs like Sam's Club, Costco and BJ's. I like that I can buy bulk items such as rice, flour, tuna, etc. all in one convenient location. The problem is, sometimes I get the feeling that I'm paying a premium for buying in bulk, and when everything is factored in, I just may be.

A trip to Sam's Club yesterday is a case in point. I bought 5 items: 20 pounds of Jasmin rice, chili powder, a case of chicken broth, tuna and size AA batteries. Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with these type stores, you need to join them in order to shop there. The annual fee is about $40. The physical layout is large and with wide aisles, easy to navigate. So far, so good.

The problem is, every one of my purchases except the batteries could have been acquired at the same price or cheaper at one of the supermarkets in my area. And even then, the difference was negligible. Sam's Club had a thirty pack of batteries and the supermarket had a twenty four pack for about the same price. Considering I had to drive out of my way to get to Sam's Club and spent nearly 20 minutes on line, the price, if you factor in the gas and the value of my time, levelled out. Also, at warehouse clubs no bags are provided so it's a lot more work getting the supplies from the car into the house.

Lately, I have been expending a lot of effort in building up my food stores. I also need to make my money go as far as possible. At the supermarkets, I can "pre-shop" by perusing the circulars before I go so that I am armed with a list of the items I need and which store has the best price for that item. At the warehouse club, I can't do that. I have to know my prices or I don't know if I'm overpaying. In addition, they usually only have one brand of a particular item, take it or leave it. Sometimes, you can't find some items at all (powdered milk at my Sam's Club, for example).

On the other hand, occasionally you can find incredible deals at the warehouse clubs. Honey, for example is nearly 5 times more expensive at the supermarket. Water, meat and fish can also usually be had for less. Usually but not always. If you really pay attention to what the "loss leaders" are (those items featured in a supermarket circular which entice a shopper in with the hope that they'll spend money on other, higher cost items once there) and stick to those, you can generally do much better at supermarkets for your everyday staples.

Bottom line, if you know your prices and your savings can at least offset the price of your membership, and you can use the large quantities of items with minimal waste and spoilage, then the clubs may have some value. Otherwise, just stick with the supermarkets and shop the sales.

It's Just Practice

2009-02-17T20:55:00.003-05:00

Up for a small experiment? You can make this a thought experiment, or for those of you who are really adventurous, try it for real. Imagine it's Friday evening. You've just gotten home from work, and the following notice has been left on everyone's door in your neighborhood:

Dear Customer,
In order to ensure a steady and reliable supply of power to our customers, we will be turning off the power for a 24 hour period, beginning tomorrow, Saturday at 6:00 a.m. and ending Sunday, at 6:00 a.m. in order to perform necessary maintenance. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Sincerely, ABC Power Company.

Now, let's not make this too difficult. In our experiment, it will be cold but not freezing so the pipes will be okay and there will be no storms earthquakes, terrorist attacks or other disasters for the entire 24 hour period.

Okay. It's now Saturday morning. Those of you who are adventurous (and without a protesting spouse), go down to the fuse box and turn everything off. For the rest. Let's use our imagination.

You now have no power. Chances are, you can no longer heat water and your electric stove is out. What do you do first? Naturally, I can't give you an exact blueprint to follow. But if you've given this any previous thought then you should already have the following items in place:

Food, water, warm clothing. Since our experiment is only for 24 hours, as long as you keep the refrigerator door closed you shouldn't lose any food. Try to eat from your pantry. If you're uncomfortable with this, then eat from the refrigerator first.

Alternate power source. This can be anything from a small car battery type power inverter that can run a lamp or laptop for a couple of hours to a small generator.

Light. Are your lanterns ready? Do you have extra batteries and/or fuel?

Cooking. Do you have a camp stove? BBQ grill? Wood stove? Extra fuel? Can you heat water for washing?

Entertainment. Can your kids go a day without their video games? Can you keep your mind busy without the TV or Internet?

Since our experiment is only for 24 hours, it should be a piece of cake. Right? Well, how did you do?

Goodbye to the Middle Class

2009-02-16T15:45:00.007-05:00

I'm no economist, but I believe that I'm witnessing the death of the middle class in this country.

My parents came here from Italy after the ravages of the Second World War. They loved it here and never went back, even for a visit. My father found work as a laborer and never made more than $200 a week (most of the time, he made considerably less). My mother stayed at home. Like any traditional Italian-American family, they had simple tastes, paid cash for everything and (having known real financial hardship) concentrated on putting every spare penny away. When my father died suddenly in 1979, he had no debts, had never owned a credit card, paid cash for his car and had $50,000.00 in the bank. If money was spent on something considered frivolous, then it was referred to as "soldi gettati," or "money thrown away." Although my parents were frugal, prices for everyday necessities were cheap. Luxuries were expensive. Today, it's the reverse.

Consider this:

Housing: In the sixties and seventies, in our part of New York State, a nice apartment could be rented for about $125 per month, or slightly less than what my father made in 1 week (our rent was actually $85 per month). A nice home could be purchased for about $15,000.00. Heating oil was 29 cents a gallon. Today, rents average $1,500.00 per month and the average home price here is about $300,000.00. Housing costs are now way more than one weeks' salary for most people.

Automobiles: My father bought a new Volkswagen in 1969 for $2,500.00. This was about 4 months salary (remember, in a good year my father earned only $10,000.00). Gas was about 25 cents a gallon. Today, an automobile costs from two-thirds to one-year's salary. Gas prices are anybody's guess.

Median Salary: In 1969 if you made $10,609 you were solidly in the middle class. Today, in New York you need $75,513.00 to be considered middle class. This means that for a family of four two incomes are now required.

Food: We ate pasta, bread, rice, corn-meal, fish, beans, vegetables and occasionally, meat. My father always went to the store with a twenty dollar bill. With that, he did the shopping for the week for our family of four. Has anyone out there checked out the percentage of their income spent on food lately?

Taxes: This year, you will have to work until April 23 to reach "tax freedom day." Thirty one (31%) percent of the year! Talk about a crushing tax burden on the middle class. Everything you earn from the first of the year to April 23--113 days--is needed just to pay taxes! Are we trying to reach parity with Zimbabwe?

I could go on and on. Unfortunately, what is going down is our purchasing power. Every dollar earned now purchases less and less. And for those still employed, salaries are frozen, stagnant or declining. We are, therefore, on the verge of being left with only two classes. The super rich, who are unconcerned (at present, anyway) with the cost of goods, and the poor, who will hope to be provided for as wards of the system. For those in the middle, the future holds only extinction.

This or That...

2009-02-15T19:23:00.006-05:00

Given a choice between writing about pandemics or tsunamis today, I decided on…corn bread.

As long as people have known about corn, they’ve made cornbread. No matter where in the world you look, if corn is grown you can bet that the people will make it into flour and create some sort of bread. Whether its called corn pone, ashcakes, hoe-cakes, journey-cakes, johnny-cakes, slapjacks, spoonbread, dodgers or polenta, its all good. It’s cheap and easy to make and goes well with a wide variety of foods from beans to stews. Its nutritious, filling and tasty--good survival food.

Traditionally, cornbread is made in a cast iron skillet (that is rarely washed but kept seasoned with oil) and since no yeast is involved can be made in a half hour from start to finish. You can make it sweet like a dessert or flavor it with jalapeño or pepper (Texas style). It can be made into muffins or made decadent with added pork fat “cracklins.” You can make it with white or yellow cornmeal, have it for breakfast with fruit, or with a glass of milk or buttermilk before bed. Its perfect with beans (especially pinto) as the amino acids complement each other forming a complete protein.

If you’ve never baked anything in your life, you can make cornbread. It’s almost foolproof. Here’s a very basic recipe (that’s about a hundred years old) that you can play with:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (skim works fine)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
4 tablespoons oil (vegetable or canola)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 10 inch caste iron skillet and put it in the oven to warm. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into hot skillet. Bake 25 minutes. Try not to eat the whole thing yourself. Go ahead and try.

An Altoids Survival Kit

2009-02-14T17:39:00.005-05:00

Having just finished another tin of Altoids (Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint--highly recommended) I got to thinking about an article I read sometime ago about creating a mini-survival kit out of one.

Upon closer examination, I realized that the idea has potential, so I put one together for myself.

The tin itself is very well constructed. It has a hinge which allows the top to lay flat when opened.

The inside is quite shiny, which could act as a sort of primitive signal mirror, and the container is definitely sturdy enough to boil a small amount of water or cook a little food in. It's also surprisingly spacious for such a small container. The following items all fit nicely and allow me to carry a few extra items with me which may come in handy. This is a work in progress and I may add or subtract items as required, but here's what I've started out with:

matches-just one or two wooden ones with a piece of the box striker
small LED flashlight-quarter sized dollar store light is fine
birthday candle-get one of the trick ones that relight when you blow it out for those windy days
small compass-button sized
1 foot square of folded aluminum foil-make a drinking cup or a pot out of this
safety pins, needle and thread-easily fix rips in your clothing
wire-fix things
individually packaged gauze square and medical tape
band aids
alcohol wipes
rubber band
dental floss
razor blade
small Victorionox knife
small pencil and paper
a couple of water purification tablets
fishing kit (hook, line and sinker)
whistle
small Bic Lighter
cotton ball-good tinder
Advil (convenience store package of 2) and 2 alcohol wipes
two quarters and a five dollar bill

There it is. Surprisingly, everything fits. It weighs almost nothing and yet it has so much potential! Why not put one together?

Cheating the Flames of Death

2009-02-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

A few days back, I spoke about the Australia fires. Here is a first hand account by Gary Hughes, a reporter for the Australian News, who barely escaped. The account was published February 9, 2009:

THEY warn you it comes fast. But the word "fast" doesn't come anywhere near describing it.

It comes at you like a runaway train. One minute you are preparing. The next you are fighting for your home. Then you are fighting for your life.
But it is not minutes that come between. It's more like seconds. The firestorm moves faster than you can think, let alone react.

For 25 years, we had lived on our hilltop in St Andrews, in the hills northeast of Melbourne.
You prepare like they tell you every summer.
You clear. You slash. You prime your fire pump. For 25 years, fires were something that you watched in the distance.

Until Saturday.

We had been watching the massive plume of smoke from the fire near Kilmore all afternoon; secure in the knowledge it was too far away to pose a danger.
Then suddenly there is smoke and flames across the valley, about a kilometre to the northwest, being driven towards you by the wind. Not too bad, you think.

I rush around the side of the house to start the petrol-powered fire pump to begin spraying the house, just in case.
When I get there, I suddenly see flames rushing towards the house from the west. The tongues of flame are in our front paddock, racing up the hill towards us across grass stubble I thought safe because it had been slashed.

In the seconds it takes me to register the flames, they are into a small stand of trees 50m from the house. Heat and embers drive at me like an open blast furnace. I run to shelter inside, like they tell you, until the fire front passes.
Inside are my wife, a 13-year-old girl we care for, and a menagerie of animals "rescued" over the year by our veterinary-student daughter.

They call it "ember attack". Those words don't do it justice.

It is a fiery hailstorm from hell driving relentlessly at you. The wind and driving embers explore, like claws of a predator, every tiny gap in the house. Embers are blowing through the cracks around the closed doors and windows.
We frantically wipe at them with wet towels. We are fighting for all we own. We still have hope.

The house begins to fill with smoke. The smoke alarms start to scream. The smoke gets thicker.

I go outside to see if the fire front has passed. One of our two cars under a carport is burning. I rush inside to get keys for the second and reverse it out into an open area in front of the house to save it.

That simple act will save our lives. I rush back around the side of the house, where plastic plant pots are in flames. I turn on a garden hose. Nothing comes out.
I look back along its length and see where the flames have melted it. I try to pick up one of the carefully positioned plastic buckets of water I've left around the house. Its metal handle pulls away from the melted sides.
I rush back inside the house. The smoke is much thicker. I see flames behind the louvres of a door into a storage room, off the kitchen. I open the door and there is a fire burning fiercely.

I realise the house is gone. We are now fighting for our lives.

We retreat to the last room in the house, at the end of the building furthest from where the firestorm hit. We slam the door, shutting the room off from the rest of the house. The room is quickly filling with smoke. It's black, toxic smoke, different from the superheated smoke outside.

We start coughing and gasping for air. Life is rapidly beginning to narrow to a grim, but inevitable choice. Die from the toxic smoke inside. Die from the firestorm outside.
The room we are in has french doors opening on to the front veranda. Somewhere out of the chaos of thoughts surfaces recent media bushfire training I had done with the CFA. When there's nothing else, a car might save you.

I run the 30 or 40 steps to the car through the blast furnace. I wrench open the door to start the engine and turn on the airconditioning, as the CFA tells you, before going back for the others.

The key isn't in the ignition. Where in hell did I put it? I rush back to the house. By now the black, toxic smoke is so thick I can barely see the others. Everyone is coughing. Gasping. Choking. My wife is calling for one of our two small dogs, the gentle, loyal Gizmo, who has fled in terror.

I grope in my wife's handbag for her set of car keys. The smoke is so thick I can't see far enough to look into the bag. I find them by touch, thanks to a plastic spider key chain our daughter gave her as a joke. Our lives are saved by a plastic spider. I tell my wife time has run out. We have to get to the car. The choices have narrowed to just one option, just one slim chance to live.

Clutching the second of our two small dogs, we run to the car. I feel the radiant heat burning the back of my hand. The CFA training comes back again. Radiant heat kills.

The three of us are inside the car. I turn the key. It starts. We turn on the airconditioning and I reverse a little further away from the burning building. The flames are wrapped around the full fuel tank of the other car and I worry about it exploding.

We watch our home - our lives, everything we own - blazing fiercely just metres away. The heat builds. We try to drive down our driveway, but fallen branches block the way. I reverse back towards the house, but my wife warns me about sheets of red-hot roofing metal blowing towards us.

I drive back down, pushing the car through the branches. Further down the 400m drive, the flames have passed. But at the bottom, trees are burning.

We sit in the open, motor running and air conditioner turned on full. Behind us our home is aflame. We calmly watch from our hilltop, trapped in the sanctuary of our car, as first the house of one neighbour, then another, then another goes up in flames. One takes an agonisingly slow time to go, as the flames take a tenuous grip at one end and work their way slowly along the roof. Another at the bottom of our hill, more than a 100 years old and made of imported North American timber, explodes quickly in a plume of dark smoke.

All the while the car is being buffeted and battered by gale-force winds and bombarded by a hail of blackened material. It sounds like rocks hitting the car.
The house of our nearest neighbour, David, who owns a vineyard, has so far escaped. But a portable office attached to one wall is billowing smoke.
I leave the safety of the car and cross the fence. Where is the CFA, he frantically asks. With the CFA's help, perhaps he can save his house. What's their number, he asks me. I tell him we had already rung 000, before our own house burnt. Too many fires. Too few tankers. I leave him to his torment. I walk back towards our own house in a forlorn hope that by some miracle our missing dog may have survived in some unburned corner of the building.

Our home, everything we were, is a burning, twisted, blackened jumble. Our missing dog, Gizmo, Bobby our grumpy cockatoo, Zena the rescued galah that spoke Greek and imitated my whistle to call the dogs, our free-flying budgie nicknamed Lucky because he escaped a previous bushfire, are all gone. Killed in the inferno that almost claimed us as well.

I return to the car and spot the flashing lights of a CFA tanker through the blackened trees across the road. We drive down the freeway, I pull clear more fallen branches and we reach the main road. I walk across the road to the tanker and tell them if they are quick they might help David save his house. I still don't know if they did. We stop at a police checkpoint down the hill. They ask us where we've come from and what's happening up the road. I tell them there's no longer anything up the road.

We stop at the local CFA station in St Andrews. Two figures sit hunched in chairs, covered by wet towels for their serious burns. More neighbours. We hear that an old friend, two properties from us, is missing. A nurse wraps wet towels around superficial burns on my wife's leg and my hand.

We drive to my brother's house, which fate had spared, on the other side of St Andrews.
The thought occurs to me, where do you start when you've lost everything, even a way to identify yourself. Then I realise, of course, it doesn't matter. We escaped with our lives. Just. So many others didn't.

Develop a Survivor Mentality

2009-02-12T21:34:00.000-05:00

Picture yourself in an unfamiliar town, where you don't know the landmarks and you can't remember exactly where you parked your car. It's getting dark and there are a lot of characters lurking in the shadows. How is your mental focus right now? If you're anything like me, you enter into a type of "hyper-awareness." In this heightened mental state, your senses seem to all be working optimally, and nothing escapes your attention. There is absolutely no way that anyone is going to get close to you unnoticed when you are in this state, as you can probably hear a cat walking 25 feet away.

You find your car, get in and drive off. Soon, you find the right exit and are on your way home. You begin to relax. As the adrenaline rush fades, that feeling of absolute mental acuity begins to recede and you go back into that foggy state of mind that characterizes your daily existence. That feeling of hyper-awareness, where you felt so alive just moments ago, is gone.

Here are some traits you should cultivate to help you out when everything depends on your state of mind being in hyperdrive:

1. Coolness under stress. Keep your emotions in check. Have the ability to stay calm or to quickly regain your calmness.

2. Be flexible. Survivors readily adapt when the situation changes.

3. The will to live. If you don't desperately want to get home, you probably wont.

4. Be curious. See how things work and learn how to apply what you've learned.

5. Sense of Humor. If you can laugh, especially at yourself, you'll have a huge advantage over others in a similar situation.

6. Learn to abandon the rules when you need to. Many people perished in the World Trade Center attack because they were told by security personnel to go up the staircase toward the flames. Those who followed their gut and went down made it out.

It's a tough world out there. If you're sitting home in your underwear watching the Superbowl perhaps you can afford to relax a little, but once you venture outside it's a whole different ballgame and you'd better have your playbook in order.

Put Bleach in Your Kit

2009-02-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

One item you should have a good supply of is unscented chlorine bleach in a 5.25% solution. Bleach, or sodium hypochlorite, is almost perfect for sterilizing or disinfecting surfaces. Everyone knows that a little bleach in the washer will make your whites sparkle, but here are some other uses for bleach that you may not have heard about:

1. To purify water, add 8 drops of bleach per gallon and wait 30 minutes. If the water has a slight bleach smell, it will be OK to drink. If you don't smell chlorine, add 8 more drops, wait 15 minutes and sniff again. If your water is very cloudy to begin with, start off with 16 drops initially (bleach will not purify water that has been chemically contaminated).

2. Add 1 teaspoon bleach to 1 gallon of water and use to sanitize surfaces such as countertops and plates. If you eat off of contaminated surfaces, you could get sick.

3. If your house gets flooded and your canned goods come in contact with the dirty water, or you find mouse droppings on the cans, add 1 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water, take the labels off the cans, soak them in the solution, then re-label cans with a marker. Opening a dirty can can push the contaminants into the food.

4. Mold, mildew, moss and algae can be killed by applying a mixture of 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water. Wear gloves and a mask when treating mold because it can be toxic if ingested or inhaled.

5. Infection control. Mix a solution of half Listerine mouthwash with half Clorox bleach into a spray bottle. Spray on surfaces such as beds, sofas, and other surfaces where germs are known to reside. Spray in the air to prevent viruses from spreading during illnesses such as colds and flu.

6. Kill weeds in walkways. Pour some undiluted bleach over weeds in the cracks in your walkway. After a day or two, you can simply pull them out, and the bleach will keep them from coming back. Don't get any on the lawn, or it will kill the grass.

For something you can get for less than a dollar, bleach is a powerhouse. Two things to remember however. Bleach degrades over time, so rotate your supply every 3-4 months, and never, ever, ever mix bleach with ammonia. It will release a poisonous gas that can kill you.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

2009-02-10T20:42:00.000-05:00

In an emergency situation, be it a storm, blackout or other calamity, we would naturally all want to stay home and hunker down. This isn't always possible and there may be an occasion when we have to evacuate. Should this be the case you want to be sure that you have enough with you in the way of supplies to carry you through for at least 72 hours. It has been shown time and again that it takes the authorities at least 3 days after a disaster to mobilize. Therefore, everyone should have a "grab-and-go survival kit" or "bug-out-bag" that they can grab at a moments notice. I've compiled a list of items you would want to have with you should you need to evacuate and have listed them below, in no particular order:

1. Radio. In an emergency situation, we need to stay informed. A good portable radio is going to keep you up-to-date and could save your life. It should be multi-band and battery-powered and you should have spare batteries with you.

2. Maps and/or GPS, compass and signal whistle. Things may look different in the dark or in a storm or in the fog, so you can't rely on your memory. Make sure the whistle is loud.

3. Water. Bring as much water with you as you can. You'll need about 1 gallon per person per day, more if it's hot. You should also bring with you some means of purifying water that you can collect elsewhere. I've mentioned the Steripen in a previous blog, but other means of purifying water such as chlorine, iodine, or a filter would suffice.

4. Food. Don't pack 20 cans of Spam if you can't stand the sight of it. Bring foods that you and your family will actually eat, that don't require a lot of preparation and that store well. Nuts, protein bars and canned foods that can be eaten cold are all good choices.

5. A multitool or Swiss Army knife. Keep it sharp, keep it clean,and it will serve you well.

6. Toiletries. Soap, razors, shampoo, diapers, dental floss, toothbrush, sunscreen and lotions are all necessary.

7. First aid kit. Get familiar with its contents, and don't forget to bring a small first aid manual.

8. Matches. Bring matches--lots of them. Keep them in a waterproof container. In addition, get some cheap lighters and carry them as well. It's good to be redundant.

9. Candles, light sticks. If you can bring a camping lantern so much the better. Use the light sticks if there's any chance of a gas leak nearby.

10. LED flashlight. Splurge on this, buy the best one you can afford. If you need to keep your hands free get a headlamp.

11. Sewing kit. A thousand and one uses.

12. Blankets. Wool is best.

13. Small pot and kitchen utensils. Although you could heat canned foods in the can, a medium sized pot can be useful for melting ice or cooking larger quantities.

14. Tent or tarp. If you can't find shelter, it's comforting to know that you have it with you.

15. Garbage bags. Another item with multiple uses. The large size can be used for shelter, rainwear, or ground cloths.

16. Cash. Don't count on the ATM machines working.

17. Nylon rope. This can be used for anything from setting up your tent or towing someone out of a ditch.

18. Entertainment. If you have small children, keeping them amused might be a challenge. Books, cards, crayons, and puzzles can help pass the time.

19. Extra clothing. Dress for the season.

So there it is. Keep in mind, that these are the barest essentials. Everything should fit in some type of knapsack, which isn't too heavy for you to carry. Keep it accessible, check it constantly, and rotate the items because someday you may be glad you did.

The Flames of Hell

2009-02-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

According to the news wires, the raging fires in Australia, which were first thought to be a natural disaster, now appear to have been deliberately set. This is no longer just arson, but mass murder. At least 170 people have burned to death, and entire towns are being labeled as crime scenes.

What is it about some people that motivates them to commit acts that are so despicable and so heinous as setting fires for the fun of it? And these were no ordinary house fires. Although there were some fortunate few, most people in its path didn't stand a chance and perished. Authorities have described the flames as "hellish." Driven by 60 mile per hour winds, the flames were impossible to outrun. They reached 100 feet high and had the speed and power of a "freight-train."

Sadly, once again many people failed to heed the warnings of the authorities. For days, people were advised to leave. Trying to flee any coming disaster at the last possible moment is the worst option. People should know this intuitively, and yet, like a deer in the headlights, they fail to act. When you attempt to leave too late, you run into everyone else trying to do the same. Some people trying to drive out of towns were stopped by accidents or downed trees blocking the roadway and were finished. Your car won't protect you from this kind of event.

Everyone should have a "grab and run" survival kit ready to go. I'll describe one in a future post, but it should contain enough supplies for at least 3 days as it may be a while before help can get to you. Heed the warnings, prepare, and you just may save yourselves.

Are We Really Smarter?

2009-02-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

Imagine, for a moment, that you lived near an active volcano. The volcano is showing signs of erupting. There isn't much time. You grab what you can, get your family together and hit the road. Obviously, you want to put as much distance between you and the volcano as you can.

A long time ago, (3.6 million years ago to be exact), in a place called Laetoli, in Tanzania, the Sadiman volcano had just erupted. Ten miles away, the fossilized footprints of a family of australopithicus afarensi was discovered. Predictably, the footprints were facing away from the volcano. One item worth noting about australopithicus is that it stood about four feet tall and had a brain only one third the size of ours. As small as their brains were, however, when that volcano blew, they knew enough to get the hell out of there!

Fast forward to Washington State in 1980. Mt. St. Helens is showing signs of erupting. Local authorities begin warning people to evacuate. Surprisingly, people did not flee. Laurence Gonzales, in an article in this month's National Geographic Adventure Magazine, describes what happened next:

"People did not flee. In fact, they flocked to the area to watch the fireworks. The county sheriff tried to warn them of the danger, but entrepreneurs sold maps to show how to avoid roadblocks and use logging roads to get up the mountain. The tourist season was in full swing, and people simply couldn't conceive of the events that were about to occur, even though that information was readily available. Experts were quoted on the news, talking about it almost every day."

Incredible, isn't it?

Gonzales describes what happened next:

"At 8:32 a.m. on May 18, an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale peeled away the north flank of the mountain, releasing the largest landslide in recorded history, more than half a cubic mile of material, moving at 300 miles an hour and burying some 212 square miles to a depth of 120 feet in places.

As happened with Sadiman, volcanic ash produced static electricity, and rain and ash began to fall—some 520 million tons of it, spreading over 22,000 square miles. Of the 57 people killed in the blast, 23 were never found."

There you have it. Even with brains three times the size of australopithecus, we still couldn't figure out which way to run.

Making your water safe to drink

2009-02-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

PRODUCT REVIEW:
The Steripen

There are many different ways to purify water. Iodine, chlorine, boiling, filtering, reverse osmosis, etc. All of them have their virtues, and its a good idea to know how to make use of more than one method in your quest to make questionable water safe to drink. The problem, however, is that many of these methods are inconvenient. Boiling, for example, although a very easy way to kill parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium--which you do not want in your system-- nonetheless requires fuel (which may not be available) flame to boil the water and time to allow it to cool (which may not be convenient).

Enter the Steripen . A Steripen is a fantastic little device that uses ultraviolet rays to sterilize up to a liter of water at a time in about 90 seconds. All you do is get some water into your container (make sure its not muddy and let any debris settle first), turn it on (it runs on AA batteries), put the wand in the water and when the light goes out, its done!

The whole device can easily carried with you and could prevent you from getting sick during an emergency (or on vacation) and can literally save your life. Check out this video of the Steripen in action.

For less than 75 bucks you can get the "Classic" model of this great product. If this sounds expensive to you, I promise you that if you get infected the antibiotic and hydration therepy that you will need during your 2-6 straight weeks of diarrhea will cost you a heck of a lot more.

What's wrong with us?

2009-02-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

As anyone can easily tell by a quick glance at the number of entries, this is a relatively new blog. As of this moment, I have only had about 200 views, and perhaps 30 of those are mine. I have noticed something interesting in looking at my stats, however. It seems that so far about 10% of my visitors (and hopefully readers) come from the West Coast and the Midwest; 85% of my visitors come from the South (yeah Dixie!) and only 2 visitors from the Northeast (and both of those from rural Upstate New York). Only 2!

How is it that so many people, Southerners especially, understand that you can't neglect your duty (yes, if you have a family or people depending on you, it is a duty) to prepare for hard times but so many Northerners just don't seem to take the idea seriously?

I only know of one other person aside from myself who is making any effort at all to store extra food, water, clothing, supplies, etc. This is really pathetic. Almost everyone I know is living as though its business as usual. September 11 seems a distant memory, the blackout of 2003 is completely forgotten and Hurricane Floyd was a lifetime ago. They are living as though nothing bad could possibly ever happen again.

I just don't get it.

Your plan stinks.

2009-02-03T20:14:00.000-05:00

Today, one of my preparedness plans was tested, and it failed.

My daughter's college is about 5 miles from my office, so I drive her in every morning and pick her up at 5:30pm on my way home from work. This morning, during our commute to her school, it started to snow lightly. We discussed what to do in the event the school closed early. Basically, I told her not to worry, call me, I would be there at the usual time, or worse case scenario, a little later depending on traffic. To be safe, we ran through some alternate plans in case I got bogged down in traffic or stuck somewhere. What I was not expecting was that the school would not only close early, but the campus itself would be shut down and everyone was expected to leave the campus grounds immediately. The word was given at 3:00pm, and my daughter set our plan in motion by calling me.

It was right about this time, meanwhile, that I looked at my cell phone and noticed that it was in dire need of recharging. As I plugged it into my office outlet I was reminded by a co-worker that our staff meeting was just about to start. Naturally, I missed my daughters first call.

After trying a few more times, she then called the wife, who tried calling me herself and got the same result. The voicemails were accumulating, and I was unaware of what was happening.
My wife then called the office switchboard, and they told her that I was out of the office! To make a long story short, the next two people on the list to call were either unavailable or snowed in. My daughter was stuck waiting for me outside, and I had no idea any of this was happening. After the meeting about an hour later, I was finally reached by my wife, who by now was close to frantic as she had just picked up our other daughter from her school and was now effectively snowed in. In the end, it all worked out, but it got me to thinking.

What went wrong?

1. My cell phone battery was almost dead. This was completely my fault and had I been on top of this it could have avoided the whole problem.

2. The office had lost track of me. Even though I was in a meeting literally 20 feet from the receptionist, they thought I was out of the office.

3. Everyone on the call list was unable to help. Completely understandable given the weather, but surprising nonetheless.

What else could I have done?

1. I should have planned on a breakdown in communications. We become so reliant on our gizmos that we take them for granted and assume they'll always work.

2. I could have instructed my daughter to call a taxi in the event she was unable to contact me. Of course, there was no guarantee a taxi could come or even be willing to drive 15 miles in a snowstorm, but it was another option. Also, she would have needed a lot more cash than she had on her.

This whole situation bothered me a lot.

I need to do more thinking about this. This was a minor weather event and things unraveled. How would we have dealt with something really serious, like a major blizzard, ice storm, flood or tornado? How about you, would you know how to gather your family together in the event of an emergency? Have you even discussed it? Are you at all prepared?

Let there be light...

2009-02-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

FIRST PRODUCT REVIEW:
NightStar CS2 Renewable Energy Flashlight
I've got a flashlight in the car. Nothing too fancy but it puts out a decent amount of light. Problem is, every time I need it the damn batteries are dead. Searching for a solution, I came upon what I imagined to be the answer: a flashlight that never needs batteries! The manufacturer, Applied Innovative Technologies, Inc. seemed to have the answer to my problem. According to their literature, the CS2 will provide light when I need it, requires no batteries, no maintenance and will protect the environment! All I have to do is shake it, and it will throw off a prodigious amount of light. Its specifications are indeed impressive:

Features:

40 seconds of shaking provides up to 20 minutes of light
Illuminates a 12-ft (4m) diameter area at a distance of 50-ft (16m)
High Strength Polycarbonate Housing
Exclusively uses White StarCore LED technology rated at 15,000 mcad
Efficient and silent magnetic repulsion charging system
Gold-Film high energy capacitor
Luminescent, magnetic switch
Waterproof to a depth of 1000-ft (305 m)
Corrosion Resistant
Floats with Lens Pointing Up
Backed by a 5-year Warranty

The flashlight is allegedly used by military personnel around the world, has been "extensively tested" by Independent Laboratories and is even "European Certified RoHS Compliant (whatever that means).

Anyway, I was sold. I ordered the flashlight, which set me back $24.95 plus $10.31 for shipping. A bit steep for a flashlight, but I was looking ahead. No more batteries to buy and perhaps even a chance to wear my sunglasses at night!

After a couple of days, the light arrived. The first time you use it, you need to shake it for a full three minutes to charge the capacitor. What a long three minutes that was. Finally, the three minutes was up. I slid the switch to the "on" position and...nothing happened. I must not have shaken it enough. I shook again, turned it on, and...it worked! I aimed it at the wall, and it promptly went out. I soon figured out that if I held it exactly parallel to the floor, it threw off a very faint glow, but if you moved it up or down a degree, it went out. Obviously defective. I called the manufacturer the next day, and they were genuinely surprised and assured me that this was not normal. They advised me to send it back and they would replace it. They would even throw in a holster for it so I could wear it on my belt if I were so inclined. So, I mailed it off (another $4.95) and waited. About a week later, the replacement arrived.

The first thing I noticed was that there was no holster in the parcel. Oh well, I guess they forgot. Anyway, it was time for the three minute shake. I switched it on.

This one worked.

Let me describe its performance in one word: dismal.

The light it generates will not illuminate your finger from 3 feet away. This light could not affect the dilated pupil of a nocturnal marsupial if you held it an inch away from its eye. If you were out in the woods in total darkness, you would walk into every tree in your path. If you dropped your car key in a parking lot, you would never find it. You can't read by it, it will not illuminate your path--heck, you won't even be able to see the clock on your night stand with it. If an army uses this light, I hope it is China's and not ours.

CONCLUSION:

If you need light, rather than buy this flashlight, get a match and set your forty dollars on fire.

What books are in your bag?

2009-01-31T21:44:00.000-05:00

James Boswell, the biographer of the great English author and wit Samuel Johnson, once asked Johnson which book he would like to have with him if he were to be marooned on a deserted island. Boswell, expecting Johnson's reply to be Shakespeare, Milton or the Bible, was taken by surprise when Johnson replied that he should like to have with him a book about shipbuilding.

This got me to thinking about what I would like to have with me to read should I find myself in a tough situation. Here is my list of 5 books I'd like to have with me:

1) What to Cook When You Think There's Nothing in the House to Eat by Arthur Schwartz. Noted restaurant critic and author Schwartz has a great book here which is basically about eating from your pantry. Sure, you can eat tuna out of the can but that gets old real fast. Instead, why not try Tuna Caponata or macaroni with capers and hot pepper? The book is conveniently arranged alphabetically according to ingredient, so if you are looking for something to do with a can of tomatoes, for example, you will find something you can make from it in this book.

2) Just in Case--How to be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens by Kathy Harrison. Although this book was just published last year (2008), it has catapulted above other books of its type in that short time. Harrison covers everything from what to do in an emergency to self sufficiency. It is very well organized and written, and if you only get one book on the subject of preparedness, make it this one.

3) When all Hell Breaks Loose by Cody Lundin. This book almost didn't make my short list, but there is too much valuable information in it to just pass it over. It is obvious from reading it that Lundin is not just some armchair survivalist; he has thoroughly tested everything himself and the knowledge he dispenses could just save your life.

4) Remembering the Kanji: A Complete Course on How Not to Forget the Meaning and Writing of Japanese Characters by James W. Heisig. What's this, your asking---a language book? OK, this list, remember, is relevant to me. The written Japanese language is made up of two phonetic alphabets-one for native Japanese words and one for foreign words. These two alphabets are relatively easy and can be learned in a couple of weekends. The real challenge is the Kanji. Kanji are ideograms which make up the third Japanese "alphabet." Originally imported from the Chinese by way of Korea, each character has its own meaning and corresponds to a word. The problem is, you need to know nearly 2000 of them to be literate. It takes the average Japanese a lifetime of schooling to learn them. Heisig did it in three months. His method works, and the beauty of it is that it can be adapted to learn anything quickly.

5) The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. Ferriss has written a book that is hard to pigeonhole. It is on the Wall Street Journal's Bestseller List as a business book but I think its real strength lies in training you to think differently than what is expected of you. It is a great motivational read by an author who definitely has something to say.

And that's it. An eclectic list that would keep me from going mentally bonkers. By the way, if there was any room left over in my bag, I would also grab Boswell's Life of Johnson.

Know when to keep quiet.

2009-01-30T22:43:00.000-05:00

Ever see the Twilight Zone episode where four families who have been friends for many years hear a report over the radio that some unidentified objects have been spotted heading towards NYC? It's the early 1960's and the assumption is that the Russians have launched a nuclear attack. Only one family has made any sort of preparations by building a bomb shelter in the basement. What happens? Naturally, everything breaks down. The family that prepared is besieged by the others and is expected to share their space and supplies. When they refuse, the door to the shelter is broken down.

One of my hobbies is foreign language study. I used to work at a major bank and when it got out that I was multilingual I became the office translator whether I wanted to or not. All of the work I had put into foreign language study for my own benefit at my own expense and on my own time was expected to be offered, free of charge, to my company!

The prepared family and I had both made the same mistake: we revealed too much. Do you really trust your co-workers or neighbors enough to tell them all about your preparations or your possessions? Reveal too much, and in a crisis you may find yourself with an unwanted visitor or ten.

How badly do you want to live?

2009-01-29T19:20:00.000-05:00

When we imagine ourselves in a survival situation, we usually think about being out in the woods on a sunny day with a fully pitched four season tent stocked with enough provisions to last weeks. There is plenty of meat and beer in the cooler and the Coleman stove cooks your steak medium rare just the way you like it. Once supper is over you unscrew the protective cap on your Breitling Emergency wristwatch, pull out the antenna, turn on its built-in microtransmitter and summon help. Before long, help arrives and you soon find yourself back in your living room sitting in your easy chair in front of the fireplace.

What if, however, conditions are less than ideal? What if all you had with you were the clothes on your back? What if your cruise ship sank (see Cruise ship goes down off Antarctica) and you suddenly found yourself in the frigid shark infested waters off the coast of Antarctica Clinging to the Raft. How long could you bear it? What if the small plane you were riding in crashed and you found yourself waking up two days later next to the dead pilot with two broken legs? How far could you drag yourself? What would you eat? Insects? Grass? Nothing? How thirsty would you have to be before you drank from the foul smelling, muddy mosquito infested puddle?

Why do some people have difficult circumstances thrust upon them and survive, while others don't make it? How strong is your will to live? These are questions you will have to ponder for yourself. For a great book on the subject, check out Laurence Gonzales' Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why.

Why are you wasting your time?

2009-01-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

I have some friends who spend every spare minute doing sudoku or crossword puzzles. Never read a book or even glance at a newspaper. I don't deny that people need mental and emotional outlets but I don't see the point of spending a couple of hours a day getting the same numbers to add up vertically and horizontally or groping for a 5 letter word for some abstract concept. Once you've solved the puzzle, what do you have to show for it anyway? My friends say it "improves their minds." I have my doubts, as there is no way to actually measure that "improvement."

Imagine if you spent a little of that time in actual self improvement? Just 30 minutes a day studying a foreign language and you could be pretty proficient in six months. Write 600 words a day and in a little over three months you could have a 60,000 word book ready to publish. Twenty minutes a day in the gym will put you in a physical condition that is probably in the top 15% of your age group. An hour a day actually studying something could make you an AUTHORITY in that subject in a year. You could teach yourself to sculpt, or knit, or change the oil in your car, or...get the idea? Make a commitment to real self improvement, and you may realize that what you initially thought was improving your mind was, paradoxically, making it stagnate.

Snow day

2009-01-28T08:42:00.000-05:00

My area is getting hit with a snowstorm today. This is the same storm that has knocked out power lines in a lot of areas from Texas to Pennsylvania. A lot of folks will be without power for days. Hopefully, we will be spared any power outages but here are a few things I've done to get ready:

1. Plenty of food in the pantry that does not need to be cooked; I have an electric stove which will be useless in a power outage but I do have a small camping stove I can put in the fireplace to fry something up or make coffee.

2. I have a small indoor approved propane heater and enough propane for about 40 hours if I run it continuously. My main concern is preventing the pipes from freezing. Next year, though, I'm going to buy another, bigger one. This way I'll have one for the pipes in the garage and one to keep us warm upstairs.

3. If the water goes, I have about 20 gallons stored up. Not enough for a family of 4 (plus a dog and a bird) for a long term outage, but I can always melt ice and snow and use my Steripen (which will be the subject of a future post) to kill all the bugs if I can't get to the grocery store (which assumes that they'll have any water left anyway).

4. Wool socks, wool hat, warm layers. Clothes will make the difference.

5. Light: Led lantern, oil lamps, flashlights with spare batteries, 50 hour candles and a Sears Die Hard battery power source with built in light, a/c outlets, jumper cables and compressor. This can power some lamps and charge my cell phone.

6. Portable weather radio to keep tabs on what's going on.

I'm very proud of this list, considering that 6 months ago I basically had NOTHING stashed away for emergencies. Running to the grocery store directly before or after an event is NO WAY TO LIVE. I know I've got a ways to go, but I think I'll be more prepared for this storm than I have been for any other.

Keep clinging to the raft.

Things you can do now.

2009-01-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

The economy continues its downward slide. Today, Caterpillar Corp. announced 20,000 layoffs. Sprint announced 8000 layoffs. Home Depot 7000. Pfizer 8,000. Microsoft 5000. GM 2000. On and on it goes. According to the BBC, nearly 70,000 layoffs in one day. It's time for all of us to start living smarter. If you knew that your job was in jeopardy and soon to be eliminated, what would you cut out to put extra cash in your pocket? Do you really need 5 movie channels? Are you still eating out 3 times a week? Do you price shop whenever your car insurance policy is up for renewal? Cash, remember, is your ally; debt, the enemy. Here are 10 suggestions to help put a little more cash in your pocket:

1. Claim as many payroll deductions as you can.
Better to have your money in your pocket every payday than to loan it interest free to the Government interest free and then have to chase them down begging for a refund.

2. Look at every bill that comes in, and ask yourself if you really need the service.
If you don't really need it, cancel it. If you do, try to pare it down, reduce your consumption or negotiate better terms.

3. Never buy new when you can buy used.
Why spend 30 grand on a new vehicle when you can get the same one used for thousands less. Let the other guy pay the depreciation. That goes also for books, music, video games, etc.

4. Eat more peas, beans, lentils and whole grains.
It's cheaper, healthier and easier. Consider: one package of dried beans contains about 13 servings. You can get them on sale for about 69 cents. There are hundreds of recipes available online for beans (no pun intended). Combine with rice or pasta and a vegetable and you can feed your family for very little money. Save your canned Spam for real emergencies or for charity--peasant food rules!

5. Never buy an extended warranty.
I still have my TV's lifetime extended warranty I purchased from Crazy Eddie. The TV burnt out years ago, and Crazy Eddy burnt out years before that.

6. Never buy a gift card.
Can you be sure the recipient will remember to use it before the store files bankruptcy?

7. Keep a full pantry.
If you can store 3-6 months worth of food and water, that's better than money in the bank and gives you peace of mind. If you do lose your job, at least you can eat!

8. Improve yourself.
If it's between you and the other guy, and all things are equal between you except that he speaks three languages, guess who's at a disadvantage? Learn something new. Acquire a new skill, start a side business. Don't stagnate.

9. If things do go sour, don't take it out on your family.
They're on your side, remember? Go sulk for a while by yourself if you need to, but you can't find better allies than the ones living under your own roof.

10. Don't heat or cool the whole house.
If it's cold out, use a space heater and turn down the thermostat. If it's hot outside, just cool the room you are in. We have a 2500 square foot house, but I spend most of my time in the same two rooms. Why waste energy heating or cooling the spare room upstairs?

There's a lot that we don't have control over. There is also a lot that we do. Don't give up!

Keep clinging to the raft...

A dollar here, a dollar there

2009-01-25T10:02:00.000-05:00

Like most Americans, I've been trying to save money where I can. I live in the Northeast and heat my house with oil. Although I have no control over the price of oil, I can modify my consumption. Anyway, I've lowered the thermostat to 60 degrees (although this decision has not proven popular with the wife and daughters). At the advice of a friend, I've put plastic over the windows (thanks, John), I've purchased high efficiency (Soleus) space heaters that only use 400 watts on the low setting, wool socks and hats and sometimes (like today when it is 2 degrees outside) wear a scarf in the house. Is any of this worth it?

I got a delivery of oil yesterday. The wife and I went over our statements and our oil consumption (which we use for both heat and hot water) is down to about 2.2 gallons per day. Before these changes, when I kept the thermostat up to 72 degrees and suffered through the drafts pouring in through the windows, it was almost 5 gallons a day. At today's prices, this really adds up. Worth it? Hell yeah.

Our parents were right.

2009-01-23T22:41:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid, my parents used to tell me about how hard things were for them when they were young. They were both from Europe and saw some hard times. The Depression, World War II and emigrating to the U.S. with nothing but a steamer trunk containing their meager possessions all shaped their world view. Funny thing --although I heard their stories of pain and deprivation many times, they seemed so far removed from me that I almost resented hearing them. What did I care about my mom and her four siblings all sharing one egg and some crusty bread for supper? What could I know of my father's thoughts as he eluded his Nazi captors by jumping off a moving train to safety? I was born in New York. I could have my own egg anytime I wanted. I was more frightened of shadows than of Nazis. Things would never get so bad here that these stories would ever become relevant. Well, reality is a harsh mistress. We are now in an economic free fall. Jobs are being lost, prices are going up, people are being squeezed. We need to go back to basics. We need to re-examine the wisdom of our parents.

How not to get swept away

2009-01-23T22:29:00.000-05:00

This blog will be contain my thoughts about survival. Survival is a broad topic, and I plan on being all over the place. Economic survival, preparedness, even cooking and foreign languages will be covered. These are tough times, and they call for a new way of looking at the world.