Archives: April 2013

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The situation in Korea is still occupying headlines and causing concern, which is to be expected when you have a combination of dangerous ingredients.  Take a starving, isolated, militarist, and maniacal state like North Korea; have it share a peninsula with a prosperous and (mostly) free South Korea; locate said peninsula close to a traditional rival (Japan); add nuclear weapons by aforementioned maniacal state; mix with a dynastic dictator and you have a recipe for disaster.

Image courtesy of ABC News

That’s not counting an incompetent Secretary of Defense, a traitorous Secretary of State, and corrupt dilettante as President on the American side…but I digress.

I posted earlier this month that I don’t think anything will come of the whole Korean Crisis because its a replay of past incidents.  However, that does not mean that reasonable people should ignore the threat of conflict that could affect their lives.  Its wise to take precautions just in case everybody loses their minds and things get ugly.

Think about the current situation the same way you would an oncoming storm.  You know the storm is coming and could be dangerous but it may not affect you.  The smart course of action is to take action assuming that the storm will hit, that way you are prepared just in case.  If you are ready for the storm, you can remain calm and be able to function in the aftermath, no matter what happens.

So what can you do now?  Here are some question to ask yourself that will help you in any situation:

  • Do you have some extra cash on hand in case banking networks are unavailable?
  • Does your household have extra food and water on-hand in case there is a run on stores?
  • Do your flashlights and radios have fresh batteries in them?
  • Got a portable generator?  Does it have enough fuel and does it start?
  • Are the weapons you have (firearms, knives, bats, sprays, bows, etc.) working properly?
  • Do you have enough medication to last for a few weeks?
  • What barter items do you have that you could trade if needed?
  • Got a RoadID or some other information bracelet?

Those are just some thoughts to get you started.  The goal is to get ready BEFORE the storm hits, this will allow you to have your wits about you when others begin to panic.  Preparation breeds confidence and confidence produces calm, so take some steps now to be ready for storm.

Like all storms, it will eventually pass…

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Here’s a challenge to anybody reading this post, get off the fence and make some decisions!  All are simple but not easy, they represent the choices we have to make as we embark on a journey towards greater preparedness.  Think about these choices and determine where you are right now.

  • Preparation or Panic?
  • Fitness of Flab?
  • Reality or Dreams?
  • Self-reliance or Dependence?
  • Strength or Weakness?
  • Independence of Servitude?
  • Health or Sickness?
  • Overcome or Acquiesce?
  • Responsibility or Dereliction of duty?
  • Are you an Asset or a Liability?

These are some of the decisions you will need to make.  What are your answers?

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In Oakland, CA, private security firms are taking over neighborhood patrols as city services are reduced and crime increases.  Tax revenues can’t keep up with ballooning pension, wage, and healthcare costs so government services get reduced.  This is especially acute in high-tax states like California, but municipalities across the US are feeling the combined affects of lavish benefits coupled with falling revenues.  According to the executive director of the National Association of Security Contractors:

Municipal governments and cities are really getting strapped in terms of their resources, and when a police department cuts 100 officers obviously they are going to respond to less crimes.

The bad news is in many cash-strapped cities, there will be fewer law enforcement resources which could result in increased crime rates.  There will be fewer patrols to deter crime, fewer officers to respond to crime (thereby increasing response times), and fewer staff to investigate crimes.  District Attorneys, Prosecutors, and other Judicial staff are also going to look for ways to reduce their caseload by having fewer trials.  Prisons won’t have room to house more inmates too.  All this paints a bleak picture for the immediate future.

The good news is that some communities are stepping up to fill in the gaps through private policing and other services when governments reduces their commitments.  This is likely to continue but not be widespread, after all hiring private security contractors costs money that not all communities have right now.  It also shows that where there is a market, somebody will step up to serve it.  In other words, there is opportunity even in difficult times.

Rather than relying upon (morally and fiscally) bankrupt governments or moving to exclusive, wealthy neighborhoods, you can take steps now to protect yourself.  As I wrote in a recent post, there are some steps you can take today that will both deter crime and lessen your dependence on local law enforcement.  Consider the following:

  • Get firearms, ammunition, and training
  • Reinforce your external doors with multiple high-quality locks and jamb reinforcement
  • Get an alarm system installed and post signs/stickers indicating that you have done so
  • Install both internal and external lights
  • Secure your windows with locks
  • Install heavy drapes and keep them closed when you aren’t home
  • Get to know your neighbors!

Relying upon over-worked and under-funded law enforcement to protect your and your home is foolish.  The only person you can rely upon to secure your property is…you.  That’s good news because there is a lot you can do that will enhance the safety of your home and deter crime.  Get started now because every step you take is an additional layer of protection that keeps the bad guys away.

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Quick question, who is better equipped to handle a stressful situation?

This fella?

Or this guy?

With that in mind, which one are you closer to right now?

Be honest with yourself…

If you are out of shape, overweight, in poor cardiovascular condition, have high blood pressure, or have other diseases of affluence, you need to change that.  Your body is a tool that will enable you to survive a wide range of stressful situations.  However, if that tool is dull (ex. obese) then its much more difficult to overcome adverse conditions.  You can have the best preparation plan out there but if your body isn’t able to execute, it won’t do you any good.

Some quick and easy steps to improve you preparation fitness are to reduce or eliminate eating fast food, packaged meals, and sugary drinks.  All of those harm your body and hamper your fitness efforts.  Just look at the label on a typical frozen meal, if you have difficulty pronouncing the myriad of synthetic ingredients and additives in it, you probably should not be putting it into your body.  Ditto for fast food, it may taste good but most of those “meals” are full of sodium, saturated fats, and artificial ingredients that don’t offer your body the nourishment that it needs.  And unless you are a hummingbird, your body does not need the empty calories of a sugary drink.  Reduce these unhealthy inputs and you will loose fat and gain fitness.

You can start getting into shape by simple physical activities like walking, riding a bike, or climbing stairs.  Getting in shape does not mean an extreme exercise regimen, the best fitness activities are the ones you can do for the rest of your life.  The main objective is to get off your butt and move.  Before you start any fitness program though, talk with your doctor and discuss options to find the right activities for your situation.  Everybody is different and is starting from a different fitness level, make sure you take this into account when creating a fitness plan that compliments your preparation plans.  Increase healthy outputs and your fitness level will improve, making your body a more effective tool.

The principle is simple, tune-up your body so it can be ready when things go wrong.  Being fit and healthy will enable you to perform your best and increase your odds of success in all situations.  Better health will translate into better performance at your job, on the playing field, and around the home with your family.  So get healthy now, its a critical component of your preparations!

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Want to know how to improve your home’s security?  Read this article from No Nonsense Self Defense and begin applying the tips today.

The twenty-two home safety tips in that article represent a range of products and practices that will help make your home more secure.  In fact, you may have already applied some of them!  My suggestion is to read through the article a few times and carefully think about which steps you can take in the coming days and weeks.  Many of these tips aren’t very expensive but offer a massive benefit in terms of increasing security.

The takeaway from the post:

The enemies of the burglar are time and attention. The longer it takes to enter and the more noise he makes increase his chances of being seen and caught. Homes not easily and quickly broken into are most often bypassed for easier targets.

Use this information as a guide to preparing your home.  Every layer of security you add to your home makes it more difficult for a criminal to enter it, which deters crime.  See what layers you can start adding and increase your home’s safety.

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Over at Team Gun Blogger, Kevin posted an article on safe rooms that you should read.  In essence, a safe room is a secure location where you can take refuge during a home invasion.  The article goes into a lot of useful detail but the key takeaway phrase is this:

A safe room is to personal protection what a home fire escape plan is to fire prevention.

Protect yourself from violence, take steps TODAY to create a safe room in your home!

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What happens when a municipality can’t pay its bills?

Just like in regular Bankruptcy Court, lawyers on both sides will go before a judge and argue their case.  Without a settlement, a judge will render a decision that both plaintiff and defendant will have to comply with.  The difference with a municipal bankruptcy ruling is taxes and city services will be impacted by decision.  Today’s decision that allows Stockton, CA to enter bankruptcy protection is a part of a growing trend of municipal default both in the US and overseas.  This trend will continue and accelerate as more cities, counties, and states confront their finances.  The economic reality of low revenues and high expenditures (ex. pensions, health care costs, wages) will force governments at all levels to adjust their commitments.

So what does this mean regarding preparation?

The result will be less government services.  There will be fewer garbage trucks to pick up the trash, fewer maintenance crews to repair the roads, fewer fire fighters to respond to emergencies, and fewer police units to respond to crimes.  The remaining government employees will have higher workloads and be under more stress too as they are forced to do more work with fewer resources.

In an emergency situation, it will mean longer response times when you call 9-1-1.  Individuals will need to be more self-reliant when it comes to both protecting themselves and taking care of their needs when things go wrong.  This means taking steps like:

  • Owning firearms and learning how to use them
  • Learning First Aid and having supplies on-hand
  • Having tools ready to make emergency repairs
  • Storing additional food and water for emergency use
  • Working with your friends and neighbors to help them get prepared

The key concept is increasing self-reliance as a bulwark against the unexpected.  Bad things are going to happen regardless of your city’s financial situation, its wise to not rely upon municipalities that are in default for salvation during an emergency.  Think about what you can do TODAY that will make you more resilient in the face of adversity tomorrow.

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Even though today is April 1st, heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula are no joke.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or “North Korea”) is making noises again, which is causing concern not only in South Korea but Japan as well.  An isolated, communist country armed with nuclear weapons and millions of starving citizens is inherently dangerous.  The DPRK’s latest sabre-rattling has caused the US to increase its military presence in both South Korea and Japan as a show of force.  If history is any guide, not much will happen but the world will be on edge for a while.

Now what does this have to do with preparation?

Let’s face it, wars happen and they are brutal events for all involved.  Military forces are trained and equipped to handle protracted periods of conflict in a wide range of conditions.  However, civilians usually lack the resources that armed forces have.  As we have seen in Syria, this means widespread suffering on a wide scale.  In the event of armed conflict (civil war, insurgency, revolution, warfare between nation-states, etc.) its in your interest to prepare in order to survive.

In the grand scheme of things, the threat of war is less probable than severe weather, power outages, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or other calamities.  If the DPRK ever used nuclear weapons, their country would suffer ruin as the US and its allies would rain destruction (in the form of nuclear weapons) upon their nation.  China would also cut off the oil supply to North Korea meaning millions would die of radiation poisoning, in the cold, in darkness, whilst starving.  This would represent the end of Kim Jong-Un and the military that keeps him in power, which is why I don’t think the NORKs would risk everything in a futile attempt at militarily defeating South Korea.

While I don’t believe much will come of the latest events in Korea, I am preparing for the worst.  We will hear of wars and rumors of war until the end of time, its a part of the human condition.  Take some time today though to make sure you have food, water, light, shelter, and medicine to get through an unexpected event.  Anything steps you take now will make a bad situation less traumatic and enable you to recover faster from it.  The bad news is that there will always be aggressive nation-states like the North Korea around, the good news is you can mitigate the threat they pose by being ready.  Preparation fosters confidence and confidence produces calm, so get ready and know that you are taking active measure to ensure your future.