Five Simple Steps to Prepare for TEOTWAWKI, Today, by S.B.

I have recently been introduced to survivalism, preparedness, and TEOTWAWKI – The End Of The World As We Know It.  It was my father who first got me interested in the subject (although I had stumbled upon a survivalism web site years ago when web searching, of all things, how to cook and eat giant salamander – more on that later, possibly).  I have, over the past couple months, picked up lots of cool skills.  For example, I can now cook food that didn’t come in a box! That is a big deal.

I have also learned to shoot the paper that the target is on (most of the time) and I have begun taming the deer that live in the nearby woods.  It pays to plan ahead.
That said, I realized that I do have one thing going for me that, sadly, most Americans don’t.  From 2007 to 2011 I worked at an athletic club.  During my time there, I learned everything from the correct way to pick up a treadmill with one hand and vacuum under it (yes, that IS possible) to how to make a positively sinful chocolate ganache that is also low-calorie, and, with a little stretching of the truth, you can even claim it is healthy.  All of which, mind you, is my very elaborate introduction to my survival advice: fitness

I know that working out is hard.  It can be boring.  Probably, if you are anything like me, you are literally thinking “I don’t wanna!”  Well, you don’t have to be a muscle man to be fit. Me?  I’m 5’9″, and weigh around 145 pounds and, BTW, I’m a girl.  That said, I’m more than halfway to my goal of 50 consecutive, standard push-ups!  When I started working toward my goal I could do… yes, I’ll admit it: 3.  Three push-ups.  That lands right up there in the healthy range for a toddler. So what did I do?  What should you do?

1) Start Small.
No matter what your goal is (and having a goal is a great idea) you need to start small.  Do something easy.  Put 1 less teaspoon sugar in your coffee or tea.  Stop buttering your toast.  Circle your couch once before you sit on it.  I’m not kidding.  The little stuff makes a big difference.
I started by not putting sugar in my tea.  I lost 5 pounds in less than a month.  That is literally the only thing I changed that month.  Not kidding.  Of course, I was a 3 teaspoons of sugar girl, so it made a big difference.  I cut out butter on my toast – which sucked because toast is so dry without butter.  I ended up not even eating toast.  Suddenly, 10 pounds of body weight was gone. 
I used to eat a lot of toast. 

Choose a specific plate, or bowl, to be yours.  You can label it if you want.  Put all the food you want on it once per meal, and then leave a little on the plate when you “finish” eating. 

You care about your health, right?  Eat three meals a day.  No more, no less. If you skip a meal you teach your body that you are literally starving to death.  Then, anything you eat gets magically turned into fat.  Fat, technically, is like canned goods for your body.  Unfortunately, your body has lost its can opener, which means before it figures out how to use all that fat, it is going to eat (not joking) your muscles to stay alive.  So, no skipping meals.

Start switching foods you only kind of like (or foods you like) that are bad for you with good foods.  Anything you eat that contains sugar can be replaced by a fruit.  Fruits are awesome.  Guess what?  Fruit is a natural food.  That makes it healthy.

Replace any carbohydrates you eat with vegetables.  My favorite vegetables are potatoes, because they are also a carbohydrate!  (Wait a minute…) 
Onions are yummy if you cook them.  Garlic is good, too.  There are all sorts of health benefits for onions and garlic, but I like them for the taste.  Celery is one of the few foods that burns more calories to eat than it contains. 

One more tip for starting small:  eat meat. I know animals are cute and most of them are furry and they generally have eyes that stare at you (what else would they use them for?) but – meat is the ultimate food.  It contains protein, which makes muscles and bones, and, yes, it even feeds your brain.  You brain is pretty much the most important part of your body.  You will die without it.
Protein is most easily accessed by eating meat.  Yes, you can find protein in other places, like legumes (beans) gluten (wheat) and, tofu (soy) but get this: meat is the only source of complete protein.

Beans, grains, and nuts contain partial proteins.  Think of it as puzzle pieces.  If you get all of the pieces, maybe your body can flip them around and put them together.  Possibly.  If you only get some, though, your body just throws it away. Meat has complete proteins.  The full puzzle, already put together.  Unless you carefully pair incomplete proteins, they are nutritionally incomplete, and your body cannot utilize them. Fortunately, meat is delicious.

Oh, and in case I forget to bring this up later: quit eating so many grains. I know bread is awesome.  I love carbohydrates too, but they will make you fat.  We use grains to fatten livestock like cows, sheep, chickens, and all those other tasty animals.  It works just the same when we eat it.  Unless you want to get fat (which, I suppose, is one way of preparing for food shortages…) you should stop eating grains. Instead, eat fruits and vegetables which taste good and contain vitamins.  If you’re anything like me, you will be much happier getting vitamins from food than taking them in pills.

2) No Slacking Off
You need to make a commitment to yourself, to your health, and to your body.  That means no slacking off when you “don’t feel like it”.  (Okay, fine, you can skip working out Sundays.)  Make your health choices into a habit.  Every morning, every evening, or every whenever-you-have-time-during-the day, you need to get in a little something extra.
I started out with a few push-ups, crunches, a little jump-roping and a whole lot of asking myself why I was doing this.  I have skipped a total of 5 days.  (That is approximately one out of every ten days, and then an extra because honestly I just didn’t feel like it today so I am writing about it instead.  That counts, right?)
Even if you don’t have time to do your full routine, do something.

I mentioned rope jumping before.  This is important.  Jump ropes are cheap, and people give them to thrift stores regularly.  Buy one, now. The ideal jump rope is long enough that you can stand on it and the handles will come up to your arm pits.  If it is a little long you can tie knots in the end.  If it is a little short, well, that’s harder but you can deal with it. 

Jump ropes take up little space (about as much space as one shoe) and you can use them almost anywhere.  I bring mine along when I travel, and get out of the car to jump every time we stop for gas.  You can jump indoors (unless you have annoying neighbors who complain about the noise) or on pavement, or on grass.  You can jump any time.  There are also jump rope tricks.  I watched little kids do a major jump rope performance that involved flips in the air, multiple people per rope, multiple ropes per person, jumping rope while doing push-ups and, of course, gratuitous amounts of 1980s era rock music.  For the first time in my life, I was jealous of third graders. So, jump ropes are a great investment in your health, and if you keep at it you can astound people will your abilities.  (There is probably a way to convert your jump rope into a weapon for TEOTWAWKI, too, but I haven’t learned that yet.)

By the way – you don’t have to do an “exercise” to work out.  Anything that uses your muscles counts as strength training.  That means when you haul wood, or carry things upstairs, you can count it as your workout.  Anything that works your heart and lungs is aerobics.  So, running, walking the dog, etc. 
Plus, you can always do a little of what my dad calls “Rambo Skills.”  This is anything that you can picture needing to do in a survival situation.  So, like, climbing trees (presumably to survey the land) or punching a punching bag or karate (or pseudo karate). 

Practice presenting the pistol from several different positions. You know, those guys in the cowboy movies make it look easy, but it’s tough.  That gun gets heavy fast.

Use an unloaded gun that you’ve disabled.  [JWR Adds: Do you own a Glock? Then buy a training barrel. That is very inexpensive insurance for 100% safe practice. You can also buy a special dry fire training trigger from Southwest Shooting Authority. These eliminate the need to cycle the slide each time between dry fire presses. The same company also does some great grip reduction work.]

Pick a target with a safe backstop. Practice drawing from the holster, bringing the gun up, and lining up the sights. 

Just like the push-ups, you need to train your body.  You are working on coordination, yes, but you are also training your muscles for strength and endurance.  The goal is that you will be able to automatically bring your gun up (through kinesthetic memory) to aim at the target you are looking at.  Look.  Raise the gun.  Aimed. 
Practice this with open sights, and with a scope.  Yes, you can do this with a scope.  The magnification doesn’t change how you hold the gun, it just changes how far you can see when you hold the gun.

My dad can bring it up and have it aimed exactly.  I can’t, yet, but if I practice enough, just like with the push-ups, I can.
Plus, just from the little practice I’ve done, I know it works your deltoids (shoulder.  Ladies!  You want this) and pectorals (chest.  Men!  This is for you) and that one along the side of your ribs that I can never remember the name of (everyone wants to work that muscle). 
BTW – look at your target, not your gun.  Move the gun so that the sights line up with the target without shifting your gaze.  You need to be able to trust your aim, and aim quickly.  That 6-point buck isn’t gonna wait all day.  Neither are the zombies.  Just saying.

3) Build On It
I started with 3 push-ups.  I did some crunches and jump roping too, but push-ups were my weakness, so that’s what I focused on.  On Day One I did three standard push-ups.  Then I collapsed on the floor for a while, and then I did a couple one-knee push-ups,  a few both-knee push-ups.
Now, Day Forty-Two, I can do 30 standard push-ups consecutively!  That means no breaks.

Add a little more each week or so, and you can reach your goal too.
A bit of advice about building up: your body doesn’t understand math.  This is pretty cool, actually.
You know those light bulbs that are 50, 100, and 150 watts?  When you go from low-level to middle, it seems like a quite perceptible difference, but when you go from middle to high, it’s like “Meh, so what?”  Ever wonder why that is? This is why:  Your body sees 50 watts.  Okay.  So far so good.  Then, you see 100 watts and that is twice as much! Then 150 watts is only half-again as much, which seems marginal.
When you up your reps (repetitions) you need to factor this in.  Going from 4 push-ups to 5 push-ups is going to seem the same, to your body, as going from 20 push-ups to 25 push-ups.  Both times you are increasing by the same percentage.  Your brain knows that 1 more push-up is much different from 5 more push-ups, but you muscles don’t!  Remember that.

Once you decide that your workout is easy enough to amp it up a little (when you start to feel bored while counting your reps) take the time to do a little math.  Pick a percentage that feels safe (like 10%) and figure out how many reps that is.  The next time you are working out, add that many. Re-do your math calculation each time you increase your reps.  That way you can trick your body into doing more for you.

Oh, and if push-ups are too boring, then stand up between each one.  This is what Uncle Sam does to train Navy Seals. It works, too.  Stand up nice and tall, then get down on the ground.  Flat on the ground.  Then get up, and stand up nice and tall.  I wanna hear your back crack.

4) Find Yourself Some Awesome Music
Because, believe me, if you listen to fun stuff when you work out, you feel happier, and less bored.  The optimum music choice is between 100 and 150 beats per minute.  “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is 100 beats.  It is also the theme song for CPR so it should definitely be on your workout tunes list.

5) Don’t Let Go
I’ll admit it, sometimes I just don’t want to work out.  I figure, I can do 30 push-ups, so I deserve a break, right?  Wrong.  If I let myself skip a day, or two days, or maybe, you know, like, just a week… next thing you know I’ll be back down to three push-ups.  It’s tempting to slack off, but you have to be tough on yourself.  Someday this work is gonna pay off.  Trust me.

Letter Re: Upgrading Your House Window and Door Security

James,
In response to this posting, while something is better than nothing, I am not a fan of putting up anything on windows or better screws or latches for doors or a covering for windows unless it really adds to equation and the cost is reasonable for the return on expenditure.   As an example, a neighbor added a steel frame with mesh, its costs was about $6,000, it is very pretty with double sided keyed deadbolt and heavy latch/striker plate.  Their security factor went way up, sadly the burglars decided to enter from the side yard and wrapped a concrete block into a thick padded moving blanket and heaved it thru the glass sliding door.  As a matter of security the whole house has to be considered when planning and making upgrades, like the old saying “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link”.
 
I have been planning on security improvements on at least a dozen homestead that I have lived at in the last 40 plus years.  What is the best method for what I am trying to accomplish do.  Am I trying to keep people in, keep people out, trying to stop home invasion, or random burglary, or create an image of a deserted homestead, or keep from outside views lighting in the home, or who/what is in the home.  
 
I decided I wanted to have coverings for the windows/patio sliders that would stop or at least be resistant to thrown objects or easy access to the home by busting out glass, and also enough strength on doors to resist a handheld ram or sledge hammer.   One thing is to read articles, which is great for a start, but unless money is no object we have to at the end of the day use money available as the most important factor for choosing our solutions.
 
On regular entrance doors a metal security door is a start, but they can be pried open with a standard crow bar pretty fast (watch law enforcement shows to see how easy they get thru them).  My doors will have a pre cut two 5/8 or 3/4 sheets of plywood which I store in the garage, if needed I simply stand the plywood on the inside up against the existing door, they are held in place by two 4x4s which end fits into a fitted piece on the plywood 2/3 of the way up, and the other end of the 4×4 has a 4″ long 1/2 inch diameter steel rod that slips into holes in the concrete floor, thus giving you a re enforced door that is many times stronger than a latch plate located on a weak door frame or hinges that are their weak sister on the other side.  I repeated this process for the french double doors.  I also drilled in the plywood panel a hole that matches up to the peep hole in the regular door.
 
For the windows, through out the home, Please understand I have the newer type windows the upper portion of the window slide down and the upper portion slide up, so first I put both panel in the center position that gives you about a 1′ opening at the top and bottom of the window.  I cut two pieces of plywood to fit the entire opening, putting those in place and in order to hold them there I cut two 2x 4 pieces that overlap the window opening on the inside of the house by about 6″   each 2×4 has a 6″ long 1×2 ” diameter in the center of the 2×4 that allows you to screw into the double sheet of plywood.  So when installed on the window from the inside you have one 2×4 at the top (side to side) and another at the bottom, because the glass panel are open at the top and bottom.   This method allows me to put each window covering in place or remove in less than a minute.
 
Now, we still have the garage doors to deal with, these are weakest link (my estimation) my solution was you guessed it more plywood sheets cut to with about 4″ wider and taller than the door by attaching 2×4 runners to the top and sides, this is done so that the sheets of plywood will touch the frames on the panel and the 2×4 will touch the garage wall around the door.   I put the panels in place, than I have 4×6  that slip over the plywood across the bottom about 20″ off the floor and the second 4×6 about 40″ from the bottom and about halfway up.  In order to make this one solid mass, I would roll my vehicles up against the 4×6 giving the whole door a very solid feel.   You would have to measure your bumpers on the car in order to determine the heights for the 4×6 placement. 
 
Please understand I am trying to deter and delay a forced entry, you cannot not eliminate one ever, so this gives me a warning and time to respond to a potential threat.  As with all security prevention making a window bullet resistant is great in theory, but meaningless if you have a stick built homes as most of us do that is for the most part useless to stop bullets.  I have had friends tell me that they have adopted this method and that from the outside the home gives an appearance to potential threats that maybe they want to look at other pickings.   
 
I hope that this serves to help others who are needing a idea in order to provide maybe the means to give you an edge.
 
God Bless us and the U.S. – John in Arizona

Economics and Investing:

The Lumberman recommended this piece by veteran market analyst Bob Chapman: Financial Vehicles of Mass Destruction

Over at Fierce Finance: Criminal charges not likely in MF Global scandal. Corzine, Abelow, Roseman, Stockman, et al have escaped criminal indictments, but I suspect that they will be in court fighting civil lawsuits for the next four or five years. <Sarcasm on:> Perhaps Federal prosecutors can indict the MF Global’s janitor. After all, he was seen carrying out those trash bags full of paper shreddings. <Sarcasm off>

What Caused Silver’s Take-Down?
 
Derivatives: Exchange Traded Derivatives Trading Volumes Increase 11% in 2011

Items from The Economatrix:

Bernanke Warns Lawmakers Country Is Headed For “Massive Fiscal Cliff”

17 States Consider State Banks

China Dumps $100+ Billion In US Treasuries In December Per Revised TJC Data

Inflation Is A Tax And The Federal Reserve Is Taxing The Living Daylights Out Of Us

Odds ‘n Sods:

Brad D. forwarded this link: Asteroid Threat in 2040? Scientists Watch 2011 AG5

   o o o

Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) mentioned this list of DHS terrorism watch list keywords. Mike notes: “Handy for ‘copy and paste.’ I try to include them often.”

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Some good practical info: 12/24 Volt Briefcase Solar Charger from Harbor Freight and separate Charge Controller

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John E. sent this: U.S. announces diplomatic breakthrough with North Korea. (They’ll give up their nuke program in exchange for food.)

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Maine Cruiser spotted this item: Military Video Captures Destructive Power of Navy’s Newest Railgun. Gee, that would take a hundred acres of PV panels charging for days, to power up the world’s biggest capacitor, just one shot from that…

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” – Hebrews 11:7 (KJV)

Note From JWR:

Today we present another two entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), and E.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 39 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Upgrading Your House Window and Door Security, by Happy Hal

My darling wife read the article on Lexan and asked me to contribute the following. My professional specialty lies in the area of windows and doors.

How to Prepare Doors

Replace the short screws (3/4″) in the door lock plates with longer ones minimum 3″ but 4″ would be better. The 3″ are # 8 but the 4″ are #10 almost twice as strong.

There are two each on the strike plate of the depress plunger and two for the deadbolt.
These screws enter the studs making a considerably stronger safety connection than short screws that only penetrate the light weight trim wood in the jam of the typical door unit.

In our area city code requites rental units to provide blind deadbolts (one sided locks) to prevent entry by service personnel while tenant is at home. These can be installed on any exterior entry door. The strike plates should get the longer screws as well.

Stronger security may be obtained by any of several “security accessories.” These center on the use of steel to reinforce the door jams. Lowe’s in our area sells a 14 gauge. jam sleeve that is screwed with 6 to 8 3″ screws into the jam and needs to be installed under the decorative trim. Other steel reinforce systems that wrap the jam or the stud with the same effect. Most of these require some level of professional skill to finish out successfully.

The very minimum upgrade is the double cylinder deadbolt which requires a key on the inside as well as the outside. This prevents a broken window entry from providing 36’x80″ exit. (Some home owners leave an extra key in the lock to expedite normal exit; not a good idea as it defeats the purpose. )

An additional security precaution installs a loud bell on a string that will alert you or a pet of unexpected opening .

Windows – How to Prevent Entry

First preparation lies in the simple process of locking the window lock as a habit. Every window has a lock when new, so use it. If the lock is broken it either may be replaced for free or low cost from the manufacturer. Additionally a turn buckle clamp lock may be purchased for each operative window and installed on the jam in either the closed position or up to 6″ up. This would permit opening of window during comfortable temperature conditions. As cheap alternative In lieu of this, a simple self tap screw (maybe #6 x 1/2″ may be installed in the jam to prevent the window from opening higher than a stated mount, like 6″ up.

Next level of precaution for the windows is to install some type of bars out side the window unit. This also may be installed on the inside of “sky windows’ or skylights.

For people who want a more attractive protection we suggest a clear Lexan or Lexan equivalent covering for each window panel. Lexan Window panels Where cost and budget is an issue start on front and/or rear units as these are the most likely entry points for home intruders.

For single units a box type home improvement store sells clear poly propyl window replacement. These come in 1/8″, 3/16″ or 1/4″ thicknesses. Banks of course use 1″ thick units at the teller window; but you can easily visualize the result: Clear but great protection. Even 1/8″ thickness proves very difficult to penetrate with any thing other than firearms.

For these elements I recommend the thicker panels. The 1/4″ will prevent breakage by .22 caliber rimfire weapons.

Where cost and budgets prevail, the thickness may be mixed with the thicker ones on the front or the rear, and lighter ones on the non exposed views.

Installing Lexan Window Panels

Planning : count the windows and measure the out side and inside measurements for each unit. Typically the outside measurements will be a little larger than the inside. The age of the house will determine the type of window. Houses built prior to the WWII typically will have wood or steel frame windows. The planning for each is similar. We recommend that the Lexan panels be installed by screw or blind steel pop rivet for steel units. Measure the inside of the sash (the part that moves) for the size of the installed Lexan panel. The fastener should be installed out side the glass perimeter and inside the frame. sometimes this space is small but would be large en ought to hold a fastener.

The houses built after this war use more aluminum as the aluminum manufacturing diverted from war effort became a cost effective component for the building explosion that took place after the war effort. These units may have the Lexan installed either on the inside or the outside; or both. The upper unit typically does not operate and the Lexan may be successful installed on the outside. because the lower panel does operate and the Lexan panel should be installed on the inside. Again the fastener (Tec-self tapping screws or blind pop-rivets) needs to be installed out side the perimeter of glass on the frame so the window will still operate but not break the glass. .

Houses newer than this might have some variation of wood, wood covered with vinyl, or solid vinyl window installation. For these units the Lexan panel are better installed on the outside of the frame on the upper and on the inside of the frame on the lower. Some type of extrusion can be made to hold the Lexan on the window and removed at times that operator needs to be opened. Turn buckle tabs also may be used to safely remove the paned. On fixed units the panels may be installed permanently on the outside of the frame.

The purpose of the Lexan panels is to prevent breakage of the glass during lawless events, where breakage of the perimeter glass would provide home invasion routes.

Installation

The Lexan comes in 4’x8′ and 4’x12′ when purchased from the plastics wholesaler.

For simplicity the panels may be numbered from the front door clockwise till all units are included. Where there are multiple panels on the same opening, each may be lettered clockwise or upper then lower. Take the measurements that prescribe the windows and place on 1/4′ graph paper where the scale accurately represents the finished size of the Lexan panel.

cut out the scaled models of the Lexan panels.

On the graph paper outline the outside of 4’x8″ (or 4’x12′ which ever is available). the same scale of the window panels. lay out the cut out panels on the graph paper in the more efficient use of the material. This will tell you how much raw material is needed, and which cut out is best used for each sheet. A person could mix or match the panels for the various windows so that the “best fit” is reached.

After the planning for the whole house is completed the budget becomes clearer and the actual cut out of the material begins. The material can be cut with a triple chip diamond blade, or an masonry abrasive blade. For the abrasive blade, the material should be cut approximately half thickness then the break will be clean and even. Full cut will cause build-up of “melted material.” Such will have to be ground smooth or polished. Although the triple chip will cost more the results will justify the cost. In all cases cold material (<55 deg F.) is more brittle and can easily break in the wrong place. Warm up for minimum of 4 hours.

All that remains is to install each panel of Lexan on the respective window per cut-out models. Suggest a check-off of the models as the material is cut so that the end result complies with the plan.

I hope that some one finds this useful.

Exercise for the Disabled, by CentOre

First, my credentials, such as they are:  I have an AS in Farm Management which included Animal Anatomy & Physiology; a BS in Business Management; an MS in Human Resource Management which included considerable work with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  In addition to these I spent nearly fifty years as an American Red Cross Instructor.  Some of you might remember back in the dark ages of First Aid, there was a job of ‘Red Cross – Highway First Aid Unit’.  For those areas of our Nation that did not yet have ambulance coverage.  Well, I constituted a Red Cross Highway First Aid Unit.  In addition, I was disabled during a Coast Guard Rescue in 1977.  At first it was but a small disability, only 30%, however, by 1997 it had advanced to 100%.  The doctors prognosis for me in 1977 was, four years to 100%.  I rather strenuously disagreed with them.

How did I prove them wrong?  I refused to just sit down and surrender.  I exercised in every way I could.  I pressed my limits.  Now there are a lot of jocks out there that will scoff at my rather puny efforts, compared to their exercise routines.  I can only stand back and admire their dedication, and their abilities.

My disability is to the nerve bundle feeding down the ventral side of my right thigh.  It effectively prevents me from most strenuous work with my right leg.  I’m not whining, just stating facts.
So, what did I do?  In the beginning I still did what amounted to modified, full exercise routines.  I swam, bowled, played racket ball, and rode many many miles on a bicycle.  The government helped out by providing me with as much pain medications as I wanted.  More than I wanted.  My doctors and a progression of two wives have chimed together often, and loudly that I should partake of more medications.  I still resist.

I am fortunate to have a doctor who believes me and my ‘hidden’ disability.  No missing or deformed limbs nor a gait that could, or could not be that if a disabled leg.
In about 1996 he recommended that I partake of a Pain Management Group that was forming at our clinic.  My initial thought was, “Right, I want to sit around and listen to other vets complain about their pains.”  Boy was I wrong.  Our group leader had an in-depth background in pain management, and was continuously updating Her knowledge which she passed along to us, her ‘group’.  I will not attempt to do justice to the training she provided us with.  I can never do it justice.  I will stick to what she taught me, and what the group taught me.

First we learned about pain cycles.  I knew I had varying levels of pain throughout a month, but I have never equated this to an identifiable cycle.  Now I can.  Next we covered ‘hidden disabilities’.  Those that Joe Public never see’s.  When the average stranger or casual acquaintance asks that old standard question of, ‘How are you doing today?”  They don’t want to really hear how you are doing.  They can’t handle the knowledge anyway since they cannot identify your ‘problems’ with anything in their backgrounds.  If you proceed to tell them how you are actually feeling, they will get that thousand mile stare and end with something like a head shake and a ‘Oh, that’s too bad.’  In the future they will attempt to avoid you ever telling them again by just not asking the question, or avoiding you totally.  For those true friends who ask, I often have to point out, ‘You don’t see me on the days I cannot get out of bed.’  The implication being, they only see my ‘good’ days, and try to average my condition based on only these ‘good’ days.

1996 was a pivotal year for me.  First, I had to give up my Professorship at the University of Nevada, Reno. Next, I had to accept the stigmatizing title of ‘Unreliable Worker” that was tagged into my file.  This caused me to go out, find a job, and work up to sixty hours a week at it just to show them I could still be ‘of value’.  For a short while I worked this job with a truly understanding boss.  There were several tasks at this workplace that I could perform.  My boss knew that.  As I would walk in the door I would be greeted by,”Good morning X.  Is this an ‘up’ day or a ‘down’ da?.”  It didn’t matter which I told her, she would exclaim, “Great!  I need you over in XYZ today.”  She made it sound to me, and anyone else within hearing that I was doing her a great favor by working ‘that’ department that day.  Too bad it was a short time job as the company made one of those famous ‘moves’ to another land!

But that was okay.  Ninety days on that job just about killed me.  It was also the low spot for me psychologically for me.  I considered suicide.  This is when I was placed in the pain management class. I began to turn my life around.  I learned what I could do, what I could not do, and what I should do, and what I should not do.  It was a revelation.

Now I exercise as I can.  I do not care about keeping up with the Jones of the world.  I do this for ME.  Sounds selfish?  You bet.  On a ‘normal day’ I will get up and take my morning meds.  I assess myself.  If I think I can do manual work, I head out to the greenhouse, or the shop building and tackle one of many ongoing projects.  Which one?  That depends totally on how I feel.  If I can lift things, I move materials, maybe pot some plants, or stack a little bit of firewood.  If it’s a marginal day, maybe weed plants.  I just sit on the 2×6 ledge that tops the 24 inch deep vegetable beds in the greenhouse that I built myself [both the greenhouse and the raised beds.  It only took me nearly three years.  The greenhouse folks tease me that it takes most folks three days to assemble the greenhouse and a couple of weeks to make the beds.  I know they are joking as we have been friends a long time.  They never have to ask me how I’m doing.  If I can walk in their shop, they know I’m having a good day.].

How long can I work outside?  It varies with the day.  The trick is to work to the limits of your ability, and then stop.  It’s the stopping point that’s hard to learn.  Sometimes I can work a light job for nearly an hour.  Sometimes a more strenuous task for a few minutes.  I then must make myself stop.  Sit down, and do a non-strain task until my body is ready to be worked some more.  How long?  That’s the other hard part, first to learn, then to apply.  The only reason I ‘got it’ was the pain management group. 

If, instead, when I eat breakfast, I assess that outside work is out, then I look for an inside task.  My wife and I have accumulated a large library.  We are currently cataloging them.  I can sit with the computer on my lap, in my recliner with my feet raised [best ‘bad day’ position for me] and type.

Some days I can work an ‘up’ job for only twenty minutes, then need a ‘down’ task for a bit.  A bit is sometimes the better part of the day.  So be it.  But, I’m up and moving just as soon as my body will allow.

I need to be careful here as I do not want you to think I avoid all pain medications.  This is unfortunately, not the case.  There are many days that turn out ‘blank’ in that I am not a reliable person.  These are the days, if you were to call me, my wife would answer the phone. After finding out you are calling for me, you may get a response something like, “Oh, I’m sorry, but X. cannot come to the phone today.  May I help you?”  She’s very good at this.  She was my care-giver for fifteen years before we married nine years ago today.

So how do I tie this into prepping?  Our group stress’s physical training and preparedness is based upon, ‘Each to their own abilities’.  The group knows I ‘exercise’ to my limits every single day.  The group, and I, know it is a losing battle, but one I will continue to fight until the real end.  Without all the support of true friends, the pain management group, and my background in education, I would probably just sit down and wait to die.  It’s going to happen anyway, so why fight it, right?  Not me.  I expect my disability will contribute to my end.  But I’ll keep that ‘end’ as far away, as long as I can.  Exercising to my limits every single day is the best that I can do. And I’ll do my best, just as long as I can.

Where do I get off telling someone who is disabled to get up and hit it?  Mainly it’s the thirty years of OJT, the help and support of true friends, the wonderful pain management group and our group leader, and in my case, the desire to see just as many sunrises as I can, before my sun finally sets.  My group knows I cannot do everything.  They also know I will carry just as much of the load as I can.   No free-loading here.  My military days were spent in the US Coast Guard.  The Coast Guard’s motto is Semper Paratus– Always Ready.  To this day I remain just as Semper Paratus as I can be, every single day.

So, get off your dead center, stop listening to all those who tell you that you can’t, and even worse, those people, who by just ignoring you, try to make you feel useless or insignificant, and start living life to its fullest for you, not them.  You can do it.  I did, and still do.

—

CentOre is a loosely connected group of people centered in the Oregon High Desert interested in improving our existing skills, and learning new skills that will enhance our odds when it hits.

JWR Adds: Any readers that are dependent on pain medication should do their best to gradually get off them, as soon as possible, since supplies of all medications will be uncertain in a disaster. I recommend that you cultivate Valerian Officinalis in your garden. Valerian Root is a natural muscle relaxant and sleep aid that is not habit forming. Be self-sufficient in as many aspects of your life as possible. A diverse herb garden is part of this.

Three Letters Re: The Defensive Pistol

In regard to the recent SurvivalBlog article The Defensive Pistol, by W.R.B.: In the aspect of training, he states that you should not to seek out local trainers
 
Well, as of last December the NRA broke the 80,000 mark of certified instructors, and while the majority teach the basic rifle, pistol and or shotgun courses, there are a number of them that teach more advanced courses.
 
NRA offers Personal Protection courses (read that as defensive handgun) for both in the home, and outside the home.
 
A limited number will soon be offering a new course titled Defensive Pistol, which is a pretty intense pistol fighting course.
 
It may well pay to check out your local trainers, and see what they offer. I would rather see people get some training locally, than none at all, if they can’t afford one of the expensive schools, and some of those local guys can be pretty sharp.
 
I’ve never been to Front Sight, or Gunsite, but I’ve trained with some of the bigger names, including Massad Ayoob, Blackwater, Todd Jarrett, Larry Vickers and Ken Hackathorn. There is nothing wrong with professional training.
 
But if your skill set is lacking, you can be over your head very quickly in a “professional class”, whereas a local trainer can help you build a strong foundation, that when you take an advanced class you actually come away with something.
 
Something else the large schools have a formula, that they teach classes by, it is like a cookie cutter, same approach to every student, a friend of mine who is in a wheelchair attended the school that “trained” 60,000 people in one year, they just put him on the line and expected him to do everything the rest of the class did, ever try lateral movement in a wheelchair?
 
For preppers on a budget, can they afford $900-$1500 for 3-5 days of training?, plus transportation, lodging, meals, and ether shipping or paying above normal prices for ammo on site? When there may be a local trainer or a regional school a couple hour drive away that will charge half that?
 
There are also nationally known trainers that travel, Tom Givens from Rangemaster, Massad Ayoob, John Farnham, Ron Pincus, are some I can think of off the top of my head. If you do not have to buy airline tickets, and pay for rental cars you might afford more than one class. It is also good to take courses from different instructors, if you keep going to same guy, you keep learning the same thing.
 
The old axiom “You get what you pay for” applies to firearms training, I’m always suspect of free or lowball priced classes.
 
Quantity does not make up for quality
 
As to firearms choices, while Glock is a good choice, it is not the only choice, and as long as the caliber is 9mm or bigger you’ll be okay, you just need to learn your gun.
 
As to caliber I highly recommend 9mm, for several reasons, one being price, if the ammo is affordable you’ll practice more, 40 S&W cost about 40% more and 45 is about 70% more costly. Also less felt recoil, the less recoil the less you’ll have a tendency to flinch. Also over years and years of shooting that repeated recoil does a number on your joints. Todd Jarrett has pretty much retired from professional shooting his wrists and elbows have worn out.
 
“It is not what you hit them with, it’s where you hit them with it, that counts”
 
Mindset
 
“The purpose of fighting is to win. There is no possible victory in defense. The sword is more important than the shield and skill is more important than either. The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental. ” – John Steinbeck
 
You will be well served to put as much time into this, as you do shooting, and I’d recommend a starting point of reading “On Combat”, by my friend Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (retired), as he says “Amateurs talk hardware, professionals talk software”.
 
The mind is the ultimate weapon, the gun is just a tool, not much different than a socket wrench, or a car jack.
 
But you have to use the tool on a regular basis to become proficient with it, if you only drove your car twice a year, you would likely not be a good driver, if you only shoot twice  a year you likely won’t be skilled in the use of arms.
 
75 percent of the learning takes place after the event, unless you take what you learned in class and apply it to your training, you will only get 25 percent of what you paid for.
 
As I tell my students I sow the seeds, it is up to them to water and fertilize what they learned, for it to come to fruit.
 
As I am one of the “local” guys, two retired cops came here, both had 30 years in, and both said they learned more from me in three days than they had in 30 years of law enforcement. – J.D.F.

 

Sir,
As a Certified Instructor in more than a dozen disciplines for more than 25 years, I agree with much of what W.R.B. wrote. I do however, take issue with more than a bit of it. 

The large corporations charging hundreds, or thousands of dollars per class, which you boast of traveling to, and attending several times a year, are beyond the reach of many who may be seeking help and guidance here. To imply that only they are capable of proper training, is an insult to the innumerable Instructors who may not have the corporate presence, but are equally, or better qualified nonetheless. I do not believe that the thousands of students who have taken my self defense course’s over the years are any less capable of defending themselves, or protecting those for whom they are responsible, than you apparently think you are. Practice is the key to performance. You’ve been taught that, and they are taught that. There is far more to self defense training than putting 1,000 rounds downrange in the shortest period of time with the most expensive gun you can afford. One of the major differences is, my students have access to me 24/7. If they require help, or guidance, they simply have to call. Any day. Any night. Anytime.

Do you have the home phone numbers of your very expensive corporate instructors? Will they speak with you in the middle of the night, should you need them? I think not. But I can assure you, were one willing to do so, you would be receiving a bill in the mail for their time, and the inconvenience you caused them.

A word to the wise… There is a glaring and distinct difference between confidence, and overconfidence. In my experience, the latter will usually get you killed.

[Some deleted, for brevity.] Regurgitating the mantra of the corporate entities and framing it as “advice,” does not, in and of itself, constitute the necessary credentials to dismiss, or discount those who are not national corporate entities, but that are equally qualified. You do the readers here a disservice, and deserve to have been taken to task for it. – R.F.D.
 

Jim,
This is in response to the article “The Defensive Pistol” by W.R.B.  I must respectfully disagree with W.R.B.’s statement that “full metal jacket ammo is just fine.”  My first point is this:  in recent ballistic tests, 9mm ball out-penetrated .223 bullets in sheet rock and ballistic gel.  I think it is safe to say that it will perform exactly the same in humans.  I wholeheartedly agree with W.R.B. that we must get training.  But I find it hard to believe that any competent trainer would miss such an obvious oversight in ammunition choice.

I just recently completed a DTI course with John Farnham, and this exact issue was discussed in his opening lecture.  We do not get to pick where our gunfight will happen.  What if it is at your local mall?  What if it is in a restaurant?  Or at the parking lot of a State Fair?  These are all densely populated locations in which our full metal jacket round could over-penetrate our perpetrator and kill an innocent bystander.  

You are responsible for your bullet and its final resting place.  Alan Korwin and Mas Ayoob have educated the defensive shooter adequately in this regard.  You will be prosecuted and serve jail time if you can’t articulate why you chose full metal jacket ammo, when defensive ammo is provided for the marketplace, for these very reasons, i.e. over-penetration.  You are carrying a defensive handgun to stop an attacker as quickly as possible.  Your life and the lives of your family may depend on a one-shot stop.  Corbon, Hornady Tap, and Speer Gold Dot defensive ammunition are fast-expanding ammo designed to stop the fight.  Full metal jacket was never designed to be used in a fighting or defensive gun, except as outlined by the Geneva Convention (which is why our soldiers are forced to use it.) 

I think W.R.B. needs to do some legal homework.  He has the tactical part down, but has missed the legal implications of carrying the wrong ammo.  This could be very misleading to a lot of people!

Thanks for providing the best blog on the net! – Belle Ringer

Economics and Investing:

Society’s Five Stages of Economic Collapse (Originally posted at the SHTFPlan blog.

Greece Is D-O-N-E, $70 Silver In 90 Days. [JWR’s Comment: But we should expect a brief dip in metals, if there is a banking crisis caused by the Greek “credit event” (read: default). In a credit crisis, many assets–even precious metals–will be liquidated to cover margin calls. Look at that as a short term buying opportunity.]

Those pesky derivatives, again: Greek Default Payouts May Bring Some Costly Surprises

Items from The Economatrix:

Massive Resignations Have Started 2.0

Gerald Celente Speaks Of Civil Unrest

S&P Downgrades Greece To Selective Default

Barclays Confirms It Is Bank At Centre Of Tax Avoidance Row

Odds ‘n Sods:

Bill N. mentioned that The Discovery Channel has a new show titled Doomsday Bunkers, that premieres on March 7th.

   o o o

Geoff S. sent this: Arctic doomsday vault grows a few seeds bigger

   o o o

Fighting drugs and border violence at Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: What about the ranger’s M14 rifle, Yogi? (Thanks to Tim J. for the link.)

   o o o

Reader Prepper At Large (PAL) mentioned that the HTTrack Website Copier is available to archive uncopyrighted web page content (including out-of-copyright and freeware online books) for offline viewing.

   o o o

K.A.F. forwarded this piece by Pastor Chuck Baldwin: What Ron Paul’s Detractors Reveal

   o o o

Pierre M. was the first of several readers to mention this in Forbes: The TSA Is Coming To a Highway Near You

Notes from JWR:

Ready Made Resources’ sale on Mountain House canned freeze dried foods begins today (Thursday, March 1, 2012). They are offering 25% off and free shipping on case lots. The sale ends on March 14th, so order soon. Unlike most Mountain House dealers, Ready Made Resources actually keeps a substantial stock on hand at their Tennessee warehouse, and they are even willing to re-pack to create variety cases upon request, if you are placing a small order.

—

Today we present another two entries for Round 39 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), and E.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo.

Second Prize: A.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol. It is a $439 value courtesy of Next Level Training. B.) A FloJak F-50 hand well pump (a $349 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. C.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, D.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and E.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value) and F.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, C.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value.), and D.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 39 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Securing Your Data and Online Communications, by A.F.S.

If you are a frequent visitor to SurvivalBlog then I do not need to explain why the subject matter may be of importance. There are several previous posts that cover somewhat related information that I will reference and expand upon.

First, the disclaimers: I am not a data security expert. I could not blind you with science nor expertly baffle you with Bravo Sierra. However, I have been directly involved in the Internet related software business for almost 20 years. I have spent many hours a day for almost two decades using the internet and watching it evolve. During that time, especially since 9/11, I have also watched the watchers watching more of everything we do.

The second disclaimer is the software or services I mention below may not be legal in all countries. While currently legal in the US, the FBI recently sent a flyer to all Internet cafes and coffee shops warning that a number of quite normal and legal behaviors should be considered a “potential indicator of terrorist activity” and should be reported.

Hopefully the information contained herein will help you maintain the small amount of privacy you have left when it comes to the data on your computer and your online activities. The caveat being this – there is no such thing as perfect security or absolute privacy. Pretty much any code or encryption can be broken if someone has the resources and the motivation to do such.

There are certainly many more options available than I will cover here, but I wanted to keep this as simple as possible so anyone with more than rudimentary computer skills can implement whatever measures they deem necessary. I will cover the areas of securing data you keep (files, folders, etc), securing e-mails, IM and chats, protecting your identity while browsing and also making secure voice and video calls. However, the first thing I have to talk about is using some common sense.

Common Sense
Yes, an invasive government has the resources to electronically monitor any and all communications and to break almost any type of code or encryption. However, that does not mean they have the resources to manually analyze every single phone call, e-mail, chat, purchase or web browsing habits of every single person on Earth. Just because you may visit sites deemed threatening to TPTB or you have purchased a survival knife online doesn’t mean you are a high priority target on some watch list.

So here is the common sense part: don’t make yourself a high priority target. Try to exercise a degree of discretion and intelligence if you find it necessary to make posts online or send e-mails. I have to shake my head in disbelief when I see people making inflammatory posts online. Such posts are filled with threats, anti-government or violence inciting rhetoric. Such “keywords” will get someone’s attention. The bottom line is this: unless you are one of the very brave souls that have chosen to take a public stand, to offer constructive ways to adapt to and survive the rapidly changing world we live in, it’s best to draw as little attention to yourself as possible. Try to keep your emotions at bay when posting online, because once you put it out there, it is there forever.

Data Security
We all have data we need to keep and a lot of it should be secured in some manner – such as scanned copies of your important papers (birth certificates, passports, driver’s license and such), supply lists, maps, routes – you get the picture. Any unsecured data on an Internet connected (or confiscated) computer is a security risk. Trojans, Viruses, Key-Loggers, Malware, Drive-by Downloads all pose the risk of exposing your data. I won’t discuss the need to keep your anti-virus and/or anti-malware software up-to-date because if you aren’t doing that – the rest of this information won’t do you much good. Below I will cover several aspects of data security from the simplest to the more complex.

The first rule is to not to keep your sensitive data on your computer’s hard drive in the first place. Flash drives (USB thumb drives) are inexpensive and can hold a tremendous amount of data. Keep your sensitive data on a flash drive, or better yet, a Micro SDHC card. For around $15 you can get a 16GB Micro SDHC card with SD adapter. You will probably need the adapter because the actual data card is smaller than your pinkie fingernail and about as thick – it can be hidden anywhere. If your computer doesn’t have a flash card reader, then you can get an external card reader for less than $15.

File Encryption Using a Password
Again, I won’t cover all possible options in this post, just the quick, easy and less complex solutions I have found and since Windows is the most prevalent operating system, I will limit software references to that unless noted – you can probably find similar solutions for Macs or Linux machines. For quick encryption of one or more files, dsCrypt is a free AES/Rijndael file encryption software with simple, multi-file, drag-and-drop operations. All you do is download/save the 25kB .exe file and double-click to launch – it doesn’t have to be installed – the file you download is the program itself – which means it can also be used from portable media.

If you have a lot of files you need to secure, you may want to look at TrueCrypt, a free open-source disk encryption software for Windows, Mac and Linux. TrueCrypt creates a virtual encrypted disk within a single file which can be mounted as a real disk. This file can be created anywhere on your hard drive or portable media. Anything saved to this “disk” is automatically encrypted. This solution requires a multi-step installation – but is well worth it. I suggest you keep the disk space allocated to something reasonable because it cannot be undone without formatting the drive.

To exchange encrypted files with others, there are some free solutions available that offer high levels of encryption. The only caveat is the recipients also need the same software installed and the password used to unencrypt the files – not a huge price to pay for a bit of security.
Encrypt Files is a very easy to use for files or entire folders
dsCrypt – (great for portable media)
MEO Encryption is a great free program for files and e-mail. Actually, after playing with MEO for a bit, it is quickly moving to the top of my list.

Finally is the area of obsolete or replaced drives. Formatting a drive does NOT delete the data – it can be fully recovered with simple software. Most drives I replace will not be reused because they are old technology. I used to take a sledge hammer to them, but now use a drill press and put a ½” hole all the way through the case and platters. However, if that’s not your style – you might want to look at Boot and Nuke. You have to create a CD or DVD from the downloaded .iso file, but then you simply re-boot using that disc and the hard drive will be wiped clean to DoD/NSA disc over-writing standards.

Also, simply deleting a file/folder – even after emptying your recycle bin – does not protect that data. It can be recovered unless you use a file shredder program. A good free one can be downloaded from Fileshredder.org/

Secure E-mail
Every e-mail you send will go through numerous servers before it is delivered (usually 10 -15 different servers). Your message can be read, scanned or copied at any step in that route. Referring back to the section on using common sense – be mindful of what words or phrases you use because you might garner someone’s attention – other than your intended recipient.

One partial solution is to use a web-based “secure” e-mail service. Such services encrypt your messages before sending but the thing to keep in mind is any time you rely on a third-party service or server, your messages aren’t really secure. However, some security is better than no security so here are some of the free secure email services you might want to check out:
Hushmail.com
S-mail.com
PrivacyHarbor.com
BurnNote.com

For much better security, your best bet is to encrypt messages before you send them. This can easily be done using MEO Encryption (mentioned previously for encrypting files) which can be used with your existing e-mail server.

To quickly encrypt a simple text file to send, LockNote is a good way to go.

For those worried that by simply sending encrypted files or messages will draw unwanted attention, how about encoding short messages into a standard image file? This can be done with 4t HIT Mail Privacy Lite

Secure Instant Messaging and Chats
While both Yahoo and Google offer an off-the-record or encryption option in their IM clients, I must again remind you that such service providers have full access to the original content as they handle the encryption.

Your best bet for secure IM communication is to use Pidgin for Windows or Adium for the Mac OSX. Both programs have an Off-the-Record function that uses 256-bit AES encryption that is performed before the message is sent through the 3rd party provider. Both work with all major IM servers and offer a slew of other great features:
Pidgin for Windows
Adium for Mac OSX
Jitsi for Windows, Mac and Linux

Private Web Browsing
You leave footprints everywhere you visit via any of the standard browsers. Yes, you can disable cookies and your browsing history and all that, but I’m talking about the footprints you leave on every server that transmit your requests for any web site. The footprint includes your IP address, operating system, browser and version, screen resolution and more. There is a previous SurvivalBlog post that provides more details about this.

In the post above, using the Tor proxy system was recommended. Until recently, this was not so easy to do. It involved installing a couple of programs and browser plug-ins. Further, most people would use Tor with their favorite browser not realizing that a lot of multimedia features on web sites will negate any benefits Tor is providing. For instance, Flash movies, scripting language and file downloads can reveal your actual “footprint.”

However, this process has been made a lot easier by the Tor community. You can now install a Tor/FireFox combination in a single program. It is an older, stripped down version of FireFox that has all possible vulnerabilities disabled. A single icon first launches and connects you to the Tor network and then automatically launches the safe FireFox browser.

Using A Virtual Private Network (VPN)
While all other services and software I mention are free, there is a low-cost option to consider to keep all your online activity private. If you are like me, I tend to bounce around the Internet from buying wool socks online to sites where I should be using Tor – but I simply forget to launch it first.

While Virtual Private Network (VPN) services have been around a long time, it has recently become easy enough to implement that anyone can do it. Briefly, when you use a VPN, you create an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the VPN servers. All your network traffic is then routed through that server and sent back to you. The gist of it is, you download/install a simple software program, set it to start when you boot up (if you want), and all your internet activities are through the IP address of the VPN service – and the good ones don’t keep logs of your activities. The one I use hides me behind 24,500 different IP addresses on servers in 40 different countries. And best of all, I don’t have to remember to do anything – it’s automatic and full-time.

There are a lot of VPN services out there, and prices range from $7 – $20 a month (you get much better deal on annual payments). Personally, I use http://HideMyAss.Com – but each service is a bit different in regards to usage limitations, so here is a site that reviews the top 10: http://myvpnreviews.com/

The service I use allows me to install the software on as many computers as I want, in addition to my smartphone. However, only two devices can use the service at the same time.

Two final notes on VPNs. First, you should always use some type of VPN when connected to public Wi-Fi. They are terribly unsecure. You might as well run around naked in broad daylight. Yes, you are that exposed.

Finally, a VPN is great for hiding your browsing activity – but it does not take the place of file or email encryption. While the tunnel between your computer and the VPN is encrypted, unencrypted files or emails still go through public/open servers to reach your recipient.

Secure Voice and Video Chat
We all know how easy it is to eavesdrop on cell phone or even land line telephone calls, and to repeat again, using a third-party voice or video service is not secure. But what if there was a way to tap directly into the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) network used for VoIP (Voice Over IP) and have your conversations and video chat encrypted before they even hit the network?

As with using encrypted IM or files, all parties involved must have the same setup – but since we are talking free stuff here, that is a non-issue. I will skip the technicalities and just get you going. To do the above is a two-step process (both easy). First, you need to register to get a free SIP address.

Second, download and install Jitsi for Windows, Mac and Linux (mentioned previous for secure IM). Jitsi facilitates secure video calls, conferencing, chat, desktop sharing, file transfer, support for your favorite OS, and IM network. Jitsi uses ZRTP to encrypt all communications. To use Jitsi with a SIP address, you will have to go into Options – Accounts and create a new account for the SIP network. To save you some possible confusion, the Jitsi SIP setup asks for “SIP id” – this is the “SIP address” contained in the email you receive when you sign-up at GetonSIP.com. The rest should be self-explanatory.

Finally, I would like to add a bit to a couple of previous posts. This SurvivalBlog post explains how to setup the Hosts file for going directly to a web sites IP address in case the DNS system is unavailable.

The question unanswered in that article was: “How do I find the IP address of my favorite sites so I can add them to the Hosts file?” The fastest way is to go to http://centralops.net/co/ , click on the Ping menu. On the new page, enter in the domain name and click go. The page will refresh showing the IP address.

Multiple MAC Addresses
 This SurvivalBlog post recommended buying a dedicated laptop to use at public Wi-Fi locations. The post mentions the network card in each computer has a unique MAC address. That MAC address can be captured by servers you visit – but most definitely is logged by the Wi-Fi router every time you connect to one.

If you cannot afford a dedicated laptop for this purpose, the next best bet (and less expensive) would be to buy several USB Wireless adapters (all the same make/model). You can pick these up for around $10 each online. Because all the adapters are the same make/model, they will all work seamlessly with the drivers provided. However, each adapter will have a unique MAC address (and not the one of the onboard Wi-Fi card in your laptop). They are small enough to easily put in a zip-lock baggie and cache near two or more of your favorite public Wi-Fi spots – so you don’t have to keep them in your possession.

So you would just grab the wireless adapter, disable the onboard Wi-Fi card, pop in the adapter and it will be the adapter’s MAC address logged. When you are done, wipe the adapter and baggie down, and return it to its hiding place. If for some reason your laptop is confiscated, you would have excellent plausible deniability because the onboard MAC address would not be one that was logged.

And, again, when using public connections, a VPN tunnel is highly recommended.

The Defensive Pistol, by W.R.B.

Introduction:

My purpose in writing this piece is to further ones knowledge on the subject of the defensive pistol as a survival tool.  To say there is one best gun or best caliber would be ignorant of the facts. To quote Ignatius Piazza of Front Sight: “Any gun will do, if you will do.”  There is more to it than just the gun.

I will focus on what I have learned during the course of my life as to what the role of the defensive pistol is or would be in a SHTF situation, what types of weapons and calibers are best suited, and what you need to do to be prepared to defend yourself.

I do not consider a SHTF situation to necessarily be the end of the world as we know it.  I consider a SHTF situation to be any situation that requires immediate and possibly decisive action on your part, to survive and/or protect your family and/or friends. In other words “your back is against the wall and if you don’t do something… you’re gonna die.”

Role of the Defensive Pistol:

The normal role of a defensive pistol is as a Secondary Weapon System used to back up a Primary Weapon System, or more precisely, a rifle.

It has been said many times that you use a pistol to fight your way to your rifle. I see this as a somewhat limited scenario, and something that applies in a war zone or other militaristic venue or even a cataclysmic event. Point being there is other shooting going on around you so you need to rifle up as soon as possible, and barring that your pistol will have to do.

In today’s everyday real world of McDonalds and Wal-Mart, you must consider that you may not be able to get to a rifle when you need it most.  You can’t very well go through life with a rifle slung over your shoulder, and it will probably be at least as far away as your car in the parking lot which isn’t going to do you much good if the lead is already flying. Your pistol or more properly your wits will have to do.

Avoidance is always the best remedy to a potentially deadly situation. Being alert and aware of your surroundings at all times can and will keep you much safer than any gun will.  Knowing escape routes and being ready to exit at the drop of a hat when the first signs of trouble manifest, are much better ideas than having to carry a gun full time. Even if you have a gun, exiting stage left and avoiding using said gun will get you out of trouble better than engaging in a gunfight. Especially if you have your family with you, as it is not a real sound survival strategy to include your wife and kids in a gunfight.

Keep in mind that if you use your gun your life will be changed forever and there is the distinct possibly that you may even end up in jail as a result.  The only time you can use a gun to defend yourself is if your life or the life of your loved ones is being threatened by a credible threat. In your home that is an easy call, at Wal-Mart it is a very different story.  If it is proven that there were other viable options for you to avoid this confrontation you may be held responsible for just plain killing someone.  I live in Southern California and this is a very distinct possibility as we tend to have a little more liberal mindset in our government and justice system. Always consider that the liberal mindset will still convict you even if you were doing the right thing, just to make a point.

A word to the wise here, to repeat. Avoidance is always your best option!

If all else fails and you need to go for your sidearm because you are out of options, it would probably be a good idea if you had a reliable one, in a major caliber, that you actually know how to use, and are willing to use.

What type of gun should I have?

Well, you need to have a gun that you are very good with, that you have trained extensively with, and can actually hit what you’re aiming at, with. Under pressure!

This eliminates about 98% of the people who carry guns right out of the gate. Re-read the point above about “avoidance” as the most viable course of action.

No matter which gun you have, when the bell rings you will revert to 50% or less of your capability on your best training day if it was just yesterday. If it was several months ago, deduct some more.

If you are a 90% shooter at the range under time pressure then you will be a 45% shooter under dire stress. This is not the end of the world as 50/50 is not horrible odds. Do remember you are betting your life here. However if you are a 50% shooter at the range you need to seek other options as at 25% effectiveness you are giving away a 3:1 advantage to your opponent and divine intervention maybe needed to save you. Betting on this option to prevail is not a real sound survival strategy.

Here’s a hard fact.  If you are untrained then you have no business whatsoever carrying a gun!

You are a danger to yourself and more properly, to others.  I have nothing but contempt for the individual that thinks they have got what it takes when they haven’t got a clue! They haven’t even been to a school or have only been to a range and shot the gun a few times and then get a Concealed Carry Permit and start carrying a gun.  They are uneducated and dangerous!  I actually know people like this and I can tell you without reservation they are all fools!

I used to believe that I could think my way through any situation like this. I’m a smart guy, and I can solve problems quickly etc.  I was so wrong!  In fact, when faced with a simple tactical scenario the first time I failed miserably, so miserably in fact that I almost cried. And this was just a training drill!  What it taught me is the only way to live through this type of event is to train often and with good supervision. Learn how to cope with the stress involved.

I go to Front Sight training academy two or three times a year, and I really need to go more.

But, I digress, so back to the topic of what kind of gun to use:

For a defensive pistol I recommend a semi-auto pistol in either .40 S&W or .45 ACP for men and 9mm or larger for women depending on the individual’s ability to control the recoil and most women can handle a .40 caliber gun easily.  As far as the brand I’ll make it real simple.  Buy a Glock! I’m sure there are those that will argue for many other brands of guns. However the one to get first is a Glock.  More police use Glocks than all the other brands combined, and there are several very good reasons why.

First and most important, the Glock pistol is by far the easiest pistol to train someone with.  You can only do three things to a Glock.  You can insert a magazine, you can rack the slide, and you can pull the trigger. There are no safeties to disengage (other than the trigger which takes care of itself), and finally there is only one weight of trigger pull to master. You draw the gun from the holster and fire. It is the same way every time.  The last thing you need is a complex gun that requires you to have a long double action trigger pull of 10-15 pounds for the first shot and then a light single action trigger for the rest of your shots.   You can pretty much guarantee giving away your first shot.  With the Glock you simply draw the gun, acquire the target, and press the trigger. You do the same thing every time. This breeds familiarity and familiarity breeds competence. This competence comes quicker with a Glock than any other pistol. It is as simple as that.

There are certainly other similar guns, S&W M&P, Springfield Armory XD, Ruger SR9, but they are all just different versions of the original.  Believe me Gaston Glock got it right, and got it right first.  The Glock is a tool, made by a tool maker.  Most don’t know the Glock 16 was an Entrenching Tool made for the Austrian Army .That’s how he got in, in the first place. The Glock 17 was the first gun he ever designed. Once you learn how to run a Glock then you can branch out into other more complicated firearms, however by that time you will probably see no reason to do it. For the intended purpose there is nothing better.

Whatever gun you chose you need to shoot it a lot and you need to get professional training to learn how to run the gun and use it correctly.  This takes practice and there is absolutely no other way. When bad happens you will not have time to think, your actions must be rote.

Training:

Yes, you need professional training.  You need to get it from the best possible source.  I recommend one of the large firearms training academies.

Virtually anyone can be taught to operate a pistol proficiently in as little as 3-5 days at a firearms training venue such as Gunsite, Front Sight, Sig-Sauer etc. Note: I did not mention your local firearms instructor. You need to go somewhere that teaches lots of people how to shoot, and the reason why is because they have more experience teaching all types of people than your local guy does. They can break through even the most stubborn of bad habits, and produce someone who is able to draw his gun and fire two well placed shots into a target in less than 2 seconds every time.  Your local guy may be able to do this, but face it; you are not going to be training with him 8 hours a day for 3-5 days, and shooting 800-1,000 rounds of ammo. You may get 1-2 hours a week at best. You need the intensive training that only a large outfit can deliver

The key is intensive and consistent training, without attitude, done in a specific sequence of events that takes you from not knowing which end of the gun the bullets come out of, to very proficient quickly and safely, and produces consistent results.  Any of the above mentioned outfits can train you up to a competent level in very short order. As an example Front Sight ran 60,000 people through firearms training classes last year alone.  You can’t argue with that kind of success and those numbers.

I can’t stress this next point enough.

I personally feel that if you are not willing to spend the time, effort and money to get trained up to a competent level you have no business carrying a defensive gun or for that matter even owning one.  Guns are serious tools and if you are going to own one you need to know how to use it safely and effectively.  This does not mean having the guy who sells you the gun show you how to load it.  This means getting professional training.

I have a neighbor who is the Armorer for our counties Sheriffs Department. He tells me that they can not even get the deputies to shoot more than once or twice a year because the county won’t pay for ammo.  This to be the height of stupidity.  You have people who have chosen to carry a gun for a living and yet they are next to incompetent when using it, and not willing to spend a few bucks to improve! The same holds true of the concealed carry person. He needs to shoot at least once a month (after receiving training) and get retrained at least once a year at a school to maintain proficiency.  I feel you have a moral obligation to be proficient if you are going to carry a gun full time.

After all it’s your life you are protecting.

Believe me when I say those skills you get by going to a training facility, are very perishable skills indeed.  I had not been to a pistol class for nearly a year when we finally went last November. (We took rifle classes last year, instead)  It took me until noon the second day and 300 rounds of ammo to get back to where my draw was consistent and I was getting good hits. If I had gone to another pistol class earlier in the year then I would have been back up to speed by lunch the first day. Believe me it goes away fast and the older you are, the faster it goes.

A word about ammo:  

In my region, Wal-Mart has the cheapest prices on ammo.  You do not need high dollar hollow points in your gun.  You do not need Personal Defense ammo that is $30 for 10 rounds.  Regular FMJ bullets will do just fine.  I think most people would agree that if you hit anyone with anything it is going to ruin their day. But there is a reason why you are taught to shoot twice into the chest. That reason is that only 65% of first round hits do the job, so twice that is 130% which is a nice safety margin.  Solids work just fine for this.

If that doesn’t work then you are trained to put out the lights.  It is called “failure to stop.”  A round between the eyes stops anyone.

I want to talk about Mindset:

Your mindset is everything. Everyone no matter how sophisticated or crude has a moral code they live by. How you choose to live your life may not  be understood by someone else. For some, killing you is no big deal. For you, killing a person could mean mental anguish the likes of which you are unprepared for. My point here is that you need to have all the moral stuff figured out well before you need to fight for your life.

You must have already established the lines in the sand that will result in you fighting with deadly force. You will not have time to mull this over when you are dodging bullets. It must be pre-ordained, and it must be rote.  Once you start fighting you must never quit until you have won, if you start to lose you must fight harder.  You must etch this statement  into your mind, and live by it! 

“I will never quit!”

Your life and the lives of your loved ones depend on it.

“Willing”

The last component of mindset is called “willing”

You have to be willing to kill someone.

Rule #1 of firearms safety is “treat all guns as if they were loaded”

Rule # 2 is “never point a gun at something you are not ‘willing to destroy’”

So if you are not willing to kill someone you shouldn’t point a gun at them.

If you are not willing to point a gun at them, then you might just as well leave it at home.

If this is true of you, then refer to “avoidance” above. It is your only viable option.

Always remember “Your best survival tool is your mind.” You’ll always have that with you when you need it!     God willing.