Some time ago I heard the phrase "debt trap". A nation falls into the debt trap when they get into debt so far that they are borrowing more to service their old debt. Pretty quickly their lenders realize things are getting bad and jack up the interest rates. With the huge amounts of money we are talking about a point or two is a real problem and beyond that. A nation can then choose to deflate their way out (Argentina and Russia), default on the debt (pretty much every country in Africa and Central/ South America at some point or another), go to war (Germany) or do some combination of the three.
I think there is a debt trap of sorts for individuals. This trap is when you have so many payments that it is basically impossible to pay cash for anything. All your income is going to basic life expenses (food, shelter, etc) or to payments. You can't buy a damn toaster without financing it. How does it end? One option is that something happens and the whole apple cart is knocked over. When you have no savings and the whole paycheck has to go to pay for junk you already have it doesn't take much to have a real problem. The good news is that there is another way out. Go to the library and get a copy of Dave Ramsey's book and read it. Check out Suze Orman's stuff also. Make your own decisions about what is important. Get some discipline and come up with a plan that gives your finances some order, cuts expenses drastically and improve your situation.
Don't fall into the debt trap. If you are closer to the debt trap than you care to admit then start improving your situation. If you are in a good place then do not become complacent and continue to improve.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Lazy Day
Thursday, July 29, 2010
quote of the day
"People in the establishment tend to fail upward"
-Chris Hayes
Not going to say I agree with most of what this guys says but this quote is disturbingly true.
-Chris Hayes
Not going to say I agree with most of what this guys says but this quote is disturbingly true.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
And The Winner Is
Bro Brandon B is the winner of our recent give away. To be fair I used random.org. Send me your address and we will get the DVD on the way to you.
quote of the day
" Lose some weight, get your teeth fixed, exercise regularly, improve your lifestyle."
-Chief Instructor
-Chief Instructor
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Modern Survival Manual Surviving the Economic Collapse IPR #1
I am most of the way through FerFal's book. This is going to be quick because I realized I just have a minutes before it's time to go to work. Anyway this book makes one big point.
The thing is that it is realistic. Things aren't going to be going perfectly normal and then one day it will be all Mad Max killing your neighbors to protect your cereal times. Well maybe if there is an EMP that could happen but it is also possible that Lindsay Lohan will get cleaned up and the Israelis and Palestinians will make a lasting peace.
Government is not entirely going to go away. It will offer fewer services and become more authoritarian/ intrusive. The last things on earth after a nuclear war will be one guy in a bunker in Idaho, cockroaches and government. Your bills will not go away though your job/ income might. In particular if you think the bank will forget about that mortgage or the government will stop collecting property taxes you have got to be high. That just isn't going to happen.
The idea of going to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere is great but you still have to pay some bills and thus need income. Sure if you live in a large city being able to go out to a cabin for the weekend or if it looks like a riot is coming is nice. However after you take a few days off work you will start to lose your job or income from the business. Your wife and kids will get bored of playing apocalypse and you will all take the mini van home to whatever remains.
The thing is that it is realistic. Things aren't going to be going perfectly normal and then one day it will be all Mad Max killing your neighbors to protect your cereal times. Well maybe if there is an EMP that could happen but it is also possible that Lindsay Lohan will get cleaned up and the Israelis and Palestinians will make a lasting peace.
Government is not entirely going to go away. It will offer fewer services and become more authoritarian/ intrusive. The last things on earth after a nuclear war will be one guy in a bunker in Idaho, cockroaches and government. Your bills will not go away though your job/ income might. In particular if you think the bank will forget about that mortgage or the government will stop collecting property taxes you have got to be high. That just isn't going to happen.
The idea of going to a little cabin in the middle of nowhere is great but you still have to pay some bills and thus need income. Sure if you live in a large city being able to go out to a cabin for the weekend or if it looks like a riot is coming is nice. However after you take a few days off work you will start to lose your job or income from the business. Your wife and kids will get bored of playing apocalypse and you will all take the mini van home to whatever remains.
Monday, July 26, 2010
quote of the day
"If you haven't figured it out things get complicated when you grow up."
-Some characters mom to him on Third Watch
Some stuff does. I don't think money gets all that much more complicated. It certainly isn't easy but it isn't complicated either. However relationships certainly do. In particular when you talk about marriage it can be very hard to understand exactly why people do what they do from the outside.
-Some characters mom to him on Third Watch
Some stuff does. I don't think money gets all that much more complicated. It certainly isn't easy but it isn't complicated either. However relationships certainly do. In particular when you talk about marriage it can be very hard to understand exactly why people do what they do from the outside.
Spoiling Myself a Bit
My birthday was awhile back. Since sending gifts to us is kind of problematic (timely, expensive, etc) I asked some of my family for Amazon gift cards. I got a couple gift cards and they have been sitting around in my in box. Today I decided to spend them on something completely frivolous. Usually I am pretty practical with my money but every once in awhile it's nice to get something you just want.
I ordered about a half dozen Spencer novels as well as Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics and The Theory of Money and Credit by Ludwig von Misses. The latter two were just sort of tossed in after the fact. Spencer novels are something I really enjoy. A good book that I can pick up and read 50 pages of if I am bored but not need to pick up again. I read them over and over again so they are a good value. I can't wait for them to arrive in the mail.
Assignment: I am not going to tell you what to spend, though if you can't come up with $10-20 then seriously reexamine your life, and spend it on something you want and totally don't need. Got to live and enjoy life now and then.
I ordered about a half dozen Spencer novels as well as Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics and The Theory of Money and Credit by Ludwig von Misses. The latter two were just sort of tossed in after the fact. Spencer novels are something I really enjoy. A good book that I can pick up and read 50 pages of if I am bored but not need to pick up again. I read them over and over again so they are a good value. I can't wait for them to arrive in the mail.
Assignment: I am not going to tell you what to spend, though if you can't come up with $10-20 then seriously reexamine your life, and spend it on something you want and totally don't need. Got to live and enjoy life now and then.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?
I did a few things. A few days ago I noticed a couple little tarnish/ rust spots on my Cold Steel Voyager. Nothing against the knife it just lives in my pocket which over the last couple weeks has been soaked in sweat almost constantly. I rubbed a little bit of oil on the blade and let it soak in for a couple days. The spots came off easily with an SOS pad. Also I started breaking in my new Altima Exospeeds. They have been sitting in the box for awhile because breaking in new boots is kinda annoying and the old ones, though showing their age a bit too much for work, are just so comfortable. I've been looking at gear lately to get ready for my upcoming deployment. Need to pick up a holster and a chest rig at a minimum. Also likely a few other small odds and ends.
Did some reading on FerFal's book which I am really enjoying.
Also I have been forcing myself to put more time into the blog on the development side. I certainly have the interest it is just about forcing myself to take time from someplace to do it.
Did some reading on FerFal's book which I am really enjoying.
Also I have been forcing myself to put more time into the blog on the development side. I certainly have the interest it is just about forcing myself to take time from someplace to do it.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The economy is so bad that:
I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
I ordered a burger at McDonald's and the kid behind the counter asked, "Can you afford fries with that?"
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore.
The Mafia is laying off judges.
Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!
I ordered a burger at McDonald's and the kid behind the counter asked, "Can you afford fries with that?"
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
If the bank returns your check marked "Insufficient Funds," you call them and ask if they meant you or them.
Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
McDonald's is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
Parents in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore.
The Mafia is laying off judges.
Exxon-Mobil laid off 25 Congressmen.
Congress says they are looking into this Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!
And, finally...
I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc., I called the Suicide Lifeline. I got a call center in Pakistan , and when I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.
Friday, July 23, 2010
quote of the day
"it ain't about how hard you hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward."
-Rocky Balboa
I had a pretty hard week at work. Earlier today I got to thinking about this quote. It isn't so much about the awesome stuff you can do but the kind of stuff you can take. Anybody can pull something great together occasionally but having things go all to hell and keeping going takes a lot.
-Rocky Balboa
I had a pretty hard week at work. Earlier today I got to thinking about this quote. It isn't so much about the awesome stuff you can do but the kind of stuff you can take. Anybody can pull something great together occasionally but having things go all to hell and keeping going takes a lot.
10 Things We Say That Keep Us Broke
Read and think.
One thing I sort of disagree about is student loans. They are not ideal of course but unless the rents saved a bunch for you to go to school or you qualify for crazy scholarships for educational or athletic merit or are part of a group that society says deserves highly subsidized education it is pretty hard to get through a 4 year degree without any student loans. Assuming you choose a degree path that will increase your earning power and employ ability education is a pretty solid investment.
Personally I took on some debt going through school. It kinda sucks that I have that payment but I make whole lot more money now than I was able to before I got that piece of paper. The difference for one year alone probably equals close to my debt amount. Now that we have an emergency fund a significant portion of our income goes towards paying that debt off at an accelerated rate.
To me owing some money to increase your earning power for a lifetime just makes sense.
One thing I sort of disagree about is student loans. They are not ideal of course but unless the rents saved a bunch for you to go to school or you qualify for crazy scholarships for educational or athletic merit or are part of a group that society says deserves highly subsidized education it is pretty hard to get through a 4 year degree without any student loans. Assuming you choose a degree path that will increase your earning power and employ ability education is a pretty solid investment.
Personally I took on some debt going through school. It kinda sucks that I have that payment but I make whole lot more money now than I was able to before I got that piece of paper. The difference for one year alone probably equals close to my debt amount. Now that we have an emergency fund a significant portion of our income goes towards paying that debt off at an accelerated rate.
To me owing some money to increase your earning power for a lifetime just makes sense.
Give Away Day
Our friends at World Info CD have been kind enough to do another giveaway for our readers. If you want a copy of their Disaster Survival & Preparadness DVD just leave a comment saying so. I will choose a winner in Sunday night.
quote of the day
"Get real, take some responsibility and move forward with your life."
-Me
Is it vain to quote myself?
-Me
Is it vain to quote myself?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Getting Real, Thinking Basic and Realistic 2
This sort of flows from a post I did awhile back. I read some more of FerFal's book yesterday. It has gotten me thinking. In particular folks so often think that by preparing for a super end of the world fit for a survivalist novel they are prepared for far more mundane and likely stuff. I hate to say it but one doesn't totally cover the other.
Case in point. Having a super whiz banger rifle with a 27 power scope and armor piercing bullets is great if the Illuminati/ Bildenberg/ NWO Army of foreign troops invades. However instead of working on hitting an evil invading foreign soldier in the face at 500 meters it might be better to work with your concealed carry pistol. Most interesting to me are people who have racks of rifles and cases of ammo sufficient to arm an Infantry Platoon but don't see fit to carry a handgun during the course of their normal affairs.
Also it amazes me that people skip over very likely financial problems or the need for an emergency fund in favor of some fishing hooks, sewing needles and such to barter if the world ends. Sorry but you can't pay next months electricity or insurance bill in fish hooks or sewing needles so you better save some damn money.
There is an interesting workout theory that says the less you like something the more you should focus on it. People like a certain workout for whatever reason so they do it more often and with greater enthusiasm. Then they get better at it so it makes them more fulfilled so they do it more, sort of a self fulfilling prophecy. Often for guys it is what I call "the bar workout". This workout is a sound scientific plan based entirely around working your chest and biceps, usually by doing lots of bench press and bicep curls. The entire point is to look muscular in that $50 Affliction T Shirt while flexing and drinking light beer at the bar. Men will be intimidated and women will swoon or at least that is their theory. The point is that if you hate running it is probably what you should focus on. If you hate doing body weight stuff then do it more.
Anyway in terms of preparedness I would say that there is an inverse relationship between how "sexy" and fantasy inspiring an item/ idea is and how much you should focus on it. For example soap is boring and not cool at all. The hero never saves the day in the survival novel with a bar of dial soap. However you definitely want some soap. There are numerous legitimate and likely worst case scenarios where you won't need to fire a single shot or even have a gun but a spare bar of soap (or 200) are sure good to have. There isn't such a thing as a tactical can opener employment course but having a couple hand operated can openers lying around is sure smart.
Getting real will let you better allocate your limited resources and otherwise focus your efforts.
Case in point. Having a super whiz banger rifle with a 27 power scope and armor piercing bullets is great if the Illuminati/ Bildenberg/ NWO Army of foreign troops invades. However instead of working on hitting an evil invading foreign soldier in the face at 500 meters it might be better to work with your concealed carry pistol. Most interesting to me are people who have racks of rifles and cases of ammo sufficient to arm an Infantry Platoon but don't see fit to carry a handgun during the course of their normal affairs.
Also it amazes me that people skip over very likely financial problems or the need for an emergency fund in favor of some fishing hooks, sewing needles and such to barter if the world ends. Sorry but you can't pay next months electricity or insurance bill in fish hooks or sewing needles so you better save some damn money.
There is an interesting workout theory that says the less you like something the more you should focus on it. People like a certain workout for whatever reason so they do it more often and with greater enthusiasm. Then they get better at it so it makes them more fulfilled so they do it more, sort of a self fulfilling prophecy. Often for guys it is what I call "the bar workout". This workout is a sound scientific plan based entirely around working your chest and biceps, usually by doing lots of bench press and bicep curls. The entire point is to look muscular in that $50 Affliction T Shirt while flexing and drinking light beer at the bar. Men will be intimidated and women will swoon or at least that is their theory. The point is that if you hate running it is probably what you should focus on. If you hate doing body weight stuff then do it more.
Anyway in terms of preparedness I would say that there is an inverse relationship between how "sexy" and fantasy inspiring an item/ idea is and how much you should focus on it. For example soap is boring and not cool at all. The hero never saves the day in the survival novel with a bar of dial soap. However you definitely want some soap. There are numerous legitimate and likely worst case scenarios where you won't need to fire a single shot or even have a gun but a spare bar of soap (or 200) are sure good to have. There isn't such a thing as a tactical can opener employment course but having a couple hand operated can openers lying around is sure smart.
Getting real will let you better allocate your limited resources and otherwise focus your efforts.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Just An Idea About Getting The Spouse To Say Yes
I'm not talking about 10:30 at night in the bedroom. You're on your own for that one.
The conversation about how to get the spouse on board is an ongoing one in this community. I am married, and for the most part managing to do good things in terms of increasing my readiness while not having trouble with Wifey so weighing in seems reasonable.
I have talked about this before. Finding common ground with your spouse and working toward mutual goals, yadda yadda yadda. Sure you can find it somewhere in the archives. However today I have a new idea.
Simply put yes breeds more yes. To expound on this.
A great way to get your spouse to say yes to the stuff you want is to say yes to the stuff they want. I'm not saying it is fool proof but it does breed a spirit of cooperation and agree ability. Case in point.
I do pretty decent in terms of prep funding. We put money towards precious metals every month, put back some extra groceries every pay period and some random prep type stuff gets tossed into the cart pretty much everywhere we go. When Wifey wants something she pretty much gets it. A few months back she was talking about how she really wanted to go home before Walker was born. We figured out what it would cost and then decided where the money would come from and she went home. It wasn't cheap but it was important to her so we made it happen.
Recently we had an anniversary. It was a reminder of the day that I somehow got this amazing hot, funny, practical and frugal girl to marry me. Seriously I am not quite sure how I pulled that one off. More than one friend has given me props for somehow snagging her. Anyway she said we weren't really going to do presents.
I decided to get her something anyway because her jewelry collection can use some deposits. I got her a nice set of diamond earrings. [ So funny story. She was home at the time and didn't have access to our online banking stuff. She asked me what was in our checking account and I told her. She was surprised and not happy with the amount. She was like "what the hell" and I said something like "it is fine, don't worry" then wouldn't talk about it anymore. She was really not happy about that one. I guess she figured I spent a bunch of money eating out or just being dumb while she was gone. The difference between where our account should have been and where it was happened to be precisely 1 pair of earrings.] Needless to say she liked them. Go figure, chicks like diamonds. She then asked what I wanted.
I honestly didn't really want or plan to get anything; just figured she should have a nice present. When we got onto the topic of a gift for me I mentioned a $62 tool kit I had my eye on. She said something like "seriously" and after a minute of number crunching (yeah we are practical and we do that) came up with a figure pretty close to what I spent on her that is now ear marked for me to get something. Not quite sure what it will be yet. I am looking at funding most of a concealable IIIA bullet proof vest or a close quarters optic. Sorta trying to work some stuff with some people and we will see what happens. In any case I am going to toss in a few personal or advertising dollars and then get something pretty cool.
Anyway the point of this discussion is that if you want to get the spouse into the spirit to be OK with spending some money on stuff you want spending some money on stuff they want is a darn good start.
The conversation about how to get the spouse on board is an ongoing one in this community. I am married, and for the most part managing to do good things in terms of increasing my readiness while not having trouble with Wifey so weighing in seems reasonable.
I have talked about this before. Finding common ground with your spouse and working toward mutual goals, yadda yadda yadda. Sure you can find it somewhere in the archives. However today I have a new idea.
Simply put yes breeds more yes. To expound on this.
A great way to get your spouse to say yes to the stuff you want is to say yes to the stuff they want. I'm not saying it is fool proof but it does breed a spirit of cooperation and agree ability. Case in point.
I do pretty decent in terms of prep funding. We put money towards precious metals every month, put back some extra groceries every pay period and some random prep type stuff gets tossed into the cart pretty much everywhere we go. When Wifey wants something she pretty much gets it. A few months back she was talking about how she really wanted to go home before Walker was born. We figured out what it would cost and then decided where the money would come from and she went home. It wasn't cheap but it was important to her so we made it happen.
Recently we had an anniversary. It was a reminder of the day that I somehow got this amazing hot, funny, practical and frugal girl to marry me. Seriously I am not quite sure how I pulled that one off. More than one friend has given me props for somehow snagging her. Anyway she said we weren't really going to do presents.
I decided to get her something anyway because her jewelry collection can use some deposits. I got her a nice set of diamond earrings. [ So funny story. She was home at the time and didn't have access to our online banking stuff. She asked me what was in our checking account and I told her. She was surprised and not happy with the amount. She was like "what the hell" and I said something like "it is fine, don't worry" then wouldn't talk about it anymore. She was really not happy about that one. I guess she figured I spent a bunch of money eating out or just being dumb while she was gone. The difference between where our account should have been and where it was happened to be precisely 1 pair of earrings.] Needless to say she liked them. Go figure, chicks like diamonds. She then asked what I wanted.
I honestly didn't really want or plan to get anything; just figured she should have a nice present. When we got onto the topic of a gift for me I mentioned a $62 tool kit I had my eye on. She said something like "seriously" and after a minute of number crunching (yeah we are practical and we do that) came up with a figure pretty close to what I spent on her that is now ear marked for me to get something. Not quite sure what it will be yet. I am looking at funding most of a concealable IIIA bullet proof vest or a close quarters optic. Sorta trying to work some stuff with some people and we will see what happens. In any case I am going to toss in a few personal or advertising dollars and then get something pretty cool.
Anyway the point of this discussion is that if you want to get the spouse into the spirit to be OK with spending some money on stuff you want spending some money on stuff they want is a darn good start.
Worth The Money
Sometimes you can pay a lot more for an item with comparable utility, reliability and such. Also there is a question of whether the difference in cost is worth it. For example a Glock costs somewhere around $450-500 depending on where you are and an HK is around $800. Is an HW almost twice the semi automatic pistol as a Glock? Personally I do not think so. However some stuff is just worth it.
For me durability and ruggedness are probably the biggest two things that make stuff worth the money for me. Getting a years rough use out of something is fine but if you get 5 or 10 years that is sure something.
One piece of kit I have been incredibly thrilled with is my Tactical Tailor back pack. I think it cost around $100 but that was several years ago. The thing has done all sorts of tough work for years and has consistently impressed me with its design and sheer ruggedness. Also polar tech sink weigh underoos are amazing. I am given them but if I wasn't I would gladly pay the price.
What has been worth the money to you?
For me durability and ruggedness are probably the biggest two things that make stuff worth the money for me. Getting a years rough use out of something is fine but if you get 5 or 10 years that is sure something.
One piece of kit I have been incredibly thrilled with is my Tactical Tailor back pack. I think it cost around $100 but that was several years ago. The thing has done all sorts of tough work for years and has consistently impressed me with its design and sheer ruggedness. Also polar tech sink weigh underoos are amazing. I am given them but if I wasn't I would gladly pay the price.
What has been worth the money to you?
Sunday, July 18, 2010
quote of the day
"Everyone has unrealistic expectations, so no one is satisfied."
-TEOTWAWKIAIFF
As with all generalizations this isn't entirely accurate but it does ring pretty darn true. If you weigh 300 pounds then a bikini is not going to attract positive attention. If you make 20k a year then a 100 acres of productive land with water, trees and a nice big house isn't realistic. Starting with realistic expectations is a good start to having a decent shot at happiness.
-TEOTWAWKIAIFF
As with all generalizations this isn't entirely accurate but it does ring pretty darn true. If you weigh 300 pounds then a bikini is not going to attract positive attention. If you make 20k a year then a 100 acres of productive land with water, trees and a nice big house isn't realistic. Starting with realistic expectations is a good start to having a decent shot at happiness.
Shades of Atlas Shrugged
Roads to Ruin: Towns Rip Up the Pavement
Asphalt Is Replaced By Cheaper Gravel; 'Back to Stone Age'
I really don't even know what to say. This is just sad.
Survivalist Leadership
I lead men for a living. My job involves planning and executing training as well as real world tactical operations. I also have the unpleasant task of doing enough administrative stuff to keep higher off my back. In any case what a lot of people theorize about I DO.
I don't think you can talk about leadership without talking about motivation. Namely the two types of motivation; intrinsic and extrinsic. Basically intrinsic motivation is when you want to do something for your own personal reasons like pride, sense of duty, honor, etc. Extrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by some kind of factor outside of your own self. Example- If you want to run a marathon to make yourself feel good the motivation is intrinsic. If you want to run a marathon to become closer to and hopefully get together with the cute runner girl from 2 doors down the motivation is extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation is far far stronger and more importantly longer lasting than extrinsic motivation. If halfway through your train up for said marathon cute runner girl says it isn't ever going to happen that extrinsic motivation is gone; so unless you find yourself really enjoying the running that goal is dead and it is couch time. However if you really wanted to run that marathon for you and cute runner girl was just worth asking out as target of opportunity (yeah maybe it is sexist to say that but single women do the same stuff albeit for different criteria) then you will keep running just not with her.
Leadership is hard. If you put aside all the classist junk about "working men", "building something with your hands" and "good honest jobs" you will realize that the reason managers and supervisors typically make a lot more money is because those jobs are a lot harder. They hold more responsibility as well as requiring more knowledge and skills. We have a free market system and those jobs pay more for a reason. Figuring out how to motivate, teach and get the best out of different men with different needs, goals, concerns and capabilities is hard. You have personality conflicts and strong heads at all levels. Also some people, no matter how well intentioned, are just dumb asses. Seriously give it a shot some time.
In some ways leadership at work is a lot easier than peer leadership. If I tell my guys to go to their rooms and come back in 10 minutes wearing PT shorts, ACU shirts, shower shoes, ponchos and helmets they will. They might think I've got a screw loose but they will be back in 10 minutes in that uniform because they have to. There is a discussion with an NCO about how to do this or that (a whole nothing thing in and of itself and for the little it is worth I find getting them in on the planning process early works best for everyone, it gets their experience and they "buy into the plan" but keeps sharp shooting to a minimum) and I try to balance taking advantage of their experience and great input without letting the "good idea fairy" go wild is a fine art. Though at the end of the day if I say "fist pound, do this now" they ultimately will do it.
The good part is that while I solicit and consider input the ultimate decisions come from me. There is no being gridlocked about an issue because people disagree. Things can be kept moving and that is real good. However there is the disadvantage that some folks are there to ask what their country (or whatever other job) can do for them, not to ask what they can do for their country. Maybe they are 18 and don't have the grades to go to school or the desire to do a job they are readily qualified for around home or they are 29 with a couple kids and a wife and while they are burned out on the Army they are going to keep putting in the minimum to get the check.
Peer leadership is so much harder than normal leadership in a hierarchical organization of some sort. You have to lead by consensus and majority if not outright unanimous decisions. Leading survivalist/ libertarian types is truly like trying to herd cats. They all want to do their own thing if just to snub their nose at any sort of authority. They all have different priorities, desires and concerns. Also since money and or time are generally involved somehow in any meaningful decisions things are greatly complicated. Lets say you and the crew decide that everybody should do X. If it involves money you have to deal with not just what every likes and will agree upon but what everybody can afford to spend, or wants to spend but also what their spouse is OK with them spending. So instead of one guy deciding (like in a hierarchical organization) and something happening we have to get an agreement. Not just any agreement but an agreement everybody is pretty agreeable with, can afford and can get their spouse to sign on for. See how much of a pain that is. It is good that people are truly there because they want to be but they aren't necessarily all there with the same goals and for the same reasons.
Also unless you are in a rigid, likely family or church based group (both of which have their own issues) there is no mechanism for enforcement. If one of my guys at work decides to just ignore what he is told then his life will get real unpleasant for awhile. Eventually he will learn or go work somewhere else. If a buddy decides not to do what we all agreed upon MAYBE we can guilt trip him a bit but that's all that can be done. To get any true consensus and group movement you pretty much have to move at the lowest common denominator. Factor in the diverse concerns people have (some are gun centric, others food centric, others love gadgets, etc) and it is real hard.
I find that progress in terms of peer leadership has a lot more to do with ability to convince and bring consensus than it does knowledge and ability over the given subject matter. If you grew up on a small farm and have actually survived a real life socioeconomic collapse as well as two dozen gun fights, a full blown war and some other stuff but can't build consensus to get anything done your group will not have progress. Conversely a guy who read a couple basic preparedness books and went to a pistol shooting class that can bring real consensus and convince people of the importance of acting in a certain way could get a lot done.
Does one kind of leadership help with the other? I would say they do have some stuff in common. Interestingly enough I can tie this into teaching also. Leadership (and to me teaching) is about getting people to want to do what you want them to do and then teaching them how to do it. You can get them to do what you want through love, cult of personality, personal relationships, fear or whatever. I would say that fear isn't the best way to go but other than that you just need some way towards this goal.
In my particular situation I have the benefit that in some areas of survivalism (tactical stuff, survivability, gear that works, guerrilla warfare, etc) my hierarchical leadership job makes me something of a subject matter expert. Like so many other things there is a significant gap between amateurs and professionals. What some folks read a book about or maybe take a weekend course on I do for a living. It is a lot easier to build consensus when you are well informed and able to make logical points to defend your position.
At work I can rule by decree. In the motley crew of friends and family I could call a "tribe" I lead in more of a warlord sort of way. I am not exactly elected but fill the position because I am decisively the most qualified. I also fill this role just as long as my tribe wants me to. Even then I really just have power in the area of making war (or in this case survivalism). If we pick up a member who is better qualified we may sub divide areas of specialty or I may get to have an easier job. Really either would be cool with me. The only thing better than getting to take it easy and not have to convince people of the importance of this or the need to do that would be having someone better qualified as our warlord. What I am capable of getting done is pretty modest though I do have some plans floating around in my head to improve that. When Ryan, JD starts bringing in a professional wage pretty soon and thus has some discretionary income we may be able to get some more stuff cracking. Maybe we can get some group buys going or something.
Anyway it is time for me to drink a bunch of water and get some sleep.
I don't think you can talk about leadership without talking about motivation. Namely the two types of motivation; intrinsic and extrinsic. Basically intrinsic motivation is when you want to do something for your own personal reasons like pride, sense of duty, honor, etc. Extrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by some kind of factor outside of your own self. Example- If you want to run a marathon to make yourself feel good the motivation is intrinsic. If you want to run a marathon to become closer to and hopefully get together with the cute runner girl from 2 doors down the motivation is extrinsic.
Intrinsic motivation is far far stronger and more importantly longer lasting than extrinsic motivation. If halfway through your train up for said marathon cute runner girl says it isn't ever going to happen that extrinsic motivation is gone; so unless you find yourself really enjoying the running that goal is dead and it is couch time. However if you really wanted to run that marathon for you and cute runner girl was just worth asking out as target of opportunity (yeah maybe it is sexist to say that but single women do the same stuff albeit for different criteria) then you will keep running just not with her.
Leadership is hard. If you put aside all the classist junk about "working men", "building something with your hands" and "good honest jobs" you will realize that the reason managers and supervisors typically make a lot more money is because those jobs are a lot harder. They hold more responsibility as well as requiring more knowledge and skills. We have a free market system and those jobs pay more for a reason. Figuring out how to motivate, teach and get the best out of different men with different needs, goals, concerns and capabilities is hard. You have personality conflicts and strong heads at all levels. Also some people, no matter how well intentioned, are just dumb asses. Seriously give it a shot some time.
In some ways leadership at work is a lot easier than peer leadership. If I tell my guys to go to their rooms and come back in 10 minutes wearing PT shorts, ACU shirts, shower shoes, ponchos and helmets they will. They might think I've got a screw loose but they will be back in 10 minutes in that uniform because they have to. There is a discussion with an NCO about how to do this or that (a whole nothing thing in and of itself and for the little it is worth I find getting them in on the planning process early works best for everyone, it gets their experience and they "buy into the plan" but keeps sharp shooting to a minimum) and I try to balance taking advantage of their experience and great input without letting the "good idea fairy" go wild is a fine art. Though at the end of the day if I say "fist pound, do this now" they ultimately will do it.
The good part is that while I solicit and consider input the ultimate decisions come from me. There is no being gridlocked about an issue because people disagree. Things can be kept moving and that is real good. However there is the disadvantage that some folks are there to ask what their country (or whatever other job) can do for them, not to ask what they can do for their country. Maybe they are 18 and don't have the grades to go to school or the desire to do a job they are readily qualified for around home or they are 29 with a couple kids and a wife and while they are burned out on the Army they are going to keep putting in the minimum to get the check.
Peer leadership is so much harder than normal leadership in a hierarchical organization of some sort. You have to lead by consensus and majority if not outright unanimous decisions. Leading survivalist/ libertarian types is truly like trying to herd cats. They all want to do their own thing if just to snub their nose at any sort of authority. They all have different priorities, desires and concerns. Also since money and or time are generally involved somehow in any meaningful decisions things are greatly complicated. Lets say you and the crew decide that everybody should do X. If it involves money you have to deal with not just what every likes and will agree upon but what everybody can afford to spend, or wants to spend but also what their spouse is OK with them spending. So instead of one guy deciding (like in a hierarchical organization) and something happening we have to get an agreement. Not just any agreement but an agreement everybody is pretty agreeable with, can afford and can get their spouse to sign on for. See how much of a pain that is. It is good that people are truly there because they want to be but they aren't necessarily all there with the same goals and for the same reasons.
Also unless you are in a rigid, likely family or church based group (both of which have their own issues) there is no mechanism for enforcement. If one of my guys at work decides to just ignore what he is told then his life will get real unpleasant for awhile. Eventually he will learn or go work somewhere else. If a buddy decides not to do what we all agreed upon MAYBE we can guilt trip him a bit but that's all that can be done. To get any true consensus and group movement you pretty much have to move at the lowest common denominator. Factor in the diverse concerns people have (some are gun centric, others food centric, others love gadgets, etc) and it is real hard.
I find that progress in terms of peer leadership has a lot more to do with ability to convince and bring consensus than it does knowledge and ability over the given subject matter. If you grew up on a small farm and have actually survived a real life socioeconomic collapse as well as two dozen gun fights, a full blown war and some other stuff but can't build consensus to get anything done your group will not have progress. Conversely a guy who read a couple basic preparedness books and went to a pistol shooting class that can bring real consensus and convince people of the importance of acting in a certain way could get a lot done.
Does one kind of leadership help with the other? I would say they do have some stuff in common. Interestingly enough I can tie this into teaching also. Leadership (and to me teaching) is about getting people to want to do what you want them to do and then teaching them how to do it. You can get them to do what you want through love, cult of personality, personal relationships, fear or whatever. I would say that fear isn't the best way to go but other than that you just need some way towards this goal.
In my particular situation I have the benefit that in some areas of survivalism (tactical stuff, survivability, gear that works, guerrilla warfare, etc) my hierarchical leadership job makes me something of a subject matter expert. Like so many other things there is a significant gap between amateurs and professionals. What some folks read a book about or maybe take a weekend course on I do for a living. It is a lot easier to build consensus when you are well informed and able to make logical points to defend your position.
At work I can rule by decree. In the motley crew of friends and family I could call a "tribe" I lead in more of a warlord sort of way. I am not exactly elected but fill the position because I am decisively the most qualified. I also fill this role just as long as my tribe wants me to. Even then I really just have power in the area of making war (or in this case survivalism). If we pick up a member who is better qualified we may sub divide areas of specialty or I may get to have an easier job. Really either would be cool with me. The only thing better than getting to take it easy and not have to convince people of the importance of this or the need to do that would be having someone better qualified as our warlord. What I am capable of getting done is pretty modest though I do have some plans floating around in my head to improve that. When Ryan, JD starts bringing in a professional wage pretty soon and thus has some discretionary income we may be able to get some more stuff cracking. Maybe we can get some group buys going or something.
Anyway it is time for me to drink a bunch of water and get some sleep.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Chest Rigs and LBE's
The first real problem with LBE's is that they move around a lot. Try loading one up with 7-15 rifle mags, water, a bit of medical kit, etc and running. They are pretty bouncy and it just doesn't work well. Also people can too easily fill up the whole front degrees (3-9 on the cloth if 12 is your belly button) and your waistline gets huge like the Micheline Man which makes getting in and out of vehicles difficult and windows or tight spaces downright hard. Also since they are around the waistline and thus loose (to allow movement) it is a fairly slow proposition to get anything out of a pouch and the design of the normal USGI style pouches doesn't help much.
Some sort of a chest rig is really the way to go. You can hold the same amount of stuff in a more compact and far faster to access (only really important for spare mags) package. Since they do not increase your waistline they don't make getting into and out of windows or tight spaces much harder than it actually is.
What to carry is an interesting discussion. Obviously you need some ammo. As for how much I don't know. If you want a home invasion/ Katrina rig then 4 mags is probably more than sufficient. For most military applications or a darker scenario 7-10 mags for your rifle is probably enough. Maybe for a long patrol in rural Afghanistan where QRF is 2 hours out you would want more. Personally I would just put a few additional mags in a bandoleer in my assault pack; which is a fancy term of a slightly large and military pattered shack pack. You need water somewhere be it canteens or a camel back. Lately I am preferring the camel back not because I like them better but because they keep my chest/ waist line as clear as possible. I imagine that trend is here to stay. After that depending on what your application is maybe a radio would be good. Some sort of a minimalist first aid kit like an IFAK is a darn good idea. I find a mid sized pouch to hold all the other little things you need like ear plugs, gloves (put em in there when you de kit and they will be there when it is time to re kit), a couple granola bars or whatever snacks you like, a notebook, etc. Also I carry a compass because if you don't know where you are you don't have squat. Some reasonable additions would be a couple of pistol mags and a knife. However there is a school of though that says you should keep these as well as your holster on the belt so if you find yourself without (or needing to ditch to E and E) you still have a pistol with some spare ammo and a good knife. Folks used to rock the butt pack for their LBE's but these days we just take our shack packs so we can have a woobie as well as a watchcap and some long underoos.
Some folks festoon their kit with all sorts of other stuff. I am not going to say they are all wrong. I can however say that people who actually use and carry their kit don't tend to have a ridiculous amount of stuff.
I recall once I read in a forum that one person was in serious deliberation about what kind of drop pouch to put on their weak side leg because just not having a drop pouch on your weak side leg isn't an option. I recall another fellow who planned to have "an AK in his hands and an AR on his back for 'long shots'". Me thinks neither of these guys has ever put all this stuff on and walked a few hundred meters let alone ran and moved through obstacles like windows or climbed stuff with it all on.
Personally to store expended magazines I tend to put them in my weak side cargo pocket or back in the pouch they came from. Don't see a reason for a dump pouch.
Chest rigs are the way to go. Get a quality one and keep it lean and mean. You need ammo, water and a few little odds n ends not a whole gear catalog worth of stuff and the kitchen sink. I have used both kinds of setups and those are my thoughts.
Some sort of a chest rig is really the way to go. You can hold the same amount of stuff in a more compact and far faster to access (only really important for spare mags) package. Since they do not increase your waistline they don't make getting into and out of windows or tight spaces much harder than it actually is.
What to carry is an interesting discussion. Obviously you need some ammo. As for how much I don't know. If you want a home invasion/ Katrina rig then 4 mags is probably more than sufficient. For most military applications or a darker scenario 7-10 mags for your rifle is probably enough. Maybe for a long patrol in rural Afghanistan where QRF is 2 hours out you would want more. Personally I would just put a few additional mags in a bandoleer in my assault pack; which is a fancy term of a slightly large and military pattered shack pack. You need water somewhere be it canteens or a camel back. Lately I am preferring the camel back not because I like them better but because they keep my chest/ waist line as clear as possible. I imagine that trend is here to stay. After that depending on what your application is maybe a radio would be good. Some sort of a minimalist first aid kit like an IFAK is a darn good idea. I find a mid sized pouch to hold all the other little things you need like ear plugs, gloves (put em in there when you de kit and they will be there when it is time to re kit), a couple granola bars or whatever snacks you like, a notebook, etc. Also I carry a compass because if you don't know where you are you don't have squat. Some reasonable additions would be a couple of pistol mags and a knife. However there is a school of though that says you should keep these as well as your holster on the belt so if you find yourself without (or needing to ditch to E and E) you still have a pistol with some spare ammo and a good knife. Folks used to rock the butt pack for their LBE's but these days we just take our shack packs so we can have a woobie as well as a watchcap and some long underoos.
Some folks festoon their kit with all sorts of other stuff. I am not going to say they are all wrong. I can however say that people who actually use and carry their kit don't tend to have a ridiculous amount of stuff.
I recall once I read in a forum that one person was in serious deliberation about what kind of drop pouch to put on their weak side leg because just not having a drop pouch on your weak side leg isn't an option. I recall another fellow who planned to have "an AK in his hands and an AR on his back for 'long shots'". Me thinks neither of these guys has ever put all this stuff on and walked a few hundred meters let alone ran and moved through obstacles like windows or climbed stuff with it all on.
Personally to store expended magazines I tend to put them in my weak side cargo pocket or back in the pouch they came from. Don't see a reason for a dump pouch.
Chest rigs are the way to go. Get a quality one and keep it lean and mean. You need ammo, water and a few little odds n ends not a whole gear catalog worth of stuff and the kitchen sink. I have used both kinds of setups and those are my thoughts.
Land Buddy
There is a free service on Off-grid.net called LandBuddy that connects you with people who are looking to live off grid, people who are currently living off grid and people who want to help others live off grid.
LandBuddy contains a map that allows you to locate other off gridders in any geographic location. Current off-gridders can find and connect with fellow off grid neighbors. If you are thinking about living off grid, this is the perfect place to look for advice and resources from people who are already living off grid.
All you have to do is register on LandBuddy and specify where you are located. Hundreds of Americans have already registered and found land they could either buy or live on off grid land in return for work. Living off the grid, away from the grid of power and water, is a rising phenomenon in America because technology is making it steadily more comfortable and cheaper.
TOR adds: I believe we will be giving away a free copy of this book soon.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Why Shun Financial Preps?
I have wondered about this one for awhile. Some people just seem to shun the concept that finances might get involved in worst case scenarios or preparations. Short of the obviously ridiculous idea that it won't matter what kind of physical condition you are in this is about the most ridiculous idea I see.
So often I talk about something like keeping some cash on hand or emergency funds or some kind of long term planning I am pursuing and I get a comment "I buy preps, they will be worth gazillions after the dollar collapses/ TEOTWAWKI/ whatever".
As covered by our buddy Jim Dakin covering me preps are an expense, not an investment. Beyond that I think part of it is just fantasy. Some folks would like to think that the real world will magically go away and they will be in a great place because they stored some beans. They envision a worst case scenario with a little bit of danger but somehow no need for money or to pay their debts.
Also kind of going along with that is a sort of classicist vibe. People who are not in a good money spot would like to envision a situation where somebody who made more money than them and was smart with it loses so the fact that they had just 12 bucks in the bank isn't an issue and their bucket of beans is real helpful.
I reject this idea. For all the reasons above but also because I do not believe you have to choose. You can prepare and store food and do great things but also squirrel a few bucks away into an emergency fund and maybe put something back for old age.
Maybe that makes me a yuppie survivalist in some peoples eyes at least in the sense ( as for the other angle I don't think money can solve all problems in and of itself) that everyone who makes more money than another guy is a yuppie survivalist in their eyes.
In closing I am sorry but we all need to get real. It would be nice to say you don't need to worry about money but that isn't reality. You need to save for rainy days, blown transmissions and power outages. If you want a chance at growing old with some dignity you need to set the conditions for that to happen.
So often I talk about something like keeping some cash on hand or emergency funds or some kind of long term planning I am pursuing and I get a comment "I buy preps, they will be worth gazillions after the dollar collapses/ TEOTWAWKI/ whatever".
As covered by our buddy Jim Dakin covering me preps are an expense, not an investment. Beyond that I think part of it is just fantasy. Some folks would like to think that the real world will magically go away and they will be in a great place because they stored some beans. They envision a worst case scenario with a little bit of danger but somehow no need for money or to pay their debts.
Also kind of going along with that is a sort of classicist vibe. People who are not in a good money spot would like to envision a situation where somebody who made more money than them and was smart with it loses so the fact that they had just 12 bucks in the bank isn't an issue and their bucket of beans is real helpful.
I reject this idea. For all the reasons above but also because I do not believe you have to choose. You can prepare and store food and do great things but also squirrel a few bucks away into an emergency fund and maybe put something back for old age.
Maybe that makes me a yuppie survivalist in some peoples eyes at least in the sense ( as for the other angle I don't think money can solve all problems in and of itself) that everyone who makes more money than another guy is a yuppie survivalist in their eyes.
In closing I am sorry but we all need to get real. It would be nice to say you don't need to worry about money but that isn't reality. You need to save for rainy days, blown transmissions and power outages. If you want a chance at growing old with some dignity you need to set the conditions for that to happen.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Once Upon A Time In Afghanistan
An Afghani talks about how his country used to be. Lots of interesting pictures. Very worth reading.
Interestingly enough my Great Grandfather spent some time in Afghanistan in (I think) the 1950's building roads. My inner cynic does however note that the photographs and information from the article are of a sort of brief renaissance period for the country. Also probably more significant the pictures and information only involve the major cities. By far the majority of the population of Afghanistan is rural and I am not convinced that their lifestyle has ever changed that much. Of course some minor technology has been introduced but the fundamental patterns of life seem to be more or less the same as they have forever.
Take away a bunch of rifles, a truck or two, some radios and maybe a generator or a small scale hydro and I tend to think that a little Afghan village is probably about the same as it was 100, 200 or 500 years ago.
Interestingly enough my Great Grandfather spent some time in Afghanistan in (I think) the 1950's building roads. My inner cynic does however note that the photographs and information from the article are of a sort of brief renaissance period for the country. Also probably more significant the pictures and information only involve the major cities. By far the majority of the population of Afghanistan is rural and I am not convinced that their lifestyle has ever changed that much. Of course some minor technology has been introduced but the fundamental patterns of life seem to be more or less the same as they have forever.
Take away a bunch of rifles, a truck or two, some radios and maybe a generator or a small scale hydro and I tend to think that a little Afghan village is probably about the same as it was 100, 200 or 500 years ago.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
9 reasons why having a child is like being at a frat party
9. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub.
8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.
7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.
6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.
5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.
4. There's definitely going to be a fight.
3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.
2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.
1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.
I can't wait. Hat tip to Maggy of our sister blog for this amusing comparison.
8. It's best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function.
7. You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone's going to start banging on the door.
6. Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.
5. You've got someone in your face at 3 a.m. looking for a drink.
4. There's definitely going to be a fight.
3. You're not sure whether anything you're doing is right, you just hope it won't get you arrested.
2. There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.
1. You wake up wondering exactly how and when the person in bed with you got there.
I can't wait. Hat tip to Maggy of our sister blog for this amusing comparison.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Movie Review: Book of Eli
Today we were at the store for something else and I got Book of Eli. I missed it in the theater and never ended up renting it. This evening we sat down and watched it. To the usual format.
The good: I was really entertained by this movie. Denzel Washington is a great actor and the movie was quite enjoyable. It kept a good pace and had plenty of action. His use of a big (military looking) rechargeable battery to power an Ipod was pretty resourceful. Also Mila Kunis is pretty darn easy on the eyes even in simulated post apocalypse get up.
At one point a goblin noticed the main character had a gun. He said "I bet it is empty, they are all empty these days" or something to that effect. This is just a good reminder that without ammunition guns are useless. Ammo isn't cheap but it is pretty darn important. Stash at least couple hundred rounds per gun. A case or maybe even two is probably better.
I appreciated that it dealt with the whole Apocalypse thing in a realistic manner. People will do bad things to each other and thinking otherwise is at best idealistic and at worst dangerous. It was not idealized or sanitized or anything like that. However it dealt with the issue in a way that wasn't vulgar or unnecessarily extreme. A tough balancing act for sure and they executed it well.
The ugly: There wasn't really any ugly.
This movie was pretty much a strait forward action movie with a religious and apocalyptic twist. I am glad it is now part of our collection and look forward to watching it again in the future. You will almost surely enjoy it.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thoughts On Insurgencies Two
The first one was well received and I really enjoyed writing it. I've been thinking on the topic again recently. In no particular order.
One thing I find incredibility amusing is that so many folks who could be called wanna be insurgents (lets face it the difference between a freedom fighter/ patriot and and terrorist is if they are on or against your side) completely ignore fitness. I like the term insurgent largely because it is relatively judgment neutral. You see the old school videos of the Michigan militia or whatever and it is usually a bunch of fat old guys standing there shooting rifles. Seriously insurgents do not fight static fights. They initiate an ambush or blow a bomb or conduct a raid and get away really fast before a large group of better armed and supported individuals comes to kill them. This usually means being able to move on foot quickly for some distance. If you are 40 pounds overweight you will not be able to get away and you will die. Insurgency is a very Darwinian business and that doesn't go well for fatties and idiots.
Onto the topic of idiots. A man, or I guess a woman, has got to know his limitations. This means being careful and choosy about the kind of fight they get into. They need to pick a fight with the right group of individuals or in a place that suits their capabilities, ideally some combination of both. They also need to pick a fight that they can get away from. Unless you're down with the whole suicide thing you need a real solid exit plan.
In terms of numbers and weapons insurgents always face bad odds. However if 3 insurgents with knives find an occupier in a dark alley it doesn't matter that his side has the overall odds in their favor. The same could be said if a section or platoon sized element of insurgents hits a squad sized patrol and gets away fast enough to miss the QRF.
As some folks mention to me not everybody is in their 20's or 30's and physically fit. I would submit to you that there are a lot of lot of 40 and 50 often with numerous poorly treated wounds from decades of almost constant warfare. Those 40-50 something year old insurgents are giving our boys in Afghanistan hell but they are in shape. Saying that you are older and thus in horrible shape is an excuse, sorry but it's true. For a person with a truly (not you are obese and go figure your joints aren't handling the weight well) destroyed knee or back, some kind of other medical problem, etc the idea of being an active rifleman in an insurgency while it has a certain mystique just isn't realistic. That is OK though.....
Why is that OK? Well the first reason is that it's life. If you have MS then running all over the place doing direct action stuff just isn't realistic. If you have a destroyed knee then hiking 20k through the night to get to a perfect point to mortar a small outpost isn't realistic either. However unlike the "every man is a rifleman and we will fight together" propaganda reality is that only part of an insurgencies total participants are active combatants in the traditional sense. So there is still a role for people who can't go running and gunning, in fact there are many roles. How are there many roles you ask?
Think of our modern conventional forces. They are not composed entirely of Infantrymen and Armor guys but in fact there are numerous other units and jobs, some of which have almost nothing to do with killing people, blowing stuff up and holding territory.
Insurgencies would need explosives efforts, logistics people, medical folks, intelligence and many other types of skills. A 55 year old ER doctor with a huge gut and bad knees is more valuable than a squad or even a section of fit 20 year old guys who can carry a rifle. A boringly average 40 year old woman who had a mediocre job in local government and was able to remember stuff from work, write it down at home and pass it to the right people could be a huge intel asset. A guy who is able to discretely bring continuous if modest donations (from his buddies at the country club or the shooting range or church or whatever) coming in could keep the shooters in the field.
Even the most boring guy with no real skills could help by offering to run an occasional short term safe house. Meeting them at a good bland place and pulling into the garage before the people get out and them staying out of the front room with the open window would be all the security that is needed. All that would be needed is a bed or a cot, a stocked fridge/ pantry and some form of entertainment. Cable TV or a good stash of books and games would be sufficient. Most likely they would just sleep a lot and sit around. This would be a bad one for somebody with kids because even if coached they have no mental filters. Your 6 year old daughter talking about the strangers who come over for a few nights occasionally would cause real problems. This one would be best left to those without kids in the home.
Even a grandma who was willing to let somebody stash stuff in a false wall in the spare bedroom could be of a real help. Maybe she is just helping out or maybe she gets a few bucks now and then. Lots of inner city drug people keep their stash in the home of a seemingly innocent and unconnected family. The rent is paid and they let people drop off and pick up packages.
Insurgents need continued sources of revenues to operate. They have got to eat, purchase arms and ammunition and do all sorts of stuff that costs money. Typically this money comes from either outside donations (from a foreign power or well funded friends like the Saudi's) or coercing the local populace. Robbery, kidnapping and other general criminal behavior is also often employed to get funds to continue the fight. There is a reason that now and then you hear about some extremist group getting arrested for robbing a bank. It isn't that they want to rob banks parse but that they need money to fund future operations. That doesn't mean those are the only options. A small part time operation could require minimal funding because the participants have normal jobs support themselves that way. They would also have the advantage of good cover. Instead of being the 4 guys who live in an apartment, don't seem to have jobs and come and go at odd hours it would be Jim the accountant and his wife Sally the home maker, members of the Elks lodge and solid members of the community. Of course their OP Tempo would be a lot slower because no matter how motivated you are a normal job and life would greatly limit time to fight those darn occupiers. Also these folks would not be the backbone of a successful insurgency but that doesn't mean they couldn't be valuable members, particularly if they had access to Intel, useful skills or deep pockets.
As a final thought it might not be a bad idea to keep some stuff stashed though for survivalists that is old hat. Of course it is all but impossible to stockpile enough stuff to sustain an insurgency forever but it wouldn't be too hard to get a good start. Pretty hard to spend a couple days doing a recon without chow and if there is a way to shoot people without bullets I don't know what it is. Ammo that you can get now with the only limiting factor being your ability to pay might be next to impossible to get if through normal channels if supplies were interrupted due to restrictions because of a conflict. A couple hundred bucks worth of ammo now could be enough to do a lot of damage later.
Well I could talk on this topic for some time but I've got to go to bed.
One thing I find incredibility amusing is that so many folks who could be called wanna be insurgents (lets face it the difference between a freedom fighter/ patriot and and terrorist is if they are on or against your side) completely ignore fitness. I like the term insurgent largely because it is relatively judgment neutral. You see the old school videos of the Michigan militia or whatever and it is usually a bunch of fat old guys standing there shooting rifles. Seriously insurgents do not fight static fights. They initiate an ambush or blow a bomb or conduct a raid and get away really fast before a large group of better armed and supported individuals comes to kill them. This usually means being able to move on foot quickly for some distance. If you are 40 pounds overweight you will not be able to get away and you will die. Insurgency is a very Darwinian business and that doesn't go well for fatties and idiots.
Onto the topic of idiots. A man, or I guess a woman, has got to know his limitations. This means being careful and choosy about the kind of fight they get into. They need to pick a fight with the right group of individuals or in a place that suits their capabilities, ideally some combination of both. They also need to pick a fight that they can get away from. Unless you're down with the whole suicide thing you need a real solid exit plan.
In terms of numbers and weapons insurgents always face bad odds. However if 3 insurgents with knives find an occupier in a dark alley it doesn't matter that his side has the overall odds in their favor. The same could be said if a section or platoon sized element of insurgents hits a squad sized patrol and gets away fast enough to miss the QRF.
As some folks mention to me not everybody is in their 20's or 30's and physically fit. I would submit to you that there are a lot of lot of 40 and 50 often with numerous poorly treated wounds from decades of almost constant warfare. Those 40-50 something year old insurgents are giving our boys in Afghanistan hell but they are in shape. Saying that you are older and thus in horrible shape is an excuse, sorry but it's true. For a person with a truly (not you are obese and go figure your joints aren't handling the weight well) destroyed knee or back, some kind of other medical problem, etc the idea of being an active rifleman in an insurgency while it has a certain mystique just isn't realistic. That is OK though.....
Why is that OK? Well the first reason is that it's life. If you have MS then running all over the place doing direct action stuff just isn't realistic. If you have a destroyed knee then hiking 20k through the night to get to a perfect point to mortar a small outpost isn't realistic either. However unlike the "every man is a rifleman and we will fight together" propaganda reality is that only part of an insurgencies total participants are active combatants in the traditional sense. So there is still a role for people who can't go running and gunning, in fact there are many roles. How are there many roles you ask?
Think of our modern conventional forces. They are not composed entirely of Infantrymen and Armor guys but in fact there are numerous other units and jobs, some of which have almost nothing to do with killing people, blowing stuff up and holding territory.
Insurgencies would need explosives efforts, logistics people, medical folks, intelligence and many other types of skills. A 55 year old ER doctor with a huge gut and bad knees is more valuable than a squad or even a section of fit 20 year old guys who can carry a rifle. A boringly average 40 year old woman who had a mediocre job in local government and was able to remember stuff from work, write it down at home and pass it to the right people could be a huge intel asset. A guy who is able to discretely bring continuous if modest donations (from his buddies at the country club or the shooting range or church or whatever) coming in could keep the shooters in the field.
Even the most boring guy with no real skills could help by offering to run an occasional short term safe house. Meeting them at a good bland place and pulling into the garage before the people get out and them staying out of the front room with the open window would be all the security that is needed. All that would be needed is a bed or a cot, a stocked fridge/ pantry and some form of entertainment. Cable TV or a good stash of books and games would be sufficient. Most likely they would just sleep a lot and sit around. This would be a bad one for somebody with kids because even if coached they have no mental filters. Your 6 year old daughter talking about the strangers who come over for a few nights occasionally would cause real problems. This one would be best left to those without kids in the home.
Even a grandma who was willing to let somebody stash stuff in a false wall in the spare bedroom could be of a real help. Maybe she is just helping out or maybe she gets a few bucks now and then. Lots of inner city drug people keep their stash in the home of a seemingly innocent and unconnected family. The rent is paid and they let people drop off and pick up packages.
Insurgents need continued sources of revenues to operate. They have got to eat, purchase arms and ammunition and do all sorts of stuff that costs money. Typically this money comes from either outside donations (from a foreign power or well funded friends like the Saudi's) or coercing the local populace. Robbery, kidnapping and other general criminal behavior is also often employed to get funds to continue the fight. There is a reason that now and then you hear about some extremist group getting arrested for robbing a bank. It isn't that they want to rob banks parse but that they need money to fund future operations. That doesn't mean those are the only options. A small part time operation could require minimal funding because the participants have normal jobs support themselves that way. They would also have the advantage of good cover. Instead of being the 4 guys who live in an apartment, don't seem to have jobs and come and go at odd hours it would be Jim the accountant and his wife Sally the home maker, members of the Elks lodge and solid members of the community. Of course their OP Tempo would be a lot slower because no matter how motivated you are a normal job and life would greatly limit time to fight those darn occupiers. Also these folks would not be the backbone of a successful insurgency but that doesn't mean they couldn't be valuable members, particularly if they had access to Intel, useful skills or deep pockets.
As a final thought it might not be a bad idea to keep some stuff stashed though for survivalists that is old hat. Of course it is all but impossible to stockpile enough stuff to sustain an insurgency forever but it wouldn't be too hard to get a good start. Pretty hard to spend a couple days doing a recon without chow and if there is a way to shoot people without bullets I don't know what it is. Ammo that you can get now with the only limiting factor being your ability to pay might be next to impossible to get if through normal channels if supplies were interrupted due to restrictions because of a conflict. A couple hundred bucks worth of ammo now could be enough to do a lot of damage later.
Well I could talk on this topic for some time but I've got to go to bed.
5 Common Habits That Cost You Dearly
Read this and think about it. If you are doing any of these things and are not in the money spot you want to be then maybe some change is appropriate.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Little Things
It is amazing how much a very small thing can mean to someone else. Awhile back I was out in the field. Since it wasn't like I could go home and hang out with Wifey I was doing some work in the evening. I was kind of hungry so I decided to go to the chow hall to grab a bite to eat. Before I left the tent I asked if anyone wanted anything; ya know just sort of one of those comments you make out of habit. A young guy in the corner asked what they had so I told him (they had fruit and snack stuff or whatever) and he said something or another sounded good. I grabbed whatever I was going for as well as what he wanted and came back. I handed the guy his snack and he said "this is the nicest thing anyone here has done for me". At this point that guy had been working with us for about a month.
Recently I did a give away. A cool item but nothing huge or expensive. The winner sent a message thanking me a lot and telling me this is the first time they had every won anything. It is amazing how much of an impact stuff which costs us almost nothing to do can have for other people. Sometimes the outcome is so much more than the effort required that it is just amazing.
I'm a pretty free market guy and generally believe we should all get what we need by creating it or a voluntary transaction. I also don't believe that outside of family anybody owes anybody else a thing and all relationships are essentially based on self interest. However we are social creatures. Every once in awhile we can all use a random act of kindness (however small) to remind us of this. Also I would like to think that once in everybody's life it would be nice if they could get something for nothing and feel like they are lucky.
Recently I did a give away. A cool item but nothing huge or expensive. The winner sent a message thanking me a lot and telling me this is the first time they had every won anything. It is amazing how much of an impact stuff which costs us almost nothing to do can have for other people. Sometimes the outcome is so much more than the effort required that it is just amazing.
I'm a pretty free market guy and generally believe we should all get what we need by creating it or a voluntary transaction. I also don't believe that outside of family anybody owes anybody else a thing and all relationships are essentially based on self interest. However we are social creatures. Every once in awhile we can all use a random act of kindness (however small) to remind us of this. Also I would like to think that once in everybody's life it would be nice if they could get something for nothing and feel like they are lucky.
Should You Get Involved?
Read this very interesting post at Warrior Talk News. Think about this now while you have time to deliberate and figure out all the angles so if something happens you already have a good idea what is the best course of action.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Rifles in Home Defense
I read a lot of Gabe Suarez and I am also an Infantryman. The conventional wisdom that shotguns are the greatest thing for close quarters/ home defense has been a topic I have questioned a lot.
Shotguns are great. First of all they are relatively speaking quite cheap. Never paid $200 for a pump shotgun and I like name brands in decent condition or new. They are also versatile and can hunt ducks or small game, deer or do a good job against bigger meaner game.
However if it is 2am and I hear the front door explode is a shotgun what I really want to grab? I am becoming less and less sure that a good rifle like an AR or an AK (or a Mini 14 or a .308 or whatever butters your bread) isn't a better choice.
Shotguns have 2 weird myths associated with them. They kind of flow together. First is that because they shoot multiple projectiles they are automatically going to be way more accurate and useful in close quarters like a house. The thing is that for a shotgun to actually stop someone it needs to connect with a good amount of shot. Along with this at close range patterns tend to be pretty tight as in inches or fist sized or maybe even dinner plate. Certainly pointing it in the general direction of a person isn't enough to guarantee their destruction.
Second is that shotguns are safer because they do not ever penetrate. This all depends on the load used. Small minimally powered shot designed to kill little birdies penetrates a lot less than buckshot designed for hunting or self defense. The issue is that you need penetration to stop a goblin. I wish I could say there were readily available, proven and reasonably priced loads that would do the job on a goblin but not go through a single stick framed residential wall but that just isn't the case.
So yes bird shot doesn't penetrate much but the issue is that at all but point blank range it doesn't penetrate enough to be an effective defense load. To me the whole point of a gun is that you can defend yourself beyond point blank range. To put it in perspective a hatchet is a darn effective pointblank weapon but at 5 yards it isn't at all effective, ditto for bird shot.
The thing is that shotguns do not hold very many rounds and are slower to reload (both between shots and if the weapon runs dry) than modern magazine fed rifles.
Also we live in an increasingly dangerous world. Home invasions are reality. That shotgun which holds 5-8 shots was plenty when the norm was one or maybe two guys who probably just had knives anyway. Nowadays 3-4 goblins with guns is not at all uncommon. That makes a rifle which holds 20-30 shots seem a lot better than a shotgun holding maybe 8.
Honestly in that ugly worst case situation me thinks I want an AR or an AK with a 30 rd mag and maybe a surefire light with a pressure switch. Also a bullet proof vest would be good.
Thoughts?
Shotguns are great. First of all they are relatively speaking quite cheap. Never paid $200 for a pump shotgun and I like name brands in decent condition or new. They are also versatile and can hunt ducks or small game, deer or do a good job against bigger meaner game.
However if it is 2am and I hear the front door explode is a shotgun what I really want to grab? I am becoming less and less sure that a good rifle like an AR or an AK (or a Mini 14 or a .308 or whatever butters your bread) isn't a better choice.
Shotguns have 2 weird myths associated with them. They kind of flow together. First is that because they shoot multiple projectiles they are automatically going to be way more accurate and useful in close quarters like a house. The thing is that for a shotgun to actually stop someone it needs to connect with a good amount of shot. Along with this at close range patterns tend to be pretty tight as in inches or fist sized or maybe even dinner plate. Certainly pointing it in the general direction of a person isn't enough to guarantee their destruction.
Second is that shotguns are safer because they do not ever penetrate. This all depends on the load used. Small minimally powered shot designed to kill little birdies penetrates a lot less than buckshot designed for hunting or self defense. The issue is that you need penetration to stop a goblin. I wish I could say there were readily available, proven and reasonably priced loads that would do the job on a goblin but not go through a single stick framed residential wall but that just isn't the case.
So yes bird shot doesn't penetrate much but the issue is that at all but point blank range it doesn't penetrate enough to be an effective defense load. To me the whole point of a gun is that you can defend yourself beyond point blank range. To put it in perspective a hatchet is a darn effective pointblank weapon but at 5 yards it isn't at all effective, ditto for bird shot.
The thing is that shotguns do not hold very many rounds and are slower to reload (both between shots and if the weapon runs dry) than modern magazine fed rifles.
Also we live in an increasingly dangerous world. Home invasions are reality. That shotgun which holds 5-8 shots was plenty when the norm was one or maybe two guys who probably just had knives anyway. Nowadays 3-4 goblins with guns is not at all uncommon. That makes a rifle which holds 20-30 shots seem a lot better than a shotgun holding maybe 8.
Honestly in that ugly worst case situation me thinks I want an AR or an AK with a 30 rd mag and maybe a surefire light with a pressure switch. Also a bullet proof vest would be good.
Thoughts?
quote of the day
"Your country needs you Logan"-Striker
"I am Canadian"- Logan
I enjoy those easy going beer loving folks up north. If they had better gun laws I would seriously consider moving up there. Yeah they have socialized medical care but we are headed that way at a dead sprint anyway. To their credit the Canadians managed to avoid the whole sovereign debt issue because their banks stayed out of the derivative and bail out madness.
"I am Canadian"- Logan
I enjoy those easy going beer loving folks up north. If they had better gun laws I would seriously consider moving up there. Yeah they have socialized medical care but we are headed that way at a dead sprint anyway. To their credit the Canadians managed to avoid the whole sovereign debt issue because their banks stayed out of the derivative and bail out madness.
Friday, July 9, 2010
quote of the day
Many self proclaimed "authorities on everything survival" claim this or that ""will be worth its weight in gold". Based on what exactly? Many times it is based on absolutely nothing.
Life is Busy
Like I said things are kinda busy right now but it is good stuff so that's OK. That is cool though as I planned ahead and have posts planned for the rest of said busy period. Wifey is enjoying staying at home. She has been doing all sorts of projects and getting ready for Walker. Setting things up, organizing, sewing and all that stufff. She finally had time to sit down and get her sewing machine going. She was able to sew some pants of mine which was nice.
I am finally getting around to reading FerFal's book. Way too early for even an IPR. I imagine it will take me some time but that is cool.
It is pretty hot here right now. Not hot for the Southern states but hot for Northern Europe. Also the night time temps seem to be proportionately high. Maybe just because it gets dark at 10:30, I don't know. In any case I haven't been sleeping much lately. My usual 7 hours has gone to maybe 5, however I seem to be functioning fine and am not tired during the day so that's fine.
Well I am going to read some more of this book, have some french toast and eggs for dinner and then try to get some sleep.
Have a good day
I am finally getting around to reading FerFal's book. Way too early for even an IPR. I imagine it will take me some time but that is cool.
It is pretty hot here right now. Not hot for the Southern states but hot for Northern Europe. Also the night time temps seem to be proportionately high. Maybe just because it gets dark at 10:30, I don't know. In any case I haven't been sleeping much lately. My usual 7 hours has gone to maybe 5, however I seem to be functioning fine and am not tired during the day so that's fine.
Well I am going to read some more of this book, have some french toast and eggs for dinner and then try to get some sleep.
Have a good day
quote of the day
"As a general rule, it’s a bad idea to post a video of yourself committing a felony on youtube."
-Say Uncle
-Say Uncle
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Cold Steel Order Arrived
My Cold Steel order arrived in the mail today. I got 4 "Long Hunter" knives and 4 18" spear point machetes. Needless to say I have been fiddling with one of each.
I am happy with both purchases. The machetes are very nice with a slightly blade heavy balance. I don't have any brush or trees to destroy but imagine they would make short work of either, or zombies.
After some use with the Long Hunter maybe I will write a product review but for now we've got initial impressions. First of all I think it is probably important to evaluate these knives against their competitors, not far more expensive blades. Is one going to replace the Cold Steel folder that lives in my pocket or the Ka-Bar I prefer as a fighting blade, no. However for less than the price of either of those knives I got 4 quality knives. In time I would like to pick up a couple spare Ka-Bar's and Cold Steel folders but those aren't cheap.
The Long Hunter is described as a "common French peasant/kitchen knife". I imagine it would be a pretty good knife to have on your belt for a days worth of varied tasks. I got them for the sake of redundancy. Hadn't planned to pick up a bunch of extra cutlery right now but at that price it was too good to pass up.
I am happy with both purchases. The machetes are very nice with a slightly blade heavy balance. I don't have any brush or trees to destroy but imagine they would make short work of either, or zombies.
After some use with the Long Hunter maybe I will write a product review but for now we've got initial impressions. First of all I think it is probably important to evaluate these knives against their competitors, not far more expensive blades. Is one going to replace the Cold Steel folder that lives in my pocket or the Ka-Bar I prefer as a fighting blade, no. However for less than the price of either of those knives I got 4 quality knives. In time I would like to pick up a couple spare Ka-Bar's and Cold Steel folders but those aren't cheap.
The Long Hunter is described as a "common French peasant/kitchen knife". I imagine it would be a pretty good knife to have on your belt for a days worth of varied tasks. I got them for the sake of redundancy. Hadn't planned to pick up a bunch of extra cutlery right now but at that price it was too good to pass up.
Interesting News
Financial Mistakes Young Families Make.
Why Canada's Housing Market Didn't Crash is an interesting article. However it does rather simplistically focus on banks and the selling of secularized mortgage products. It does not mention that banks were legally forced to loan to people who were not desirable borrowers.
Why Canada's Housing Market Didn't Crash is an interesting article. However it does rather simplistically focus on banks and the selling of secularized mortgage products. It does not mention that banks were legally forced to loan to people who were not desirable borrowers.
What Did You Do To Prepare This Week?
This week I was pretty busy with some other stuff. For once it wasn't work which was real nice. Did however get some stuff done. We have like 60 Euro's worth of coins to change into bills and put into the fund. Yeah the euro is going through some rough times but seeing as it is the currency in the area I live in keeping some around is just something smart people do. I don't keep a whole lot of money in euro's but a few hundred bucks is just smart.
Also I read a couple of books on Afghanistan which was cool. Kill Bin Laden was good. It talked a lot about the challenges of fighting in rugged mountainous terrain and working with indigenous Afghan forces. Charlie Wilson's War was very interesting.
I read part of a book on money stuff but it sucked.
Also I got a pair of 3 d cell mag lights with some batteries to feed them.
What did you do to prepare this week?
Also I read a couple of books on Afghanistan which was cool. Kill Bin Laden was good. It talked a lot about the challenges of fighting in rugged mountainous terrain and working with indigenous Afghan forces. Charlie Wilson's War was very interesting.
I read part of a book on money stuff but it sucked.
Also I got a pair of 3 d cell mag lights with some batteries to feed them.
What did you do to prepare this week?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
quote of the day
Background: I am carrying a big box of new Cold Steel products.
Me "Does it make me crazy that holding a big box of knives and machetes makes me really happy?
Wifey- Yes, but can we put a machete under my side of the bed?
Me "Does it make me crazy that holding a big box of knives and machetes makes me really happy?
Wifey- Yes, but can we put a machete under my side of the bed?
Basic Beginning Running Plan
Our buddy Rourke of Modern Survival Online asked if I might be able to help him out with a plan to get running. First I must note that I am not a doctor or an exercise scientist. I suggest he takes any advice I give and submits it to a panel that includes his personal physician, a cardiologist, a professional marathoner, a pair of cross country coaches and a monkey. Consider yourself disclaimed. I asked a few questions to sort of get a feel for his situation. The questions follow with abreviated/ edited answers in italics.
I asked our buddy to be brutally honest in these answers. There isn't a right or wrong answer as long as it is honest. The whole point is to establish the starting point so being anything other than honest is just screwing yourself.
My thoughts are as follows. 3 times a week is a pretty good amount for most folks to do high impact running type stuff. This allows time for recovery, healing and other exercise. Unless your goal is to compete and win at a high level of competitive running 3x a week is plenty if your workouts are of the proper type/ duration and intensity. More than 3x a week and you are either not training hard or are risking injuries. Less than that and unless your workouts are insane (heard of ultra marathoners who do a 50 miler a month and maybe a walk or two in between) it is probably not enough to make any gains or even maintain. As much as possible try to have these days be non consecutive so M/W/F or T/TH/SA or whatever.
In general I am a fan of doing a long slow run, some sort of speed training (sprints, fartlecks, etc) and a medium distance tempo type run. However if you haven't got some sort of a baseline in terms of running this plan would be very rough. A 20 year old of a healthy weight with no injuries might just have a rough 2 weeks then be fine but someone who is a bit closer to 40 and could maybe stand to loose a few pounds would be asking for trouble.
To establish this baseline (IE get running) I would say 2 runs and an alternate but similar event. For the runs starting with a run/ walk makes sense to build capacity and distance. Keeping the run short lets you not get totally gassed and thus you can cover a lot more distance and build endurance. This lets you operate at a relatively quick pace with a moderately high heart rate for far longer than you would otherwise be able to. Keeping the walk/ rest short lets you work on recovering and keep your heart rate fairly high. You can do it by paces(run 100, walk 100 as a random example), landmarks like blocks or telephone polls or time. It doesn't matter so just do whatever seems easiest to you. Over time as you become more capable of running you can increase the running legs until the need to walk goes away all together.
Here are the runs to start with.
1. Jog/ walk. This is your long slow day so start with 30 minutes. The jog needs to be different from the walk but you should still be able to hold a normal conversation. Keep the splits short.
2. Run/ walk. This is your fast day. The "run" is not a 100 percent sprint but it is more than the jog. If at the end of the run you are not tired and fatigued it is too slow. Keep this at about 20 minutes.
3. Alternate but similar. At this stage you are not going to run on this day. Why? I don't have a great reason but it seems to make sense to me. Do a fairly fast walk, or a hike in hilly terrain or with a pack. Especially since you aren't really running yet the goal is just to get the legs and the lungs working together. Depending on the intensity and difficulty of your activity do this for between 25 minutes and an hour. For a walk up a vicious hill 25 minutes is good and for a fast walk on flat terrain more like an hour could be good.
Do not increase the time in either run. The point of this phase isn't to be able to run/ walk for longer but to get you running. Your goal is to gradually increase the length/ time/ distance of the jogging/ running portions while keeping the walks the same. Example; you have been doing jog 50 and walk 50 for a couple weeks. It is starting to seem like even by the end of the whole workout you really don't need the walk portion. So you ratchet things up and switch to running 75 and walking 50. A couple weeks later you switch to 100 and 50, then 150 and 50 and then decide to drop the walk all together.
I would say that for a person who is at a reasonable weight with no significant prior injuries using a program like this should let most people eliminate the walking and just jog or do a moderate run well inside of a couple months time. If by 3 months you still need the walking breaks I would submit to you that either you were not brutally honest about your starting point or have not been pushing yourself.
That brings up two interesting questions. The first is "what if I am in worse shape than a typical does no cardio and might be a bit heavy type of guy?" Well I would say to start at a lower point and then work forward. Start with a brisk walk 3 times a week and sticking with that for a month to build up some stamina and condition yourself.
The second is "how do I know when to increase the intensity of my runs?" This is a hard one. The general rule for increasing distance is not more than 10% a week/ run. However as broad advice I would say to increase your difficulty (in this phase longer "run" legs and later either time/ distance or speed) when it feels like things are getting too easy. You shouldn't be destroyed after every run but if you are breathing normally, haven't sweated a drop and have a low heart rate then it is time to increase the difficulty. One note. Do not be afraid to take a step backwards if you up the difficulty and it gets too hard. Especially with the plan I laid out of you are unable to complete a workout due to exhaustion, muscle pain or profuse vomiting then drop the intensity.
The third question is "what about injury?" I think injury in running comes primarily from two sources. The first is doing something you are not conditioned for. Maybe a decade ago you were a lean mean running machine but 50 pounds and a lot of couch time later try to go on that 40 minute 5 mile which was cake back in the day and you will likely hurt something besides your pride. People rarely hurt themselves doing something they are reasonably conditioned for. A guy who clean and jerked 205 last week won't hurt anything trying for 210. A guy who cleans 150 then tries 210 might mess himself up.
The second source is ignoring problems. Especially with a moderate jogging/ running type plan it is unlikely you will have that "snap, pop, tear, there goes my knee" kind of moment. More realistically there would be a bit of pain and you would ignore it for awhile and it would stay the same and then maybe get worse feeling over time and become a big problem. Telling sore from injured is hard. As a reasonable guideline if a whole muscle group hurts as a result of a hard workout (legs after a long run, etc) it is probably just sore. If a real specific part of a muscle hurts it could be a problem. Joints hurting are a huge red flag and almost always mean it is time to seriously think about what you are doing.
Well Rourke, I hope this helps. If you decide to give this a shot and are at the point where you're ready to just start running shoot me an email and I'll try to help.
Happy running!
Wifey mentioned she has heard good things about Couch to 5k.
1. Are you fundamentally healthy? In particular do you have knee, back or heart problems.
Some past minor knee and back problems.
2. Where do you stand in terms of weight. Are you at a healthy weight for your body type or can you stand to loose some weight, or a lot of weight.
2. Where do you stand in terms of weight. Are you at a healthy weight for your body type or can you stand to loose some weight, or a lot of weight.
Not a disgusting fat body but could stand to loose a bit of weight.
3. Have you been doing moderate to high intensite cardio regularly? I mean stuff that gets your heart rate really moving like bicycling, swimming, wrestling, skiing, hiking at a brisk pace with weight and such versus walking or what not.
3. Have you been doing moderate to high intensite cardio regularly? I mean stuff that gets your heart rate really moving like bicycling, swimming, wrestling, skiing, hiking at a brisk pace with weight and such versus walking or what not.
Very little cardio.
4. What are your goals in terms of running?
I want to improve my "usable fitness"and be more versatile.4. What are your goals in terms of running?
I asked our buddy to be brutally honest in these answers. There isn't a right or wrong answer as long as it is honest. The whole point is to establish the starting point so being anything other than honest is just screwing yourself.
My thoughts are as follows. 3 times a week is a pretty good amount for most folks to do high impact running type stuff. This allows time for recovery, healing and other exercise. Unless your goal is to compete and win at a high level of competitive running 3x a week is plenty if your workouts are of the proper type/ duration and intensity. More than 3x a week and you are either not training hard or are risking injuries. Less than that and unless your workouts are insane (heard of ultra marathoners who do a 50 miler a month and maybe a walk or two in between) it is probably not enough to make any gains or even maintain. As much as possible try to have these days be non consecutive so M/W/F or T/TH/SA or whatever.
In general I am a fan of doing a long slow run, some sort of speed training (sprints, fartlecks, etc) and a medium distance tempo type run. However if you haven't got some sort of a baseline in terms of running this plan would be very rough. A 20 year old of a healthy weight with no injuries might just have a rough 2 weeks then be fine but someone who is a bit closer to 40 and could maybe stand to loose a few pounds would be asking for trouble.
To establish this baseline (IE get running) I would say 2 runs and an alternate but similar event. For the runs starting with a run/ walk makes sense to build capacity and distance. Keeping the run short lets you not get totally gassed and thus you can cover a lot more distance and build endurance. This lets you operate at a relatively quick pace with a moderately high heart rate for far longer than you would otherwise be able to. Keeping the walk/ rest short lets you work on recovering and keep your heart rate fairly high. You can do it by paces(run 100, walk 100 as a random example), landmarks like blocks or telephone polls or time. It doesn't matter so just do whatever seems easiest to you. Over time as you become more capable of running you can increase the running legs until the need to walk goes away all together.
Here are the runs to start with.
1. Jog/ walk. This is your long slow day so start with 30 minutes. The jog needs to be different from the walk but you should still be able to hold a normal conversation. Keep the splits short.
2. Run/ walk. This is your fast day. The "run" is not a 100 percent sprint but it is more than the jog. If at the end of the run you are not tired and fatigued it is too slow. Keep this at about 20 minutes.
3. Alternate but similar. At this stage you are not going to run on this day. Why? I don't have a great reason but it seems to make sense to me. Do a fairly fast walk, or a hike in hilly terrain or with a pack. Especially since you aren't really running yet the goal is just to get the legs and the lungs working together. Depending on the intensity and difficulty of your activity do this for between 25 minutes and an hour. For a walk up a vicious hill 25 minutes is good and for a fast walk on flat terrain more like an hour could be good.
Do not increase the time in either run. The point of this phase isn't to be able to run/ walk for longer but to get you running. Your goal is to gradually increase the length/ time/ distance of the jogging/ running portions while keeping the walks the same. Example; you have been doing jog 50 and walk 50 for a couple weeks. It is starting to seem like even by the end of the whole workout you really don't need the walk portion. So you ratchet things up and switch to running 75 and walking 50. A couple weeks later you switch to 100 and 50, then 150 and 50 and then decide to drop the walk all together.
I would say that for a person who is at a reasonable weight with no significant prior injuries using a program like this should let most people eliminate the walking and just jog or do a moderate run well inside of a couple months time. If by 3 months you still need the walking breaks I would submit to you that either you were not brutally honest about your starting point or have not been pushing yourself.
That brings up two interesting questions. The first is "what if I am in worse shape than a typical does no cardio and might be a bit heavy type of guy?" Well I would say to start at a lower point and then work forward. Start with a brisk walk 3 times a week and sticking with that for a month to build up some stamina and condition yourself.
The second is "how do I know when to increase the intensity of my runs?" This is a hard one. The general rule for increasing distance is not more than 10% a week/ run. However as broad advice I would say to increase your difficulty (in this phase longer "run" legs and later either time/ distance or speed) when it feels like things are getting too easy. You shouldn't be destroyed after every run but if you are breathing normally, haven't sweated a drop and have a low heart rate then it is time to increase the difficulty. One note. Do not be afraid to take a step backwards if you up the difficulty and it gets too hard. Especially with the plan I laid out of you are unable to complete a workout due to exhaustion, muscle pain or profuse vomiting then drop the intensity.
The third question is "what about injury?" I think injury in running comes primarily from two sources. The first is doing something you are not conditioned for. Maybe a decade ago you were a lean mean running machine but 50 pounds and a lot of couch time later try to go on that 40 minute 5 mile which was cake back in the day and you will likely hurt something besides your pride. People rarely hurt themselves doing something they are reasonably conditioned for. A guy who clean and jerked 205 last week won't hurt anything trying for 210. A guy who cleans 150 then tries 210 might mess himself up.
The second source is ignoring problems. Especially with a moderate jogging/ running type plan it is unlikely you will have that "snap, pop, tear, there goes my knee" kind of moment. More realistically there would be a bit of pain and you would ignore it for awhile and it would stay the same and then maybe get worse feeling over time and become a big problem. Telling sore from injured is hard. As a reasonable guideline if a whole muscle group hurts as a result of a hard workout (legs after a long run, etc) it is probably just sore. If a real specific part of a muscle hurts it could be a problem. Joints hurting are a huge red flag and almost always mean it is time to seriously think about what you are doing.
Well Rourke, I hope this helps. If you decide to give this a shot and are at the point where you're ready to just start running shoot me an email and I'll try to help.
Happy running!
Wifey mentioned she has heard good things about Couch to 5k.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Dealing With Cost
When I asked what the biggest obstacle is the overwhelming response was cost. I sorta figured it would cluster in cost or the spouse not being on board or maybe time. Anyway it is cost.
Fundamentally money for preps can come from two potential pools. The first pool is money that would be taken from somewhere within your existing operating budget (even if it isn't formalized/ written). The second is "new" money that comes from anywhere that isn't your existing operating budget. I will talk about them both.
The good part about re allocating money is that you can do it, at least on a small case, without any massive changes. Most people can cut out Friday lunch out, or only go to the theater to see movies they really want to see, drink slightly cheaper beer or otherwise create a little bit of slack in their budget. If you can't figure out a way to free up $20 or so every payday to get a bit of extra shelf stable food or pick up a box of bullets or an ounce of silver you aren't trying.
The bad part is that substantial reallocation of money within your existing operating budget is hard. My observation is that pretty quickly the savings to sacrifice ratio of re allocating from your current budget gets to where most people can't bear it pretty quickly. It involves changing your lifestyle in some way and we don't like doing that. By cutting down your Cappuccino intake and having Friday nights drinks at home instead of at a trendy bar or eating out a bit less you can save some money. Most people who cancel the movie channel package don't really miss it. However once you get these easy ones done it gets hard FAST. Unless your family is completely on the same page and really motivated there is a pretty definite limit to what re allocating can do.
This brings us to "new" money. The really good part of new money is that you are not used to having it in the operating budget. It is a lot easier to be intentional in the allocation of funds when those funds from not currently purchasing something you are accustomed to. Promotions and raises or picking up a new stream of income and even the coveted windfall are a great time to do something really smart and responsible like savings, firearms, baby steps, preps, etc. Figure out where you want that money to go and put it there right away, well maybe after you blow a little piece/ months worth on something fun and frivolous, before you get used to it and increase your lifestyle.
Seriously do not underestimate your ability to go out and earn your way to some new money for preps. I recall a post by Commander Zero once where he did the math on exactly how long you would need to work at a second job which paid minimum wage to earn a couple different quality firearms. The same could be said for a good sleeping bag, a few rolls of 90% coinage, a water filter or storage foods. I recall a friend who built up a truly massive collection of firearms, ammunition and various gear (as well as food, etc but that's another story). With a family and a pretty normal income how did he do it? He was persistent which sure helped. Collect anything for a couple decades and you will accumulate a lot of it. More importantly he worked Saturday and Sunday at a sporting goods store. His pay for that second job pretty much went back to the store buying him guns, ammo, etc at a sharp discount. Yeah working Saturday and Sunday sucks but it got him what he wanted.
When I was a lot younger I really wanted an AR-15. I started saving as much as I could, really shaved everything fun out of my lifestyle, and stashed $5 here and $10 there. I had the normal for my area teenage setup where I worked a few hours for a business and a couple for an individual or two to make enough money to pay my tiny bills and have a few bucks in my pocket. I quickly realized that even if I saved 100% of my income (not possible) it would take years to get a rifle, some mags and a few hundred rounds of ammo. What did I do. I went out and hustled. I got a fur cowboy hat, and a cane and a late 70's Caddy and put some hoes on the street to make me money. Seriously though I got the business I worked for to employ me full time over Christmas break. Think I worked every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas. It really sucked but I got the cash to buy the rifle I wanted.
However the new money plan isn't easy because you have to go out and earn more money. Many people, especially those who are a few years into their working life have pretty much plateaued in terms of earnings. They are unable or unwilling to go out and significantly increase their income either by becoming more valuable to employers/ customers or by working more. I can't say it is an easy way to go. Often increasing the value you bring to am employer/ customer requires gaining skills which takes an investment of both time and money. Working more hours just plain sucks.
So what is better for your situation? Is it going to be relatively easier/ more pleasant to change your lifestyle or earn more? If you are close to a degree or certification that will bring a good raise the decision is easy. If you make a good living but it seems to just vanish then getting onto a reasonable budget and cutting a few luxuries is probably the way to go. I fear the question of whether taking a carving knife to your expenses or to suck it up and figure out how to earn more is one of those times in life where it isn't best but least undesirable that wins.
Fundamentally money for preps can come from two potential pools. The first pool is money that would be taken from somewhere within your existing operating budget (even if it isn't formalized/ written). The second is "new" money that comes from anywhere that isn't your existing operating budget. I will talk about them both.
The good part about re allocating money is that you can do it, at least on a small case, without any massive changes. Most people can cut out Friday lunch out, or only go to the theater to see movies they really want to see, drink slightly cheaper beer or otherwise create a little bit of slack in their budget. If you can't figure out a way to free up $20 or so every payday to get a bit of extra shelf stable food or pick up a box of bullets or an ounce of silver you aren't trying.
The bad part is that substantial reallocation of money within your existing operating budget is hard. My observation is that pretty quickly the savings to sacrifice ratio of re allocating from your current budget gets to where most people can't bear it pretty quickly. It involves changing your lifestyle in some way and we don't like doing that. By cutting down your Cappuccino intake and having Friday nights drinks at home instead of at a trendy bar or eating out a bit less you can save some money. Most people who cancel the movie channel package don't really miss it. However once you get these easy ones done it gets hard FAST. Unless your family is completely on the same page and really motivated there is a pretty definite limit to what re allocating can do.
This brings us to "new" money. The really good part of new money is that you are not used to having it in the operating budget. It is a lot easier to be intentional in the allocation of funds when those funds from not currently purchasing something you are accustomed to. Promotions and raises or picking up a new stream of income and even the coveted windfall are a great time to do something really smart and responsible like savings, firearms, baby steps, preps, etc. Figure out where you want that money to go and put it there right away, well maybe after you blow a little piece/ months worth on something fun and frivolous, before you get used to it and increase your lifestyle.
Seriously do not underestimate your ability to go out and earn your way to some new money for preps. I recall a post by Commander Zero once where he did the math on exactly how long you would need to work at a second job which paid minimum wage to earn a couple different quality firearms. The same could be said for a good sleeping bag, a few rolls of 90% coinage, a water filter or storage foods. I recall a friend who built up a truly massive collection of firearms, ammunition and various gear (as well as food, etc but that's another story). With a family and a pretty normal income how did he do it? He was persistent which sure helped. Collect anything for a couple decades and you will accumulate a lot of it. More importantly he worked Saturday and Sunday at a sporting goods store. His pay for that second job pretty much went back to the store buying him guns, ammo, etc at a sharp discount. Yeah working Saturday and Sunday sucks but it got him what he wanted.
When I was a lot younger I really wanted an AR-15. I started saving as much as I could, really shaved everything fun out of my lifestyle, and stashed $5 here and $10 there. I had the normal for my area teenage setup where I worked a few hours for a business and a couple for an individual or two to make enough money to pay my tiny bills and have a few bucks in my pocket. I quickly realized that even if I saved 100% of my income (not possible) it would take years to get a rifle, some mags and a few hundred rounds of ammo. What did I do. I went out and hustled. I got a fur cowboy hat, and a cane and a late 70's Caddy and put some hoes on the street to make me money. Seriously though I got the business I worked for to employ me full time over Christmas break. Think I worked every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas. It really sucked but I got the cash to buy the rifle I wanted.
However the new money plan isn't easy because you have to go out and earn more money. Many people, especially those who are a few years into their working life have pretty much plateaued in terms of earnings. They are unable or unwilling to go out and significantly increase their income either by becoming more valuable to employers/ customers or by working more. I can't say it is an easy way to go. Often increasing the value you bring to am employer/ customer requires gaining skills which takes an investment of both time and money. Working more hours just plain sucks.
So what is better for your situation? Is it going to be relatively easier/ more pleasant to change your lifestyle or earn more? If you are close to a degree or certification that will bring a good raise the decision is easy. If you make a good living but it seems to just vanish then getting onto a reasonable budget and cutting a few luxuries is probably the way to go. I fear the question of whether taking a carving knife to your expenses or to suck it up and figure out how to earn more is one of those times in life where it isn't best but least undesirable that wins.
Monday, July 5, 2010
quote of the day
"Yeah, we waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed," the former president George Bush said
"I'd do it again to save lives," he added.
Link here.
"I'd do it again to save lives," he added.
Link here.
question of the day
What is the biggest obstacle that is preventing you from becoming more prepared and getting to where you want to be? Why do you think you haven't overcome it?
I am curious and this could lead to some interesting discussion.
I am curious and this could lead to some interesting discussion.
quote of the day
"A pistol defends your property and your person from unanticipated and barely anticipated threats from thieves and robbers. With it, you can control your immediate environment. A rifle defends your freedom from oppressors and tyrants. With it, you can enforce your will." -- Gabe Suarez
Diaper Fun
We wanted to do cloth diapers with Walker for a lot of reasons. Wifey did a lot of looking and went with the flip system. Down the road awhile I will talk about how they are working for us.
What kind of diapers did you use and how did you like them?
What kind of diapers did you use and how did you like them?
Doing Baby Stuff on the Cheap
Getting ready for Walker has been interesting. Wifey has pretty much taken the lead which is cool. She did all sorts of research and read suggested lists of stuff we should get. She bounced said lists off MIL and came up with a list for us. Well actually she made an excel spreadsheet with included possible sources and projected costs to purchase the stuff new.
Wifeys goal has been to see how cheaply we can acquire all of the stuff that normal folks get for babies. Yeah I know people used to raise babies with a blanket and a stick but well their kids also died a lot and we just don't want to do it that way. The projected cost if we purchased everything new at average costs was $2549. We are not quite done getting everything yet but are pretty close.
So far we have spent $478 and have saved $1423.99. $647 (at the new average cost) in stuff outstanding. Most significantly we got all major name brand stuff in very good condition. Like if we got it brand new then had a kid puke on it, rolled it in some dirt and then cleaned it off well you wouldn't be able to tell it from what we have now. The only big stuff we have really gotten new is a crib, car seat and cloth diapers. The stuff we haven't gotten used was generally at significant discounts.
What is the point of this? The point is that in order to spend reasonably and save A LOT OF MONEY you don't need to do without or buy crappy stuff. Look at used boards and yard sales and when that fails shop around for the best price and try to purchase stuff at sales. This sort of savings does require a little bit of flexibility. Everything might not match perfectly in the exact color pattern you want.
Also there is a reminder about planning. If you anticipate likely future needs and try to fill them beforehand it is possible to look for deals. When you have to get something because it is needed that afternoon there is no time to shop for it used or wait for deals so you go to the store and pay full price. So much of it is just how people look at things. So many people don't even entertain the idea of not buying everything brand new. They do nothing to plan ahead or save money then complain about how things are so expensive and that they are broke.
With a bit of flexibility and prior planning you can have essentially the same stuff other folks have but at far better prices.
Wifeys goal has been to see how cheaply we can acquire all of the stuff that normal folks get for babies. Yeah I know people used to raise babies with a blanket and a stick but well their kids also died a lot and we just don't want to do it that way. The projected cost if we purchased everything new at average costs was $2549. We are not quite done getting everything yet but are pretty close.
So far we have spent $478 and have saved $1423.99. $647 (at the new average cost) in stuff outstanding. Most significantly we got all major name brand stuff in very good condition. Like if we got it brand new then had a kid puke on it, rolled it in some dirt and then cleaned it off well you wouldn't be able to tell it from what we have now. The only big stuff we have really gotten new is a crib, car seat and cloth diapers. The stuff we haven't gotten used was generally at significant discounts.
What is the point of this? The point is that in order to spend reasonably and save A LOT OF MONEY you don't need to do without or buy crappy stuff. Look at used boards and yard sales and when that fails shop around for the best price and try to purchase stuff at sales. This sort of savings does require a little bit of flexibility. Everything might not match perfectly in the exact color pattern you want.
Also there is a reminder about planning. If you anticipate likely future needs and try to fill them beforehand it is possible to look for deals. When you have to get something because it is needed that afternoon there is no time to shop for it used or wait for deals so you go to the store and pay full price. So much of it is just how people look at things. So many people don't even entertain the idea of not buying everything brand new. They do nothing to plan ahead or save money then complain about how things are so expensive and that they are broke.
With a bit of flexibility and prior planning you can have essentially the same stuff other folks have but at far better prices.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Oh The Stuff That Pops Into My Head
"I'm in it to win it like Yzerman. Can drink about 15 Heinekins"
- General Petrayus didn't quite say that but it would have been a lot cooler if he did.
- General Petrayus didn't quite say that but it would have been a lot cooler if he did.
The Fates of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Read this now. Think about what these men sacrificed.
A Lazy Independence Day
Someone recently made a point about calling the holiday today Independence Day instead of July 4th. Kind of a misnomer because America wasn't actually free on July 4th 1776. Some could say that while America declared independence on July 4th 1776 it wasn't free for some time. They eventually got that freedom by outlasting the British and with the help of France convincing them the cost of continuing the war was higher than they were willing to bear. To be honest I have previously used the two interchangeably. The distinction is however meaningful and I will try to use the more historically accurate phrase from now on. In honor of Independence Day I took some time to read the Declaration of Independence. You should do the same.
It is my birthday today. Other then copious amounts of great food and some real good beer it will be a pretty normal day. Wifey insisted I have a couple of presents to open today. Yesterday we went and got a couple mag lights which I have been wanting for awhile, a pint of Crown Royal and two big Belgium Trappist beers. Wifey said it does in fact say something about me that the small stuff I wanted was flashlights and booze. I am however OK with that. Also did some optic shopping. Got to decide on a specific EOTech model then go price shopping. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Also click on my advertisers links and check out their great stuff.
No huge plans for the rest of the day. We had a pretty busy week and a half so are just kind of chilling out now. May do some reading or maybe just idle around watching TV and on the net. If so inclined I will go watch the fireworks later.
It is my birthday today. Other then copious amounts of great food and some real good beer it will be a pretty normal day. Wifey insisted I have a couple of presents to open today. Yesterday we went and got a couple mag lights which I have been wanting for awhile, a pint of Crown Royal and two big Belgium Trappist beers. Wifey said it does in fact say something about me that the small stuff I wanted was flashlights and booze. I am however OK with that. Also did some optic shopping. Got to decide on a specific EOTech model then go price shopping. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Also click on my advertisers links and check out their great stuff.
No huge plans for the rest of the day. We had a pretty busy week and a half so are just kind of chilling out now. May do some reading or maybe just idle around watching TV and on the net. If so inclined I will go watch the fireworks later.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
quote of the day
"It's time for this state and the country to start living within it's means."
-Rick
I am not going to say which state he is talking about but it applies to pretty much all of them.
If It's Important You Make It Happen
I feel a kinship with other bloggers. Maybe the kind of personalities who writes a blog in this arena are just similar, I don't know. However there are a lot of folks who seem to think very similarly to me. In particular Commander Zero and I seem to often think along the same lines. I am a few years behind him but we seem to look at problems in the same manner and ultimately reach similar conclusions.
Anyway it is my birthday tomorrow. For whatever reason I have never been a real surprise present kind of guy. Also I am a pretty type A kind of guy. I generally have at least a mental list of stuff I want to get and like working down it in an orderly manner. Even if a person guesses great and buys something I can use I would usually rather have the next item on said list at that given dollar price. Over time most of the people who buy me stuff for these sorts of events have learned to just ask and get me what I want. I don't really enjoy the "what is in the box?" kind of thing but like knowing I am getting X from the list.
Wifey and I spent about $250 on our birthdays. We don't really get ourselves Christmas presents as that is a pretty expensive time and we get plenty of loot anyway. For my birthday we are probably going to fund about half of an EOTech optic to go on a rifle.
Wifey said I am pretty boring and gave me the "you're crazy" plus a head shake which happens now and again.
So often I hear people talk about how they can't afford a good rifle or some kit or whatever. In some cases this is true. If you make $11 an hour and are supporting a family of 5 there just isn't much left over any way you figure it. However for so many other people it is about choices.
I am not going to talk about basic financial stuff like living below your means, paying with cash, avoiding debt and the like. That is something I have talked about plenty and there is no need to rehash it here. So I am pretty much just talking about current discretionary funds.
If something is important to you then make it happen. This is about priorities and weighing one thing against another. For instance if I got a new golf club or a video game system then purchasing an optic would not be an option. $500 spent on a fancy fishing rod could be spent on a water filter and a sleeping bag.
If you believe it is important to own a quality defensive rifle like an AK or an AR then make it happen by choosing to purchase one instead of a new flat screen TV or a weekend getaway. Instead of buying new furniture you don't really need put that money away and call it an emergency fund.
I am definitely not saying that you shouldn't have hobbies or should put every dime you have into preps. We all have to have some fun and life requires some sort of balance. What I am saying is that if something is truly important to you then you'll find a way to make it happen. Conversely if something just doesn't seem to be happening (and isn't on a time line of some sort) then it seems to not actually be that important to you. In this case weighing the unmet goal against other stuff you are doing is worthwhile. If you want to spend your money on the newest super fancy cell phone but don't own a pistol I guess that means you would rather have the cell phone.
Get critical and analyze the way you spend money. Weigh goals and desires from different categories against each other and decide what is most important. Make intentional choices to do the stuff you think is most important.
Thoughts?
Anyway it is my birthday tomorrow. For whatever reason I have never been a real surprise present kind of guy. Also I am a pretty type A kind of guy. I generally have at least a mental list of stuff I want to get and like working down it in an orderly manner. Even if a person guesses great and buys something I can use I would usually rather have the next item on said list at that given dollar price. Over time most of the people who buy me stuff for these sorts of events have learned to just ask and get me what I want. I don't really enjoy the "what is in the box?" kind of thing but like knowing I am getting X from the list.
Wifey and I spent about $250 on our birthdays. We don't really get ourselves Christmas presents as that is a pretty expensive time and we get plenty of loot anyway. For my birthday we are probably going to fund about half of an EOTech optic to go on a rifle.
Wifey said I am pretty boring and gave me the "you're crazy" plus a head shake which happens now and again.
So often I hear people talk about how they can't afford a good rifle or some kit or whatever. In some cases this is true. If you make $11 an hour and are supporting a family of 5 there just isn't much left over any way you figure it. However for so many other people it is about choices.
I am not going to talk about basic financial stuff like living below your means, paying with cash, avoiding debt and the like. That is something I have talked about plenty and there is no need to rehash it here. So I am pretty much just talking about current discretionary funds.
If something is important to you then make it happen. This is about priorities and weighing one thing against another. For instance if I got a new golf club or a video game system then purchasing an optic would not be an option. $500 spent on a fancy fishing rod could be spent on a water filter and a sleeping bag.
If you believe it is important to own a quality defensive rifle like an AK or an AR then make it happen by choosing to purchase one instead of a new flat screen TV or a weekend getaway. Instead of buying new furniture you don't really need put that money away and call it an emergency fund.
I am definitely not saying that you shouldn't have hobbies or should put every dime you have into preps. We all have to have some fun and life requires some sort of balance. What I am saying is that if something is truly important to you then you'll find a way to make it happen. Conversely if something just doesn't seem to be happening (and isn't on a time line of some sort) then it seems to not actually be that important to you. In this case weighing the unmet goal against other stuff you are doing is worthwhile. If you want to spend your money on the newest super fancy cell phone but don't own a pistol I guess that means you would rather have the cell phone.
Get critical and analyze the way you spend money. Weigh goals and desires from different categories against each other and decide what is most important. Make intentional choices to do the stuff you think is most important.
Thoughts?
Friday, July 2, 2010
Good Places to Put Money
First of all a big fatty disclaimer. I am not an economist or a financial adviser or anything like that. Just a guy with a blog so if you take my advice and lose a ton of money don't come whining to me. However since I more or less follow what is talked about I would be right there being bummed with ya. Also I think some degree of taking care of basic preps at least enough for a Katrina like event first makes sense. For several hundred dollars (a bit less if you own a gun now) that is just darn good insurance. Beyond that I put money towards preps and money stuff.
This is a weird time. Interest rates are incredibility low so you make little to nothing on any secure bonds, cd's, etc. I recently jumped through a bunch of hoops and moved money around to earn something like 1.3% because well there aren't better options at least in an FDIC insured liquid type situation.
Gold has gotten past my personal level of insanity. I hesitate to make distinct predictions but it looks like the shiny yellow stuff is either at a plateau or a peak. Not where I would want to put money these days. Silver is a bit better but that doesn't hit the real point. PM's are a store of value not an investment (no dividends, income or compound inflation) and as such IMO they have a role in ones plans but a modest one.
The stock market is all over the place. I don't think anybody really knows what is going on between the bail out madness and this new financial legislation. Those smart money people have always said how you shouldn't have money you need in the near future (think I've heard 5 years) in the stock market at all. Unless you are one of those people who does it for a living I am not convinced I would get in unless the goal was real long term. So if you have a few bucks that are not going to basic bills where should they go?
Maybe it is the kind of situation where some folks make a killing in a recovery but then again maybe you will lose the whole wad. If you have cash sitting around and a high tolerance for risk then go for it. However if your mom just sold the big family house to downsize I would not suggest the market.
If you have debt that is a sure fire place to put available funds. Double so with high interest type debts. You will start cutting down on interest expenses and eventually free up a higher portion of your income.
Another good consideration is investing in yourself. This is a particularly good one if your earning ability isn't quite where you would like it to be. To be blunt this is hard because usually the folks who would really benefit from increasing their earning potential with a degree or a certification or an internship usually don't have cash to spare. The only consolation I can give is that you're going to have to improve the situation or things will just stay the same and 5 years down the road you will be scrounging change to get gas for the car on the 28th.
Even if you are in a decent spot there is often room for improvement. For a bit of time and money a course or a certification or even a degree can certainly pay off. Education is something nobody can take away from you. It doesn't have a risk of loss of principle and assuming it is in a marketable (not underwater basket weaving) area that you plan to work in it pays great dividends.
Real estate is a good one if you have the cash and it suits your plans. The only down side is that without taking on debt the buy in is pretty high. In particular I think income producing real estate is a great way to go. Maybe an apartment or some farmland you could rent/ lease out. Hard to beat a non dollar denominated tangible that produces income.
These days most of our disposable income goes toward paying off debt. Some goes for long term savings and some to precious metals but debt is the big push. After completing that step we will start saving for a home.
Thoughts? Disagreement? What are you doing with money these days?
This is a weird time. Interest rates are incredibility low so you make little to nothing on any secure bonds, cd's, etc. I recently jumped through a bunch of hoops and moved money around to earn something like 1.3% because well there aren't better options at least in an FDIC insured liquid type situation.
Gold has gotten past my personal level of insanity. I hesitate to make distinct predictions but it looks like the shiny yellow stuff is either at a plateau or a peak. Not where I would want to put money these days. Silver is a bit better but that doesn't hit the real point. PM's are a store of value not an investment (no dividends, income or compound inflation) and as such IMO they have a role in ones plans but a modest one.
The stock market is all over the place. I don't think anybody really knows what is going on between the bail out madness and this new financial legislation. Those smart money people have always said how you shouldn't have money you need in the near future (think I've heard 5 years) in the stock market at all. Unless you are one of those people who does it for a living I am not convinced I would get in unless the goal was real long term. So if you have a few bucks that are not going to basic bills where should they go?
Maybe it is the kind of situation where some folks make a killing in a recovery but then again maybe you will lose the whole wad. If you have cash sitting around and a high tolerance for risk then go for it. However if your mom just sold the big family house to downsize I would not suggest the market.
If you have debt that is a sure fire place to put available funds. Double so with high interest type debts. You will start cutting down on interest expenses and eventually free up a higher portion of your income.
Another good consideration is investing in yourself. This is a particularly good one if your earning ability isn't quite where you would like it to be. To be blunt this is hard because usually the folks who would really benefit from increasing their earning potential with a degree or a certification or an internship usually don't have cash to spare. The only consolation I can give is that you're going to have to improve the situation or things will just stay the same and 5 years down the road you will be scrounging change to get gas for the car on the 28th.
Even if you are in a decent spot there is often room for improvement. For a bit of time and money a course or a certification or even a degree can certainly pay off. Education is something nobody can take away from you. It doesn't have a risk of loss of principle and assuming it is in a marketable (not underwater basket weaving) area that you plan to work in it pays great dividends.
Real estate is a good one if you have the cash and it suits your plans. The only down side is that without taking on debt the buy in is pretty high. In particular I think income producing real estate is a great way to go. Maybe an apartment or some farmland you could rent/ lease out. Hard to beat a non dollar denominated tangible that produces income.
These days most of our disposable income goes toward paying off debt. Some goes for long term savings and some to precious metals but debt is the big push. After completing that step we will start saving for a home.
Thoughts? Disagreement? What are you doing with money these days?
Thursday, July 1, 2010
For My Buddies Down South, Because This Is How They Roll
Are you a Democrat, a Republican, or a Southerner?
The answer can be found by posing the following question:
You're walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children.
Suddenly, an Islamic terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you...
You are carrying a Glock . 45 caliber handgun, and you are an expert shot.
You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.
What do you do?
................................................................... THINK CAREFULLY
THEN SCROLL DOWN:
Democrat's Answer:
****************************************************************
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG ! BANG!
Wife: 'You ain't taking that to the taxidermist!
Here is a little test that will help you decide.
The answer can be found by posing the following question:
Suddenly, an Islamic terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you...
You are carrying a Glock . 45 caliber handgun, and you are an expert shot.
You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family.
What do you do?
................................................................... THINK CAREFULLY
THEN SCROLL DOWN:
Democrat's Answer:
- Well, that's not enough information to answer the question!
- Does the man look poor or oppressed?
- Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?
- Could we run away?
- What does my wife think?
- What about the kids?
- Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?
- What does the law say about this situation?
- Does the pistol have appropriate safety built into it?
- Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?
- Is it possible he'd be happy with just killing me?
- Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?
- If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?
- Should I call 9-1-1?
- Why is this street so deserted?
- We need to raise taxes, have paint & weed day.
- Can we make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.
- I need to debate this with some friends for a few days and try to come to a consensus.
- This is all so confusing!
****************************************************************
Republican's Answer:
BANG!
BANG!
****************************************************************
Southerner's Answer:
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG ! BANG!
BANG ! BANG!BANG ! BANG!
Click..... (Sounds of reloading)
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Click
Daughter: 'Nice grouping, Daddy!'
'Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?! '
Son: 'Can I shoot the next one?!'
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Click
Daughter: 'Nice grouping, Daddy!'
'Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?! '
Son: 'Can I shoot the next one?!'
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