Shedding The 47 Percenter Web

This post is targeted at whatever portion of that 47% of non-income tax payers that is dependent upon the government for their day-to-day living.

You're being lied to.  The government touts the "safety net" as a way to get back on your feet.  To the contrary - it's more like a spider's web.

You're stuck - you can't advance.  As you're ensnared by more and more web, you're less inclined to struggle to free yourself.  You accept your fate - "Whatever that spider wants to do with me, I've got to accept it."

You're his bitch.

This spider, though, is a bit different.  While the web still keeps you immobile, the spider doesn't finish you off.  Right now, he's a collector of sorts.  He gives you just enough to live - food, housing, clothing - but he keeps you wrapped up and dependent on him for those things.  He saps your will to advance by keeping you comfortable.

Here's the rub:  He soon discovers that he can't keep supporting his "catch" - the web strains under the weight of his dependents.  The web will either break, or he'll have to start cutting off those whom he has supported the longest - the ones with the least amount of drive and ambition left in them.
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47%ers, you're living on the backs of others.  Others who have the fruits of their labors stolen from them, and redistributed to you.  They don't get to choose to give you the money, it's simply taken.  No matter how "deserving" or how compelling your story, when you cut through all of the crap, you're living off of the labor of someone else.

I keep reading story after story in the Compliant Mainstream Media about how this or that government program turned everything around.  Without these programs, we'd be hip deep in dead unwed mothers and their babies.

And there's never a good time to turn off the spigot.  "We're close to having this problem whipped, but we're not quite there.  Just a little bit longer.  Ehem, social justice, economic justice, racists, racist, racist.  Vote for me come November," yelps the politician.

This can't last.  This won't last.  The web will break or be trimmed.  Know it in your heart of hearts.  Obamabucks or Romneybucks will eventually run out.

What then?
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Any work is better than no work.  Work builds pride and independence and purpose.  Handouts make you weak and lethargic and dependent.

Work also gives you the drive to advance.

[Queue angelic harp music]  I remember my first job while I was in high school.  I was hired as a dishwasher at a local restaurant/bar/motel.  I then advanced to pot washer.  We were the bottom of the barrel.  Always the last ones to leave, because after all of the dishes and pots were washed, we had to clean the entire kitchen.  Wipe down the oil and muck from the day, sweep and mop the floors.  Wash down the bathrooms.  All for $1.25 an hour (this was 1975).  Oh, and a free meal and all the soda from the bar that I wanted.

After a couple of months, I became a cook.  I sure as hell knew I didn't want to be a dishwasher, and probably not a professional cook.  We had a number of grown men who I'd guess were making $5 an hour that were working side by side with me on the line.

Nope... If I was going to work that hard, you'd have to pay me some real money.  A few months later, just after starting college, I got my first banking job.  I worked my ass off, but most importantly, I observed.

What made the bosses the bosses?  What traits did they have that I liked, and which ones would I never use?  What skills were paid the most money, and what would it take to obtain those skills?

Long story short, I spent 31 years in banking, leaving as an Executive Vice President.  And I never did get the college degree, either.  No silver spoon.  No scholarships.  No loans.  Worked my way while in college. No contacts with "higher ups" to get me a sweet gig.

My point?  If I didn't work, I'd have never known what I didn't want to do!  It sounds a bit odd, but it's a fact.  I had self-worth, even back then.  I had no problem working hard, but I'd be damned if it would be for free.
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To you Hispanic 47%ers:  Seriously, help me understand why you - as a group - favor open borders with Mexico.  Anyone with two gray cells to rub together knows that the more people that are available for any given job, the lower the wage will be.  The employer is in the power seat.  If you don't want to accept minimum wage for a job, he's got dozens and dozens of folks willing to jump at the chance.  Don't you understand that by flooding the market with cheap labor, you, as an individual, are harmed?

You are in the truest sense of the word, a "slave".
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Stay on the public teat, and when you die, no one will care.  You won't have made a mark on the lives of those around you.  "Yeah, old Bob was a heck of a redistribution recipient.  Damn!  He could always figure out a way to extend his payments from one public program, and have the next one lined up before the previous one ran out.

"I wonder if his public housing spot will be available..."

Accept The Challenge

Whether you're a 47%er - by choice or not - or someone looking to gain some financial freedom, you need to get to work right damned now.  I don't care if it's a job where you ask, "Would you like fries with that?" even after you've been a big wig.

Government handouts rot your soul.  They take away your ambition, your drive, your self-worth.

While you're flipping those burgers, reassess your skills and your local economy.  Maybe they don't need people with your skillset anymore.  So change your skillset.

Get short-term education - 3 months to 2 years.  DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST!  Don't go get a certificate in Buggy Whip Design and Fabrication.  Learn or improve a skill in something with some legs - something that will last.

Look at starting your own business.  Maybe even just part time, but you'll more likely achieve financial freedom working for yourself than working for someone else.  Whatever you do, make it consumable or something that needs replacing.  Have a product or service that, by design, requires them to come back to you.  If you've treated them fairly and honestly, they'll keep coming back to you for more.

Find a niche in your market.  That can be something you do locally, or something that you can sell regionally or nationally.  Give your chosen market "a better mouse trap".

Some ideas -

1.  Vice.  Hey, it sells.  Alcohol, porn, etc.  You need to check your moral compass when going down this road.  It's lucrative, but can be disgusting.  Most aspects are highly regulated, but not all.  Hustler Magazine and porn movies are watched by the authorities for crossing the line, but Fifty Shades Of Gray soft "mommy porn" is widely accepted as "cool".

2.  Money.  Payday loans, PM stores, title loans, pawn shops, consignment stores.  Just be warned that much of this sector is heavily regulated.  You need to determine for yourself if it's worth the grief to enter this line of work.  And you need a pile of cash to get started.

3.  Aging America.  Huge, HUGE market is opening up, with tremendous opportunities.  Collectibles, rock and roll, health care, travel/adventure - the possibilities are endless.  In the health care space, it goes from starting a pick-up-and-drop off service for doctor visits, to in-home dialysis services, to physical therapy, to elder care.  This, I believe, will have the highest amount of opportunity.  But pick your niche.  LOTS of people are going down this road.

4.  Safety.  Me thinks the government(s) will continue their Fear Campaign - there are bad guys behind every corner - to help justify continued spending on police and DHS programs.  This feeds a need of some citizens to get training on everything from non-lethal stun guns and pepper spray to handgun safety, to advanced weapons training.  This will continue to boost the sales of the businesses that supply the products people need to protect themselves - handguns, rifles, ammo, alarm systems, pepper spray/stun guns, etc.  As of right now, training is a lightly regulated industry, whereas the tools - handguns in particular, and ammo in socialist states such as California - are heavily regulated.

5.  Government vendor. At least for the near-term, supplying the government with goods and services is a HUGE growth industry.  Everything needed in private industry and private life, is needed by the government, and they pay a premium.  If you're a woman, black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American, you have a leg up on all other competition.  For this group, government schools - colleges in particular - have developed Departments of Diversity or similarly titled entities whose sole purpose is to ensure you move to the front of the line when it comes to dealing with the schools.

 6.  Information.  Write a Kindle book, and sell it on Amazon.com.  Be sure you're not one of the million folks writing a book on how to reduce clutter in your house if you expect to make any money.  Do your research first to make sure you're not in a saturated market.  One good strategy seems to be writing a series of small books.  For instance, there's a guy who writes books on deer hunting.  Stalking, field dressing, knowing the wind, etc.  Each book sells for $0.99, and he has 52 of them.  He periodically gives one away for free as an incentive to buy the others.  52 might be a bit much, but 4 to 10 might work.  Make it a topic or skill that offers a fresh perspective and unique insights.

7.  Hispanic-targeted products and services.  There's a reason that it seems like half of the cable channels are Spanish speaking.  Hispanics are the most rapidly growing ethnic group in our country.  State and federal governments are doing nothing serious to protect our southern border, so like it or not, this trend will continue. Muéstrame el dinero!

Others?

Stay away from:

1.   Automobiles and related industries.  As our society ages and seniors become a much larger percentage of the population, the number of cars needed is going to drop appreciably.  Automobile companies are projecting flat sales for as far as the eye can see, while the overall population continues to grow.

2.  Computer repair.  A dime a dozen.  Yep, some folks are screamin' professionals, but there is a TON of competition.

3.  Website designer.  See above.

Others?

Lastly, as I've noted before, don't put all of your eggs in one basket.  Work HARD to have multiple streams of income.  This is so important.  If the largest breadwinner in your household lost their job, what would you do?  How would you pay your bills and feed yourself?

Plan now, and keep yourself out of the web...

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

More Dis and Dat

Obscenely busy.  Sorry for the dearth of posts.  Here's some stuff coursing through my warped mind:

Can you say, Barack Hussein Carter?  I have not witnessed a similar level of spinelessness since Jimmeh was the POTUS.  Did you see the press release the State Department issued after our Egyptian embassy was breached?

The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims -- as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others. 

WTF?  Hey you stupid shits!  Our embassy was overrun.  Those sons of bitches that did the overrunning got exactly what they expected.  A GD apology FROM US!

Then, emboldened since they didn't even get a threat - which they knew we wouldn't follow through on anyways - their bastard brothers in Libya killed 4 Americans in cold blood.

I haven't had the stomach to look for the apology for forcing the poor Muslim boys to kill our ambassador.
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Uh, since when do we have an ambassador in Libya?  Since Qaddafi turned into worm food, or before that?

Tell ya what - get out of that 13th century cesspool.  Time to cut our losses.  Make the site of the embassy a smoking hole and if the area a couple of blocks around the embassy get smoked too, well, thems the breaks.
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About 9/11.  When are we going to stop this pity-fest?  Seriously.  Why do we want to remember a day when we got our ass kicked?

How about we roll the burning of the White House during the War of 1812, Pearl Harbor and 9/11 into one big Ass Wupped holiday?

I can understand - maybe - the families going to a memorial and laying down flowers.   But from where I sit, it is nothing more than a way for various government agencies to keep us in a perpetual state of, "remember, there's a boogie man out there" so they have reason to keep our rights infringed.

Yeah, I'm THAT jaded.  And I don't think I'm too far off the mark.
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What's the deal with "Gluten Free"?  Do we suddenly have an outbreak of people with celiac disease?

Good Lord, gluten gives my bread its chew and spring.

I can see Mayor Bloomberg getting this scourge on America banned right after the soda ban kicks in.  We're saved!

Tell ya what - I want Double Gluten bread.  Maybe triple.  I want all that gluten that's been cast off, and shipped to my house.  I'm gonna sell the hell out of it.  Sour dough bread that eats like Double Bubble.

I'll be rich.  Keep your eyes peeled for my ads...
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Have ya watched the price of gold and silver lately?  Unreal.  Bernanke belches and PM's go through the roof.

Not that I'm complaining.  When prices quickly move up or down, we get swamped in our store.  People don't want to miss out.

If I were a betting man, I'd bet we're just starting to see the run-up in PMs.  I'm telling you this because I personally won't profit one thin (silver) dime if you buy PMs.

If you can afford one ounce of silver a week, or 500 a month, do it.  More is better - once you've made sure your living expenses are covered.

And don't blink after you buy.  Prices WILL fluctuate.  If they start coming down, don't freak out and sell.  PMs are a medium-term investment.  Three to five years, minimum.  If you're going to need the money before that, don't buy.

The only time I'd sell earlier than 3-5 years is if the government came out and said they aren't going to run deficits any longer, thus there would no longer be a need to devalue the dollar by printing up new ones.

Yeah.  Like that's gonna happen inside of 3 years.
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Hey Hillary - take a shower, and maybe ask Barry if you can borrow one of Michelle's hair dressers.  You're representing our country to the world.  The Haggard Worn Out look ain't cuttin' it.

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Practice Makes Proficient

We all remember when Captain "Sully" Sullenberger belly-landed his Airbus A320 in the Hudson River.  He was directly responsible for saving the lives of 155 passengers and crew.

He was hailed a hero and miracle worker.  He said he was just doing his job.  A lifetime of preparation led to a "miracle".

Well, I think, like many people who have found themselves in such an extraordinary circumstance, they really do feel like their entire lives has been a preparation for that moment.

Amen to that, brother.
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In the comments of my post The Fear Factor, a commentor had made note of the fact that the NYC shooting outside of the Empire State Building resulted in 9 innocent bystanders being hit by police fire.

I made this comment -

[Painting with a VERY broad brush here] My experience has been that cops fall into two broad categories: Good, decent people who truly want to do good for the community. The other are power freaks. The, "I've got a gun and a badge, and you'll do as I say. Or else."

This latter group doesn't seem to feel the need to practice their craft. They've got their POST certificate and the aforementioned gun and badge. That's all they need.

The "good guys" work at their craft. Virtually every time I teach my advanced Practical Defensive Pistol class, there are LEOs on that range practicing their holster/draw/shoot skills.

It's almost always the same guys.

Commenter Adam (a LEO, and I get the impression from his past comments that he's one of the "good guys") made a comment about the adrenalin rush of the situation being one of the reasons for the unintended victims.  I basically said, IMO, that's not an acceptable excuse.

Cops need to train.  Hard.  And they need to expose themselves to stressful training situations to try and approximate real-life shooting situations.  I had suggested that all LEOs be required to maintain certification with a shooting sport, such as IDPA, in the same way that a CPA must keep their license current through continuing education.  Annual "qualification" on the firing range is insufficient.

Consider this video of a private security guard (h/t SHTFPlan.com). This is at an Internet cafe in Melbourne, Florida.  (Note:  Why the hell do bad guys keep hitting Internet cafes?  This is the second such robbery I've heard about in the past few weeks.  Do they keep enough cash on hand to warrant having an armed guard?  Apparently so...). 

This old guy was Johnny On The Spot.  Quick draw, movement, didn't stop shooting until the threat had passed.

I'd bet a million bucks he's put thousands and thousands of rounds down range, AND has - at the very minimum - run through this scenario in his head dozens of times.

[Start dreamy harp music]  "Multiple bad guys charge my post.  Identify they have weapons.  Draw weapon, put shots on closest target first, then next closest.  Repeat shots until threat has stopped.  Move to ensure I become a difficult target to hit and to ensure they can't rush me past one side of my post to surround me."




What a stud.  Great technique and tactics, and not a bit of hesitation.

At least in his head, he's been there before.  And like Sully's water landing, he likely saved his life and possibly the lives of others because of his preparation.

Accept The Challenge

If it comes to preps, as the saying goes, if you're going to do it, you might as well do it right.

Making fire.  Practice.
Making water.  Practice.
Making shelter.  Practice.
Gathering wild edibles.  Practice.
Using deadly force.  Practice.  A lot.

Most things for which you're practicing involve you alone.  If you can't make fire and you get stuck on a mountain, you'll likely die.  No one else is affected. 

If you have a gun and you're not proficient in how to use it - including WHEN to use it - others may die or be injured.

If you carry concealed, practice.  For instance, every day I'm in our precious metals store, when I get to work, I go into the back and do 5 to 10 practice draws.  It's more to ensure my IWB holster is properly positioned, but it makes the rake clothing-grip-clear-rotate-center-push process more fluid.  I want it to be smooth as butter so that I can keep my attention on the bad guys.  I have myself timed on occasion to practice having the muzzle pointed at the bad guy from a concealed holster in 2 seconds.

When I teach my Practical Defensive Pistol class, I get there early do practice beforehand.  Multiple targets.  Fighting tunnel vision by visually sweeping the area after shooting.  Really concentrating on stance and presentation and trigger squeeze.  I want this to all be second nature if I'm ever forced to do it for real.

Regarding the adrenalin dump:  It's a hell of a point.  I've never had a gun pointed at me.  I've never had to point one at a human being, much less one that's looking to rob or harm me.  Possibly in a store full of customers.  I may crap myself, for all I know.

But I do IDPA and self-stress shooting practice (timing and accuracy drills) to attempt to approximate the various situations I may encounter.  About the most stressful practice I've done is with paintballs.  One of my son's and I used to go up into the hills to a site that was force-on-force in a natural setting (not the typical paintball "courts").  When the horn would blow, the paint starts flying - and your heart starts pumping!  On more than one occasion, teams of Sheriff department SWAT members would be up there "playing" with us.

I go through scenarios in my head regarding a robbery at the PM store.  One guy.  Five guys.  Hostages.  Bull-rush the store.  Catch us by surprise.  Store full of customers.  No other customers.  See a gun.  See pepper spray.  See Taser.  See hammer.  See pipe.

Come up with a plan for each.

Obviously, no real-life incident will play out exactly as you practice, but by thinking about and practicing multiple scenarios, parts of each have a great chance of being included come "game time".

As all of my coaches in high school and college used to say, "You play like you practice."

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

See? I Told You So!

Gawd, it becomes tiring - almost - being right all of the time.  Such a burden would crush a lesser man.  It is only because of my modest and humble demeanor that I am able to walk among "common folk" and carry on my life's work....

Well, and predicting this stuff is about as difficult as getting a welfare recipient to accept more money.

About a week ago, I uttered these immortal words ("Social Impotence") -

Where am I going with this?  I've once again realized that resistance IS futile.  The borg is here to stay.

Don't take that as a defeatist attitude.  It's not.  It's pragmatic.  The inertia of our growing government - federal, state and local - cannot be stopped.  Too many special interests, including the government itself, rely on the existence of big government.  Those of us who cherish personal liberty have become socially impotent.  There is nothing we can do to change our nation's course.

I went on to say that I've pissed away enough time ranting and raving about government - all for naught - and my subsequent posts would focus on practical solutions to minimize the impact of Big Bro.

True dat.  Still I must admit that I just can't keep my piehole shut about government abuse and expansion.  It's my meth, so to speak, and I gotsta have it.  So, I'll work the ranting into the prepping.

Oh look!  Here's an example all ready.  And one that fits the quotation above.  Ain't that convenient?

I happened to plop my butt down in my chair while the Republican Coronation was on the tube.  The Talking Head on Fox had wet himself over the fact that Romney was getting close to the number of delegates he needed to wrap up the ticket.  I decided to watch until the toe-curling climax.

Some lady up on stage would mention the state, and the number of votes they had.  A representative from the state would give a Chamber Of Commerce blurb about their great state and say how their votes were cast.  Another lady up on stage would then repeat the number of votes cast.  BUT only those cast for Romney.

I'm like, "WTF?  Why are they only mentioning The Mittster?"

So I decided to pay a little closer attention.  For instance, when they got to Maine, the first lady on the podium noted that they had something like 23 votes.  The person from the state then yammered on, and proudly announced that, "Two votes go to the next president of the United States, Mitt Romney!"  The other lady on stage said (very Stepford Wife-ish, btw), "Romney:  Two votes".

I'm thinking, "Uhm, what about the other 90% of the votes cast by their state?  Who got those?"

During the Coronation, per party rules, a group of five states submitted the paperwork necessary for Ron Paul to be included in the vote.  The old-school Repubs didn't like that, so they shut it down.  They changed the rules - in mid-stream - so that 8 states had to submit the paperwork -

According to the chairman of the Nevada delegation, Wayne Terhune, his state, along with at least four others, submitted nomination papers for Paul on Tuesday afternoon. He said current party rules require that five states submit nominating papers in order for a candidate's name to be placed in nomination.

Think about what happened here.  We're not talking about Democrats trying to change the Republican party, we're talking about insiders getting the shaft.  The folks chosen to select their candidate for their friggin' party to go up against Barry!

Whether you love him or hate him, Ron Paul is all about small government and fiscal responsibility.  Romney toes the party line.

And we've seen what the party line has gotten us.

Accept The Challenge

Plain and simple:  If you want to change the national politics in America you must vote for a third party.  Until the Dems and Repubs feel the fear of losing control, they have no incentive to change.  Quite the opposite.

"But Chief, it will just give the election to Barry by drawing votes away from Romney."  Eh.  Maybe, BUT SO WHAT?  Like having The Mittster in charge will make any difference.

"But, but, the Supreme Court.  Yeah, the Supreme Court.  Those appointments are forever.  We'll be doomed if the liberals take a majority."

Uh, perhaps you haven't been paying attention.  Dubya's boy, Chief Justice John Roberts - conservative constitutionalist extraordinaire - just saddled us with the "It's A Tax - No It's Not - Yes It Is" Obamacare.

Or maybe you were referring to the conservative justice appointed by Dubya's daddy - David Souter.  As wikipedia notes -

Souter sat on both the Rehnquist and Roberts courts, and came to vote reliably with the court's liberal members.

You remember Dave, right?  He voted "aye" on the Kelo v. New London case which said that taking your privately owned property and giving it to another private party was consistent with the original intent of the eminent domain provision of the fifth amendment.

Or perhaps you're confusing him with Justice Anthony Kennedy - a rah rah Reagan appointee - who ALSO voted for Kelo.  In fact, he was the swing vote that gave the win to the land-grabbers.

If the government wants your shit, they'll just take it.  And Republican appointees won't get in the way.  They know who butters their bread.

It seems as though if a case has to do with taking your wealth - via taxes forcing you to buy health insurance, or via the outright theft of your real property so your local public officials can earn more money - those Republican, "small government" types fall right in line with the Libs.

You can close your eyes, and wish really, really hard that the Republicans will change.  This time will be different.  But they won't change.  You can click your heels together, chanting, "I want to go home.  I want to go home."  But when you sneak a peek, you'll still be in Oz.

We need to change the political environment, and voting for "the lesser of two evils" is insane.  They're the "equal of two evils".  The Dems will bleed us financially, and the Repubs will bleed our liberty.  Same destination, different paths.

One last thing to think about:  Look how a local issue - a city using eminent domain on a piece of local property - opened the door for more Marxist "ALL the land belongs to The People" legalities across the nation.  As I noted in my Social Impotent piece, vote and act locally.  Don't let the Marxist bastards get a toehold in your community.

One more one last thing:  If you're a Dem/socialist/Marxist who likes the whole idea of giving away land and cash, why don't you start at home?  Literally put your money where your mouth is.  Write a damned check to Uncle Sam.  If you think a 75% tax rate is a great thing, DO IT!

And sending money to a private charity doesn't count.  If you're more than just a mouth-breathing, platitude-spewing piece of crap, you'll send a check to the federal government for everything in excess of 25% of your income.

Then give your home and land to the federal government with the stipulation that you get to live there, just like the welfare rats get to stay in the public housing we're all paying for.

I'm not holding my breath, mouth breather...

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Valuable, Durable, Portable and Easily Divisible

Different preppers have different beliefs as to the depth and breadth of the event which causes their plan to be implemented.  Some believe the event will be no more than a "personal recession" - a job loss, perhaps.  It could escalate to a national or worldwide depression.  We could have martial law inflicted upon us, or the government could go full-throttle communist with a centrally planned economy.  Worse case, I believe, would be an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) - either man-made or natural - sufficient in size and location to take out our national electrical grid.

Regardless of which scenario(s) for which you're planning, you're being, uhm, imprudent, if you're not planning for a hole in your preps.  You may have food, water, shelter, medical, security and equipment for you and your crew to last a full 10 years.  What happens if half of it is stolen, rots or otherwise is inadequate?

You're screwed.

You need to have goods or skills which allow you to acquire what you need.  Barter, baby.  You need to be able to barter.
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Most mediums of exchange have four traits in common.  They're Valuable, Durable, Portable and Easily Divisible.

Valuable:  Someone else wants what you have.  It matters not if YOU think it has value - your trading partner must perceive value.  You might have a sculpture which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars before the balloon went up.  Afterwards, depending upon the type of event which occurs, it may have no value beyond its ability to keep your hat and overcoat off of the floor.  Things which have value prior to an event may have little or none after an event, and common, pedestrian goods may be your most prized possessions.

Durable:  What is the life cycle of your goods?  In general, something which spoils quickly, or loses its utility over time will hold less value than a hearty, durable good.  Milk would be less valuable than cheese, for instance.  There are exceptions, of course.  Gasoline eventually loses its effectiveness.  In an event such as an EMP where the grid is down and gas stations are unable to give you gasoline, a couple gallons would be VERY valuable.  In a depression, maybe not so much.

Portable:  Can you deliver your goods without much fuss?  If you own real estate, it's not going anywhere.  Unless you have a local buyer or trader, it could be valueless.  A couple of stacks of 1 ounce gold coins can currently represent the same value.

Easily Divisible:  Can you break it down into smaller units?  In addition to making the item more portable because of its smaller size, you are generally able to get a premium over larger units.  Why is that?  Because more people can afford to buy the smaller units.  A one ounce gold piece has a 5% premium over spot gold prices.  A 10th ounce coin has a 12%-15% premium. 

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"Yeah, but...."

I can hear it already.  "Chief, you can't eat gold or silver."  Yep, and you can't buy or trade for a side of beef with real estate, either.

Diversify your holding.  You have no idea what will be needed - and have value - in the future, because you have no way of knowing exactly what is going to happen in the future.

A key to success, I believe, will be having the skills to convert raw materials into goods which have more value than the raw materials.   Let's say you're in an area with an abundance of corn.  You have lots of it, as do your neighbors.  If you have the skills to convert that corn into ethanol, you've now made it more valuable AND versatile.  Sell/trade it as fuel or as a beverage.

Accept The Challenge

During the war in Bosnia, one of the survivors made a comment along the lines of, "If you have clean water and toilet paper, you're a rich man."

In virtually all emergency/disaster scenarios, food, water, guns, ammo, alcohol and precious metals will be valuable.  Knowing which items to hold in storage can be a crap shoot.

For instance, if we are faced with an economic depression, storing mass amounts of water would be a waste of time and resources.  We'd still be able to turn on a faucet, and get all the water we need.  Having a huge store of precious metals could make you a king.

Conversely, if we have an EMP event, clean, potable water would be mind-numbingly valuable, and precious metals would be more valuable as fishing sinkers than as a medium of trade.

The key, I believe, is to diversify and adapt.  For instance, I don't store a gajillion gallons of water, but I have the skills and tools (and access to water) to make a gajillion gallons.  Filters and chemicals, plus the skills to go "old school" if my modern tools are lost or stolen.

Right now, as I read the tea leaves of our society, I think the likelihood of an economic crash, the confiscation or further restrictions on access to guns and ammo, and further intrusions into our private lives/information are on the top of the Hit Parade of possible events.  As such,  I focus my limited resources on those areas.

I am moderately prepared for virtually any event - up to and including an EMP - and well prepared for those events listed above.

Because the tea leaves can sometimes be cloudy, I have stores of things that have been valuable in past disasters/emergencies.  Hygiene items, precious metals, guns, ammo, water making goods, communications devices, alcohol, sugar, fats, salt.

All of these are in quantities normally deemed "above normal", but that's the idea.  These things - and a number of fairly specialized skills - are my currency for the future.

When you're putting something away for barter, run them by the Valuable, Durable, Portable and Divisible test.  If you miss on one or more of the requirements, think hard about whether it will help you in the future.


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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Social Impotence

I was in the process of drafting a post about a number of absolutely idiotic laws being proposed here in California.  The state is broke and dysfunctional, yet our state leaders are making political busy-work.  Most have to do with the Marxists in Sacramento jumping on the "Illegal Aliens Won't Get Deported" bandwagon that was thrust upon us by DC.

As I was formulating ideas, I was struck by an irrefutable fact:

Liberty has a key trait in common with Marxism.  Neither has ever succeeded in the long term.  Societies with high amounts of personal liberty eventually devolve into Marxist states.  And Marxist states eventually collapse and liberty emerges.

I need to accept that the liberty that was the basis for the founding of our country is all but gone.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're still "more free" than much of the rest of the world, but we've got nowhere near the freedom we had in the beginning of our republic.  Or even the amount we had 50 years ago.

Our Constitution - at first glance - has all of the proper controls in place to ensure the liberty of the individual (or the states) supersedes the power of the federal government.  It appears as though we were left with explicit instructions along these lines - via the tenth amendment.  It's so clear and unambiguous -

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

How can this possibly be misinterpreted?  Yet, you need only look at the size, scope and power of the federal government, and you see it's been wholly ignored.

[My conservative friends hate this example - that's why I it's my go-to federal abuse!]  How can we possibly have a federal department tasked with fighting "the war on drugs?"  The DEA.  It's because Congress passed federal anti-drug legislation going back to the early 1900's (Harrison Narcotics Tax Act - link) AND the Supreme Court gave it the nod when the law was passed.

Since there was now legal precedence, piling on the laws - and the bureaucracy to enforce those laws - was child's play.  Once the slippery slope is greased, resistance to the growth of government is futile.

Pick any federal agency that was not specifically chartered in the Constitution, and you'll find a similar pattern.  Get a big ranch that kills some folks with salmonella, and you get the USDA.  Have a crash of a rigged financial system, and you get the Social Security Administration.

Government uses fear and the offer of protection to grow.  They numb us to the concept that liberty has risk.  In all aspects of our lives, they want to socialize risk.  The risk of recreational drugs killing your wife.  The risk of you giving birth to a disabled child.  The risk of taking a sip of tainted raw milk.  The risk of dying poor and hungry.  The cost of this apparent transfer of risk is the loss of a little bit of liberty each time we make that deal. 

What people always seem to forget is that despite all of the government promises of protection, we're still just as vulnerable as we've always been.  The very same banned drugs that brought us the DEA are still available to anyone.  People die every single year from food grown on USDA inspected farms and ranches.  The federally regulated financial system is routinely abused, resulting in the loss of hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

The only difference is we pay for this facade of safety and protection.
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Where am I going with this?  I've once again realized that resistance IS futile.  The borg is here to stay.

Don't take that as a defeatist attitude.  It's not.  It's pragmatic.  The inertia of our growing government - federal, state and local - cannot be stopped.  Too many special interests, including the government itself, rely on the existence of big government.  Those of us who cherish personal liberty have become socially impotent.  There is nothing we can do to change our nation's course.

If I had a million readers a day, it would change nothing.  Limbaugh, Hannity, Levin, Beck, Savage, et al, DO have millions hear their message every single day, and nothing has changed.  The death spiral is slowed at times, but never reversed.  We're still headed straight towards Marxism.
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I'm going to re-focus what I do here.  I LOVE bitching and moaning about the socialist bastards in California and DC.  Seriously, I love it.  But it does nothing.  No string of words I could ever type could get enough people to reverse this mess we're in.

But I can help handfuls, dozens - maybe even hundreds of folks to better adapt to what's happening.  Perhaps they and their families can come out from this in above-average shape.  Some of us may even thrive.

I want to focus on solutions, not rhetoric.  The solutions are personal and local.  The macro view is useless, the micro view is actionable.  I've come to grips with the fact that the individual cannot change anything political outside of their own community.

Think small.  Think private.  Think self-serving.  Be a quiet leader and actor.

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

The Fear Factor

I'd rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.
--Some Still-Alive Citizen

I held an introductory pistol class this weekend.  All women.  I'm really likin' this trend of more and more women taking the step to learn about firearms and self-defense.  I don't know if it's just because I'm in California - with our virulent anti-gun culture - but most women I come across are afraid of guns.  I'm very happy to see that changing, at least in my little slice of the world.

One of the ladies taking the class this weekend attended it with her mother.  She is a college student, and her apartment was broken into (she was not there at the time).  The maggot that did the breaking in was a convicted rapist.

Her dad insisted she learn how to shoot.  Good on him.

Dad had a nice S & W .38 Special five shot revolver.  The plan was for her to use this gun during the range time of the class.  Mom elected to do the rental program we've got set up with the range (use of a .22LR revolver and semi-auto).

Before the students start shooting, I put a round down range so that they can hear what it sounds like with their ear protection on.  If a student brings their own gun - larger than a .22 - I'll shoot a round from that gun as well.

I shoot the .22, and everyone is A-OK.  I shoot the .38 Special, turn around, and the girl's eyes are all red, and then there are tears streaming down her face.

Oh crap!  My first "crier".  I've taught over 500 students at this range over the years, and never even had puffy eyes.  Lots of shakes, fidgeting and sweating, but no tears.

Her mom suggests that they swap stations - daughter will use the .22's, and mom will shoot the .38 spl.

The daughter does great shooting the .22's.  I'm giving her lots of encouragement, and slight adjustments to her stance and grip.  Her mom is just about finished, and has 2 rounds left.  I tell her to wait.

I tell the daughter that I want her to shoot the remaining .38's.  She has a look of horror in her eyes.  Seriously.  I reinforce that she's been doing great, and can easily shoot the .38.  I make a deal with her:  I'll load up 1 round, and she'll put it down range.  If it's too tough, she can call it quits, and no one is the worse.  If it works out OK, she can put the next shot down range as well.

Fine.

I load up the gun, and hand it to her.  She cocks the pistol, bends her knees, leans into the shot, locks her elbow, brings the gun to eye-level and squeezes the trigger.

Bullseye!

You've never seen so much happiness on a face in your life!  I loaded up the next round, and she damned near put it through the same hole.  It was awesome.
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Not too long ago, a woman in Oakland was working in her front garden.  She's digging around and finds a black duffel bag buried in the garden -

Inside was an assault rifle, shotgun shells, a black ski mask, black gloves and a towel.

Twenty years ago, if you found a bag of guns buried in your yard, you wouldn't even miss a beat. You'd be on the phone to the police immediately. Not so, any more.

Vanaman's heart raced as she stared at her discovery and tried desperately to figure out what to do.

She was paralized with fear. Why would that be? Because in Oakland - and many surrounding cities in the SF Bay Area - gangs run the joint. If you cross the gangs, you can end up dead.

When Vanaman returned, four young men stood in her frontyard. "What did you do with the guns?" one of them asked. "I called the police," she told him. "I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."

The man scowled and told her she owed him $800 and said she had a week to come up with the money. "I don't make that much," she replied. "Bitches get killed for that," he told her. "Bitches get tortured for that."

A keen observer of others, Vanaman noticed the young man used the passive voice so she couldn't accuse him of threatening her directly. But the implication was clear. "Bitches get raped for that," he shouted.

Suddenly, she felt torn. For years, she had rationalized her choices in coping with the danger outside her door. Now, she knew turning in the gun was the right moral decision, but it had put her life at risk.

With the man still berating her, Vanaman said she would sell whatever valuables she could to get the money.

She and her roommates have moved out.  The police were called numerous times, but only showed up on rare occasions.  They were there to provide protection when she was moving her stuff out.
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Two stories of fearful individuals.  One appears to be taking the path of not allowing herself to be intimidated.  She seemed more fearful of being raped or killed than she was of learning how to shoot a gun for self-defense.  She fought through the fear and learned the skills to defend herself.

The other lady is folding up her tent, and getting out of Dodge.  The bad guys won that one.

In the same situation as the second lady, I don't know that I'd have acted differently.  This horrific State of California has stripped her of her ability to keep a means of deadly self-defense (to be used against weapons of deadly offense against her) with her at all times.  She might have a gun with her in her home, but venture outside, and you're stripped naked, while the bad guys are still heavily armed.

Being caught by "the authorities" with the means to defend herself - a loaded handgun - outside of her home or business makes her a felon in this state.  You don't need to shoot anyone, you just need to be in possession of the loaded handgun.  An otherwise law-abiding citizen merely possessing the means with which to defend her life or the life of another, and she goes away for many years.

And, ironically, once she becomes a felon, she now forfeits her right to possess a handgun in (I believe) all states.

The various arms of our government keep telling us that crime is down.  We're safer than we've ever been.  Our nation's police agencies are takin' care of business.

I just don't believe it.  And judging from my perpetually sold out gun classes, regular citizens aren't swallowing the tripe either.

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Related:  THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!

A 66 Year Old Texan Vic Stacey Puts Four 357 Magnum Pistol Rounds into a Killer Rifleman at 165 Yards

Some whacko had killed his neighbor and her dog, and the first responding cop was pinned down by the bad guy.  The citizen's first shot hit the bad guy in the thigh.  Three of the next 4 shots also hit their mark.  This gave the cop the ability to turn his AR-15 on the bad guy and take him out.

Once again, a responsible, armed citizen helping to keep his community safe.


Accept The Challenge

Which fears have beaten you down?  Which have you beaten?  Which have you figured a "work around" to make the fear irrelevant?

Anyone who's dropped by here more than once knows my stance on the issue of self-defense.  I'll not end up dead simply to ensure I'm following the law.  It's really that simple.

Are there risks in this approach?  Hell yes.  Each of us has to do the whole risk/reward calculation for ourselves.

This moronic state has even criminalized your ability to possess an unloaded, cased gun, unless you are traveling between "approved" locations or activities.  From your home to the firing range, for instance.

Keep a cased gun in your car while on your way to pick up some burgers, and you've broken the law.

This issue is number two on the list of reasons why my wife and I are leaving this state after her retirement (number one being the financial idiocy of our state government).  We will be moving to a state which recognizes the Constitutionaly guaranteed right of citizens to keep and bear arms.  California doesn't do so, and won't for a very long time.  Longer than I have left on this earth, so we're bailing out.

Until that time, I will likely, on occasion, be breaking the law.  So be it.

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

What Do They Know?

Well, this is troubling.  The Department of Homeland Security has ordered another 750 MILLION rounds of self-defense ammo.  This is in addition to the 450 MILLION rounds of self-defense ammo they ordered earlier in the year.

One point two BILLION rounds.

These current orders (link to large PDF of the request from DHS) are identified as "training ammunition".  True, some of it is training ammo - FMC (full metal covering).  But the vast majority of it is self-defense - or offensive - ammo.  JHP (jacketed hollow point) or BTHP (boat tail hollow point).  Lots of low-recoil 12 gauge shotgun ammo.  Most in the same configuration as I use at home and at our PM store ("00" buck and #4 buck).

If you look at the purchase of the .223 ammo, most of it is JHP, which even our boys in the sandbox are not allowed to use.  But Homeland Security gets the thumbs up.

Oh, "low-recoil" is the dumbed-down term for "tactical" shells.

Is someone expecting an invasion?  Or perhaps an insurrection?

What do they know that we don't know?
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Love him or hate him, you've got to acknowledge that George Soros is a financial genius.  Old Georgie-boy just made a couple of interesting moves.

He sold his entire holdings (link) in JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup - $50 million worth - and bought $130 million in gold shares.

Hmmm.  Dumped three of the "too big to fail" banks, and bought nearly 3 times that amount in that shiny yellow metal our Federal Reserve Chairman won't acknowledge is money.

Why would the guy who called gold, "the ultimate bubble" dump an obscene amount of money - even for him - into PMs?

What's he know that we don't don't know?
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Oh, lookee there.  Those silly foreigners are doing the same thing -

Total central bank gold purchases in the second quarter were more than double the level reported just one year earlier, as emerging market governments sought to diversify away from traditional reserve currencies amid heightened economic insecurity, according to World Gold Council data Thursday

Governments bought 157 metric TONS of gold.  In 3 months!  Holy crap.

I wonder why they didn't buy dollars or euros or yen.  They always did in the past.  What do they know that we don't know....?
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Lots of very separate entities - all making plans that are similar to what us preppers have been doing.  Buying tangible assets.  Selling off paper assets.  Stockpiling supplies of ammo.

Almost sounds like the definition of "terrorist" that many US agencies have slapped on us preppers...




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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Why Nothing Will Change Until The Crash

"When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." 
--Benjamin Franklin

I was kind of pleasantly surprised this past weekend when Romney announced his choice of Paul Ryan as his running mate.  He's about as focused an individual as you will find in politics when it comes to budgeting.  I don't think it will be enough to get me to vote for either of the two major parties, but it got my attention.

Ryan is smart, articulate, energetic and youthful.  He's also on the losing team.

Why dat?

Article link:  Over 100 Million Now Receiving Federal Welfare

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Video link:  Obama's Gonna Pay For My Gas...

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Audio link:  Obama Stash

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Article and Chart link: Nearly Half of All Americans Don’t Pay Income Taxes

How are a couple of successful guys - one of whom is uber-rich - going to convince an increasingly Balkanized country that it's in their best interest to vote the two of them into office?  Do you think the, "Vote for us so that the amount of money you receive from the government will decline or be eliminated," pitch is going to fly?

Ain't gonna happen.

We're going to see Obama and Uncle Joe working the Special Interest Circuit - and hard.

Blacks:  They want to see you back on the plantation, we want to give you a hand up.  Hispanics:  They want to herd your hard-working family members into buses and ship them back across the border.  We give you the Dream Act.  Gays:  They want to ex-communicate you from the country, we'll let you marry a goat if you wish.  Women:  They want you barefoot and pregnant, we'll pay for your abortions.  Students:  They want you to have to pay for your own education, we'll pay for it if you promise to work for us, spreading the Commie Gospel around the country.

Farmers, anything "green", unions, bankers - they'll all be bellying up to the bar for their free drinks.

Romney and Ryan will try and keep the focus on the budget and the economy, but the MSM will only report the downside of their programs.  Inevitably, the boys will play the Special Interest game and tell all of the same groups what they'll get from the Republicans.
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I've got to stick by my earlier predictions:  Nothing is going to change until it all crashes.  No one is going to voluntarily vote to reduce the amount of income they receive.

The former Comptroller General,  David Walker, has been hitting the road to bring this impending collapse to our attention (link:  The $10 Million A Minute Bus Tour).  Shockingly (not), no one is listening.

Downer news doesn't sell, so it doesn't get a lot of press.  People don't want to hear that everything they've worked for is built on a house of cards that's teetering towards ruin.  They'd rather feel good about our Olympic victories, or at least feel better about themselves by watching the collapse of someone else (Lohan, Hilton, Gibson, et al).

Once again, I'll likely vote for the third party that I think is able to garner the most votes.  My belief is, nothing will change politically until we have a viable third party in this country.  I don't care if it's far left communists or far right fascists.  Whomever looks to get the most votes will get mine.  If it's still too foggy, Ron Paul will get my write-in vote.

Accept The Challenge

 I think I've mentioned before that for the past 20-25 years, I've not included Social Security in our financial/retirement calculations.  It has been very plain for a very long time that the system is not sustainable.  I'm guessing I'll get clipped either by "means testing" or the fact that there simply isn't any money left.  I'll be shocked if I see any money.

Now, my worries go towards other retirement accounts.  My wife and I both worked at Wells Fargo a million years ago.  When the bank (still a California-only bank!) was transitioning from a retirement plan to a 401k-type plan, and they took all of our accrued dollars and put them in to annuity accounts.

Those monies are held by NY Life (or is it Met Life?) to be drawn on from retirement until we croak.  I'm more and more worried that accounts such as these are going to be snatched up by the federal government (ala Argentina, Hungry, etc.) to help extend this financial fantasy in which we're living.  These are monies I have (foolishly?) been including in our retirement calcs.

Social Security and these annuities are the last "paper" retirement funds we've got.  Everything else was converted to tangibles from 2008 forward.

What I'm concerned with will be the future ability to convert these tangible and business assets into cash without having to go through the government equivalent of a body cavity search, or grotesque tax theft.  Judging with how our government works, I'd guess they'll throw up "legal" roadblocks to converting, for instance, gold coins into cash.  They'll throw up impediments where they'll require tons of personal information, or tax data, and it will drive the business into the black market.  Most people that buy precious metals are a private sort, and they'll take a "haircut" before they'll voluntarily provide Nanny with personal data or extra tax dollars.

Work hard, watch your pennies, live within your means, and everything will turn out OK.  Sure.  Now you need to add, "Hide as much from Nanny as you possibly can."

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Protection Of Life and Property

Check out this awesome video -




This happened in the Southern California town of Garden Grove.  In my part of Northern California - the SF Bay Area - there have been three recent robbery attempts at jewelry/bullion stores such as our PM shop.  Two resulted in the death of the bad guys.  The third - actually in the same city as our PM store - was successful.

The big difference?  The two that resulted in the deaths of the bad guys were mom-and-pop shops such as ours where the owners and employees were armed.  The successful robbery was at a "name" jewelry store in the middle of a large shopping mall.  My guess is they have a "no bang-stick" policy.  Good to know, if you're a bad guy.

The thing that pissed me off the most in that video?  The cop saying, "We're leery of recommending store owners take immediate action.  It's all gonna have to be based on the circumstances at hand."

Uhm, like maybe 5 masked robbers rushing into your store, two of them wielding handguns?  Hmmmmm officer?

How 'bout a statement such as, "The Garden Grove Police Department applauds this small business owner for refusing to allow these criminals to harm her, her customers or employees.  While care must always be taken before using any type of firearm for self-defense, this is a text book example of how firearms in the hands of responsible citizens helps to deter crime.  Without this brave woman's actions, there's no telling how many lives might have been needlessly lost or impacted.  Instead, we have five frightened rats scampering out into the street.  Well done, ma'am."

BWAAAHAHAHAHA!  In California?!!!  Right!  Oooo oooo, I think I pee'd myself with that one...

My favorite part?  It's a toss up between the shot of the little old lady trotting down the aisle towards the big bad robbers, OR the 5 rat maggots looking like a "3 Stooges Plus 2" movie audition when they were all clustered at the door trying to get out.  Both were priceless.

Accept The Challenge

This is yet another example demonstrating that when you push back on the bad guys, they run.  In general, robbers and thiefs are cowards.  They put a lot of effort into identifying "soft targets" - potential victims that will offer little or no resistence.

I'd guess this jewelry store met all of their criteria:  Lots of small sized, high value merchandise.  Easily converted into cash.  Low risk - it's run by some little old lady.  Let's get it on!

All that went to hell when she pulled her gun and demonstrated she wasn't afraid to use it.  Those maggots were literally falling over each other to get out of the store.

Lesson:  Have a gun.  Have a plan on how and when to use it.  Practice your plan.  Don't hesitate in implementing your plan if you're in fear for your life or the life of another.
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Related thought (h/t aherdofturtles.blogspot.com via The Woodpile Report):   Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.

Amen to that.

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Copyright 2012 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. Please note that in addition to owning Bison Risk Management, Chief Instructor is also a partner in a precious metals business. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com