Bank Holidays and What They Lead To

Most folks know about Bank Holidays.  It's Govermentspeak for shutting down a bank (or banks).  A government usually authorizes these "holidays" when there is a concern that there will be a run on a country's banks.

I heard about this on the radio yesterday, but the only online source I could find was a link in the Drudge Report [link] that is to an Italian site (translated).  It seems as though the Bank Of Italy has called a bank holiday -

Adiconsum Bank of Italy asks for an urgent meeting and the lifting of The Bank of Italy authorized the suspension of payments by Bank Network Investments SpA (BNI) without communicating anything to the depositors.

If you can't get access to your cash, or if your bank won't honor checks or debit card transactions, you're pretty much screwed.

Think for a second what has been going on in Europe as of late.  Greece, Spain, France and a handful of other countries have already limited the maximum amount that may be spent with physical cash.  They are supposedly doing this to catch tax cheats.

Here in the US, those Wascally Wabbits in the White House and Congress tried to bury in Obama Care the requirement for US companies to report - via 1099's - any cash any person receives each year in excess of $600.  What would have happened is that when you sold precious metals to a coin shop, or a lawn mower to a pawn shop or a used car to a car lot, for any value, your name, address and Social Security number would have had to have been recorded.

Why for any value?  The 1099 law requires that a cumulative $600 in payments must be reported.  If you receive payments of $50 for 12 straight months, it must be reported in the aggregate.  The only way that can be done is if ALL payments are recorded.

The 1099 requirement was rescinded because small business across the country when nuts.  The paperwork requirements for mom-and-pop shops were wildly unreasonable and expensive.  For now, it's been overturned, but I absolutely, positively guarantee you that it will be resurrected at some point in the future.  That big sucking sound emanating from DC must be fed.

Just like real estate in America, you don't really own your money.  Nanny let's you use it when she sees fit.  If she needs it more than you do, she'll just take it.
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To combat this, the rational person would say, "Hmm.  Since the government is limiting access to all of the things I need or want, I'm going to store all of those things up in advance."

That doesn't sit well with those in power.  Independently thinking and acting serfs tend to muddy the waters.  They throw sand into the gears.  This isn't in the best interest of Nanny.

TPTB can't make money, food or other goods strictly illegal.  They just want to control access.  What they can do is to demonize those that have More Than Their Fair Share.

Only drug dealers hoard cash.  When cops make huge drug busts, what is on the big press conference table?  Stacks of drugs and stacks of cash.  Cash = Drug Dealers.

Only terrorists hoard precious metals.  Osama bin Laden had gold Krugerrands sewn into the lining of his clothing.  Precious Metals = Terrorists.

Only Enemies Of The State hoard guns, ammo and food.  When Radical Extremists are arrested, their "cache" of guns and ammo are reported.  "Mr. Menace To Society had thousands of rounds of ammunition."  What they fail to mention is that Mr. Menace picked up a couple of bricks of .22 LR at Walmart the day before.  Anything more than one gun and one box of ammo is considered a cache.  And a cache is ominous.  Stored Goods = Whacko.

You demonize an act of self-interest as a threat to society.  And the sheeple slurp that slop up by the bucketful.
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Whatcha gonna do to protect your self-interest?  Hopefully, more of the same.  Store more cash outside of your bank.  Store more gold and silver (not in a safe deposit box).  Store more food, water, guns and ammo.

And keep your piehole shut about what you're doing, and where you keep your stores.  It's really that simple.

If the government keeps turning the screws, this demonization will only increase.  What it won't do is decrease the demand for these various goods.  As is happening in Europe, this "asset grab" by the State simply pushes more and more of the economy underground.  This results in even lower taxes being collected, so more self-preservation actions get demonized.

It's a self-perpetuating, vicious circle.
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To summarize:  Acquire, store, geographically disperse, and keep your mouth shut.


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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

Quick Release Scope Mount Review

It's been a bit hectic lately.  Lots of balls in the air!

A product review:  I purchased an NC Star Quick Release Scope Mount from OpticsPlanet.com [link].  What these things do is, they allow you to mount your scope to the Mount, then attach the Mount to your Weaver rail.  The idea is, you then zero in your scope and you are able to then quickly remove the Mount when you're done.  The next time you need to use that gun/scope combination, you simply snap the Mount to your Weaver rail, and you're already pre-zeroed.

In theory.

A problem I've been having is storing my gun in its case.  If I have either of my scopes - red-dot or hunting - it won't fit into the case.  Sux.

So, I wanted to be able to quickly switch between scopes and not have to re-zero every time.

This Mount costs right around $35.  I'd seen them upwards of $400, and wasn't going to spend that kind of money, at least not until I'd given a cheap one a try.  Plus, I'd read dozens of favorable reviews about the NC Star mount.

NOTE:  The mount comes with NO INSTRUCTIONS.  Idiots.  Thankfully, a bunch of the reviews had noted this.  There is only one tricky thing you need to be worried about - it has to do with a set screw and nut.  Just go slowly, and you'll be fine.

Anyways, I got the bad boy mounted.  I was using my Kel-Tec SU-16CA (5.56mm) with a very inexpensive BSA 4x12 power scope (under $100).  At home, I chambered a "laser cartridge" to pre-zero the scope.  I wanted to at least be in the vicinity when I started sending real rounds down range.

[BTW, I got one of the NC Star AR Riser and Quick Release Weaver Mount [link] at the same time for my red-dot scope.  $25.]

I got to the range and initially set up at 50 yards.  The proverbial "broad side of a barn" was not at risk (more on that later).  Finally got it zeroed, and moved the target out to 100 yards.

The Kel-Tec has an integrated bi-pod, which I used.  I was seated at a table.  The rifle was then shouldered and supported by my forearms under the stock.

The first shot at at 100 yards was down at 5 o'clock in the 8 ring.  Adjusted the elevation and windage.  Second shot was at 10 o'clock, also in the 8 ring.  Elevation adjusment brought it down to the 9 o'clock position in the 9 ring.  Windage adjustment put me in the 10 ring (don't remember which shot).  Took 3 more shots, all in the 10 ring.

I then removed the Quick Release Mount, then re-attached it.  Four more shots in the 10 ring! [BTW, this is an 8" target, with the 10 ring having a diameter of 2 1/2 inches].

The mount worked as publicized.
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The target was one of three I had mounted on a 2-foot by 2-foot piece of cardboard.  The targets were placed in a evenly spaced diagonal row from the upper left hand corner down to the lower right hand corner.  The target shown above was in the lower right hand corner.

When I was trying to zero in at 50 yards, as I noted above, I couldn't find the target.  This, despite the fact that I had supposedly pre-zeroed the scope (at 15 yards) at home with the laser cartridge.

I was firing at the center target.  If you notice on the image above, I have one of the hole patches at about 10:30 in the 8 ring.  THAT was from my shots at the center target!

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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

Emphasizing The "Self" in "Self-defense"

I've had guns on my mind lately.  Well, self-defense weaponry of all sorts, actually.

Next week, I'm giving a talk to a couple of local Neighborhood Watch groups in a city with a very high crime rate.  One of the highest in the SF Bay Area.

One of their representatives contacted me shortly after the Trayvon Martin shooting in Florida.  And they want to talk about guns.  I'm a bit apprehensive, to say the least.

I've been putting together a Power Point presentation that I'll use to guide me through the talk - which will cover knives, pepper spray, stun guns, Tazers, handguns, shotguns and rifles.

Part of what I'm going to discuss is crime statistics.  If you listen to the .GOV types, things are peachy-keen.  Crime is down to historic lows.  Yippee!

But you look at the local newspapers, and every day - without exception - there are multiple stories about local murders or shootings.  Reality doesn't foot back to the statistics.

I guess if they can fudge the economic data, they can fudge the crime data as well.

I ran across this piece by Thomas Sowell [link] that might explain some of it -

Similar episodes of unprovoked violence by young black gangs against white people chosen at random on beaches, in shopping malls or in other public places have occurred in Philadelphia, New York, Denver, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, Los Angeles and other places across the country. 

Both the authorities and the media tend to try to sweep these episodes under the rug as well.

A specific example -

In Milwaukee, for example, an attack on whites at a public park a few years ago left many of the victims battered to the ground and bloody. But, when the police arrived on the scene, it became clear that the authorities wanted to keep this quiet. 

One 22-year-old woman, who had been robbed of her cellphone and debit card and had blood streaming down her face said: "About 20 of us stayed to give statements and make sure everyone was accounted for. The police wouldn't listen to us; they wouldn't take our names or statements. They told us to leave. It was completely infuriating."

An unreported crime is one that never officially happened.  I thought that choice was up to the victim, though, and not the police.

Oh, and for those of you who are unaware, Thomas Sowell isn't some jack-booted, black-hating, skin-head white supremacist.

He's a black man.
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Unlike the rest of the media, Sowell sees what's going on, and takes it head-on.  If there's a problem, let's address it.  You can't just click your ruby-heeled slippers and hope it all goes away.

Trying to keep the lid on is understandable. But a lot of pressure can build up under that lid. If and when that pressure leads to an explosion of white backlash, things could be a lot worse than if the truth had come out earlier and steps had been taken by both black and white leaders to deal with the hoodlums and with those who inflame the hoodlums.

This guy, for totally different reasons, sees what could be coming as well - VERY UNSAFE FOR WORK OR CHILDREN.  SERIOUSLY!




When was the last time you went to the range?  How about your spouse?  Your kids?

Confidence doesn't keep you alive and safe.  Skills do.
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I had a first on Saturday for my introductory gun class:  3 couples (I limit my intro class to 6 students).  I found that interesting in and of itself, but the after-class chat was revealing.

Two of the couples were white.  One in their early 60's and one in their late 40's/early 50's.  The other couple was Hispanic in their 20's.

I tell all of my students that I'll always stay after class as long as they need me to answer any questions they may have that aren't covered in the class.  Most that stick around want more specifics on how to select and purchase a handgun.

One of the white couples took off right after class.  The other white couple already owned a gun, asked a couple of questions, then took off.  The Hispanic couple stayed around for a half hour.

What caliber?  Handgun vs. shotgun?  Concealed vs nightstand gun?  Revolver vs semi-auto?  I asked them a number of questions to help them make their own decision.  They thanked me and left.

After I cleaned up my classroom, I popped out to the lobby of the gun range, and there they were.  They'd just finished taking the test for their Handgun Safety Certificate (required in CA before you can buy a handgun) and were plopping down some bucks for a gun.

I turned around and ran into another Hispanic woman who had taken my intro class a month ago.  With her husband and daughter.  The three of them, plus her uncle have signed up for one of my advanced Practical Defensive Pistol classes.  They, too, were buying guns.

My point?  I think Hispanics are taking this possible "race/economic justice/I want my fair share/gang banger" war threat a lot more seriously than a lot of whites. Especially whites at or reaching retirement age.

At least in my little corner of the gun training world, Hispanics are taking more of the advanced classes in comparison to their demographic representation in the SF Bay Area.
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One more thing to think about:  What if you find yourself in a shooting situation, where the object of the shooter isn't to steal something or to escape, but is just to shoot and kill?

This article [link] goes more into the specifics of this Active Shooter class attended by the author, but it's something to think about.

We talked about some of the differences between your average robbery and an active shooter. Fundamentally, the active shooter is there to shoot people. He's not using violence as a means to and [sic] end in the way that a robber is (the end being your money), the violence is an end in itself. He's also very likely to be suicidal, or at least willing, or planning, to die in the course of events. This means strategies that involve dissuading or deescalating the situation are unlikely to work and we're more likely to have to achieve physical incapacitation, rather than relying on pain or fear.

Irrational, crazy person with nothing to lose.   Just looking to inflict some pain and damage.  Doesn't care if he lives or dies.

I dunno, like if he can't find a job and his government payment days are coming to an end.  Or he's lost his house, his car, his family, his friends.  His dignity.  He might be listening to a black power or white power or la raza preacher, and figure he's "a chosen one" - "Preacher's talkin' to me!"

He could be wrapped up with some, "end of days" cult, or Mayan calendar sect.  He could be persuaded by a Muslim imam, a Baptist minister or a Catholic priest to help cleanse the world before the fiery end.

It takes all types.  It could be any or all of them.

Things seem to be wound up pretty tight in our world right now.  NATO protest, more Occupy (fill in the blank) protests, Canadian protests, Greek protests, French protests, German protests, Camp David protest.

Might be a good time for YOU to think how you'd handle such a situation.
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The neighborhood watch group will get much of the standard fare:  Situational awareness, distance from violence is your friend, and fight like a crazed banshee if you're forced into it - get out of there, THEN call the cops.

I'll talk a bit about how their city is basically broke, and police services have been cut to the bone.  Emphasize the "self" in "self-defense".

I will actually spend more time on the "non-lethal" pepper spray, stun guns and Tazers than on handguns and long guns.  Since virtually no mere citizen in this city has the ability to get a concealed carry permit, if someone in the Watch group has a handgun on them outside of their home, it's likely illegal.

Now, I won't encourage them to break the law, but I sure as hell won't say or imply I agree with our state's insane gun laws.  They've got to walk that path alone.

And I'll encourage them to have multiple back-up with them at all times.  Assume failure.  A twist on an old saying:  Walk softly and carry a big spare magazine.


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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

Bites Of Elephant

Oy.  This is going to be a connect-the-dots article.  I'm going to try and feed you an elephant - one bite at a time.  The first couple of bites:

The US federal government spent $3.8 trillion in 2011.

They took in $2.2 trillion in tax receipts.

They borrowed the other $1.6 trillion.  This is equal to 40% of every dollar spent.  It's called the Federal Deficit.

Of the $1.6 trillion we borrowed, the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) provided 62% of that, or $1 trillion.  This is called Monetizing Debt.

As Wikipedia explains:

Monetizing debt is thus a two-step process where the government issues debt to finance its spending and the central bank purchases the debt, leaving the system with an increased supply of base money.

The FRB literally created that $1 trillion out of thin air.  They simply pushed keys on a computer.

Again, Wikipedia -

In this latter case where bonds are placed with the central bank, the central bank will create the needed money by conducting an open market purchase, i.e. by increasing the monetary base through the money creation process.

When the FRB engages in this practice of creating money, it's called Quantitative Easing (or QE).


Sounds so civilized and proper.

Just like with any other item, if more of that item is introduced into the market, identical items that currently exist lose value.  With money, this process is called Inflation.  Each dollar has less value, thus it takes more of them to buy whatever you need.
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OK, let's digest some of that elephant.  Think of our federal government as a household.  It's in over its head - living beyond its means.  Like an enabling parent, it just can't say "No".  Whichever dead-beat kid asks for a couple of bucks, they get it.

There is no concept of, "Tough Love".  "Sorry, honey, you've got to make your own way in the world now.  You're going to have to get your own housing, your own food, your own condoms, you're own healthcare, your own education, your own clothing."

It sounds so harsh and heartless.  These are not emotions that politicians want associated with their re-election campaigns, so they buy the votes - with your money.  They provide MORE government housing, MORE government food, MORE government healthcare.

Instead of expenditures decreasing to meet revenue, they go in the opposite direction.

Each year that we have a Federal Deficit, that amount is added to the Federal Debt.  Our accumulated Federal Debt now stands at over $15.7 trillion.  That equals more than $138,000 per taxpayer.

But wait!  There's more!  We also have a much less discussed, but massively greater set of social service promises that are going to be damned near impossible to meet.  When you combine the unfunded liabilities (promises) made for Social Security, Prescription Drugs and Medicare, we have another debt of  $118.7 trillion.  Seriously.  That equals more than $1 million per taxpayer.

I believe they will accept personal checks for your portion....
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If you looked at the markets over the last couple of days, you'd see stocks and precious metals taking a beating.  Precious metals, in particular, move in the opposite direction of the dollar.  When the dollar gets weak, PMs get strong, and vice versa.  Something is causing the dollar to get stronger.  How can this be?  If the FRB is printing up all of this money, the dollar should be dropping, not rising.

Welcome to the world economy.

The European Union (EU) is crashing.  A number of countries over there are hurting.  Badly.  Collectively, they're called the PIIGS nations - Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain.

Many of you have heard of the riots, etc., going on in Greece.  The government tries to cut back on it's social services promises, and the people are pissed off.  Stuff gets broken and burned.

Over the past few days, we've seen changes in the governments in Greece and France.  Both countries voted in Socialist leaders.  The people have elected politicians that are saying they will not institute the harsh austerity programs needed to balance their budgets.  They'll balance them by taxing the rich (all this sound familiar?).

You may be saying to yourself, "BFD - let those idiots crash and burn.  I don't have anything to do with those European commie bastards!"

Ahh, but you do.
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Time to loosen your belt.  Some more bites of that elephant -

Like the US, the countries in the EU borrow to pay their bills.  This is called Sovereign Debt.

Many buyers/investors of this debt want to be assured that they will get all of their investment funds returned to them in case one of these countries defaults on their promise to repay.  To do this, certain companies - usually private banks - issue a sort of insurance policy called a Credit Default Swap (CDS).  If the sovereign debt is not paid as promised, the CDS policies make up the difference.

Worldwide, there are approximately $700 trillion in CDSs.  The 9 largest US banks hold about 1/3 of that balance - $228 trillion [link with awesome graphic].

None of these US banks has any reserves available to pay CDS claims should that become necessary (as it was when Greece defaulted on their debt earlier this year).

Uhm, YIKES!
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Soooooooo, if EU countries default, US banks will go teats up.

Well, they would if the FRB wasn't there to bail them out. Ever heard the term, Too Big To Fail?

The US government simply will not allow these banks to fail.  Ain't gonna happen.

We'll create more money, and pass it along to Europe.

As I noted back in November ("Why You Need To Care About The EU"), here's what I think will happen -

The third option would be to use a third-party bag man to deliver the cash. Oh, like maybe the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We'll dump buckets-o-fiat-currency into the IMF, and they'll pass it off to the EU countries that are gasping for breath.

Along the same lines, the Federal Reserve may open up a big-assed line of credit for the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep things afloat. Same thing as the IMF route, just using a different bag man.

Since we're not currently flush with excess cash to pay for all of this, Uncle Ben Bernanke will flip on his laptop, and just create the needed funds. Expect lots of commas and zeroes in the number.

This will exacerbate the inflationary effects of QE. It's a vicious, vicious circle.  Bad debt begets more debt.  We're trying to borrow our way out of an economy which can't fix itself because the government won't let the rotten parts die.
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The EU cratering also makes it likely PMs will still suffer for a while.  How far and how long is anybodies guess.  Personally, I don't think it's going to be much, as I think the market has already priced in the EU crashing.

I could be totally wrong - this could be 100% wishful thinking.

At least PMs (and land) have never been worth zero.  You can't say the same thing about fiat currencies.
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OK, Chief, the world is coming to an end.  Now what?  How can all of this debt get unwound?

The plan of the FRB was that by injecting all of this cash into the economy, it would stay afloat long enough for jobs to be created.  With jobs comes spending and taxes.  Sales tax and income tax.  The government would take those taxes, pay down the debt and all would be well again.

BUT, if jobs aren't created, the "plan" won't work.  It can't work.  Consumers make up 70% of our economy.  If you don't have a job, you ain't buyin' stuff.  No income or sales tax.

Our country is like a body wracked with diabetes.  We're over-weight and out of shape.  Some of our toes are losing circulation and need to be chopped off.  But we really, really like those toes.  Instead of changing our lifestyle to improve our circulation, we do something to reduce the pain.  A shot of this numbing drug, or a pill to "take the edge off".

The toes continue to rot.  You don't want to look at them.  They're getting pretty ugly, but you'll just ignore them, and things will get better.  Hey, you were actually able to move your big toe a couple of days ago - things are looking up!

The toes turn black with rot, and it moves up into the foot, calf and leg.  Soon enough radical surgery is needed to try and save what's left of the leg.  But you really like that leg, and just take more drugs.  Keep yourself numb enough, and you don't feel the pain.

The rot is starting to spread.  The other foot is looking gnarly.  Your fingers have lost all function.  More drugs to numb the pain.

And so it goes.  When do you make the decision to chop off the bad parts - and save the body?  Or do you just continue to let the rot spread to the whole?
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We've got to get all of this money that coursing through the world's economy, out of circulation.  One way you do this would be to restrict the money supply.  The FRB does this by raising interest rates.  But that's a dual-edged sword.

Raising rates extends to all facets of the economy.  The few qualified borrowers that are out there now would be further reduced.  If you don't have money to grow or maintain your company, you go out of business, or cut back.  Both result in lower taxes for the government.

Additionally, the US Treasury would now need more money to pay the higher rates on T-bills.  Since tax receipts would be reduced because of the tightening of the economy, they'd have to borrow MORE money, digging a deeper hole.

A "pay down" of the debt in this economy - or even a normal economy - will never happen.  We simply can't tax the country enough to make a dent.  I guess if we had enough lame duck members of congress and the White House, we might be able to come up with a budget where expenditures were less than revenues. 

Pigs will fly the same day that budget is passed.

We could nationalize all of the assets of the rich in the country.  As soon as that happened, people would "Go Galt" en masse and the economy would implode.

To pay it off, I can think of only one realistic option. The ONLY way the US Federal Debt will ever be paid off is if our economy goes absolutely crazy.  Unprecedented levels of productivity.  Something to spur the economy that has proven successful in the past.

Like if you had a war or something.  A big 'un.  Hmm.  I can just seem them now in DC:  "Hey, it's worked before.  What have we got to lose?"
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You folks know my plan is as much preps as I can store, with the rest in precious metals and productive land.  

If the government continues on its current path, this makes sense.  If we purposely start a massive world war, I've got no idea.  That's some elephant I need to digest...
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[Just as I was proof-reading this rather lengthy piece, I came across a "surprise" announcement from JP Morgan (Chase Bank).  It seems that they just took a $2 billion loss.

On CDSs gone bad [link].

Surprise. Looks like someone just burped up a chunk of elephant. ]

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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

Holster Review

A few months ago, I had a private email conversation with a fellow blogger about holsters.  She is a CCW holder and I wanted a woman's perspective on holsters, as a greater number of women are taking my gun safety and skills classes.  She turned me on to The Smart Carry Holster [link].

I've got to admit, my initial impression was not favorable.  The holster is a, "lower abdomen concealed carry" variety.  Essentially, you've got this pouch that hangs below your belt (inside your pants) that holds a gun.  I wasn't crazy about the idea of having a loaded gun pointed at my "junk"!

A couple of weeks ago, I was having a conversation with one of my employees in the PM store, and his "reenactment" of his story had him doing a mock pistol draw.  Instead of going towards his strong-side belt holster, he went to the front of his body.  He was wearing one of these things (or something similar)!

This employee is a former big-city police officer, so I figured that if he felt comfortable wearing one, the holster at least deserved another look.

So I bought one.  They make a bunch of different models.  I got the Security "V" style for a Glock 26.  The "V" style has a little bit less fabric used in the holster than the regular Security model.  The valuables pocket is at the rear of the holster instead of up front.  Just seems like you'd have less chance of "patterning" with this style.

So, I gave it a run this weekend.  Two thumbs up!  I wore it all day Saturday while teaching one of my sons and his buddy how to do All-Grain brewing (they've "graduated" from using liquid malt extract.... I'm getting all dewy eyed....).  It was very comfortable and totally concealed.  We even talked about guns and holsters during the brew - in an attempt to garner a comment such as, "Hey dad, you packin'?" - but not a peep was made.

Yesterday, we did a family gig at my mom's house, and the same thing - nuthin'.  I was wearing a dress shirt with the shirt untucked, so seeing the holster would have been a bit more difficult.  Comfort-wise, it rocked.  Went the entire day without really knowing it was there.
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One suggestion for the guys.  If at all possible, instead of having the barrel directly centered on your body, slide the holster to the right.  No pinching or uncomfortable pressure when you're sitting down or standing up.

'Nuff said.....
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 While the holster is designed to be worn low on the hips, the female blogger I chatted with actually wears it up high ABOVE her waist.

A snip from her email to me (while still protecting her privacy)

This may not be a perfect fit for all women, but I've been using my husband's Smart Carry holster, I just don't wear it according to instructions. The thing with inside-the-waistband/belt holsters is that the waist on most women's jeans are way lower than mens....at least a good 4-6 inches beneath the navel/natural waistline. So without being too graphic...slide your belt 6 inches below your waist, strap on a .45 and then try to bend over to pick something up. If you're short (like me) you almost have to do a pregnancy-type squat. So I cinched the Smart Carry around the smallest part of my waist, then tucked only the bottom 2 inches of the holster into my waistband to keep it stable. It doesn't shift around at all and it's quite comfortable. I've been wearing it around the house to kind of get a feel for it and so far, it hasn't gotten in the way or affected the way I function.

There ya go, ladies!
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Pros:

• You can tuck your shirt in and still carry and access a gun at your waist.  No need to wear a coat or vest in the middle of summer any more!
• Virtually no patterning of the gun.
• It could be worn at any occasion other than an event requiring you wear a bathing suit (how DO you "pack" to a pool party?!), or something requiring the proverbial Little Black Dress.

Cons:

• Forget wearing tight jeans.
• Drawing the gun is a bit different than it is from a traditional holster.  Four or five practice runs (with an empty gun) got the technique down.

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Finally, I LOVE the little business card-sized pro-2A card that was included in the package.  To be left at Gun Free Zone  Free-Fire, No Resistance Allowed Businesses:

Side 1:

I am FBI Certified

My concealed carry permit proves I've had:

• A full background check
• No mental impairments
• No domestic violence, Felony or Drug Convictions

Do you know this much about your other patrons or employees?

ARMED CITIZENS SAVE LIVES

Side 2:

Criminals prefer defensless victims!

False Sense of Security Zone

Prohibiting self-defense without "securing" your zone is neglegence

You may be CRIMINALLY LIABLE for the safety of patrons and employees

Criminals won't obey your "no guns" sign

I WILL

Your Competitiors Thank You!

FirearmsCoalition.org


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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

That's Just Crazy Talk

Just saw this new video. Crazy talk. Conspiracy theories. You'd have to be nuts to take this nonsense seriously.



Of course, all of this is new to America. No one could have ever seen any of this coming...



Nah, nuthin' goin' on here. Move along, move along. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...

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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

It's As Simple As Trust

 I get this monthly security newsletter - Crypto-gram [link].  It's written by this uber-geek named Bruce Schneier and is primarily focused on computer security.  Increasingly, though, it has ventured into government security measures against terrorism.  If I could do a quikee summary of his views on these measures, it would be that governments around the world are a bunch of bumbling boobs.

All sizzle, no steak.

He was recently having an online debate with a former TSA administrator on the British Economist website.  As Schneier has done many times in the past, he simply destroys the (il)logic of the TSA security measures -

He [the former TSA administrator] wants us to trust that a 400-ml bottle of liquid is dangerous, but transferring it to four 100-ml bottles magically makes it safe. He wants us to trust that the butter knives given to first-class passengers are nevertheless too dangerous to be taken through a security checkpoint. He wants us to trust the no-fly list: 21,000 people so dangerous they're not allowed to fly, yet so innocent they can't be arrested. He wants us to trust that the deployment of expensive full-body scanners has nothing to do with the fact that the former secretary of homeland security, Michael Chertoff, lobbies for one of the companies that makes them. He wants us to trust that there's a reason to confiscate a cupcake (Las Vegas), a 3-inch plastic toy gun (London Gatwick), a purse with an embroidered gun on it (Norfolk, VA), a T-shirt with a picture of a gun on it (London Heathrow) and a plastic lightsaber that's really a flashlight with a long cone on top (Dallas/Fort Worth).

There are two things going on here.  First, government can only grow if there's a real or manufactured need.  Governments are true believers in the axiom of, "If a little is good, lots must be better."  If there's not a real need to be filled, they manufacture one.

The War On Terror.  The War On Drugs.  The War On Smoking.  The War On Unpasteurized Milk Products.  The War On Obesity.  The War On Bulimia.  The War on Transfats.  The War On Salt.  The War On Sugar.

The War On Terror would have been a non-event if we had simply enforced our border and immigration laws.  Even after 9/11, it could have been addressed by acknowledging the screw-up and fixing the problem.

But there's no money in that.  Defense contractors and big-government advocates couldn't let this opportunity pass.  It was a great opportunity for bought-and-paid-for representatives from both sides of the aisle to come together in unity.  We now have this behemoth called The Department Of Homeland Security.

At the time of its inception, every damned "conservative" I read or spoke with though the DHS was a great idea.  Every damned one of them.  Gonna keep us safe from them godless ragheads!  Constitution be damned.

Most liberals went along with the program because the conservatives had grabbed the national spotlight, and the libs cared more about re-election than principles.
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The second thing going on here is trust - or the lack thereof.  Government doesn't trust "the people", and we don't trust the government.  Schneier made this observation in his Economist debate -

Trust is fundamental to society. There is an enormous amount written about this; high-trust societies are simply happier and more prosperous than low-trust societies. Trust is essential for both free markets and democracy. This is why open-government laws are so important; trust requires government transparency. The secret policies implemented by airport security harm society because of their very secrecy.

I've stated a gazillion times that I trust the judgement of the individual over the judgement of a government bureaucrat.  But again, there's no money in that.

If drugs were returned to their original legal status, huge portions of our government would be put out of business  As was true before Drug Prohibition - and as has been proven true in countries that have reduced or eliminated these prohibitions - society doesn't disintegrate when drugs are freely available.  People who formerly abstained from pot, crack, meth, heroin and the like don't suddenly become addicts.

Their judgement tells them they may end up face-down in the gutter, and that's not where they want to go.  They don't need some bureaucrat telling them it's stupid.  Why am I being treated like a child?

Many people are seeing the monster we've built.  They look at the Constitution and compare it with what's going on around them.  They try and reconcile how we can have random DUI checkpoints and the Fourth Amendment at the same time.  No law has been broken, no property damaged, no probable cause exists, no warrant has been served, yet they must submit to a search of their person and property.

Their trust in "the system" begins to wane.

They hear stories of how only about half of income earners actually pay income tax.  How can that be?  They themselves work more but take home less of the additional earnings.  The government keeps asking everyone to pay their, "fair share" but they begin to wonder, "How much is enough?"

Stories of waste and abuse filter into their consciousness.  Government loans to businesses -and big campaign contributors - that crash soon after the money has been spent.  Watchdog agencies - the GSA for goodness sake - living it up in Vegas, and flaunting the fact that they're pissing away OUR money.  Secret Service and military members buying hookers while on the job.  What the hell?

Their trust in the judgement of the government takes another hit.

Maybe, just maybe, the government isn't going to be able to live up to its promises.  They don't trust the math that's been belched their way.  Social Security and Medicare have been on shaky ground for as long as they can remember.  Bunches of states, counties and cities are either bankrupt or nearly so.  Best case would seem to be a reduction in promised payments.  Worst case would mean we end up like Greece.  Riots and burning.

The government seems to understand that the trust we have in them is slipping, and so they act.  They grant themselves powers to "disappear" American citizens on a whim - no pesky trial or review necessary.  They provide local police agencies with military-grade armored personnel carriers.  They purchase 450 million rounds of ammunition.  Not target practice ammunition, but hollow point ammo designed to put people down.  Stories of FEMA camps abound.  TSA Viper squads are already established. The arbiter of our laws - the Supreme Court - says we can be subjected to a body cavity search for ANY infraction.  Think about that the next time you're pulled over for a broken tail light.

All of these are "inward looking" acts.  The threat isn't outside of our borders, but within them.  It's almost like they don't trust us.  Like they view us as the enemy and a threat to their existence.

Apparently, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed has run its course.  They seem to be anticipating a challenge to the powers they hold, just or otherwise, and like any other organism, are prepared to fight to stay alive.
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When a trust has been broken, or you've been looked in the eye and lie to - repeatedly - you begin to rethink your relationship with the liar.  When it's your government - the very people that you put in power to protect your rights - it can be difficult to accept.

Your mindset starts to change, ever so slowly.  Maybe it's time to stash a little something away or learn some new skills.  You know, nothing crazy like those nuts on Doomsday Preppers, but just a bit. 

The government comes out and says the economy is improving, but you know friends that are under-employed or have been out of work for years.  Maybe you'll pick up a bit of gold and silver.   

You're told we have no inflation, but food costs keep increasing.  You trust your wallet more than you trust the politicians.  Maybe you'll squirrel away some food. 

The government comes out with stats saying crime is going down, but it seems like whenever you open the paper, another shooting or murder has taken place in your city.  You don't trust the stats - you trust what you're seeing with your own two eyes.  Maybe you'll buy a gun and some ammo, and take a class on how to use them. 

Pretty soon, Doomsday Preppers doesn't seem quite so crazy.  Trust your gut.


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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's In Your "Personal Bank"?

It seems like the more information you get, the more muddled things become.  I believe, Information Overload, is the term.  I think, perhaps, I'm getting too far, "into the weeds" and losing perspective.  Perhaps.

Precious metals.  I love 'em.  The quick explanation of my beliefs is, until the federal government stops purposefully causing inflation, stops creating money out of thin air (also causing inflation), and starts living by a balanced budget (so I don't have taxes increased, thus reducing my purchasing power), I'll have PM's.  As much as I can afford.

Lately, I've questioned my beliefs.  Is the money I've got tied up in PMs going to vaporize - be nothing more than shiny metal?  The stock market keeps chugging along - have I missed that boat?

Lots of folks are hesitant to buy PMs for a number of reasons.  The two biggest are future confiscations and the current (perceived) high prices. 

I'm not worried one little bit about either of these things.  I don't think confiscations will ever happen.  This video pretty well explains my views.



There are just too many other "easy pickin's" out there for the government to hit before they'd come after your gold or silver. Most importantly, if you buy your gold from private parties, or face-to-face IN CASH from bullion dealers, no record of your purchase will ever exist.

If a call similar to that which occurred in 1934 is made by the government, just twiddle your fingers and whistle Dixie.
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The high price argument is a bit more sticky. When customers come into our shop, we tell them we have no way of predicting or influencing the price of PMs. None whatsoever.  Buy today, and your PMs may crash in value tomorrow.

Buying PMs is a matter of faith. Having faith that the government will continue its current path. If you honestly believe that they will stop creating money out of nothing, and will establish AND stick to a balanced budget without imposing obscene taxes, then you absolutely, positively should not buy PMs.

A key mental perspective you MUST have is that PMs are a long-term hold asset. If you have got to look at the spot prices each day -stress out on dips and are elated with spikes- you're going to end up in the loony bin.

When you make a PM purchase, it needs to be thought of as your "last resort" money. Like a 10-year CD in a bank. Just like that CD, you should only buy when all of your other needs have been taken care of - food, water, medical, guns, ammo, land.

Also keep in mind that all governments have a vested interest in keeping the price of PMs down.  High gold prices mean a weak(er) dollar, for instance.  That should be an item you mull over before you plunk everything you've got into PMs.  Governments will do all they can to keep or force prices down.

I'm a big believer in the concept of "dollar cost averaging".  Commit to buying a certain portion of your target amount each month.  If you're going to buy $1,000 or $10,000 or $100,000 in gold, spread that purchase out over 3 months, 6 months or a year.  Whatever time horizon makes you comfortable.
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Many think that having other tangible forms of wealth - food, wood, guns, ammo and land - is the way to go.


I agree, up to a point.

You can only realistically store so much wheat and ammo.  Unless you have a warehouse facility on your property, you're somewhat limited.  You need to represent your accumulated wealth in other ways.

Land is an awesome option.  Especially land from which you can provide for yourself.  Fruits, vegetables, animals.  This, right now, is at the top of my To Do list.

But you're immobile and vulnerable.

History has shown us that governments will do pretty much whatever they want to you and your possessions.  Ask the Jews in Nazi Germany or the Japanese in America how being a large land owner turned out for them.

If you and your family must "bug out" you can only take so much food and ammo with you.

If the land is taken via eminent domain or for a failure to pay taxes which have been jacked up to pay for the nanny state, you're screwed.  All of your eggs are in one basket, and it just got taken from you at the point of a gun.

Yep, you can point a gun back in their direction, but it will be your last act on this earth.  And honestly, I think it's an option more and more folks will take.

Or you can live, and fight another day.
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Here is my biggest concern:  Cash becoming illegal.  It's not as far-fetched (or distant) as you may think.

There are two major trends taking place that are shaping up as a recipe for disaster. On the one hand, we have massively indebted governments around the world desperate for tax revenues and, on the other, steadily growing multi-trillion underground economies whose main goal is to avoid paying them.

The concept is that everything must be bought and sold via electronic means.  Credit card, debit card, checks, Paypal, Bitcoin, etc.  There are very few (if any?) legal things that must be paid for with cash.

Right now, if you sell your gold, you get cash and for the most part, the transaction is invisible unless YOU decide to make it public.  If cash is made illegal, when you sell your gold coins, the money would be put on a debit card or you'd get a check to deposit into your bank.

You've now established an electronic audit trail that could raise the eyebrows of the .gov.   Hmmmm.  How much did you pay for that gold?  Still have the receipt?  No?  Well, you then need to pay taxes on the profit you made, and since you don't have a purchase receipt, the entire amount is considered a profit.  Have a nice day, comrade.


Right now, in Italy, it is illegal to buy anything over 1000 euros in cash.  That's planned to be dropped to 300 euros.  France is at 3000 euros and Spain is supposed to be following suit.

My belief is that if this happens, people will still use PMs in the black market.  Think about the old Soviet Union (or the current Argentina).  While domestic cash was not illegal, foreign currencies were.  Yet, the mighty dollar (strong relative to other currencies) was king.

People risked prison to acquire and use dollars.  I think the same will be true of PMs.

Accept The Challenge

What ya gonna do?

Personally, I want a diverse representation of what I've worked hard to acquire.  A little bit of this, a little bit of that.  I'll re-allocate into different piles as I see fit and things change.

If the fundamentals of our economy really change, I'll sell some of my PMs.  Not all, but some.

And I'm not talking about government-produced propaganda, either.  I'm talking real job growth, not unemployment numbers that drop because people fall off the rolls after a couple of years.

I'm talking about federal budgets that propose being balanced sometime in my lifetime, PLUS seeing actual changes NOW that indicate it might actually happen.  None of this, "We'll increase spending and borrowing now, and pinky-swear we'll make cuts in the future," crap.

I'm talking about real change.  The dismantling of this nanny state and a return to being a constitutional republic.

Seeing as little if any of this will happen over the next 30 years, PMs will be a part of my personal "bank" for a long, long time...


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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

Grossed Out and PO'd

I haven't bought hamburger in 5 or more years.  I've made my own ever since I started making sausage.  Even though the Blessed USDA tells us that a certain percentages of rat hair, rat crap, rat parts and bugs is A-OK for me to consume, I won't do it.  Call me a picky eater.

And now we have the ever-appetizing, "Pink Slime".  Me thinks they need a better marketing guy working on this account.  The "insider" name for this stuff is, "Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB)".  Ah, that makes it all better.

The beef industry is in full panic mode with a, "Top 8 Myths Of "Pink Slime" [link] web page.  Hey, it's only got a "puff" of ammonia in it.  Quit yer bitchin'......
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Here's a shocking story:  There was another slaughter at a gun free zone.

OAKLAND – Police said seven people were dead and three others injured after a gunman opened fire Monday at a small Korean Christian school.

This freak first shot the front office staff then moved through the school.  Hmmm.  How might this have turned out differently if one or more of the front office staff was carrying a concealed weapon. 1,2,3,4 or more LIVING human beings, perhaps?

Isn't it the left who always hits us with, "If only one life is saved for [pick a cause] it's worth the effort"?  So shouldn't they all be out marching to have our Constitutional right to carry a gun restored?

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Sorry, it isn't always the left who does this.  It's the right as well.  USA PATRIOT act, DUI checkpoints, come to mind.

"If just one [drunk driver, terrorist] is stopped by shitting on your rights, it's worth it."

No.  It's not.  Life has risks, liberty has risks.
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Anyone keeping a tally of the number of slaughters occurring in Gun Free Zones, versus slaughters that happen in Heavily Armed Zones like police stations?

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An hour or so ago, the Federal Reserve minutes came out.  In short, they said that they didn't think the [totally manipulated] unemployment numbers were any good [HAHAHAHA!] and the economy might be in for some trouble.  Duh.

Logic says that means the economy - thus the dollar - are at risk.  In fact, it would be an occasion where the Fed would break out the old Quantitative Easing playbook, and start crankin' out dollars.  Lube up the economy really well.

Instead - illogically - the talking heads on TV are saying that the markets view this as an occasion where the Fed will tighten (?!) the money supply, making the dollar strong and PMs weak.

WTF?

Gold dropped $30+ an ounce in the blink of an eye.  Can you spell m-a-n-i-p-u-l-a-t-i-o-n?

'Splain it to me, Lucy....
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The various stock markets ALSO dropped like stones, but that makes sense, as a perceived weaker economy (or one where a visible public official acknowledges it sucks) will hurt the sales for most businesses.
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I quit.  Gimme a cave, a cot and a carbine.  This is just insane.


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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

Lox of Love

I luvs me some lox.

Lox is preserved salmon.  For me, it's one of those great preservation techniques where you extend the life of a food, while making it into something great.  Similar to homemade jam.  As good or better than the fresh food.

Anyways, lox is brain-dead easy to make.

You start with a nice piece of salmon.  I usually buy a whole salmon and produce two big halves.  This time around, I just bought a half salmon already boned out.

This piece of salmon -about 5lbs - already had all of the small pin bones removed.  If you buy a whole salmon, you'll need to feel along the inside of the flesh until you find a bone.  Using a pair of needle nose pliers, pull out all of the bones.  There'll be a lot of them.

Next, you need to de-scale the fish.  Under a faucet, find the way the "grain" of the scales goes, and use the back of a knife to go against the grain and remove the scales.  Not difficult, but pretty messy.

When you're done, pat the fish dry and mix up your cure.  It's 1/3 salt, 1/3 brown sugar and 1/3 maple syrup.

For a whole salmon, I use a cup of each.  Since this was a half salmon, I used a half cup of each.  Put all of the seasoning in a bowl, and mix it up.  It will be a thick slurry.

I cut the pointy tail portion off for my wife to eat.  I then cut the remaining filet in half.

Next, get a dish with sides at least an inch deep.  When the salt goes into the fish, it will expel the water in it.  Take a piece of plastic wrap that is at least twice as long as the dish.  Put it - centered - in the dish.  Lay the first piece of fish -skin side down - and slather half of the salt/sugar/syrup slurry on the flesh side.

Do the same to the other piece.

Place the second piece of fish - flesh to flesh - on top of the first piece.  Bring the plastic wrap from the two ends and wrap up the fish.  Take another piece that you put underneath and wrap it side to side so the whole package is wrapped up very tightly.

Now ya wait.  I generally take an old cutting board or plank, and put a couple of heavy cans on top of the fish.  This helps to expel the water in the fish.  Put the whole contraption in the fridge, and wait 3 days.

Unwrap the fish, rinse it under cool water to get all of the slurry off of it, then pat it dry.  Here's what you get -

The flesh of the salmon will be much more dense.  Unlike fresh fish where when you push it, the flesh will bounce back, this flesh will stay indented.

Get a sharp knife and start a-slicin'.  The thinner, the better -

Me, my favorite is on a nice fat bagel with cream cheese -

From what I've read, this stuff is supposed to last a couple of weeks if kept in the fridge.  Never made it that long in my house.... ;-)

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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