OODA Loop

In our normal life, we go through an information processing series whenever we're confronted with a problem or issue.  For instance, if we see some kid playing on a swing set, and he comes flying off - breaking his fall with his face - we rush over to see if he's OK and to render aid.

It's a natural series of events that we don't really think about.  We just do it.

In reality, we go through a series of steps called OODA - Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.

In our example above, we Observe the kid go flying and land on his face.

Without thinking, we also Oriented ourselves to the surrounding scene:  Did the kid pick himself up immediately and brush himself off?  Did the kid's mom come rushing to his aid?  Is anyone else rushing towards the kid?

If the answer to all of these questions is 'no', we Decide that the kid is in trouble and needs assistance.  We then Act on all of this input and rush to his assistance.

All in the blink of an eye.
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We can use this process in our everyday lives to help set a framework for getting certain tasks completed.  What's nice is that it isn't overly structured, but just lays things out in a logical manner, and we can re-apply the Loop whenever we get stuck at any point.

For instance, let's say you want to put together a home medical kit for your preps (possible answers to the questions are in parentheses):

Observe:

• I have little more than a box of Band-aids for all emergencies.  
• If access to medical services was eliminated or reduced, I would have little or no ability to treat any sort of ailment.
• I need a home medical kit.

Orient:

• What resources are available to me - money, time, training/skills?  ($100, 3-hours a night after work, one lapsed CPR class)
• Does anyone in my family have any specialty medical needs?  (Yes - child with asthma, mother with rheumatoid arthritis.)
• What types of medical emergencies or ailments should I prepare for? (Cuts, scrapes, broken bones, dislocated joints, burns, eye injury, colds/flu, puncture wounds, deep lacerations, dental problems, head trauma, common maladies such as rashes, aches/pains, indigestion and constipation )
• Does anything need to be completed or researched before I build my medical kit? (Yes - Buy basic first aid and trauma procedure books; Research online sources of medical supplies; Sign-up for re-certification for CPR/First Aid; Look at other "pre-packaged" first aid and trauma kits to see what they contain, so I'm not overlooking anything; Research natural or non-prescription alternatives for asthma and rheumatoid arthritis problems)
• What time frames do I want to get this done within?  (2 weeks)

Decide:

• I'm not going to leave myself without the ability to render basic aid to myself or my family.
• I have the time, money, motivation and access to information resources I need to get this done.
• I'm going to build a home medical kit and get the skills and/or resources needed to render aid.

Act:

• Read first aid, trauma, dental books and websites for common lists of first aid supplies.  Build a list of suggested contents.
• Contact doctors for emergency supply of asthma and arthritis medications.  If declined, do online research and add the natural or non-prescription alternatives to the list.
• Cross check this list with typical contents of pre-packaged kits.
• Source the best prices online and compare with in-store prices
• Buy products and how-to books, and complete the kit

Take note in the Orient section about setting a deadline.  Remember:  If it doesn't have a time limit, it's not a goal, it's a wish...

Do this with any preparedness issue (or any other issue for that matter) that you want to get done.  Food storage, personal safety training, weight loss/gain, alternative energy sources - whatever floats your boat!

Accept The Challenge

We find it all too easy to procrastinate.  We know things must get done, but when we think about them, they can tend to overwhelm us, and we put it off.

Using an OODA Loop or any other type of project management/decision process tool can help get projects prioritized AND completed.

One of the keys is to break large, complex tasks into smaller, bite-sized pieces.  Structure them to give yourself some "wins" along the way to help keep your spirits up and motivation high.

If you happen to come to an impasse at any point along the path to completing your task, start a new OODA loop at that point.

In the above example, let's say your research said that peanut butter was the best non-prescription alternative to rheumatoid arthritis (I'm just making that up).  Let's say your mother will go into anaphylactic shock if she even brushes up against peanuts.  Start a new OODA Loop at that point to work through your new problem towards an acceptable solution.

Here are a couple of examples of how to continually re-evaluate a situation using the OODA Loop.

Image Credit:  Patrick Edwin Moran/GNU

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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Joining California Prepper's Network

I am honored to have been asked to contribute to the California Preppers Network.  They are the California state site of the American Preppers Network.  I'll be doing at least one article a week over there, in addition to my regular posts here.

All you California Preppers out there - be sure you're reading CPN on a daily basis.  The rest of you - get to your state site, or the APN site.  We've all got to stick together!

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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

College Protests Coming: "Day of Action"

This past Saturday, our post was on Civil Unrest.  I hope you read it, as all of us Californians will get a real-world chance to practice the plans and concepts this coming Thursday.

It seems that on Thursday of LAST week, there was a bit of civil unrest in action at the UC Berkeley campus.  A group of college students had spent some time in a dance that evening.  At the end of their night, "more than 200 people spilled out of a dance party on campus and trashed university buildings and smashed windows along Telegraph Avenue."

I guess things got a bit out of hand -

Forty-five officers from several law enforcement agencies responded, including the Berkeley and Oakland police, and the California Highway Patrol, officials said. At least two people — current and former students — were arrested.
...

By the time police arrived they found someone had cut a chain on the fence surrounding Durant Hall, a former library in the center of campus that is closed for renovations, and hung a banner reading "March 4" above the entrance to the building, a reference to Thursday's statewide "Day of Action" to protest education budget cuts.

So, what is Lesson 1?  A riot can start out of seemingly thin air.  These people were coming from a dance, and they're suddenly trashing the campus.  The riot lasted for 5 hours!
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Lesson 2 is, Sometimes You Get Advanced Warning.  What is this March 4th, statewide "Day of Action"?

That's the day that tens of thousands of students, teachers and others are expected to attend protests. Among the plans:

— UC-Santa Cruz students, teachers and workers will gather at both entrances of the university in an effort to shut down the campus. The school's March 4 Strike Committee says it has gathered 1,700 signatures of people planning to cancel or walk out of class.

Great. A riot with 200 people took 5 hours and 45 police officers to quell.  What's it going to take if this ONE demonstration spins out of control?

Crowds outside the building continued to swell, and by about 1:30 a.m. Friday, people began to clash with baton-swinging police, throwing bottles, setting trash ablaze and breaking several windows on Telegraph.

Remember, this isn't just happening throughout the UC system.  It is going to happen at every State college, private college and Junior college in the state.  I'm guessing that the police on every college campus in California will be putting their own Civil Unrest plan into practice.  Add to that the CHP and local police, and I'd bet that there will be little hesitation on their part to "keep things in check".
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Ahh, to be young and du..., well, wide-eyed. Here are some of the strike organizers talking about why they're doing this -

"What the government and the UC are trying to do is shut the doors to the campus," said Mary Virginia Watson, a graduate student and strike organizer. "One day of inconvenience is worth it."

Really? It's the UC system's plan to go out of business? You really think that's what is behind the cuts in the funding that is sending you to college for free?  There's clearly not an, "Economics and Common Sense 101" course taught at any of the UC campus'.

"Let us again make a point in the struggle against the cuts, layoffs, fee hikes, and educational segregation in California," wrote 21-year-old Joe Tran, a SJSU senior,...

Way to go, sport! Don't EVER miss a chance to play the race card. At a minimum, it will get your name in the paper and in a couple of blogs. Well done!

Oh, BTW, that card is WAY over-played. No one buys it any more. See, "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf'" for more information.  Sorry.

Accept The Challenge

We know what's coming.  We know when it's coming.  We know (generally) where it's going to be.

Your plan on Thursday should be to stay at home, if possible.  At least here in the Bay Area, it seems like we have some sort of a JC or State College Extension on every corner.  At a very minimum, stay away from any college campus in the state.  Let your friends and family know what's going on as well.

If you take public transportation, and it passes by any college, find another way to where you're going for that one day.  If you must be out-and-about, have some sort of personal defense tool - such as pepper spray.

Assume you're going to get gassed, and tuck a bandanna or N95 mask into your purse/backpack/brief case, along with some eye wash solution (not contact lens solution).

Having a portable radio with you wouldn't be a bad idea as well.  You might want to keep an eye out for your local high schools, too.  Many times, these types of protest have a tendancy to "catch fire" there as well.

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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Gun Sales To Skyrocket

***UPDATE***  Well, it seems as though I jumped the gun, so to speak.  I was reading this article on how a number of states have been making positive strides in reclaiming many of our gun rights, and this one complaining that the administration is not doing enough to rein in our rights..  As I was doing research on the subject for a post, I came across the article cited below.  I noticed the dates, saw that they were all from late-February, and went to writing the piece.

The problem is, the article cited below was from 2009.

While I do believe the administration will make moves towards restricting guns in America, they're at least not doing it this week (so far!).  I apologize for not being more careful in reviewing my material before publishing this piece.

Suburban Survivalist:  Thank you for pointing this out so diplomatically.
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Maybe the President is just looking for a win.  Maybe it's his way of diverting our attention from the horrible economy, his preposterous, "money-saving" health care plan, or the (so far) abject failure of his Cap and Trade scheme.

Maybe this is the President's way of stimulating the economy.  Just talking about "assault rifles" is going to send people streaming to guns shops and online ammo dealers to stock up while they still can.

It seems that our Attorney General wants to ban some guns.  Not a lot of them, just the evil ones -

"As President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons," Holder told reporters.

Why would you want or need to do that, Mr. AG?

Holder said that putting the ban back in place would not only be a positive move by the United States, it would help cut down on the flow of guns going across the border into Mexico, which is struggling with heavy violence among drug cartels along the border.

"I think that will have a positive impact in Mexico, at a minimum." Holder said at a news conference on the arrest of more than 700 people in a drug enforcement crackdown on Mexican drug cartels operating in the U.S.

Wait. I'm confused. I thought we already went through this. The absurd charge that truckloads of guns were going from the US into Mexico was soundly disproven.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but Holder is OUR Attorney General, not the AG of Mexico. It seems as though he's saying that the problems in Mexico are more important than the CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS of American citizens.

I'm still confused by this -

"Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades," the warning said. "Large firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico, but most recently in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez."

Uhm, "normal" Americans can't get their hands on automatic weapons and grenades. Ever since Grenades-R-Us closed down, we have to get them from illegal arms dealers just like everyone else.

Well, we all know what this is about, so I'm not going to beat this dead horse.  In their eyes, you're too stupid and dangerous to have a self-defense weapon.

Accept The Challenge

We talk a lot here about buying tangible goods.  It's always preferrable to have the items you use close at hand.  Serious as a heart attack:  If you want one of the "evil" assault rifles, get it now.  Get the ammo for it as well.

CALIFORNIANS ONLY:  Do you know what makes a rifle an Assault Rifle, at least here in CA?  It can be as simple as taking a "legal" rifle, and adding a pistol grip or a handle on the barrel.  The functionality of the gun is unchanged, it just looks "menacing".  I kid you not.   Feel safer?

Holder is also talking about the gun show "loop hole" and "cop killer" ammo.  As far as I know, ANY ammo can kill a cop, or you, or me.  Does that mean they want to ban ALL ammo?

It might also be a good time to read up on caching.  I know I've been promising an article on the subject for a couple of months - maybe this is the motivation I needed to get it posted.

Oh yeah, get some training while you're at it!

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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Civil Unrest

This is a re-print from our most recent weekly Personal Safety Newsletter.  Yes, you too can sign up and get them weekly, hot off the presses!  Click here to see our Newsletter Archive.
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Things are tense.

The economy is in a shambles. Unemployment is at historic levels.

It seems like you can't turn on the TV or read a newspaper article and not hear about a home invasion, or a shooting or some sort of violent act happening. We've got people flying planes into government offices. It's all a bit unreal.

But these are all the actions of individuals or small groups of people. What happens if that expands?

The reason this topic is being raised at this time is because of what is happening over in Europe. The causes of their civil unrest could become a reality here in the near future.

* We all remember the riots in Paris over racial, religious and economic issues. They seem to pop up every summer since 2005.
* Iceland essentially became insolvent in 2008, and the normally placid citizens rioted.
* Greece has been having riots over economic conditions since late 2008. The last one occurred earlier this week.

And the civil unrest is spreading. From the Times of London online edition (2/24/2010) -

A general strike is planned next month in Portugal after a public-sector wage freeze, while Spain is witnessing growing unrest over plans to raise the retirement age. In the eurozone's most indebted countries, collectively known by the trader acronym PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) the young are struggling to find work, the middle-aged are having their earnings squeezed and the old will see pension and benefit cuts.

What might be the reaction here in America if similar economic constraints are placed on us? Might things happen a bit more quickly here in near-bankrupt California?

How will you as an individual cope with being in the middle of some sort of civil unrest - riots, protests or a general break-down of civil society?

Remember, "mob mentality" is very different from a normal personal interaction. People, as a group, will sometimes do things they would never consider doing as individuals.

Things you can do to stay safe -

1. First and foremost, keep alert. Pay attention to the newspaper and TV and listen for mention of planned demonstrations. Unless you're planning on being part of the demonstration, try and keep away.

2. Listen for events or actions that might spark a violent protest. What high-profile trials, elections, concerts, speeches or other public events have the potential to erupt into violence? Stay away.

3. Always, always, always have your personal defense tool with you. Surprises do happen. Be prepared.

If you find yourself caught-up in the middle of a violent demonstration -

1. If the police have given orders to disburse, follow their instructions to the letter. Because of the large numbers of people, they will have no time to identify who is a participant and who is an innocent by-stander. Limit your chances of arrest, being tear gassed or worse by complying with their orders. Now is not the time to take a stand!

2. If you are the object of an attack, attempt to take cover. Do whatever you can to place large objects or structures between you and the attackers. Be careful, though, not to "paint yourself into a corner" by choosing a location with no secondary means of escape.

3. Be prepared to defend yourself. Hopefully, you will have your defensive tool with you, but grab anything that is available. You may be injured, but you must have the mental attitude that you will not give up until the danger has passed.

Next issue: Know Your Limitations

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Here's an article in my favorite magazine - Backwoods Home - that takes a bit different approach and perspective.  Great information.

Accept The Challenge

We have no way of predicting if or when, "the balloon will go up" - there are just too many variables to consider.  The best way you can protect yourself is to stay alert.  Watch for signs or events that could lead to things spinning out of control.

If you have your preps in place, and have both an Evacuation plan and a Shelter-In-Place plan, you will be in much better shape than most other people.  If not, make those preps and plans NOW.  The tensions mentioned in the article aren't going away any time soon.

Image Credit:  Rama
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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Economic Realities

I make the assumption that people who read this blog and others like it, have a genuine concern for where our country is heading, including economically.  We see friends and neighbors losing their jobs and homes, while the government tells us about, "green shoots".

We know something bad is happening.  We may not know exactly why it's happening or what we can do about it, but we certainly don't believe the Happy Talk coming from Washington and our state capitals.

Basically, we're not drinking their brand of Kool Aid.

Amazingly, there are people that don't see it.  More accurately, perhaps, they're people choosing not to see it.

We all know people like this.  If you've still got it in you, and you want to give them a detailed (albeit pretty darned long) piece on this subject, send them to this article ("The Great Recession of 2011-2012") in The American Spectator.  It is excellent.

Some snippets to whet your appetite -

The coming crisis should be no surprise, for we all have had plenty of advance warning. If it is a surprise, blame those chat-show economists who have become so politicized that they ignore the truths of their own science in order to acquire celebrity. Nor should we forget those politicians who deliberately suborn national interest for the security of zero-sum pork-barrel politicking. Combine it all with a news media largely made up of self-referential ignoramuses and it is small wonder that most of the world has been diverted as Dorothy was in Oz by the lightning bolts, explosions, and billowing smoke screen being generated by the men behind the curtain.

Right to the point, huh?

The author uses plenty of hard statistics coupled with common sense analysis. The article is more of a conversation than it is an economic dissertation. It is factual and plainly spoken.

After hearing an entire day’s worth of philosophizing by the party’s greatest minds, Reagan closed the meeting with a decision to make tax cuts a policy point for his upcoming run for the White House.

“Nancy and I always believed that if you didn’t want the kids to overspend their allowances, you didn’t give them the money in the first place.” And so it was tax cuts, which did indeed provide the investment capital needed to work the nation’s way out of economic gridlock. If he was wrong in presuming that federal deficits would be reduced, it was because neither he nor any president since has been able to restrain the 535 members of the U.S. Congress from overspending.

And he is no Republican water-carrier, either. There is absolutely no love lost for politicians of either major party.

It would have been a comfort, of course, if there were a viable opposition force in Washington (or elsewhere) to the pervasive government-fix-all philosophy that exists. But a coherent Republican Party led by folks of stature who offer meaningful solutions has vanished from our scene as abruptly as did the Whigs in the 1850s. What’s left is a hologram of a political party, dominated by second-raters who obsess over moral doctrine in an appeal to some hypothetical “base” that will keep them in the few offices they still cling to.

So, how long will this mess last? I'll let you read the article yourself to find out his beliefs. Let's just say that whatever green shoots we have right now, will be big, strong trees...

In case you think this might be a bit of hyper-ventilation on the part of some "doomer," consider this speech given yesterday - straight from lips of the president of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank -

Let me begin, then, with the national economy. You know we have been through one of the most severe and longest recessions in our nation’s history. The recovery from the recession may also end up being one of the longest in our history. In fact, it may take years just to get back to the level of output we enjoyed in 2007, just before the economic crisis began.

Some of you may think I am being too pessimistic. After all, we saw a strong GDP growth estimate for the fourth quarter of last year--nearly 6 percent at an annual rate. But I think that figure overstates the underlying strength of our economy right now.

Accept The Challenge

You know the drill:  Get your "financial house" in order.  This is going to be a long, hard slog through the mud.

One thing to remember, though, is that in every economic down-turn, opportunities WILL present themselves.  Homes and other real estate are going to continue to drop in price.  Businesses will continue to close, and assets will be auctioned.

It sucks, but it's reality.  You need to be ready to take advantage of these opportunities.

Look around you and be on the alert for opportunities.  Finding a niche and making a go of it is how YOU are able to make your own personal economy more stable.

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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Preps: Lost Records

As we've stated before, in our view, Emergency Preparedness needs to focus more on limiting negative impacts to disasters than on preparing for specific events (earthquake, hurricane, etc.).  We discussed that philosophy and those Twelve Impacts in an earlier post.  You can see all of the items in the series to this point by clicking the 12 Impacts label category.

We're going to drill down into one of the twelve impacts:  Lost Records.
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Our lives are increasingly dependent upon data and records. Most of the time, these records are used for some sort of identification or authentication, or as proof of ownership/past payment.  It is incredible how much "permission" we are required to get to live our lives.

As you look through this list of items you need for many business and government services, it will dawn on you that most people have an incredible amount of very sensitive information in their possession.

Despite the massive shift from paper-based records to electronic media, good old printed copies of records are still an effective back-up.

Will you have easy access to your records during an emergency?  Here's a partial list:

Identification:  Drivers license
Identification:  Passport
Identification:  Marriage license
Identification:  Birth certificates
Identification:  Death certificates
Identification:  Military ID
Identification:  Military Discharge
Identification:  Specialized licenses - pilot, SCUBA, EMT, Paramedic, POST
Identification:  Certifications - computer skills, training (firearms, first aid, etc.)
Insurance:  Automobile
Insurance:  Homeowners
Insurance:  Flood
Insurance:  Earthquake
Insurance:  Renters
Insurance:  Life
Insurance:  Medical
Insurance:  Boat
Insurance:  Other (liability, umbrella policy, etc.)
Legal:  Wills and trusts
Legal:  Power of Attorney
Legal:  Medical Directives
Legal:  Business and personal contracts
Medical:  Drug Prescriptions
Medical:  Eyeglass Prescriptions
Medical:  Personal Health Record (PHR)
Automobile:  License and registration
Firearms:  Sales receipt/registration information with serial number
Firearms:  Concealed Carry permit
Membership Number:  Civic organizations and clubs (i.e., Moose Lodge, Elk, NRA, Optimist, Rotary, etc.)
Data List:  Bank account numbers and contact information.
Data List:  Retirement account numbers and contact information.
Data List:  User names and passwords to email accounts, blogs, business websites, bank accounts
Data List:  Phone numbers and addresses of friends, family and other individuals you may need to contact
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Looking at the contents of the list, you should realize that this package of information contains the keys to your financial, medical and personal life.  If it were to fall into the wrong hands - either by theft, breach of trust, or by accident - your life would be an open book to the possessor of that information.

At a minimum, it would take a great deal of time to cancel and re-issue the compromised documents.  Depending upon who had access to the information, it could cost you a great deal of time, inconvenience and money.

Generally speaking, the best place for the originals of these documents is at home, locked in a fireproof safe.

What if the safe is stolen or destroyed?  During the Oakland Hills fire in 1991, it got so hot that concrete burned (let THAT image sink in).  My grandfather lost his home in that fire, and the only thing left on his lot was the fireplace.  Even his metal stair banister had melted.

So, you want to have at least one copy of your records off-site in a safe location (bank safe deposit box, trusted relative, trusted friend or cache).

About those trusted sources - be careful.  If you're going to use them, I strongly recommend that your copied records be placed in a tamper-evident bag (such as these) so you know if the records have been viewed by others. 

Another alternative is using something like a FoodSaver sealer for the records.  Obviously, a nosy relative/friend could just open the bag and re-seal it (or make another one).  One way to thwart this would be to write your name and the date across one of the seals, and a note such as, "Private Documents" over the other seal.  Be sure to do this in your own handwriting, with an indelible pen (such as a Sharpie).

Since each of  these precautions use bags that are see-thru, be sure to have a blank sheet of paper (or two, depending on how opaque the paper might be) on the top and bottom of your documents to obscure any information.

On the flip-side, if you use a public repository - such as a bank safe deposit box - your records are subject to access by government officials via a subpoena.  Your lifestyle, and the trustworthiness of your family and friends will dictate the most secure off-site location for your copied records.

We keep a third copy in our version of the Bug Out Bag.  We actually use 60 quart lidded tubs which are numbered in the order of how they should be grabbed in the event of an evacuation.  Box number 1 has a FoodSaver sealed pack of our documents.

If we have to evacuate, we'll have our records in an easily accessible form, and won't have to go fumbling to open up the safe.
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Another option - which is also something we use - is to scan your documents, and retain an image on a small thumb-drive data storage device.  If you do this technique, you MUST be sure you encrypt the information.  Otherwise, your records - in electronic form - are readily available to be distributed around the world.

I strongly recommend a FREE program called TrueCrypt.  It is a encryption program that allows you to actually set up an encrypted drive on your zip drive.  My thumb drive holds my records and the program, with TONS of space left over.

Yes, it's a bit technical in nature.  But, it is well worth the effort to learn about this.  Once you understand the concept, setting up the encrypted drive is very easy. 

If need be, you can carry all of your personal information an a thumb-drive that's on a lanyard around your neck.  Or perhaps you can give the thumb drive to your friend or relative.  Unless they know your STRONG password, they can't access the documents.

I use TrueCrypt for this purpose, as well as encrypting a drive on my work computer.  This is where I keep all of the personal sensitive information on my customers.  When they provide me with their credit card information, for instance, I scan the paper where I wrote down the information, save it on my encrypted drive, then shred the paper document.

Accept The Challenge

Regardless of the route you take - either paper-based or electronic - it is crucially important for you to have back-up copies of your important documents.  Be sure you tread very carefully, though.

As noted, this information is important to you, and can be valuable to a criminal.  Don't make your emergency preps be the cause of an emergency in your life!

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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Your Tax Dollars At Work

I've been hearing all kinds of noise in the media about all of the jobs that are being saved throughout the country as a result of the Stimulus Plan.  Something north of 2 million jobs.

I'm skeptical, to put it mildly.

I read stories of congressional districts that receive boatloads of money.  Then I read that those congressional districts don't exist.  The government said it was the result of "human error" and they fixed it right up.

But it is still happening.

Where is this money really going?  Who is getting it?

I read story after story of more jobs being saved than there are total employees!  900+ jobs saved for a company with 500 employees.  Government math at its best.

What really chaps my butt is when I see government employees are given money FOR RAISES.  Those people are then counted as saved jobs.

An Associated Press review of the latest stimulus reports — which the White House promised would undergo extensive reviews to ensure accuracy — found that more than two-thirds of 14,506 jobs credited to the recovery act under spending by just one federal office were overstated because they counted pay increases for existing workers as jobs saved.

I decided to go to Recovery.gov and take a look at what kind of money is being spent in my area.  You should do the same.  Just key in your zip code, and see where all the money is being spent in your area.

Each link you click will take you deeper and deeper into the data.  It makes for good reading and a case of indegestion.

One of the "awards" to my city was for just over $1 million.  It was to re-pave a street in town.  Take a guess on how many jobs it saved.

One.

Well, it was actually 1.15 jobs.  Go figure.  A million bucks per job save.  Geez.  Even when there's rampant mis-reporting of jobs saved, they can only dig up one for this project. 

Someone's not trying hard enough.  Maybe if they gave the job to do the counting to one of the government bureaucrats that got a raise, the numbers would be a bit higher.

If I had the time and inclination, I'd dig to see if this money had already been approved for my city BEFORE the stimulus-a-palooza started.  I think I know that answer.

Accept The Challenge

The bill will eventually come due for all of this spending.  If you're one of the few remaining tax payers, they're going to be looking to you to pay the tab.

Do whatever is possible to reduce your tax exposure.  Buy online, barter - get creative. 

Live within your means.  Uncle Sam will be coming for increasingly large pieces of your cash flow.  We can expect some sort of Euro-styled VAT tax in the future.  That will make EVERYTHING taxable, including your necessities like food. 

Grow, hunt, fish, preserve.  Stretch your dollars until they scream.


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Copyright 2010 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

More European Financial Concerns

 It seems as though our government isn't the only one that gets creative with its finances.  It seems to be "all the rage" in Europe, as well.

When the Euro was being introduced in Europe in the late 1990's-early 2000's, the member countries had to meet certain fiscal benchmarks to join the club.

For instance, they can't have a budget deficit of more than 3% of their GDP (boy, that would be nice, huh?), a debt ratio of no more than 60% of GDP and a number of other statistical measurements. 

All of these standards were meant to ensure that one member-country wouldn't be a burden on the other members - an important consideration when you're all sharing the same currency.

Concerns that Greece and other struggling European nations may not be able to repay their debts are focusing investor attention on another big worry: Economies across the Continent have used complex financial transactions—sometimes in secret—to hide the true size of their debts and deficits.

Oops.  Imagine that:  The financial arm of a government hiding what it's doing.  Hmmmm.  Where have I heard about that before?

Investors long turned a blind eye to European governments' aggressive bookkeeping, aimed at meeting the euro zone's fiscal ceilings.

Wow, European investors also looked the other way, as long as they were making some bucks, err, Euros.

To try to meet the targets, which were aimed at building trust in the stability of the euro, governments over the years have sold state assets, bundled expected future payments into securities to hawk and even, in the case of Greece, insisted to the Eurostat statistics authority that large portions of its military spending were "confidential" and thus excluded from deficit calculations.

So, they falsified public statistics to prop up their currency.  Really - I know I've heard of this same thing happening elsewhere...

Accept The Challenge

All light-heartedness aside, this has the real potential to be very ugly.  Once again, in the short-term it might cause a "move to quality" and result in a rise in the dollar.  That would produce a corresponding drop in precious metals.

The spot price of both gold and silver dropped by the end of today's trading, but only slightly.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  There may be further drops, maybe not.  The broader markets might have already accounted for a weak Euro AND the skyrocketing US debt.

News like this - systemic sovereign statistical manipulations - would normally have put the markets into a tizzy.  They reacted more like it was a slight bit of indigestion.  Trying to predict short-term trends is nearly impossible!

So, unless you're a market-player looking to gamble on which way the market will move, stay on a course of fiscal conservatism.  Buy tangible goods, reduce debt and reduce your taxable profile.

Then buckle up, and watch from the sidelines as it all unravels!


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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com

Fitness Variety

I do a good number of push-ups in my fitness regime.  You can do them virtually anywhere, any time and they don't cost you a dime at a gym.

But they can be a bit boring.

I found this site (The Art of Manliness), which demonstrates a number of push-up variations.  I already do some of the more "standard" versions, but will introduce a number of the other styles into my routine.

Oh, and no, I won't be doing these anytime soon!




Accept The Challenge

We all know that we need to stay in shape.  It's easy, though, to find an excuse - too busy, usually - to drop or cut back on exercise.  I have found that buy adding variety, I'm more likely to stay on-track.

Mix it up some!  Do cardio one day, strength the next, and agility after that (I like yoga, personally).  Do them out of order - perhaps drawing "the exercise of the day" out of a bucket with everything you want to do each week written down on daily reminder sheets.


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Copyright 2009 Bison Risk Management Associates. All rights reserved. You are encouraged to repost this information so long as it is credited to Bison Risk Management Associates. www.BisonRMA.com