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Home Security Inside and Out

June 5, 2013 by

Let’s face it, most homes are not built with security in mind and are relatively easy to get into. But that doesn’t mean they need to stay that way! In this article, I’ll give you some tips on making your home look like a harder target, actually make it harder to breach and give some general things to keep in mind about security.

 

Things to Keep in Mind

My local police captain said that most theft is drug related; people either breaking in looking for drugs, prescription or otherwise, or people breaking in to steal things they can trade or sell to get drugs. He also said that most of the crime in my city comes from Minneapolis, which is twenty miles away. I think those two things hold true in any area. Most theft is probably drug related and most criminals don’t steal from the area they live. They travel to another neighborhood or city.

Why is this important? It means that often times the criminals would have to “case” a residence to see if it is worth breaking into. The term “curb appeal” usually means how aesthetically pleasing your home is from the curb. One often wants curb appeal when they’re selling their home.

But does your home have curb appeal to Joe Dirtbag and his criminal friends? Are there any expensive items in view from the street that might advertise other valuable items that might be inside? In my neighborhood, it’s not uncommon for people to leave their garage door open until they lock up for the night. Anyone passing by can get a good idea of where they may want to come back to later. They might not want the items in the garage, but if you have expensive tools or other items, that can be a sign that other valuables are inside.

One thing I recommend is to walk around the outside of your home and look for ways that Joe Dirtbag may try to gain access. Do you have any tall shrubs near windows or doors that could give Joe Dirtbag a place to hide while he tries to gain access to your home?

Have you heard this one? “Two friends were hiking and came upon a mother bear and her cub. The bear gave chase and the two friends began running. One friend said to another, there is no way we can outrun this bear. The other friend responded with, “I don’t have to out run the bear, I just have to out run you”.

Many times the same theory applies; you don’t need to be able to make your home impenetrable, you just need to make it look like a harder target than your neighbors.

All of that being said, if someone wants to get into your house, you’re not going to keep them out. The items I’ll cover have two purposes; to make your home a harder target and to slow down Joe Dirtbag once he does gain access to your home.

Some things to keep in mind about Joe Dirtbag and his friends are that, in general, they are lazy and not sophisticated. Yes there are some criminals who might use lock picks, subvert alarm systems and use devices that disarm cell phones. But for the most part, the criminals that break into the average homes use brute force and go for easy pickings.

There are two types of security that will be covered; active and passive. “Active” means that it is something you will have to do, like locking a door or putting a door brace in place. “Passive” is something that you just have to install once. This would be something like putting longer screws in a door jamb.

Security systems are a good option if they fit your lifestyle and the monthly payments are not prohibitive. The following are things you can do on top of or instead of a security system.
 

Home Exterior

I covered a bit of this above. None of these, by themselves, will deter someone, but if you have multiple things to make possible detection too risky, they may go elsewhere. Do you have bushes or hedges that could conceal someone trying to gain access to a door or window? Do you have a tree that could be climbed to give access to a second story window? Motion sensor lights are a great item to have. They only light up once something has passed in front of the sensor. One option is to use thorny bushes such as Pyracantha and Barberry in front of windows.

Home alarms are a great option and having a sign in your yard that advertises the alarm is a good idea as well. It, by itself, won’t stop anyone but adds one more item to the list of reasons why your house might not be the best choice is the objective. If you don’t have an alarm system, you can buy alarm company signs on eBay and Amazon.
 

Home Interior

The goal for this section is to make it take as long as possible for Joe Dirtbag to get through the front door to you and your family. As with the exterior, the interior of most homes is not set up with security in mind. It is set up for the ease of use and comfort of the family. However, having a way to lock a teenager in their room until they’re 30 does sound appealing. But I digress; the average home has a front door or windows that a criminal can gain access from, and a bedroom door that is often hollow core with a simplistic lock. If we can add another layer or two of security, we can add to the length of time it takes Mr. Dirtbag to get to the family, giving us more time to gather the family, arm ourselves and call police.

I think everyone should have a room in their house they consider a “safe room”. I don’t mean a room that is commercially fortified and has its own air filtration system. I mean a room that you might reinforce, that is the “go to” spot if there is an intruder. If you have children, you might choose one of their rooms. If you have multiple small children, you might first go to the smallest child’s room and carry them to the largest child’s room and make that the safe room.
 
Doors

This info applies to both exterior and interior doors. If you chose to make one of the rooms in your home a safe room, doing the following things to the door of that room will greatly increase the time it takes to get to you. Before I go further, let me give a brief description of the parts of a doorway. The door frame is the opening in the wall, reinforced by studs. The door jamb is what is attached to the door frame, which the door is then mounted to via the hinges. It is possible to reinforce many parts of the door so I’ll cover them individually.
 

The door

There are usually county or city codes on the exterior door, so I’ll not cover that. I do recommend that the interior door of the safe room be solid and not a hollow core door. A door that has three hinges is preferable over a door that has only two hinges.
 
Door Jamb and Hinges

While expensive, it is possible to replace a wooden door jamb with a metal one. Most of the time, the screws that are used to attach the door jamb through the hinges to the door frame are 1”-2” long, which is not long enough to go into the studs of the door frame. Replacing them with 3” screws will allow the screw to go into the door frame. This is beneficial as the impact from a kick is then displaced over the door frame as well. Now, instead of a kick only needing to tear the screw out of the door jamb, it is needing to break through the stud as well.
 
Striker Plate

The striker plate usually is only two inches or so and attaches with two screws. It is possible to get one that is 4”, the full length of the door, and attaches with multiple screws. Replacing the short screws with 3” screws that will go into the door frame is also a good idea. Adding a longer strike plate that has more screws will displace a kick over a greater area, making it harder to kick the door in.
 
Locks

Most exterior doors have a deadbolt and a lock on the handle. Here is a video that shows how you can reinforce the deadbolt with a metal pipe. Most bedroom doors have flimsy locks on the handles, if any lock is there at all. Replacing it with a lock that cannot be picked with a paper clip is one option. Adding a deadbolt that is reinforced with a pipe is another.
 
Door Braces

There are several types of door braces, all of which are active security, so you’ll need to put them in place for them to work. Some will mount on the floor. If you have carpet or wood, this might be an option. If you have tile or would rather not have something mounted to the floor, there are braces that slide under the door knob and have a pole that extends to the floor. I’m not endorsing the following products, as I have never used them but I wanted to show a visual example. On a side note, these two types of door braces make lock picks useless.

Here is a video of a floor based system called Nightlock. It shows two men, each trying to kick in a door, one with Nightlock and one without. In the video, the gentleman trying to kick in the door never gets through. In fact, the door jamb begins to separate from the doorframe before he gets in. Now I don’t know if they did anything else to make that door more secure, but if not, this is pretty impressive.
 

 
Here is a video on a door brace that slides under the door knob. I tried to find a video of this type being tested but couldn’t find one. This type can also double as a sliding glass door stop and can be taken with you to be used when travelling. If you don’t want to mount the floor based systems, this might be the best option. I like the idea of this for the safe room. It could be next to the door, waiting to be used.
 

 

Windows

Windows are a bit trickier to protect but there are still a couple options. The first is the more expensive option, which is a film you can place over the window to make it more resistant to breaking. While I am sure there are more companies that sell this type of film, here are three 3M, Solar Guard and Burglar Guard. The only one that listed prices that I could find was Burglar Guard. Their price was $319 for a 36in by 25ft piece of film. As you can see in the video below, this stuff works.
 

 
Another, less expensive, option is window alarms. These won’t prevent glass breakage but it will alert two different ways; on vibration or if a magnetic contact is broken. They range in price from $7.00-$15.00 per alarm or you can buy a full window alarm system for under $200 on Amazon.com
 

Final Thoughts

Doing many of the above mentioned things can add precious seconds to the time it takes you to respond and act on your plan. Having a firearm and phone in your safe room is also a good idea but know how to use both! Wait for the dispatcher to tell you the scene is clear, not the “officer” on the other side of the door!

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PreparednessClubOne

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Christianity and the Bible’s Case for Self-Defense

May 29, 2013 by

Today we have a guest post, an author published by Prepper Press named John Elliot.  John writes about Christianity and self-defense.  This is a subject I covered a couple years ago, please see the comment section for my thoughts on John’s article, and on the subject in general.

 

Christianity and the Bible’s Case for Self-Defense

As the author of books having to do with self-preservation and, far more importantly, as a Christian, I have had to answer some rather deeply personal questions that require a considerable level of introspection. At the forefront of those questions is the one that asks, “What does God say about Believers protecting themselves from criminals, terrorists, or anyone else who may wish to harm us?”

Since my last book came out, Don’t Be A Victim!, I have been asked that question no less than six times. Well, part of the answer can be found in various books of the Bible. Was Moses condemned by God for going to the defense of a fellow Israelite and killing an Egyptian? The answer is no. In the book of Acts, chapter 7:24, it clearly demonstrates that the act of killing that Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite was in fact part of Moses’ acceptance by the Israelites.

Nowhere in the Bible does it show that Christians are to be the doormats for the evil people of the world; but are we as Christians called upon to turn the other cheek? Well, yes. Matthew 5:39 instructs us about just that thing. There is even a time when Believers in Christ may have to suffer and die. We can read about that in Matthew5:11, Philippians 1:29, 2 Timothy 2:3, and in some other passages found in the Bible. All of that is true; there is no argument here at all.

What is also true is the Christian doctrine of self-defense and preservation, of preparedness and good common sense. The Apostle Paul implied that Christian men ought to defend their families. In 1 Timothy 5:8, after speaking about how the law applies to criminals and other violators of the trust God gives to men and women, it reads, “But those who won’t care for their relatives; especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.” We are told by those words, and so many other passages, that we as Christians have a right, a duty and an obligation to protect the innocent amongst us.

If you are lying in bed at night and you waken by the sound of breaking glass, what do you do? You dial 911 right away, but what happens if an intruder is then heard climbing the stairs to where your wife and children are sleeping? The police may be on their way, but they are still several minutes away. You are a Christian, you are told to love your enemy, but you also know that the burglar in your home is probably capable of unspeakable violence. What now? If you are like me, you reach for that Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol, and before the burglar makes it to the top of the stairs, you send him off to meet his Maker.

We live in a violence-prone world, gone mad with horrible crime each day, with horrific acts of terrorism across the globe, with the knowledge that eventually we may all have to face our worst fears in life. Being a born-again Believer in Christ helps to relieve so much of that fear and anxiety, but being prepared for the unexpected is what God expects from each of us.

John Elliott is the author of Don’t Be A Victim!: An Officer’s Advice on Preventing Crime, published by Prepper Press. He is a law enforcement veteran who worked for police agencies in Virginia, Rhode Island and Florida, as well as for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Customs Service. He also spent many years working with Interpol, and was a bomb disposal technician conducting land mine and unexploded military ordnance disposal in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia and North Africa.
 
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Filed Under: Christian World View, Security

Consolidated List of Gardening Posts

May 24, 2013 by

It’s that time of year when many of us are gardening by traditional, raised bed, square foot, container or other method. I’ve written a few articles over the years that might be new to some of you. I thought I would write one condensed post and link to them all.

For those of you who aren’t gardeners, this is a skill you should really consider learning. Have you ever heard the phrase, “society is nine meals away from anarchy”? It’s true! It only takes three hunger filled days for things to begin to fall apart. The easiest way to control a people, is to control their food supply. Throughout history, tyrants have controlled their people by limiting the food supply.

Victory gardens were a common thing during WWII. People raised some of their own food to help reduce the burden on the food supply brought on because of the war.

I have been at this a few years and still consider myself a novice, but I am happy to share with you what I have learned.

“Principles of Gardening” is a great place to start. This article covers some of the basics, but I also cover some things that people who’ve had a traditional garden all their lives might not know. For instance, did you know that tilling your garden plot is counterproductive and actually harmful to the soil?

Over the years I have collected several books on gardening. I shared them in (-“Gardening Resources” and have updated the list with three new books.

Few of us have perfect soil for gardening. “Soil Amendments to Improve Garden Growth” has multiple ways to improve soil.

One way to make the most of limited space it to use a trellis for plants that grow on a vine. We’ve come up with a PVC Trellis for melons and beans.

In “Natural Ways to Kill Bugs and Weeds”, I list several ways to kill bugs and weeds without using pesticides or herbicides.

In “Introduction to Permaculture; Building a Food Forest”, I explain the basics of permaculture, which is a design system that uses principles found in nature. Instead of a traditional farm that may produce one or two items, a permaculture design might have a hundred different items. Permaculture design is often referred to as a “food forest”.

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3 Dangers To Food Storage And How To Avoid Them

May 20, 2013 by

Today we have a guest post written by Lee Flynn

3 Dangers To Food Storage And How To Avoid Them

People tend to think that disasters don’t happen very often, or at least only happen to someone else. Of course, to someone else, we’re all someone else. And have you turned on the news recently? Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars… do you really think that your little corner of the earth is going to stay safe forever? If you want to survive the disasters that are sure to happen sooner or later, you’re going to need to prepare. In many cases, this means having a well supplied food storage. But stocking up on water and rations is only a part of the equation, because once you’ve got everything you need, you then need to protect it. Here are three dangers to your food storage, and how to overcome them.

1. Time

Just because something is called non-perishable, doesn’t mean that it will last forever. Canned goods only really have a shelf-life of about five years, at most, and Meals-Ready-to-Eat stay good for only about three years. Instead of relying on food that might spoil and leave you up a creek without a paddle, stick with freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, which last a good deal longer. Storing your food in the right place will also have a big effect on how long it lasts. That means that you should find someplace cool, dry, and dark. Also, make sure that the food is well packed in airtight containers, because exposure to oxygen can speed up the spoiling process.

2. Animals

Insects and other invertebrates are natural born food-storage thieves. They’re small, so they can usually get into any room or building that they want to. And guess what? they’d like nothing better than to burrow into your sack of flour and raise a couple thousand kids. But although you may not be able to keep these pests from getting to your storage room, you should be able to at least keep them out of the food. Store your food in secure plastic, metal, or glass containers, and be sure to clean up any spills as quickly as you can. Rodents such as mice or rats, and even larger mammals like raccoons pose a different threat. They might have a harder time breaking into the building, but with the help of gnawing teeth and dexterous fingers, they’ll have a much easier time getting into the food. Store all your food well off of the ground, and avoid using baited traps, as other pests might be attracted by the smell. Above all, be vigilant. Check your food storage repeatedly for signs of incursion. If you find damaged containers or infested food, discard it immediately, and replace it. Regularly clean out your storage area, and make sure to keep it free from crumbs and moisture that might catch the notice of uninvited animal guests.

3. People

No one likes to consider the possibility of having to defend their emergency storage from other human beings, but if a disaster occurs and food and water become scarce, then even the most kind and charitable individual will start fighting for survival. Looting has been known to happen regularly in the wake of disasters, and to a desperate and hungry person, there’s not much difference between robbing a grocery store and robbing a home. The best way to keep looters from taking your storage is to keep it secret. Only eat food at home, and never take it out into public where people might notice and be enticed by it. If possible, keep the area in which your food is stored locked, and keep the key well hidden. Don’t allow any strangers into your home, no matter how sorry you might feel for them, nor how friendly or harmless they may seem. And last but not least, be prepared to defend your food storage with lethal force, if need be. The thought of taking a human life over something like a few cans of stew or a jug of water is repulsive, but without that food, you or your family might starve.

Lee Flynn is a freelance writer, survival enthusiast, and food storage expert.

Filed Under: Food Tagged With:

There is no Such Thing as Privacy and yes Big Brother is Watching

May 15, 2013 by

Big Brother

You know that feeling you get when you’re in public and realize your zipper is down? Exposed, uncovered, vulnerable and maybe even a little violated? Some of you are going to feel that way after reading today’s article. Some might accuse me of needing a tinfoil hat after reading this, but I assure you this information is credible. I have used the best sources I can find. If I had to guess, this is only scratching the surface.

There is no such thing as privacy…at least in the modern age of technology; oh and Big Brother is watching. What you say on your cell phone, data you save on your smartphone, write in emails, post to social media, search on the Internet for, say near a cell phone (even if it’s off) and more is all susceptible to being actively stored, cataloged and monitored.

I realize what I have said so far might seem a bit dramatic, so instead of writing my opinion I will give sources for the statements I have made and give you my $.02. Before I go on, I want to address what some of you may be thinking; “I’m not doing anything illegal! Why should I care who tracks what?” You may not be doing anything illegal now but there may well come a day when simply living out our Christian beliefs may be illegal. Saying that marriage should be between one man and one woman could, in the future, be viewed as a hate crime. Don’t think so? Here is an article from the Christian News network called “Canadian Supreme Court Rules Biblical Speech Opposing Homosexual Behavior is a ‘Hate Crime’.” As I will explain below, some of what you say now, can come back to haunt you.
 
 
Internet

There are so many security and privacy concerns when it comes to the Internet that I can’t cover them all. Here are some that I think you should be aware of. As Forbes.com states in their article called “Google Hands Over User Data For 94% Of U.S. Law Enforcement Requests”

“When law enforcement comes looking for evidence hidden in your Google search history, Gmail or the uncountable other Google services that touch many Internet users’ lives, don’t expect Google to turn the investigators away. In 19 out of 20 cases in the second half of last year, the company handed over at least some of the data the government demanded.”

I have read from multiple sources that in some cases, Google didn’t require a warrant.
This means that every search term, every site visited, every document in Google Documents or similar online document hosting software, every download that is done from your computer has the possibility of being compiled and stored about you. I don’t know about you but I have done some research related to preparedness and potential threats that, if taken out of context, could make me look like a homegrown terrorist.
 
 

The National Security Agency (NSA)

Here is where things get a little spooky. I have read quite a lot about the abilities, practices and plans of the NSA and it is all very concerning to me. In short, the NSA has put nearly every American on virtual surveillance by keeping track of every email and other online habits, storing them for possible future use. This has all been done without warrants and according to one of the videos shown below, one whistle blower from the NSA claims it was all done under something called “Terrorist Surveillance Program”. It’s not that the NSA is actively monitoring all digital communications, but that they are storing it and, if the need should arise, they can do a search for a suspect’s name and pull all digitally stored data relevant to that person. In one of the videos below, NSA whistleblower William Binney states that the NSA has been collecting this data for at least the last ten years.

As you can imagine this would require a massive datacenter to store all of this data, which is why the NSA has recently built a “spy center” in Bluffdale, Utah. To help put the amount of data they will be capable of storing into perspective, FOX news, in their article called NSA data center front and center in debate over liberty, security and privacy” says:

“The agency will neither confirm nor deny specifics. Some published reports suggest it could hold 5 zettabytes of data. (Just one zettabyte is the equivalent of about 62 billion stacked iPhones 5’s– that stretches past the moon.”

As an example of what the NSA is capable of, the Blaze, in an article called “NSA Whistleblower Explains Chilling Interview: ‘Everyone in the U.S. Is Under Virtual Surveillance’” notes:

“Binney then discussed the recent resignation of Gen. David Petraeus over an extra-marital affair, and how his private communications were intercepted.
“As far as the actual government goes, [adultery] is not a high crime and misdemeanor here,” co-host Stu Burguiere weighed in. “It’s sort of secondary, and they’ll go to that extent to out somebody who may have had a political issue. That’s frightening.”

Here are two more articles on the Bluffdale “Spy Center”; one called “Is the NSA building a $800 million data center to spy on Americans? Utah desert facility code-named Bumblehive ‘will monitor emails of U.S. citizens’” and another called “The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)”.
Here is an article on NSA whistleblower William Binney from the NY Times whistleblower, as well as two videos with Thomas Drake and William Binney.
 
 

 
 

 
 
Cell Phones

I have seen different reports of this over the last few years, but here is a good article from the Seattle Times called “Even if they’re off, cellphones allow FBI to listen in”

“The FBI converted the Nextel cellphones of two alleged New York mobsters into “roving bugs,” microphones that relayed conversations when the phones seemed to be inactive, according to recent court documents.

Authorities won’t reveal how they did this. But a countersurveillance expert said Nextel, Motorola Razr and Samsung 900 series cellphones can be reprogrammed over the air, using methods meant for delivering upgrades and maintenance. It’s called “flashing the firmware,” said James Atkinson, a consultant for the Granite Island Group in Massachusetts.”

As if that weren’t creepy enough, here is an article from the New York Times called Build Up Your Phone’s Defenses Against Hackers

“Chuck Bokath would be terrifying if he were not such a nice guy. A jovial senior engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta, Mr. Bokath can hack into your cellphone just by dialing the number. He can remotely listen to your calls, read your text messages, snap pictures with your phone’s camera and track your movements around town — not to mention access the password to your online bank account.”

Believe me, if the good guys can think of this, you had better believe that Joe Dirtbag can as well.

Here is a video from CNN where the host is interviewing a former FBI agent. He claims that when it comes to national security, “there is a way to listen to all digital communications in the past”. That means that all digital communications are stored and may be pulled if needed.
 
 

 
 
Final Thoughts

I have nothing to hide. The only “offense” I might occasionally commit is going a bit over the speed limit. So why does all of this concern me? Partly because of how the IRS was used to target Tea Party and other conservative groups. There have been accusations from different people in Washington calling veterans, fundamentalist Christians and “far-right-wingers” potential terrorists. I am sure that at some point I have said something on or near a cell phone, written something online via a forum or email that, if taken out of context, could paint me in a negative light. The fact that the Attorney General has stated the President has full authority to use drone strikes on Americans, on American soil, against potential terrorists, also has me a bit concerned.

Don’t get me wrong. I like technology as much as the next guy. But it has come at a great cost. If you’re “plugged in”, there is no such thing as privacy and yes, Big Brother is watching!

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PreparednessClubOne

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five security tips you may not have thought of

May 1, 2013 by

I have covered situational awareness and the Cooper Color Code in the past.  Here are five security tips that you may not have thought of. 

 

Advertising on Your Vehicle

Bumper stickers advertise our opinions on various issues to the world around us.  They also tell Joe Dirtbag about us as well.  Do you have an NRA sticker? If so, Joe Dirtbag now has a pretty good idea you have guns at home.  He might not break in when you’re there, but now he knows what your car looks like and can wait for you to go to work.

The white decals that people put on their back window showing off mom, dad and the kids as well as what each loves also tell Joe Dirtbag about you.  He might now know that you have expensive sporting equipment at home or whether or not you have any pets.

 

Firing Range Safety

 

You may be aware of how Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and one of his friends and coworkers was murdered at a gun range by someone suffering from PTSD.  People committing suicide, committing murder or both is more common at gun ranges than you may think. 

I recommend keeping one firearm loaded and on your person.  If you go with a partner, one can be practicing situational awareness for you both while the other is shooting.

 

Public Restrooms

A few years back, I read that there was a survey of sorts done, asking convicted criminals the locations they preferred to commit their crimes.  One of the most popular was men’s restrooms.  One criminal said it was the easiest, by far, as men are less likely to put up any kind of fight when they are exposed at a urinal.

There was a man going into men’s restrooms in Minneapolis, blitz attacking men.  He would walk behind a man at the urinal and then slam their head into the wall in front of them, hard enough to knock them out; he then emptied their pockets.  Women might be onto something with the group trips to the rest rooms!  Men, another option is to always use the stall.

 

Smart Phones

A recent crime wave includes Joe Dirtbag ripping a smart phone out of people’s hands as they absentmindedly use them in public.  Situational awareness can aid with this in large part, but it might also be a good idea to leave it secure in a pocket or purse while in public.

 

Communion

There have been many reports of criminals waiting for church members to go forward for Communion.  They then go through their purses and jacket pockets looking for cash.

A sad fact is that many places that were once sacred, no longer are.

 
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Trading Liberty for Safety

April 29, 2013 by

In the weeks since the Boston Marathon bombing I have noticed a few things in the MSM, other blogs and in some forums that concern me.  When there is an attack such as the Boston Marathon bombing, 9-11 or school shootings, human beings are shaken.  The emotions from the aftermath of these events, can cause things to be said and done, things that might betray our calmer, more logical and rational selves.  Here are some of the things I have seen that concern me.
 
 
What They Knew and When They Knew It
 
I have seen a few statements that either insinuate or flat out say that the government either knew, or had intelligence that there would be a terrorist attack.  I have seen people say that the government may have planned it and that is why there were so many first responders at the event.  There was a congressman who said there may have been information on an attack before it happened.  There may have been intelligence but I don’t believe they knew enough to know when or how the attack would occur.  If they had nonspecific information, that could be part of the reason there were so many first responders on scene. 
 
I do not believe that the government planned or “let” the bombing occur.  But I do believe they will, as the Presidents former Chief of Staff once said, “never let a serious crisis go to waste.”  There were many calls for changing our gun culture and many more similar statements made.  One company even took pressure cookers off the shelves.  Now Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ] has introduced S.792 – A bill to strengthen the enforcement of background checks with respect to the use of explosive materials. In other words, they want to restrict and limit black powder sales.
 
 
Warrantless Searches

In desperate attempts to find the terrorists, police were given authority to carry out door-to-door searches in certain neighborhoods and they were not required to have a search warrant. Below is one of many videos that can be found on youtube of this event taking place.  Police knocked on doors and in many cases ordered innocent home owners to keep their hands above their heads and leave the house.
 

 
I have seen video of news reporters talking to people who were told to evacuate their homes, saying they were happy the police were there and happy they did their job.  I have seen on blogs and forums where people who were not in Boston believe these warrantless searches were a good thing.
 
Before I go any further, let me say now that I am a supporter of the police.  I have donated money to local police charities and organizations several times.  I believe that those who protect and serve are heroes and that the vast majority are stellar human beings. There were some stories about individual police going out of their way to help some civilians who were on lock down.
 
That being said, those searches were a complete violation of the Fourth Amendment and, while not declared, Boston was under Martial Law during that time.  People were told to stay in their homes, and in certain neighborhoods were ordered, at gun point, to leave their homes while officers then stormed in, searching for one of the bombers.

The Fourth Amendment states:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

I fully understand that there was a set of horrible events that led up to this, but our freedoms are defined by how our authorities act in times like this.  If the police believed there was probable cause that Joe Dirtbag was in that neighborhood, they should have had an officer at every entrance and exit to watch for the suspect.  They should have knocked on every door with guns holstered, explaining to the resident that they believed the suspect was in the neighborhood.  They should have asked for permission to search the house and property.  One may say that the police did ask and the residents gave consent to the search, but nothing is consensual when the person asking you has a gun in your face.

Imagine this; a very similar attack takes place in the largest city near you.  There are reports that say the police believe the suspects have fled and have hidden in your town and are looking for them.  They have asked residents to stay in their homes for the time being.  What would you do?  If I answer that, I would say that our windows and doors would be locked and that we would be armed.  What happens if/when the police knock on your door and you give them access?  Do you think that once the police saw you were armed you would be treated as a law abiding civilian who is protecting their house and family?  Or do you think you may be treated as a potential hostile suspect, handcuffed and guns taken?

I didn’t see any reports of people saying “no”, but ask yourself what might have happened had someone said “no”.  Again, I am a supporter of the police, but I believe that when they show up with overwhelming force, “no” isn’t an acceptable answer to them.
 
 
But I Have Nothing to Hide
 
There are some who say, “I have nothing to hide, why should I say no?”  Pastor Niemoller once said,
 
“First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.  Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.  Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.  Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
 
You may not have anything to hide and you might not even be armed in the scenario I mentioned above, but what happens if we go down this slippery slope and warrantless searches become more common place?  Now, instead of only doing warrantless searches when there is a terrorist on the loose, warrantless searches become the norm for the “suspected” terrorist?  A bit further down the slope, warrantless searches are done against fundamentalist who believe marriage should be between one man and one woman and those who believe that abortion is a sin.  These people are accused of spreading hate and are suspected of planning hate crimes.  Do you have a crucifix in your home?  Have you ever had a pro-life or pro marriage sign in your yard, or on your car?  How many Bibles do you have in your home?
 
Think this is a stretch?  Recently, a trooper in Colorado gave a seminar on the dangers of biker gangs, and Sovereign Citizens,where he added the following:
 
“Among those groups, Kluczynski had listed, were those who believe America was founded on godly principles, Christians who take the Bible literally, and “fundamentalists”.  Kluczynski did not explain what he meant by “fundamentalists” but from the context it was clear he was referring again to those who took the Bible literally or “too seriously.”

We are told in scripture that we will see increased persecution.  For many Christians around the world, it is already their daily life.  We will see it escalated here inside America and every other nation.  On a side note, I know a bit about Sovereign Citizens, and they have nothing to do with Christianity.  I bring this up as it is the most recent reference accusing Christians of being potential terrorists.

I do not think the police did a great service going door-to-door, searching homes without warrants.  No, I believe it was a bad precedent to set and could very likely be used as an example of how to respond in the future.  How fruitful were these house-to-house warrantless searches?  Not at all!  Joe Dirtbag was discovered by the homeowner who owned the boat Joe Dirtbag was hiding in.
 
 
All Amendments Need to be Protected

I saw a few occasions on blogs and forums where people who previously said they would not budge an inch when it came to their Second Amendment said they thought the warrantless searches were a good thing.  Maybe they think this way because they believe the danger of the loose terrorist was greater than the danger to the Fourth Amendment.  Maybe it was done because they believe there was enough probable cause to issue house-to-house warrantless searches.  Maybe it was done out of a sense of loyalty to our police and FBI, believing they had the best of intentions.
 
Whatever the reason, I believe we need to exercise and protect all of our God given rights that are listed in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was designed to protect the average, law abiding, citizen from an over-reaching government.  If we hold a loose grip on one amendment, how much longer will it be before it, and others begin to slip away?
 
 
I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes:

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

– Benjamin Franklin
 
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Filed Under: Security

Learning From Evil

April 17, 2013 by

I had planned on posting something else today but I feel the need to give some thoughts on the terrorist attack at the Boson Marathon.  First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out the families of those murdered and those who were brutally injured and their families as well.

We can learn from evil people and the evil deeds they inflict on others.  This article is not about me saying that those victims should have done something differently.  Instead, it is me offering something for you to grasp on to if you ever find yourself in any related type of situation.  Here are some things to keep in mind.

 

Avoid Brain Lock

In the book The Survivors Club, Author Ben Sherwood explores a theory developed by a man named John Leach called “The 10/80/10 rule”. In summary, the rule states that the top 10% of people in a crisis excel; they think clearly and take immediate action. The middle group comprises 80% of people; they are “quite simply stunned and bewildered”; “reasoning is significantly impaired and thinking is difficult”. The last 10% of people are the “ones you definitely want to avoid in an emergency”.

A few pages later, he explains something called ‘behavioral inaction’; “The current theory of behavioral inaction goes like this: As your frontal lobes process the site of an airplane wing on fire, they seek to match the information with memories of similar situations in the past. If you have no stored experience of a plane crash, your brain can’t find a match and gets stuck in a loop trying and failing to come up with the right response. Hence: immobility.”

One of the main reasons the following information is so important is to be able to avoid brain lock, allowing your mind to have something to pull forward.  Another way to build this skill is by mentally placing yourself in situations you see in movies or in the news and then thinking about what you might have done differently.

 

Situational Awareness

I have covered situational awareness in the past, as well as the Cooper Color Code.  Both of these are things that should be a part of your everyday life.  They can be harder to practice in large crowds, but that is probably the most important time to use them.  If you see someone who raises you from code yellow to orange (from the Cooper color code) try to keep tabs on them.  If something really seems off, let an authority know.  “If you see something, SAY something.”

If you find yourself in any type of terrorist attack, from a bombing to a mass shooting, situational awareness can save your life.  By practicing situational awareness, you can keep track of the closest exit, or fastest way to safety.  It can also help you avoid Mr. Dirtbag, who is committing the act of terror.

 

Cover and Concealment

I have explained Cover and Concealment previously but it is worth mentioning again.  Concealment is something that hides you, but will not stop a round.  Cover will stop a round and will usually hide you, except in the case of bullet proof glass for example.  If you are caught near a terrorist attack, getting away from the primary danger should be your first goal.  I suggest finding cover as a part of that goal.

 

Lone Wolves and Swarm Terrorist Attacks

I have written an article called Terrorism: Lone Wolf and Swarm Attacks, which goes into these types of attacks in more detail.   I think these are the types of terror attacks we will see more of.  Because these types of attacks consist of very few people, they are much easier to keep quiet and can be done on a very low budget.  A swarm attack of 10 people killed 160 people in Mumbai, India.  If there is one Mr. Dirtbag, there is always a chance he has a friend or two.  For this reason, if Mr. Dirtbag does show up, keep practicing situational awareness and the Cooper Color Code.

 

Emergency First Aid

I read about some of the carnage that occurred yesterday.  While absolutely tragic, that only three people died is a miracle.  There may have been some medical personnel on site but my guess is that the average Joe and Jane stepped in and assisted those who were in need.

Would you be able to assist a stranger or a loved one who needed emergency first aid?  I can’t recommend taking a first aid class strongly enough.  You can find a class from the Red Cross.

There are also items you can carry that will aid in stopping blood loss; QwikClot and Israeli Battle Dressings.  I will cover these items in more detail next week.

 

Summary

I think we need to learn from evil every chance we get.  Sadly, we’re given far too many chances to do just that.  By doing so, we can be more prepared to avoid brain lock and can put the above mentioned items into play.

 

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Survival Fishing

April 8, 2013 by

I haven’t fished much since I was a kid, mostly because I just don’t have the time.  I’m not going to cover the basics of fishing.  Instead, I want to go over some tactics for survival fishing.  Some of these ways to fish may or may not be legal in your area.  Check your local laws.  These are good things to have an understanding of.  If you find yourself in a survival situation, legal or not, you’ll do what you need to do survive.

 

Kit

I keep a mini kit in an Altoids Tin in my car.  In it, I have 25 feet of fishing line, some small sinkers, multiple hooks and some rubber minnows.  If I were to go hiking or find myself in a remote area, I would carry the kit with me.  I also carry a 100’ hank of para cord and a pocket knife.  I could make cordage and make a hook.  To me it makes more sense to carry those things, as they are so small and light weight.

 

Bait

Looking for bait should be fairly easy in non-frozen areas.  Turn over rocks and pieces of wood to look for worms and insects that you can put on a hook.  I have even read where people have successfully used flowers as bait.  Once you catch a fish, parts of it can be used for more bait.  One problem that might become an advantage is litter or trash.  If you have or can find a plastic bottle, you can turn it into a minnow trap.  The link shows bread for bait but worms or bugs should work as well.  Here is a link that shows how to make a lure out of a small section of paracord.

 

Trot Line

In a survival situation, there are a lot of things that need to be done.  While you could use traditional fishing methods, with a pole, line, hook and bait, that means you need to be there to watch the line.  With a trot line, once you have it set up, you’re free to go do other things.  As you can see from my very pretty (hand drawn by yours truly) image below, a trot line is basically one long strand of line with many smaller lines attached along its length and a hook at the bottom of each.  In my drawing, I have the line staked at shore, with one anchor in the middle keeping it all from floating to the surface and an anchor and float at the end keeping the line taut. You’ll need to bait each hook and keep them from getting tangled.  Leave it set for a few hours, when you start to “reel” the line in, hopefully you’ve caught more than one fish.

Trot line

Stakeout

This comes from the Army field manual on survival; FM 21-76.

“A stakeout is a fishing device you can use in a hostile environment (Figure 8-18). To construct a stakeout, drive two supple saplings into the bottom of the lake, pond, or stream with their tops just below the water surface. Tie a cord between them and slightly below the surface. Tie two short cords with hooks or gorges to this cord, ensuring that they cannot wrap around the poles or each other. They should also not slip along the long cord. Bait the hooks or gorges.”

Figure 8-18

Netting

If you have the cordage, you can also make a net.  Paracord would work perfectly for this!  Take off the outer shielding, which gives you seven thinner threads.  I’ve never made a net, but below are some instructions from the Army field manual on survival; FM 21-76.  Granted, making a net is fairly labor intensive, but once it is made you can set it and check on it periodically.

“Gill Net

If a gill net is not available, you can make one using parachute suspension line or similar material (Figure 8-19). Remove the core lines from the suspension line and tie the easing between two trees. Attach several core lines to the easing by doubling them over and tying them with prusik knots or girth hitches. The length of the desired net and the size of the mesh determine the number of core lines used and the space between them. Starting at one end of the easing, tie the second and the third core lines together using an overhand knot. Then tie the fourth and fifth, sixth and seventh, and so on, until you reach the last core line. You should now have all core lines tied in pairs with a single core line hanging at each end. Start the second row with the first core line, tie it to the second, the third to the fourth, and so on.”

figure 8-19

“To keep the rows even and to regulate the size of the mesh, tie a guideline to the trees. Position the guideline on the opposite side of the net you are working on. Move the guideline down after completing each row. The lines will always hang in pairs and you always tie a cord from one pair to a cord from an adjoining pair. Continue tying rows until the net is the desired width. Thread a suspension line easing along the bottom of the net to strengthen it. Use the gill net as shown in Figure 8-20.”

Figure 8-20

Here is a video showing how to make a net.

 

 

Fish Traps

Another option, trapping, is fairly labor intensive as well.  Again, once it is made you can set it and check on it periodically.  Here is some information, also from the Army field manual on survival; FM 21-76.

“You may trap fish using several methods (Figure 8-21). Fish baskets are one method. You construct them by lashing several sticks together with vines into a funnel shape. You close the top, leaving a hole large enough for the fish to swim through.”

 

Figure 8-21
“You can also use traps to catch saltwater fish, as schools regularly approach the shore with the incoming tide and often move parallel to the shore. Pick a location at high tide and build the trap at low tide. On rocky shores, use natural rock pools. On coral islands, use natural pools on the surface of reefs by blocking the openings as the tide recedes. On sandy shores, use sandbars and the ditches they enclose. Build the trap as a low stone wall extending outward into the water and forming an angle with the shore.”

Here is a site that shows you how to make a fish trap, not quite step by step, but many more pictures than what the Army manual has.

 

Spearfishing

Also from the Army field manual on survival; FM 21-76.

“If you are near shallow water (about waist deep) where the fish are large and plentiful, you can spear them. To make a spear, cut a long, straight sapling (Figure 8-22). Sharpen the end to a point or attach a knife, jagged piece of bone, or sharpened metal. You can also make a spear by splitting the shaft a few inches down from the end and inserting a piece of wood to act as a spreader. You then sharpen the two separated halves to points. To spear fish, find an area where fish either gather or where there is a fish run. Place the spear point into the water and slowly move it toward the fish. Then, with a sudden push, impale the fish on the stream bottom. Do not try to lift the fish with the spear, as it with probably slip off and you will lose it; hold the spear with one hand and grab and hold the fish with the other. Do not throw the spear, especially if the point is a knife. You cannot afford to lose a knife in a survival situation. Be alert to the problems caused by light refraction when looking at objects in the water.”

There is a type of spear called a “frog gig” that I actually like better than the one described.  Below is a picture.  Clicking the picture will take you to a video that explains how to make it.

Frog Gig

Cooking Fish

Also from the Army field manual on survival; FM 21-76.

“You must know how to prepare fish and game for cooking and storage in a survival situation. Improper cleaning or storage can result in inedible fish or game.

Do not eat fish that appears spoiled. Cooking does not ensure that spoiled fish will be edible. Signs of spoilage are–

  • Sunken eyes.
  • Peculiar odor.
  • Suspicious color. (Gills should be red to pink. Scales should be a pronounced shade of gray, not faded.)
  • Dents stay in the fish’s flesh after pressing it with your thumb.
  • Slimy, rather than moist or wet body.
  • Sharp or peppery taste.

Eating spoiled or rotten fish may cause diarrhea, nausea, cramps, vomiting, itching, paralysis, or a metallic taste in the mouth. These symptoms appear suddenly, one to six hours after eating. Induce vomiting if symptoms appear.

Fish spoils quickly after death, especially on a hot day. Prepare fish for eating as soon as possible after catching it. Cut out the gills and large blood vessels that lie near the spine. Gut fish that is more than 10 centimeters long. Scale or skin the fish.

You can impale a whole fish on a stick and cook it over an open fire. However, boiling the fish with the skin on is the best way to get the most food value. The fats and oil are under the skin and, by boiling, you can save the juices for broth. You can use any of the methods used to cook plant food to cook fish. Pack fish into a ball of clay and bury it in the coals of a fire until the clay hardens. Break open the clay ball to get to the cooked fish. Fish is done when the meat flakes off. If you plan to keep the fish for later, smoke or fry it. To prepare fish for smoking, cut off the head and remove the backbone.”

 

 
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Filed Under: Food Tagged With:

Berkey Guy Giveaway

March 19, 2013 by

Berkeyguygiveaway

 

I wanted to let you all know about a great giveaway that one of my sponsors is doing.    As you can see from the above image, he is giving away ten 5 watt solar chargers.  Follow the link and join his various social media for multiple entries.  I was a bit tardy in posting on this, the contest ends Thursday at midnight

The Berkey Guy is who I have purchased our Berkey unit and sport bottles from, and who I will purchase from in the future, here is a review I did on my Berkey last year.  If you’re in the market for water filtration, please head to the Berkey Guy and see what he has to offer.

Filed Under: Water
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