Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Indicators....

Below is a link to an article that I believe demostrates the seriousness of our situation. Also notice the last issue: water availability. http://news.yahoo.com/u-intel-head-james-clapper-greatest-threats-2012-152537144--abc-news.html

Safe and Secure

So I was at Home Depot yesterday and made a purchase that I have been putting off for some time now. I broke down and bought a home fire safe. I hated to cut loose the $100, but knowing that I had important personal documents sitting in a safe deposit box at the bank was too much for me to stomach. You might ask why a fire safe is better than a safe deposit box. Well, here’s my thinking. What happens if the bank has to close down in a natural disaster situation and you need whatever is in that safe deposit box? What happens if the government were to nationalize the banks and there were valuables in that safe deposit box that you didn’t want the government to seize? What if the dollar crashes and there is a run on the banks forcing them to close their doors to the public? If any of these scenarios were to happen and your valuables and documents are in that bank safe deposit then you just became an inclined plane attached to a center axis, or in other words SCREWED!  Now, the chances of the US nationalizing banks is on the slim end of the spectrum, but natural disasters and bank runs have happened before so that means they will happen again. In the 1920’s and 1930’s banks were forced to close as the public fought to get all of their money out of banking accounts as the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. Imagine how helpless you’d feel if a natural disaster struck your area and you needed essential documentation from that safe deposit box but the bank is closed indefinitely.
Keeping valuables and documentation safe at home is the way to go. Here are some items that I plan to keep in my nice new safe: passports, birth certificates, vehicle titles, insurance policies, state licenses (I have a wastewater operator license, a water operator license, and my wife is a licensed physical therapist), emergency cash, precious metals, and a back up firearm. Also, if you decide to purchase a safe and put these various items in it make sure it is anchored to a concrete slab. A safe doesn’t do a bit of good if a robber can pick it up and carry is to another location where he can crack it at his leisure. Bolting the safe to the slab will also help keep the safe in place in the event that a tornado hits your home. While the structure may be destroyed a well made safe will still be where you left it. I hope that this post gets you thinking about new ways to prepare yourself so when the time comes you can stand up and survive.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Um... Well... Sorry...

So as I sit here and write this I have to say that I am disappointed in myself for not posting for 2 months. Its poor performance but I have good reason for my blog absence. I got to celebrate my son’s first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years and that was a non-stop mess to say the least. The little bugger will turn one in a couple of weeks and I’m thrilled! I also have been hard at work researching to see what it’s going to take to start an online tactical gear store. I can’t very well tell you guys what you may or may not need without providing a way to get it. My thought here is that I will be able to review products before a purchase is made. If you are anything like me, you like to talk to someone who owns a product before you make a purchase of your own. Speaking of purchases, I recently laid down all of my Christmas money (I had to sell a gun as well to help cover the cost.L) and purchased a Springfield Armory 1911 Range Officer in .45 ACP. I must say, I am tickled with this purchase! I plan on reviewing the weapon in the days to come and post some pics. It is by far the smoothest firing handgun I have ever handled,  but carrying it has been an adjustment. Well, I am starting to ramble a little so I’ll wrap it up. Please look for new posts as I am going to do better job of posting in the future.