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Showing posts with label Networking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Networking. Show all posts
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Monday, July 11, 2011
Networking to Survive Disasters?
This NPR article on research about disasters struck me as similar to
the message you often carry on your site.
http://www.npr.org/2011/07/04/137526401/the-key-to-disaster-survival-friends-and-neighbors
It seems like a good reason to be open to “joining” in the community.
For some reason I am reminded of HAM radio operators and the community
(of preparedness) they tend to foster. We recently had a storm with
sheer winds that put out power across the area. I found myself
thinking, “I bet the HAMs are all on talking to each other and
figuring out what’s going on.” Because that’s the kind of community
they are.
Don-
Hi Don, thanks for the link. The article brings up many good points.
While you are mostly on your own and you should prepare so as to get by without exterior help, your network of friends and neighbors is of great importance on many levels. Dont think just about help after a tsumani, something as simple as high unemployment means that the people you know are your only hope of finding a job any time soon. It happened in Argentina after 2001, its happening in Greece, even in Spain. The people you know and who’s willing to help makes all the difference.
About HAM radios, Jonas Parker asked me a couple days ago to open a Communications forum over at The Modern Survivalist Forums . HAM radios are often used after disasters when telephones are down and would be one possible mean of communication.
If you’re into HAM radios, you might want to get in touch with like minded people.
Join the forum discussion on this postTuesday, February 19, 2008
List of People to be friends with ( continued)
OK guys and gals. This has been going great so far. I’m glad people are enjoying the blog.
Please, share and repost as much as you want, its ok. Just remember to include a link to the source so as to give credit from where you are getting it, as we usually do with everything else.
I owe many of you some posts. Marie, Kate and the other requests, I’ll work on them as soon as I can, ok? Please be patient.
Theotherryan, a judge would be PRICELESS. For real. I can assure you that if you can somehow make friendship with one, it’s about the best contact you can make.
I’d even place him above the cherished doctor.
A judge can help not only regarding legal harassment that can ruin your life ( talking based on personal experience) help after a self defense shooting, help during legal problems that would otherwise take years.
A judge should be top of your list, at least top 3.
People sometimes concentrate too much on the guns and shooting part ( agreed, it is more fun) but getting off the hook is just as important.
I know of a man that killed two during a home invasion. He happened to shoot them as they turned to leave, he even used the much romanticized lever action rifle ( remember all those posts about politically correct guns?) well, it did him little good.
He got charged, the judge considered that the wounds in the back where a sign of shooting while his life was not being threatened. He’s rotting in jail right now, for killing two robbers that broke into his home.
A judge friend would have helped a lot.
A cop friend in his district maybe could have avoided it all…
NWPilgrim, definitely, a church group does help a lot during these times.
Just the amount of people you get to meet who share your values is reason enough. Poor and middle class people rely a lot on their church groups for food, used clothing, finding work, etc.
Then you have the contacts we’re discussing here.
People, with 25% unemployment, most job offers don’t even get to the paper, they get covered before that, by friends, relatives, etc.
It helps a LOT to have a group of people that is willing to help.
“My son/wife/myself is looking for a job. Anyone knows of any opening?”
That’s how most people got their jobs, specially during the first few years after the crisis, and that’s how it still works most of the time. Specially when your profession or field of work isn’t very specialized, and you find 50 guys on the line the following day, applying for that same job.
Got to go guys. Thanks for chipping in with comments.
FerFAL
Please, share and repost as much as you want, its ok. Just remember to include a link to the source so as to give credit from where you are getting it, as we usually do with everything else.
I owe many of you some posts. Marie, Kate and the other requests, I’ll work on them as soon as I can, ok? Please be patient.
Theotherryan, a judge would be PRICELESS. For real. I can assure you that if you can somehow make friendship with one, it’s about the best contact you can make.
I’d even place him above the cherished doctor.
A judge can help not only regarding legal harassment that can ruin your life ( talking based on personal experience) help after a self defense shooting, help during legal problems that would otherwise take years.
A judge should be top of your list, at least top 3.
People sometimes concentrate too much on the guns and shooting part ( agreed, it is more fun) but getting off the hook is just as important.
I know of a man that killed two during a home invasion. He happened to shoot them as they turned to leave, he even used the much romanticized lever action rifle ( remember all those posts about politically correct guns?) well, it did him little good.
He got charged, the judge considered that the wounds in the back where a sign of shooting while his life was not being threatened. He’s rotting in jail right now, for killing two robbers that broke into his home.
A judge friend would have helped a lot.
A cop friend in his district maybe could have avoided it all…
NWPilgrim, definitely, a church group does help a lot during these times.
Just the amount of people you get to meet who share your values is reason enough. Poor and middle class people rely a lot on their church groups for food, used clothing, finding work, etc.
Then you have the contacts we’re discussing here.
People, with 25% unemployment, most job offers don’t even get to the paper, they get covered before that, by friends, relatives, etc.
It helps a LOT to have a group of people that is willing to help.
“My son/wife/myself is looking for a job. Anyone knows of any opening?”
That’s how most people got their jobs, specially during the first few years after the crisis, and that’s how it still works most of the time. Specially when your profession or field of work isn’t very specialized, and you find 50 guys on the line the following day, applying for that same job.
Got to go guys. Thanks for chipping in with comments.
FerFAL
Monday, February 18, 2008
List of People to be Friends with
This has been on my mind for a while now, and whenever I thought about how long the list would be, I got tired before starting so I never got around to do it.
But I guess it is important, it does make life easier, and it may make the difference in other, more critical matters.
The list has no particular order of importance, though everyone can well imagine that some “contacts” are more critical than others.
When the word “survivalist” is mentioned, most people imagine the bearded hermit living in the middle of nowhere, caressing his shotgun while he giggles like a lunatic. Or at the other end of the spectrum, some guy tightly winded up, that cant keep a normal conversation for 5 minutes without talking about the latest conspiracy theory, such as the relationship between Area 51 …Illuminati …Teletubbies …
Ok, so no. You need to be an outgoing person, someone that knows how to make acquaintances, if not friends.
You don’t need to be best buds, you wont be giving away your daughter for crying out loud, all you need is to be nice enough so as to be able to ask for a favor if you ever need one, and be ready to do the same in return.
Doctor/Pharmacist: Should be pretty obvious. You need someone that you can trust for health matters. But try going a bit further. You may one dat need something more than the average patient(doc relationship.
Ask about his/her weekend, how the kids are. Again, you aren’t looking for a best friend, just to knock down the barrier in case you ever have to ask for a favor, ask for some extra subscription meds, antibiotics.
Having a good relationship with someone that can get you meds is something you should try working on right now, at the very least try to be in good terms with the pharmacist guy.
The guy in the pharmacy near by will sell me almost everything, even without a doctor’s note.
It’s also important to have a good relationship with a doctor in case you need to ask for help during weekends, holydays, getting his/her cell number, etc.
Cops: You need them to know what’s going on, sometimes stuff that doesn’t get spread through the news to avoid panic, or simply because of censorship. You’ll know what’s really going on in your neighborhood by talking to your local police.
You need to be in good terms with them so that they respond fast during emergencies, watch over your house with at least a bit of extra interest.
If you end up shooting in self defense, a cop friend in your district may save you a LOT of trouble.
I know of a case where it made the difference, in an attempt of robbery, a switchblade next to the downed bad guy’s body…yup, you definitely need a cop on your side.
A lawyer: Hey, when you need one you’ll need him bad. Have a good one and his number always handy. Try dropping an accountant to the mix to.
Someone in the black/gray market: He can save you a lot of money. And when things start getting either hard to find or too expensive, he’s the guy you’ll want to speak with.
Currency broker: Someone that buys and sells different currencies or precious metals.
I have 3 guys from which I buy/sell. When one tries to screw me over, I go to the other one, that way none of them things he’s got me tied, so I always end up getting a more or less fair deal.
These guys buy and sell pesos, Euros, USD, reales (Brazil) gold, silver, and even jewelry gold, having market values for all of them.
Gun dealers: Pretty similar to the previous one. I have couple with whom I deal most often. I deal with the one that gives me the best deal, but I try to distribute the shopping as well as I can, to keep the “friendship” up, so I’ll know of any good deals either one has to offer, the kind that only “customers” get to know of.
Found some pretty cool stuff thanks to that.
Artisan / Craftsman: To help you on various projects. Hopefully it will be someone that works well with steel, leather, cordura, and plastic.
He can fix gear for you, make equipment up that you might have thought of, or designed yourself.
Collector: Sometimes you need a bit of extra leverage, and it’s work you wont want to do yourself.
Believe me, it’s pretty hard to collect when almost ½ the country is broke.
So this isn’t just a Hollywood thing, you’ll need a good collector for doing businesses, specially collecting rent.
Don’t go for the aggressive maniac, you need someone that is persuasive, gets your money, but wont hurt the person in the process.
You need him healthy to keep on paying, and to avoid legal problems.
Machinist: A bit similar to the Craftman, but the machinist specializes on precise metal work. You’ll need him for gun accessories, help with projects, etc.
Farmer/rancher: Someone that can get you fresh food if it starts getting scarce, or find you good deals during the good times.
Gov. Employee: Yes, it’s like sleeping with the enemy, but someone that knows the ways of the “Dark Side” can save you from a lot of trouble, save you from otherwise month/year long waiting periods, just to mention one.
How to make “friends”?
Try being friendly generally speaking. I’m a naturally quiet person, I don’t like talking much with strangers, just not that kind of person. But I saw it for the flaw that it was, and I’ve been working hard in changing that.
Try to understand that not everyone thinks like you ( specially if you are a prepper/survivalist!) So try speaking their language , bite your tongue whenever you want to say things such as “That ‘s the most sheepish piece of brain washing crap I’ve ever heart”. I find myself avoiding saying that many times a day, but it’s important to be able to fit.
I’m getting pretty good results lately when I offer to take people shooting.
Its good for making bonds, those that are interested later appreciate it after you take them. You “converted” someone and maybe made a friend/contact, so it’s a dobule plus.
Anyway, this list is pretty short and missing a lot, but you get the idea.
FerFAL
This has been on my mind for a while now, and whenever I thought about how long the list would be, I got tired before starting so I never got around to do it.
But I guess it is important, it does make life easier, and it may make the difference in other, more critical matters.
The list has no particular order of importance, though everyone can well imagine that some “contacts” are more critical than others.
When the word “survivalist” is mentioned, most people imagine the bearded hermit living in the middle of nowhere, caressing his shotgun while he giggles like a lunatic. Or at the other end of the spectrum, some guy tightly winded up, that cant keep a normal conversation for 5 minutes without talking about the latest conspiracy theory, such as the relationship between Area 51 …Illuminati …Teletubbies …
Ok, so no. You need to be an outgoing person, someone that knows how to make acquaintances, if not friends.
You don’t need to be best buds, you wont be giving away your daughter for crying out loud, all you need is to be nice enough so as to be able to ask for a favor if you ever need one, and be ready to do the same in return.
Doctor/Pharmacist: Should be pretty obvious. You need someone that you can trust for health matters. But try going a bit further. You may one dat need something more than the average patient(doc relationship.
Ask about his/her weekend, how the kids are. Again, you aren’t looking for a best friend, just to knock down the barrier in case you ever have to ask for a favor, ask for some extra subscription meds, antibiotics.
Having a good relationship with someone that can get you meds is something you should try working on right now, at the very least try to be in good terms with the pharmacist guy.
The guy in the pharmacy near by will sell me almost everything, even without a doctor’s note.
It’s also important to have a good relationship with a doctor in case you need to ask for help during weekends, holydays, getting his/her cell number, etc.
Cops: You need them to know what’s going on, sometimes stuff that doesn’t get spread through the news to avoid panic, or simply because of censorship. You’ll know what’s really going on in your neighborhood by talking to your local police.
You need to be in good terms with them so that they respond fast during emergencies, watch over your house with at least a bit of extra interest.
If you end up shooting in self defense, a cop friend in your district may save you a LOT of trouble.
I know of a case where it made the difference, in an attempt of robbery, a switchblade next to the downed bad guy’s body…yup, you definitely need a cop on your side.
A lawyer: Hey, when you need one you’ll need him bad. Have a good one and his number always handy. Try dropping an accountant to the mix to.
Someone in the black/gray market: He can save you a lot of money. And when things start getting either hard to find or too expensive, he’s the guy you’ll want to speak with.
Currency broker: Someone that buys and sells different currencies or precious metals.
I have 3 guys from which I buy/sell. When one tries to screw me over, I go to the other one, that way none of them things he’s got me tied, so I always end up getting a more or less fair deal.
These guys buy and sell pesos, Euros, USD, reales (Brazil) gold, silver, and even jewelry gold, having market values for all of them.
Gun dealers: Pretty similar to the previous one. I have couple with whom I deal most often. I deal with the one that gives me the best deal, but I try to distribute the shopping as well as I can, to keep the “friendship” up, so I’ll know of any good deals either one has to offer, the kind that only “customers” get to know of.
Found some pretty cool stuff thanks to that.
Artisan / Craftsman: To help you on various projects. Hopefully it will be someone that works well with steel, leather, cordura, and plastic.
He can fix gear for you, make equipment up that you might have thought of, or designed yourself.
Collector: Sometimes you need a bit of extra leverage, and it’s work you wont want to do yourself.
Believe me, it’s pretty hard to collect when almost ½ the country is broke.
So this isn’t just a Hollywood thing, you’ll need a good collector for doing businesses, specially collecting rent.
Don’t go for the aggressive maniac, you need someone that is persuasive, gets your money, but wont hurt the person in the process.
You need him healthy to keep on paying, and to avoid legal problems.
Machinist: A bit similar to the Craftman, but the machinist specializes on precise metal work. You’ll need him for gun accessories, help with projects, etc.
Farmer/rancher: Someone that can get you fresh food if it starts getting scarce, or find you good deals during the good times.
Gov. Employee: Yes, it’s like sleeping with the enemy, but someone that knows the ways of the “Dark Side” can save you from a lot of trouble, save you from otherwise month/year long waiting periods, just to mention one.
How to make “friends”?
Try being friendly generally speaking. I’m a naturally quiet person, I don’t like talking much with strangers, just not that kind of person. But I saw it for the flaw that it was, and I’ve been working hard in changing that.
Try to understand that not everyone thinks like you ( specially if you are a prepper/survivalist!) So try speaking their language , bite your tongue whenever you want to say things such as “That ‘s the most sheepish piece of brain washing crap I’ve ever heart”. I find myself avoiding saying that many times a day, but it’s important to be able to fit.
I’m getting pretty good results lately when I offer to take people shooting.
Its good for making bonds, those that are interested later appreciate it after you take them. You “converted” someone and maybe made a friend/contact, so it’s a dobule plus.
Anyway, this list is pretty short and missing a lot, but you get the idea.
FerFAL
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