Living in the Quake Zone part 2!

Kia Ora,

For each person of course it has been different. On this side of town(West & South West unless by Halswell) there has been little damage this time apart from fact we still have to boil water & initially not flush the toilet. We are now allowed short showers & if you have running water to flush the toilet sparingly in part to allow them to find where the damage is.

That is in total contrast to what we are finding on our anti looting/welfare/recce for the student army patrols.

First there as I said in previous post a lot of empty houses & it is quite obvious. I have just heard one way looters are checking properties out is drving in with dimmed lights then shining their lights into a house to see if anybody is home.

Another comment on TV this morning was about 15 houses looted in one street.

Now one vehicle might not be able to do much & it is more about a presence on the street as eyes & ears for the police. Last night we ended up in the area centred around Hampshire Street. Now mention Hampshire street to people in Christchurch & immediately it comes under the umbrella of a no go area. Known for crime & gang connections. But they are people.

For many we were the first or second people from outside the area they had seen in five days. They knew the CBD was pretty bad but other than that there was no real information. Some had been into other suburbs near by & seen the portaloos but they had nothing. They were saying there was a lot of looting in the area. I wouldn't want to be one of those looters if the gangs get hold of them.

We were trying to get the Student Volunteer Army into that area in the next 48 hours based on the information we gathered. With my offsider assisting them with the information we have gathered & my vehicle still within the cordon I am trying to access a 4WD to continue what we are doing.

Many have been to the welfare centres & have come back more frustrated & angry. They are saying they are disorganized there are arguments & they are better off in their damaged homes looking after their street.

On the quiet we were told by one resident a person set up to receive all the food etc coming into one area was not handing it out to the people who were his neighbours but disappearing with it & coming back empty. The details were passed to the police.

In another area it was heartwarming to see an ex soldier had organized the area & now the police & army were delivering the food etc coming in from the likes of Rangiora to his house. It was just a big open home & the atmosphere was quite different to the areas where they felt they were just been ignored.

If anything this disaster has shown that many want to help no matter their personal situation. It means the response needs to be better organized right from the start. That means thinking on their feet whilst the systems are given the time to set up. Those systems also need to be flexible.

It is the frustration with the Civil defence system that means the likes of the Student army are so popular & getting things done.

One sour note was I was not actually not supposed to be out with Bernie last night as was rung to carryout security work for a large company since their contracted company had not got back to them as to whether they could provide a guard. So arrive courtesy of Bernie with pushbike in tow. Then the contracted company arrogantly showed up said here is your guard. The client was embarrassed & so I called Bernie to come back & collect me.

Might not of been making any cash last night but it was more rewarding especially with the good reception we got as amongst the first people to visit area around Hampshire street. It would be nice to have the cash flow to allow this to happen on a larger scale in situations like this. That has always been the plan but so far it has just not quite clicked.

There have been more good stories though.

Like the car load of Brazillians here on holiday looking to help. Then there was the 35 year old woman(that is how it was relayed to us) who had driven with a car load of food from Auckland to a street near Hampshire street, handed out the food then drove straight back. Until we arrived she was the only person that street had seen apart from locals & looters/suspicious vehicles.

I see on Quake map there have still been a few earthquakes in Christchurch but I haven't felt any for a while. Spoke too soon. A wee shimmy then. Unlike many I have been having good sleeps if short.

The media coverage is showing a good recovery effort but on the ground it is not what people are feeling or seeing. Most people seems sorted with food & water but are lacking portaloos & most of all information. When there is little or no information, even when they know others are much worse off, it starts to feel like they have yet again been forgotten. The frustration & anger was quite apparent.

If there is one thing people do have in common is the power of the shake. It is hard to forget the amazing immense power & how insignificant all that man can make is in comparison.

Still you can mitigate the effects & that is where the New Zealand mindset has to change. The health & safety teaching as I was told is you eliminate the risk. Since you can't eliminate things like this then New Zealand seems to just switch off. Like if we don't think about it it won't happen. Well it does & you just have to mitigate the risks.

At this stage it is looking like a pushbike patrol again to an area closer to home. Even the 4WD hire company seems to be affected.

If people haven't left the city(one territorial soldier we spoke to last night said it seemed about half of Christchurch is in Timaru & not coming back) they are out helping or resting from helping. I am aware of people now setting up in Oamaru, Nelson, Amberely virutally any place but Christchurch. Some are only staying to prevent looting. Family has gone, just the men in the main left to guard the home front. But not so many of them either & the Scum know it.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

What it is like living in the Quake zone!

Kia Ora,

First thanks to Neil Smith for his link to a tourists video of the quake hitting. Unfortunately with our internet haven't been able to view it all. The part I did see at start it appears the camera person is standing in the entrance into the Cathedral when it hit. Its the view we had virtually once we got the people out & dust had settled some. It then appears they may of been struck by masonary, many were & before we started keeping people away from the Cathedral had a quick look at the injuries lined up by police Kiosk. Everyone had a head injury including a baby. A St Johns team were soon on the scene.

After an ex army mate wound me up(yeah you got me but I will get you back) about doing anti looting patrols was not really helping I thought I would give a more detailed account of what it is like actually living here.

To do that I need to go back to September the 4th 2010.

First it is the immense sense of power when the big one hits. Like many New Zealanders(except ironically many in Christchurch) I have had to live with earthquakes for at least part of my life. But nothing like the power in the destructive ones. Quakes that would of had me heading for a safe place in the past you now just look, listen & nah its a tiddler. But you know when it is powerful now. Might be unfit & bit overweight these days but boy I can still run fast when the mood takes me. Boy did it take me on Tuesday.

But there were a few problems which I have alluded to in previous posts. Structural engineers were letting it be known privately that the whole truth was not been told & to ensure as best you can to get all properties checked thoroughly. Two & the Mayor were even in the "Press" saying the building code is only there to save lives. Which to me means everything must be either replaced(as I type this they are saying at least a third of the CBD must be demolished) or an extremely good check take place as now they have had their one big quake there is no guarantee they will survive another of similar or greater power.

So it has proved.

Then there has been Ken Rings quite accurate predictions of possibility of shakes on or around certain dates & the upcoming possible large one on or around the 20th March 2011. The experts keep contradicting themselves & each other, so lends him much more creditability even though he says it is not a precise process.

So a lot of people were & are edgy but now it has changed.

Unless you have experienced the power of these earthquakes it is hard to describe. Unlike other types of disasters(apart from suicide bombers) they just keep coming making everything associated with it more dangerous & for many nerve racking.

Last nights anti looting patrol was probably a good example of what we are looking at.

Quite a lot of what appear to be groups of teens still roaming or on pushbikes without lights up & down streets. Quite a few vehicles acting suspiciously. We saw two persons come out of house that is badly damaged who took a keen interest in what we were doing. So we stopped to offer them water & rice(given to us by Hornby Takeaways to hand out in the damaged areas) to find our driver knew one of them.

Their story is becoming the norm. A lot of suspicious people hanging around, looting taking place right in front of people. The person Bernie knew it was his house they came out off. The three neighbouring houses the people had left town. Person with him was his brother in law who lived about 7 houses down the road so they were doing their own little anti looting patrols in the street.

Then we moved on. In areas where there was power you noticed how many at 8.30-9.00pm were without lights & how empty & quiet it was. Where there was no power you noticed those with their own generators or candles. It is so noticeable as to what properties where empty.

At one part we helped a home owner get a house bus into his drive. House was munted but he was worried about looters & there appeared to be no neighbours in the street.

Now police have said they will swamp badly hit areas & we know they are trying but it took us ages to actually see a police patrol. When we did they were so appreciative of what we were doing with more eyes & ears on the ground. We asked what a certain area was like. Their response "mate been trying to get there all night but everytime we start to head that way we get called away".

We were starting to find more areas closed off & more cordons up with New Zealand & Australian Police combined with New Zealand & Singaporean soldiers on a cordon.

But still it is hard for the police to be everywhere & they don't have enough 4WD's to get into some areas. It is entirely possible that martial law could be imposed if people keep leaving to effect control over the city. Even in the not so badly hit areas like where I live people are just up & leaving. In just the last few days school roles outside Christchurch are jumping due to people just moving to be with relations or to their holiday home, bach or crib to live. Return time to be confirmed.

For many probably never.

I know many will not go back into multi story buildings because of the failure of the like of emergency exit stairs & been stuck up there for up to five hours awaiting rescue.

It is very quiet today & as the Mayor just said "its a weekend but its not" until he said that I didn't even realize it was Saturday. Days mean nothing right now.

It is the way some people are leaving though that show that many are in panic or terror as shocks continue. Just walking down the road when a vehicle obviously packed to leave town went down the road overtook a truck dangerously continued on the wrong side of the road & round a blind corner. Have seen that so many times of late where people are in such a hurry to get out that they are taking extreme risks on the road not thinking that they might kill themselves in the rush. The on going shocks are just spooking people so much. Soon it will be only those who are working trying to help or the Scum left at this rate.

Walking back see what is obviously someones business trailer just packed with all their worldly possessions heading south. Another common sight.

One good thing about it all is the people trying to help in which ever way they can. We stopped to talk to a check point on a cordon. In about five minutes they had four vehicles stop to offer them food or drinks, then a local group walked up with soup. Police officer said "going to get fat at this rate".

But with so many on edge it will only take another good shake to clear many more from the city. As someone said the media are underplaying it. Well they are not but it is really hard to convey not just the damage but the feeling of nerves waiting for the next 'big' shake. The only place I have ever been that has had a feeling like it is Baghdad & I think that is heightened by the fact New Zealanders were just not prepared for something like this.

One neighbour said they were about to leave here when it hit & said to the other neighbour "that was a good shake" then went off to work. It was near her work she said it was her 9/11 moment with 12 vehicles on the road but hundreds of peole walking. The other neighbour said "yeah real good shake but thought nothing of it went off to work to find the whole road grid locked. Thought what is going on here?"

So even within the city itself because of how the power was channelled not everyone was aware of how bad it was.

But as a police officer said last night it is probably the demise of the Cathedral that has hit hardest. As I said on the cordon on the day it hit a guy came up & when he saw it just burst into tears & couldn't stop. The heart of the city has gone.

I did find last night my vehicle is probably alright as that building appears to be undamaged. But the cordon is going to be in place for months it would appear & so now having to look at other options.

Now some of my mates have not liked my postings in the past regard to been able to increase my cash flow, business & generally have cash on hand to get things done.

Right now I think proves my point. Yes lives are important but that is actually why I have looked at what I have done for business. Both my security concept & sustainable communities designed with the effects of a large earthquake &/or a Tsaunami in mind to also provide redundant systems so that no part is ever completely shut down. Also to provide jobs therefore cash flow to allow people to feed their families which with an estimated 40,000 in the CBD alone with no work is going to be a priority.

Been out & about you feel you are contributing, but with one vehicle you can only do so much. It is really frustrating that had you been able to get things going as you wanted it would right now be making a real difference to peoples lives.

Money, as people say, might not be everything but it sure as hell helps you make a real difference when you have it & are able to use it in a way that allows that difference to be sustainable.

There have been moments of laughter though.

For those that are not aware New Zealand is hosting the Rugby World Cup 2011 & much of the work going on post September the 4th 2010 here on roads etc was not repairing earthquake damage but upgrading towards the World Cup. As we drove down Fitzgerald Avenue on the outskirts of the CBD we came across this sign which was obviously connected with the upgrade. Unable to remember the exact words but it went along these lines.

Due to requirement to upgrade the roads there will be some disruption & change in configuration of roading design.

The laughter went on for a while. They certainly got their change in configuration.

I think most of all it is the feeling of despair you get from people. As I say to me it is just like another day in paradise(Baghdad) in many ways. For many it is that shattered mindset that all those aweful things just don't happen in New Zealand & they are not handling it well.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Are you ready for a Disaster?

Kia Ora,

Disasters always happen to everyone else. New Zealand likes to deny they will happen when you talk about them.

But as has been shown they do happen one after another. As one media person said the other day in Australia & New Zealand of late it has become like Disaster ping pong where our people are off helping the other then vice versa in a very short time since September 4th 2010.

Had a good comment from Shawn Marie that basically talks about society now been risk adverse.

The one thing they may not realize is Civil Defence in New Zealand is apart from the very top is voluntary, with a lot of well meaning people getting involved. The issue is many don't understand the system, the consequences of their decisions & how quickly they have to be made. In the first few hours quick decisive action needs to be taken & that is not what you have been seeing or what I saw when part of Civil Defence. It was one of the few organizations where the very top have been very impressive & up to speed, whilst the remainder are off extremely varying levels but much lower in standards or decision making.

My old room mate Simon is of the opinion that in this blog I might need to give them a break for now. Now he is a good military man & knows we would get back & evalute it as soon as possible to find lessons learnt.

But all that happened here the first time was everyone patted themselves on the back. Not only that you have to look at the different reaction in Australia. Immediately after the floods they launched an inquiry to see lessons learnt which they then extended to cover when cyclone hit shortly afterwards. No inquiry here on initial shake. We did great! Well many parts & people did, but bits didn't & they are the same bits that seemed to struggle this time.

So the comments need to be out there now in the hope the message gets through. Especially when there is the likelyhood of another big shake shortly.

It was a lot of little things that meant the likes of the police & those of us helping on the cordon that first day were getting the angry response too. Very quickly through the police we were told to get people moving either North along Colombo street or to Hagley park where a processing centre would give information updates. It wasn't happening & people were then been directed to headquarters at the new art Gallery or the nearest triage area in Victoria Square. This all increased the frustration & anger we had to deal with at the cordon.

I still hope that young boy we didn't have time to deal with found his parents.

All that had to happen was, as we did on the Worcester Street bridge whilst turning most away, placed those waiting for people to be rescued from Claradon Towers to one side to watch wait & pass any information that came to us.

I know Simon would of done it. It is in our awesome training(the training that New Zealand businesses doesn't really recognize but they do overseas) from the New Zealand Military & in our make up. But the people setting these things up are not taking the control they need too & also were probably overwhelmed.

Anyway yesterday went with a good man by name of Bernie in his distinctive vehicle to carryout anti looting patrols. Informed the police who just asked for certain points to be observed.

Others want to help but what they don't realize is reason police were comfortable with us doing it was the understanding of our legal powers. Nil!

Obviously emotions are high so any Scum caught people want dealt too. That is vigilante behaviour & right now would make things worse. So by having a security license it shows we are aware of the law & will stick to what are basically the rules of engagement. Look, observe & report any criminal activity no matter what we would like to do.

Did two short patrols yesterday. First in Bernie's distinctive vehicle right out as far as Southshore. The locals after September the 4th seemed to be handling it quite well although without power their communication was either by transistor radio or the paper. Many offering well water, others bar b queing the food from their freezer & offering it to anyone.

A lot of smiles at the vehicle & we stopped to talk to people. I think that was a good help as much as the anti looting part. Just passing on our stories & what we had seen in the rest of the city. On one street with large amounts of liquifaction & large sink holes three relatively young children were on the end of shovels clearing around their car. It just what you do now.

As well as been the driver since my vehicle is probably toast in the middle of the city, Bernie is also a friend of the organizer of the Student army & so was taking some photos to report to Sam Johnson as a sort of recce of where to send people to help.

We only saw two suspicious entities. One vehicle which on seeing a contractor or local was manning a roadblock turned away & one person on a pushbike.

Last night Bernie had to attend to domestic duties & at times like these those with families especially young ones as he has they take priority.

So took to the push bike. Now during the day we saw alot of peole right across the city areas we moved through packing up & moving out either tempoarily with just mattresses or on a more permanent basis with furniture the lot. I see even the Wizard has left for good.

Last night as you cycled along you noticed that many properties gave the appearance of empty but those that appeared occupied many had a party in full swing. The police are reporting a lot of this with associated issues.

Many will say that or drugs will be their way of coping but that is the worse thing people can do. Right now people need to be level headed. There are concerns that disease could break out as often happens in situations like this. Due to the nature of the New Zealand environment we hope not, not to mention the awesome work been carried out to restore services such as water, power & sewrage.

Across the board the destruction is much worse than September the 4th. Many locals were getting their own neighbourhood back together. One young guy had a wheelbarrow full of sand & was putting it down at one end of one of the few usuable bridges on the east side of the city as it has lifted at that end so there was a drop onto the road or a lip to drive up on the other side.

Well after our recce patrols of yesterday we are planning to go on an extended patrol this evening. I see the police are planning a large presence as well as reinforcements arrive in the city.

In such a situation the Scum should think about their own families not ripping off someone elses.

People need to think though are they prepared for a disaster?

The amount of people on the roads who probably didn't need to be as they did not prepare after the last one has been unbelievable. It was like the belief that "Ok its happened, we have had it, won't happen again so forget it" well it can happen again & again.

That actually has been my point over security & suicide bombers at the Rugby world Cup. New Zealand sort of plans for one incident where as say with suicide bombers if one hits another is coming.

It was actually a point made by a US engineer about inspecting buildings here. He worked on the 9/11 buildings. The difference there he said was you knew nothing else was going to happen but with earthquakes they just keep coming. That means the risk doesn't really diminish.

Again it was also the point made by the police officer when advising we were heading off on patrol. New Zealanders just weren't that ready. It doesn't happen here. Even though we knew one was coming sometime.

It also shows that we need to look at why things were often built a certain way in the past.

Our old Ministry of Works was found to have over engineered projects probably in the wake of the 1931 Napier earthquake & after the first shake those buildings were seen to have survived quite well in comparison. Where as in particular this time some of the more modern earthquake prepared buildings have had quite serious failures from buildings collapsing to the emergency exit stairways collapsing.

Time for people to wake up but also time for people to ensure they are prepared.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Poor use of resources by some authorities! Then there are the Scum!

Kia Ora,

Had to change the subject of todays post because some people are not dealing with reality. Much of that is actually Civil defence who are not getting the information out or channeling people who want to help. If you want to help you just have to go do things yourself.

Having worked both in Civil Defence & a military CP I know how it should work & how it is obviously not working.

The Student army are on the march again to the eastern suburbs to clear liquifaction. I was going to after writing this head that way myself but will be doing something else.

Then of course there are the scum elements!

We are continuing to get hit with on going aftershocks(3 whilst writing this, in fact at times the ground doesn't seem to stop moving at all) some quite substantial & I know from time on the cordon that everytime there is another shock more parts fall off highly damaged buildings.

But many people are still trying to carry on with life as if it is normal. Even straight after the quake whilst on the cordon we were turning away people who were trying to go to normal work.

There is nothing normal about what is going on. Out this side of town we are just getting the shocks with things falling down or did on the big shock but overall not badly off. Running water, power obviously internet but like the rest of the city we can't flush our toilets as the pipes between us & the sewerage works are broken.

Now right there is the big issue with Civil Defence. They came on saying don't flush toilets then the Canterbury Chief medical officer came on say flush sparingly. A mate & I debated this a little as even in this situation where in most things Civil Defence have the power & the lead, I am still certain on medical areas the Chief medical officer is the top person. He would be the person Civil Defence would go too. But when you went on the site for Ecan who control civil defence in Canterbury you actually found at that time both sets of advice. Creates confusion.

I spoke yesterday of frustrated & angry people showing up at the cordons wanting to help but not been used.

Well talking to a mate today as they prepare to leave town(just so many are) he was with that group of people trying to help. He tells me about 50 Fletchers engineers showed up with all their gears saying they could help. But were turned away. My mate is ex military as was another guy & two serving people showed in uniform & again turned away. At that stage they were saying three dead but one person arriving from the city centre said they had just passed 20 bodies making their way there.

This was a real issue when I was part of Civil Defence. The people at the very top were really good mainly being ex military but under that it was a mess. We had an exercise where in the debrief we raised a few issues.

First was to not in a paper exercise to over allocate resources but do it realistically. It was pointed out that they may have to make a decision to focus on those with the best chance leaving others to possibly die. The reponse to that one was "we save everyone" & it seems they are still working in that mode. It is not a bloody exercise & all the mistakes should of been sorted especially after the September quake. They obviously haven't been & it is causing frustration & anger.

Other issue was not knowing their local area & who provided the service to certain areas but just using the yellow pages to provide services they were not able too.

That is why I was impressed with Inspector Dave Lawry last night. He had to make the hard but at that time necessary decision to focus resources on where they thought there was a greater likelyhood of life. When pressed though he said 100% sure no one alive. You can never be 100% sure but it was a hard realistic decision.

I am also hearing of people who immediately post the quake thinking it was just another real good aftershock standing in the most vulnerable parts of a building going "that was a good one".

Many others are just heading off to work as I said above. As someone said after the September earthquake the person they were going to help shift that day rang to find out where they were since they had to be shifted to the new property since Sky were coming at 4pm to connect them. What planet were they on?

But then it is the same we have seen with the rush on fuel & supplies. It seemed many people believed that comment by one 'expert' that there would not be another big quake for 50 to a 500 years. Thing is we know for instance that we are well overdue for a big shake on the Alpine Fault & that has not happened yet. There should not of been a panic this time to get supplies. But no change. Under prepared then trying to catch up.

It is an issue that I have talked about before where here in New Zealand these days we tend to deal with things that are extreme by not dealing with them. If we don't talk about it it won't happen. Well it bloody does & it is not about doom & gloom, it is about been ready & able to carryon if something does happen.

As I have said often with investing things going wrong is seen as an opportunity. But it can be an opportunity to do good & make a difference. Then you get the others who see it as an opportunity to show they are scum. A family waiting to see if their mother & sister can be rescued from a collapsed building had their house burglared. Six were arrested inside the cordons on the first day.

Even foreign media were arrested last night trying to 'break in' to the Christchurch Hospital to interview victims.

So the fact scum are using this to benefit from this instead of going to help digging liquifaction out I am going to use my pushbike to carryout security patrols of areas until I get a call to help in some other security tasks. That has just changed a mate is going to assist using his WW2 jeep.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Another day another disaster!

Kia Ora,

What a day & night it has been. Carried out another job I am doing on a part time basis then headed into Christchurch city centre for an interview over the new Security Personnel & Private Investigators Act 2010. Was going to take the bus but decided to take my vehicle which is now stranded in the centre of the city.

If you are not sure what the situation is Christchurch New Zealand was struck by a second large earthquake in six months but this time it has led to fatalities.

What I will be writing about is my experience of the day so it will be a long post with some comments on my observations. Also based on comments from others during the day.

When the quake struck was about to use an ATM(since they are all down now it would of been nice to get in two minutes earlier but sh.t happens). Instantly you knew it was a big one coming, but as several others have commented many though froze or ran into the most dangerous areas. Right from the start some people took charge by virtually ordering people to do things or they were doing nothing. Managed to get some people moving in direction I was towards square. Luckily not too fast as part of Cathedral collapsed in front of us.

Joined the first really good person I met on the day. Young Israeli woman who obviously had a bit of experience in rescue type situations. I stopped at the door to the Cathedral, as you just could not see due to dust & there was a worry about the rest of the roof coming down. So initially yelled for people to come towards us. Young Israeli woman says no we will have to go in so we went in yelling, as any firemen will tell you, as the dust cleared we started to notice people in all sorts of place & had to basically order people out. As we got the last of about ten people out a staff member arrived & says to stop yelling.

But as I say you through out the day virutally had to order a lot of people as they went on auto pilot or in shock so you needed to get them moving.

Shortly after that it was noticed despite the situation that people were walking or posing for photos beside the leaning parts of the Cathedral. So with another good person who appeared that day, a young guy from City Care, who managed to find a bull horn we assisted the police to first keep people back from the Cathedral then move them out of the city centre.

The police were awesome there just weren't enough of them. Once the Square was clear we were asked to leave as well, but when we got to the outer edge of the cordon we found the police trying to move on large numbers of people who were trying to get back in or refusing to move further. Together we helped move them back over the bridge then joined the police on the cordon.

Again police were awesome as were the fire service who with no water to fight fires with took to checking out buildings were empty. Of course the Ambulance service were covering what they could, but also police cars were used as makeshift ambulances.

But at the cordon we began to have to deal with the anger. Now previously I have posted about the building anger & frustration which at recent earthquakes overseas has boiled over in riots, violence & crime quicker due to deaths.

There are a number of images that come to mind.

First in the Square just the amount of stunned looks & crying. Then when first on the cordon, after we had pushed everyone back & directed them to Hagley park processing centre or the Art Gallery if they wanted to help, a guy coming up on seeing the damage to the Cathedral down the street just burst into tears & couldn't stop.

Then the two angry guys. Well there were three but one was an idiot.

The first was an angry husband who was threatening to get in anyway he could to find his wife. Like many others they were coming back from where us & the police were told to direct them to to get information to say there was no information.

Next was the young boy on a bike angry at been sent here there & everywhere who could not find his parents. Unfortunately at the time we were dealing again with a lot of people trying to get through so cound't afford him much time but to turn him back.

Then the idiot. drunk turned away several times who wanted to get his car. In the end the police had to remove him, but they didn't want to clog up the cells so had to take him home in the country.

Oh forgot the other idiot. The one who in the middle of all this pulled a pistol on someone in another part of the city so police had to arm up & go find this w....r.

An elderly couple decided they needed to go to the toilet so decided to try to use a damaged empty building & also had to be ordered out by the police.

Finally we got the highly experienced helpers(not to mention the groups of well meaning helpers usually with shovels who were also frustrated), like a group of cavers, who just had enough of waiting to help & came like many others to the cordon to see if they could help were frustrated & angry over the disorganization.

It appears of all the groups involved the one that didn't learn much from the previous earthquake were Civil Defence. Having been part of Civil Defence & seeing them operate during the last earthquake there are too many people that don't want to make decisions.

Personally I think it is time to maybe scrap civil defence & use the army in its place. On a previous emergency whilst part of the army just a little military tip helped streamline a civil defence response. The difference is the military use this system all the time & can be set up quickly to provide effective command control & most of all effective use of resources. Though Civil Defence search & rescue teams were well drilled.

Once the police didn't require our services anymore had to walk home in the rain but that is a minor discomfort compared to what has happened. But some of the idiotic driving seen on the way home was beyond belief. Then a young guy named Mike stopped & gave me a lift home. He was on the way to comfort his ex girlfriend as she had rung very upset & not handling it. He was one of those good people who made a little difference.

Why do some people get in & do things when others stop or are in shock? I know in my case it is just what you do & that great training from the New Zealand army helps big time. But it is also experiences like working in Iraq.

In fact when a reporter asked myself & the young Israeli woman why we went in & then was it a worry. "Not really worked in Iraq & this young lady is from Israel so to us it is just like another day".

Experience counts but there are also others who just naturally just get stuck in & help as best they can.

One of those recently called themself a loser. He is not a loser, he gives his all to help others. That is the type of person whom we identify with as a real Kiwi. A person that will get on & make the best of what gets thrown at him.

www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Working Smarter not harder!

Kia Ora,

There was a piece on TV one's Close up the other night about New Zealands version of Criminal Minds with an intelligience analyst.

It was good & all they were doing was an apprectiation much as we did in the army when planning patrols or tasks.

The comment was made about working smarter & of course the second part of that is not harder. It was also said you might not see police out there in public as much.

Now doing an appreciation or analyizing the information available is definitely a help. Problem is to get to the stage where some of that works in the current system, unlike the military situation, means you have to allow a few crimes to happen.

That is where the system has gone wrong. Not that it doesn't need the analysts but it needs to be used in conjunction with old fashioned patrolling impacting the crime before it happens. There still needs to be a lot more police out on the street. Not a 100 specialists for every police officer on the beat. Not only do they impact on crime they provide the information that can be used to either stop crime from happening or catch up with the criminals quickly.

It would also question where they get the information or enough to work on. Especially when business burglaries discovered in the morning get a form faxed through but no visit or householders don't get a visit for four days then asked why they cleaned up.
Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection
Effective combating of crime is a combination of the old, add in new techniques & prompt gaining of the information.

They also made the comment that burglaries are carried out within 5 km of where the burglar lives.

Funny one person arrested for murder resulted in a drop of 51% of burglaries in a commercial area I was one of the security patrols covering. He lived 40 km away.

On another occassion a group of us carrying out security noticed suspicious activity called police. The person was a burglar & car thief from about 400km away.
Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach
Now I hear of a police district forming a crime prevention unit which goes in after a crime & looks at what else they can gleam from it. From the information provided it didn't prevent crime but just discovered evidence of more past crime.

Wait a minute isn't that what detectives did in the past? Isn't crime prevention what the officer on the beat did by patrolling?

All these fancy names & sectioning off areas of specialty are really the reason crime is now out of control. Not enough officers on the ground doing the actual policing & having a presence really acted as crime prevention.
Intelligence Analysis: How to Think in Complex Environments (Praeger Security International)
We have more people in the police but it seems less doing the actual policing. Starting to sound like the US army with so many specialists there were very few actual grunts. Boots on the ground in the end is what wins wars of all types & impacts on crime. It is also where you win the hearts & minds. Not just throwing cash at things.

The police officer in tune with his community can more often than not deal with a situation without the need to resort to the law. But with the emphasis on arrests & tickets & now building all these special units it would seem the art of policing is slowly been lost. That is what I am also hearing from experienced & former police officers.

Again definitely use these new techniques or technology but in conjunction with what really works!
Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis
Sometimes doing things that seem to be the hard way work out better in the long run. In the army we had a saying "Train Hard fight easy" & through walking the beat, getting to know your community might be hard work at first for a police officer I think it would have rewards in the long run.

It did in the past from anecdotal evidence.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Is there hope for the world after all this?

Kia Ora,

With all the unrest, increasing crime, poverty & revolution across the world you would have to ask is there hope for the world?

Well yes there is & it goes surprisingly to many by the name of Justin Bieber!

Before people think I am mad this is the situation.

Anyone who has read a few of my blogs will know I follow Robert Kiyosaki. Though I would have a slightly different view of government versus privatization. That is based on the fact that in countries like the US it has failed to keep up the infrastructure it has taken over. Here in New Zealand because we did have, compared to what we have now, an efficient civil service. Now we have a poor civil service & even worse areas that were privatized or made into SOE's(state owned enterprizes).

There must be a better way to combine both or at least have private means also deliver social outcomes. Working on it & it is the knowledge that has come from the financial education path that makes me see it is possible.

One thing that the likes of Robert Kiyosaki teach is real financial education not the crap governments dish out. Sorry but that is the only word that can describe the 'accepted financial education/advice'. They so much don't want people to know there is another way of looking at things that recently here in New Zealand they made it illegal to give an opinion or advice unless a licensed financial advisors. Of course they all trot out the party line which is effectively stealing peoples currency from under them.

Compare that to the real financial education that allows people to come up with plans to achieve their dreams & make the world a better place. If the young take this up then real change will be achieved.

So what has this to do with Justin Bieber?

Getting there.

Robert Kiyosakis book Rich Dad Poor Dad really took off after appearing on Oprah in the US. More recently Will(thats right the movie star)& Jada Smith were also on Oprah & said how they were getting their children in the Rich Dad swing of things.

In the last few days Robert has posted where he was reading 'Vanity Fair' to see Justin Bieber quoted as saying he is reading Rich Dad Poor Dad after been told to by Will Smith.

So What?
Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money--That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not! (Miniature Edition)
The comment also mentions that Justin struggled in the school(slavery) system & doesn't read much. From reading Roberts books I would say that applied to him too.

Myself I was good in the school system until I lost interest. It wasn't until I joined the army that I realized that not everyone shines in the school system but will shine elsewhere.

Wouldn't we all like to shine like Justin at present?

Like many in his situation he could be easily parted from his cash if he doesn't have the right mindset & learn how to use it. But you don't have to be rich from been a superstar to use this knowledge. It all takes is a brain.

You don't have to be an 'A' class student either.
Rich Dad's Rich Kid, Smart Kid: Giving Your Children a Financial Headstart
Sometime back I took my game of cashflow 101 to a friends who had other friends over. One of the kids wanted to play but as the game progressed it was evident he could not read. But what he did work out real quick was what was a good deal & what wasn't. The issue was his parent. They just kept saying he was dumb & would be no good at the game. Yes he needed some help reading the words & figures but no way was he dumb.

If Justin can pass that message on it would help millions to see their is hope despite where things are heading at present. It could divert many from a life of crime when they realize they can achieve as much as anybody as long as they have the knowledge & the ability to see opportunities(the knowledge will give them that).
Rich Dad Cashflow for Kids
So what has this to do with unrest, crime & revolution?

Well it is youth that are leading this new world & the change that is going on. It is the young that are at the heart & soul of the protests & revolutions starting to sweep the world.

Right now is said to be the biggest transfer of wealth & power in the history of the world. But if more of the world were aware of the formulae like Robert shows through his games & books then maybe there would be a more equal balance after all this has settled down.

Sometimes what you think you are getting is not what you are getting at all. So to make it worth while people need to start thinking differently. Thinking for the future. Recognizing the old ways do not work anymore or if they do in a totally altered form.
Rich Dad Cashflow 101 board game (with CD's)
If someone as influential as Justin Bieber can learn from this, it is set up for all learning styles based on the cone of learning & how most people learn, then pass on or encourage millions of his fans to learn then there is real hope for the world after the current 'leaders'(if you can call them that) have been manipulated to destroy everything as it currently stands.

Already there are new ways to earn billions not thought of 20 years ago. What in the next 20 years?

There really is hope after all & it goes by the name of Justin Bieber!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How long & far will the Dominoes fall?

Kia Ora,

Many of the financial commentators I follow are of the opinion that the US is likely to have either a revolution or civil war based on the fact that the actions been taken by the Federal Reserve have now made conditions worse than the French Revolution. All it needs is a few tweaks & it will all come tumbling down. Tweaks like inflation causing the amount spent weekly on food from the take home pay to rise.

That has been seen as the real trigger behind the continuing unrest in the Middle East.

Meanwhile here in New Zealand the belief it will never happen here. But then that is the claim for just about everything here.

One person said to me that New Zealand would never have a revolution as it is all too PC so no one would want to offend anyone.

Though I think it is more complex than that & the PC New Zealand is actually breeding conditions right for it to happen.

We have had in the past what amounted attempts to change governments. The 1913 waterfront strike been the first broken up by what became known as Massey's Cossacks as Terroritorial mounted units rode to town to break it up. Both sides were a year later fighting for King & country in Egypt & a year later Gallipoli.

Then in 1951 again it was the water front strike where the Unions took on the government who sent in the police & army.
The Oxford History of the French Revolution
The difference these days is the power of social media to quickly organize then mobilize people. In particular young people(its the young that have been at the heart of all recent issues around the world) who because of our PC society think they have all the rights. Right there is one requirement for a riot from the start. A shared common belief.

For years now our youth like those across the world have been using different forms of social media to organize. Not long after returning from security work in Iraq I was called to help at a birthday party. The expected 70 people went to 300 in about five minutes by use of text(SMS) messages. Good use of a note book & knowledge of the law soon had that back to the expected 70.

A week later two young girls died when a party got out of control & police were confronted by up to 1000 people also organized by text message.
The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change
More recently facebook has been used to organize parties on beaches in Auckland then even more recently a party in Greymouth where police were attacked.

It is no mistake that governments in the middle east shut down social media but by then it was too late.

As they used to say a person would tell six people if they were upset who would tell six people. With emails it was said this changed to 200 people told. With social media you tell the world & once it is out there right or wrong there is no stopping it.
30 Days to Social Media Success: The 30 Day Results Guide to Making the Most of Twitter, Blogging, LinkedIN, and Facebook
For those a bit older like myself it has been hard to understand first the appeal then how it could affect what we do or our society. We did know that society was changing especially in the likes of security because we were confronting it often & still are.

It was one of those 'aha' moments to realize how immensely powerful these new tools were. Governments still do not realize just how powerful. By their nature bureaucarcies move slowly even when efficient which they generally are not. They can not combat the speed at which social media works.

Using New Zealand as an example of what may happen there needs to be a focal point. Now similar to what happened in Italy at one part where one march was joined by several groups with different gripes with the government resulting in unrest could happen here.
The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media
For example shortly there is likely to be a Hikoi(march on a point of disagreement by mainly the Maori community) heading to Wellington(our capital city) now other groups could join in at Wellington such as Unions, citizens of Canterbury upset about the poor government response to the earthquake(as happened in Italy) so you suddenly have a lot of upset people in one place.

It would be easier with social media to suddenly add to that a large group of youths who have been watching youtube & think it would be great to emulate others around the world.

People say others would not take part but once something like a riot starts or builds people get caught up in the feeling. From there seeing what has happened around the world it is only a short step to the next level then another dominoe falls.
Social Media 101: Tactics and Tips to Develop Your Business Online
What has started in the Middle East could easily continue around the whole world & with social media involvment no country is safe from its effects. It really is that powerful when combined with other ingredients & like a row of dominoes.

There is word now that Algeria has stockpiled food to give out to its people to help settle tensions. China has not just stockplied commodities to keep its industry going through the hard times but guaranteed access to some food, though they have banned the people from hoarding food.

It will be interesting to see if this time tested form of appeasing people can stop the dominoes or even outpace social media?

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Efficiency doesn't necessarily mean downsizing!

Kia Ora,

Well in line with the world trend the New Zealand government has signalled austerity measures in particular in line with the cutting of public service jobs.

Now I have been very critical of the inefficient & corrupt manner of our government departments & entities. But in the first instance whilst getting the departments & entities efficient the extra staff are required.

Then if they have too let the numbers drop through natural attrition. Problem the government has with this & with trying to take people off benefits there are not the jobs out there for them.

Those coming off the benefits will actually cope better mentally because they have always had to struggle or will just increase their crime.

It is those government bureaucrats like anyone else coming off a high paying job that will struggle with the mental side unless they have ben their before.

Here is where the violence will increase. The mental stress of going from a high paying job to maybe been on the street will be hard for people to take. Suddenly some of them will be subjected to the same inefficient corrupt & arrogant behaviour they have been dishing out.

Many of them will be in large debt usually in mortgage on their houses & that will cause major issues within any relationships. More stress, more likely violence.
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time
Though the opposition is playing politics with its comments as it completely got things wrong when it was government, it is right in its statement there just aren't the jobs available & there aren't any been created.

There is a myth that government is always more inefficient that private enterprise. New Zealand government departments were at one time extremely efficient if a little bloated in numbers. Privatization hasn't made things any better here, like the US & Australia infrastructure has suffered from lack of investment. It is now coming back to haunt each country.

What all that means is it will be harder for businesses or the economies to recover. Less jobs more unemployed more crime.
The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue
But there has been another twist noticed in Europe & the Arab world with the riots & protests. It is the amount of young people out of work with little incentive to work. Potentially in the West it could be a lot worse.

We have spent years telling people they can be anything they want but forgot to tell them sometimes they have to fail. Many of them have the attitude is they have the right to do or take anything & you have no right to stop them.

When they look at the wages offered & what they can get either on the unemployment benefit or just by taking things is it no wonder they forgo a job.

Social Media has meant that parties & revolutions can be organized very quickly with governments not able to have control(unless they try like Egypt to just cut all access, but once it started it was too late).
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly, 2nd Edition
So now we are going to have more people out of work, less jobs been created more people using social media who think they have the rights to anything & see the 'fun' people their age are having around the world.

As conditions get worse sounds like great ingredients for more civil unrest.

Is this another manipulation for greater transfer of wealth & power?

Or that was the intention but this thing, thanks to Social media, has gotten bigger than anyone was prepared for in the manner of a Tsaunami?

One way to mitigate that is make the public services more efficient so people can actually see a future. Because if they can't then what is to stop them making a new one of their design?

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How can being a Role Model backfire?

Kia Ora,

Now this is not an attack on Islam, Sonny Bill Williams(SBW), Anthony Mundine or their agent Mr Knosser.

What it is, is the pointing out how good role models can end up leading people down another path.

Now Anthony Mundine & SBW have become good role models over the last few years from their earlier wild ways. In the last few days SBW has come out & officialy acknowleged he has converted to Islam which since both Mr Knosser & Mundine were or had converted it was always likely he had also.

Most moderate Muslims I have met around the world have been very open & accepting. That is how these role models appear too.

The issue becomes when others decide to follow with maybe not the guidance of more moderate minds.

I have a relation who is climbing nicely up the ranks in Rugby League in Australia. Always have given him a hard time that he should play for the Warriors(New Zealands team in the NRL competition)or a real game in rugby(been a rugby person myself). He has always idolized SBW to such an extent that he showed up to a meeting with a feeder club to another NRL club wearing a Canterbury Bulldogs jersey.

What SBW does he wants to do or did last time I spoke to him. Since then SBW has been on a journey of his own discovery. Changing to Rugby first in France then back here in New Zealand to make the All Blacks(National Rugby team).
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam, 2nd Edition
So if he still idolizes SBW what are his next moves?

Well if he converts to Islam it will be an interesting flat as his cousin comes from a conservative born again Christian background.

Without the guidance to look at Islam from a moderate view there is a chance like many youngsters this person could find themselves looking at the Koran in a radical fashion or radical elements taking them into their circle.

With both Anthony Mundine & SBW having such a huge following amongst young people there is always that chance. The same way that a good conservative Christian with a similar following could result in youngsters following a radical Christian path.
The Koran For Dummies
Since converting to Islam you have seen both Anthony Mundine & SBW presenting a different more accepting side. Even to the extent that SBW when he made a mistake went to a school to apologise then talk to the kids about lifes lessons of living up to your word & fixing your mistakes.

Here though is another connection to the financial crisis where good deeds like those from SBW may result in a few young ones converting to Islam. As the financial crisis worsens history shows that people tend to retreat into their religions or the like. The worse the situation the more likely people in particular young ones will follow the more radical paths.

The more I see & hear of the work of Mr Knosser, Mundine & Williams the more impressed I am. It would be a shame to see that undermined by poor guidance of those following them into the path of radicalism. Of course if Christian radicalism grows then so does Islamic radicalism or vice versa.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

"Don't teach Pigs to sing. It annoys the pig & wastes your time!"

Kia Ora,

It is human nature to want to share what you have learnt even through your mistakes. Of course as every parent I have ever talked too has said their children think parents know nothing & have to make the same mistakes. Since they are their parents children part of their make up will mean they make exactly the same mistakes & become that which they hated the most about their parents.

People actually learn most by their mistakes. Not everyone can recognize that they are making the same mistakes or are have some of the traits of their parents.

But we can also learn from the mistakes of others & that is where real education which is self education comes in. We can also change & miss the mistakes our parents made.

Now one quote that Robert Kiyosaki likes to throw about is "Don't teach pigs to sing. It annoys the pigs & wastes your time". He came across that one day whilst struggling to work out why 80% of those he taught failed to be able to make the most of what he was teaching. He found he was spending more time & energy with those that would likely never succeed than those who wanted to learn. So he changed the way he taught.

He also is of the same mind of a sergeant of mine when they were first thinking of promoting me(I know there are a lot of people that are still puzzling over why they ever did promote me & what a monster they created) where you learn more by teaching others. Problem is especially in New Zealand is finding enough people who really want to learn how to get ahead. It is too much like hard work.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens: The Secrets About Money--that You Don't Learn in School! (Miniature Edition)
As Henry Ford said "thinking is the hardest work there is & that is why so few people do it."

Everyone says they would like to be rich, but most are not prepared to risk everything to get there. That is why they never make it or never make it for long.

Many resort to criminal activity such as drug dealing, theft or the more subtle form of theft known better as fraud.

The thing is if you offer people the information you have learnt from others & more importantly your own mistakes they react by trying to belittle what you are offering. The reason for that is they are lazy, scared & it is outside their comfort zone.
Cashflow Quadrant: Rich Dad's Guide to Financial Freedom
Now another thing that people like Robert Kiyosaki promote is never just believe what they are saying. Do your own homework. When you do that homework & talk to people who are following the same path you find from a myriad of successful sources it builds a base of knowledge from which you can see if it is true or not.

Most people ignore history but as Winston Churchill said "The further back you look the further forward you can see" & that is not the history about dates etc but what has happened when similar actions have been taken to those happening now.

That is why some have been for years been predicting the financial crisis we now have even to the extent of overthrow of governments. That particular course is now gathering pace which the powers that be hide by claiming it is people upset with the dictators & wanting democracy. Most people don't give a damn about democracy as long as they don't rock the boat. So called democracy gives the illusion of free speech & control.
Rich Dad's Guide to Investing: What the Rich Invest in, That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!
When in fact the trigger for the overthrows have been rising food prices. When most if not all your weekly take home pay goes to buy food to feed your family something has to give. Those rising food prices have been created by in particular the US Federal reserve creating currency.

Probably the biggest reason people don't like to know about how to get ahead is when you present it to their thinking it all looks negative. But what is negative to most is actually an opportunity to those who succeed or those on that path.

Like everyone I have dreams which in my case have morphed as I have learnt more or experienced more of life. Now many people think that security is my whole focus. That is the initial focus & the situations I see building around me making conditions worse are an opportunity in an industry where I actually have quite a bit of knowledge & experience to build on. It is just a case of building a better mouse trap(old idea presented in a better different way).
Rich Dad's Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money
Not only is the security idea scaleable(in other words it can build to a very large organization) but it is a stepping stone to the next idea which also combines with the security concept. These are both scaleable world wide.

Whats more whilst the financial crisis getting worse all the time gives an opportunity to allow it to happen. Whats more for a place to start the Canterbury earthquake means the conditions are right to launch both, the security in particular here in Christchurch.

But all that means you have to research the financial crisis where it is expected to go(not by the trusted 'economists' or government either) but earthquakes, how they work, what is expected & how to use that to achieve your dreams. That includes listening to people like Ken Ring the astrologer, as science as much as I like it is these days not leading but tending to prove what is already known based on sometimes thousands of years of observations, but not accepted until science 'proves' it.
Rich Dad's Before You Quit Your Job: 10 Real-Life Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Building a Multimillion-Dollar Business
Dreams can come true but it is hard not to get side tracked by good people but with a totally different mindset than you. It has actually been shown that this difference in mindset can also mean relationships are doomed, because when things get difficult those with a different core mindset will have a different direction they want to go.

I get that right now with people wanting me to get a 'job' but apart from tempoary work that comes along, my focus is still my business & how to get that moving.

Another thing people do not understand is the time spent on the internet. Yes when work comes up it is important to do the task, but one thing the internet has given is so many ways to create cash flow with little or no cash injection. Requires a totally different mindset than that which has prevailed in the past.
Rich Dad's Increase Your Financial IQ: Get Smarter with Your Money
Increased crime is an opportunity. Poor security allowing the possibility of a terrorist attack on a major event is an opportunity, the attack happening is an opportunity. The event itself is an opportunity but not where people think. The event of course been the Rugby World Cup.

The on going & worsening financial crisis is presenting thousands of opportunities everyday. The Canterbury earthquake is an opportunity to make a difference & a better community which the government & Christchurch city are so far making a right hash off(therefore another opportunity).

It is just being or getting yourself in position to take adavantage of those opportunities without the monkey chatter from those who don't want to understand or are too lazy to do the homework.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Nano Nano; The Great Orkan speaks!

Kia Ora,

The Orkan greeting from the TV series Mork & Mindy might not seem appropriate but I feel it is as it fits the response from the Minister of Earthquake recovery & his out of touch unrealistic responses to the frustrated & angry people of Canterbury.

He definitely is on another planet. From his flippant responses to the angry meeting shown on TV news in Kaiapoi. "We can't just wave a magic wand". No but you can pull your finger out & start getting things done. Australia have a lot sooner & with more imput to not one but two major disasters. Meanwhile authorities here are sitting with finger up rear using any excuse not to do anything.

Then in the 'Press' he is quoted as saying that the government will do nothing for those that were uninsured as it is personal responsibility. Yes it is, but in most cases people are not insured because they can not actually aford it. A governments job is not to give out currency willy nilly as they have here in the past but they are there to be the safety net when all else fails.

Now the person highlighted in the 'Press' is mid 60's so has little in way of job prospects & is on a sickness beneficiary due to "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease & prostrate cancer". Where is the lack of personal responsibility? I would say he has lived his life paid taxes confined by the way the government wants so they can steal his currency & now they just discard him.

He is going to get his mates to help him refurbish his house. But it would probably be illegal or unsafe but what else is he to do? At present he shouldn't even be living in it.

This is the sort of thinking that will led to greater frustration & anger. Hope the government is prepared for the back lash.

As is reported in Kaiapoi & I have pointed out before there is a lot of uncertainty lack of information & any rumour(especially about the Ministers own house) just is taken up as truth like wildfire.
Disaster Recovery
Then there was another Minister saying that businesses that have gone under or about too were poor at business. Funny some real thriving businesses have already gone under due to the slow response & in how customers could not get to them even if they were open.

Politicians really do live in their own little world just delivering for their real masters the banks(whom it is noted have made a great profit this year, though basing it on how the US banks are doing it it is likely to be a book profit only aided by tax refunds).

President Mubarak has gone because like all leaders he has underestimated the power of social media. The current New Zealand government has already lost the Canterbury vote for the poor response unless it pulls finger & gets off the drugs they are using or return to planet earth.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning for IT Professionals
Police raided gang properties across the North Island over the last few days to impact on the drug scene. Maybe they need to raid parliament. Because they are on some heavy shit up there.

Even the police raids showed how out of touch the policticians really are. The Police Minister has been quite good in supporting the police but her statement yesterday showed she had no idea what she is talking about.

Basically she claimed that drug raids would result in a drop in crime. Actually they will do the opposite. In particular violent crime will go up as people need more cash to buy their drug of choice. In the Netherlands when I visited a local said they always dread when the drug squad hit outlets as they knew from low crime it would quickly esculate until the drug supply was sufficient enough again to lower the price. Of course if people weren't on drugs to start there would be less crime but that is unrealistic in todays world.
High Availability and Disaster Recovery: Concepts, Design, Implementation
Of course the stress caused by the earthquakes is showing in Canterbury with visits for stress related issues way up particularly in some areas but funding for that has stopped. The stress hasn't so here we go again, more crime, more violence & more use of illegal drugs. More problems for police & security.

The Government are in cloud cuckoo land!

Nano Nano!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Financial Terrorism!

Kia Ora,

Had to chuckle at headlines recently getting reported around the world as the US warns of the threat of Financial Terrorism!

Really it looks like another false flag operation.

Yes it could happen but why would it want too when the financial crisis goes from one emergency to the next. Also the fact that it is the US Federal REserve that is actually causing most of the damage.

There is a suggestion in the document commissioned by the US Department of Defence that the 2008 meltdown may not of been due to poor regulation & bad risk assessment.

Pull the other one.

In the book 'Rich Dad Prophecy' Robert Kiyosaki points out his 'Rich Dad' basically forecast what was going to happen.

How?

Unlike a fomer New Zealand Minister of Finance with a doctorate in history he looked at financial history, he then looked at Nixon taking the US(therefore the world)off the Bretton Woods standard(semi gold standard) in 1971 & a flaw in the 1974 US act in relation to retirement funds that created the 401K. That last part hasn't even hit yet.

Other reports have indicated that the large drops on the share market have been the result of possible financial terrorism not a mistake by a trader. Actually at the time many financial commentators who had been predicting a possible drop put the blip down to another reason. There is an overwatch group that is there to manipulate the markets so that things like this don't happen. For a moment in time they are overwhelmed before they can correct.

It is expected in the not too distant future there will come a time when they are overwhelmed to such an extent they will not be able to control the markets. Commodities will sky rocket & the market is likely to crash(although with inflation/hyper inflation there is the possibilty the market will go up in price but not in value, which of course will be presented as sign of a recovery whilst people starve in the streets).

Most people will say "the government will sort it or will look after us" & if you believe that then you believe in flying pigs. S..t I just saw one so you might be alright!

One quote I like is the scariest thing to hear is "we are from the government we are here to help" but I can't remember right now who said it.

As the people here in Canterbury & in particular Christchurch are finding post the earthquake government help is the Clayton's help. The help you get when you are not really getting help.
Rich Dad's Advisors: Guide to Investing In Gold and Silver: Protect Your Financial Future
Whilst they play these games of words to convince people they know what they are doing it is the people who are suffering & as a result crime is rising. People need to live! They need to feed their families!

One recent interview I saw via the internet showed that the US is in much worse position than Tunisia or Egypt but the difference was for now the percentage of weekly pay required for food is much less in the US. Once it rises then the US will almost certainly follow the rest of the world in at least food riots.

New Zealand needs to be weary as our food prices are now starting to take a large part of take home pay. I know as a single person having to buy my own groceries, the amount I used to buy five bags of groceries with a year ago now only gets me two bags. But there is no inflation we are told. Yeah Right!
The Dollar Crisis: Causes, Consequences, Cures , Revised and Updated
In Egypt since the crisis there began banks have been closed meaning as they re opened there has almost been a run on banks as people que to get their cash out.

I undertand after 9/11 the same happened in the US & only those with gold or silver were able to purchase goods as cash held ran out.

There is another interesting part of the report on Financial Terrorism. It says "forces could mount a 'focused effort to collapse the dollar by dumping Treasury bonds'".

Now that would of been written at the time China held the most US bonds in the world just ahead of Japan. A Chinese General instead of wanting to go to war over Taiwan had wanted, in response to US support for Taiwan, to dump the bonds on the markets to destroy the US economy.
The Day After the Dollar Crashes: A Survival Guide for the Rise of the New World Order
But the Chinese have taken a more pragmatic view. Slowly lessening their exposure to US debt(whilst also using it to buy guarranteed access to or the actual commodities), raising the Yuan slowly so as not to impact on their own people in a devasting fashion. Right now they are taking action to cool inflation which could seriously impact on countries such as Australia.

Recently the Federal Reserve has become the biggest holder of US government bonds as it buys them to give the impression all is OK.

So who are these forces?

Good excuse to go to war with China! But the Chinese would not see it in their interests yet to just dump the bonds they do possess as it would harm its own people.
The Corruption of Capitalism: A strategy to rebalance the global economy and restore sustainable growth
So as China & Japan I would expect lessen their exposure to US debt that just leaves the Federal Reserve. The private central bank formed in the interests of the bankers. Now it would be in their interest at some stage to collect on these debts transferring more wealth & power to their principals which do not include the US government.

Meanwhile they just create more currency to buy more bonds meaning not only now do they continue to export inflation but by monetizing the debt cause inflation in the US. It also increases the interest bill the US government owes Federal Reserve which is or about to be greater than the whole tax take in the US.

Seems to me the only Financial Terrorists likely to hit the US or anywhere else are the Central banks that 'are working to help us'. Yeah Right!

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They are back so how do we deal with them?

Kia Ora,

It has been evident for the last few weeks here in Christchurch the boy racers(street racers) are back though they now appear to have new tactics.

You can again hear the noise of the cars across the city as large numbers drive around. But they as yet anyway seem to not be in large cruise's(large number of vehicles) but you are seeing up to 10 vehicles in a line with a quick stop at an intersection for one doghnut then move onto to next one.

The area of Wigram, Middleton business areas & the back roads around Halswell seem to be a favourite haunt lately. Again we are seeing them short cut through business premises often with their lights off.

It has been noticeably building over the last couple of weeks & of course probably to a show down with the police at the vehicle show 4's & Rotary over the weekend of the 18th, 19th & 20th of February 2011.

The bleeding hearts will be out saying we have to leave these poor people alone. OK they can get the bottles thrown at them as security for carrying out a legal action or someone threaten to drive over you on private land(until it was pointed out the police car behind them might have somethng to say about it).

A good event gets ruined by these morons. The exhibitors & organizers(including some serving police officers) are really nice people & really want nothing to do with the boy racer crowd who use it as an excuse to assemble in Christchurch city each year.
Puma Men's PU100021004 Motor Sport Collection Forcer Chronograph Watch
Bulding a skid pad is not really a viable option. It will take many off the road initially but the hard core trouble makers will remain as they don't want to be part of any organized set up. So the majority will follow like sheep away from the organized focus after the first few weeks.

It will be interesting to see what happens next week. I suspect as stated earlier the boy racer community are setting up to take on the police or at least challenge them especially after the charges for unlawful assembly from an incident last year were thrown out or withdrawn.

These are not the petrol heads of yesteryear but anarchists bent on destroying anything they can with the view you have no right to stop them.

How to deal with them?

There needs to be a concerted effort to re introduce the rule of law with backing from the courts & the politicians. Not a lot of hot air.

At present the police are hamstrung, the courts are soft & the politicians are weak. If we let it go too far then try to clamp down the backlash will be even greater.

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If we are so great how come Child abuse & Poverty are a problem?

Kia Ora,

So where am I talking about?

The US where poverty is far greater than the government would like people to think?

Some third world country where child abuse is a cultural tradition?

Well the last one is sort of right, we are third world. Yep right here in New Zealand according to a UN report.

Child abuse is as the UN put it 'staggering', but we already knew that we just don't actually do a lot about it. It is the worst in Maori communities or appears to be from the amount of deaths from child abuse we see each year.

But do the Maori in positions of influence do anything? Not really they have become just another part of the bureaucracy & bureaucrats get nothing done.

Funny thing is people have taken steps to change it including Maori. If those steps are successful then it is either taken over by the bureaucrats ensuring its failure or is stopped especially if there is funding.

We can't have anything succeeding!

Don't dare speak up about it as Michael Laws did though he might of got it wrong in presentation & at times seems to be coming from a racist point of view you would have to believe his heart was in the right place on this issue watching the interview.

So we will just leave the system to create more criminals prone to violence.
Child Abuse and Neglect: Attachment, Development and Intervention
The other 'staggering' point in the UN report was the amount of poverty in New Zealand. Like crime people just do not want to see it or pretend it does not exist in New Zealand.

One thing about the military in particular the army you got to see not the best parts of the world as you travelled around including in our own country. So I was always well aware that there were many living on subsistance areas.

But it was leaving the army & working in security in what is supposed to be & always looked a well off city like Christchurch that I really got to see the poverty that we try to gloss over.

Again many turn to crime just to live. If the system turns against you as it does then many cannot handle it & find themselves living in poverty & resorting to crime.
The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time
There is one comment quoted from the report I don't agree with & that is the comment about how New Zealand has taken backward steps in childrens rights in particular in regards to lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12. it should be down to 10 at least.

This shows how out of touch people writing reports can be. Whilst the first two subjects are actually there this part is way out of touch.

It is a fact that these days kids know at what age they can be charged or think they do & it is not common for them to confront even police officers with the words "you can't touch me".

Children are not sweet & innocent at 10 any more. Some have even been threatening to kill at 4 in the last year. Whilst a 4 year old might not understand fully the implications todays 10 year old does.
When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself
I think first of all you need to deal with the top two issues before you can ever look at raising the age of responsibility.

Just like the issues of Treaty of Waitangi settlements the majority in New Zealand think that if they ignore child abuse & poverty they either don't exist or will go away.

Afraid that won't happen. People need to start getting off their butt's & start doing things. If they fail at least they tried.

Lets create jobs, lets create a safer environment for people to live in but lets just do something.
Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail (BK Currents (Paperback))
Leaving it to the politicians will never achieve anything.

Once thought about politics until I found out about the golden rule. "He who has the gold makes the rules" not the politicians.

But many who have the gold abuse the privilege. By doing that they create conditions for more to comit crime & therefore pass more control ot those with the gold.

It is not been rich that is the problem it is what you do with it!

How you make it work for you & your community!

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