Hail the Black Sheep!

Kia Ora,

Pretty full on at present with tasks resulting from the February earthquake. So will also be publishing posts written when an upcoming task was not going to allow me to blog.

It might seem strange for a blog about security & security related issues but I am all in support of a families Black Sheep. Better known these days as Peter Freedom the person who has successfully(whilst travelling the world) for two years de frauded our Social Welfare department exposing it as corrupt & incompetent.

As someone who once was on a benefit as a back up(as it is supposed to be) it was always galling to see all those that didn't help themselves getting a hand out whilst those of us who tried to help ourselves got no help at all. In fact our names got passed from case manager to case manager to make them look good. You either help all or none equally otherwise you just encourage people to give up.

Now there has been an article in the 'Press' where the CEO of WINZ tries to defend the department handing out cash to a 'charity' run by an overstayer. Seems they have not learnt the lessons.

Many in the US think they are now a socialist state. They have no idea but in saying that some things the government needs to pick up especially in a small country where the population just isn't big enough to provide everything.

Recently Public service chiefs were said to be angered over the publicity of how much they earn. Tough! When they are earning up to $380,000 more than most workers they are answerable when they are not providing the services they are expected too.

Being on Welfare is soul destroying but that doesn't mean that people can't be provided with actual assistance that some might just need to kick start. Right at this moment the government is looking to trim people of these benefits which is great except the system is set up to penalize them if they try. There is no incentive to get off really apart from personal. Most try initially but give up after so many knock backs.
From Poor Law to Welfare State, 6th Edition: A History of Social Welfare in America
Also there are just not the jobs out there in the current economic climate & are less likely to be as the financial crisis worsens. Problem here is successive governments have spent years dumbing everybody down giving them 'financial education' that isn't that very few can see the best route out is to start a business for themselves. Of course governments, in particular New Zealand ones have made the requirements to be in certain businesses so onerous in the wrong ways that people find it hard to start.

When I say onverous in the wrong ways I mean we do, despite some sections in society saying otherwise, need good regulations to ensure people get the best. The market does not actually offer that as claimed by some because to compete means everyone will lower themselves to lowest common denominator to stay in business. There needs to be a good mix of both.

More often than not though the regulations cause the opposite to happen. They tend to be written by those with no practical knowledge of an industry or a role.
Transformation of the Welfare State: The Silent Surrender of Public Responsibility
So I hail the Black Sheep of his family for exposing at least some of the poor systems, corruption & incompetence in our civil service.

Really if they want to get people back to work & cut crime the best option is for the government to provide policies that allow businesses to start & flourish. As an Australian said when moving here to start a business "easy to set one up here but after that it is just apathy".

An efficient, competent civil service could help there. But ours tends to make the comedies 'Yes Minister & Yes Prime Minister' look like reality TV.
Just another slave of the welfare state - Bumper Sticker
They can't say it is not continuing as I know it is. Last year I had a flat mate move in before I threw him out two weeks later who was & is a con man as well as appearing to be a gambler.

So far I am the only one he hasn't been able to rip off from my knowledge. Correction next place he moved into threw him out in one week.

But recently I have begun receiving mail for him from our welfare department which I have returned saying gone no address & he was only here for two weeks a year ago.
Just another slave of the welfare state Long Sleeve T-shirt Large White
Having dealt with this type of thing before I can envisage what has happened. He has recently needed an address so has given this one. They are sending out mail whilst he rips them off. They will not stop as he has to change the address even if you tell them he is no longer there. The other option is He got a loan from them back then & only now are they chasing it up. Either way despite them been told at some stage a debt collector or PI will show up on the door.

Funny thing is all the fingers, in particular from the department, are been pointed at the Black Sheep. Their own faults are the problem.

If he returns to New Zealand he is to be prosecuted for defruading the department. I hope they are lining up the case manager & the CEO to stand along side him. Their corruption is what allowed this to happen.

Go the Black Sheep!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

The World split in Three!

Kia Ora,

When you look at the aftermath of the earthquakes here in Christchurch especially the one in February the city has split itself basically into three worlds.

It just happens that I live where one of them prevails & have been working or out in the other two.

First there is the world of the Eastern Suburbs. Basically because of their personal situation many out that way are now struggling to meet the basic needs in life. They feel forgotten at times. Others out there that can have picked themselves up but in reality the Eastern suburbs of Christchurch need to revert to the productive farmland it once was.

This is the world that affects people most & the damage is vastly different in most case to that of the CBD. The people who live here often at the wrong end of the food chain.

It is becoming quite evident that there are a number of fault lines running close too or under the city that no one knew about & as the cycle has started again the soil is not the right type to rebuild on.

The Prime Ministers prediction of 10,000 homes not been rebuilt from what I saw might be very light in the final count. As earthquakes are now been centred under some of the worst hit low lying areas new liquifaction is emerging which, as we have found, is very destructive or destabilizing.

Then there is the world of the CBD in particular the red zone where I am working now. The last place I saw destruction like that was in Baghdad just after arriving to work there.

Those mainly affected here are the business world.

As time has gone on I think everyone can understand their frustration especially when they look at the way Japan has got into clean up mode.

Problem here is firstly poor communication from Civil Defence.

Secondly the New Zealand mindset was never ready for this & still hasn't accepted it, so the actions Civil Defence should be taking of fast take down of most of the CBD is not happening as they try to keep everyone happy. Not going to happen & the longer it takes the more frustration & anger.

The adverse reaction to the Prime Ministers comment about 10,000 homes or the earthquake recovery ministers bulldozing all the old dungers actually show the issues Civil Defence are having to deal with. People are just falling into the third world in Christchurch with their reactions.

The third world is the one most in New Zealand would fall into. The lack of reality world which I have posted about prior to the earthquakes.

At the moment due to lack of information this includes many of those CBD business people. It also includes many of those in the West of Christchurch for which February 22nd was just a good shake & an inconvience. Many who were in the city on the day are also in this group as many went into shock or denial & still haven't come to terms with what happened.

It includes those who for what ever reason want to or try to enter the red zone putting their own & others lives at risk.

Amongst these are the residents now been led by an immature city councillor wanting to treat the area like it was a normal living area. This is a major blunder on the part of Civil Defence. No one should be living within the red zone. There can be no debate in this as hard as it is for people. It is hard enough trying to keep the area secure with so many ways to slip in without having residents thinking it is their own private backyard.

As a police officer said in reality no one not even police should be allowed inside the cordon as they work their way in securing properties. I suggested the priviso of the army's LAV's with their night vision & the fact they give some protection to the occupants from falling buildings & speed to get out over rough terrain.

Many of those who think they can go into these areas are not situationally aware.

When the 5.1 quake hit last Sunday I was standing with two people as we began to look for a vagrant we know is in the area. One had never felt an earthquake before. The other had but though their reactions were good as they ran into the road they were not situationally aware of that building. Sometimes you are just aware even if you haven't been there. But having been patrolling that area I knew that its weak point was in another direction & that another weak point was likely to fall towards the middle of the road. So I walked off at a slightly different angle more worried about my cup of tea not spilling but keeping an eye on the second weak point.

Most people in Christchurch at the time of the February quake just froze or went into denial & what I have noticed is that is becoming more evident not less as you would think it would since. It was noted by many who were situationally aware that people ran in the wrong direction, did strange things or carried on like nothing happened totally oblivious to the situation.

It is strange seeing the three worlds interact.

One woman was allegedly removed from a supermarket by staff when she started ranting about people in a badly hit suburb & how they deserved no help. Because their nearest supermarkets at the time were out of action many at that store at the time were from that suburb. In fact the person who told me this was in line behind her & is from that suburb.

Ideally to make the city one again as much as we can the Eastern suburbs need to be moved West of the present city boundaries as does the CBD returning that land to productive farmland & park. The land to the West is harder in composition & not as productive as much of the land Christchurch is presently built on.

Not only can we build a newer safer city to the West but mitigate the effect of an earthquake. Another well known person has come out in the media saying there will not be another earthquake for a long time. They said that after September, but all along the Alpine Fault is known to be overdue for a big shake alone not counting the unknown faults still coming to our attention near & under Christchurch.

Even the current West of the city is not immune after so many shakes will have weakened the buildings by all the shaking. As was shown modern building standards as much as old were not built to withstand more than one good shake. The ones that seem to have survived best are those built by the old Ministry of Works to standards that came out of the 31 Napier earthquake. Seems just like in the financial crisis we are re learning all the lessons of the past.

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

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

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!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Information Security a major Issue!

Kia Ora,

There has been a lot of concern about information security in particular on the likes of Facebook then the concerns everytime Facebook renews its format.

But it again is the information security of a local business that is the issue. In fact it is the same business as last post on the subject NZ Post.

I received a letter from a manager at NZ Post, I was going to insert their name here but decided not too, who from the tone of the letter is the person I spoke too when the issue first came to light.

They claim the evidence they provide shows that they have all my information & have never lost anything. In fact it does the opposite it shows I am 100% correct & they have lost all the information I have given NZ post over the previous four years.

It appears they have not thought it through which brings to mind this quote;
"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably why so few engage in it." Henry Ford.

Seems this person has selective memory saying I from the start made false accusations. Actually no it was the other way around. Spoke very nicely to a nice girl that I had concerns about information held on me had gone missing. She put me through to this manager.

He answered saying there was a problem with my phone & obviously didn't like it when I pointed out that the issue was obviously his end. He then says he will pull over. Case closed on that issue.

I then very calmly expressed I had extreme concerns over information held about me which appeared to have gone missing. His reply "We don't lose information" I replied "you do & you have" from there it deteriorated until I swore at him then had to hang up as he continued to rant.
Information Security : Principles and Practice
Now two other issues came up here & the first I dealt with in the last post & will deal more in depth at the end of this post, that of swearing as a good stress relief. Seems it is Ok to these days abuse a police officer but not some incompetent, lazy, corrupt bureaucrat.

The other issue which this individual shows they are very poor at is customer service.

For an investigation for one they never even involved me & then it appears the person I disagreed with, investigated themselves. So they only ever had half the story & were sadly missing some facts. That is corruption!

The attitude is something that has come up several times in business group discussions & how bad customer service is in New Zealand. It results in either arguments or more often than not in New Zealand people walking away, but telling everyone or whinging about how bad the service is.

They don't do like foreigners or myself that actually tell people how bad the service is. It actually lessens the stress by getting it out there.
Management of Information Security
People like this person I am dealing with think they can get away with it by coming on all arrogant & ignorant like it is the person raising the issues fault. I didn't lose the information. They did. Their 'investigation' proves I am 100% right.

Now another discussion has started in a business group on how the Rugby World Cup will affect New Zealand business long term.

Potential is huge, but attitudes like this one I am coming up against with poor customer service will potentially, in this day of social media, destroy New Zealands reputation very quickly. It is something New Zealand has not as yet got to grips with, but overseas social media can destroy a business or a country(It is why Egypt has closed down social media then the internet). It is that powerful.
Principles of Information Security
The customer is not always right but they do have the right to put their case, not have a white wash of an investigation. In fact that is the normal way of doing an investigation in government entities now. Only investigate their side then proclaim there is not an issue.

People complain about the police investigating themselves. At least knowing police they will generally take all details they can into account. Others only look at themselves & present the information they think is right not the facts.

So what has happened to this information I have given NZ Post. Seems it has just gone into the system to be lost forever. Despite the fact I have now sent a letter higher up the chain with the corruption now in the system I don't expect a result or even an apology.
Information Security: Principles and Practices
It is that sort of thing that the riots starting across the world & overthrow of governments are aimed to sort out.

Instead of giving poor service I would suggest the bureaucrats start looking at what is happening offshore & get their attitude sorted.

At the same time New Zealand needs to get its house in order both in security information & customer service.

What do they want people venting steam by swearing or rioters with iron bars or firearms? Because that is where it will go if people keep not performing, the financial crisis gets worse & people are forced to surpress their feelings.

The Chinese know that you can be pretty hard on your people & they will take it but when you start adding in the rising costs of living in particular food it is a recipe for disaster.
Financial Armageddon: Protect Your Future from Economic Collapse, Revised and Updated Edition
It was the same in the military & British companies also practiced in Iraq. You can push people hard, get them to carryout dangerous tasks but make a mistake on their pay or leave & it creates huge issues that bring all the other niggling issues to the surface.

History shows this. It is the small things that count. Constant denial of mistakes by bureaucrats just wind people up.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

How the Bailouts are making things worse!

Kia Ora,

The Bailouts are going to save the world from Financial Crisis! Yeah Right they are actually making things worse.

For those that don't know this is how it works.

The big banks(those too big to fail) trade in the shadow banking world with debt such as CDO's & the derivatives market. Things start to go wrong so the government goes to the central bank & gets them to create some currency from nothing to stimulate the economy. Governments no longer create or print the currency themselves. They let the private banks that are the central banks do that on their behalf then pay them interest(your taxes)for doing it.

Now this new currency goes to buy the debt of the major banks therefore monetizing that debt, so although it is called quantitive easing, by monetizing the debt is just like printing currency.

But since the major banks actually make up the cartel that runs the central banks they were always going to get bailouts.

So that extra currency causes the fiat currency(a currency backed by nothing but a promise & debt) people have in their wallets to loose value. But since the banks are not passing the 'stimulus' on to create businesses & jobs, therefore kick starting the economy, people are loosing out.

There is less work around, prices are rising & the only people benefitting are the banks with big fat bonus payments.

So where does security fit in with this?

Well we only have to look at what is happening in the world & in particular Tunisia as an indicator of what is going to happen.

Food riots, riots over austerity measures, rises in crime in particular violence, extreme politics & xenophobic(dislike of new comers or foreigners)behaviour are evident around the world at present.

But back to Tunisia & look at a statement out here in New Zealand in the last few days. In the last quarter of the year New Zealand had a jump in inflation which has been blamed on the rise in GST(Goods & Services Tax). That is more like smoke & mirrors.

Why?

Because the Federal Reserve in the US in particular is carrying out quantitive easing to buy debt to save the major banks. This is causing inflation in food prices(despite what the manipulated CPI's tell us) across the world.

The president of Tunisia is said to have tried to take measures to stem the rising prices including cutting taxes(take note all those that want to cut GST from food, fuel etc it doesn't make much difference in the end) but the prices just kept rising.
Rich Dad's Advisors: Guide to Investing In Gold and Silver: Protect Your Financial Future
It apparently forced people to have to live out on the street to survive, one of whom was doing business with an illegal black market food stall. The trigger event apparently was the slapping of his face by a female police officer. More of this has been made than the reason he was there in the first place.

So right now the military & the police are trying to get on top of things in Tunisia so a new government can be installed & changes made.

What those carrying out these policies of quantitive easing forget is though on their budget food maybe a very minute thing in many countries including the US it can make up to 70% or more of the weekly budget. If that keeps increasing then people start to take drastic action such as theft, robbery, maybe even a coup or two.
Rich Dad's Prophecy: Why The Biggest Stock Market Crash in History is Still Coming...and How You Can Prepare Yourself and Profit From It!
So whilst trying to make it look like they are saving the world, they are actually dooming it to collapse of the financial system. They could save the financial system if they took the action the people of Iceland forced their government too.

But they won't as it will mean admiting they failed & loss of power. The lessons of history tell us what is likely to happen but again people like to believe what their governments tell them!

Might be a requirement for good security though if you can afford it!

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Are we being led up the Garden path?

Kia Ora,

In recent days have been watching the Keiser Report. A half hour twice weekly financial report on the true state of the worlds financial crisis. It can be quite amusing & very informative.

A recent episode has raised an interesting question. Are US authorities in particular using false or unrecognized flag activities to introduce powers well beyond those required?

By that it is meant that they are using what seems to be a good reason to place more draconian measures in place?

The most contentious of these have been the questioning of the need for such stringent security precautions in particular at airports in the US. There have been several incidents or people refusing to comply with these precautions.

From a security point of view some of the precautions instituted do have an appearance more of control that anything to do with security.

The airport security issue though is a hard one. Yes people will be thinking well it has been a while so we need not be so over the top. But that is the issue with terrorism. You only need to let your guard slip once & it can be the last time.
Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open : A Free Press for a New Century
So though the aid of the new generation scanner is intrusive, it is probably one that for now is needed as the lesser of two evils.

But another issue has arisen. Wikileaks has released cables showing that US politicians used trade with Boeing as a bargining chip to say meetings with the President. Corruption no more no less! Boeing has allgedly even said it wants to ditance itself from this type of corruption.

Then there is the one about putting pressure on the French Government to not proceed with the law banning Monsanto GM grains or similar. If the French introduce these measures they will spread to the whole of Europe.

For those that don't know the French were aware that GM grains had produced illnesses in lab rats.

GM anything is shown to stop reproducing after about three cycles therefore creating a currency where to feed their people countries would have to buy from the likes of Monsanto.
Uninhibited, Robust, and Wide-Open : A Free Press for a New Century
Even worse was the story told to us in a visit to Canada years ago. The Canadians that told us were adamant this occurred.

A farm was set up using GM wheat, the farmer next door was a natural farmer. The natural farmer found the GM crop had cross pollinated with his wheat so complained. The company owning the GM crop sued him & won his farm.

What is emerging is none of these stories have been aired on mainstream US media & the alternative media is supporting the call for Wikileaks to be prosecuted. The US government appears to be using Wikileaks as an excuse to put restrictions on reporting & is using the unwittng support of US media to breach their own first admendment rights.

It has even been reported that US Politicians are putting in place legislation to stop the use of the words 'bank run'. A bank run is when people think a bank or banks are about to collapse & everyone wants to get their cash out.
The Constitution : That Delicate Balance ; National Security and the Freedom of the Press
At least one major bank in the US has already put in place the requirements for people to give 7 days notice to withdraw their cash at some future period.

This would likely led to riots. As it is, it is not the large banks who have caused the financial crisis who will suffer, just the small ones. It is the small banks who are already going under. 2008 it was 40, 2009 from memory 125 & last I heard in 2010 it was on target for about 140 plus with 2990 banks on the verge of going under.

The large banks just receive bailouts to pay for their bad debts & then pay themselves large rewards. Or those who assist them such as the reputed US$42 million Tony Blair has been paid by a US bank for representing their interests in Kuwait. Sure beats the US$600,000 he was getting for been Middle East envoy.

It will give those in authority an excuse to impliment even greater powers to deal with any unrest.
Freedom lies in being bold
So are we been led up the garden path? It sure seems that way. The problem is much of it can be justified & what can't be the people do not have access to the true situation.

As someone said to me here the other day "but the government knows best" another one recently "but the government will know of that threat"(in that case I doubt it but if they do they are doing nothing about it) & the last one was "If you can't trust the government to protect your information who can you trust?"

Now that one is in real fantasyland.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

It can't happen here! Yeah Right!

Kia Ora,

It can't or won't happen here! The New Zealand catch cry for many of the incidents around the world & repeated again in the editorial in regards to the shootings in the US as referred to in the previous post.

Further information has now come out about the shooter who has had issues with people trying to get help for him in the past.

As I have said in previous posts I used to work security at a major hospital here in New Zealand & looking at the reports his situation leading up to the shooting is no different many of those presenting here for assistance.

That is assistance with possible mental health issues. The individual or family know they need help but because they don't tick the boxes they don't get any help.

Now you add in a worsening financial crisis with people struggling & those on the edge just find the stress enough to put them over the edge.

Although a lot of people in the US blame Sarah Palin for her campaign using rifle sights, you can't really blame someone for that, as inappropriate as it might seem especially in hindsight.

When you work with people with a mental illness though sometimes even in the short periods we had to deal with many of them, depending on the illness they can become very focussed on the smallest thing.

So something innocent can become a security threat. One thing I learnt working with the mentally ill was that you started to pick up signs or vibes that would indicate watch out. Those same vibes are what you get when seeing someone up to suspicious activity or about to carryout a crime.

It actually was the best training for security I ever received actually working with the mentally ill. It also taught me something about empathy which government departments could learn or they are likely to trigger episodes such as the one in the US. Because we know for sure they don't have any empathy at present.
Attitudes Toward the Mentally Ill: Research Perspectives (Report of an NIMH Workshop January 24-25, 1980)
So certainly from what I see on the streets there are enough people out there who could carryout actions such as those in the US if under enough stress. It only takes a very small thing to set them off.

I know myself especially from recent experience that dealing with government departmetnts can be frustration enough to upset people. Whilst someone like myself might just keep plugging away at the departments(this blog is good for getting the frustration out & so is giving the odd person or two their pedigree) or at very worst go bush, others will snap & take action.
50 Signs of Mental Illness: A Guide to Understanding Mental Health (Yale University Press Health & Wellness)
The going bush is a good way for those that can to clear their frustrations, just by getting away from society. I once saw someone with PTSD(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) where I was living(until this actual day no one knew they had this condition) set off by the smallest bureaucratic type action. We had to endure a sleepless night as they worked themselves into a frenzy(couldn't call for police as they had ripped the phone out or restrain them as it is only when you work with the mentally ill you find out how strong they can be)trying to kick in everyones doors. The Marijuana they had been using didn't help the situation. Totally paranoid.

But by morning they had calmed & we were able to talk to them. They had little memory of the night & thought it was all down to the Marijuana, but that experience at the hospital told me other wise. They then admitted their condition, packed up & went bush for 6 months. Next time I saw them they were acting as a counsillor to others & told us off the drugs. In their view that 6 months out of society was the most cleansing thing they could of done, otherwise they were a ticking time bomb.

It is not for everyone & you need to have the skills to survive.
Broken Glass: A Family's Journey Through Mental Illness
Then again in yesterdays 'Press' is a small clipping in reference to an individual standing outside the IRD(tax department) here in Christchurch with a pistol & was seen to cock it. Ends up it was a pellet gun which the individual thought it was legal to have.

Some simiilar weapons are under New Zealand gun control laws, but standing outside a government department with them is not normal.

From the Judges comments he is a regular in court & the Judge wanted more background information. Which leads me to believe there is a possible mental health issue involved. That or the person in question can't handle the stress of society & so took action that will get him put back in prison. The only thing there is if he isn't put back in prison he may take more drastic action so he is.
Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness
So is it not likely to happen in New Zealand? Yeah right it already has & will again. A firearm just means more people quicker in theory. Recent incidents in China, all involving knife attacks on groups, show it can be just as deadly & quick.

Unbelievable though it may seem comments from the recent shooting in the US people were just lying there waiting their turn to be shot as they froze with fear until one person acted. No reason that same thing would not happen during a knife attack or any other weapon.

New Zealand needs to wake up!

Gun Control; Is it effective?

Kia Ora,

In yesterday's 'Press' there was an editorial on gun control & the shooting in the US in particular of the Congresswoman.

To me it showed the writer of the editorial had no idea what they are talking about. There was comment about how strange it is that in the US having access to firearms made them feel safer. Well actually when I visited the US I felt safer than I do in Christchurch, yet our police are unarmed as are our security & to gain a firearm legally you have to jump through hoops.

This 'unarmed' state of the New Zealand police & securtiy in particular I know put many Americans off coming here as they viewed that it would be too dangerous a country. I know because they told me so when I visited there a few years ago.

As I have said often I find Christchurch in particular more dangerous than when I worked security in Iraq because as my South African dentist(from Jo'burg) said there is no reason for the crime or violence & it is so random. Also the fact I no longer have a weapon just makes you feel unsafe. You get a lot less arguments when you are armed & a lot less people wanting to take you on.

But is gun control effective?

Well really no! The only people it penalizes are those who stick by the rules. Most firearms used here in New Zealand are illegal or stolen.

As the reporter from the Sunday-Star Times showed in his undercover piece sometime back. It is real easy to buy illegal firearms in New Zealand & the firearms safety of many of those selling is appalling.
The Politics of Gun Control, 4th Edition
The editorial then goes on to say that it is due to the toxic political environment in the US & we do not have an unhealthy gun culture.

I think this shows their lack of understanding on what is going on in the world. The Congresswoman is not the first political person killed or attempted to be killed of late & most of it is to do with the financial crisis as people come under extreme stress. At least one person killed has directly been atributed to the austerity measures they agreed to carryout.

This sort of incident will only increase as the worlds situation worsens. As was pointed out in the previous post it is the climate now where extrmists end up with political power & this is how the likes of the Nazi party got to power in Germany. We haven't seen an equivalent of the 'night of the long knives' yet.
Gun Control on Trial: Inside the Supreme Court Battle Over the Second Amendment
As to a gun culture. New Zealand has a pretty significant gun culture & I grew up seeing firearms a lot. The major difference is population. New Zealand has only just reached 4 million people. The US is about 260 million therefore you are going to have a lot more incidents. Per Capita though I would be very careful saying we don't have a gun culture the same as the US & amount of incidents. On the surface we don't seem to be as carefree with firearms, but again as that reporter exposed it is pretty dodgy. In fact during security tasks you often hear firearms been discharged but what do you do when you have no details to pass to the police? Everyone else just convinces themselves its fireworks.

We have had enough mass murders(Aramoana, Stanley Graham, Bain faimly, to name a few) or potential mass murders(Napier springs to mind).

People in New Zealand also seem to stick to the myth that the NZ Police have always been an unarmed force, only resorting to firearms when the requirement arose.

As the NZ Police yes that is true, but before that they were known as the Armed Constabulary. That change took place in the early 1900's so it has been a while, but there is still a history of been armed.

The NZ Security Industry does even better as it was armed until 1974 in a low key manner for certain tasks. It is even more important now that it should be armed again when you look at it from a risk assessment & health & safety point of view.
The Seven Myths of Gun Control: Reclaiming the Truth About Guns, Crime, and the Second Amendment
But the gun is not the issue. It is just the weapon of choice of that person.

In the last two months high profile attacks on police here in NZ have involved knives or machete's. In South Auckland you would say the weapon of choice has always been a machete.

Then you have the likes of Timothy McVeigh who used what is commonly refered to as ampho to destroy a building. The biggest terrorist attack on US soil prior to 9/11(Pearl Harbour was an act of war even if the Japanese got their timings wrong about when to deliver the message)pissed off with politicians. In fact 9/11 should tell people that an attack by an upset armed individual, though tragic, is only small beer to what could be carried out.

Fact is to stop terrorist attacks people need to be armed. You can't, as seems to be the woollyheaded thinking at times here in New Zealand, say "Stop! Excuse me sir are you a suicide bomber?"
The Gun Control Debate : You Decide (Contemporary Issues)
I would call Gun Control the Claytons(a non alcoholic drink you used to get here in NZ whose advert went "the drink you are having when you are not having a drink" It was awful & consensus was only way to drink it was with Whiskey)solution. The solution you have when you really don't have a solution.

Gun Control does not work as there seems to be an increasing amount of firearms out there found on drug raids, used in armed robberies & in gang confrontations. It just happens to be weapon of choice for some.

Firearms education is what is really needed. As was pointed out so often when in the army "Its not the weapon that kills, but the nut behind it!"

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Huge difference in approach!

Kia Ora,

In my last post I finished with a comment about the latest rumour. EQC is short of cash as it was never prepared for something as big as the Canterbury earthquake.

Rumours like that get traction especially when the response has been so poor. Even more so when, as I have been doing, going back over my database of clippings concerned with security & risk assessment I find warnings about overdue earthquakes & volcanic eruptions for New Zealand.

But then you look at the response of New Zealand compared to that of Australia with their large floods at present.

Where as New Zealand couldn't make up its mind whether to deploy the military to assist after the earthquake because it would send the wrong message, the Australians have employed their military early & are looking to have them in the recovery phase. In fact leading the way.

I know one person from civil defence was worried about the military taking over & as I pointed out to them in the situation we had it was more likely to be aid to the civil power.

It took the Mayor of Christchurch to ask the Prime Minister live on TV for the military to be deployed.
2010 Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation - Federal Guidance for a Nuclear Bomb Attack on an American City, Effects, Fallout, Shelter, Medical Care, Decontamination
But even if the military did take over it tends to be much more organized(organized chaos as we always referred to it) that in any current major situation I have been involved in. In fact in one we advised the locals how to run their operations better so they didn't waste resources as they were at the time.

Their set up would require the advice from people with that specific knowledge & the likes of civil defence could learn a lot from them as the system is similar, but the military use it all the time. At present I find many in civil defence have this rose tinted view that they will save everyone all the time.

Despite claims to the opposite parts of civil defence were a shambles in my dealings with them during the earthquake.
Disaster on Green Ramp : The Army's Response
A big part has been the difference in attitude already evident.

Where as EQC are taking the attitude that a quick check & what was deemed to be condition of area in general was true for every property in that area.

Then take the attitude of the Military officer in charge of recovery operations in Australia his comment was "what I have learned in responding to disasters is the requirements of every community is different" & had he been in charge of the earthquake recovery here, I dare say he would of extended that to every household or building.
Preparing for the Humanitarian Consequences of Possible Military Action Against Iraq: Response to the Committee's 4th Report (House of Commons Papers)
So it goes back to that rumour. With the Australian approach there will be less likelyhood of them taking hold. Where as the New Zealand approach is actually feeding them.

This again is causing frustration & growing anger.

Crime & violence are already up due to the continuing financial crisis without continually adding to it by poor responses.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Poor Leadership making the Frustration worse!

Kia Ora,

Recently I posted about the corrupt bureaucrats hampering the earthquake recovery. Well they are still at it & what is emerging is the poor leadership at all levels which is assisting it.

First we start with the Minister who has quite rightly carried out question & answer sessions, except when someone makes a statement about their experience often the answer goes along the lines, "well that is not correct." Actually it is the case because someone has just told you.

Stop listening to corrupt bureaucrats & start listening to the people affected. They know what is happening to their property!

The same thing happened with the initial Foreshore & Seabed consultation where the Minister of Maori Affairs showed he was actually listening but the Minister driving the Act just told everyone after the submissions what was happening.

That resulted in the later loss of an election or it certainly played a big part.

Then there is the CEO who has done the same on radio. But worse has allowed the system to be driven by numbers.

Having a target set that can be unrealistic causes issues within the work force & don't promote a good working environment. Therefore people don't perform. KPI's(key Performance Indicators) promote this poor type of working environment.

Not all houses are the same so time taken can vary as can damage. Yes everyone wants it done as quickly as possible, but done properly with empathy.
What we don't know can hurt US.(Leadership and Self-Deception)(Video Recording Review): An article from: Training Media Review
So the six a day target should only be that. Ask people to do that many if they can but do their best. Get out on the ground with these teams, don't just set a figure & think it will be OK. Instead of sacking those that don't make it, keep them on so more properties are dealt with. Have a set payment with a bonus for number of properties seen(up to 6 a day).

For those who have never been in the military there are set rates of movement written down which work good in war games on maps but not in reality. It results in what we called 'other end itis'. An officer who had been away from the coal face would be looking at these guilde line rates & wanting to know why units were not where they should be. All their planning is based on these guidelines.

On one exercise a certain officer was really sticking to these guidelines, so for the last part of the exercise the Commanding Officer(CO)(a Vietnam Veteran) sent him out with our patrol to remind him of what it was like at the coal face.

First thing is this officer enjoyed it & said it made him realize again of how different things were. But then the CO probably got a better result than he could of ever wished for. One patrol got into a contact, another was ambushed as the company quite literally blundered into the enemy party returning to their base camp from different directions.

The map showed a nicely forrested area but what had happened was the area had been clear felled & all the trees were lying where they fell or had been stacked years before. Instead of 500 metres an hour as per the book we were doing 5 metres an hour then a battle erupted! Progress was in centimetres & total confusion!

It was great & a good officer learnt a great lesson in leadership & trusting those on the ground to give the best information(in most cases).
Leadership & Self-deception (The Hidden Key to Improving Results)
Then there is the inefficient way of dealing with properties. Yes the worst affected should be dealt with first, but as they have found many of the worst affected have said nothing early on.

Now relations in Rangiora tell us they had little damage but the way the four that come to their street was efficient. Seems they were working to a pattern.

What a novel idea!
The Four Conversations: Daily Communication That Gets Results
Meanwhile in Hororata, a small country town near the epicentre of the initial quake, news reports tell of the citizens mystified by the inefficient way it has been carried out. Check one house, miss out the next five then do another one. Then I expect from comments they come back on another day to do the others.

Now I grew up near Hororata & worked around there before joining the army. Later as part of the army for an exercise we searched the nearby town of Glentunnel. It is not rocket science. You pick the point you are going to start from & work from there in a methodical manner.

I am sure with a computer you can task it to return all claims within the township of Hororata or within 5km. In fact I know you can because you can do it with most other things.
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
Then again there is the point where people need to ignore the experts & get out there to talk to people. To be told that the experts said there is no damage in their area just adds to the frustration when your gut feeling is something is not right or you can see damage.

People know their property!

As the earthquake has shown one property can be perfect with the one next to it is munted(destroyed). So how someone who has not been on the property can say "no there will be no damage as that area is OK" is not credible.

There is a lot more to leadership than just telling people to do something. As some British units told us they learnt in the Falklands after all the years in Northern Ireland, sitting back & directing didn't work in a full on firefight. Leaders had to actually lead. Colonel 'H' Jones even got a VC posthumously for leading from the front at a crucial time in the battle for Goose Green.
Bonds That Make Us Free: Healing Our Relationships, Coming to Ourselves
Best the government & bureaucrats start showing some real leadership since they haven't yet & are loosing the people.

As I have said before you only have to look at what has happened in the likes of Italy & Haiti as the frustration grows & the security situation deteriorates.

Slower here because no one has died yet & hopefully they won't, but the financial crisis is just adding to the stress.
Self-Deception
Why does this concern me so much?

I have enough conerns of my own with a corrupt bureaucrat from the body corporate using any excuse to do nothing since he doesn't live here or own one of the units, but acting like fixing anything would be using his own money.

Because it is the likes of us in the security industry or the police who have to deal with the upset & frustrated people when they take their frustrations out on someone or something.

Allegedly the police have already had to deal with at least one relation of a Pike River Miner upset & frustrated over the disaster. A very hard situation for ayt police officer.

Some real leadership with people actually prepared to make decisions after the initial disaster period is what needs to be shown to lessen the impact of the frustration.

We just don't get that with government or bureaucrats. Any excuse not to do anything.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz