Lateral Thinking

Vizzini: He didn't fall? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
- from the book/movie The Princess Bride

Have you every noticed how different puzzles test different skills? I'm pretty good at jig-saw puzzles (pattern matching) and logical puzzles like Sudoku (math/logic). I don't like Rubiks's cube (memorization of sequences?).  Then there's a type of puzzle I love for it's cleverness, a way of thinking that is so different than my math/computer skills. These are out-of-the-box or "Lateral" thinking puzzles.

I often find that I over calculate and over complicate when the solution is actually quite simple. In college I got a C on a math assignment where I turned in 5 or 6 pages of work. A friend got an A. I asked to see his solutions which turned out to be a single page, front and back. I realized then that I was missing the big picture (and that more was not better).

Recently I volunteered to help move a collection of canned food that was piled up on a table at church. I grabbed serveal cans and recruited others to help carry. Someone more clever than I teamed up with a second person to carry the entire table with food to where it needed to go.

How are you at finding simple solutions? Here are some examples of Lateral Thinking puzzles from http://www.wilk4.com/humor/humore14.htm

1.  There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining!

2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. When he arrives the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy, he is my son! " How can this be?

3. A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, coat, gloves and ski mask. He is walking down a back street with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with its light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

6. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?

7. A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21. He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognized. He saw a couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he know?

8. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

9. A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out.

10. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

11. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

12. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?

14. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? (or day names in any other language)

15. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

Bottom Line

The answers can be found at http://www.wilk4.com/humor/humore14.htm
But don't peak until you've given it some thought!

P.S.
The Princess Bride is a delightful book/movie full of witty quotes that make you think.

Westley: I told you I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?
Buttercup: Well... you were dead.

------------

[In the sail boat]
Inigo Montoya: He's right on top of us. I wonder if he is using the same wind we are using.

------------

Inigo Montoya: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.
Man in Black: You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.

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[On entering the fire swamp of inescable death]
Buttercup: We'll never survive.
Westley: Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has.

------------

Fezzik: Why do you wear a mask? Were you burned by acid, or something like that?
Man in Black: Oh no, it's just that they're terribly comfortable. I think everyone will be wearing them in the future.

DIY Dunces

“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.” - Napoleon Hill

The Daily Mail of London had discovered that our latest generation is unskilled. "Do it yourself? Not likely if you're under 35. More than half are DIY dunces who can't even rewire a plug and have to rely on parents"

"More than half of young people lack the skills they need to maintain their homes, with many relying on their parents to carry out basic tasks, a survey suggested today.


Around 50 per cent of people aged under 35 admitted they did not know how to rewire a plug, while 54 per cent did not know how to bleed a radiator and 63 per cent said they would not attempt to put up wallpaper, according to Halifax Home Insurance.

Other basic jobs, such as putting up shelves, were beyond 45 per cent of those questioned, while 36 per cent said they would not even attempt to do gardening themselves."

Bottom Line

It's important to teach basic life skills and involve youth in house project. Boy Scouts can also help with teaching skills. My wife is more handy than I. She was quite unimpressed when I managed to break a copper pipe joint in our plumbing by trying to remove an outdoor faucet incorrectly. We are both dreading calling a plumber to fix it.

 "The study also found that when the under-35s do attempt to do a job themselves and it goes wrong, it costs nearly three times as much to fix as problems caused by other age groups."

Customer Complaints

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”-Henry David Thoreau

Getting money or satisfaction out of a company is like David vs. Goliath or getting blood from a turnip. You get put on hold, disconnected, rudely treated by customer service or just plain ignored. Here are some ideas to help.

Step 1: When you need to challenge a charge, fix an error, return a defective product, or reject shoddy workmanship, keep a diary of each and every phone call and letter. Record the date, time, and whom you talked with (the department or name) and for how long. What you said, how they replied and any “promises” they made. Ask to speak with managers.

If this route fails, proceed to step 2: the Executive Email Carpet Bomb (EECB). Finding contact information for executives at most companies can be difficult to impossible. Fortunately one mission of the Cosumerist.com is to collect and publish the names of executives and how to reach them. Look for the search box in the black menu bar and type the name of the company you need. I typed “Sears” and the top article was Contact Sears Executive Customer Service. At this stage do NOT write an angry letter. Calm down and write a polite letter stating what you want and what’s happened according the diary you’ve kept.

For example, “Dear Sir, I’ve been a happy customer of X for 20 years and have never had a problem until this year. I purchased TheAmazingToy and it broke the moment my child opened the box. I tried to return it on Feb 23 at your MyTown store but the representative said the product was discontinued and no refunds were allowed. I called customer service the same day but after being transferred to three different departments I was disconnected. I called again the next day with the same results.
My child is broken hearted over the broken toy. If you no longer have this toy in your warehouses, it would really help us to obtain a refund or store credit of the $200 I spent so I can buy my child a different toy.
Regards,
YourName
Your phone and email (very important so someone can reach you)”

Here is a letter template that may help. http://consumerist.com/consumer/howto/howto-draft-a-good-complaint-letter-205899.php

Here's an example of a letter to Chase Credit Cards that got results
http://consumerist.com/5315206/nice-letter-gets-2999-apr-down-to-1224

Step 3. If the executives in charge say no, then get creative and take the problem public. Call your local news stations- most have a Fraud reporter who reports on cases where someone feels they’ve been taken advantage of.

I read about the owner of a Hummer who was upset that his vehicle had numerous problems, but since the warranty had just expired, he was responsible for all repair costs. In response he had the side of his Hummer professional lettered saying “Don’t buy a Hummer. After only X,000 miles this lemon has the following problems…” He then parked his car in front of the Hummer dealership. They objected but the police refused to tow the car since it was legally parked on a public street. The dealer agreed to make a deal.

Canadian folksinger, Dave Carroll, alleges that United Air Lines broke his custom made, $3,500 Taylor guitar and refused to pair for repairs. After nine months and an official “no”, he asked himself, “What would Michael Moore do?” He decided to write three songs about the incident. Song 1, a charming video called “United Breaks Guitars” was put on YouTube July 6 and quickly reached over 1 million viewers. Since the video's boom in popularity, Carroll has released a statement saying United “has generously, but late, offered some compensation.” However Carroll is “no longer looking for compensation,” and would rather see the money go “to a charity of their choice.” He still has two songs to publish for an eager public.

Bottom Line

Part of dealing with companies is deciding exactly what you want and what you’ll settle for. Will you settle for a replacement item, a full refund, store credit, air miles, a coupon or an apology? Flexibility helps. Note that Dave Carroll decided to forego compensation but in exchange has gained fame online, in news articles, blogs, and TV interviews. His anti-United songs are boosting his popularity and his career.

Keep in mind also that your time is worth money. Don’t spend hours, days, and weeks trying to get back $10.

Above all, be honest. Don’t exaggerate or stretch your claim. One falsehood exposed will completely destroy your case with the company and the public.

Practical Survival Skills

"We cannot think too highly of nature, nor too humbly of ourselves"
- Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832)

The blog Code Name Insight has been publishing practical survival tips the past month:

"The survival skills I am talking about here are not the go out into the wilderness and live off the land survival skills. Although these skills are extremely valuable, this first series will focus on general survival skills that the majority of the population will be able to use."

Survival Skill #1--Find Stuff
Ideas for surviving without money include Dumpster diving, Beachcombing, finding items tossed and along the road.

Survival Skill #2 Ask for Stuff

"Kids and panhandlers are good at this because they have very limited resources, so they ask and ask and ask. If someone says "no" they will ask someone else"

"Be known as a person who always has a good home for unwanted things."

Survival Skill #3 Fix Stuff

"For those on the edges of society (ie: low on cash but with ample time and creativity) throwing something out because it doesn't work or you don't like it isn't an option."

Get Close to Nature - 10 Ways We Are Disconnected From Nature

• Most people "cannot provide the most basic food stuffs for themselves."
• "Nature is reality"
• "Living close to nature requires a wide variety of skills"
• "Nature is anything but dependable which means that people learn how to be flexible."

Survival Skill #4 Make Stuff

Food, Furniture, Jewelry, Clothing, Medicine, etc.

Bottom Line

Today we experience the world through computers, video games, VCRs, and channel TV. Many of us have lost touch with the "real world" and would suffer withdrawal shock if required to live without electricity. Go outside, get your hands dirty, rediscover life outdoors.

The Survival Encyclopedia

Arthur: "All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's something big and sinister going on in the world."
Slartibartfast: "No, that's perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the universe gets that."
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

On the web site Mt Athos, there is an article called the The Survival Encyclopedia. In it the author suggests that everyone create their own survival guide tailored to their needs. You should store it on paper in a ring binder. If you keep it on a CD you will need electrical power to read it. Do NOT rely on the Internet and the web to be available during an emergency.
Here is the list of recommended topics:
Food Storage:

• Canning
• Freezing
• Drying
• Pickling
• Brining
• Smoking
• Long Term Storage
• Buckets
• Nutritional Information
• Food Storage Recipes

Foraging:

• Hunting
• Fishing
• Trapping & Snaring
• Wild Foods

Water

• Chlorine Bleach Purification
• Using Pool Shock
• Primitive Filtering Methods
• Boiling
• Slow Sand Filter
• Rain Water Harvesting
• Storage

Shelter:

• Wilds Camp
• Retreat
• Expedient Shelters

Energy:

• Building A Battery Bank for 12/24/48 Volt power
• Home Made Wind Generator
• Battery Maintenance Information
• Small Scale Photovoltaic System

Health:

• Where There Is No Doctor
• Where There Is No Dentist
• Ships Captains Medical Guide and reader
• Sanitation

Heating, Cooling & Light:

• Building A Rocket Stove
• Emergency Refrigeration
• Kerosene Lamp Info (burn rates, etc…)
• Natural Air Conditioning
• Wood Burning Basics
• LED Lighting

Disaster Preparedness: (List natural disasters common to your area)

• Wild Fire
• Flooding
• Snowstorms
• Windstorms
• Financial Preparations and Documents
• First Aid
• Pandemic Planning
• NBC Planning

Survival Skills:

• Fire Building
• Deadfalls and Snares
• Direction Finding
• Knot Tying
• Hide Tanning

Gear:

• Firearms Care and Repair
• Reloading Information
• Axe Sharpening
• Knife Sharpening
• Tool Sharpening

Homesteading:

• Goats and Sheep
• Pigs
• Rabbits
• Chickens, Ducks and Geese

Gardening:

• French/Bio-Intensive
• Gardening
• Square Foot Gardening
• Companion Planting
• Organic Pesticides
• Cold Frames
• Greenhouses
• Container Planting
• Seed Saving
• Aquaculture
• Vermiculture
• Permaculture
• Composting

Building Materials and Methods:

• Cordwood
• Log
• Cob
• Sod
• Straw Bale
• Traditional
• Post and Timber
• Earthship
• Home Forge
• Home Foundry
• Homemade Charcoal
• Fuel Storage & Preservation
• Bio-Diesel Production
• Alcohol Distillation

Bottom Line

I consider myself an urban survivalist and am not prepared to build and live in a little house on the prairie. If you can learn to build a sod house, raise chickens, etc - more power to you. But realistically, for most of us these are lost skills.

Learn what is useful to you. What can you cook without power in the home? (Wood, charcoal, camp stoves with fuel). How will you keep warm? (coats, blankets, fire, Hyperthermia). How will you protect your house? Where will you find clean water? (Storing Water, Water Filtration )

25 Skills

"Try to learn something about everything and everything about something."
- T.H. Huxley

Popular Mechanics has a online series called "25 Skills Every Man Should Know: Your Ultimate DIY Guide" with photos and instructions for each skill. I don't agree with the list (or the sexism) but there is a lot of good material here.
Here's the list and how I score (Y/N).

1. Patch a radiator hose
   (Y - we keep duct tape in our car)
2. Protect Your Computer
   (Y - always install antivirus software)
3. Rescue a Boater Who Has Capsized
   (Y? My wife & I sail.)
4. Frame a Wall
   (N - alas I have no carpentry skills)
5. Retouch Digital Photos
   (Y - my wife is a graphic artist)
6. Back Up a Trailer
   (No experience with large vehicles)
7. Build a Campfire
   (I know the theory but am weak on practice)
8. Fix a Dead Electrical Outlet
   (Y)
9. Navigate With a Map and Compass
   (Y - I sailed once at night with no GPS. Maps were essential.)
10. Use a Torque Wrench
    (N - Never even seen one)
11. Sharpen a Knife
    (Y)
12. Perform CPR
    (Y - I'm CPR certified)
13. Fillet a Fish
    (Y in theory, very little practice)
14. Maneuver a Car Out of a Skid
    (? - good topic for this blog...)
15. Get a Car Unstuck
    (Y - been there, done that)
16. Back Up Data
    (Y- having lost one hard drive, I do back up data more often now)
17. Paint a Room
    (Y - could be better)
18. Mix Concrete
    (Never tried but suspect I could. I never thought I could reseal our blacktop driveway but my wife and I did that last month. )
19. Clean a Bolt-Action Rifle
    (Not a clue)
20. Change Oil and Filter
    (Not a clue - I recall my dad doing this as I grew up. I take my car to Quick Lube mechanics)
21. Hook Up an HDTV
    (? - I've hooked up other video/TV systems but not HDTV)
22. Bleed Brakes
    (Not a clue)
23. Paddle a Canoe
    (Y - I canoed once at college while wearing a suit!)
24. Fix a Bike Flat Tire
    (N - but my wife did this recently)
25. Extend Your Wireless Network
    (Y)

Bottom Line

Modern life requires many skills from the primitive (fires and fish), to the domestic (home, bike and car repair), to the high tech (computers). While outdoor survival skills are nice to know and can be a fun hobby, don't neglect learning modern day skills. Be computer savvy and protect yourself from PC viruses and other modes of attack.

Skills, Not Stuff

"Tools Without Training Are Almost Useless. Owning a gun doesn't make someone a "shooter" any more than owning a surfboard makes someone a surfer. With proper training and practice, you will be miles ahead of the average citizen. Get advanced medical training. Get the best firearms training that you can afford. Learn about amateur radio from your local affiliated ARRL club. Practice raising a vegetable garden each summer. Some skills are only perfected over a period of years." - SurvivalBlog.com

Today I recommend reading articles found on SurvivalBlog.com. Goggle alerted me to Two Letters Re: Advice for City Folks on a Budget? where readers of the blog ask for practical advice for normal families and apartment dwellers. The author Jim Rawles responds with a host of links to articles he has written on practical preparedness:
Budget Preparedness--Survival Isn't About Stuff, It is About Skills
Letter Re: Hunkering Down in an Urban Apartment in a Worst Case Societal Collapse
Letter Re: An Urban/Suburban "Stay Put" Survival Strategy
Ten Things That Will Get You Killed While Bugging In, by Paul C.
Letter Re: Advice on a Budget Water Filter
Selecting a Rifle for a Budget-Constrained Prepper
Letter Re: Preparedness on a Very Tight Budget
Letter Re: Advice for a Canadian with a "Just One Gun" Budget
Letter Re: Will Peasant Farmers Fare Better than the Rich in TEOTWAWKI?

Bottom Line
Jim Rawles has an excellent "about" page where he talks about his background and interests. I especially the section "Surviving What, You Ask?", the answer being...

• A Dollar Crisis/Monetary Collapse
• Naturally occurring plague or pandemic
• Nuclear Blackmail
• Terrorist LNG fuel sector or power grid attack
• Terrorist nuclear, biological, or chemical attack
• Fuel and/or food shortage crisis
• Major volcanic and/or earthquake events
• Nation-state nuclear, biological, or chemical attack

This puts a nice focus on not-unrealistic dangers that we all must live with and hope never to see in our lifetime.

Update

This theme can also be found in the blog, Some say invest in gold. I say invest in you.