Disaster Tip of The Week: Have A Designated Meeting Place For Your Family

Last weeks disaster tip mentioned the importance of having an out of State contact. It also mentioned the possibility of being separated from family members which leads me the disaster tip of the week: Have A Designated Meeting Place For Your Family.

If you and your family become separated during a disaster, it is important to have a predetermined place to meet. This becomes especially important should you have no other means of communicating with your family members.

Some points to remember in choosing your meeting location,choose several locations so that if one or more are inaccessible you can meet at another (I recommend 6 locations). Make certain that each location easily accessible and easy to remember and that each family member knows where it is.

You'll also want to have a designated family member to check each location for other family members. Should the designated person not show up or rescue personnel suggest leaving, go with the rescue people and inform them of the other locations missing family members may be gathering at.

Have each family member carry a card with meeting place addresses on them, and if possible include times and frequency of how often the location will be checked by the designated family member. I also recommend having these cards laminated to protect them from the elements.

These suggestions should give you more than enough information to get you started in creating your own designated meeting place if a disaster occurs.

Irans Secret Nuclear Ambitions Not So Secret

Photo by Hamed SaberIran continues to ignore the sanctions imposed by the U.N. along with help from China in gaining illegal materials that will aid the nation in building long range missiles capable of carrying nuclear missiles.

The shipment to Iran from China of the high-tech material was intercepted by the United Arab Emirates and contained 66,000 pounds of tungsten copper used for making advanced missile guidance systems. UAE also intercepted shipments of specialized aluminum sheets that can be used to make ballistic missiles and titanium sheets that can be used in long-range missiles all heading to Iran from China.

Communications of Iranian front companies set up by the country have also been intercepted and it appears that China, was not the only country helping Iran. One focus of the inquiries is the role of Italy, including the Rome branch of Iran's Bank Sepah and Italy's Banca Intesa Sanpaolo Spa. Banca Intesa said it is cooperating in the inquiries.

The actions of the banks, companies and individuals involved are being investigated by U.S. officials. Last week, Lloyds TSB of London agreed to pay $350 million to settle U.S. sanctions-busting charges with Mr. Morgenthau's office and the Justice Department. The bank admitted it violated U.S. law but said the practice has ceased.

Earthquake Detectors Created

Researchers from two California Universities have found a way to utilized the tiny accelerometers that are used in laptops to detect falls in a revolutionary way.

They discovered they can use these sensors to detect earthquakes, and they have created the world's largest, low-cost strong-motion seismic network.

Interested in participating in the network? You can go to their site to download the Quake-Catcher software onto your laptop and it will convert your computer into a sensor when not in use.

The systems largest success happened last July when computers detected the 5.4 quake in Los Angeles.

Security Managers Take Note, Key Duplication Possible From Photographs

The next time you go out to grab your Latte, you may want to reconsider leaving your keys on the counter, table or anywhere else someone can take a photo of them.

Recently a group of computer scientists at UC San Diego created a key from a photo taken from the roof of a building 195ft away of a set of keys laying on a table in the open.

Special software was used in the process, nor do they intend to release it to the public, but you have been warned.

It is no longer safe to leave your keys, especially keys for secure locks and areas, in open view where they can be photographed or seen.

For more on this capability and the published paper see the references below.

U.S. Military Warns Mexico May Collapse

The United States military has released a report warning that Mexico may suffer from a sudden collapse.

The collapse could stem from the current chaos and violence fueled by gangs and drug cartels.

The Report also states that a response from the United States would be imminent if such a collapse takes place.

The report specidicly states: "The Mexican possibility may seem less likely, but the government, its politicians, police and judicial infrastructure are all under sustained assault and press by criminal gangs and drug cartels. How that internal conflict turns out over the next several years will have a major impact on the stability of the Mexican state. Any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone."

To view a copy of the report see our references below.

In related news, the Marines have also made it difficult for any personnel to travel to Mexico and it is also being reported that if the violence along the border spills over into the U.S. the military may respond to back the border patrol.