World Wide Web Wednesday: Alarm.com

World Wide Web Wednesday
Alarm.com

I guess what some would call my "real" job is as a Sales Manager for Pinnacle Security, LLC. Pinnacle security offers cellular alarm services through Alarm.com. Alarm.com does not offer alarm services directly.

Using a cellular connection insted of a landline has many benefits.
1. Land lines can be cut eliminating an alarms ability to call the central stations
2. Cellular connection allows for smash and grab technology. Even if the intruder destroys the alarm before the delay ends, it will still work.
3. Alarm.com allows you to control and monitor your alarm from any smart phone or computer with internet connection.
4. Alarm.com allows for home automation: locks, lights, thermostat and camera control from a smartphone or computer.

I have this alarm and so does my family. Most alarms are pretty much worthless because there is no way to confirm a breakin and they are easy to bypass. With Pinnacle Security and Alarm.com, I have several ways to verify a break in, cancel false alarms and I know that it cannot be bypassed.

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How To Tuesday: Make a Root Cellar

Building a root cellar is easier than you think. The whole point of a root cellar is to have a natural storage area with ideal temperature (32-40f) and humidity (80-90%) for storing tubors and vegitables. The keys to building a good root cellar are Insulation, Ventilation and cooling.

Insulation

Alsmost any container burried in the ground will work, even if the dirt is the bulk of the insulation. However, the more extreme your weather, the more insulation is needed. Favorite options are old refridgerators, buckets, and barrels.

Cool Air From Ground

To keep your container cool in the hot summers, dig a post hole as deep as you can below your container. Add some kind of holes/screen to the bottom of your container so that the cool air can draft into it.

Ventilation

You must have some kind of air exaust so that the cool air can move through the root cellar propperly, but not too quickly. One way is to add a layer of straw with a vent stack at the top of the mound, and then another layer of dirt. Some people attach a vent stack directly. Either way, make sure attach some sort of flu so that you can adjust the ammount of ventilation.

Resources

Below is a couple of how to websites.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Root_cellar
http://www.dragongoose.com/LewHisWinterStorageVeg.html

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The Iraqi Dinar: Scam or Scoop?

What is the Iraqi Dinar?

The Iraqi Dinar is the currency being used in Iraq. There are heavily circulated rumors that after the war comes to an end the IMF will revalue the Dinar. If you buy a bunch of Dinars then when they revalue, those Dinars would be worth "millions." There are several websites "selling" Dinars.

The people that buy into this idea are very adamant about it. It seems to be in close nit groups like MLM (multi lever marketing) groups. Many of them bet every cent they own on this idea, and whether or not it is a scam is a very dangerous topic to discuss with them.

How does the IMF play a role?

The IMF (International Monetary Fund) often puts a hold on currency exchange with a country that is at war. This is so surrounding countries and currency traders do not take advantage of their currency. If no hold is placed on the currency, then currency traders and the surrounding countrys can make millions or billions, but in doing so absolutly destroy the country's economy.

This means that a guy in rural America, siting at his computer buying dinars is probably not buying actual dinars. Sometimes they get a certificate, but to remove the currency from the country for purposes of currency exchange would be illegal. In order to exchange your dinars you would have to physically be in Iraq.

How does revaluation of currency work?

Let's assume someone was able to get their hands on some Iraqi Dinars. The whole idea is that when the war is over the IMF will revalue the Iraqi Dinar and suddently their briefcase of foreign currency will be worth 1000x their original investment.

The problem is that these people don't understand how a currency revaluation works. When a currency is revaluated, there is essentially a new currency created. That currency (the new Dinar) will have an exchange rate for the old dinar. The old dinars will be just as worthless as they were before. If the "investor" is lucky they might be able to get back part of their original investment, but that is only if they actually have Dinars. I doubt they do.

Financial Survivalist Rule 27: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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Mesa Police Use Excessive Force on Solicitor

Do we already live in a Police State? Saturday, Feburary 25, Shane Rasmussen, an innocent solicitor found himself surrounded by 5 police cars. "They treated me like I was a drug dealer," Shane later recounted.

It all started as a normal day as a door to door salesman as Shane approached his second house that afternoon. There was an adorable little girl standing in the open door. "Can you go get your daddy?" asked Shane in an endearing voice. The little girl ran into the house to fetch her father. A stern man with a medium build, approached the door quickly. He grasped the edge of the door firmly and yelled with simingly all his might, "I'M NOT INTERESTED!" What fallowed reminded Shane of the turbulence from a jet engine, but it was merely the wind created by the force of the slamming door.

"Being rejected by inconsiderate jerks is part of being a door to door salesman," said Shane. He shrugged it off and walked to the next door. Half way across the street the immediately previous selfproclaimed professional door slammer came chasing after Shane out of his house flashing a badge. "I'm an off duty police officer! Let me see your permit!" demanded the Mesa Police officer dressed in normal clothing. Assuming he was properly licensed by his company, Shane replied calmly, "You'll have to call my manager, I don't have it on me."

The next thing Shane knew he was slammed to the street without explination and dragged onto the police officer's property. Soon after Shane found himself surrounded by five police cars. It was like a scence from a drug war. He was welcomed to the Mesa City holding facility by jokes from other police officers. "Like a fish jumping into the net," the Poice Officers laughed.

Shane was never read his rights, and Shane was refused food that was in accordance with a glutan free diet. Shane has coeleacs desease and eating gluten, a wheat protein, is seriously damaging to Shane's health. Hours later when Shane was released on $500 bail, Shane still had grass in his hair.

It seems like fiction, but it's not. It is a story of a Mesa Police officer abusing his sacred trust to PROTECT and SERVE. Does justice still live in the USA? Share Shanes story. Speak out against abuse in your neiborhood.

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Non-Fiction Friday: The Cheapskate Next Door

A "Cheapskate" is not a coupon cutter, bargain hunter, or a hotel towel theif. A cheapskate is simply someone that is happy with less. They don't lower their standard of living, they live below their means and are happy with a "lifestyle of less that feels like more."

I rarely watch tv because I don't have cable. However, I'm traveling on business this week and after work I started flipping through channels. I found a show about cheapskates. It interested me because I was in the middle of this book. Sure enough Jeff Yeager showed up on the screen. Not as a host, but as the "ultimate cheapskate."

At one point Jeff Yeager rode his bike around for hours looking for lost change. I have to admit he is a professional change finder. He managed to dig up (yes, dig) just over $7. He used that $7 to buy two goat heads at a butcher shop. He bought the goat heads to "save money," and cooked them for dinner.

First off, you can buy two decent stakes on clearance for $7. How is eating goat heads saving him any money? The meal still cost him $7.

Second, he spent almost all day looking for change. How is that any different than someone searching all day for the right coupons? How is it any different from someone that spends all day sifting through junk at garage sales to find a cheap dresser? Which, by the way, Jeff says is not something a "cheapskate" would do.

All in all the book is a decent book. It makes some good points and has some great ideas. I love the idea of a fiscal fast, recommended for one week a year by the author, I would recommend one day a month at least.

It is essential that a financial survivalist lives bellow their means. However, the author seems to say one thing in his book and portray another on tv. I'm pretty frugal, but instead of picking up change all day in order to pay for one meal, I'll work all day and pay for all the meals the entire week. My time is too valuable to spend it combing the grass near pay phones.

When a "cheapskate" buys a couch/car/dresser, they are buying a depreciating asset. If you buy an antique, you buy an appreciating asset and therefore a better investment. So, though it may be a larger "investment", buying an antique dresser is a better invesment than going to a garage sell and buying a dresser that is falling apart.

All hypocracy aside, this book does hold some valuable nuggets of knowledge, though reading it may remind you of looking change in the grass. What a financial survivalist needs is to be a smart consumer. If you have some time, this book can give you some inspiration.

I'll give it 6.5/10

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