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-jma
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Pearls before Swine Series
Bug Sweep Wisdom
May 1, 2009 Version
By James M. Atkinson, the "Sun Tzu of Bug Sweeps"
"Ex uno disce omnes" (From one person, learn all
people)
A brave man dies but once, but a coward dies a thousand deaths.
It is always better to die on your feet, then to live on your knees
Always dance like nobody is watching.
Do not go gently into that dark night
Do not bring a knife to a gun fight
Forgive your enemies, forget not their names.
"Animis opibusque parati" (Prepared in Mind and in
Resources)
A closed mouth attracts no foot.
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad
judgment.
Some friends will help you move, but real friends will help you move
bodies.
A brave and honest man will still stand up to do the right thing, and
will lift his voice and speak the truth when it is appropriate to do so.
A coward will sit in the back of the room and keep his mouth shut.
The racking of a shotgun speaks loudly in any language, and any
culture.
"Sie vie pacem, para bellum" (if you want peace, first prepare
for war)
"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything..." - Wyatt
Earp
When you are traveling always check into your hotel at least one hour
before sunset (or 6 PM whichever is first), and always call ahead for
reservations. Otherwise, you will end up paying too much for your room,
you will get a bad room, or you may get no room at all.
At a minimum always call the actual hotel itself to confirm that they
have you listed as a guest, and get specific instructions about their
actual address, driving directions, nearby restaurants, major highways,
and other information before you actually arrive. Also, when you call to
confirm the reservation, ALWAYS write down the name of the person you
spoke to, the time you called, and your confirmation number.
Assume that hotels will always screw up your reservations, so always have
a backup plan for an alternate hotel, and then an alternate for your
alternate. Don't forget to cancel the backup reservations that you do not
use once you have checked in to you room.
When everything is coming your way, you are in the wrong lane.
Use the high jump as your professional model, not the limbo.
It's not the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in
the dog.
If you actually think you can drive your car after a few drinks (or any
quantity of alcohol), you should consider driving a powerful motorcycle
instead. Do not wear a helmet, and sign an organ donor card as soon as
possible!
The most important thing in your house is the mattress, linens, and
blankets on your bed. Not the sofa, not the big screen TV, not the
stereo. Keep your priorities straight, and invest in a good nights sleep
and buy a good bed.
If you stay in a hotel try to stay with better large chains of business
hotels, but take care not to stay at conference hotels as the rooms will
be at least 4 times more expensive then a business hotel.
"Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris" (It is human
nature to hate a person whom you have injured)
When you are performing a sweep try to stay at a hotel that is ten miles
or more away from the site, twenty to thirty miles away is often the best
option. While the driving to and from the site may be a bit of a hassle,
it will give you time to detect and then throw off any surveillance that
may be directed on to you. The 30-45 minute commute will also give you
emotional distance from the site. This will give the caffeine in your
morning coffee time to fully to kick in, and will give you more hotel
options. In some cases it may be appropriate to actually stay at a
hotel that is well over 30 miles away from the project site.
Maintain an inventory of quality hotels within your coverage zones so
that you tend to use them as a remote base of operation that are each
spaced 60 or so miles apart. A list of 15 regular hotels will be
sufficient for you to cover a radius of 200 miles of work space (or at
least 20-25 million people).
When you travel you should bring your own sheets, and get the kinds that
are "bug and insect proof" and hypo-bacterial. This also
applies to your pillow case covers, your own blankets, and if possible
your own quilt or blanket.
In a hotel room the nastiest, most disease-laden items are the TV remote
control, the telephone, and the bed spread. Lysol is available in small
cans for just this sort of thing, but you should consider bringing your
own remote control, telephone, and bed spread.
Never eat out of, nor drink out of the mini-bar in a hotel room and avoid
the vending machines. Use room service instead, or better yet go visit a
local grocery store after you check in and buy $20 worth of groceries,
beverages, and snacks.
The difference between the word Cop and Con is one letter.
Trust is hard to gain, and very easy to loose, never forget this
fact.
It takes a very long time to gain trust, but only one second to
completely loose it.
"Nemo me impune lacessit" (No one provokes me with
impunity). - Ancient motto of the Kings of Scotland
Never stay at a hotel that does not have some kind of room service
available 24 hours a day, but only use it on rare occasions.
Breakfast is always the best room service meal, not dinner. Order it at
least 30 minutes before you would like to eat.
Room service food is always best before 8 PM, so order your dinner early.
If you use room service for dinner it will permit you more time to work
on your report and get caught up on your E-Mail. It is also more likely
that you will get a better night sleep.
If you eat in any restaurant, be sure to have reservations, and try to be
seated at or before 7 PM for the best food.
A good restaurant will always require a gentleman to wear a jacket for
the evening seating, but a truly good restaurant will loan him a properly
sized jacket should he not be wearing one.
At a proper establishment, no member of your group sees you pay the check
as it is never presented at the table, or if the check is presented at
the table, nobody notices that you have covertly paid it.
Always have a few good friends with whom you can share your thoughts,
fears, wants, goals, desires, and disappointments, and whom will always
give you honest criticism and advice.
You will never have more then five really close friends (not including
family members) in your entire life, and consider yourself to be blessed
if you have only three at any given time.
A good friend will always tell you when you are being a too much of a
geek or acting like a horses ass.
"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight -
it's the size of the fight in the dog."
"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play
better than anyone else." - Albert Einstein
Always have the backbone to stand up for what is right, moral, and
ethical. This is a rare attribute in this modern age, but it is a
critical thing in this profession.
"Wisdom knows what to do next, skill knows how to do it, and virtue
is doing it." - David Starr Jordan
Have the honor to do the right thing, and refuse to just standby and let
evil men pursue their deeds in darkness.
In this profession it is easy for someone to slowly stray over to the
dark side, but you must resist this and always focus on doing the right
thing.
"Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam" (It is better to
suffer an injustice than to do an injustice)
Have nothing to do with someone known to be a criminal in any fashion,
form, or substance.
Just because a wrongdoer has not been caught or convicted yet, does not
mean that they will not be at some future date.
Avoid people who you suspect are engaged in any kind of criminal
activities.
If you have slightest reason to believe that someone has a criminal
history or are engaged in criminal activities back away from them the
second that you find out about it. In fact not only do you want to start
backing away from them, but you want them to hear you reloading the
shotgun as you do it, and you want them to hear you backing
away.
"O praeclarum custodem ovium lupum!" (A most excellent
protector of sheep, the wolf is!) - Cicero
Always aggressively pursue an eavesdropper, a spy, a wrongdoer, a crooked
cop, a criminal, or a felon. That is our job, and our chosen vocation,
and the responsibility of any member of the public.
Never assume that a cop, politician, or other government employee is
crooked, until they irrefutably demonstrate otherwise three
times.
If someone chooses to be an eavesdropper, then your job is to
relentlessly hunt them to the ends of the Earth. It does not matter who
they work for, or what they claim their justifications is… if you are a
TSCM specialist, you hunt for everybody's bugs.
If a person is a felon or a crook and they are using electronics in their
work, then you must relentlessly stalk them until they are rendered
impotent.
Make the eavesdropper be afraid.
"Multi famam, conscientiam pauci verentur" (Many fear their
reputation, few their conscience). - Pliny
When a spy, an eavesdropper, or felon lies down at night he should be
afraid to go to sleep. When he has a nightmare about being caught it is
the TSCM'er who strikes fear in his heart, and terror to his soul.
When the eavesdropper lies on his deathbed and the angel of death comes
to take him away, we want death to be holding a Scanlock or a NLJD
instead of a scythe in one hand and a 1059 Audio Amp in the other.
The spy must constantly be looking over their shoulder and expecting TSCM
specialists to pounce on them out of the ceiling and start hounding them
with spectrum analyzers, ladders, flashlights, and bizarre looking
antennas.
Let the spy fear black boxes, and weird looking antennas, let them eat
Xanax by the handful, and spend their days in terror and pain.
Make the spy have heart palpitations anytime they see a silver aluminum
briefcase, or a black Hardigg or Pelican case and let them lose all self
control and go into a panic attack when they see a spectrum analyzer
being set up.
When the spy sits all huddled up in their listening post we want them
praying that their target has not hired us to hunt them.
When the crooked cop installs an illegal bug we will hunt them, when the
phone company employee wiretaps a line without a court order then we will
hunt them.
When a government agency oversteps the legal boundaries then it is us who
will be watching and exposing their sins
When a spy shop is selling illegal bugs we will be the one who bring
about their demise.
Make the sure that the spies and eavesdroppers always are very
afraid.
"He was a Bad Man, So I took Him Out" - James M. Atkinson,
2004
Good service is always well tipped, but bad service is also tipped at a
lesser amount along with a very discrete complaint to the management.
A gentleman tips for the service which they expect to receive next time
at the establishment, not for the service he just experienced. Learn what
this means, and why tip money should always flow freely to the
appropriate people, but withheld from others (i.e.: one does not tip the
owner of a hotel, or restaurant).
In a restaurant or in any kind of personal service, the tipping starts at
15-20%, and if you have a larger party and a gratuity is automatically
added to the bill up to 20% can still be added to the "large group
gratuity". Remember, that waiter staff make their money off these
tips, so be generous, and they will always remember you in a positive
light if you do.
Be careful not to over tip, but when in doubt it is better to tip a
little extra, then a too little. But take care not to over tip except in
extremely special situations.
You do not tip for the service you have received, but rather generously
tip for the service that you will be receiving in the future. Mediate on
this for a while, as it is one of the social graces that many people
never learn.
Nobody should ever see you tip, and the recipient of the gratuity should
not know that a gratuity is being covertly passed to them until they feel
it in their hand.
Only a crass person says anything about the tip, and only a fool mentions
it to the person to whom it is being given. Instead the tipping should
always be silent, and should be passed in as covert a manner as
possible.
The most powerful words in business are those of "Please" and
"Thank You", and you should use them often and with
sincerity.
Do not spend or obligate money that you have not yet made, nor spend a
check that has not yet fully cleared the bank. It is alright to make
plans on paper to spend money that has not yet arrived, but never make
business promises for money that is not yet actually in hand.
Credit cards should not be used to finance your sweep or any other
business operations. Instead use them to obtain hotels rooms, airfare,
and rental cars. Credit cards are not to be used to purchase sweep gear
or for anything where you have advanced notice of several days or
weeks.
If you live on plastic you can die very quickly.
You should always have sweep work pending, sweep work that is pre-paid
and on the schedule, sweep work that is in process, sweep work that you
have just completed but are awaiting payment, and then follow-on or
continuing sweep work or projects.
Big sweeps are the big bricks that hold up the wall, but small sweeps are
the mortar and cement that holds the bigger bricks (or sweeps) together.
A wall that is made of either all bricks or all mortar will be weak and
will quickly collapse in bad times.
Without small sweeps you will starve, and without the large sweeps you
will not grow.
Even in good times, always except the small sweep jobs.
The fastest way to be a success in this business is to get up before 5:00
or 5:30 AM, and to have breakfast and be working everyday before 6:30 or
7:00 AM.
"De inimico non loquaris sed cogites" (Don't wish ill for your
enemy; plan it)
To really gain an advantage over an eavesdropper, be out of bed at or
before 5 AM, eat breakfast before 5:20, and be out-the-door no later then
6 AM.
If you are on a sweep project that spans more then a few days, be sure
not to arrive at the same time each day, but rather stagger the times
that you arrive and depart the project location to confound the
eavesdropper.
You may even want to consider "skipping" a day mid-sweep where
you actually to come to the job-site, but do not use any vehicle that can
be traced back to you, and you arrive via a different entrance then you
had previously used. The goal in all of this is to totally confound the
spy, and this method makes the py think that you are not actually
on-site, or that it is your day off.
Once you start a sweep you do not actually take any time off until the
final report is written and handed in.
Always approach the location of a TSCM service from an indirect route,
and approach the site well before the time the client is expecting you.
Arrive in the building for all business meetings at least 15 minutes in
advance, but never present yourself more then 5 minutes early.
It could be that the only purpose of your life is only to serve as a
warning to others.
When you arrive for a meeting, always visit the bathroom before the
meeting, wash your hands and face, check your clothing, and freshen
up.
When possible, visit the site of a TSCM service several days in advance
of the scheduled date so that neither you nor your vehicles will look out
of place or new-to-the-site on the day of the project.
Pay for new equipment and training out of the revenues of larger
multi-day sweeps, but never from the revenues of small sweeps.
Spectrum analyzers are fragile creatures, handle with great care, and use
plenty of external limiters and filters. Always have at least two of
everything that involves a spectrum analyzer, including having two or
more identical spectrum analyzers.
A huge selection of filters is one of the most important tools that a
TSCM person can own, these are typically used to knock down overly strong
signals that are interfering with your delicate measurements, or are used
to band pass only a very narrow sliver of the spectrum where
eavesdropping device are historically known to occupy.
When you first get started in TSCM business do not make the mistake of
running out and dropping $100,000 to $300,000 of fancy looking equipment.
This is one of the most common errors which people new to the business
make.
Instead, start with basic electronics test equipment, essential hand
tools, ladders, cords, cables, antennas, flashlights, and other more
mundane equipment. Then purchase your vehicle to haul around the
aforementioned equipment, and let yourself get settled in to where and
how your "other tools and equipment" are arranged.
Reserve some space on the truck for your TSCM equipment, but do not
actually purchase the TSCM gear until everything else is in order, and
you are extremely proficient with using things like ladders,
oscilloscopes, voltmeters, TDRs, spectrum analyzers, and related non-TSCM
specific equipment.
Once you have mastered all of your non-TSCM equipment, then and only then
should you start purchasing TSCM specific equipment.
The secret is to buy a little equipment; take a little training, buy a
little more equipment, then take a little more training, and then take
some more training. Repeat.
The more sweep gear (TSCM specific equipment) you own in relationship to
non-TSCM test equipment, then less you know about sweeps. Backup, and
read this until you fully understand what this means. This one tidbit of
wisdom will save you at least a million dollars.
Your equipment priorities should be as follows:
1) Sweep vehicle,
2) Ladders,
3) Lights, Cords, Power Strips,
4) Lights, lots and lots of lights,
5) Basic hand tools to take virtually anything apart,
6) Basic power tools to take things apart such as electric screw drivers,
7) The best handheld digital voltmeter you can find,
8) The best handheld, high performance oscilloscope with a bandwidth of
over 200 MHz,
9) Handheld microwave spectrum analyzer that covers to at least 3 GHz,
and with a DANL (preamp off) of -120 dBm or better.
The second round of test equipment is a wide range of:
10) antennas, adapters, cables, cords, carry cases, and things that you
need to obtain to let things talks to easy other, or which allow you to
move or transport what you have up to this point. Then you purchase some
really
11) high end, high performance spectrum analyzers and service monitors,
but ensure that these are only the ruggedized units that can take a
beating in the field.
Your third round equipment is:
12) full suite of telephone test equipment to include cable tracers,
TDRs, cable scanners, and things used to test and analyze wires,
telephones, phone lines, but not actual TSCM equipment. Essentially, at
this point you are obtaining everything that you need to own to work on
wiring. Only after this point do you purchase sweep gear.
You must have redundancy in all of your tools and equipment. At a minimum
you need at least two of every tool and instrument you have, and the
function of every tool and instrument must overlap with the functions of
others.
You don't know anything about TSCM until you have installed at least a
million feet of telephone and network wiring with your own two hands,
installed several dozen large corporate phone systems, and can install,
repair, and modify virtually any kind of computer network or
communications system found in your customers location.
For every $100,000 in TSCM specific sweep gear you own, you need to own
at least $300,000 in non-TSCM specific sweep gear. Many TSCM specialist
consider this to be heresy, but these same people are utter fools who are
cheating their clients.
"Dictum sapienti sat est" (A word to a wise person is
sufficient)
No matter how your customers pay you, always deposit all funds into your
bank account.
If a customer pays you in the form of cash, be sure to record the revenue
in your books, and not merely to pocket the cash for personal use as it
shows a lack of self control and self discipline. This will ensure that
you are not cheating your own business operation, which is a mistake that
has caused many small business owners significant grief. Remember that
all funds (including cash) go into the bank, not into your
mattress.
Engage an accountant who can organize your records on a monthly basis,
and who can produce detailed monthly accounting reports for you. The
contents of these monthly reports should always confirm what you already
know about your operation, and pay attention when they don't.
Do not waste your own time trying to do your own accounting, taxes, or
book keeping, your time is best spent doing sweeps, doing things to get
sweeps lined up, or working on your equipment or education.
Collect receipts, and write notes on recipient for anything even remotely
involving your business operations. Turn these in to your accountant or
book keeper every month.
None of your receipts should ever mention your client by name, but rather
by a mnemonic or code so that your accountant or book keeper will not
know who your customers are.
Until you have three dozen employees: you and you alone collect funds
from clients, and only you alone make the bank deposits, collect the
mail, open the mail, or have anything to do with incoming monies.
After you have three dozen employees you should hire a full time book
keeper and office manager, but only one who is bonded and working full
time on-site, and under the supervision of a CPA who produces a weekly
ledger.
The first thing you always do on every Monday morning is to study the
ledgers from the prior week, and the past trailing 90 days.
The second thing you do on every Monday morning is review the schedule of
upcoming projects to ensure that you will have a stable cash flow in the
next upcoming three months.
Make your own bank deposits, and open all your own mail.
Know your banker, postman, accountant, and attorney on a first name
basis.
The more money you pay yourself out of your business the faster your
business will suffer and fail.
Only take out only a very small amount of money from your operation each
month for personal use, and plow as much as absolutely possible back into
your operation.
Increase your business assets, before you try to increase your personal
assets. This is one of the great secrets of how to run a successful TSCM
enterprise.
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" (Who shall keep watch over the
guardians?) - Luvenalis
For every dollar you take out of your business for personal use you must
earn 16 dollars or more to balance out what you removed. That fancy two
week $6,000 summer vacation for your family that you paid for is going to
cost your business at least $96,000 in revenue.
If you spend business funds on frivolous or unneeded things you will need
to earn 24 dollars or more for every dollar you spent. The $4,475 leather
couch you just bought for your office is actually going to cost you at
least $107,400 in revenues.
Allow all test equipment to warm up for at least 30 minutes prior to
attempting to take a calibrated measurement.
When you bring test equipment into the building in cases where the
equipment was at sub-freezing temperature in the truck, then permit the
equipment to warm up and "thaw" for at least 60 minutes before
you plug it into the wall.
Keep all test equipment in calibration at all times, and always have more
then one set of equipment so that you do not lose a project when your
equipment is out for calibration or repair.
Test equipment that is over ten years old is a liability, and a disaster
waiting to happen. Plan to do major equipment upgrades at least every
five years.
When possible, try to get at least three years ahead of
"state-of-the-art" so that you are using specialized test
equipment months or even years before it is even announced to the general
public.
Know what is being developed at the leading edge of the communications
industry so that you are never blindsided by a new bug, based on new
technologies that you were not paying attention to.
Take time to think in the middle of doing. A few minutes of thinking can
save hours of doing. Doing without thinking is dangerous; thinking
without doing is misguided. Sometimes we must do and think at the same
time.
"It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never
beginning to live."
- Marcus Aelius Aurelius
Make sure that you control your sweep equipment, and that it does not
control you. Meditate on this for a while, for it is one of the great
secrets of the TSCM business.
Keep your sweep equipment in good repair, and operational at all times. A
few minutes of checking out your equipment the night before you start a
sweep can prevent twelve hours of utter on-site chaos, or a missed
bug.
Check the batteries in your sweep gear before you start the sweep and
then again before you put the equipment away at the end of the sweep to
minimize any unpleasant surprises.
Many TSCM specialists have missed bugs because the batteries in their own
equipment were either weak or completely dead.
More bugs have been found with a ladder and a flashlight more then any
other tool. Step back and think about this for a while before you start
writing large checks for sweep gear.
No piece of sweep equipment can replace a flashlight, a proper ladder,
and the eyes of a TSCM specialist. This is also one of the great secrets
of how to perform a proper bug sweep.
When in doubt always wear long sleeved button down oxford shirts, a crew
neck T-shirt, and a tie. But, always pack a couple of polo shirts and a
blazer so that you can match your client's dress code.
Metallic watch bands, rings, cuff links, tie tacks, ear rings, nose
rings, eyebrow piercings, or other electrical conductors have no business
being worn by a sweep person. If you do not grasp why this is such an
issue then you lack any kind of formal education in electronics and are
playing your clients for a fool, while you yourself are a fraud.
When in doubt wear a dark suit, a white, long sleeved, button down oxford
shirt, and a muted tie.
Shoes and socks should always be black leather, as should the
belt.
When you are traveling out of town for a sweep, or for a meeting, always
bring at least one suit in case you have to perform a emergency high
level meeting or presentation.
If you have a tattoo, keep it fully covered up and concealed while on a
sweep. Nobody really cares what kind of motorcycle you drive, the branch
of the military you service in for two years, the name of your first
love, your favorite rock band, or your relationship with your mother. It
is alright for you to have body art, just keep it concealed.
Attention, both genders… please wear a clean white crew neck undershirt
with sleeves under your button down oxford dress shirt when
working.
Long hair is fine for both genders, just make sure that it is kept neat,
freshly washed, and kept tied back in a ponytail, or under a cap when on
a sweep.
Please shower once in the evening and once in the morning, and apply
anti-perspirant, and use only the slightest hint of cologne.
Fresh underclothes every morning is also a real winner, and is something
that many people do not pay attention to much to the annoyance and
disgust of their customer.
Fresh over-the-calf socks every morning is also a must, and always bring
at least two sets of shoes so that you can rotate them and let them air
out on alternate days.
Brush your teeth three times a day, always use mouthwash in the morning
and after every meal. Floss every night, and after each meal ensure that
there is no debris between your teeth.
Carry a tin of breath mints and two handkerchiefs on you are all times.
One handkerchief for show (or giveaway), and one handkerchief for
blow.
Know when to wear a suit, and when to wear jeans and a flannel shirt on a
sweep.
A confident person in a clean black turtle neck, and clean blue jeans
will appear more professional and successful then a slovenly or poorly
mannered person wearing a $3,000 designer suit.
Not all physicians wear lab coats, and not all lab coats are worn by
physicians.
Always carry a pocket sized notebook on your person, plus a small
flexible plastic ruler, and two ball point pens or pencils on a sweep.
Learn to take copious notes, and always write down the date and time of
each note.
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
"Cuiusvis hominis est errare; nullius nisi insipientis in errore
perseverare" (Any man can make a mistake; only a fool keeps making
the same one).
Purchase and learn to use an old-school, plain, full sized, two-page per
day Day-Timer daily planner or journal where you account for your time in
15 minute blocks, and where you write down every call you take or make,
and every contact you make.
Always carry your current journal month and upcoming month in the primary
binder along with the prior month. Keep the older or upcoming pages in
binders divided by year and keep at least two years of fillers on hand at
your desk at all times.
Once you have completed a years worth of a journal, transfer the pages
into an archival binder, and store them on your book case in neat rows so
that 10 years from now you can reflect back on what you did or planned on
this day.
When complete, keep your journals and planners for an infinite amount of
time, and at least once a year browse though your older ones to see what
you have learned.
At no time should your journals ever reference to whom your customers
are. Thus if your journals are ever lost, stolen, or examined nobody will
know who your customer have been.
When you travel, carry a streamlined version of your journal, but ensure
that you copy over all of your appointments for the next 120 days
forward.
Learn how to use a ball point pen or key ring as an edged weapon, and
learn when to use it to save your life.
Write a letter to the editor of your local paper at least once a
year.
In the profession of TSCM and Bug Sweeping it is critical that you be
able to arrive at your clients locations within 2 hours of being called
to any site within 100 miles of your office, and that you always keep a
vehicle or fast deployment kit positioned so that you can leave
"right now" for the engagement.
Your clients will trust you ore when you say "I do not know",
or you tell them about a limitation that you have in your equipment of
capabilities. While your elite marketing skills, a flawless resume, and
glossy tri-fold brochures may get you in the door, but being
"real" with your customer will actually get you the job.
Being totally honest and upfront with your customers is what results in
repeat business and strings of referrals for years afterwards.
Do not cheat at golf, ever; it is the game of the honor of a true
gentleman.
Be truthful on your golf handicap, tip your caddy well, and never carry
your own bags.
Other players will always remember your cheats and mulligan's, and will
expect the same from you in business and thus never trust you.
Golf is all about business and honor learn to play it, you will learn
much. Meditate on this until you understand why this is so
important.
"Fortunatus sum! Pila mea de gramine horrido modo in pratum lene
recta volvit!" (Isn't that lucky! My ball just rolled out of the
rough and onto the fairway!)
Learn to play chess well, and to moderate your play to match your
opponent's skill level. It is more about having a pleasant two way play,
and less about winning in seven moves or less.
Be able to both play chess and to teach chess.
The best way to learn chess is to teach it to a child, and to never win
more then 50% of your matches.
Sometimes it is about controlling yourself, and reigning in your
capabilities, and less about winning. Learn why this is important in
business.
It is always best that you be grossly underestimated by the spy, so take
care in flashing your equipment, or telegraphing too much of your own
capabilities, credentials, or experience. If the spy knows that you use
XYZ spectrum analyzer or receiver then the battle has been lost even
before you began.
Keep the spy in the dark as much as possible, and learn how to operate so
that the spy does not know that you have been performing a sweep for the
past two days.
There is the 10-year rule developed by Anders Ericsson (prominent
psychologist), but based on studies first published in 1899. Ericsson
postulated that it takes at least 10 years, or at least 10,000 hours of
dedicated practice to truly master a technical task. As this applies to
TSCM, you need to spend at least 10,000 hours mastering your equipment,
and mastering performing sweeps in controlled conditions, before you
start performing sweeps professionally.
If a person is very intelligent this 10-year/10,000 hour rule can be
reduced to 7,500 hours for someone with an IQ of 150, or reduced to only
5,000 hours by someone with an IQ of 200.
Do not use a piece of sweep gear in the field until you have hundreds of
hours of experience and training in a controlled, training, or practice
environment.
"Difficile est tenere quae acceperis nisi exerceas" (It is
difficult to retain what you may have learned unless you should practice
it). - Pliny the Younger
Learn to play blackjack and poker well, to the point that you are not
welcome in certain casinos. Learn why this is important to TSCM and
Intelligence activities in general.
A wise person stays away from casinos except for the occasional free
buffet or to play the quarter slots on a rare occasion.
If you are highly skilled in mathematics you may successfully play casino
blackjack on your own, but never as a team effort. Blackjack is a game of
pure mathematics, and is the only game in a casino where you have even
the slightest chance of leaving with more money then you came with. For
this reason, casinos do not like really good blackjack players, or they
manipulate the games to put the odds strongly in the houses favor.
Scientists, engineers, and physicians tend to be very good with
blackjack, but bad at poker.
Poker in all its forms and variants is the game of the true sociopath,
and it is all about accurately reading and carefully manipulating people.
You can only play it well if you understand both yourself, and how to
read and play other people. Politicians, attorneys, salesmen, drug
addicts, and con artists all tend to be very good at poker, but very bad
at blackjack.
If someone is good at playing both blackjack and poker, they should be
considered very dangerous at anything they do, and to be the consummate
predator. Many spies, soldiers, and military leaders can do this, and
they make the most exquisite cold blooded spy hunters.
If you work for someone for a living do not try to delude yourself into
thinking your little moonlighting TSCM jobs means that you are self
employed. Instead you have nothing more then a hobby-with-benefits.
You are only self-employed when you earn 100% of your income from the
work of your own hands, and you answer to nobody but your
clients.
Never conceal from your customers that you are moonlighting, because
someday your customer will tell your employer about the projects you have
been doing for them so that he can make a referral for your services.
While your customer has good intentions in doing this your boss is going
to be furious, is never going to trust you again, and you may or may not
find yourself unemployed and not understand why.
If you are moonlighting, be sure your customer knows where you work, and
who your boss is to avoid ugliness.
If you are moonlighting, make sure that your daytime employer knows about
your hobby-with-benefits, and that both your boss and your supervisor
know what you do outside of company time.
Do not use your employer's equipment or use your employer's time or other
resources in support of your moonlighting unless you have express written
permission to do so, and update this written permission once a
year.
If you are moonlighting, and using your employers equipment or any
resource of your employer without express permission then you are
stealing from them.
Stealing is stealing, and there is no gray area is matters such as this,
never forget this.
Schizophrenia is a disorder where a person finds patterns or secret
things where there are none. They may or may not hear voices, or may or
may not see things that are not actually there, or feel they have some
kind of special insight or knowledge that they claim to possess.
Frequently someone suffering from this medical problem will claim to be
receiving or sending secret messages by thought, or may claim that other
people are controlling their various body parts, moods, or body
processes.
With someone who is suffering from schizophrenia they will genuinely
believe in the things they profess, even if those things have no basis in
reality. However, a bug sweep or vulnerability analysis is not going to
be helpful to them, and may actually cause their problems to get much
worse.
An anxiety disorder is where a person is fearful or scared about
something and that fear is making them do inappropriate things, or is
robbing them of sleep, or of a productive or functional life. The fear is
usually based on an actual event or issue, but the fear and anxiety
becomes so out of control that the person may not be able to function.
This fear not is not schizophrenia, but rather a different problem which
can lead to schizophrenia. Someone who suffers from an anxiety disorder
needs someone to help them address just how real the item they are afraid
of is, and then to neutralize or deal with the fear though knowledge and
empowerment. A bug sweep or vulnerability analysis is often very helpful
for a person with this kind of problem.
An otherwise healthy person who is the victim of eavesdropping or
technical harassment may exhibit symptoms which may mimic the medical
condition of paranoid schizophrenia where the person misinterprets their
experience as a victim of eavesdropping, does not understand technology,
or understands technical espionage only from the perspective of the
popular press or movies.
Many victims of technical eavesdropping develop an anxiety disorder, and
may be afraid that someone is watching them or listening to them, and
want the eavesdropping device found and removed if indeed there is one
present.
A very awkward situation can develop where a technical problem which is
so severe that the person is living in fear, and this fear feeds on
itself until the person being spied upon if quite terrified due the
eavesdropping and unable to think or function clearly until the
eavesdropping mystery is solved.
An executive at a large company may not actually be fearful of a bug
being present, but merely want to ensure that an area is secure, as he
knows that eavesdropping is a serious problem. This is not based in
anxiety, but rather involves being professionally cautious.
Do not confuse a customer who is afraid, concerned, scared, or terrified
who has a legitimate technical concern from someone suffering from a
medical problem.
"Cotidie damnatur qui semper timet" (The man who is constantly
in fear is every day condemned). - Syrus
A polymath or universal genius is someone to can find a pattern in
otherwise meaningless or complex data, or may figure out a secret code,
cipher, or information that is not readily apparent to others but they
can always explain how they discovered the pattern, code, or cipher. The
polymath does in fact possess a special insight, but very often their
insight is combined with years of experience and careful studies of a
subject of interest, and which are all based in science.
A polymath must have training and skills in a wide range of subjects, and
must at a minimum has skills in the fine arts, the sciences, the ability
to build things, and must have at least a basic level of knowledge of
medicine and the healing arts.
The polymath has strong activity in both the right and left sides of the
brain, whereas the universal genius may only be strongly active on one
side of the other (i.e.: Einstein, Tesla, Edison, and Yardley are all
examples of universal genius, but DiVinci, Michelangelo, Benjamin
Franklin were all polymaths).
The polymath does not hear voices that others can not hear, they do not
receive secret messages beamed into their head, nor do they see things
that others can not see, or experience.
The polymath discovers new knowledge, patterns, methods, or similar
things, and can communicate these things to others. All of what the
polymath figures out is based in reality, but they may initially be met
with some skepticism or resistance as they are challenging the status
quo.
"Damnant quod non intellegunt" (They condemn what they do not
understand)
Polymath can be genetically inherited, or can be the products of
stimulating and supportive environment. Polymath can and should be
nurtured, but it can also be obstructed.
There are also many types of Polymath, and in some cases the true
polymath in one area, may or may not have a mild or even severe deficit
in other area.
A scientist is someone who will only believe those things which they can
absolutely see and measure, and those things which can be seen or
measured by others with the same or similar results. The work of the
scientist may lag behind that of the polymath by weeks, months, years, or
even decades. Their greatest function is not so much to discover, but
rather to prove things once they have been discovered, and then to expand
the breadth of knowledge about a subject.
As a TSCM specialist, you must have some basic understanding of
schizophrenia and related disorders as you may have someone who is
"hearing voices, seeing visions, and the victim of mind
control" request that you perform a bug sweep for them. They may be
having medical problems, or they could be having genuine technical or
eavesdropping problems.
If a client is merely fearful, distressed, and anxious but lack a
technical understanding of what is going on do not automatically assume
that they are having a medical problem.
"Frustra laborant quotquot se calculationibus fatigant pro
inventione quadraturae circuli" (Futile is the labor of those who
fatigue themselves with calculations to square the circle). - Michael
Stifel, 1544
A polymath, universal genius or scientist may initially come across as
suffering from schizophrenia, until you gain a basic understanding of
what they have discovered or what they are involved in. However, be aware
that some of the most brilliant polymath's and scientists on Earth have
also suffered from profound schizophrenia.
Learn to always anchor your sweep activities firmly in reality, and force
yourself and your employees to apply rigid scientific methods and
procedures to the craft of finding bugs and wiretaps.
More power to you if you can stare at a spectrum analyzer for 30 hours
straight and derive tiny voltage fluctuations to detect bugs, or if you
develop a methods to find bugs that others have overlooked.
Ensure that you do "see ghosts" in the equipment from staring
at the test equipment screens for too long, and that you are not seeing
or hearing things that are not really there.
"Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando?" (Who,
what, where, with what, why, how, when?)
Institutional schizophrenia runs rampant within the intelligence
community as people are forced to live in what is called a
"wilderness of mirrors", or occurs when a veteran spy finds
themselves unable to properly function for the first time in their adult
life once they leave their government job.
Sadly, many of the people who wanders around the "wilderness of
mirrors" for most of their government careers find is almost
impossible to function in the civilian word as what they know is so
compartmentalized that they can now see the "big picture" and
rather end up working in a low paying, dead end job in the private
sector.
If you chose to live in the "wilderness of mirrors" it is wise
to hop around a little bit so that you get access and experience that you
would not otherwise obtain. It is also wise to take a sabbatical
periodically to return to an academic pursuit in order to clear your
head.
To learn a subject, try to teach it to someone else.
Become highly proficient with small arms, but pray that you never need to
use them except as a last resort.
To take another persons life is to place a scar on your own soul, and
even if it was a totally justified killing, the scar will still remain
for the rest of your life.
Always be discrete about small arms, and make every effort to ensure that
nobody knows that you are packing.
"Cotidiana vilescunt" (Familiarity breeds contempt)
A hit with a .22 is better then a miss with a .44 magnum.
Never draw a sidearm in anger, and never for anything other then
immediate self defense.
Only a fool fires warning shots or brandishes sidearm in an attempt to
scare away trouble.
Firearms are a projectile weapon, not an impact weapon.
Carry it in a proper holster, and not your waistband.
"Dulce bellum inexpertis" (War is sweet for those who haven't
experienced it). - Pindaros
New ways are not always better, neither are the old ways. Learn why this
is not always true, and learn when to stay on course, and when to change
your path.
There is no better discipline for a TSCM specialist than to build a
structure, a house, office building, or a barn. The same hold true for
designing and installing computer networks, phone systems, and data
systems. This is one of the great secrets of learning about TSCM and bug
sweeps, for if you know nothing about construction and cabling you have
no reason to be in the TSCM business.
All TSCM specialists must have some level of knowledge and hands-on
training and experience with locksmithing and alarms systems, not so that
they can actually install and repair locks and alarms for a living, but
so that they can detect poorly installed, manipulated, or weak locks and
alarms.
If a TSCM specialist is a master locksmith and an expert with alarm
systems they can make a significant income doing these things when they
are not doing sweeps. However, you should specialize in only TSCM or
locks, not both.
Learn to write computer programs from scratch in C or C++ and develop
your own TSCM software that you use on your own sweeps and which you
never sell or give away outside of your own operation.
LabView is your friend; learn to write short programs and drivers in
LabView to make your test equipment do things.
At least once in your life delivery a baby into the world, and then
afterwards examine your life thus far.
The ability to wash your own windshield, fill your own gas tank, and
change the engine oil in your car does not mean that you are an auto
mechanic. A true mechanic can rebuild an engine by himself, and can strip
the vehicle down to the raw chassis rails and rebuilt it better that the
factory. Ditto with sweep equipment and a real TSCM specialist, you are
poser and a faker unless you can Frankenstein your own equipment.
Facing a problem and fixing it is easier than complaining about it.
"Our games don't end in ties" - anonymous
Real men drink beer out of bottle or chilled glass, not out of a can.
They also know when to stop drinking, and know not to drive after any
drinking. It is all about controlling yourself, but still being able to
drink a little.
Root beer, ginger soda, orange soda, and crème soda are all to be
consumed from a chilled or frosted bottle or glass, and in the same
fashion as any other bottled beverage.
Only a fool makes light of or teases someone who prefers to be a moderate
drinker, or someone who prefers to avoid alcohol outright.
A good host will always ensure that non-alcoholic beverages are always
discretely available to all guests, along with coffee, teas, and other
non-intoxicating drinks.
Being out on a sweep, doesn't not mean that you are on vacation, and that
you are free to pickle your liver and party until 2 AM.
Strippers, hookers, massage parlors, porn, flirting, recreational drugs,
alcohol, and other such immature foolishness have no place when you are
on business trips. For that matter, most of these things should have
little or no place in your personal life either (except for the
flirting). When you are on a project you must always engage is
professional behavior at all times, even when not at the job
site.
If you are bored at the end of the day while on a sweep, and have trouble
getting to sleep, then you are not working hard enough.
When you are on a sweep, be sure to eat an early dinner so that there is
at least 3-4 hours between your main course being eaten and you going to
bed.
At the end of each day, before going to bed write yourself a memo where
you summarize the previous days work, and what you plan to accomplish
during the next day. This is called making a sweep plan, and it is
something that few people ever do.
The best cure for insomnia while in a hotel room after a full day of
sweeps is to work on your project report.
Be sure that you are getting a solid 8 hours of actual restful sleep in
bed each night, and eat a really good breakfast before you head out to
the job site.
Never forget that you are the most important piece of sweep gear in your
inventory, and that you always need a full night sleep, and at least two
good meals each day to be most effective.
Try not to be on a job site or in transit for more then 12 hours in any
given 24 hour period.
Longer hours may occasionally be needed, but your plan should be to work
8-10 hours per day, but have the capability to extend this to 16-18 hours
when there is no other option.
Sweep people do not take lunch breaks that involve more then 5-10
minutes, and then only so that they can grab a can of soup or sandwich
and then to get right back to work.
Eavesdroppers will always be attempting to draw the TSCM person away from
the area being inspected for a few minutes, or even just a few seconds so
that they can retrieve their bug before you detect it. Once you are in a
room, try to stay there, or once you are in the building try not to leave
for quite a while.
If you want a one hour lunch then become a construction worker or
banker.
The television at the hotel can cost you a fortune in lost time and
productivity. When on a sweep (and stay at the hotel) you should limit
yourself to no more then 30-60 minutes of news, and no more then two
hours for a movie or your favorite shows. All total you should not be
watching television or movies for more then 2-3 hours in the hotel when
on a sweep project.
When staying in a hotel never go to bed with the television left on, and
never rely on the alarm clock in the hotel to work. Instead bring your
own battery powered alarm clock to use as a backup to the one the hotel
provides.
When you stay in a hotel for more then one night, obtain a copy of your
bill every few days, and then a copy the night before you check out. This
way errors, oversights, and fraudulent charges can be removed from your
bill before you appear at the front desk to return your key when you
check out.
Many hotels covertly add a small charge to your bill for a daily paper,
but most hotels do not actually provide you with a paper. There are also
other small charges that you can be gouged with, so always read and
understand the contract when you check in, and know what you will be
charged with.
If at all possible, do not turn on the television at a hotel room, but
strive to keep it turned off for your entire stay.
While on the road, always read the local morning paper over breakfast. It
will help to ground you to the area in which you are working, and ensure
that you have a leisurely breakfast.
Much business small talk involves talking about "the crops, the
weather, the water, and the cows". Learn how to do this, and learn
what this means. The morning paper is always helpful in this
regard.
At least once a year you should drive round trip Coast-to-Coast on a
business trip or a sweep. This will help to clear your head, and you
should stop often and take your time. Use this as a working vacation, and
be able to take calls on your cell phone while on the road. Nothing is
finer then to close a sale while driving through the plains of
Kansas.
Only use rental cars when absolutely needed, and avoid commuter flights
when the drive by your own vehicle would only be a few hundred miles each
way.
A shrewd businessman (or sweep person) can drive 250 miles, have a one
hour meeting with one client, a second one hour meeting with a second or
even third client in the area, and then drive back home all in the same
day with a little planning and miniscule expense, and can take several
meetings by cell phone while en-route in both directions.
Learn to stay in cheap, but not nasty hotels and motels when on the road.
Any hotel that rents rooms by the hour, advertised heart shaped tubs,
honeymoon suites, or adult movies should be avoided.
"Amat victoria curam" (Victory favors those who take
pains)
A shrewd businessman knows how to drive a route that avoids tollbooths,
slow traffic, and expensive hotels. While the drive may be longer in
miles, he can often get to the destination faster by taking the longer
and cheaper route.
All of your vehicles should have a really good GPS system installed, but
if you rent a vehicle bring your own GPS system and make sure it has an
external antenna.
Assume that all rental cars have covert GPS tracking devices on them, so
consider this implication as it applied to keeping the location of the
sweep private.
All cell phones can be used to determine your location, so it is wise to
ponder this issue if you want to keep the location of the sweep private.
Know how to do special stuff to your cell phone to render it difficult or
even impossible to track, or how to provide it with false coordinates so
that you are thought to be five miles away from where you really
are.
Consider using a compact Iridium phone or secure INMARSAT terminal
instead of a regular cell phone to further confound someone trying to
locate or track you.
Remember that both Iridium and INMARSAT phones can use very high gain
antenna, and that you can sometimes bounce the signals for long
distances. Use both systems with strong external encryption, and keep the
numbers private as much as possible.
GSM phone systems are more secure then any other kind of cellular phone
system in the United States, but you still need to add encryption
software to the phone to obtain even the most basic of privacy.
When you travel your land-line can be forwarded to your cell phone, which
can then the transferred to a sat-phone or you can forward from the
land-line direct to the sat-phone. When you do this properly nobody will
realize that you are away from the office.
Never trust what a cellular phone salesperson tells you about security or
service coverage as they will either lie to your face, or repeat lies to
you that have been told to them by others.
"If it has an antenna, it is not secure." - James M. Atkinson,
1981
Take time each day after the work is done to do nothing. Just to sit
quietly by yourself, to think, and to clear your mind. Let your mind go
blank, and just let yourself breath. God invented bathtubs, commodes,
tree stumps, and comfortable chairs for mediations like this.
Consider everybody to be honest, honorable, and hardworking, until they
show you otherwise on at least three occasions.
When on a sweep, you should be able to operate your equipment right under
the noses of your customer's employees without any of them having the
slightest idea what you are actually doing for at least two days.
One of the goals of a TSCM specialist is to blend in inside the building,
so that neither the employees nor the eavesdropper have even the
slightest idea what you are really doing.
Until you can perform a two day sweep, during normal business hours, and
during normal business hours, then you do not have enough tradecraft to
be successful in this business of hunting spies and hunting bugs and wire
taps.
"Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum" (While we have the time,
let us do good)
Always try to generously and anonymously help others, and never expect or
ask for anything in return.
The fewer people that you involve in your charitable activities the
better.
When you are ready to perform charitable acts everybody will want to help
you but they will want a little of your charity to stick to them in the
form of political favors, publicity, or raw percentages. Do not let the
agendas or greed of others contaminate your own charity.
Try to always do much more for others than they do for you… but be quiet
about it, and keep it private.
Once a week skip a meal, or deliberately eat a meager meal, and then use
the money that you would have spent on food to perform some random act of
anonymous kindness.
Once a month take the amount of money that you spend for a one week
period (including going out to eat), and donate it to a food pantry, soup
kitchen, or related feeding operation in your community. Try to make the
donation in a way that it is as anonymous as possible, so that while the
people there may know your face, they know not your name.
Several times a year, throw a couple of one ounce gold coins into the
offering plate at church, and tell nobody about it. Also, visit other
churches in your area periodically and practice doing this act.
Always be willing to feed a spare quarter into someone else's expiring
parking meter when you see a meter maid approaching, it saves everybody
concerned a lot of paperwork.
"Altissima quaeque flumina minimo sono labi" (The deepest
rivers flow with the least sound).
Business cards and stationary should always be white 100% cotton, with
black ink.
When you give to someone to help them out, give until it hurts, and then
give some more... this is true sacrifice, and it is something you should
do often.
With the utmost of your own personal kindness and sacrifice, directly
(you personally) help to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty;
to clothe the naked; shelter the homeless, heal and care for the sick;
visit the imprisoned, lonely, or infirm; help to bury the dead; and when
needed give comfort to the grieving.
When was the last time you took a full day out of your busy schedule at a
local soup kitchen helping pass out food, washing the dishes, or serving
someone food?
Sometimes it is less about how much money you give, and more about the
humility with which you serve directly.
What have you done today to help someone else to preserve their dignity
today?
Respectfully (and privately) admonish those who do wrong and gently
correct those who need correction. Do not insult, attack, rant, or rave,
but rather help them overcome that which caused the problem… and perhaps
someone will return the favor to you. They may be doing it wrong, because
they do not understand, so help them.
Instruct or teach those who do not know or understand something, or those
to whom education on a matter would be of great value. Always take the
time to explain a thing so that it can be understood clearly. This can be
a simple as showing their neighbor how to grow a nice green lawn, or
teaching a fellow business owner how to plan their finances or design a
marketing brochure.
Counsel those who have had their sprits broken by the difficulties on
life, relationships, employment, or finances. Life can be tough at times,
and the vicious nature of business can break a person's spirit and
destroy their life, and the lives of others. Be willing to listen to
people who need someone to talk to, and take the time to always provide
them with specific and useful advice.
Always give advice to those who need it, even when they do not ask for it
directly. This may come across as slightly crass if not done properly,
but when performed with the upmost of diplomacy and respect the person to
whom you give advice will appreciate it more then you know.
Learn about diplomacy; apply it to both your business operations and to
own personal life. This is one of the great skills that most business
people are lacking.
Comfort the depressed, anxious, sorrowful, and give always comfort to
those who suffer in any form. Always take the time to genuinely care
about others, and if the pain of another person fails to cause a pinch on
your own heart then you need to reflect on why part of you has died, and
take time to repair what is broken inside of you.
Bear wrongs or offenses against you patiently and be always patient and
cordial with others.
Forgive all injuries, and forgive others who may hurt you either by
accident, by oversight, or with deliberate intent. However, be willing to
raise your hand (literally or figuratively) to defend yourself or others,
but never in anger, but let the strike be swift, and not have to be
repeated.
Help your local community, neighbors, friends, and family first before
you waste time and money trying to help someone who you do not know on
the other side of the globe.
Remember, half the people you know are below average.
Visit people in nursing homes and hospitals, because someday you may live
in one and will be lonely when nobody comes to visit you.
Learn how to suture a wound or injuries of another person, both literally
and figuratively. Know how to give a hug and provide a strong shoulder or
arm, but also how to throw some 2-0 silk or apply a splint, swath, and
sling.
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
"Abusus non tollit usum" (Wrong use does not preclude proper
use)
Learn CPR and First Aid well, and recertify every six months. Pray you
never need to use it, and when you do use it pray that you remember your
training.
"Tenere lupum auribus" (I hold the wolf by the ears).
Carry a set of reflective triangles, two gas cans, jumper cables, spare
tire, tow rope/chairs, fire extinguisher, AED, oxygen tank, BVM,
pocket mask, and a first aid kit on all sweep vehicles, and know how and
when to use them as you can relieve much suffering with these simple
items.
Do not forget to include a couple of large extra heavy wool blankets with
your vehicle first aid kit, along with several large tarps (silver on one
side), and a roll of duct tape.
"Convenience and Privacy are always Inversely Proportional." -
James M. Atkinson, 1977
Giving a warm blanket, a good coat, new socks and good shoes to someone
who needs these things will alleviate much misery in your fellow man.
Children often need these things, and well as the homeless, the old, and
the infirm. Learn how to obtain and supply these things to others, but
how to do so anonymously.
A hot meal, a warm blanket, a pillow, kind treatment, and a candy bar
have won more wars then any weapon.
Stay current on all your immunizations, and get a flu shot every Fall,
and a pneumonia shot every five to ten years.
Have an annual physical when in good health, and more often if ill or
elderly. These check-ups should be at least 90 minutes long and should
check you out from head to toe, and should be as invasive as possible.
Always tell the truth to your physician, even if it is an ugly truth, for
they always have your best interests at heart. However, there are some
truths that should not find their way into your hardcopy medical records,
and which should remembered by the physician and not written
down.
Doctors still make house calls, and they are only slightly more expensive
then an office visit but will require that you have a long-term
relationship with the physician.
The best hotels always have a list of physicians who will come to the
hotel to treat a guest in their room. Always assume that a physician who
makes such a visit will be paid in cash at the time of the service. The
hotel can tell you in advance roughly what the charge will be, and in
special cases a better hotel can add this to your bill, or provide the
doctor at no charge.
If you ever eat at a restaurant and then later that day get sick, contact
the local health department and file a formal report right away. This act
may save someone else from dying of food poising a few days
later.
Once a month treat yourself to a professional massage that is 60-90
minutes in length, and if you are so inclined get a facial, and get your
hair done (this applies to men as well as women).
Obtain a Commercial Drivers License, and Medical Examiners card, and stay
current on all your endorsements.
Most sweep vehicles are mandated by federal law as commercial vehicles,
so having a CDL, CPR, and Medical Examiners card in your wallet is a real
quick way for a someone to determine if you are for real or not and not
just another poser.
Whores often pose in front of their equipment collection for glamour
pictures in a feeble attempt to prove to the world that they actually own
more then a $99 bug detector. Quality customers always see through this
kind of foolishness and will not engage you, but the gawkers and stalkers
will always beat a path to your doorstep. However, the poor, inexperience
sweeper who does this look like a whore on display in a brothel window.
Ditto for the TSCM'er who feels that they need to prove that they have
such-and-such equipment for sweeps. Both are whores, just of different
types, learn why.
Learn what the word poser means, and do not become one.
As the wind blows, so all politicians bend.
The size of the dust cloud tells us little about the traveler.
The drive home or to your hotel from a sweep at 2 AM is always much
longer than the drive at 6 AM you took to get to the sweep location that
morning.
Owning a lot of expensive cameras does not make you a good photographer,
deal with it. It only becomes art when someone can see a soul in the
picture. Ditto for sweep gear, fancy test equipment, and camera equipment
means nothing and are only children's toys unless you own the methods and
techniques first.
"Diligentia maximum etiam mediocris ingeni subsidium"
(Diligence is a very great help even to a mediocre intelligence). -
Seneca
Do not make a mistake by only using bug sweep equipment made by TSCM
companies, but rather use some TSCM gear, some basic electronics test
equipment, some communications test equipment, some construction and
physical inspections tools, and other equipment.
Soldering irons are actually of minimal value on a bug sweep, learn
why.
The majority of your equipment should not be mostly TSCM equipment or you
are setting up a situation that will lead to your failure.
If a piece of equipment is important to you, then you need to have at
least two of them at all times. This applies to ladders, voltmeters,
spectrum analyzers, TSCM equipment, and clean shirts.
Take all measurements three times, and then with at least two different
pieces of equipment. If all six measurements do not match, or they are
not even close then you need to investigate why, or find another
profession.
If you do not know, do not remain ignorant, but rather ask
questions.
The wisest and most educated of men are never afraid to utter the words
"I do not know" after pondering a question.
For every 10,000 amateur photographers there are 5 true professional
photographers, do not expect this ratio to be different in the sweep
profession.
When you first start offering sweep services you need to keep all of your
sweep work within 30 miles in each direction of your home or office. As
the years go by you can increase this distance by no more then ten miles
for every year you are in business.
After the first six years in business you should not be attempting sweeps
beyond 80 miles of your home or office.
Once you have been in business for over eight years, you can start
handling sweeps that are more then 100 miles away, and at the ten year
point you can start taking on projects 200 miles away, at fifteen years
projects 500 miles away.
At the twenty year mark you should be comfortable in handling any sweep
that is 1200 to 1500 miles or more away to which you can drive to on very
short notice, but do not fly.
If you opt to travel cross-country by air or rail for your sweeps you
will need to maintain a specific set of equipment that is isolated from
the rest of your gear, so that you will not be immediately out of
business should your luggage be stolen or your equipment seized or
lost.
If a client is willing to pay you to drive your sweep vehicle from your
location that is 3000 miles away each way, for a sweep that is expected
to take 6 days once you get there (plus travel time), and you are unable
to take the engagement and start driving within just a couple of days
then you are a total failure at TSCM and have delusions of both yourself
and your business.
There is much wisdom in the guidance found herein, but many people prefer
to learn through their own pain and suffering, rather then the experience
and sagely advice of others.
When you first start out in the sweep business focus only on projects
that you can start and finish in the same day (in 4-6 hours), and never
attempt a multi-day sweep until you have at least 5 to 6 years in the
business out on your own.
There is great wisdom in slow growth as it ensures that you are providing
a quality service, that you are carefully becoming a master of your
craft, and that you have a good and solid reputation with your early
customers.
Fire is hot, and will burn your skin. You can take someone else's word
for it, or you can smell your own flesh burning… the choice is yours.
Always listen to the wisdom of others, or be ready to feel pain
yourself.
"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" (Never Tickle a Sleeping
Dragon).
Never be afraid to send a customer to a competitor if you are not able to
help them in a timely manner or if you are too far away from their
location to provide a cost effective service.
Clients will look at your shoes and tie before your resume.
Bring two full sets of clothes per day to every sweep project to include
extra boxed shirts, and pressed silk ties. Do not be afraid to change
your tie and shirt every 3-4 hours while working. Your client should
never know that you have brought extra clothes, and they should never
suspect that you have changed clothes.
Always assume that your hotel room and rental vehicle is bugged,
always.
Assume that when you are away from your hotel room, that the hotel staff
or other people are rummaging though your belongings and that they may be
stealing things, or leaving things.
Always leave tell-tales on all of your things to know what has been
tampered with.
Never leave a PDA, iPhone, laptop, cell phone, or satellite phone in your
hotel room unless you would like it to be copied or stolen by a
spy.
All hotels are responsible for the conduct of their employees, and most
mischief at a hotel is performed by staff. To this end, a carefully
concealed video recorder left in your room while you are way can often be
used to convince management to reverse your room charges due to staff
misconduct.
"Satius est impunitum relinqui facinus nocentis, quam innocentem
damnari" (It is better that a crime is left unpunished than that an
innocent man is punished). - Corpus Iuris Civilis
Never leave either your real toothbrush or real razor in the hotel room
when you leave the room for the day. Instead always leave a toothbrush
and razor that you do not actually use.
When you travel always bring along your own roll of soft toilet
paper.
When you prepare to travel always strip down your luggage the night
before your travel to ensure that nothing has been added to your
belongings that could cause you problems or embarrassment either at
airport security or with clearing customs. Once you have repacked your
luggage, do not let it out of your control for even a moment.
When you board an elevator in any building look at the inspection
certificate or permit to ensure that it is current. If it is out of date,
find some other means of vertical travel, and bring it to someone's
attention right away.
In any building you visit, always know and memorize where the two nearest
bathrooms are, and know the location of at least two different emergency
exits.
In any building know how to get to the stairwells, and how many flights
of stairs you will need to traverse to get up or down to the ground floor
and out of the building to a safe distance.
Never be bashful about using the service elevator, or the stairwells to
enter or leave the building in order to confound the spy.
If in doubt, always boil the water.
Always tip the maid who makes up your room at the end of the week if you
plan to stay though the weekend, and then tip again on Sunday as it is
often two different maids.
Never assume that an academic degree or title means the person is smart,
or well educated. Many Ivy League graduates go broke every year, and
where you went to school is unimportant past your first few years out of
school.
Never assume that someone who never finished high school is not well
educated. Some of the richest and most influential people on Earth never
graduated from the 9th grade, and are smarter then you will ever
be.
No not assume that just because someone does not have a long series of
credentials after their name that they lack credentials. It may just be
that they have so many credentials that they would look silly posted
after the persons name.
An academic degree or title only belongs on your business card if you are
a practicing medical physician, a professor at a university, or engaged
in a similar activity involved in academic pursuits such as research.
If you went to college for eight or even ten years, please feel free not
to put it on your business card. Your PhD, MBA, or MS is only important
when you are less then 30 years old, after that age your academic degrees
are best kept out of sight and your reputation allowed to speak for
itself. Learn why this is true, and why this is something that some
people never learn.
Always assume that the person you are talking to knows way more about the
subject then you do, but that they are just being polite by not
correcting you.
A D.O., Chiropractor, or Naturopath is not a real medical doctor, and
they are more likely to cause you pain and misery when you really need to
see a real physician. Know when it is appropriate to see a real doctor,
and when it is all right to seek out alternate or complementary
medicine.
Be respectful of all clergy, even if they are not of your own faith or
denomination. This also applies not only to the primary clergy, but also
support members, and members of the lay clergy.
Prayer and meditation work best when you listen, learn what this
means.
You cannot work inside a 12-foot ceiling, by standing on a 6 foot ladder.
If you do not understand why, then you are in the wrong business. Always
use the right tools for the job, or you will get a crash course in
orthopedics, and may get to meet your making in the near future.
"Nam et ipsa scientia potestas es" (Knowledge is power). - Sir
Francis Bacon
Know the phone number of the nearest emergency room and 24 hour drug
store with a full time pharmacy that is nearest to the hotel where you
are staying, or the job site where you will be working.
Obtain the direct dial numbers for the Emergency Room Attending
Physicians on staff and the Triage Nurse and know when to call without
going through the switch board at 3 AM.
If you are not seriously injured (i.e.: deathly ill) always ask for a
fast track so that you can get in and out within 90 minutes for minor
illnesses, stitches, minor broken bones, or injuries.
Learn that a hospital that gets paid by an insurance company will try to
keep you in the emergency room for five or more hours. If you are paying
cash (on the spot), most emergency rooms can get you in and out in less
than one or two hours for non life threatening visits.
Always make sure that when you travel that you always carry $500 in cash
to pay your medical bills on the spot to help get you out of the
emergency room faster. Many emergency rooms will let you settle your
balance in full in cash for minor emergencies at a fraction of what they
charge an insurance company. This is a secret that hospitals really do
not want the public to know.
Always carry at least a credit card on your person that has at least
$5,000 of available credit on a single card. This way you will have the
capability to purchase airfare on an emergency basis, will be able to
rent pretty much any car or truck you may need, and will be able to
receive highly favorable treatment at most hospitals.
Hospitals avoid telling patients how much their charges will be in
advance, and many physicians are very embarrassed that the hospitals do
this to patients. Be aware that the physician is not in control of this
matter, and that it is the fault of the bean-counters at the hospital and
not the medical staff (learn the difference). While this is a flagrantly
unfair and deceptive business practice on the part of the hospital
bean-counters, it is one that often actually deprives patients of needed
services and supplies. It is also this "dark accounting"
practices which results in staffing level cuts to a point that the
hospital barely has enough people on duty to help patients due to
institutional greed.
Insurance companies only pay a small fraction of the costs that a private
party would pay for the same medical service… hence; it is always cheaper
to settle your medical charges, if they will actually tell you how much
they will be.
Many doctors and hospitals automatically add a 30-50% fee onto any bill
that goes to an insurance company, or for any services that are not paid
for at the time they are given.
"Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem" (By the sword we
seek peace, but peace only under liberty).
Remember, that in many countries if you lack insurance or hard cash in
hand to pay for medical expense that you could die if seriously ill for
lack of only a few hundred dollars in local currency.
If traveling to a foreign land, always carry your own sharps and full
suture kit. In many countries these things are often re-used between
patients, and sterility is non-existent unless you bring your
own.
Never eat fowl (birds of any kind) or swine (pigs) when traveling on the
road, nor should you eat any kind of raw seafood, no raw eggs, nor
anything that is not extremely well and completely cooked.
When travelling, avoid eating fresh salads or raw vegetables, or any kind
of cold soup or similar things that could provide a pathogen that could
make you sick.
If you eat at a fast food restaurant when you travel, keep your burger
"dry" where you have it special made (fresh) to omit anything
other then the bun, burger, cheese, and mustard. Avoid any kind of
vegetables or sauces of any kind as they are the most common way to pass
a food borne pathogen, and to cause the traveler to spend six hours
hugging the toilet. Avoid ketchup when travelling, and avoid using
mayonnaise at all costs.
Never eat a garnish, or any vegetable that appears to have just been
added for appearance.
Never eat either chicken or fish from any fast food restaurant when
traveling, not even from places that specialize in such foods. If you get
sick while at home the situation is fairly easy to endure and contain,
but if you are 1200 miles from home when you get food poisoning due to
some bad chicken you are much more likely to die in your hotel room in
the middle of a pool of your own feces and vomit.
When you travel, and eat always keep the receipt for the food in your
pocket, and ensure that the receipt has the correct date and time on it,
and the name and address for the restaurant. Keep this receipt on your
person for 72 hours after consuming the food so that the emergency room
doctors can figure what and where you ate and where you got food
poisoning when you are brought in unconscious by the EMT's.
Always travel with a full five day supply of oral rehydration salts in
individual single serving foil pouches to keep your electrolytes up. They
may taste nasty, but when properly used while traveling they can keep you
out of the emergency room.
If your physician is agreeable; travel with two bags of 500ml bag of
Normal Saline (.9% Sodium Chloride), one bag of 250ml of Ringers Lactate,
one bag of 250ml of 5% Dextrose, 4 administration kits, 4 micro-drip, and
4 macro-drip kits plus all the appropriate set-up plumbing and
flushes.
When traveling in areas with known significant health care problems
increase this to at least three bags of Normal Saline (1000 ml each), two
bags of Ringers Lactate (500 ml each), two 250 ml bags of 5% Dextrose,
and increase the plumbing by a factor of 3 times. Add to this two
pressure administrations pouches that will fit the 1000 ml bags. In some
situations you should also consider carrying three Atropine Auto
Injectors (with 2-PAM), three Epinephrine Auto Injectors, and three Amyl
Nitrate Ampules.
If your doctor is really, agreeable get a prescription filled for a kit
that includes eight double pre-filled ACLS syringes in individual boxes
(2ea Atropine Sulfate, 2 ea Lidocaine, 2ea Epinephrine, 2ea 50%
Dextrose), and a couple doses of different anti-arrhythmia drugs. Plus
several injectable vials each of Diphenhydramine, Furosemide, Glucagon,
Nalbuphine, Naloxone, Promethazine, and Terbutaline are valuable. Obtain
professional training on these medications and how, when, and to whom to
administer them. Refill these medications every each trip to keep the
medications fresh.
Always travel with and know how to use a totally manual pocket adult
sized arm (both regular and large adult size), ankle cuff, and pocket
thigh blood pressure cuff, plus a high quality stethoscope, pocket sized
ophthalmoscope, pocket otoscope, and pocket torch, and learn how to use
these simple instruments both on yourself and others. All three items
will cost less then a total of $500, and can often be bartered in foreign
lands for extended and significant medical services or favors that far
exceed the cash value of the equipment.
If you are a diabetic always check your own blood pressure in both of
your ankles on a weekly basis. Demand that your doctor take this
measurement every time that you see them, and to carefully inspect your
toes, feet and ankles. Failure to do this has caused many technical
security people to loose parts of their body due to complications of poor
circulations as they get older.
If you are a diabetic, have cardiac problems, or circulation issues you
need to have a similar blood pressure performed at three sites up both
legs every year or so in order to assess the circulation in your legs and
feet. This is called a "Segmental Leg Pressure", and most
doctors like to tell diabetics excuses why they don't need the simple
test. A doctor or a nurse can perform this test for you in less than 15
minutes, or you can learn to perform it yourself or have it taught to
your family members.
If you are over the age of 50, you need to check your own blood pressure
once a day, and if you are over 60 you need to check both your blood
pressure and SpO2 twice a day. This will ensure that your days upon this
Earth are long, and comfortable.
"Cave quid dicis, quando, et cui" (Beware what you say, when,
and to whom)
No matter how old you are (above the age of 22, and certainly above the
age 30), you need to take your own thigh blood pressure on both legs once
you get to your hotel if you fly in an airplane for more then a few
hours. If the readings are way off from each other you should seek
immediate emergency medical assistance, either that or seek the services
of a mortician.
Anybody (or any gender or age) who starts having trouble smiling,
suddenly starts slurring their speech, who has sudden weakness on one
side, or who starts drooling slightly, of coughing up/vomiting blood
after flying by aircraft should be quickly taken to a hospital.
A couple of pair of Nitrile surgical gloves in your pocket can save your
life, learn why, and learn how to use them.
Never wear synthetic fabrics on any airplane or ship or when sleeping at
a hotel, but instead stay with tightly woven 100% cotton or wool
garments. Synthetic fabrics burn like a gasoline blow torch if ignited,
and the fabric will melt into your now charred flesh. This is must less
likely to happen with all cotton or wool clothing.
One of the best investments that someone can make is extremely high
quality, durable, hard sided luggage. You will need a to start with a
hard sided briefcase (13 x 18) then a airline sized carry-on roller case
(13 x 21). The next purchase beyond that should be a full sided hard
sized "suiter" case (not a garment bag) that you can use to
carry a full weeks worth of formal business attire.
A skilled business traveler can live out of a single piece of carry on
luggage and a briefcase for a full week with no problem. The more
personal luggage you carry, the less experience you have with
travel.
Once you have your initial three pieces of hard sided luggage then should
you purchase a soft-sided garment bag suitable for same day business
travel, and which can hold two full sets/suits of business clothes for
overnight trips. This way you can fly out on day trips or quick
overnights with just the carry on garment bag and your attaché case, and
when you arrive you can change into your neatly pressed shirt and suit
and look crisp for your meeting.
Do not expect that any soft sided luggage will last for more then one
trip.
Fly first class when you can, if you plan appropriately the seat will be
only slightly more expensive then coach seats.
It is often possible to purchase a seat for your more expensive and more
critical sweep equipment, so that you can fly right next to it on the
airplane. Most airlines limit this to 150 pounds of so of equipment, and
you have to be able to seat belt it into place. Go with a narrow
"torso sized" footlocker (36x18x18) style roller trunk, and you
can pack three high end spectrum analyzers plus half a dozen laptops in a
single case in the seat next to you. Obtain seat belt extenders, and
bring a couple of ratchet straps so you can make sure that your package
is securely strapped down to the seat.
For a one day sweep, in a far off city, this type of "torso
case" can contain all of the tools and equipment you need for a
limited gig, but your more "dangerous tools" will have to be
checked as airline baggage.
Alternately, you can pay for two extra first class seats, and strap two
18 x 18 x 24 "half torso" cases into each seat for your
high-end "must have" sweep gear. Then ship two identical cases
as checked baggage with all of your hand tools that can not be brought
into the aircraft cabin. The goal is to have all of the equipment with
you in the cabin that you will been to perform the sweep, less hand tools
(which you can purchase at most hardware stores, Home Depot, Lowes, or
Wal-Mart).
You need to own a set of six matching Hardigg transit cases that are of
suitable size to be checked as commercial airline baggage, but which to
not exceed their airlines "oversize" rule. This means that the
combined outside length, width, and depth should not exceed 60-62"
overall and it is safest to keep your cases around 56-60 inches around.
A lift off lid is more useful then a hinged lid and you want the spring
latches to be in the lid and not the base (lest you cut your legs). The
cases should be lined with as least 1 inch of solid, very dense foam on
all sides, but you need to ensure that the foam can be easily removed by
you for pre-flight inspections.
The large Hardigg cases are used as a carrier for your smaller attaché
case size equipment cases, and you would do well to place a ½ inch piece
of sheet foam between each attaché case that you place in the large
cases. Of course the large cases will need to have a padlock hasp, and a
permanently attached "fragile medical equipment" plates on all
six sides
The cases should also have four removable casters on the bottom of each
(the removable part is very important), plus ratchet straps so that you
can set up a three by two case configurations with 8-12 casters in
contact with the ground depending on how you arrange the cases. The
plastic molded handles are much more helpful and comfortable then metal
handles. The casters are only installed when moving the cases, and they
are removed before the cases are checked, and stowed inside.
When fully loaded, each case should not weigh more then 75 pounds, but
just under then 50 pounds is ideal. It is wisest to have a series of six
cases with a modest weight then it is to have four heavy, large cases.
One person can easily navigate these six cases of sweep equipment by just
themselves through the airports as checked baggage, then to rental cars,
and out to remote locations.
Join the commercial airline club rooms, and used them as much as you can.
They make modern air travel fairly stress free and civilized. Get to the
airport, clear security, and check in at the club room a solid two hours
before your flight leaves. These rooms are an excellent location to get
caught up on some work, or to have a meeting before or after your
flight.
Club rooms at the airport usually have small conference rooms that you
can reserve in advance, and which you can use to meet with clients at a
mutually neutral airport, or at an interconnecting airport though which
your client may be traveling. These are a terrific resource for a TSCM
professional when properly used.
Learn about small airfield operations, and how you can often secure
really cheap, same day, long distance travel arrangements on extremely
short notice with zero security hassles. These operations are
particularly helpful to the sweeper who needs to fly coast-to-coast with
half a ton of equipment, or a half dozen people. This also ensures that
you stay away from the regular commercial air terminals and
"off-the-radar", which will frustrate anybody who is trying to
track your movements.
Small airfield operations do not make you pass through a metal detector,
they do not inspect luggage, and an X-Ray machine is not something that
they fool with. This has major benefits for people in the TSCM business
as you will have zero hassles with what you bring on the plane, and zero
hassles with your equipment.
Learn about fractional private aircraft ownership, and aircraft owned by
your customers who may be very happy to fly out and give you a lift out
to their "other coast" facility at no cost to you, and no
record of you ever having been a passenger.
Always maintain a detailed inventory of all of your sweep gear and hand
tools, every cord, cable, manual, adapter, or anything else you use for
sweeps. Then arrange this inventory by case so that you can pick up any
case and compare it to your inventory list and know what you have, or
what is missing.
Once a year, bring all of your sweep gear together in one room, and have
an independent appraiser, accountant, or attorney compare your inventory
lists with what you actually show them. Be sure to have clear part
numbers and serial numbers put there by the manufacture, and an inventory
sticker with your own asset number on it. Have this inventory witnessed
by someone who is unrelated to you, and who can attest to the inventory
(hint, have two CPA's perform the annual inventory).
Maintain both a hardcopy and soft-copy pictures of all equipment from
three angles, and if something has a serial number, then be sure to get
an image of the serial number. Make sure that your insurance company has
copies of these images, along copies of your annual inventory and
valuation of the equipment.
A cardinal rule of any business is to have full REPLACEMENT value
insurance coverage on all tools and equipment. Stay away from policies
that depreciate the value. Also, if the piece of equipment is no longer
in production then ensure that your policy will replace the lost, stolen,
or damaged equipment with one that is as good as or better then the one
you lost. Good insurance costs money, so be ready to open your
checkbook.
When you travel always carry a color photocopy of your passport on your
person at all times, and never leave it in your hotel room.
It is acceptable to show your passport to the desk clerk at a hotel when
first check in, but you should never actually give it to them as it may
be held hostage until you pay for room charges that you do not really
owe.
Outside of this country, one passport or drivers license is good, but two
or more may also be of value in saving your hide someday. Use with
considerable discretion, and only with great caution. Same face as yours,
but different names, or country of nationality.
Make sure that you are fluent in at least two languages, and never visit
a country unless you can survive without an escort or
interpreter.
Hike the entire Application Trail slowly from end-to-end at least once in
your life. Start in the early spring in the South, and complete it in the
North as the late Fall begins and the leaves begin to change. Stop and
play in the water along the way, bring along a tent, and live life simply
for six months along the trail.
Drive from Chicago to Los Angeles along the old highway 66 road, and stop
and appreciate what you find along the way. Make this trip take 15 days
in each direction, and use either a motorcycle or vintage convertible for
the trip.
At least once in your life your should visit New England in the Fall for
a few weeks, when the foliage is in full bloom, and be in utter awe of
the colors as seen from the mountains. Spend some time along the coast,
some in the mountains, and some driving the rural countryside, visit
roadside antique shops. Explore old covered bridges, and old book stores.
Stay at some of the rambling old grand hotels, and stay at least one
weekend at a quaint bed and breakfast.
Buy a quality motorcycle, not one designed for raw speed, nor one that
some 17 year kid would be driving to high school. Rather purchase one
that is comfortable to drive for 6 hours, makes low rumbling sounds, and
take it out a couple of times a month on the weekends. You will learn to
appreciate this simple machine the longer your ride one, and at least
once in your life drive it cross country with a group of
friends.
Washington, DC is a city that you need to visit and spend at least a few
weeks each decade of your life exploring on foot. Take a tour of the
Pentagon, several national museums, the great presidential monuments, a
White House tour, and spend at least a full day attending Congressional
hearings, visit the Capital, and absorb the majesty of the great city.
When you visit Washington, always coordinate your visit with a formal
appointment to meet with your Senators and Representatives in person (or
their immediate assistant), and tell them face-to-face what you really
think of the job they are doing in as respectful a way as
possible.
Vote, every time you can. If you don't vote for whatever reason, then do
not complain about how the country is run. Either vote or keep your mouth
shut.
When travelling, and staying at a hotel; shower every morning, and then
at night before you go to bed, and always wear pajamas or scrubs and
socks when you go to bed or are sitting around the room. Have all of your
valuable stuff situated in such a way that you can scoop up your luggage
(along with all of your valuables) and be out the door in under 30
seconds from a dead sleep.
When traveling, place copies of your passport, identity documents, and
medical data in your socks so that if your wallet or shoes are stolen or
you are seriously injured the medical people will know who you are and
who they should contact in an emergency. Medical people always check the
socks for ID and medical information.
Always travel with a five day supply of Imodium, Ibuprofen, and NSAID of
your choice, an expectorant, a cough suppressant, chewable baby aspirin,
long acting Sudafed, a wide spectrum general purpose antibiotic,
Benadryl, a stool softener, some kind of sleep aid, a strong muscle
relaxant, and a small supply of a prescribed narcotic pain killer. Make
sure that you have written prescriptions for all of these when or where
possible, and always keep them in their original bottles, with their
original labels.
Take a multi-purpose vitamin every day, and double up just prior to and
during travel.
Vitamin B (100 mg) and C (500 mg) are great for overcoming jet lag,
excessive drinking, or working driving long distances.
Medical oxygen (15 minutes at 6 liters) gets rid of hangovers and jet lag
with astounding speed. Lesser amounts will help you wake-up in the
morning faster then three large cups of strong coffee.
If you have a hangover the next morning (more then once a month), or ever
vomit after drinking (more then once every six months) then you are an
alcoholic, and you really need to get professional help before you end up
homeless, unemployed, unloved, and penniless.
The more excuses that you come up with why you are not an alcoholic or
drug addict, the more you probably are.
Never trust a junkie, or anything that a junkie says. Also realize that
there no such thing as an ex-junkie.
When traveling by air, get up stretch your legs, and walk around once an
hour. A good rule is that you should make three full loops of the
aircraft aisles every hour or so.
Wear full leg compression stockings if you plan to sleep on any flight.
They may chaff, but you will have a better flight.
It is wise to take a baby aspirin before flying to keep from throwing a
thrombus during or after the flight.
Learn what a thrombus is, and how it relates to airplanes, long range
driving, sitting all day, and high altitudes.
As basic as it seems, if you ever vomit, cough up, or defecate blood at
home or abroad go to the emergency room right away.
If you have any back pain, shoulder pain, or arm pain along with profuse
sweating, take a couple of baby aspirin, call 9-1-1 and get to emergency
room right away… you may only have minutes left to live.
If you have any chest pain, take a couple of baby aspirin, call 9-1-1 and
get to emergency room right away… you may only have minutes left to
live.
When in doubt, call for an ambulance… it is cheaper and far simpler then
calling for a mortician and a hearse.
If you are allergic to aspirin, then do not take aspirin.
"Age quod agis" (Do what you do well)
Never rely on, nor use a single credit card while traveling, but rather
purchase all air fare on one card, ground transportation on a second, use
a third for hotels, a fourth to pay for food or incidentals, and so
forth. This is to protect you against being stranded due to credit card
fraud in the event that the desk clerk at the hotel skims your card.
If possible, only use each card once on each trip so that you can
identify where a leak of your credit card number took place.
The more that a credit card crows about how it is honored world-wide, and
how you should not leave home without it, the more you should. Meditate
on this for a while as many TSCM specialists have been stranded when
their exclusive credit card company cancelled their card by accident
while on business travel due to travels beyond where they normally
charged or traveled.
Always remember that credit cards, airplane tickets, rental cars, and
cell phone usage leaves a paper trail, and that your client may not
appreciate a trail that leads from you to their neighborhood.
The use of cash does not always prevent a paper trail, and can cause
other problems when used. Know when to charge, and when to pay
cash.
Always buy a round-trip ticket when you travel, always.
When possible, avoid staying on the ground floor of a hotel. Instead try
to get a room on the club or concierge floor, while the cost may be
slightly more, the amenities more then pay for themselves. Some hotels
have free room service, free beverages, office equipment, or other
services available on these floors.
Never drink alcohol while on an airplane, nor while at the
airport.
Replace the crankcase oil in your car or truck every 3000 miles, get a
wash and wax every 300 miles or less, and replace the brake pads,
battery, and belts every two years.
Always check the dates on your tires once a year, check for wear, any dry
rot, or other damage before you end up with a blow-out at high speed, or
have an accident because your tires failed while you were braking hard.
Tires actually do have an expiration date, but most people do not know
how to read them, and thus have a blow out and wreck their vehicle for no
apparent reason.
Every year, sixty days before your yearly safety inspection you should
have your mechanic comb over every inch of your vehicle, and write up a
list of everything they needs to be repaired or replaced, or anything
that could be expected to fail or malfunction in the next 18 months. At
that time, have a full tune up and oil change performed, have all belts
replaced as needed, all brakes checked in detail, and all tires carefully
inspected for damage or wear.
Replace the oil, oil filters, air filters, PVC valves, and related
"engine heath" components every 3000 miles, or 5000 miles if
you are a moderate driver in an area where the weather never drops below
40 degrees, or above 100 degrees.
Always carry two one gallon plastic fuel cans in your vehicle, not so
much for use in your own vehicle, but to give away to others. In the
unlikely event that you are low on fuel you can use this to limp to the
next fuel station.
If you are going to be traveling in an area where fuel is in short
supply, or there is any risk that you may not have access to fuel for
whatever reasons, then carry enough fuel on-board for the entire round
trip.
Replace all batteries in your motor vehicles every three years, and never
skimp on quality. A really good battery only costs $120, and a cheap one
costs around $35. A jump start or tow can cost many times the
difference.
Annual vehicle safety inspections are there to protect you, and not just
to poach money on behalf of the state. Never try to bribe the inspector,
and never have your vehicle inspected at a place that lets you pass
despite your vehicle having problems.
A new engine and transmission is cheaper then a new car.
For non-critical injuries or illnesses it may be timelier to drive 20-30
miles away from where you are currently to be seen in an emergency room
in a small community instead of the emergency rooms of a major city. Very
often the smaller hospitals can get you into an ER bed right away, and
can get you discharged in under two hours. Call in advance to see if they
are busy and to see if they can accommodate you.
Never fake a medical problem in order to get an ambulance to take you to
the emergency room, and do not fake symptoms while at the hospital to get
medical assistance that you do not really need. The EMT's and medical
doctors have seen every trick that you can think of, and will not be
amused that you are wasting their time.
The fastest way to get a bed in an emergency room is to arrive by
ambulance, but if you do arrive by ambulance you can expect to stay for
at least a solid 4-6 hours. If you have a serious injury you can plan to
stay in the emergency room for 12 hours or more. If you are seriously ill
this extra time is to observe you and ensure that you are stable enough
to go home.
Patients with insurance tend to get stuck in a hospital bed longer then
those who do not. Very often, the better the insurance, the longer the
hospital visit. This may not appeal to you if the injury is actually
quite minor or you do not like hospitals.
All hospitals, old houses, graveyards, battlefields, colleges, and
churches are haunted, get over it.
If you only need an antibiotic, a muscle relaxant, or a half dozen
stitches to close an open wound there is no reason for the hospital to
keep you for 12 hours.
Always ask to see your own X-Rays and hardcopy test results, and insist
that the doctor spend at least 15 minutes explaining each X-Ray in detail
with you, and at least 5 minutes discussing the actual test results with
you and never just let them glaze over the test results or blow you off.
If you fall from any height above your knees you should be seen by a
doctor in an emergency room. If you fall from any height above your
shoulders you should go by ambulance to the nearest emergency room on a
backboard and cervical collar. If you banged your head in a fall or
accident (or you can't remember everything about a fall or accident) then
you need a CT scan and possibly an MRI and should be taken to the
emergency room right away.
A CT or MRI scan of a head wound may not show anything for several hours
after banging your head, so be patient, wait in the ER, and listen to
your doctors.
Absolutely do not fly for at least two weeks after injuring either your
head or neck, as you could die while in flight. Also, do not fly for at
least one week after recovering from a chest cold, head cold, or
pneumonia.
"Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe
vincit" (Constant practice devoted to one subject often outdoes both
intelligence and skill). - Cicero
Always be nice to everybody in the emergency room. Just because you have
been there for four hours to have a splinter removed from your pinkie
finger, does not mean that you have been forgotten about. Rather it may
be that the patient three rooms away may be about to die and the ER staff
has been fighting valiantly to save the patients life for the past four
hours.
If you are in pain when you arrive in the ER, please request some kind of
pain medication shortly after your arrival so that your time in the ER is
a pain free as possible. This will help you from becoming impatient and
crabby, and will allow people who are much more injured then you to be
tended to first. If you are arriving by ambulance ask the paramedics for
something (by IV) to alleviate your suffering.
If you call an ambulance, you should expect an IV if you are seriously
hurt, but since the profit margin on a bag of salt water is unbelievably
high some ambulances just give everybody an IV and oxygen even if they
need them or not. Remember, that you are actually in control of
everything that is done to you, and that you can ask questions and refuse
or accept treatment. A good rule however, is that if you or someone else
dialed 9-1-1, then you may very well need fluids in the form of an
IV.
If you do not like the way that you are treated in the hospital
immediately ask to speak to the attending physician, the patient
advocate, or the head of nursing. Hospitals really do take complaints
seriously, but since so few patients know how to properly complain they
very rarely hear about problems.
Do not start threatening medical staff with attorneys, legal actions,
boycotts, and the "plagues of Egypt" as they will think you are
a mental patient, and will treat you as such. Instead, be rational, be
polite, but be firm and you will get the best results.
You can refuse to have a specific medical person touch or treat you, so
if you do not want medical students or a particular grumpy nurse from
touching you, you can tell them to go away and not to touch you. But use
this with caution as the nurse you fire may be nicer then the one that
replace them.
However the "grumpy nurse" is often the best one on staff, and
you are just being a really difficult patient. Never loose sight of this,
and be nice.
Remember, that doctors and nurses talk about patients behind their back,
so be nice to everybody, smile, say please, and say thank you a
lot.
If you get a grumpy nurse or doctor, explain to them that you can
understand that they may be having a bad day, and explain that you are
having a pretty bad day as well, but you appreciate them helping
you.
When in the hospital or emergency room, listen to the advice of your
doctor and ask questions, but only if they have completed their residency
and are either a fellow or attending physician.
The phrase "medical student", "intern", and
"resident" should always raise warning flags.
An M.D. after a persons name just means that the graduated from medical
school, not that they have the experience required to treat you. An
intern is still a medical school student, and a resident is someone who
has just recently graduated from medical school, but who lacks the
experience to yet be fully trusted by the hospital. All should be working
under the close supervision of an attending physician. When in doubt, ask
to be seen by the attending physician.
Always keep in mind that medical school students, interns, and residents
are still in training. It is OK for them to talk with you, interview you,
to examine you, poke and probe you, to give you stitches, and perform
minor procedures, but you can always request that these people not treat
you or not be present (and you can wait for hours until the attending has
some free time).
Always be nice to the medical students, the interns, and the residents as
the student you offend today may be the only surgeon available to you
five years from now.
Not everybody in a hospital is a doctor or a nurse, and there are many,
many technicians and aides who actually know little or nothing about
medical care and who are barely making minimum wage (and who have a
miserable job).
In most teaching hospitals, over half the people who work therein are not
doctors or nurses. In fact, in most hospitals, actual doctors with over
four years experience out of medical school are in the minority.
You can always ask for an IV nurse or doctor to draw your blood instead
of a lab technician, and can ask for a nurse to help you instead of a
nurse's aid or assistant. Learn how this applies to bug sweeps and TSCM,
and why one highly trained TSCM person can be more effective then twelve
warm bodies who know not electronics, and why this does not always
apply.
Some nurses, nurse's aides, and lab technicians actually hate and resent
their patients, but this is the only job they could find. Be nice to
them, they have a miserable job, and everybody rags on them all the time,
so your politeness and graciousness towards them will brighten their
day.
The patient is always in charge of their medical care, never forget this
cardinal rule.
Your doctors and nurses should not be offended if you ask them to change
their gloves or wash their hands or instruments before touching you. In
fact most will have already done just this just before entering your
room.
Only trust medical advice that comes from a medical doctor who has more
then four years of experience out of medical school (not some 20
something wonder kid who still wears a short coat).
Remember that Nurses are not medical doctors, despite their belief to the
contrary.
Receptionists, administrative assistants, and billing clerks are not
medical doctors. Their job is to minimize the amount of time you can
spend with your doctor, when you can see them, and how much you have to
pay for the privilege. Very few doctors actually run their own offices or
their own practice… value those who do.
Some physicians and nurses are sadists and control freaks, find and only
deal with those who are not.
A big name, a big practice, a fancy office, and a big car do not indicate
the amount of compassion or care the physician has.
A small practice, a modest office, a practical vehicle, and physician who
still makes house calls, and who gives away his cell phone, home number,
and E-Mail address to patients makes his patients feel like family, and
is the consummate physician and a master of his or her art.
Never forget that a doctor needs to make a living as well, pay them well,
pay them often, and treat them with the utmost of dignity and
respect.
Always send your personal physician, dentist, and other medical folks a
Christmas card.
"Aegroto, dum anima est, spes esse dicitur" (It is said that
for a sick man, there is hope as long as there is life)
Carry an abbreviated medical history on your person at all times, to
include all allergies to anything, any medications you take (or have
taken in the past three years), drugs, supplements, or herbs you are
taking, what current medication conditions you have, or have had. Include
all your emergency contact data, and include your insurance data or your
credit card numbers. This could save your life.
Always have a will, and have a close friend, spouse, or family member
designated as the executor of your estate and who also has power of
attorney over your affairs. Have someone who is reliable and trustworthy
designated to act or speak on your behalf should you ever suddenly become
disabled or unable to function (sick, but not dead). Make sure that this
person has studied your will, knows its contents, understands how you
want your medical care to be handled, and knows how you want all other
things handled.
When you first get married or engaged, buy a cemetery plot large enough
for the family you expect to have, in the city where you intend to live
and be buried. Buy a headstone well before you need it, and have your
vital information carved into it while you are still alive, so that after
you die they need only carve in the date of your death.
You can be buried in a cheap plywood coffin for under $100, and a simple
cardboard burial box for under $25. There is no reason to be buried in a
$6,000 coffin when the funeral home can rent you one for the funeral
service and transfer your remains to a plywood or cardboard box for the
actual burial. You will be just as comfortable in any coffin they bury
you in.
The ultimate expression of your resourcefulness is to build your own
simple coffin, decades before you actually need them. You only need four
sheets of high grade ¾ inch plywood, a box of woodscrews, and some good
glue. Of course you will need a circular saw, drill, screwdriver, and
other basic tools. It takes less then 2 hours to build a simple one… or
months if you want a fancy coffin.
Once a year (3 months before you birthday), re-write or review your own
obituary, and add a current picture that you want listed in the obituary
that is a fairly recent and favorable. You can often pre-file your
obituary with the newspaper, and pre-pay for the listing years in
advance. Alternately, you can give your obituary to your attorney, along
with sufficient funds for the listing. Place a copy of your yearly
updates and pictures into your coffin so they will know where to
look.
Once a year, re-write or review your resume when you update your
obituary, and add a list of ten things that you intend to complete in the
upcoming year.
Always have a clean single page, current resume available at all times,
along with a list of 100 companies that you would like to work for. Then
cultivate three contacts in each of these companies without circulating
your resume to them, yet.
Executive recruiters and headhunters must be used very carefully, unless
you enjoy long periods of being unemployed. They are best used while you
are still employed full time, and where you set up a relationship years
before you are interested in a job change.
If you are unemployed, never believe the things that a recruiter tells
you until after your first few paychecks at the new job fully clear the
bank.
Never engage the services of an employment agency to help you look for
work. The state run employment agencies can do a better job, for
free.
Be careful when answering employment jobs in the newspaper, some of them
are totally bogus, some are employment agencies that will rip you off,
quite a few are make-money-fast or multi-level marketing scams. A
legitimate employment advertisement will always list the full company
name, phone number, address, and contact name. Do not waste your time
responding to cryptic advertisements.
The help wanted pages or employment sections of the newspaper are
actually quite valuable to a TSCM person as it tells you about the
volatility of a company, and about companies undergoing explosive growth.
If tracked over a couple of months this can provide you with an easy list
of 500 companies that need sweeps in your immediate area.
Always maintain a list of 100 companies within 100 miles of your home or
office that you think need sweeps, and cultivate five people at each
company who could engage you on the spot to check their office for bugs.
These should be your golden contacts, and should be developed and
nurtured over the years.
At least twice a year you should go on a job interview, even it you are
not looking for work.
"Aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem" (Remember when
life's path is steep to keep your mind even). - Horace
Attend job fairs on a quarterly basis, even if you are gainfully
employed, and feeling secure at work.
Once a week on Sunday, read the help wanted ads so you can see what kinds
of jobs companies are looking to fill, so that you can develop an
alternate skill that someone may be looking for.
Most TSCM people find that the business is not for them after only three
years, and it is critical that you always have a strategy to quickly
transition into another line of work during your first five years in the
sweep business. After five years in the sweep business, you should focus
of developing and enhancing your skills… but during these first five
years, maintain an emergency exit strategy.
When you travel always carry a full one to two week supply of medications
(beyond the duration of your expected travels) with you in your carry-on
luggage. Then always keep your carry-on luggage with you at all times
when you are traveling so that if your hotel room gets robbed you will
still have plenty of your meds available. If you have to consume any
medication out of your carry on kit you should refresh it as soon as
possible.
If you ever travel overseas purchase a special insurance policy for
emergency medical evacuation, and designate in the policy which specific
hospital(s) in the United States they can take you to.
In the hospital, the best bed is usually the one next to the
window.
Before you travel out of town, always visit your local pharmacy and
obtain a printout of every medication that you have had filled in the
past year, or peel the labels off of your old prescription bottles and
stick them to a piece of paper. Most pharmacies will refill a small
amount (72 hour supply) of a non-narcotic medication for you based only
on these labels.
ICE your phone, your wallet, your passport, and your luggage. Learn what
this means.
Purchase a special medical insurance policy that states that anytime you
are hospitalized that you get "a private room, on a private
floor", with an optional private dedicated 7/24 registered
nurse.
A degree from a diploma mill or "Distance College" will always
make you look like a complete fool; it is just that you may be too obtuse
and uneducated to realize it.
Learn what the word "obtuse" means.
If you did not have to stop at DOT scales when you crossed the state
lines and maintain driver's logbooks, then you have the wrong kind of
sweep vehicle.
It's OK to be a nerd, but never be dork… learn the difference between the
two.
The best way to learn is in the Socratic and Didactic methods, learn why,
and learn to master both methods as both a teacher and a student.
"Discere docendo" (To learn through teaching)
When in any classroom; learn to talk to the teacher, ask questions, and
actually make an effort to learn something from each other. In the
classroom, wall flowers do not learn.
Predict, practice, perfect and practice again, then repeat
endlessly.
Teaching is always a two way group effort, and it requires that the
teacher do more then stand in front of the room and spew forth dry
materials to bored students. It also requires that the students do more
then just sit there and try to stay awake.
Unless the teacher or instructor can see the light behind the student's
eyes, they have no business teaching and should seek other pursuits.
Learn what this means, and apply it to both your own educations, the
education of your family.
If you are teaching and you can not see that light or see inside the
heads of your students then you are wasting everybody's time.
Never confuse a teacher with a babysitter, or a teacher with a salesman.
Learn what this means.
If a teacher does not get an "amen" from the students
periodically then they are not actually teaching. Learn what this
means.
As a student you should never just passively sit and say nothing as the
teacher will not know if you are absorbing the materials being
presented.
Most students never engage the instructors, and most instructors never
engage the students. Learn to be both a good student, and an engaging
teacher, as you will be in both positions many times in your
life.
A good teacher was first a good student.
Teach Sunday school to children, and be amazed to learn of love, grace,
and faith from them in its purest form. They will also ask you questions
that you can not comfortably answer, and that you need to go learn about
yourself.
A teacher must master the materials before they can teach it, and they
must be able to see inside the minds of the students in real-time as they
teach to see if what they are teaching is being absorbed by the student
or they are not actually teaching but rather just lecturing and wasting
everybody's time.
A good TSCM person has mastered his craft to the point that he can
explain technical material in simple, non-technical understandable terms
to anybody from a six year old child to a multi-billionaire CEO.
White hair and a beard do not indicate experience, just an illusion of
such. Learn when this is not always true.
Never assume that the person for whom you are working knows nothing about
electronics, surveillance, intelligence or military matters, or that they
have never had a sweep performed before. This assumption can lead to
great embarrassment when your client ends up having a PhD in electronics,
but is too busy running his billion dollar corporation to do his own bug
sweeps.
Always treat anybody with whom you come in contact with the utmost of
respect, politeness, and humanity. It does not matter if your customer is
spending $500 with you, or $50,000 you treat then all like gold, and
treat them all the same.
If a small business owner wants to have their small office subjected to a
very brief 4 hour inspection to clear their phone lines in a low threat
situation, you treat the them same way as you would a multi-billionaire
who is about to engage you for a very expensive 15 day project.
Someone becomes a customer when they first hear about your company, or
when they first reach out to contact you… whether the spend money or not
with you is up to how you handle them.
At least 90% of the time your phone rings it is a potential customer whom
you can provide them with a billable service (or revenue). If your
numbers are below perhaps 75% then you are doing something very, very
wrong in the terms of customer relations. The billable service may be a 1
hour phone consultation, a one day sweep, or a 4 days sweep, but if
someone is reaching out to you they want to spend money with
you.
The more honest a man is, the less he has to tell you about it. Along
these same lines, the more references or endorsements a person provides
to you or the more names they drop the more of a true charlatan you can
expect them to be.
All real bug sweeps and TSCM require the use of a ladder. If you do
sweeps professionally you need lots of ladders, and vehicles that allow
you to transport the ladders inside the vehicle.
As you will usually need a six and eight foot folding ladder on all
sweeps, and periodically need a twelve foot folding ladder or 20-24 foot
extension ladders. Thus the inside cargo area of your vehicle will need
to be at least 12 to 15 feet long.
People who perform bug sweeps do not provide references, those who do are
not to be trusted.
Word-of-mouth is always the best advertising method, but it is your
clients who should be speak well of you, and not you trying to push your
own services.
Never try to "sell-a-sweep", as client will naturally come to
you in their moment of need, and the more that you push them to have the
sweep performed, the less they will trust you.
Let potential customers know who you are, and what you do, and leave it
at that. They will call you when they need you, as this is the nature of
our profession.
The harder you push a customer to perform a sweep the less they will
trust you.
Inspect your ladders before and after any use, as it is quite unpleasant
for you to come crashing the ground when the laws of gravity decide to
teach you a painful equipment lesson.
Never trust a client who will not look you in the eye and shake your
hand.
"Ad praesens ova cras pullis sunt meliora" (Eggs today are
better than chickens tomorrow)
The taller the ladder the more likely it is that you will fall off and
get hurt.
While crashing to the ground from the top of a 15 foot ladder is pretty
serious, you can also suffer lethal injury by falling off a 4 foot step
ladder.
There is no place for wooden or metal ladders in our business; heavy duty
fiberglass could keep you from getting killed.
A ladder with fiberglass side rails, rubber, a plastic top step, and
aluminum climbing steps is the all around best choice for TSCM.
Purchase the highest grade of ladder you can find, or one rated for
325-350 pounds as they will be the most stable.
Never use the top two steps of any ladder.
Your belt should never be higher then the top step of any ladder on which
you are standing, nor should you ever move on a ladder in any way that
causes your belt buckle goes beyond the side rails of the
ladder.
Ensure that if you are on a ladder, and fall off that you have someway to
call for help, and that your corpse will not be found 3 days later. A
safety spotter or assistant is always a good idea, but remember that the
more people involved in a sweep the weaker security will be.
When on a ladder keep a little neon bulb circuit tester in your pocket
and touch it to any ceiling track before you touch it. Ditto for any
conduit or lighting fixtures you find. This may well save your life, or
at a minimum keep you from serious injury.
Keep a little money in the bank, a little in your mattress, but the
majority of it in your education, the tools of your trade, and your
business operation. Of these, the time and monies you spend on your own
education will result in the greatest return-on-investment, and will
result in the strongest long term stability of your finances.
Keep at least six months of personal expense money for food, rent,
utilities, etc. in the form of cash in the bank at all times, and another
six months stored in a fire-proof safe in your house. Keep this money
separate from any business funds, and only use it to personally support
yourself in an emergency for at least one year. As time goes on you
should built this up to at least three years of monies, do not consider
this is be retirement money, but rather only personally emergencies or
survival money. This is not for medical bills, down payments on houses or
vehicles, legal bills, bail money, or even money that you can use for
your kids college fund. Rather this is for actual life safety and
personal emergencies where you may have to either evacuate, hunker down,
put out the fire, buy a generator, clean the guns, stock up the larder,
and so on.
Purchase insurance on everything that is important in your life, this
should include not only your equipment, vehicles, property, and assets,
but also your own health, possible medical disability or yourself, and
even the lives of yourself, all close family members, and all sweep
people or critical employees who work for you.
Open a retirement fund when you are very young and still in your teens,
and add part of your paycheck to it on a regular basis. This must be an
ultra-low risk investment, and U.S. Savings Bonds purchased every payday
and placed in a safety deposit box are always a real long term
winner.
You must have some type of investments that are volatile in nature and
risky in order to make significant profits on your investments. But do
not stray into this mine-field until after you have both your emergency
funds and retirement funds established and well developed.
"Mus uni non fidit antro" (A mouse does not rely on just one
hole). - Plautus
Do not invest any money in stocks unless you read the Wall Street Journal
from cover to cover every single day for at least one year, and
understand what forces drive the market. Be prepared to lose every penny
you invest in the stock market, and never delude yourself into thinking
that any stock is actually safe.
Treat your employees like family, pay them all a good wage, be liberal
with all perks and benefits, and give them part of the proceeds of any
project they are involved in as a bonus.
Do not wait until the end of the year to give away bonus money, but
rather let it flow freely throughout the year as it is earned.
Give all employees feedback on their performance as often as possible,
but do so with tact and in private if there is a problem.
All employees should get some kind of feedback from you at least once a
week about their performance, more often if you can… but be
sincere.
Employees should respect you, not fear you. Learn when this is not
true.
Anybody who will steal for you will steal from you. Never trust them, and
discharge them from your employ as soon as possible. But temper this with
the fact that the employee may not know that they considered theft is
considered by them to be an innocent action. Explain to them that their
behavior is unacceptable and consider it to just a be misunderstanding,
but if it is a genuine theft get them off the property as quickly as
possible.
Make sure that all of your employees are comfortable financially,
emotionally, socially, and physically.
Learn why a genuine pat on the back will always get you more in the long
run then a kick to the behind.
"Animis opibusque parati" (Prepared in minds and
resources)
Never lend money to an employee, if you want to help them out then pay
them more, or do something indirect to assist them, but it is unwise to
give them money directly.
When you do assist an employee in this manner nobody else should know
anything about it in your company.
Money can actually be toxic in some relationships, learn what this
means.
Know your employees problems or weaknesses, help them overcome them, and
never exploit them.
Employees do not work for you for the money alone. They also work for you
because you are a good leader, and you give them a pleasant working
environment. The money must be secondary, and never be so obtuse as to
threaten someone's paycheck over their performance.
Learn what the word "obtuse" means.
If your employees are not happy at work then it means they have a bad
leader. Back up and read this item again until you realize what this
means.
Happy cows, produce lots of milk. Happy chicken produces lots of eggs.
Happy employees produce lots of profits.
A farmer that does not feed his animals well, who does not take care or
them well, and who does not keep them content all the time will find the
farm to be failing, and he and his family will starve. Learn and
understand how this applies to business in general, and why you must
always look after the needs of your subordinates and employees.
To grow corn, you need a stream supply of water, either though rain, or
though artificial irrigation or sprinklers. If you do not bring water to
the fields, you will not grow much corn. Learn how this applies
specifically to the TSCM business.
Leadership is all about being able to do the job yourself, but inspiring
others to follow you and to assist you in getting the job done.
At its core, leadership is always about doing it yourself, never forget
this fact.
Leadership is all about making clones of yourself, and letting them do
your job.
Always praise your employees publically, and only criticize in private.
Even then, only criticize very rarely, and do it with the utmost of
compassion and respect.
Learn to sweep your own floors, make your own coffee, and answer your own
phone. There is much wisdom in this, learn why.
Always try to get a tour of your customers factory or business operation
well before you perform any sweep work for them, so that you have a
better understanding of what they produce or create.
Never smoke in your office, nor permit others to do so. If you prefer to
smoke, or you like to share a cigar with a customer be sure to do it
someplace other then the main office where you may be meeting with your
other clients (most of whom will be offended by the smoke smell in your
office).
Never run up a total amount of credit card debt that you can not pay in
full every month. Ideally, you should be able to pay off all plastic debt
with your paycheck or profits for two weeks or less.
If you use a credit card, learn how to make anticipatory payments when
you travel or make large purchases. This will annoy your credit card
company to no end, learn why. This will also ensure that you are never
late on a bill, and why your credit limits and credit scores will be way
higher then anybody else you know.
If your banker is not in your office just to say hello every 90 days or
so then you are not dealing with a real banker, or you are not a real
business customer. Consider this fact when you deal with your
bank.
If you ever have any problems with your bank accounts you should expect
your banker to visit YOUR office or home at the time that is convenient
to you to help resolve the problem, and to apologize for the error and
not the other way around.
Real bankers are always available outside of normal business hours to
take care of their more valued customers… become one.
Learn what "Private Banking" means. However, do not be
surprised when you find out that you may not actually be as
"valued" a customer to your bank as you had previously
thought.
Give everybody who calls you at least 15 minutes of your time, 5 minutes
if they are trying to sell you something, and less then 30 seconds if it
is a repeat sales call or some sort of scam.
Work within the time the client allowed you to access the premises. Let
your client's wants, needs, and access always direct your efforts. But,
do not let the client tell you how to do a sweep, but rather let them
define the parameters under which you have access to the area.
The client should never have to conform to your needs, but rather the
other way around.
If the person who you are dealing with cannot get a retainer check cut,
and sent to you within 48 hours then you may not want to be dealing with
them as they likely lack the authority to engage you in the first place,
and you may never see the money that you are due for the sweep.
Sweep payment terms are always half up front (plus anticipated expenses),
and the balance when the report is provided. For some smaller projects
you may want to get the entire balance up front, well in advance. In
other cases, for established clients you may let them pay at the end of
the service.
Some executives only want to issue one payment for the TSCM services, and
they are more then happy to provide this payment well in advance of the
services actually being provided. When this happens always give the
customer much more then they are paying for, and go out of your way to do
a fantastic job for them.
While it is permissible to provide terms of "10/0 Net 10" you
do not provide terms of Net 15, Net 30, Net 45, Net 90, etc unless you
are an utter fool, and a poor business person.
The more paperwork that you provide to your clients accounting department
in advance of the sweep the more likely that it is the secrecy of the
sweep will be compromised. With this in mind the executive who engages
you should arrange for a check to be manually cut to them which they send
to you in order to keep you out of their regular accounting systems for
at least a few weeks until after the sweep is completed.
If your client sends you checks or documents by express mail or FedEx it
is wisest for them to personally deliver them to the FedEx office or Post
office, and not to merely place the outbound envelope and leave it with
the shipping department.
If a spy is really astute they will be watching for indications as to
whom the executive is sending stuff, and their hottest target will be the
FedEx and UPS log books. Hence, if the client goes directly to the FedEx
depot or Post Office and send the envelope from there (and pays the
postage in cash) there will be no trace within the company of anything
being sent out, but the client will have to be discrete with what they do
with the receipt from the post office, and not leave it in any location
where a spy may find it.
The goal is to carefully conceal that a sweep is about to take place, who
is going to be performing the sweep, and to conceal when a sweep person
may actually be performing services on-site
Set up a merchant account, that allows you to take a customers credit
card number for a sweep, but set up the account in such a way that a the
name that shows on the customers bill or statement is not you or your
companies name. Rather, set up a third company name that you can use to
accept payments, or which you can use to have your clients accounting
department issue checks to so that their accounting department has no
idea who is actually being paid. An example, is to set up a legitimate
business operation, under a legitimate company name, but located at least
200 miles from your own location, and under a name that indicates a high
cost service that the executive maybe purchasing on behalf of his
company.
Historically, a very successful method you can use is to have the check
issued to an attorney in a city that is far away from you, but which is
close to your client (but the attorney actually works for you or the
client). The law firm will cash the check into a trust account for you.
The check is actually made out to the law firm (with "retainer for
fees" written in the memo), and once it clears the law firms bank
account, then they deposit the monies into your regular bank account.
This usually does a good job in confounding a spy, but the law firms who
handle this type of processing for you have to understand how to handle
the activity.
For purposes of client confidentiality the ultimate method of engagement
is for your client to go to their attorney, and have the law firm engage
you for the project. A confidentiality contract is prepared by the
attorney where you are engaged by the law firm to provide confidential
services to the client, via the attorney. While the customer may be
present during the TSCM services being provided, the report actually goes
directly to the attorney, and not directly to the client.
To add one extra layer of privacy and protection for your client, the law
firm who works for your client (who engaged you), also sends along an
attorney or one of their own private investigators to assist you, who
acts both as an independent observer, and as someone who can assist in
arranging for suitable cover operations to conceal that you are actually
performing a sweep.
Learn why most rumors and leaks originate from the accounting department,
sales and marketing departments, shipping, and then the computer/MIS
department. Accept this fact, deal with it, plan appropriately, and make
sure none of these departments know anything of your project.
Some computer "security" experts are just glorified systems
administrators; learn the difference between the two.
Some "security" experts are just glorified criminals and con
artists; learn the difference between a true subject matter expert and a
criminal charlatan.
Some security people barely make good night watchmen, floorwalkers, or
bodyguards. But there are quite a few really honest, and really good
night watchmen, floorwalker, or bodyguards who you should seek out,
train, and promote into more trusted positions. Unless they possess a
very strong technical background none of them would make a good sweep
person, even though they may be your most trusted people.
Seek out employees with honor and integrity, and those who are willing to
make the hard ethical choices. These are the most valuable people in the
organization, and you would be wise to pay them well.
The more willing a person is to make hard ethical decisions, the more you
wan them to come work for you.
It can be hard to do the right thing sometimes, but always do it
nonetheless.
Sometimes, you're most valued and trusted employee is the one that
disagrees with you, and tells you so. Always respect and listen carefully
to those employees who tell you that you are wrong.
Just because somebody has the word "security" in their title
does not mean they know anything about it.
Sometimes you can only get into an office for one, single frantic 16 hour
session as the office is only available for a very narrow, single shot
sweep, and other times you can spend 3-4 days inside a single room. Have
the capability to operate under either condition or everything in
between.
With some customers you can come rolling in with twelve TSCM people and
eight thousand pounds of equipment and then run six or more people in the
office 24 hours a day for an entire week, but in other cases the client
can only get a single person in with a couple of briefcases, for one
afternoon or evening.
If you come to believe that a law enforcement agency has legally bugged
your client, then you should give the customer all of their money back,
and excuse yourself from the engagement. However, the key here is that it
must be a LEGAL bugging, and not something that is being done off the
books.
There is actually very little legal and legitimate, court ordered bugging
in the United States.
It is reasonable to assume that any bug you find is illegal and/or not
court ordered until absolutely proven otherwise.
Unless a Judge sitting on the bench in a courtroom tells you in writing
to keep your mouth shut about a bug you found you are not obligated to
keep your mouth shut about the discovery, and you can tell your client
about the discovery.
Never lie to a customer, about anything… do not speak even half truths,
but rather give them the whole unvarnished truth in what every color or
form in which it appears.
Do not try to deceive a customer about what your technical capabilities
are.
Do not be ashamed that your spectrum analyzer only goes up to only 3 GHz
or whatever the upper range of your particular unit is, but rather become
amazingly proficient with the unit within the range in which it
operates.
At a minimum you should be checking to 3 GHz on any sweep that is five
hours or less in duration, and to at least 40 GHz on any sweep that takes
more then a full day on-site.
The more hand-held bug detectors a TSCM specialist uses the more of a
fraud they are likely to be.
Never try to put lipstick on a pig.
The more talkative your customer is with you which you are trying to
perform the sweep, the longer the project is going to have to take. If
the customer keeps interrupting you with questions the sweep could take
three times as long as originally estimated. Make sure that your
customers ask you a lot of questions before you start the sweep, and then
ask you a lot of questions at the end of the sweep, but they should try
to minimize the interruptions while you are actually doing to the
project.
Most bug sweeps are best handled by only a single person, who is
extremely discrete in how they operate as they will be five times more
effective at the end of the day against the spy then two sweep people.
Government sweepers tend not to like to work on ladders, which is why
most government sweep teams do not find bugs in ceilings. Ponder this for
a few minutes until you realize how dangerous of a situation this
creates.
In order to double the effectiveness over that of just a single TSCM
specialist you need a sweep team of at least six, and preferably eight
people.
A sweep team of two or more people will be a greatest benefit once the
sweep move into an evaluation of the wires in a building, and will be of
minimal value until that time, but rather will provide a huge liability
to the secrecy of the sweep.
The leader of a sweep team should not have a span of control (or
supervision) over more then four or five other people. However, by
supervising the work of four or five other sweep people the team leader
will not be able to actually do technical things as it will be a full
time effort just to coordinate the efforts of the rest of the
team.
It requires at least six people to run any full time sweep efforts where
there are only two people at a time are on site.
The spy will always be waiting for periods when the TSCM specialist is
not on-scene or is distracted in order to retrieve their bugs, or will be
waiting for the TSCM person to look away from their work.
By working a six person team against the spy, they will have no opening
in which to remove the bug.
It is not necessary for all six people on the sweep team to be TSCM
experts, although it is quite desirable. Instead some sweep teams have
one TSCM expert, a general electronics person, a computer person, a
telephone person, an electrician, and then one or two people who fill in
where needed.
A full sized, full bore, maximum effectiveness sweep team requires at
least 18 TSCM people, all of whom are TSCM experts, with graduate and
post graduate degrees and electronics, and each with over 20 years of
field experience. Add to this group a half dozen apprentices or support
people, and you can end up with a minimum of eight people always in and
around the building at any given time. This is however, extremely
expensive and should only be undertaken in extreme
circumstances.
The spy will also be attempting to distract the TSCM specialist at all
costs, and will be trying to detect the TSCM specialist being summoned to
the site, or to detect his arrival.
Thus, learn to smoothly operate on sweeps with a minimum number of people
on-site, and to be as invisible to the eavesdropper as possible.
The spy must not be aware that you have been summoned.
The spy must not detect or assume that a TSCM team is active in an area
until very late into the sweep when it will be impossible for the spy not
to be caught.
Ideally, the spy will never know that a sweep has been performed… but
this is not always possible as the last part of a very thorough sweep
involves activities or signals that are characteristic of a bug sweep. It
may be prudent to omit these later parts of the inspection in order that
the spy never knows that you were there.
Quite a bit of any bug sweep is performed at a considerable distance from
the area of concern. Try to get close to the area of greatest concern,
but not actually right in the room of concern until well into the
sweep.
However, when you do not have the luxury of time you will often have to
set up your equipment right in the room or in the next room over from
that you are trying to inspect, but that is not an ideal
situation.
Maintain a detailed database of every radio transmitter within 5 miles of
the project location for low powered devices (100 watts or less), 75
miles for anything over 100 watts up to 1000 watts, and 200 miles for
anything over 1000 watts.
Maintain a database of any microwave signals over 2 GHz, out to a
distance of at least 200 miles in all directions (including up).
Know what signals may be overhead while you are going to be performing a
sweep. This should include any aircraft, satellites, UAVs, or any other
signals that may originate above ground level.
Try to start the TSCM RF inspection from a distance of over 1000 feet out
in order to inventory signals that appear on the airwaves, and try to
collect data from three of more positions at or beyond this distance.
Then move in to be only 300 feet, and then 100 feet from the location you
will be checking. Finally, move your equipment close to the sound stage
and start checking the airways that originate inside the building, and
then move finally to a position that is right on or next to the sound
stage.
Make every effort to be invisible.
Non-Linear Junction Detectors, wire tracing, and detailed physical
examinations will tip off a spy that a sweep is in progress faster then
anything else.
Do not use a NLJD, wire tracer, or initiate a physical inspection until
all other inspection methods have been fully exhausted.
If you are going to be performing sweeps professionally you must keep the
following tenets in your mind at all times, and repeat them in your mind
until they become deeply integrated into all of your activities:
Know your client
Know your clients eavesdropping threat or concerns
Know why your client really needs a sweep
Know your own sweep equipment, intimately
Know your own technical weaknesses and strengths
Know and understand bugging equipment
Know the espionage and intelligence industry
Know who the eavesdroppers are in your area
Know and understand the eavesdropper
Know the laws of physics, and how they effect what you do
Understand your clients business
Understand what secrets of your customer would be of value to an
eavesdropper
Work within the time you are given by your client
Work with what equipment you have on hand
Take great care not to tip off the eavesdropper
Cover all the bases from a business, legal, and technical
perspective
Overlap all equipment coverage
Pay careful attention to details, for it is the details that we use to
catch the eavesdropper.
Keep a written notebook that contains a record of everything you did on
the sweep.
Miss nothing; take your time to do a good job.
Always keep your clients secrets
Institute steps to retire client records as quickly as possible
The best sweep is one where all records are destroyed as quickly as
possible afterwards
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what
happened?
At least two smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor, plus one
at the top and bottom of all stairways.
One carbon monoxide alarm close to the floor, and ten feet away from
anything that burns, heats, or cooks something, plus one carbon monoxide
alarm and smoke detector in each and every bedroom.
Always refuel your fuel tank before it reaches half-empty.
Stopping for gas is easier then walking for gas.
Diesel is better then gas for large vehicles, a wise man learns why.
Gasoline and diesel engines do not like each other, learn why or pay
later.
Diesel engines do not like water in the fuel supply, learn why or pay
later.
Never assume that there is a gas station at the next service plaza or
exit, and never assume that a gas station is open after dark, or you will
find yourself walking around in the dark with a gas can.
All TSCM people know what NIMS, ICS, COG, COOP, EOP, EOC each mean, and
perform their sweep activities to be fully compliant with these matters.
If you do not know why, then learn or find another occupation.
It is wise to modify all of your procedures so that they can be plugged
into NIMS for eavesdropping incidents.
You can use ICS to manage a sweep which may be small, or quite large.
Never forget to fart, and learn to take pride in it.
Buying a violin at a pawnshop does not make you a concert violinist.
Buying a pile of bug sweep equipment on E-Bay does not make you a
competent bug sweeper.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
After the sweep is finished, the final report (if any) is written, the
final check is cashed, and all of your customers questions have been
answered, then you should wait for 10-14 days to pass, and then destroy
all of your records and documents regarding the sweep.
Some of life's best lessons were best learned early in
Kindergarten:
Always wash your hands.
Do not run with scissors.
Play nice with the other kids.
Bring enough candy for everybody.
Solve Your Own Problems.
Don't hit other people.
Keep you hands and feet to yourself.
Don't call other people names.
No yelling or cussing.
Never hurt anyone on the inside or the outside.
Play fair.
Work as a team.
Always do your best.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Be a good listener.
Respect others and their property.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Don't whine and complain all the time
Don't be a tattle-tale
No temper tantrums
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Use kind words.
Flush.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and
sing and dance and play and work every day some.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick
together.
And finally,
"Acta est fabula, plaudite!" (The play is over, applaud!) -
Said to have been Emperor Augustus' last words
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James M.
Atkinson &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
Phone: (978) 546-3803
Granite Island
Group &nbs=
p;
Fax: (978) 546-9467
127 Eastern Avenue
#291 =
;
Web:
http://www.tscm.com/
Gloucester, MA
01931-8008 =
;
E-mail:
mailto:jm..._at_tscm.com<=
br>
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmatkinson
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No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the
enemy until it is ripe for execution. - Machiavelli, The Prince,
1521
Received on Sat Mar 02 2024 - 00:57:26 CST