The Urban Shiv Prototype.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Air Travel Magazine Rejects Scott eVest Ad
In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I do not own any of ScotteVest / Scott Jordan's products, nor have I ever owned one of his products. I have been eyeing them with the common Pavlovian response that most gearheads would suffer from whilst perusing Mr. Jordan's website - gross salivation and clothing-envy.
Something happened in the advertising world that Mr. Jordan must swim in, because he is a businessman, that is most interesting to me. It will be to you as well.
I get hammered by some people because I don't like sacred cows. I don't like being taken advantage of, to say the least. Our Beloved Country, once the shining example of liberty and opportunity has become a sheep-shearing festival. We are taking every financial hit that every opportunist can throw at us. It's a contagion of greed. No amount of money is ever enough to these locusts.
So, Mr. Jordan wanted to place an ad in Delta Sky Magazine.
There was a problem. You see, Mr. Jordan specializes in turning sharp-looking light jackets, vests and other garments into the civilian equivalent of load bearing gear. He has designed clothing to carry all of your day-to-day necessities and niceties, gadgets and gizmos and this sort of thing is very attractive to the traveler as well.
Me? I'm not going to subject myself to the circus that is going on now at airports. FORGET IT! I have better things to do with my time than be irradiated or groped. I also have no interest in paying additional "security" fees to pay for the bureaucratic buffoons to irradiate or grope me. They have quite the scam going on! "Money for nothing and your chicks for free," like the old Dire Straits" song goes.
So, Delta Sky Magazine rejected his ad for one of his ingenious pieces of clothing because he is selling a garment that allows a traveler to efficiently and effectively carry their stuff without resorting to more carry on luggage which the airlines get to charge outrageous fees for.
Here is a link to the story on Mr. Jordan's website.
If you have to fly for business (to make a living), and that's the only reason I can see to subject yourself to the unnecessary exposure to radiation as well as the humiliation and degradation of the current security procedures, you should seriously consider negating the airlines money-grubbing, gouging fees. Purchase one of these fine garments and crank up your MP3 Player or iPod, kick back and enjoy the flight.
Mr. Jordan is encouraging people to download a high-resolution version of the advertisement so they can print it out and leave it where air travelers can find it. Wonderful idea!
The only problem is, if he hits them hard enough and they cry to the TSA, you might find garments that have the ability to conceal things more tightly controlled.
On EDC
Has someone at work ever asked you if you have a knife so they can cut something? Then, after they use your knife or you cut whatever item they needed to be cut, they say something totally stupid like...
"Why are you carrying a weapon?"
There are many versions of that. Some quite stupid like asking why you are carrying "that sword" when it's just a folding pocketknife with a blade four inches or less.
"Is that thing legal?"
This has been discussed on various forums many, many times. This has been going on for quite some time. I hate to sound rude, crude and socially unacceptable, I know it is unpopular to have these thoughts and opinions and even more crass to voice them - but are people becoming more stupid? Some people would say that I am stupid for thinking such a thing.
Yet, it appears as though people really are becoming more stupid as the years wear on in this country. Someone asks you if you have a knife and then you produce one and hand it to them or cut something for them and then they ask you why you carry such a thing. I usually answer something like this: "To cut things that need to be cut, like you just needed something to be cut..." And the temptation to look at them immediately after you say that and contort your visage to resemble one of the hillbillies in "Deliverance" and allow a big and noisy "DUH!" to tumble out of my mouth is almost more than I can bear.
I know a lot of this has to do with the media, special interest groups and changing social norms and a host of other things, but, still...this is common sense! I am 42 years old and I feel as though I have more in common with George Carlin (RIP) than at any other point in my life. I used to think that Carlin was really hard on people and just made a lot of money making fun of people.
No, he really was on to something. I don't know how this country can flourish in the future with all of these stupid people running around.
Sometimes I need to cut something, so I carry a pocketknife.
Sometimes I need to write something down, so I tend to carry a Moleskine or a Rite-In-The-Rain Notebook, sometimes both.
Since characters don't generally appear on paper magically, I usually carry one or two pens as well. Imagine that!
"Time is of the essence." Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. I usually carry a watch because when I want to know what time it is, I don't want to have to ask someone.
Simple.
Since there are many hours of the day that are actually late evening, early morning or nighttime, I generally carry a flashlight. Darkness is never more than a few hours away, right? Sooner or later, darkness will occur. I don't carry huge Maglite flashlights, but I generally carry a small pocket flashlight and/or a penlight. Why? To see stuff in the dark that needs to be seen. Even in the daylight, something falls behind the desk or something, a flashlight is a handy thing to have, is it not? Power might go out in a large building, you might need a light just so you can properly watch your step and not take a fall, etc.
"You sure do carry a lot of stuff. Why do you do that?"
Well, it just seems to be the intelligent thing for me to do.
Extra keys...my car only has one ignition. So, I only get to use one set at a time. That having been said, once in a while because of life's stresses or whatever, you can lock yourself out of something that you need to get back into. Locksmith calls can be very expensive. Having spare keys cut is a lot cheaper than one Locksmith call, let alone multiple calls over a period of time.
"Why do you carry an extra set of keys?"
Because spending $5.25 on an extra car key and door key for the home is a lot cheaper than ONE Locksmith call.
Yet, people just don't get it. They think it is stupid to do these things and I sit and scratch my head and think they are stupid for not carrying these simple items.
Everyone has a wallet, right? Well, on rare occasion, I see someone with a wad of assorted papers, some money and a beat-up Driver's License wrapped up with a rubber band or something. So, I guess we cannot even assume that everyone has a wallet. But most people do. Why? To carry stuff that needs to be carried. Most people tend to see the value in this but not in the other things I am talking about.
Cellphones (Errah, excuse me, "Wireless Phones."). I avoided them like the plague for years. I had friends who spent astronomical amounts of money on cellphone calls over the years and I simply refused to purchase one. Then I started working as a supervisor for a company and they issued me one for work. Then after I left that position, I went ahead and purchased my first cellphone. That was about five years ago. I actually made it to about 37 years old without owning one. There were other issues involved as well. Payphones began to disappear from the sub/urban landscape and those that were left in place seemed outrageously expensive.
I don't live with a wireless phone plastered to the side of my head and definitely not while driving. I use a Blue Tooth Device and I have for about three years now. Why? Seemed like the common sense thing to do. I observed all manner of idiocy on the roads with people using these marvelous little devices and I don't want to be an idiot, so I purchased a Blue Tooth. Simple, isn't it?
They are great and they can save your life or the life of someone else. I text very little with my wireless phone which also makes me decidedly un-hip, un-cool and pedestrian to some people. It's a good option to have for communications, I can see that and I utilize it at times. But it also seems stupid to have such awesome capabilities in a wireless device to simply use it in this manner constantly. It's a phone, after all, isn't it?
My little Casio Rock is a wireless phone with a lot of unique capabilities. It even has a very bright LED flashlight for a camera flash and the camera is not too shabby either! Compass, Thermometer, Sunrise/Sunset, High/Low Tides, it has a lot of handy tools. It's even a great little MP3 Player and I can play music through the Blue Tooth or through a Stereo Blue Tooth (wireless) Headset...something I have not yet purchased because it's a communications device first and foremost, but I still have music loaded up on it...
It also has a really great set of stereo speakers built into it that sound very good!
Of course, it has a calendar, alarm clock and memos and it is also a Mass Storage Device like a USB Flash Drive you might carry on your keychain. Pretty cool tool!
Throughout my life, there have been many times when I needed that knife or flashlight or that pad and pencil or pen. You ever run into a long-lost acquaintance or friend and you have nothing to scribble their phone number or address on? I mean, with a wireless phone, you can input all of that and if you pay attention to your surroundings in your day to day life, you will see many people doing this. That's fine. It's easier, for me, to simply jot stuff down in a little pocket notepad and transfer it later to whatever storage area I wish to use.
Maybe you're passing by a new Sushi Restaurant or the new Asian Happy Wok is opening up down the street and you want to jot down the number. Maybe you are waiting for the Wife to exit the grocery store and you see something hinky going down (Police euphemism for "suspicious.") and you want to get a general description of person or persons involved, what they are doing and make model and approximate year of vehicle and a tag number. All things that are easier to do in seconds with a notepad and pen.
You might need the flashlight to do that as well, "hinky" happenings sometimes happen in low levels of light. Then you might need the wireless phone to call the police! See! Cross-pollenation of gear!
This is obviously not an all-inclusive list of things to carry every day, but just some random thoughts on some of them.
"Why are you carrying a weapon?"
There are many versions of that. Some quite stupid like asking why you are carrying "that sword" when it's just a folding pocketknife with a blade four inches or less.
"Is that thing legal?"
This has been discussed on various forums many, many times. This has been going on for quite some time. I hate to sound rude, crude and socially unacceptable, I know it is unpopular to have these thoughts and opinions and even more crass to voice them - but are people becoming more stupid? Some people would say that I am stupid for thinking such a thing.
Yet, it appears as though people really are becoming more stupid as the years wear on in this country. Someone asks you if you have a knife and then you produce one and hand it to them or cut something for them and then they ask you why you carry such a thing. I usually answer something like this: "To cut things that need to be cut, like you just needed something to be cut..." And the temptation to look at them immediately after you say that and contort your visage to resemble one of the hillbillies in "Deliverance" and allow a big and noisy "DUH!" to tumble out of my mouth is almost more than I can bear.
I know a lot of this has to do with the media, special interest groups and changing social norms and a host of other things, but, still...this is common sense! I am 42 years old and I feel as though I have more in common with George Carlin (RIP) than at any other point in my life. I used to think that Carlin was really hard on people and just made a lot of money making fun of people.
No, he really was on to something. I don't know how this country can flourish in the future with all of these stupid people running around.
Sometimes I need to cut something, so I carry a pocketknife.
Sometimes I need to write something down, so I tend to carry a Moleskine or a Rite-In-The-Rain Notebook, sometimes both.
Since characters don't generally appear on paper magically, I usually carry one or two pens as well. Imagine that!
"Time is of the essence." Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. I usually carry a watch because when I want to know what time it is, I don't want to have to ask someone.
Simple.
Since there are many hours of the day that are actually late evening, early morning or nighttime, I generally carry a flashlight. Darkness is never more than a few hours away, right? Sooner or later, darkness will occur. I don't carry huge Maglite flashlights, but I generally carry a small pocket flashlight and/or a penlight. Why? To see stuff in the dark that needs to be seen. Even in the daylight, something falls behind the desk or something, a flashlight is a handy thing to have, is it not? Power might go out in a large building, you might need a light just so you can properly watch your step and not take a fall, etc.
"You sure do carry a lot of stuff. Why do you do that?"
Well, it just seems to be the intelligent thing for me to do.
Extra keys...my car only has one ignition. So, I only get to use one set at a time. That having been said, once in a while because of life's stresses or whatever, you can lock yourself out of something that you need to get back into. Locksmith calls can be very expensive. Having spare keys cut is a lot cheaper than one Locksmith call, let alone multiple calls over a period of time.
"Why do you carry an extra set of keys?"
Because spending $5.25 on an extra car key and door key for the home is a lot cheaper than ONE Locksmith call.
Yet, people just don't get it. They think it is stupid to do these things and I sit and scratch my head and think they are stupid for not carrying these simple items.
Everyone has a wallet, right? Well, on rare occasion, I see someone with a wad of assorted papers, some money and a beat-up Driver's License wrapped up with a rubber band or something. So, I guess we cannot even assume that everyone has a wallet. But most people do. Why? To carry stuff that needs to be carried. Most people tend to see the value in this but not in the other things I am talking about.
Cellphones (Errah, excuse me, "Wireless Phones."). I avoided them like the plague for years. I had friends who spent astronomical amounts of money on cellphone calls over the years and I simply refused to purchase one. Then I started working as a supervisor for a company and they issued me one for work. Then after I left that position, I went ahead and purchased my first cellphone. That was about five years ago. I actually made it to about 37 years old without owning one. There were other issues involved as well. Payphones began to disappear from the sub/urban landscape and those that were left in place seemed outrageously expensive.
I don't live with a wireless phone plastered to the side of my head and definitely not while driving. I use a Blue Tooth Device and I have for about three years now. Why? Seemed like the common sense thing to do. I observed all manner of idiocy on the roads with people using these marvelous little devices and I don't want to be an idiot, so I purchased a Blue Tooth. Simple, isn't it?
They are great and they can save your life or the life of someone else. I text very little with my wireless phone which also makes me decidedly un-hip, un-cool and pedestrian to some people. It's a good option to have for communications, I can see that and I utilize it at times. But it also seems stupid to have such awesome capabilities in a wireless device to simply use it in this manner constantly. It's a phone, after all, isn't it?
My little Casio Rock is a wireless phone with a lot of unique capabilities. It even has a very bright LED flashlight for a camera flash and the camera is not too shabby either! Compass, Thermometer, Sunrise/Sunset, High/Low Tides, it has a lot of handy tools. It's even a great little MP3 Player and I can play music through the Blue Tooth or through a Stereo Blue Tooth (wireless) Headset...something I have not yet purchased because it's a communications device first and foremost, but I still have music loaded up on it...
It also has a really great set of stereo speakers built into it that sound very good!
Of course, it has a calendar, alarm clock and memos and it is also a Mass Storage Device like a USB Flash Drive you might carry on your keychain. Pretty cool tool!
Throughout my life, there have been many times when I needed that knife or flashlight or that pad and pencil or pen. You ever run into a long-lost acquaintance or friend and you have nothing to scribble their phone number or address on? I mean, with a wireless phone, you can input all of that and if you pay attention to your surroundings in your day to day life, you will see many people doing this. That's fine. It's easier, for me, to simply jot stuff down in a little pocket notepad and transfer it later to whatever storage area I wish to use.
Maybe you're passing by a new Sushi Restaurant or the new Asian Happy Wok is opening up down the street and you want to jot down the number. Maybe you are waiting for the Wife to exit the grocery store and you see something hinky going down (Police euphemism for "suspicious.") and you want to get a general description of person or persons involved, what they are doing and make model and approximate year of vehicle and a tag number. All things that are easier to do in seconds with a notepad and pen.
You might need the flashlight to do that as well, "hinky" happenings sometimes happen in low levels of light. Then you might need the wireless phone to call the police! See! Cross-pollenation of gear!
This is obviously not an all-inclusive list of things to carry every day, but just some random thoughts on some of them.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Survival...Liberty...Everyday Life...
From time to time, you are going to see news (horror) stories like you see directly below this post. You know, claims that candy canes being sucked into miniaturized stabbing implements and Sharpies in a classroom bleeding through paper and onto a desk...and that these are not only cause for concern, but good reasons to potentially ruin the future of children who do not comply to the stinky directives of The Orwellian Overlords in Public Education.
I'm sorry, I really am. I do my level best not to write about politics on this blog. For the most part I have been victorious over my own desire to stick my Cyberthumb in the Cybereye of every maniacal bureaucratic control freak and looting-locust of the financial realm that I read about.
At a glance, it seems outside the realm of "survival." However, if you put a little more thought into it, you might see the link(s). Sometimes it is murky, but it is always there for those that wish to see the connection(s).
There are a few different ways to look at things. One way is to come to the conclusion that we are continuing to drift into a police state. Sure, it's mild right now, compared to the bloodbaths of Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler, but that can change very, very quickly. Once the police state infrastructure is in place, you only have to accelerate it to achieve a nightmare.
All of these news stories, and many more that I don't post...every time a police officer uses a Taser and he or she doesn't really have to...every, single abuse of American Citizens from the local or federal government down to the credit card and banking industries...these are all signposts on the road to ruin we are currently on. And that is what we have to survive.
That's why you will occasionally see these stories. Avoid these places and people like the plague they are. If you happen to meet one of them in conversation, don't engage them. Nod your head in whatever manner you believe will sate them and simply hold them in contempt as you walk away.
Sun Tzu stated that all warfare is based on deception. True, that. Similarly, every day life is also fast becoming a proving ground for all manner of deception.
To be blunt, now is not the time to enagage every mindless Bushbot or Obamatron about what you really think. Keep it to yourself. The people running all levels of government and most of the private sector are crooked enough to sleep in a trumpet. There is a power in knowing that. Am I being paranoid? Well, here is just one example. Congressman Charles Rangel wasn't expelled from The U.S. House of Representatives and he was the guy writing tax laws while he was breaking them. Go figure. That's just one example and there are many, many more.
I really don't think it's going to get any better in this country. I think this is it, you're looking at the long slide into Banana Republic corruption and mediocrity or something much more sinister. Only time will tell.
I'm sorry, I really am. I do my level best not to write about politics on this blog. For the most part I have been victorious over my own desire to stick my Cyberthumb in the Cybereye of every maniacal bureaucratic control freak and looting-locust of the financial realm that I read about.
At a glance, it seems outside the realm of "survival." However, if you put a little more thought into it, you might see the link(s). Sometimes it is murky, but it is always there for those that wish to see the connection(s).
There are a few different ways to look at things. One way is to come to the conclusion that we are continuing to drift into a police state. Sure, it's mild right now, compared to the bloodbaths of Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler, but that can change very, very quickly. Once the police state infrastructure is in place, you only have to accelerate it to achieve a nightmare.
All of these news stories, and many more that I don't post...every time a police officer uses a Taser and he or she doesn't really have to...every, single abuse of American Citizens from the local or federal government down to the credit card and banking industries...these are all signposts on the road to ruin we are currently on. And that is what we have to survive.
That's why you will occasionally see these stories. Avoid these places and people like the plague they are. If you happen to meet one of them in conversation, don't engage them. Nod your head in whatever manner you believe will sate them and simply hold them in contempt as you walk away.
Sun Tzu stated that all warfare is based on deception. True, that. Similarly, every day life is also fast becoming a proving ground for all manner of deception.
To be blunt, now is not the time to enagage every mindless Bushbot or Obamatron about what you really think. Keep it to yourself. The people running all levels of government and most of the private sector are crooked enough to sleep in a trumpet. There is a power in knowing that. Am I being paranoid? Well, here is just one example. Congressman Charles Rangel wasn't expelled from The U.S. House of Representatives and he was the guy writing tax laws while he was breaking them. Go figure. That's just one example and there are many, many more.
I really don't think it's going to get any better in this country. I think this is it, you're looking at the long slide into Banana Republic corruption and mediocrity or something much more sinister. Only time will tell.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
13 Year Old Boy Sent To Juvenile Holding Facility by Teacher and Cop For Sharpie Marker Possession...
Two days ago. The teacher made a Citizen's Arrest and the police honored it and took custody of the child.
This brave educator needs to come to Baltimore City Public Schools, we could really use someone that will stand up to these ruffians!
Of course, she would last about three hours in (C)Harm City before they transported her and she wouldn't be going to a holding cell, she would be going to Shock Trauma.
And...we know she wouldn't stand up to someone in the good old inner cities of this country and try this stuff.
Link.
This brave educator needs to come to Baltimore City Public Schools, we could really use someone that will stand up to these ruffians!
Of course, she would last about three hours in (C)Harm City before they transported her and she wouldn't be going to a holding cell, she would be going to Shock Trauma.
And...we know she wouldn't stand up to someone in the good old inner cities of this country and try this stuff.
Link.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
You thought the teacher that wanted to ban pencils was bad? Candy Canes...can you believe this?
There are three main areas that the smart person should never enter:
1. Courtrooms
2. Airports
3. Public Schools
We all know that an absolutely great way to be sodomized is to enter a courtroom, it's a given.
For men, the airport might be a great place to go in the future. You might be able to get your prostate examined by a government buffoon while they make sure you don't have some sort of assbomb up there.
Schools...
Schools...
Schools...
HAYMARKET, Va. (WUSA) -- They call themselves the "Christmas Sweater Club" because they wear the craziest ones they can find...
"They said, 'maliciously maim students with the intent to injure.' And I don't think any of us here intentionally meant to injure anyone, or did," said Zakk Rhine, a junior at Battlefield High School.
The boys say they were just tossing small two-inch candy canes to fellow students as they entered school. The ones in plastic wrap that are so small they often break apart.
Skylar Torbett, also a junior, said administrators told him, "They said the candy canes are weapons because you can sharpen them with your mouth and stab people with them." He said neither he nor any of their friend did that.
...Their disciplinary notices say nothing about malicious wounding but about littering and creating a disturbance.
"It was at 7 in the morning, before school even starts, so I don't what we'd be really disrupting," said Cameron Gleason, also a junior.
The boys' parents think the school went overboard and maybe administrators were trying to stop their boys from spreading Christmas cheer.
Mother Kathleen Flannery said an administrator called her and explained "not everyone wants Christmas cheer. That suicide rates are up over Christmas, and that they should keep their cheer to themselves, perhaps."
Source: Click here.
Now, I could really have a grand time writing about this one, but I just don't feel like it. It doesn't matter if the people running this school think a candy cane can be sucked into a dangerous point or if they just did this to take a dump on Christmas, either way...there is a word for these people - self-censored.
I remember several years ago, forums and websites dedicated to gun ownership and self-defense - screaming for teachers to be armed. You must be joking.
1. Courtrooms
2. Airports
3. Public Schools
We all know that an absolutely great way to be sodomized is to enter a courtroom, it's a given.
For men, the airport might be a great place to go in the future. You might be able to get your prostate examined by a government buffoon while they make sure you don't have some sort of assbomb up there.
Schools...
Schools...
Schools...
HAYMARKET, Va. (WUSA) -- They call themselves the "Christmas Sweater Club" because they wear the craziest ones they can find...
"They said, 'maliciously maim students with the intent to injure.' And I don't think any of us here intentionally meant to injure anyone, or did," said Zakk Rhine, a junior at Battlefield High School.
The boys say they were just tossing small two-inch candy canes to fellow students as they entered school. The ones in plastic wrap that are so small they often break apart.
Skylar Torbett, also a junior, said administrators told him, "They said the candy canes are weapons because you can sharpen them with your mouth and stab people with them." He said neither he nor any of their friend did that.
...Their disciplinary notices say nothing about malicious wounding but about littering and creating a disturbance.
"It was at 7 in the morning, before school even starts, so I don't what we'd be really disrupting," said Cameron Gleason, also a junior.
The boys' parents think the school went overboard and maybe administrators were trying to stop their boys from spreading Christmas cheer.
Mother Kathleen Flannery said an administrator called her and explained "not everyone wants Christmas cheer. That suicide rates are up over Christmas, and that they should keep their cheer to themselves, perhaps."
Source: Click here.
Now, I could really have a grand time writing about this one, but I just don't feel like it. It doesn't matter if the people running this school think a candy cane can be sucked into a dangerous point or if they just did this to take a dump on Christmas, either way...there is a word for these people - self-censored.
I remember several years ago, forums and websites dedicated to gun ownership and self-defense - screaming for teachers to be armed. You must be joking.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Nation of Cowards
If you want to see the tyrannical philosophy that has fueled the gun control movement, examine the words of former Attorney General Ramsey Clark...
"Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark calls gun ownership an insult to America: 'A state in which a citizen needs a gun to protect himself from crime has failed to perform its first purpose.' Clark denounces this kind of society as a return to barbarism, and anarchy, 'a jungle where each relies on himself for survival.'"
Here is the source for that excerpt.
A human being that does not rely on themselves for survival has a name - "victim." There is another name for such a person - "fool."
Please read this: A Nation of Cowards.
"Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark calls gun ownership an insult to America: 'A state in which a citizen needs a gun to protect himself from crime has failed to perform its first purpose.' Clark denounces this kind of society as a return to barbarism, and anarchy, 'a jungle where each relies on himself for survival.'"
Here is the source for that excerpt.
A human being that does not rely on themselves for survival has a name - "victim." There is another name for such a person - "fool."
Please read this: A Nation of Cowards.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
The Man Who Said No To Wal-Mart
This article is always worth re-reading. For those first timers among us, well, enjoy it for the first time!
The Man Who Said No To Wal-Mart.
The Man Who Said No To Wal-Mart.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Three Penlights...
When I was a little kid, the moment the Pediatrician shined the penlight in my eyes, I was hooked! What's not to like? Well, back then, penlights were mostly disposable affairs, use them until they were used up and chuck them in the trash. Of course, there were units that used 2-AA batteries but they were sort of clunky and didn't last long. I had a couple good ones though, always seemed to lose them or someone would hijack my handy penlight, never to be seen again.
About three years ago, I was in some store and spied this Energizer battery display. Energizer was now making a penlight, say it isn't so! Long-life LED, so far, so good. I gave one a spin for about $9.00 and it turned out to be an awesome penlight. The only drawback was the exposed LED, but that was a small complaint for the tradeoff of having a 2-AAA battery powered LED penlight!
Then I found them at AutoZone for about $6.00. These are probably the best "stash lights" for glove compartments, between the seat console storage and visors you can get. Nichia LEDs have been overshadowed in the constant search for more power (CREE!) in the LED world but it is still a solid performer, to say the least. It has some scatter so it is more of a flood than a spot but it's a great buy. The Energizer penlight provides more than enough light for various types of emergencies or simply finding your way around in a power outage, etc.
A couple years ago, Wal-Mart was selling a single-AAA penlight, obviously shorter, I think the manufacturer was Ray-O-Vac. What a total waste of money. I think I bought two of them on sale for like $2.25 each and they were totally worthless devices.
Dorcy has a 2-AAA penlight which was rather disappointing at first. It appeared to be built better than the great Energizer penlight but the switch seemed a bit unreliable. After clicking it a bunch of times, screwing around with it, it has become more reliable. I guess there is a break-in period for them. I have no idea.
I don't remember where I purchased the Dorcy but it is a solid light and similar to the Energizer. It has a shielded LED unlike the Energizer. Output is roughly the same. A good deal if you can find them. I saw one and purchased it and have not found any more since.
Then, while waiting for my wife to get done wading through sale items at Target, I spied a Coast Lenser Brand penlight, branded with the name EDDIE BAUER. Never was into the whole Eddie Bauer thing...
This penlight also uses two-AAA batteries and has a protected LED and a lens to focus the light into more of a spot as opposed to the flood of the other penlights mentioned.
I think it was about $12.00 which is a bit pricey for what it is...you can usually pick up two of the Energizer penlights for the cost of one of the Lenser Brands.
All penlights mentioned have pocket clips and the Lenser also has a small, triangular metal ring for attaching a lanyard.
Something so simple and stupid as a good flashlight can make the difference between life and death in some situations. But, in most situations, it's not life and death but perhaps an injury or being able to repair something better and faster.
Like all modern LED flashlights, the LED will last between 50,000 and 100,000 hours, depending on the type of LED and all of them sip power. LEDs that might be considered power hogs are nothing compared to regular flashlight lamps/bulbs.
You get so much more bang for your buck out of the batteries with these things, it's amazing. You save money, less chance of having to change a battery in the middle of something, the advantages are many.
Dirt cheap, the batteries last many times longer than more conventional flashlights. The output is excellent and the handiness of penlights is just great.
The Energizer penlights are so cheap, you can afford to dedicate one in the driver's area of the car, one in a survival kit, one in the first aid kit, the list is endless.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Julian Assange Attempting to Play Hardball...
It's interesting to note that most of the jingoistic rockheads on talk radio have cited the fact that Julian Assange put people's lives at risk by releasing the documents that he has collected. Apparently, he held back at least some of the information as "insurance" against being set up, etc., so...I don't know who is telling the truth but it appears as though he is.
Here is the story as of right now.
My question is, how in the hell can Americans be ranting about arresting this man for "treason" when he is not an American Citizen...eh? I mean...I know there are a lot of stupid people...but damn!
Well, I've heard enough idiots on talk radio and C-SPAN's Washington Journal to really answer my own question. I guess in what passes for the minds of extremely jingoistic people, ANYONE that doesn't agree with us is guilty of "treason."
I guess Mike Judge is a genius.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
New York Times Article on "Knife Rights."
The article is titled, "Pushing a Right to Bear Arms, the Sharp Kind."
As with firearms, knives have no friends in the major media. This is a pretty tame piece considering it is The New York Times.
Doug Ritter of Knife Rights Dot Org sent this out in E-mail today.
You can find the article here.
Doug Ritter needs all of the help he can get. It's a noble cause, trying to keep The United States from morphing into The United Kingdom. Some "Americans" seem to be breaking their backs to change this country into the very country we ran from over two centuries ago. I wish all of the "Americans" that want our country to be like other countries would simply move to the countries they so admire. Then we could get on with the business of being Americans instead of a bunch of wishy-washy milksops that a good number of people here apparently want to be. Terrified of their own shadow, fearful of everything except that which they should really be scared of.
As with firearms, knives have no friends in the major media. This is a pretty tame piece considering it is The New York Times.
Doug Ritter of Knife Rights Dot Org sent this out in E-mail today.
You can find the article here.
Doug Ritter needs all of the help he can get. It's a noble cause, trying to keep The United States from morphing into The United Kingdom. Some "Americans" seem to be breaking their backs to change this country into the very country we ran from over two centuries ago. I wish all of the "Americans" that want our country to be like other countries would simply move to the countries they so admire. Then we could get on with the business of being Americans instead of a bunch of wishy-washy milksops that a good number of people here apparently want to be. Terrified of their own shadow, fearful of everything except that which they should really be scared of.
"Lake Effect" Snowstorm strands hundreds for hours in New York State
"Jack Geiselman, who was stranded for 14 hours in 32-degree weather, took it all in stride.
'I tend not to be a ranter-and-raver about things and the point is, it's nothing I have any control over,' the 60-year-old semi-retired civil engineer said. 'I guess the way I look at it is, it's over. I guess stuff happens. It's not the end of the world.'
Geiselman was traveling in a Honda Civic from Keene, N.Y., to Cleveland with his black lab Boomer to help his daughter get her house ready for a baby due between Christmas and New Year. He had with him a sleeping bag and plenty of warm clothing and gas. He said state troopers came by with coffee and food for people in cars."
Source.
Everyone should have a survival kit in their vehicle. It was great that NYS Troopers were able to provide food and warm beverages to people...but what if they had not been able to do so? If the storm had been worse, this could have turned out much worse.
The great thing is, you don't have to expend a lot of money to have a pretty good survival kit in your vehicle. Because you won't be hiking around in the wilderness, you can get by with a lot of cheap Wal-Mart gear in reality. A couple cheap Wal-Mart sleeping bags which would not fare too well out in the wilderness, or even many trips to the local campground, will do just fine to keep you warm and relatively safe.
'I tend not to be a ranter-and-raver about things and the point is, it's nothing I have any control over,' the 60-year-old semi-retired civil engineer said. 'I guess the way I look at it is, it's over. I guess stuff happens. It's not the end of the world.'
Geiselman was traveling in a Honda Civic from Keene, N.Y., to Cleveland with his black lab Boomer to help his daughter get her house ready for a baby due between Christmas and New Year. He had with him a sleeping bag and plenty of warm clothing and gas. He said state troopers came by with coffee and food for people in cars."
Source.
Everyone should have a survival kit in their vehicle. It was great that NYS Troopers were able to provide food and warm beverages to people...but what if they had not been able to do so? If the storm had been worse, this could have turned out much worse.
The great thing is, you don't have to expend a lot of money to have a pretty good survival kit in your vehicle. Because you won't be hiking around in the wilderness, you can get by with a lot of cheap Wal-Mart gear in reality. A couple cheap Wal-Mart sleeping bags which would not fare too well out in the wilderness, or even many trips to the local campground, will do just fine to keep you warm and relatively safe.
Friday, December 3, 2010
How long can they hold together and lie?
The Labor Department released bad numbers this morning. 39,000 jobs created when they expected at least three times as many. Approximately 9.8% unemployment - but anyone who has been following this knows that the government, at the core, can not and will not tell the truth - when someone goes off of unemployment, they are no longer counted as "unemployed." Nice, huh? Unemployment is probably closer to 20% than 10%, some say more. Who do you believe? I mean, if you believe the government, you should have to wear a Scarlet "S" for "SUCKER."
How much longer can they keep things going with the constant lying?
"Things fall apart the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned." ~ Yeats
Innocence was sacrificed on the Altar of Globalism years ago.
How much longer can they keep things going with the constant lying?
"Things fall apart the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned." ~ Yeats
Innocence was sacrificed on the Altar of Globalism years ago.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Julian Assange: Told You So...
Don't mess with the moneyboys. Interpol actually blew several millimeters of dust off of its laughable badge and they're coming for you, too.
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