As a proud member of Zombie Squad, I look for ways to share information with people who could use it. I also look for ways to keep info available to me. With that in mind, I have created this post which, as the title suggests a library of possible needed information. It will include links to PDF files related to First Aid Manuals, Survival Manuals, and anything else I may be helpful to whoever may be in need. If you need a PDF reader, you can download a free version “HERE”. This will be an ongoing process so check back regularly. If you have suggestions let me know and I will see what I can find. I will post a link in the sidebar so it can be found quickly if needed.
So here we go.
First Aid
Here is a PDF manual on First Aid. I recommend everyone get some sort of first aid and or CPR training. Anyone can learn it and this simple bit of education can literally be the difference between life and death.
CPR
Here is a PDF of basic CPR. THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS TRAINING. It is merely a last resort. If you’re interested in finding a class you can click “HERE”
Animal CPR
I even found a small PDF on CPR for your pet.
Zombie Squad
If you are really interested in disaster preparedness, check us out. I belong to the Chicagoland Chapter which covers parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Indiana. Obviously if you have any questions, just contact me and I will be delighted to help you out.
Survival
This is a military issued survival manual I found online. It has a massive amount of information in it but it is geared toward a soldier so some adaptation may be needed.
Preparedness
I found this PDF distributed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Religious beliefs aside, this is a really in depth and detailed manual on disaster preparedness, especially with regards to food supply and storage.
Department of Defense Dictionary
Here is a complete dictionary of terms and abbreviations regarding the military.
Pioneering Knots and Lashing
This is a handy little PDF regarding the use of ropes.
George Riggs Survival Book
Not only does this PDF have a bunch of great information, I like the conversational way it is presented.
MIT Guide to Lock Picking
I debated the wisdom of posting this but since a simple Google search led me to it, I figure I may as well have it available easily to my friends as well as to any miscreant out there with internet access. Plus if you understand how locks work; how easy it can be to bypass them then maybe you will re-examine your home security.
Survival Equipment
Here is a decent website with a lot of information regarding preparation. It is also a good source of equipment you may need.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Live at The Rave
I recently played a gig at The Rave in Milwaukee. I have been going to this venue to see bands since my early teens and have had the opportunity to play there a few times. Each time I step on one of the stages in that building I get a thrill because even if the magnitude is insignificant, I still feel a closer bond to the bands I saw and loved. I like to think that the energy expelled at every concert gets absorbed into the wood and bricks that form those walls and I am honored to have my energy mingling there with everyone else.
For this show I decided to tell of my journey from teenager to performer and from watching a performance in this building to giving one.
Here is that show
I hope you enjoyed watching it. I enjoyed performing.
For this show I decided to tell of my journey from teenager to performer and from watching a performance in this building to giving one.
Here is that show
I hope you enjoyed watching it. I enjoyed performing.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
In my apartment, everyone can hear you scream.
I am a Sci-Fi movie fan. I am also a Horror movie fan. In 1979 these two genres were combined in a perfect cacophony to form a movie called “Alien”. This is a movie about a crew of space salvage workers who respond to a distress call only to fall victim to a vicious and terrifying creature that would later become known as a Xenomorph.
The Xenomorph, which was designed by artist H.R. Giger, has three main stages of life. The first is that of the “Face-hugger”.
The face-hugger hatches from an egg laid by a queen xenomorph and attaches itself to the face of an available host. It proceeds to lay an egg within the host’s esophagus. Upon completion of this phase, the face-hugger dies and releases its grip. The host plays incubator to the second phase of the alien’s life cycle which is the “Chest-burster”.
As the name implies, when the egg is ready to hatch, the alien does so in a violent ordeal wherein it literally bursts through the chest, killing the host and causing a great deal of agitation amongst anyone in the immediate area. From here we enter the adult stage; the third, final and most notorious stage of the xenomorph’s life cycle.
Once reaching adulthood, the xenomorph goes on to cause general havoc, death, and unpleasantness in the, soon to be ending, lives of all who encounter it, except of course for the sharp witted and tough as nails Warrant Officer, Ellen Ripley.
Three sequels were made from "Alien", all of which showcase silly humans not listening to Ripley and sub-sequentially becoming xenomorph fodder. I love them all. Even the fourth one where Wynona Ryder attempts to play her angsty teen role in a Sci-Fi/Horror setting keeps my attention. I really dig the franchise.
Then along came a movie called “Predator”.
In this little celluloid gem, Arnold “You are one ugly Emmer Effer” Schwarzenegger, Jesse “I ain’t got time to bleed” Ventura and a group of other bad asses head into the jungle only to be picked off one by one by the unfriendly E.T. version of Ted Nugent.
There are some catch phrases and explosions and the movie ends. A sequel with Danny Glover dealing with a Predator in Manhattan followed and was generally dismissed. I dug both of these movies as well, just not with as much fervor as the alien franchise.
You can imagine my excitement when I hear that there was a movie being made that would pit these two awesome creatures against each other.
“No matter who wins…We Lose.” was the tag line for A.V.P (Aliens vs. Predators) and it turned out to be a fun ride. There were a lot of scenes that had a black Alien fighting a camouflaged Predator in a dark room with “DRAMATIC ACTION CAMERA-WORK” which made viewing a bit of a challenge but overall it was enjoyable. The sequel “A.V.P.-Requiem” was a bit of a snooze fest and my least favorite of either family.
So, time passes and one day I find myself wandering aimlessly through Best Buy when I catch a glimpse of a familiar exoskeletal design. I picked up the box and the Death’s Head Hawkmoths in my stomach started to flutter about. I had discovered the “Total Destruction” Box Set which included ALL the Alien movies, BOTH the Predator movies and BOTH the A.V.P. movies!!!
I was ecstatic.
I was also without the proper amount of money to purchase this wonder of wonders so with heavy heart; I put it back on the shelf and went on my way fantasizing about the day I could take that box set home.
That weekend as I was waiting for plans to form I decided to watch “Alien”. Plans never really coagulated so I ended up hanging out in my apartment and watching the first three Alien movies on my own. Awesome! Sometime after midnight, I decided to head off to bed.
I have a condition called “Sleep Apnea” which basically means that I don’t breathe properly when sleeping. This causes daytime tiredness and attention problems but can lead to severe problems culminating in death. It can also put significant stress on the heart causing problems there as well. The most common treatment is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure device or “CPAP” device. These devices come in many forms. I use a mask style that straps to my head and encloses my nose. I have seen a change in daytime energy levels since I started treatment and would recommend anyone who snores heavily to get tested. So I got in bed, put on my mask, and went to sleep.
Here is where certain decision making skills might be reviewed.
Evidently, at some point in the night, I rolled over and the hose from my CPAP mask gently nestled down upon my neck.
I reacted to this by hurdling out of my bed, ripping the mask off my face, and slamming it against the wall by the hose while screaming until I was holding nothing but a ragged fragment of medical tubing. Once I regained my composure, I turned a light on and looked around my room to see bits of my mask scattered everywhere! I chuckled to myself about the story-telling possibilities of this event and proceeded to clean up the fragments and doze in my chair knowing full well I wasn’t sleeping in that bed again that night.
I have replaced my CPAP mask.
I have not bought the box set.
Yet…
The Xenomorph, which was designed by artist H.R. Giger, has three main stages of life. The first is that of the “Face-hugger”.
The face-hugger hatches from an egg laid by a queen xenomorph and attaches itself to the face of an available host. It proceeds to lay an egg within the host’s esophagus. Upon completion of this phase, the face-hugger dies and releases its grip. The host plays incubator to the second phase of the alien’s life cycle which is the “Chest-burster”.
As the name implies, when the egg is ready to hatch, the alien does so in a violent ordeal wherein it literally bursts through the chest, killing the host and causing a great deal of agitation amongst anyone in the immediate area. From here we enter the adult stage; the third, final and most notorious stage of the xenomorph’s life cycle.
Once reaching adulthood, the xenomorph goes on to cause general havoc, death, and unpleasantness in the, soon to be ending, lives of all who encounter it, except of course for the sharp witted and tough as nails Warrant Officer, Ellen Ripley.
Three sequels were made from "Alien", all of which showcase silly humans not listening to Ripley and sub-sequentially becoming xenomorph fodder. I love them all. Even the fourth one where Wynona Ryder attempts to play her angsty teen role in a Sci-Fi/Horror setting keeps my attention. I really dig the franchise.
Then along came a movie called “Predator”.
In this little celluloid gem, Arnold “You are one ugly Emmer Effer” Schwarzenegger, Jesse “I ain’t got time to bleed” Ventura and a group of other bad asses head into the jungle only to be picked off one by one by the unfriendly E.T. version of Ted Nugent.
There are some catch phrases and explosions and the movie ends. A sequel with Danny Glover dealing with a Predator in Manhattan followed and was generally dismissed. I dug both of these movies as well, just not with as much fervor as the alien franchise.
You can imagine my excitement when I hear that there was a movie being made that would pit these two awesome creatures against each other.
“No matter who wins…We Lose.” was the tag line for A.V.P (Aliens vs. Predators) and it turned out to be a fun ride. There were a lot of scenes that had a black Alien fighting a camouflaged Predator in a dark room with “DRAMATIC ACTION CAMERA-WORK” which made viewing a bit of a challenge but overall it was enjoyable. The sequel “A.V.P.-Requiem” was a bit of a snooze fest and my least favorite of either family.
So, time passes and one day I find myself wandering aimlessly through Best Buy when I catch a glimpse of a familiar exoskeletal design. I picked up the box and the Death’s Head Hawkmoths in my stomach started to flutter about. I had discovered the “Total Destruction” Box Set which included ALL the Alien movies, BOTH the Predator movies and BOTH the A.V.P. movies!!!
I was ecstatic.
I was also without the proper amount of money to purchase this wonder of wonders so with heavy heart; I put it back on the shelf and went on my way fantasizing about the day I could take that box set home.
That weekend as I was waiting for plans to form I decided to watch “Alien”. Plans never really coagulated so I ended up hanging out in my apartment and watching the first three Alien movies on my own. Awesome! Sometime after midnight, I decided to head off to bed.
I have a condition called “Sleep Apnea” which basically means that I don’t breathe properly when sleeping. This causes daytime tiredness and attention problems but can lead to severe problems culminating in death. It can also put significant stress on the heart causing problems there as well. The most common treatment is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure device or “CPAP” device. These devices come in many forms. I use a mask style that straps to my head and encloses my nose. I have seen a change in daytime energy levels since I started treatment and would recommend anyone who snores heavily to get tested. So I got in bed, put on my mask, and went to sleep.
Here is where certain decision making skills might be reviewed.
Evidently, at some point in the night, I rolled over and the hose from my CPAP mask gently nestled down upon my neck.
I reacted to this by hurdling out of my bed, ripping the mask off my face, and slamming it against the wall by the hose while screaming until I was holding nothing but a ragged fragment of medical tubing. Once I regained my composure, I turned a light on and looked around my room to see bits of my mask scattered everywhere! I chuckled to myself about the story-telling possibilities of this event and proceeded to clean up the fragments and doze in my chair knowing full well I wasn’t sleeping in that bed again that night.
I have replaced my CPAP mask.
I have not bought the box set.
Yet…
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Grammar Rules
I did very poorly in school with regards to the English language and it's proper use in written for. I found this somewhere and thought it was pretty great so I thought I's share it.
Rules for Grammar
1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be ignored.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
23. DO NOT use exclamation points and all caps to emphasize!!!
24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
26. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
27. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
28. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
32. Who needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
34. The passive voice should never be used.
36. Do not put statements in the negative form.
37. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
38. A writer must not shift your point of view.
39. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
40. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
41. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
42. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
43. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
44. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
45. Always pick on the correct idiom.
46. The adverb always follows the verb.
47. Be careful to use the rite homonym.
And Finally...
47. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
Rules for Grammar
1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be ignored.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
23. DO NOT use exclamation points and all caps to emphasize!!!
24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
26. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
27. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
28. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
32. Who needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
34. The passive voice should never be used.
36. Do not put statements in the negative form.
37. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
38. A writer must not shift your point of view.
39. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
40. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
41. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
42. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
43. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
44. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
45. Always pick on the correct idiom.
46. The adverb always follows the verb.
47. Be careful to use the rite homonym.
And Finally...
47. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
Monday, January 17, 2011
A little rhyme and meter
Here I toil with furrowed brow
Through memory’s mud I dredge and plow
Through the fog to grasp the chance
To bring forth tales of happenstance
Letters from the QWERTY jumble
Attempt to place with little fumble
Finding phonics single fingered
Webster’s ulcer constant linger
Be it numerous tales of blue collar folly
Or Michelin Women as big as a trolley
Escapades of a caveman in civilization
Oblivious reaction to the female persuasion
A boisterous blues/rock band playing the loop
In dive bars, and greenhouses, and old chicken coups
An assortment of occasions of hyper caffeination
A zombie apocalypse from rampant imagination
So join me on this joyride down Recollection Avenue
With an in-transit meal of memory you can chew
I promise a cavalcade of stories and fun
In the forth coming year of two zero one one
Through memory’s mud I dredge and plow
Through the fog to grasp the chance
To bring forth tales of happenstance
Letters from the QWERTY jumble
Attempt to place with little fumble
Finding phonics single fingered
Webster’s ulcer constant linger
Be it numerous tales of blue collar folly
Or Michelin Women as big as a trolley
Escapades of a caveman in civilization
Oblivious reaction to the female persuasion
A boisterous blues/rock band playing the loop
In dive bars, and greenhouses, and old chicken coups
An assortment of occasions of hyper caffeination
A zombie apocalypse from rampant imagination
So join me on this joyride down Recollection Avenue
With an in-transit meal of memory you can chew
I promise a cavalcade of stories and fun
In the forth coming year of two zero one one
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