Lucid Dreaming | Supplements for lucid dreaming?

What supplements can I buy for lucid dreaming and which one is the most effective?

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Lucid Dreaming | Dream Recall in a FA?

Hey guys,
I tried out the SSILD technique yesterday, and I woke up shortly after the SSILD attempt, but I couldn't remember anything about my dreams, which is odd because my dream recall is actually pretty good. But I forgot to RC and went back to sleep. So I was just wondering if you guys remember dreams during FAs, be it your actual dreams before the FA or dreams your mind made up.
Thanks.

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Chess Puzzle | 10/31/2015 - Endgame Technique

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Developed on Hackaday – HaDge is back to the drawing board

A couple of days back, we wrote about the HACK – a prototyping platform designed by [Michele Perla] based on the Atmel SAM R21 MCU. It’s one of the new breed of devices consisting of an ARM Cortex-M0 MCU + IEEE 802.15.4 Wireless radio bundled together. This was exciting since we could pack a lot of punch in the HaDge hardware. We planned to use the same design later to power the HaDge. Building HACK would have allowed us to get it in the hands of the software team, while the hardware folks worked on the real HaDge layout.

The HACK design was ready for review and we asked around to verify the antenna layout, which was the part we were not too sure about.  We asked Atmel for help with verifying the layout. That’s when we had the facepalm moment. They asked us – “What about FCC certification?” Since we plan to build the badges in quantities of a few hundred at the very least, it’s obvious we cannot escape from FCC certification. A design based around the R21 is ruled out – the cost of obtaining approval is pretty high. This means we need to punt the R21 and instead use an off-the-shelf radio module which is already FCC certified. Sigh.

Now the good news. This is a setback in terms of time, and effort put in by [Michele]. But beyond that, we’re good to go back to the drawing board and start afresh. First off, we decided to revert back to the Atmel D21 as the main controller. It’s a fairly decent MCU, and there’s a fairly robust tool chain available that a lot of people are familiar with. For the Radio, we are looking at some of these available options :

• http://ift.tt/1NGGYHd
• http://ift.tt/20gTUdC
• http://ift.tt/1zWeS24
• http://ift.tt/20gTUdH

The last one from Microchip looks quite promising. But we’re open for better and cheaper suggestions, so please chime in with your comments.

Filed under: Hackaday Columns, hardware, radio hacks

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Lucid Dreaming | getting lucid

I have been trying to keep mind awake and body asleep for 3 weeks now with no success. My problem is that thought I wake up every night around 4am I end up going back to sleep unconsciously even though I lie in bed trying to keep my mind awake as I fall asleep. I'm thinking of trying to maintain lucidity by placing my arms over my head and seeing if I can fall asleep lucidly in this position? Has anyone managed this?

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Chess Puzzle | 10/30/2015 - Stretched Too Thin

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Using RF To See Through Walls

This is some seriously cool stuff. Researchers at MIT recently came up with a device that can “see” through walls. It can actually identify a person (or people) behind a solid object.

They call it RF-Capture and it uses radio waves to identify people. Kind of like some high tech radio-frequency sonar. Using a very complex algorithm it can reconstruct the human figure by analyzing the various reflections of the signals transmitted. It’s so accurate it can even distinguish between different people based on size and posture, and even trace a person’s handwriting in the air.

Sounds like whatever they’re doing, it’s probably blasting a lot of radiation to do it. You’d think so, but no.

The transmitted power is actually 10,000 times lower than a cellphone. Crazy!

While it might not be quite the same caliber as this research, did you know you can make a rudimentary sonar device using microphones and piezo elements?

[via BGR]

Filed under: radio hacks

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From the kitchen of John Rourke – October 29th, 2015

 

When the grid goes down and the zombies are walking the streets the craving for something sweet will continue onward. I just recently discovered this no bake cookie recipe that everyone else seems to have known about except me.

Over the years at parties and special occasions I actually have eaten some of these never knowing the simplicity of the recipe and preparations. All ingredients can be part of any food storage program.

Think about it – there are kids in your group and dealing with all the stresses of the situation. Imagine the smiles across their faces when you serve them cookies. What a morale booster!

 

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats (I use whole grain oats rather than quick oats)
1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Putting It All Together

1. Mix sugar, milk, and cocoa powder then bring to a boil
2. Boil for 1 minute and then add peanut butter and vanilla, mix thoroughly
3. Add oatmeal
4. Mix everything together well
5. Scoop mixture out with tablespoon onto wax paper
6. Allow to cool
7. Enjoy!!!

These cookies have both carbs and protein – as well as approx. a gazillion calories.

So, food storage doesn’t have to be rice, beans, and MRE’s. These delicious chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies are a perfect high energy snack for the trail as well as the guard post.

Variations of this recipe can be adjusted to your tastes. Some people add coconut while others add Nutella or even rice krispies. Some use smooth peanut butter while others prefer crunchy.

Here are some recipe ingredients packed for long term storage available from Emergency Essentials:

White Sugar – large can

Instant Nonfat Dry Milk Large Can

Butter Powder

Baking Cocoa

Peanut Butter Powder

Rolled Oats – 42 oz. can

 

Now go make some up and enjoy!!

Rourke

 

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BOV Considerations by Burne51

Rourke: This post was orginally published HERE on ModernSurvivalOnline.com

 

In any bug-out scenario, your vehicle becomes, and remains until further notice, the place where you live, along with everything you own in the world. You may be the best-equipped prepper in your circle, or the smartest gal on the block, but when TSHTF, you may find yourself to be just another weary traveler looking for a safe place to land. In many ways, you’re a refugee, no different from Okies escaping the Depression Dust Bowl; or survivors fleeing a volcano or armed killer mobs or the authorities du jour, which may not be mutually exclusive.

It ain’t necessarily pretty. It’s pretty clear that if you can uproot folks and get ‘em moving, it’s fairly easy to keep ‘em moving, or herd ‘em into corrals of one sort or another. Then it’s hamburger. There’s plenty of good advice out there to stay away from crowds, don’t allow yourself to get swept up into camps, etc. There’s also a lot of evidence that this is already going on; forced relocation has been a policy of our government for quite some time. Ask an Indian.

If we’re talking vehicles here, I’m guessing we can agree that we mean ones fueled by internal combustion engines. We’re going to leave out discussion of backpacking, bicycles, horseback, ox-carts, sailboats and rickshaws, even though there is a lot of merit in thinking about those, and perhaps including them as secondary or fallback options. Suffice it to say that the amount of stuff you can haul decreases significantly when one loses fossil-fueled prosthetics and slaves.

If you’ve planted your flag, and are determined to live or die defending your very own spot on the planet, that’s nice. Maybe we can be friends, and maybe we can assist one another, and WPCTS (When Push Comes to Shove – an acronym I haven’t seen yet), maybe we can’t. Having, and retaining, the ability to maneuver in such instances strikes me as important.

We humans have been moving around this planet for a long time, jockeying for position and advantage, and dodging the Grim Reaper, and there’s no reason to think that’ll change. I haven’t studied mass migrations, or refugee behavior (from the perspective of either the refugee or from the agents who create refugees for their own benefit), or nomadics; and I’d welcome readings and discussion of those topics as it pertains to survival, specifically mine.

But there’s a long, honorable history, notably on this land, of whole peoples successfully living nomadic lives while remaining deeply attached – rooted, even – to the land, and I suspect we’ll be seeing more of that, and may well be better for it. There are better places – and times – to grow crops, or hunt and fish, or trade, or winter, or a thousand other nuanced things; and those places and times are not likely to all be the same, and moving from one to the other, when safe and appropriate, may be a good way to live … or the only way you can keep yourself and your loved ones alive to move the species forward.

Ol’ Remus over at the WoodpileReport.com is on-point this week [Rourke: remember – this is a repost], as he routinely is, in his discussion of guerilla gardens. “The alternative to living like a convict is to live like an escapee,” he says this week, and knowing where you’ve stashed food, or can grow, hunt, forage, and preserve it, and how to safely move between sites on whatever is your scale and timeline, will mean the difference between living and dying, between freedom and slavery. I’m amazed in my travels at how much unused land there is in this country, even in the East, and finding folks who’ll rent or trade you an acre for potatoes or Jerusalem artichokes (800 gallons of fuel alcohol per) or a couple of hives of bees; or free places to plant annual or perennial herbs for later harvest, is not all that difficult.

Which brings us back to the bug-out vehicle, AKA “your car” or “the daily driver.” There’s a whole big thread out there (try the Van Dwellers Yahoo Group to start) of folks who are now living in their vehicles full- or part-time. Many are conducting “normal” lives, going to jobs, socializing, recreating, etc. Many are older retirees, like Snowbirds and Workampers, driving huge RVs and towing cars around the country, who’ve already “bugged out.” What’s going to happen to that lifestyle? You might want to think about exactly how little you need in a vehicle, as well as how much you can cram in. What are your deal-breakers when it comes to vehicles: standing head room; full-size bed; a toilet; running water; nighttime A/C or heat? How much electricity is enough, and how are you going to get it? You may have to gut and rebuild the ridiculous interior of an old RV to eliminate horrid design and make the unit work long-term.

There are some significant advantages to making the move to vehicle-based living before a SHTF situation occurs, leaving aside the argument that it’s already hitting.

For one, it forces you to think, hard, about what you need and how to keep it safe, productive and relevant. Does vehicle-based living free up money that’s better used elsewhere? Instead of a mortgage (taxes; utilities; maintenance) in a suburb that frowns on agriculture, will car living enable a farmland purchase? Or just eating? Am I capable of, or interested in, owning a house or land? Do I have the money, or the credit, or the job/career, or the kind and level of responsibility necessary for “ownership”? Will that continue? Are those things even desirable? Am I better off as a fixed, or as a moving, target?

I’m very leery of adding any fossil-fuel-powered equipment to my life, from a number of perspectives. Anybody who’s looked at a graph of per capita energy use, or of Hubbert’s Peak, gets a sense that we humans are likely to be using far less energy than we have for the last couple hundred years, and that we Americans, as the most profligate oil users, have the farthest to fall. Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Back on topic: How many vehicles should I own, insure, maintain, equip? How many can I drive at once? I suspect Gary, whose video I saw linked over at M.D. Creekmore’s http://ift.tt/PJUdNt, owns even more than the two vehicles he’s shown us, plus his house, probably all with multi-burner propane stoves and toilets and swivel TVs. Gee, he must have a lot of money

If you only had one motor vehicle, from now until forever, what would it be? A pickup, van, car, SUV, RV?  4WD, 2WD? What engine, transmission, fuel? American or foreign; old or new? How do I find it; what does it cost to buy, fuel, insure and maintain? Can I make it last 2 years … 5 … 10 … 20? Do I have the necessary skills and can I get the parts? Can I live in it and with it for that long if I want to or need to? Moving and parked? This, like the endless firearms debates, is ultimately unanswerable by anyone but you; but it, too, is crucial.

What about stealth? Do I blend in or stand out where I am and where I anticipate going? Is it good to have folks telling you how cool your rig is, or would you prefer nobody noticed? Can I show up to work every day in an RV, or not leave the parking lot at night, without inviting nasty questions and snooping? Am I better off pulling a travel trailer with a “civilian” vehicle, or parking my Winnebago elsewhere and riding a bicycle or motorcycle to work? Can I work nights and sleep safely in the daytime, or park safely when it’s light and find other safe places to sleep? How does sleeping much, much lighter in a vehicle affect my health, alertness and judgment?

Can I park at a friend’s house (or plural …or WalMart) and use their electricity, bathroom, kitchen, and/or washer? For how long? What will the neighbors think? How about a 24-hour gym membership; I can probably use the exercise, and I could sure use a shower, and if it’s open at all hours, it’s a good place to park, right? What’s that cost these days?

What about range and mileage? Can I count on the next supply of fuel? Can I make my own, perhaps with friends, like a fuel alcohol or biodiesel coop? I can’t just turn the car out to pasture to forage, and it’s unlikely to heal itself when something goes awry, though I have seen it happen.

Do I have useful mobile skills, the equipment to use them, and reliable markets for them? How about tools for gardening or carpentry, or a small workshop in a Wells Cargo? If I stash my tools in a trailer or storage unit, or friend’s house, how quickly and safely can I get ‘em? Can I sleep in it? How does pulling a trailer affect mileage and maneuverability? What are my protocols for dropping my trailer? What happens if I lose it … the trailer, that is?

Am I likely to be flying solo, or with family or friends? If I’m in a group, by choice or chance, what about their gear? I’ve seen enough Westerns to worry about the weakest wagon, and I’m sure the Plains Indians made sure everyone’s travois were up to snuff. And what about defense, personal and group?

Does it make sense to become a migrant worker; if so, what’s involved? How do I move my wealth, and protect it on the road? I know what it feels like to have every penny locked up in a vehicle; it tends to induce paranoia, and to restrict one’s movements in order to keep the vehicle constantly in sight. Do you?

What about the rest of my stuff? Do I sell or dump it; is it worth anything? How about a storage unit(s)? Is it cheap, secure, 24-hour accessible, adequate? What happens to that electric gate if the grid’s down? Does it make sense to have several units in strategic locations? Will they let me store gasoline, alcohol, propane, food, weapons and ammo? Will they know or find out? Are the owners on site; can they be trusted?

Where and what sort of caches are appropriate? Does it really make sense to carry a half-ton of rice, beans and wheat berries? How about Operational Security, for us civilians? There’s some good thinking over at Analytical Survival’s YouTube channel. How long before I run out of gas – physically, mentally, emotionally, financially? Is that a realistic time line? What happens then?

Speaking personally, if not too specifically, I am living on the road now, with my wife, dog, and, currently, four cats. No, they’re not for dinner. We left what had been our home base for 25 years last July, semi-voluntarily, and anticipate moving again six to 10 weeks from now, with our next destination uncertain. We’re learning a lot; it’s stressful; it’s uncertain; and I don’t think either of us regrets the experience. Our current bug-out vehicle: a 1998 Ford Explorer pulling a home-built camper/utility trailer. Perfect? Hardly. But it’s what we’ve got.

How about you?

 

 

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Lucid Dreaming | FryingMan's Unified Theory of Lucid Dreaming: Pay Attention, Reflect, Recall -- Both Day and Night

I've been converging on a succinct statement of what I believe is at the heart of lucid dreaming practice for a while. A few people have encouraged me to get it into writing in a thread, so here it is...

(I notice in the "similar threads" that Redrivertears focuses on attention as well :P).

This is based on what I've learned from many others and my own experiences, and participating in countless discussion threads. I find myself now giving the same set of advice over and over again to everybody who asks about improving in any aspect of lucid dreaming practice. Without further ado, here it is:

• Pay attention to and reflect upon your present experience, with the goal of recognizing your state
• Recall and reflect upon your past experiences

(Note that you can think of these as a "how to" approach to implementing Sageous's :sageous: LD fundamentals: self-awareness and memory)

Attention: we remember that to which we pay attention. Pay attention, on purpose. "Be aware of your awareness" (Marc Vandekeere). This is the key to vivid dreams, "present" dreams, and dream recall in general. Being present in the experience of the dream is required for lucidity (if "you" are not there, you can't get lucid!). Our dreaming selves is basically our waking selves, with a layer of mental dullness & fog overlaid on top and impaired access to memory. So in order to pay attention to our dreams, to be present and have vivid memory of them, we must consistently pay attention in waking life to our experiences.

Reflection: awareness without reflection is simple observation, it does not in itself lead to lucidity. Ask "Is this dream-like?", "How odd is this?" "Why do I think I'm awake?" "Is this a waking location?". Realize the truth that any conscious moment could be in the dream state. Bring your "self" into the questioning. This brings intent into the picture: consider, why are you doing this at all? In order to recognize the dream state and thus become lucid in dreams (and in waking life, of course...lucidity is its own reward!).

Recall: access to memory and self-awareness are interrelated. Practicing recall builds and strengthens neural pathways related to memory. If we could only remember the goal to get lucid in dreams while in the dream state, lucidity would be easy! Opening a crack into the dream state's impairment of access to memory is challenging, but a very powerful way to get lucid a lot more. Once lucid, accessing memory can raise minimal lucidity into maximal lucidity. Additionally, recalling dreams in detail and at length is just fun! Non-lucid recall keeps me going in between the lucids.

Unified: do the same thing during waking and sleeping!
Waking: pay attention to and reflect upon your experiences in the now, and at night before bed, recall and reflect upon them further.
Sleeping/Dreaming: pay attention to and reflect upon your experiences in the now, and in the morning after waking, recall and reflect upon them further.

In particular, think of the night also as a time to pay attention to your experiences, not as a time to black out until morning. Plan for active nights! Restful, but not lax to the point of dullness.

For a while now I've had consistent strong day work, but my night work has been lacking, which is why my lucid results are still not as frequent as I'd like. I believe it's because I haven't been doing the same (at least, not consistently) thing during the night/in dreams. This unity of approach I think is very strong. Treating waking-time and dreaming-time as somehow fundamentally different can stall progress. Treat all conscious experiences as fundamentally the same (something to experience brightly and vividly in the now, and to remember later), and progress should flow and build consistently.

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Secret Radio Stations by the Numbers

Chess Puzzle | 10/29/2015 - Kanep - Pasic, 2004

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Tiny Radio Tracks Your Balloons

The name of the game in rocketry or ballooning is weight. The amount of mass that can be removed from one of these high-altitude devices directly impacts how high and how far it can go. Even NASA, which estimates about $10,000 per pound for low-earth orbit, has huge incentives to make lightweight components. And, while the Santa Barbara Hackerspace won’t be getting quite that much altitude, their APRS-enabled balloon/rocket tracker certainly helps cut down on weight.

Tracksoar is a 2″ x .75″ x .5″ board which weighs in at 45 grams with a pair of AA batteries and boasts an ATmega 328P microcontroller with plenty of processing power for its array of on-board sensors. Not to mention everything else you would need like digital I/O, a GPS module, and, of course, the APRS radio which allows it to send data over amateur radio frequencies. The key to all of this is that the APRS module is integrated with the board itself, which saves weight over the conventional method of having a separate APRS module in addition to the microcontroller and sensors.

As far as we can see, this is one of the smallest APRS modules we’ve ever seen. It could certainly be useful for anyone trying to save weight in any high-altitude project. There are a few other APRS projects out there as well but remember: an amateur radio license will almost certainly be required to use any of these.

Filed under: radio hacks

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From the Desk of John Rourke – October 29th, 2015

I was recently in contact with someone from Germany. This person is very non-political. I asked how Germans felt about the immigration of thousands of people from Syria and other countries. She said that she and many others are concerned and that they are fearful of the Muslims. She points out that Muslims to not assimilate rather they try to change others.

I agree.

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A couple of polls to help me determine the best content to schedule in the future:

 

 

 
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Is this what awaits American cities in the future? Video below taken by a German citizen as a crowd of Muslims march through streets. Video is only 1 minute 9 seconds.

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As I type this the GOP Presidential Debate is getting ready to start.

Anyone catch it? Thoughts?

 

 

 

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Video of the Week: How To Make A PVC Water Pump

YouTube is an absolutely incredible source of information on almost anything you can think of. Every week we feature a new video related to a variety of topics such as firearms, first aid, gardening, security, food storage, water filtration….and current events. 

I have seen one of these in action and it worked great as a backup pump for a well. Simple to make and inexpensive.  

Rourke

 

 

 

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Chess Puzzle | 10/28/2015 - Rooked

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From the Desk of John Rourke – October 28th, 2015

The Xiaomi 16,000mAh power bank which is in a featured review is currently on sale for $21.29 with Free Shipping.  Not sure how long the sale will last.

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Being reported that Ben Carson has taken the lead in some polls. I like it!

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I recently saw a headline “Selma Blair explains why she bought her son a toy gun.” This is ridiculous. In case you do not know who she is she is an actress. Pretty bad when an actress has to explain why her little boy has a toy gun.

I killed many bad guys in my backyard when I was a kid.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

FieldSupply.com is having a huge sale on SOG knives and tools. Check it out HERE.

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Appreciate all the suggestions on possible book topics. Very interesting ideas. I have narrowed down to a few and still taking suggestions.

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Review: Xiaomi 16000mAh Mobile Power Bank

Today’s world offers tremendous capabilities with portable multimedia and communication devices. I hear the argument all the time that “real preppers” should stay away from modern technology. I disagree. These are tools and if available and operational use them to your benefit.

Over the past couple years I have used numerous portable power banks to charge cell phones and tablets. I find these back up power resources very useful for when I am not near an outlet. Most of the devices I have used have worked fairly well for adding some additional usage time to my devices. Just recently I have expanded to larger, higher capacity power banks and the main model I have used over the past two months is the Xiaomi 16000mAh.

What is it?

You may not be familiar with the brand “Xiaomi”. Over in China they are a leader in high tech devices such as cell phones, tablets and Bluetooth devices. I ordered the Xiaomi 16000mAh power bank from GearBest.com. By ordering directly from the country of manufacture substantial savings can be had. I paid $23.99 with free shipping.

The intended use of the Xiaomi is to provide power on-the-go to charge cell phones and other portable electronic devices. It does NOT provide enough energy to power an inverter or jump start a vehicle.

Construction:

The Xiaomi is constructed extremely well. All lines and seams are very smooth. No machining marks are evident. The case is anodized aluminum and very attractive with rounded corners. Nothing shakes or wobbles. If an Apple logo was slapped on the side of it no one would be surprised as it is built with similar quality.

The LED power level lights, USB ports and power button all work as they should.

Operation:

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to operate the Xiaomi 16000 mAh. To charge it simply take the included cable plugging one end into the USB port of a wall outlet or PC, and the mini-USB end into the Xiaomi. Depending on the incoming charge the length of time to bring the unit to full capacity can take some time.  In my experience from totally dead to fully charged was between 9-12 hours.

To check how much power is available simply press the power button and the LED indicators will light up. There are 4 LED’s which represent 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%.

There are two USB ports providing the ability to charge two devices at one time. Each port will put out 2.1A which is enough to charge even the most demanding of today’s cell phones and tablets. Simply plug in your charging cable and then attach your device and the charging will begin.

Performance:

This is pretty simple: It works! For over 2 months I have carried the Xiaomi testing its performance and have been impressed. It does take a long time to charge however that is due to its large capacity. I have charged Samsung tablets, Samsung Galaxy phones, both an iPhone 5 and 6, and a crappy Blackberry. It will often charge these devices faster than a wall outlet depending on the amps of the outlet charger(many are only 1 amp).

I have had no issues fully charging my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 multiple times – even while using during the charging.

For a price of $23.99 it is a heck of a bargain. The Xiaomi 16000mAh power bank is a great tool for the pack, the home, or the office – just in case.

For more information click HERE.

Rourke

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Chess Puzzle | 10/27/2015 - Step By Step, Move By Move

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Lucid Dreaming | I dream about my job A LOT! Can I turn these into Lucid Dreams?

Is there any way I can use this to my advantage, and turn every dream about my job into a lucid dream? Almost every night I dream about work!

Would it work to do a ton of reality checks like this during work (I work at a grocery store), thinking...

Am I dreaming, or do I see *carts that need to be collected* or *bread that needs to be stocked* or *drunk guy leaving the beer section* *or any of the hundreds of different things I see at work* at work?
Let's find out. *hits myself or jumps.* Then thinks...

I am NOT dreaming.
I am awake.
I am alert.
I am lucid!!!!

every time I see something different at work. I could easily do over 300 RCs a day during work! I did this once while keeping track of how many I did, and I did 425 RCs during one shift, 257 RCs during the first four hours of the shift!

Would it be best to include 'at work' when I do it, or not include it and hope it would also generate lucid dreams on non-work dreams?

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From the Desk of John Rourke – October 27th, 2015

Just recieved the new November Emergency Essentials catalog and it looks awesome. I will highlight some of their special sales early next week.

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If your a diabetic and can use Freestyle glucose meters get a free one by going to this website:  –http://ift.tt/1Lyas9v

Every member of your family is eligible to get one. Great for putting a few back. Special thanks to “Ralph” for sending this in.

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Check out SHTF: 23 Survival Experts Share Their Knife of Choice. I was one of those featured.

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Drone technology is really something else. The non-military hobbyist continue to push boundaries with range, maneuverability, and  usability. Really something to watch.

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Within a Facebook Preparedness Group one of the members posed a hypothetical question regarding a group of people hiding out in a small building along a street. They see what appears to be a gang of thugs heading in their direction and a baby in the group starts to cry. The obvious factor is if the gang of thugs hears the baby then the thugs will know they are there.

What do you do about the baby?

What was disturbing was not the variety of suggestions but one person actually said that gangs and groups of “bad people” was a myth of preparedness. She believes that when the SHTF people will be worried about themselves and that is it.

Incredible.

 

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8 Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

Most all of us have a bottle – or twelve – of hydrogen peroxide put back. Did you know that its uses are more than just wound disinfection? Hydrogen peroxide actually has a multitude of uses and makes the storage of it even more important.

Oh and by the way there is a reason hydrogen peroxide comes in a dark brown bottle. It is because light will ruin its potency.

It should be obvious to see how all of these uses are directly related to preparedness.

Here’s the list……

Tooth Cleanser – mix with baking soda to make an extremely effective tooth cleaning paste.

Antiseptic Mouth Rinse – Hydrogen peroxide can help with canker sores as well as kill germs causing bad breath. Consider diluting with water to verify it won’t cause too much irritation if used full strength.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner – Pour a half a cup into the toilet bowl and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Come back and wipe clean.

Pet Saver – If your pet swallows something they shouldn’t have and you need to make them throw up simply get them to drink some hydrogen peroxide. Very effective as within minute the animal will be vomiting.

Disinfect and Clean Wounds – the most obvious use.  Irrigating the wound with hydrogen peroxide can help clear away dead tissue and kill bacteria.

Acne and Boils – Just like treating a wound the use of hydrogen peroxide on infected acne and boils and greatly increase the healing. It works!

Athlete’s Foot – There are different types of fungus that cause athlete’s foot as well as jock itch. Many people have had success treating these fungi with hydrogen peroxide.

Household Cleaning – Disinfect your countertops by  mixing hydrogen peroxide and water in equal parts. Remember to keep the mixture away from light to protect the hydrogen peroxide from loosing its strength. Something to consider if no other cleaning agents are available.

Hope this list generated a few ideas and will get you to put back a few extra bottles.

Gotta get going now. Heading to the dollar store to pick up a few bottles of hydrogen peroxide.

Rourke

 

 

 

 

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Rourke’s Weekly Recommendations

Every week I throw out a few recommendations on things such as movies, books, knives, flashlights – all kinds of stuff. Some of these are not related to preparedness whatsoever – rather, just stuff I like. Most are available on Amazon but not all. I have a particular fondness for movies as one of my favorite things to do is to sit back and watch a good one.

So – for this week……here is my list:

 

Books (non-fiction)

Unbroken: A World War 2 Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Killing Lincoln

After America: Get Ready for Armageddon 

 

 

Books (fiction)

Pillar to the Sky

Split Second

 

 

Movies/TV

Nightcrawler – very interesting

Source Code

End of Watch

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Lucid Dreaming | Feedback Initiated Lucid Dream

Today i was thinking about a kind of natural feedback to remember me to apply a reality check, specially one that may be present also in dreams...

So, surprise...the idea is to take strong emotions, moments of confusion or dificulty retrieving words and names, and moments of surprise and wonder as your feedback.

Then just do a reality check whenever you notice a feedback sign.

Yup, nothing new, just a play of concepts and words :) I fancy neurofeedback so you understand the move

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Lucid Dreaming | Combo: DEILD --> FILD

Hey guys!

I've just had this technique combo idea.

During awakenings immediately DEILD, and if unsuccessful, lay back and FILD when you feel like you're gonna fall asleep (this shouldn't take long if you didn't move much during your DEILD attempt). This gives you 2 opportunities to become lucid in a relatively short amount of time, and this whole process can be repeated multiple times during the night.

I'd like to know what you guys think about it. Btw, I'm new to dreamviews, and this was my first post xD

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Lucid Dreaming | Voice reminder - do they not exist??

Hi, so im want a way of recording a message and having it autoplay after a set amount of time and then to automatically repeat itself. This is so i can set it to begin after a wbtb and to play 'you are dreaming, do a reality check' every 20 mins. I have spent hours searching for an app or website or anything to use with my iphone and nothing exists!!!! very surprised.

All of the voice reminder apps are not autoplay and theres just nothing around

Does anyone know of an app / website where i can simply get ny voice recording to play intermittently so that i can use it as an audio cue during rem to get lucid?

Thanks guys
Ezzo

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Chess Puzzle | 10/26/2015 - Just In The Nick Of Time

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Rourke’s AR Pistol Build – “Venom”

 

AR pistols are all the rage today and for good reason. They offer much of the size and maneuverability of an SBR(short barrel rifle) without the cost and time involved in a NFA tax stamp. “NFA tax stamp?” You see the government in all its infinite wisdom decided long ago that owning a rifle with a barrel length less than 16″ is just not something the American people should be allowed to do. If you want a compact and very handy “rifle” then you either pony up the money and paperwork for an SBR or you get an AR pistol.

What has really increased the popularity of the AR pistol is the availability of “stabilizing braces”. These braces – with Sig leading the pack – provide an avenue for the AR pistol to have fantastic functionality. These braces are intended to be placed against or secured to the forearm thus the term “stabilizing”. There are some questions regarding the legality of  shouldering an AR pistol with a brace. I am not going to get into the specifics here however for more information see this great video.

 

 

The Build…..

The goal of the project was to build a SBR-like firearm that is highly reliable, accurate, and maneuverable. After a substantial amount of research I selected each component based on both quality as well as price.

 

Component List:

Mid State Firearms SS 1:7 5.56 Gen 2 10.5″ Barrel Upper with Free Float Rail – $269

Mid State Melonite Bolt Carrier Group – $85

New Pioneer C-4 Billet Stripped Lower – $120

Shockwave Pistol Stabilizer – $55

PSA Pistol Buffer Tube Kit – $30

Anderson Lower Parts Kit – $45

HIPERTOUCH EDT AR Trigger – $89

Hexmag 30 round Magazine – $12

Bushnell TRS-25 Red Dot Optic with Riser – $85

Single Point Sling Adapter – $8

 

Completion of the Project

I took a Saturday afternoon laying out all the parts from the Anderson Lower Parts Kit, PSA pistol buffer tube, gathered tools, and set up my Chromebook. Assembly of the lower was done following YouTube videos step-by-step. There are tons of them and it makes assembly extremely simple.

I installed all parts with no issues including the HIPERTOUCH EDT AR trigger. Once everything was done I cocked the hammer back and tested the Hipertouch trigger – awesome. It breaks extremely crisp with little take up and reset is phenomenal.

Next I placed the Mid State Gen2 upper onto the lower and slid and locked down the Shockwave stabilizer. This thing felt like a dream in my hands but the real question is how will it shoot? Will it be reliable? Will it be accurate? Will the thing fall apart after the first trigger pull.

I took Venom (yes – I had to name it) to the range and fired 100 rounds through it purely for function testing. Lubrication was via standard Rem Oil. No issues. I set up a few targets and sighted the Bushnell TRS-25 red dot in at 50 yards. At closer ranges I shot a little low and at 100 yards my 4″ groups were slightly high. I am very pleased.

This initial testing took place 2 months ago. Since then I have shot an additional  400 rounds without a single bobble. Mostly the ammunition shot has been Monarch steel cased .223 55 grain FMJ and some Federal XM193’s. Numerous magazines were tested including Tapco, PMAG’s, and of course Hexmag. The Hexmag continues  to be my favorite.

Open sights will be added soon.

Here are a few pictures of Venom……

The completed AR pistol build.

 

Lower – New Frontier Armory billet

 

Beveled opening for magazine – works well

 

Shockwave Stabilizer – attaches via large bolt pressing against buffer tube

 

The Mid State Gen2 Upper has a 10.5″ SS barrel and lots of rail surface

 

Standard A2 flash hider on business end of Mid State pistol upper

 

Single Point Sling Adapter – I like the versatility of this type. Clip on either side.

 

Bushnell TRS-25 with Riser – super rugged and it works

 

The Mid State Gen2 Upper has a free float rail system and a stainless 10.5″ barrel.

 

“Venom”

 

Summary:

Overall this gun rocks!! Reliable, accurate, highly compact and maneuverable.

I built this to be a CQC option to be operational from zero out to 100 yards or more. So far it fits the bill just fine. I am looking forward to more trigger time and taking it through some “run and gun” courses.

Rourke

 

 

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From the Desk of John Rourke – October 26th, 2015

I call frequent visitors to ModernSurvivalOnline “Patriots” because likely you share many of the same beliefs and values. These include love of country, belief in the Constitution, and a defender of Freedom.

Something to consider when I refer to readers as Patriots.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

A fellow group member just picked up the CRKT Chogan T-Hawk and I had a chance to take a look at it. I really like it and am lacking in this department.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

We all prepare for a variety of things that MAY happen at some point in the future. Think about this: There are things that are so much more likely to happen to you beyond the SHTF scenarios that you should prepare for NOW. A car accident is the most likely event to kill you today. Wear your seat belt. Pay attention. STAY OFF YOUR PHONE!!!

Wouldn’t that suck to plan for something that may happen in the future and then run into the back of a truck because you were texting?

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Edmund Burke

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

The last few books I have read have really gotten me thinking. Due to a variety of represented scenarios the need for me and my family to relocate to an alternate location is becoming more logical. My plan has always been to bug in for most any situation. I often envision myself within the events of the books I read and in doing so can “learn” and adaptive to my system.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Have a good week everyone.

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Lucid Dreaming | How do i improve from here?

i think i finally found my dream sign or something. in atleast 90% of my dreams so far it has been something about school or being osmewhere close to school or being with people from school. nearly every dream ive had has had something to do with that. but i dont know how i should use it to help me get lucid now. any tips for me? any help will be appreciated :)

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REMINDER: Emergency Essentials October monthly sale almost over

Every month I touch on some of the items that Emergency Essentials have on sale. A leader in the preparedness industry for decades Emergency Essentials has helped countless thousands stock up on supplies and survive trying times. Every month they have special sales and promotions. This month is no different.

 

Here are a few items involved in the current sale:

Emergency Essentials® Instant Nonfat Dry Milk Large Can – $18.99

 

Mobile Washer (Hand Operated Washing Machine) – $11.99

 

Emergency Essentials® Basic 4 person 72 hour Bucket 2-Pack – $99.99

 

Emergency Essentials® Dairy Beverage Combo – $74.99

 

Emergency Essentials® Freeze Dried Premier Meats Small Can Combo – $69.99

 

MRE Basic Emergency Backup Meal 7 Piece Pouch – $5.99

 

Half-Month Supply of MREs – $159.99

 

Deluxe Power Outage Kit – $174.99

 

Military Spec Prismatic Sighting Compass – $9.99

 

160 Gallon Water Reserve – $369.99

 

Emergency Essentials 6 Pack Bucket Combo – $529.99

 

Just click any of the above links or the banner below to head over to the Emergency Essentials website.

Rourke

 

 

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An Improvised Synthetic Aperture Radar

[Henrik] is at it again. Another thoroughly detailed radar project has shown up on his blog. This time [Henrik] is making some significant improvements to his previous homemade radar with the addition of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to his previous Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) system.

[Henrik’s] new design uses an NXP LPC4320 which uniquely combines an ARM Cortex-M4 MCU along with a Cortex-M0 co-processor. The HackRF also uses this micro as it has some specific features that can be taken advantage of here like the Serial GPIO (SGPIO) which can be tediously configured and high-speed USB all for ~$8 in single quantity. The mixed signal design is done in two boards, a 4 layer RF board and 2 layer digital board.

Like the gentleman he is, [Henrik] has included schematics, board files, and his modified source from the HackRF project in his github repo. There is simply too much information in his post to attempt to summarize here, if you need instant gratification check out the pictures after the break.

The write-up on his personal blog is impressive and worth look if you didn’t catch our coverage of his single board Linux computer, or his previous radar design.

Filed under: ARM, radio hacks

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