Bandpass Filters from the CNC Mill

A bandpass allows a certain electrical signal to pass while filtering out undesirable frequencies. In a speaker bandpass, the mid-range speaker doesn’t receive tones meant for the tweeter or woofer. Most of the time, this filtering is done with capacitors to remove low frequencies and inductors to remove high frequencies. In radio, the same concept applies except the frequencies are usually much higher. [The Thought Emporium] is concerned with signals above 300MHz and in this range, a unique type of filter becomes an option. The microstrip filter ignores the typical installation of passive components and uses the copper planes of an unetched circuit board as the elements.

A nice analogy is drawn in the video, which can also be seen after the break, where the copper shapes are compared to the music tuning forks they resemble. The elegance of these filters is their simplicity, repeatability, and reproducability. In the video, they are formed on a CNC mill but any reliable PCB manufacturing process should yield beautiful results. At the size these are made, it would be possible to fit these filters on a business card or a conference badge.

via Radio Hacks – Hackaday https://ift.tt/2LbByv2

An Overview of Antifa

by Derrick Krane

AntiFa, a portmanteau of Anti-Fascist, is an indigenous terrorist organization.  They are described as loosely organized, without a central leadership. They have numerous independent cells throughout the United States, the UK, and Europe, with an apparent drop in/drop out membership. They are very angry people.

Their motto is Punch a Nazi. They sometimes seem unclear as to what they are so angry about, or their goals. They engage in cowardly attacks against conservatives when they have the advantage or surprise and numbers. The words I would use to describe them are confused, misguided, and deranged. Their behavior is that of terrorists. They seek to promote socio-political change which they don’t seem to fully understand, through unjustified violence toward people who are not even members of their proclaimed target group.

What is Fascism?

Fascism is a political ideology based on suppression of free speech and human rights. It is a Machiavellian system in which violent means of suppression of contrary points of view is justified as an end to produce an efficient and orderly society.

The best known example is the Nazi Party of the 1930’s under Adolph Hitler. There were also fascist movements in Italy under Mussolini, and in Spain under Francisco Franco.  All were disastrous endeavors.

Fascism embodied by the Nazis was responsible for about fifty to eighty million people, or about 3% of the World population in the early 1940’s. This includes the attempted extermination of the Jewish people, whom at least six million of which died in Nazi death camps. This does not include those who suffered life changing injuries such as loss of limbs or disfigurement, the death of loved ones, displacement from their homes, in addition to collapse of governments and economic systems, and general human suffering on a massive scale.

Should Nazism and Fascism be opposed? Yes, definitely. But Antifa members seem to associate anyone who is conservative, Republican, and/or a Trump supporter with fascism. There is tiresome tirade of the left that President Trump is a racist, homophobic misogynist. Therefore, anyone who voted for him and supports him must be as well. There must be Resistance the Left says. I am unclear what the left are resisting.

• A chance for peace on the Korean peninsula following an unprecedented meeting between a US president and a North Korean dictator.
• The ongoing deportation of criminal illegal aliens who victimize Americans and the securing of our borders.
• The lowest unemployment rates in decades, including the lowest for black Americans and women.
• The return of American jobs from overseas
• A soaring stock market

Conservative Republicans

There are a few contrasts between Fascists and Republicans. Conservatives and Republicans are vilified by the leftist media, though we have done more for human rights, social justice, and peace and economic growth than they have ever accomplished.

Antifa’s Origins

The Antifa movement originated in Europe in the 1930’s and used violence to suppress Nazis.  Similar actions were carried out by:

• Imi Lichtenfield, the founder of Krav Maga, and other Jewish athletes protected their neighborhood against Nazi thugs. The modern corruption and perversion of Antifa is light years away from the goals of these men.
• In the UK, the 1936 Cable Street battle was a street fight between Blackshirts, aka British Nazi’s, and a collection of Irish, Jews, Labor party members and (unfortunately) Communist party members.
• In the United States, the Jewish mafia broke up Nazi demonstrators in Newark New Jersey.

These are examples of people actively fighting the spread of fascism. They were much clearer on their targets, e.g., Nazi’s.  The modern degeneration and corruption of this concept is seen today.

Antifa Intentions

They are ostensibly fighting against the spread of fascist ideology. Their de facto intent is on shutting down free speech through violence. Here is something for the left to consider:

If people have an ideology which is toxic, wouldn’t you rather know about then drive them underground? And should you not get all the facts and make a just judgment as to whether or not someone’s belief system is hateful or oppressive, instead of operating on assumption and emotion?

They claim they want to protect their communities, and prevent the spread of fascism. They believe any means are justified, including violence. Videos of them display people who are so angry they cannot listen to reason, are not even sure what their intentions or goals are.

Identifying Antifa Members

• They are both male and female (there are only two options for gender)
• They tend to be under 30
• They tend to be underweight, undernourished, and they back down and retreat when they are confronted directly.
• They tend to wear all black, and hide their faces behind black bandanas or balaclavas
• Their flag or insignia is a red pennant under a black flag, with a gray border black border, and gray slash through the flag and pennant. The word antifaschische appears on the top of the black border.
• They are often armed with combination locks or padlocks tied to bandanas to use as a flail, OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) spray, knives, bricks, slingshots, and crowbars.
• They are anarchists and leftists, from the same mold as the Occupy Wall Street crowd.

Antifa Activity

They appear at conservative speakers events and:

• They harass people with shouted threats, email threats and
• Swing bike locks, throes bricks, throw punches, loose slingshots, and spray pepper spray
• Cause general disruption and infringe on free speech.
• Get a beating and run away when people stand up to them.

Their members and supporters include the former adjunct professor of Economics Michael Issacson at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, who tweeted how he was honored to be teaching future dead cops. Conservative speakers were cancelled due to threats of violence from Antifa.

What law enforcement is doing about Antifa

The short answer is not enough. The New Jersey Department of Homeland Security has identified Antifa as a terrorist organization. On several occasions, local PD have backed down from Antifa.

• In Portland Oregon, Antifa shut down a republican event at the annual Rose festival by threatening violence toward Trump supporters. The Portland PD indicated they did not have enough manpower to assure security [horseshit] so the republicans were shut out of the event.
• Antifa disrupted the appearance of Mila Yiannopoulus, a conservative speaker by rioting in Berkeley California. Local PD did not appear to take any action.

Conclusion

The Nazi regime was responsible for horrid beyond imagination suffering during the Second World War era. Fascism is a toxic political ideology which suppresses human rights. These ideologies should not be allowed to propagate. But do not include conservative republicans and trump supporters in the same category.

The ironic hypocrisy of the left is at work again’ liberals  ( I am generally speaking here) are quick to say don’t stereotype, don’t judge the whole group by the actions of the most vocal and noticeable, don’t discriminate based on group identity, love don’t hate, and other platitudes. Yet they lump anyone on the right side of the political spectrum as fascists.

Antifa is a confused misguided and self-contradictory organization in that they are the very thing they are opposed to. They should not be underestimated. They are thugs who hurt people and damage property due to a twisted ideology.

Be aware of what is happening in your community and if these criminals are present in your area. Talk to local, state and federal law enforcement about what action they are taking, and write or call your representative. There is a petition to the white house with over 100, 000 signatures to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.

Get the word out about Antifa and their intentions, through Blogs, Tweet and Facebook. Make people aware of whom they are. Do your homework and make accurate statements. Everything I have described here is from multiple sources I consulted, available by clicking on the hyperlinks. Don’t lower yourself to the same level as the unhinged left by making blatantly false claims, or repeating inaccurate information. Do not allow yourself to be silenced by anyone, especially these scum.

via Modern Survival Online https://ift.tt/2JgeoPg

Ham-designed Gear Used in Thailand Cave Rescue

Unless you live in a cave, you’ve probably heard at a little about the thirteen people — mostly children — trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand. What you may have missed, though, is the hacker/ham radio connection. The British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC) was asked for their expert help. [Rick Stanton], [John Volanthen] and [Rob Harper] answered the call. They were equipped with HeyPhones. The HeyPhone is a 17-year-old design from [John Hey, G3TDZ]. Sadly, [G3TDZ] is now a silent key (ham radio parlance for deceased) so he didn’t get to see his design play a role in this high-profile rescue, although it has apparently been a part of many others in the past.

The HeyPhone is actually considered obsolete but is still in service with some teams. The radio uses USB (upper sideband, not universal serial bus) at 87 kHz. The low frequency can penetrate deep into the ground using either induction loop antennas like the older Molephone, or — more commonly — with electrodes injecting RF energy directly into the ground.

You can find a very detailed article about the radio from 2001 if you want more details. The system is somewhat dated, but apparently works well and that’s what counts.

What we find interesting is that in today’s world, people take wireless communications for granted and don’t realize that cell phones don’t work underground or in the face of widespread disasters. We would imagine most Hacakday readers know how cell phone towers use “cellular reuse” to support more than a handful of phones. Ask some non-technical friend if they know how a cell phone works and you’ll be surprised how few people understand this. Ham radio operators and hackers are vital to building and deploying specialized radio systems in times of disaster or — in this case — where people need rescuing from an odd environment.

We were glad to see a nod to some hacker gear in the popular press. But we almost wish there had been more reporting on the volunteer divers and their hacked radio gear.

We’ve talked about VLF radios before, but not for caving. Of course, in the old days, all radio was VLF and it might have even had some unintended consequences.

via Radio Hacks – Hackaday https://ift.tt/2zoXheq

On Becoming Hard to Kill

by Derrick Krane

Never make it easy for the bad guys. If anyone ever wants to assault you, rob you, rape you or kill you, it should be the hardest thing they have ever done in their life. Always make the bad guys work for it.  Becoming Hard to Kill has become an internet meme attributed to Tim Kennedy.

Young men and older men for that matter should see him as a role model. UFC fighter, Army Ranger, entrepreneur, and family man, he should inspire men as to what they can accomplish. The emphasis on this article is about becoming physically resistant to harm.

Detecting and avoiding trouble, and not starting trouble should be the emphasis and your first plan. Then comes the next step, which is hardening and strengthening your mind and body to escape, or withstand or do violence to the greatest degree possible. I want to present a multi-dimensional approach to personal safety, with this article focusing on becoming a hard target.

• Awareness of your surroundings and potential threats
• Deterrence through presenting yourself as a unattractive target
• Avoidance: The conscious decision to avoid a threat, even if it means swallowing pride and ego.
• De-escalation to convince the threat you are not a good target while not challenging, insulting or threatening them
• Being able to escape a threat by fleeing. There is no shame in this. Sometimes it is the smartest move.
• Being able to give or a take a beating if it comes down to it when all of the above fail.
  1. This includes injury prevention, and disease and illness prevention

It’s No Fun Being a Victim

It’s a cold world we live in. Those who are weak will be victimized. This is not my cynical world view, but rather an objective observation of reality and history. Those who are both strong and predatory exploit and use those who are weaker, on both the individual and international level. A basic tenet of Victimology; the study of crime victims; is the very politically incorrect theory that victims nearly always precipitate their own victimization, or contribute in at least some small way to being victimized. Examples include:

• Making large cash withdrawal from an ATM, and then walking down the street counting it. You will be an easy target for a mugger
• Buying or selling drugs. You will be robbed, beaten or murdered at some point. It is inevitable; it is only a question of when and how severe.
• Being an unfaithful lover. People lose all sense of reason when someone they are intimate with steps out on them, or if they even perceive this is happening as per the hyperlinked story.
• A drunken young woman going to a man’s room. Alcohol and hormones = bad situations.
• The timid, skinny high school freshman who shows fear or hesitation to the bullies.

This is not victim blaming. The offender is always responsible for their actions. But there is no need to leave yourself wide open to aggression, or to walk into high risk situations. This is about making victims responsible for their safety and making a predator’s job harder.

People victimize themselves by choosing to associate with violent and unstable individuals, or by entering into and staying in abusive relationships. There is another perspective on victimization. We victimize ourselves with a poor diet, lack of exercise, and not enough rest, smoking, or by abusing drugs or alcohol. This also includes heart disease and diabetes, and increased incidence of colds and flu, and injury.

Avoidance of Violence

Gray Man

This is not a contradiction, but rather an alternative to a deterrence appearance. Blend in. Don’t draw attention to yourself. There is power in anonymity. The gray man theory is about hiding yourself and your abilities so you don’t become a target. Someone swaggering around in Tacti-Cool gear while grocery shopping is going to draw attention. If an active shooter or terrorist is scoping an area, you may look like a good first target. There is also an even greater risk you will look like a douchebag, particularly if you have never been in the military or law enforcement. If you want a good laugh, click here for a link to a satirical forum thread on the Mall-ninja, aka the Tacti-Douche.

Timing & Location

Twenty years ago, what I am about to say would be paranoid, but the world has changed. Consider avoiding busy times in supermarkets, Big-box stores, and malls, and avoid crowds and large gatherings as much as possible Active shooters and terrorism is a reality. Densely packed people are a target. I know how this sounds, and this action must be balanced with how it could impact your quality of life. If you are in a densely packed area, it is especially important to work on good situational awareness. Know the exits, escape routes, location of cover and concealment, and have a plan beforehand if things get hectic.

Prevention of Violence through Discipline

Awareness, avoidance, and de-escalation are critical skills every adult should have. Ideally these skills should be introduced and practiced from childhood on. While this information is critical, it is not the emphasis of this particular article. For a look at developing these skills see:

The Little Black Book of Violence

Self-control, showing respect, good manners, and learning how to compromise and negotiate are valuable skills. Part of not being a victim is being assertive rather than submissive. It does not mean going to the opposite extreme a becoming a rude, obnoxious, swaggering loudmouth. It is amazing to me how some people will blatantly disrespect others without any concern of immediate consequences. Here some things I have seen:

• You got a real pretty mouth from a young punk sitting at an outdoor café, to a man walking down the sidewalk that had been contorting his face as he tried digging something out of his teeth.
• Green on the back, neon green on the back from an idiot singing this as he was walking behind a runner wearing two-tone black and fluorescent green gear.
• What’s up tiny? From a cocky, grinning, thug to a 250 lb. bodybuilder who must have outweighed him by a hundred pounds.

I just don’t get it. Running your mouth to a complete stranger is a good way to get a beating; or even more. Don’t be that guy. Always let the other guy be the asshole. Show others respect and you will avoid many potential conflicts. This applies to everyday life, and even more so if our civilized (?) society takes a sideways turn.

On a more positive note, I have noticed what seems to be a growing trend in my area of New England. When you are at a stoplight, if you look at someone in a car next to you, they give you a nod, instead of ignoring you or giving you the WTF are you lookin’ at look.  I got it and returned it twice today. Try it. This simple display of respect can go a long way.

The Physical Training Plan

This program does not include defensive tactics or fighting skills; that is a completely different and much more complex discussion for another time. This is about getting your body ready for anything including defensive tactics training. The principals herein are to combine movements which employ multiple muscle groups working in concert.

Bodybuilding is not the end goal. You will not be focused on aesthetics although a more aesthetically pleasing form will result, but performance. Bodybuilding is great; I have done it for years. Your body is treated like a canvass or slab of marble and you will transform it into a work of living art. It is a very worthwhile endeavor.

Of course you will become stronger. But bodybuilding is in one dimension; it is mostly about making muscles larger and more symmetrical and defined. There are many isolation movements in bodybuilding, such as preacher curls or chest flyes, which emphasize making individual muscles larger, but do not promote total body strength, or potential summation of force by learning to use multiple muscle groups together. As I have gotten older, I have come to value strength training over body building, and added other dimensions to training to be better-rounded and better prepared for whatever life bring your way

Functional training

If you are over 40, or have not trained in more than six months, or have a pre-existing injury or medical condition, consult your physician before beginning any physical training program

I would also recommend getting formal instruction through a qualified personal trainer. See the hyperlinks at the bottom of this article for some other resources to get you started.

A functional training program is about using muscles in concert, to generate maximum force, being able to move with speed and agility, and maintaining flexibility, while having a hard insulating layer of muscle. Your routine should include and emphasize:

• Deadlifts so you can pick up something heavy from the ground.

See the Video below. You may have to work your way up to this [Sarcasm Alert]

• One arm dumbbell rows to pick up heavy things.
• Farmer’s walks so you can carry heavy things.
• Frog squat to be able to squat down and straighten up without grabbing anything for support
• Burpees, possibly the most efficient way to develop total body strength, cardiovascular capacity, explosive movement, and muscle endurance.
• Thrusters; a great compound movement for pushing weight overhead.
• Pullups and dips to push and to pull yourself up and over an obstacle or to climb, and for general upper body strength.
• Develop grip strength so when you grab something or someone it stays grabbed
• Tire flipping to engage multiple muscle groups and just to feel badass.
• Bench press to develop upper body strength.
• Sprinting and stair climbing to get out of harm’s way fast or get somewhere to help someone fast.
• Distance running and walking for overall endurance, fat control, and general fitness.
• Crunches for a strong care which will help you with everything else on this list.

Eating & Hydration

We Americans eat large amounts of the wrong food. I am guilty of this as well. Living in a northern part of the US, with long cold winters, and short days (the 3^rd week of December, it is dark here by 5:00 PM ). It just makes it too easy to hibernate and eat apple pies, pumpkin pies, chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookies, Tarte au Sucre, and cream filled donuts.

These foods are very satisfying in terms of taste and mouth feel , which is the creamy sensation from the load of fats contained  These foods are delicious and I love eating them in large quantities. They are also calories dense, and nutrient poor. They are laden with saturated fats, which are the worst kinds as they promote arterial clogging.

They are loaded with sodium which causes water retention and can raise blood pressure in susceptible individuals. They are packed with refined white sugar, which can beat up your pancreas and decrease insulin sensitivity so that your cells no longer respond to insulin and you get adult onset diabetes. America is suffering from an epidemic of obesity accompanied by heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers associated with obesity.

If you are obese, it is harder to buy proper fitting clothes, you can break chairs, it decreases your gas mileage, it makes it harder to breathe, and make every effort more difficult from the dead weight you are carrying. It is also unsightly. No, despite what the toxic FAM (Fat Acceptance Movement) professes, people are not beautiful at any weight.

We are also not healthy at any weight. Fat is ugly and unhealthy. That does not mean I hate fat people. (I can hear the hate comments now). I am currently one of them after a winter of sloth and gluttony, and am now working to compensate with twice a day workouts and a strict clean eating plan. I recognize obesity as a health problem, and a public health issue. Let’s define what compassion really is. Is it kinder to fat people to assure them they are beautiful at any weight, or to encourage weight loss and healthy habits to maintain weight?

Some options for healthy eating include:

The Mediterranean diet and The Paleo diet, both of which focus on clean eating, and avoiding processed foods. Triathlete and former Iron Man winner Mark Allen recommends only shopping from the perimeter of a supermarket. This will allow you to avoid most processed foods heavily laden with the Unhealthy Triad of added sodium, refined sugar and saturated fat, as well as excessive preservatives, and artificial colors flavorings.

Hydration

Drink water. Then drink more water. After that, have some water. Water is good for you. It helps with regulation of body temperature, facilitates fat metabolism, helps maintain good bowel function, keeps your skin smoother, helps your muscles work more efficiently, and much more. I prefer room temperature water as I find it easier to drink in large amounts.

Carry a water bottle and sip all day, refilling it as needed. Try some different bottled waters until you discover your favorites. Two of my favorites are Evian for a flat water and Gerolsteiner for a sparkling water. I find they are worth the price. Disregard the tiresome you need eight glasses of water a day crap. How much water you need is dependent on your body weight, your gender (there are just two options BTW) activity level and ambient temperature. See the link below for a hydration calculator.

Rest & Recovery

Don’t overdo it and over train to the point of injury or burnout.  You need days off to recover and for your muscles to grow. You will release HGH (Human Growth Hormone) from your pituitary gland while you sleep so injuries can heal and muscles can grow. A day off does not mean sitting and doing nothing. Get outside for an easy, slow walk or bike ride, kick a soccer ball or throw a football; do something where you are moving your body.

Firearms

It is much more difficult to victimize someone who is armed, despite any physical disparity, or difference in fighting skills. Jocko Willink, retired navy SEAL and commander of Seal team Three is a man who knows a thing or two about self-protection. He advocates carrying a firearm for protection. See one of his videos on this topic below.

Get a gun, any required license or permit in your area, and training which covers at least gun safety, marksmanship, self-defense law in your jurisdiction, safe gun storage and transport, and maintenance. Decide on (as much as one can) your willingness to engage an active shooter, terrorist, or other criminal intent on killing you or others.

Get lots of ammo; locate a shooting range, and practice, practice, practice. Read good sources on firearms, and watch good videos on firearms, but so not rely exclusively on self- training. Reading and videos are supplements to live training; not a substitute for it.

Conclusion

Don’t be anyone’s victim. Start by making yourself a hard target.

_____________________

Resources for further reading:

How to stop being a snowflake

Safe and Secure Apartment Living

How to Deter a Mugger

10 Basic principles of strength training

We won’t let him hurt you

How Army Rangers Train to become the fittest warriors in the world

via Modern Survival Online https://ift.tt/2KOOhnB

Tips and Guidance for First Time Handgun Buyers

by Contributing Author

The purchase of a handgun is often the first item on the itinerary of the new gun owner. The handgun is the typical firearm of self-defense, and a terrific variety of designs, makes and models are available on the new and used markets. While more experienced shooters will have settled on a preferred brand and model or two they rely on for their needs, this is far from the case with most new shooters.

The old saying, “everyone has an opinion” is true and triply true in the world of guns: well-intentioned advice and tips will assail the new gun owner from every direction; gun store staff, friends, family, YouTube videos, teachers and trainers, cops articles like this one. Most are well-intentioned, some will offer recommendations of questionable or dubious utility and still others will be products of experience and wisdom.

The problem is sorting the good from the bad when you have no frame of reference! Most newcomers to the way of the gun will simply be looking for a friendly, trustworthy expert to tell them what to buy, what to avoid or help direct their search to one of few decent selections to prevent them from making a mistake. Nothing at all wrong with that, and to be honest there are so many great, or at least decent, guns on the market today that a prospective purchaser has to screw up pretty good to get saddled with a  toaster.

So instead of presenting just another list of do’s and don’ts for new shooters looking for their first handgun, I will instead address some broader considerations you should keep in mind to help you make the most of the advice you are offered and give you confidence in your selection no matter what you buy.

Presumptions

I offer up my considerations and advice for prospective buyers who are seeking guns for sale, handguns in particular for general self-defense in a civilian context, not target shooting, hunting or anything else. As I cannot possibly hope to anticipate or account for every person’s unique needs, intent, talent and other such intangibles some of this advice may not apply to you.

In general though, these guidelines will help prevent you from making a mistake when purchasing a pistol that results in wasted time, effort, money or both. There is usually no easy exchange or return of a gun bought from a dealer, as any new stock, once transferred, can only be resold to them as used. Purchasing a gun you wind up hating and wish to exchange will see a steep reduction in the buyback price.

A poorly designed pistol or one of inferior quality will make shooting it less fun and practice more laborious, slowing your development as a shooter. If the pistol is prone to malfunction or breakage, that can mean disastrous consequences if it is called on to help you save your life in an altercation.

Thoughts on Pistol Selection

There has been more pontificating done on choosing the One True Handgun than any other facet of gun ownership, very likely. It’s easy to get pulled apart by a barrage of opinions and endorsements here. Only a few characteristics really, really matter when it comes to picking a pistol suitable for defense. The rest, while not necessarily minutiae, are of far lesser importance, and may in fact only be of interest to those who are professionally or vocationally dedicated to maximizing performance.

When choosing a handgun the most important trait by far is reliability. Reliability is essential in order to have the confidence that the gun will go bang when you pull the trigger, no matter what. No matter if it is dirty or clean, dry or oiled. A gun that is finicky or fussy should not be considered for the critical duty of keeping you and potentially others safe.

What is reliability though? And what is acceptably reliable? After all, it seems good laboratory data is pretty tough to come up with outside of a few publicized government and military tests, and what testing data manufacturers care to offer to the public, and you are not wrong to be wary of bias. Simply put, a given model’s reputation for reliability is usually built up or torn down by a combination of factors and only a few of them will be anything approaching comprehensive scientific data.

The rest are all very anecdotal in nature, sadly, and is part of the reason shooters have strong and often divisive opinions about every imaginable make and model of pistol. For every person that tells you a pistol is good to go because so-and-so uses it, there will be others who decry it as a piece of junk because their brother-in-law owned one and it broke. Generally, you will not go wrong buying a gun from a prominent, well-known manufacturer.

The Price is Right

Price matters: you most often times get what you pay for with guns. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can buy a $100 pistol that is trustworthy unless a relative you trust is selling one of theirs at a loss. Luckily, you do not need the esteem of an expensive exotic brand to get a worthy one; excellent guns can be had brand new between $400-600 dollars, and acceptable ones between $350 and $400. You can save more on the same model by buying a used gun, which is generally safe if you buy from a reputable dealer who will guarantee your satisfaction.

There is a curve that guns are rated on when it comes to quality versus price. Comparing guns apples-to-apples helps make sense of things. It is not entirely appropriate to compare a metal framed hammer fired pistol to a polymer framed striker fired pistol on price alone. Metal framed guns are more expensive than polymer framed ones, as a rule. Ditto for hammer-fired guns versus striker fired guns. Say if the average price of a good polymer, striker-fired pistol from a major manufacturer is around $500 new, give or take 50 bucks, there’d better be a good case for another manufacturer charging $700 for a similar polymer, striker-fired gun.

Caliber Selection

Caliber selection literature could fill volumes and terabytes of storage as a topic all its own, but generally you will be well off to stick with a popular, “standard” round in a given category of gun. So for semi-autos consider a .380ACP, 9mm Luger, .40 S&W or .45ACP. In a revolver your choices will be .38 Special or .357 Magnum. Your default choices in each category should be 9mm and .38 Special. Both are completely effective for defense against people, have mild recoil and cheap, plentiful ammo in a huge assortment of different loads. Smaller cartridges like the .22 LR and .32’s of various types should only be considered if you have injuries or infirmities that prevent you from effectively handling and controlling a pistol chambered for the others. In such a case they are adequate for defense, though not optimal.

If you have your heart set on a bigger caliber for whatever reason, then go with that but understand you’ll pay for it two ways: cost of ammo and greater recoil, though the former is usually more of an issue than the latter in anything but the smallest guns.

Selecting Type and Action

Speaking of revolvers vs. semi-autos, I’ll say only this: the semi-auto takes a little more work to learn how to load and unload it, but is easier to shoot well once that is practiced. The revolver is easier to load and unload, but is harder to shoot well overall. The average semi-auto will carry much more ammo than a similar sized revolver, and ammo capacity is important, but the majority of defensive shootings are concluded within 1-3 rounds, statistically.

Though one might argue that if you are going to rely on statistics, your chances of ever needing the gun in the first place are slim unless you go out of your way to find trouble. Just something to consider. Both are more than adequate for self defense, so if you are gravitating towards one or the other, don’t stress over it. Buy it, be prepared to train and practice on it, and you’ll be fine.

The action of the gun is worth consideration, though after much time instructing I have arrived at the conclusion that it is not as important for most as expert users would perhaps indicate based on their discussions with their peers: The action of the gun in essence determines the way the trigger behaves. Without delving into too much detail in keeping with the intent of this guide, you can classify the action as single or double action, and what that means is how many actions the trigger can perform with the hammer of the pistol, and further complicated by the fact that some pistols lack hammers altogether.

A single action trigger can only release a cocked hammer, while a double action can both cock and release the hammer. What does this mean to you? Basically, a double-action trigger will have a long, heavy pull because it must mechanically retract and then release the hammer in the same movement. A single action trigger will have a light, crisp, short pull because it must only trip the sear to release an already cocked hammer.

The majority of revolvers sold today are double action, but may be manually cocked for a single action shot if desired. Semi-autos may be single action, where the gun will always have a cocked hammer if ready to fire, or double action, which start with the hammer down for the first shot, but subsequent shots are all single-action until decocked. This all seems very complicated in text, but a quick demo at the gun shop on how to run a given pistol will clear things up: some guns are very simple and easy to use with a minimum of controls, while others are a little more involved and have an extra lever or button. All but the worst designs are easy enough to learn if you are committed; don’t let the presence or lack of a hammer deter you from a pistol you like. You will learn how to use it safely and efficiently with only a little training and practice, I promise.

Size Matters

The only other major characteristic you should pay attention to when buying is the size of the gun. Depending on your intentions for it, you may help or hinder your objectives by choosing a large or small gun. Larger guns (to a point) shoot better with less recoil and more ammunition on board than smaller guns. Smaller guns though are obviously easier to carry and conceal.

If it is only going to live at home or on the nightstand, a full size gun is fine. They can be carried concealed, but you’ll have to work a little harder to achieve that and usually sacrifice more comfort. A compact gun can more or less do it all and they still shoot nicely and are easy to handle. Think twice before purchasing a subcompact or micro handgun as you give up a lot in performance, and often reliability, to get that tiny, easy to carry size. If you do not really require a gun small enough to ride in the pocket or on the ankle, then pass on them.

Other Considerations

If you have narrowed your choices to one of a few models that are similar in all major features except manufacturer and design, with one being a common make and the other an exotic rarity, choose the common gun. No matter how cool, special or interesting you think the other gun is, you’ll thank me later when the time comes to get parts, holsters and service for your new gun. I’m not saying you’ll be up a creek with a foreign or domestic exotic, but it will make your search more difficult and usually expensive.

Common, popular designs benefit from tremendous OEM and third-party support on everything from parts to customization, and while you may privately detest the idea of carrying what everyone else is carrying, the purpose of this tool should trump your concerns about social vanity.

Conclusion

Buying a new gun does not have to be a stressful guessing game. With a clear purpose for the gun in mind and armed with this guide, you’ll be walking out of the gun shop in no time with a fine pistol to suit your needs.

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Lucid Dreaming | Lucid dreaming on a busy schedule - need motivation

Hi all,

I'm aware that similar threads exist, but I just wanted to post my situation and get some advice as I feel my angle is slightly different.

As a bit of background, I'm 29 with a 9-6 weekday office job. When I was at university and had a flexible working schedule I was very much into lucid dreaming - I know a lot of the theory and techniques and was able to maintain at least 2 lucids per month, which was a lot for me. As far as I know from theory and experience, you really need these 3 things in order to become lucid:

- A dream journal
- Plenty of RCs
- At least 7 hours sleep

Which brings me to now. Outside of work, family life is also particularly stressful at the moment - to cut a long story short my mum is going through some personal issues and temporarily living with us (essentially 4 people sharing a 2 bedroom flat, and we usually have to alternate between who gets the sofa). We also have a particularly loud and annoying cat. Because of work, family stuff and the necessary me-time I usually find myself going to bed around 1am and waking up at 7:30 each night. I don't currently keep a dream journal and I don't do RCs, although the latter I know is easy to incorporate even into a working day.

So basically, I have a busy schedule and quite a lot of stress which means my quality of sleep isn't always great. RCs I can and will start doing again no problem. But I need help motivation-wise to get over the more general hurdle.

I tried this twice already since starting work - make more time for sleep and dream journalling so that I'd have better quality dreams and more lucids. The problem is that I didn't see any results, and am stuck in a bit of a catch-22. I WANT to have good dreams and lucids, but to do that I need to sacrifice what I consider valuable waking time. And even after that time has been lost, there's no guarantee that I'll have the lucids I want. I know this is unrealistic but I've been questioning myself on and off whether putting in the extra effort is worth the payoff in this case.

I think having more vivid dreams with more control, and more lucids would really benefit my waking life, but on the other hand I don't want to feel like I'm losing time in my already busy life with zero benefit, if or when I see no results. I'm just looking for some encouragement or advice from someone who may know where I'm coming from.

Sorry for the long post, hope it all makes sense!

Azra

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How to Prepare Your Children for Emergencies, Disasters, and SHTF

by Megan

The scariest thing you’ll ever face as a parent is the moment you first realize you cannot protect your children from every danger in this world. Sure, you can have some control over their safety when you are with them but as they get older, the likelihood increases that they won’t be with you when things go horribly wrong.

But as a parent or grandparent, it’s your job and your responsibility to make sure your kids can handle themselves in this world, right? So, knowing that your kids might not be with you when something happens, how do you prepare your children for emergencies, disasters, and SHTF?

The first thing to do is to assess your child’s readiness for information about emergencies, disasters, and a SHTF event. Things to assess include:

• Amount of time spent apart from parents or away from home
• Maturity level
• Developmental level
• Previous experience with emergency situations and survival tasks

It’s important to assess the readiness of your child for this type of information and training so you can avoid creating too much fear and anxiety for your child. Focus on building confidence in their ability to handle emergencies, disasters, and even a SHTF event.

Teach skills in small age appropriate steps, through routine activities over a period of years, rather than trying to prepare them all at once within a couple of months. If your child is growing up on a farm and learns about the dangers of mother nature from a very early age, they may be ready for more information and gear than kids who grow up in a more urban environment.

How to Prepare Your Children for Everyday Emergencies

Emergencies are typically the short-term events that can happen when you least expect them. When your child experiences a fall during a hike, a motor vehicle accident, witnesses a tractor accident, or a boating accident, and you aren’t there, they need to know what to do.

If they are home alone or at a friend’s house without an adult and they suspect an intruder, experience a power outage, or even a house fire, knowing how to respond quickly can be a life or death difference for your child.

For emergencies perpetrated by other people, such as a home invasion, a potential kidnapping situation, a violent crowd, or something like a school shooting, how to get to safety quickly should be the priority. Talk to your children about what kinds of emergencies can occur, how to be alert, and what they should do if something happens while they are at school or even at home without your parental supervision.

Explain to your child about 9-1-1 and give them specific examples of when it’s appropriate to call emergency services for help. Make sure they know any cell phone even if not “in service” can be used to dial 9-1-1.

If anyone in the family has a medical illness that may result in them losing consciousness or being disoriented unexpectedly, children should be taught the behaviors that signal a problem. They should know what they can do to help (if anything), and when to simply call 9-1-1. Practice these scenarios several times with your young children.

Teach them how to give their name, the type of emergency, and their address to the 9-1-1 dispatcher. For emergencies that don’t require a 9-1-1 call, make sure they have printed contact information for nearby relatives or trusted neighbors to call.

Types of Emergencies that could occur where roleplay is helpful:

• You find someone (mom, dad, sister) lying on the floor. Talk about what to do if they are conscious but can’t move, as well as if the person is confused, unconscious, or bleeding heavily.
• Door to the home is open when they arrive after school.
• Playing outside with friends and someone falls (minor injury like a scraped knee or bloody nose) that doesn’t need 9-1-1 but needs an adult.
• Smell smoke when home alone after school or in middle of night.
• Someone knocks on the door after school and insists you open it.
• School shooter (or they see another student with a knife or gun or someone talks about bringing one to school).
• An adult follows them as they walk home or to a friend’s house.
• They are confronted by a growling dog, a snake, bear, skunk, or another animal common in your area.
• What to do if they find or a friend finds a gun while playing.
• An adult or friend they are riding with appears sleepy, intoxicated, or loses consciousness.
• Dad falls from the tractor and is unconscious and bleeding.

It’s important when preparing your child to handle emergencies that you teach them to know when to call for or go get help first versus when to attempt first aid and then go for help. This is especially important for locations or situations where help may not be readily available or may take a long time to arrive.

How to Prepare Your Children for Disasters

It’s important to consider the age and maturity level of your child when it comes to natural disasters. Giving a child too much detailed information about the widespread impact of a natural disaster can be harmful if they aren’t ready emotionally and developmentally to understand.

Focus first on the natural disasters most likely to occur in your local area. When talking to children, teach them the disaster safety procedures and how to get to a safe area with a goal of riding out the disaster until help arrives. Teach your child multiple ways to signal for help in different scenarios.

Prepare your child’s version of an everyday carry (EDC) that includes items appropriate for their age and experience. We give you some basic suggestions below. Make sure they know how and when to use any items that are part of their EDC and increase the items as they get older, mature, and gain experience.

Types of Disasters You May Want to Prepare Your Kids for Include:

• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Wildfires
• Earthquake
• Avalanche
• Mudslide

Take time to talk with your children about the importance of routinely following safety procedures, how to get to safety in a disaster, and what to do after the immediate danger is over. Talk with older children about what they should do if the adult in charge seems scared or confused, is bleeding heavily, or is unconscious.

Kids need to know whether you will come for them at school or if they should try to get to a meeting location and wait for you. It’s important to know what your school’s disaster plan is. If you don’t know the plan, ask your school administration questions now so you can prepare your child. Kids who aren’t confident their parents will come for them may try to leave the school and go home which could put them in more danger and result in a longer delay for you to be reunited.

How to Prepare Your Children for SHTF

When it comes to a SHTF event, it’s difficult to tell your kids exactly what to do because there’s no end to the dangers they may face. As long as you are with them, you can guide them of course. It’s always good practice to start teaching your kids to do things for themselves.

You can include certain activities in their routine chores that will prepare them to take care of themselves and to cook their own food, build a fire or use a grill or rocket stove if needed. But when it comes to a SHTF situation, you want to prepare your kids, so they know what to do to survive, if god forbid, you aren’t around to tell them what to do.

Prepare Your Kids for SHTF by Teaching Ways to:

• Pay attention to changes in the weather and the importance of dressing appropriately for the weather.
• Ways to avoid danger and confrontations
• Get to your designated safe room or family meeting place.
• Find, collect, and purify water.
• Keep any information about prepping and supplies they have to themselves.
• Forage for wild edibles and how to determine what things are safe to eat.
• Start a fire or use other methods stay warm
• Build a shelter from things they find around them.
• Ways to defend themselves or assist you in defending your home and property.
• How to hunt or grow food, how to preserve and stockpile food, rotate it, and why it’s important

When SHTF the world will be in chaos. It will be important for your kids to understand that if you tell them to be quiet during this chaos, they must obey. With young children, you can make it a little more fun by practicing the “quiet game”, to avoid scaring them too much. With older children you can stress the importance of staying quiet when told or when they hear someone outside. The more activities and tasks you practice with your kids during “normal times”, the more likely they will be prepared to react and get to safety post-SHTF, even if you aren’t there to tell them what to do.

General Things to Teach to Prepare Your Children for Emergencies, Disasters, and SHTF include:

• Their first and last name, their full address, telephone number, and the names of their parents.
• The name and telephone number of at least one other nearby relative and one relative or trusted friend outside of the local area.
• How to make a sling for an injured arm with a t-shirt, bandana, or small blanket.
• What first aid kits look like and where they are located in your home, at school, etc.
• How to use a fire extinguisher and other ways to put out small fires and what to use for a grease fire, chemical fire, etc. (age appropriate). For younger children the focus should be on getting out to safety and notifying an adult.
• Where to find flashlights and extra batteries and how to replace them (age appropriate)
• Ways to signal for help (using a whistle, bright clothing, sticks or rocks in a clearing, smoke signals as appropriate for their age)
• How to use some or all of the items in a first aid kit if needed (age appropriate)

Instill a “Check In” plan even during normal times. When your child is ready, they can have their own cell phone to communicate with you via text when they are at a friend’s or within range of public Wi-Fi. Have an agreed time period for your child to “check in” with you by text or in person when they are playing in the yard, in the neighborhood or at a friend’s house. It can be every 30 to 90 minutes for younger children, every 4 to 6 hours for older children who you know are in a safe location. Once they are old enough to have cell phone service, have them practice calling you and other trusted adults to check in by phone so that you are comfortable with their ability to call for help if needed.

Children should be taught to check in with you any time they want to change locations. This means before going from Bobby’s house to Sam’s house to play, they must check in and get a response from you first. This is important because in an unexpected emergency, especially if communications systems are down, you need to know exactly where they are, so you can get to them quickly.

Have an agreed plan of action if they forget to check in or if they attempt to check in and you don’t respond. For example, “check in with me every 90 minutes. If you don’t check in, I will try to text or call you twice and if you don’t answer then I’m coming to get you.” Or “check in with me every 90 minutes. If I am not home when you check in stay home till I arrive, call grandma, go to the neighbor’s, go back to your friend’s house and stay there” or any other action you want them to follow. Having this plan during “normal times” gets them into the habit of checking in, using various means to communicate with you or other trusted adults, and teaches them what they should do if they can’t contact you right away.

EDC Product Suggestions for Children for Emergencies, Disasters, and SHTF

Toddlers aren’t at all ready to be unsupervised. But you can start instilling the habit of EDC even at this young age. It’s developmentally natural for young kids to copy what they see adults doing. So, if you put on your EDC every morning (keys, phone, wallet, etc.), you can give toddlers and elementary age kids safe items for their own EDC. Items such as a toy flashlight, keys, a pretend phone, etc. As they get older and mature you can replace their “toy” EDC gear with actual working gear.

Flashlights are a great item to allow kids of all ages to have as part of their EDC because many kids have a fear of the dark. Having their own light teaches them responsibility and also gives them confidence and helps them feel safe whether they are taking the garbage out after dark, reading in their room at night, camping out in the backyard, or during an unexpected power outage.

Preschool kids might enjoy something like the Melissa & Doug Blaze Firefly Flashlight. Batteries can be extremely harmful for young children so make sure whatever you provide, the battery compartment can’t be opened by your child. The Energizer Weather ready Rechargeable Flashlight is great for elementary age kids because it is virtually indestructible and doesn’t use batteries at all, it’s rechargeable via a hand crank. For middle school and high school age kids consider Mini Flashlight Keychain with Micro USB by SDENOW to light their way when darkness falls.

Keys. Whether it’s a set of pretend keys for your infant or toddler or an actual house key on a lanyard or keychain clipped to their backpack, kids of all ages can get used to carrying and being responsible for keys as part of their EDC. It’s an important habit that will serve them well as an adult also.

Cell Phones aren’t age appropriate for infant, toddlers, or young elementary age children of course, but there are plenty of pretend cell phones available that your child can get used to carrying and being responsible for as part of their EDC.

Elementary age children can even carry your old cell phone for emergency calls only. Have them be responsible for checking the battery level periodically and bringing it to you to be recharged. Even a phone with no cell phone service can be used to dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. They can also practice dialing your number and the numbers of trusted relatives. For younger children, you may want to consider a walkie talkie for emergency communication and for checking in while playing in the yard or around the neighborhood.

Add items to your child’s EDC kit as you deem appropriate. Some items to consider depending on age, maturity level, and experience include:

Whistles are great items for kids to have as part of their EDC. You can teach them to stay in one spot and use the whistle if they are separated from you during a hike, another outdoor activity, or even in an emergency if someone attempts to grab them while playing in the yard. The Coghlan’s Four Function Whistle is great for kids that are elementary age and up. It includes the whistle, a compass, magnifying glass, and thermometer.

Bandana or Shemagh is a great item for a child’s EDC because it is lightweight and can be used to protect the nose and mouth against smoke from a fire, to carry kindling, to filter water, carry nuts and berries, or even DIY a sling for an injured arm.

Compass can help kids to find their way if they do get off the beaten path in the woods or while on a hike. Make sure they know how to use the compass correctly and that you’ve checked the compass for accuracy before they need to use it in a real emergency.

Keyring or Lanyard with a whistle to signal for help and maybe a cache cylinder with space for change or dollars to be used if they need money for the bus or cab fare. Children who are mature enough and experienced can add a fire stryker or waterproof container with matches.

Personal Hygiene Items such as Chapstick or lip balm, anti-itch cream for bug bite relief, and sunscreen. If your child has a food or other allergy and is mature enough, you may want to include a pill case with a single dose of their allergy medicine or for an EpiPen for life threatening allergies.

Preparing your children for emergencies, disasters, and SHTF is truly a lifelong process. But it can be done without scaring them as part of their routine activities. You can start with small things when they are very young and gradually teach them more over time. With a little planning and guidance, your child will be better prepared to handle themselves no matter what life may throw at them.

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