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Purchase Your Copy of Emergency, by Neil Strauss by Clicking on This Link Today!
Reviewed by Allen Appel
Emergency
By Neil Strauss. Harper, $16.99
The cover line on Strauss’ book predicts, “This book will save your life.” It’s impossible to know if this will ever prove true for readers, but even if the book doesn’t actually save lives, it does have plenty of information that might prove useful if the disasters that the author predicts, man made and natural, should ever come to pass. Part memoir, part instruction manual, always entertaining, Strauss charts his transformation from pampered rock music critic for the New York Times and author of bestselling non-fiction (The Game, How to Make Love to a Porn Star) to successful survivalist with the skills to live and even thrive should America suddenly be plunged into the apocalypse.
Strauss begins his journey with Y2K’s turn-of-the-century fears, which blossom into something like full-blown paranoia after the election of George Bush to a second term and the realization that most of the rest of the world hated America and sooner or later someone was going to act on this hatred by launching a successful terrorist attack that could dwarf the 9-11 tragedy. So he begins the long and demanding project of turning himself from patsy into survivor. The message is clear: if he can do it, so can you.
A fascinating series of instructional, graphic novel-type illustrations runs throughout the book, teaching readers the following valuable lessons: How to Turn a Credit Card Into a Knife; How to Be Practically Invisible; How to Evade Pursuit Vehicles; How to Survive Cold Weather; How to Defeat Security Cameras and Barbed Wire; How to Escape a Mob; How to Create Fire From a Battery; How to Navigate Without a Compass; How to Make a Bow and Arrow; How to Defeat Attack Dogs; How to Unlock a Pad Lock with a Soda Can; How to Escape From Flexicuffs; and the always useful and all-encompassing, How to Live Longer.
Strauss explains the reasons for his Odyssey, among them: “Something changed in me, as it did for many people, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It felt like the day I first beat my father at arm wrestling. In that moment I realized that he could no longer protect me. I had to take care of myself… After reading reports of the chaos, violence and suffering in New Orleans, it became clear that when the system is smashed, some of us start smashing each other.”
He begins by searching for a country that he can escape to if the worst happens and the U.S. goes up in flames. He eventually settles on the Island of St. Kitts as the ideal getaway and begins the lengthy, expensive process of obtaining dual citizenship. On a more nuts-and-bolts level, he decides that the first order of business is learning how to shoot a gun.
Not content with a simple trip to the local shooting range, though he does that as well, Strauss enrolls in a week’s course at Gunsite, (http://www.gunsite.com/) a gun training facility in Arizona where he learns to shoot his Springfield XD nine-millimeter pistol without endangering the lives of others. Next, he buys and learns to ride a motorcycle, then enrolls in a public safety course to become a CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams ) member. Here he picks up many useful tips, among them: in the event of a nuclear attack if you have to remove contaminated clothing, don’t pull it over your head. Cut it off. If you notice an absence of birds and mosquitoes, or you see people with drool, tears and snot pouring out of their faces, it’s most likely a chemical attack. If you are caught in a public area and someone starts firing a gun in your direction, get down on your stomach with your feet pointed toward the shooter, your face positioned away, and your hands covering your head. (Less chance of bullets hitting vital organs.)
The author continues his quest by taking a weeklong wilderness survival course from the legendary tracker Tom Brown Jr. (http://www.trackerschool.com/) (Fact: When lost, individuals generally circle in the direction of their dominant hand. And although they may think they’re traveling in a straight line, they’re usually circling within the same one square-mile area.)
Steadily gaining confidence, Strauss moves on to another survival course with a master knife maker named Mad Dog, (Motto: Cogito ergo armatum sum - I think, therefore I am armed.) (http://www.maddogknives.net/) There he learns many useful skills involving knives, including how to kill, field dress and cook a tame goat.
Strauss continues adding to his resume of survival skills by becoming an emergency responder as part of FEMA’s National Incident Management System, a certified EMT, and eventually a member of the elite, California Emergency Mobile Patrol.
And along the way he became a far better human being than he was when he began.
“That’s why, when I’m not in St. Kitts, most days you’ll find me in Los Angeles, doing search and rescue as SR14 with C.E.M.P., training with the Disaster Communications Service as ham radio operator KI6SJC, working local medical events as EMT number BI892201, running mass casualty incident drills with CERT battalion 5 or milking goats in my backyard.”
“Those who run from death, like the survivalists in their bunkers and the permaculturists in the forest, also run from life. As an EMT, as a C.E.M.P. member, as a latecomer to the world of outdoor adventure, I’d discovered that the opposite is also true: those who run to death also run to life.”
“I now know that I can take care of myself and my loved ones. But until that day comes when I have to do that, I’m going to be taking care of everybody else.”
The Takeway: The conclusion that Strauss eventually arrives at is one that many of the members of the Homeland Security Outlook community are already living, but reading the story of his arrival at this destination is amusing and often instructive. Besides, someday you may need to know how to make yourself a nice goatskin rug.
Allen Appel is a book and media reviewer who lives and works in Washington, DC. He specializes in reviewing thriller fiction and homeland security and terrorism issues.
Purchase Your Copy of Emergency, by Neil Strauss by Clicking on This Link Today!
When you have a baby, it is time to think about childproofing the house so that when your baby is old enough to crawl, he or she is not a victim of a terrible accident. There are things a child can get into that you can scarcely imagine, so you have to get down and think like a child in order to protect your baby or toddler from danger. Let’s take a look at some childproofing products you will need to make your home safe for your little one.
· Electrical cords and curtain cords: Put these up and out of the way from your baby and tape down or hide electrical cords so your baby wont chew or pull on them.
· Electrical outlets: Use plastic outlet covers to keep the unused outlets protected from your baby’s fingers. You can also put all electrical outlets behind furniture.
· Radiators: You’ll need a barrier to protect your baby from radiator burns. Put a radiator cover on radiators to keep most of the dangerous heat away from your baby’s touch.
· Plants in the house: These can be poisonous if ingested. Call the local poison control office to determine which are poisonous and which are not.
· Cabinets and drawers: Use latches that protect your child and keep him or her from getting into dangerous drawers and cabinet doors.
· Keep a glass door or screen on fireplaces and watch your baby if the fireplace is going as this can be very dangerous.
· Put in baby safety gates at the top and bottom of staircases so your baby cannot fall and get injured. Gates at the top of stairs must be screwed in, not pressure styles.
· Make sure that anything with slats has no more than a five inch space between the slats or posts. Your baby can get his or her head stuck in them quite easily.
These are all great ideas to think about before your baby is born or as soon as your baby comes home. It won’t be long before your baby can roll and crawl and it is a good idea to think ahead. Put away all things you don’t want your baby to get into and even consider putting away things like coffee tables that have sharp corners.
While it is easy to want your child to explore and learn about things, you really need to pay attention to hazards as well. Childproofing your home is a fairly simple task and will make a big difference in the potential for injuries and accidents. A good Childproofing Kit can be an enormous start.
Picture yourself on a business trip in a city you’ve never been to. You are staying at a local hotel, nothing spectacular but not the worst you’ve ever seen, either. It is clean and adequate, but a little older, so it doesn’t have great security or locks, which doesn’t make you feel too safe.
You are ready to go to bed and feeling a little uneasy, but you put together a trap to foil any intruder. Your suitcase and the desk chair are wedged by the hotel room door so they will at least slow down any intruder, and you take a wooden hanger from the closet and jam it into the window track and use it as a pin so that the window (hopefully) can’t be opened. You struggle to get some sleep before your big meeting in the morning, but you are up and down all night, with every little noise, checking the door and window.
Let’s look at this situation again but include a personal alarm. The 130db personal alarm can be used on any door. It has a unique clip that has dual contacts on it. While the contacts are touching, there is no noise. The instant that the contacts are moved apart - such as when someone attempt to open the door - the alarm will sound piercingly sufficient to wake up anyone in the area. An alarm this loud will also do another thing: since most intruders don’t want to call attention to themselves, the alarm will usually cause the intruder to flee.
In addition to keeping you safe in your hotel room, the personal alarm is small enough (like a pager) to carry with you and use if you are in an unsafe situation. You can set the alarm in such a way that all you need do is pull the pin on it when you need to draw attention to yourself.
This may be one of the most important self-defense tools you ever buy. It is dependable, effective and affordable. It is also much more lightweight than your suitcase and a hotel chair to keep you safe. Don’t leave your safety to chance.
This is a good article on some of the Facebook/Twitter scams going on right now.
If you use these or any other social sites, just remember when you get the tickeler message in your regular e-mail account, do not click on the links in the e-mail (in any email that states it is from one of your accounts that has sensitive personal information or cash or credit information, for that matter). You could be opening up a phishing scam site. When you receive an e-mail from any bank, paypal and any other site that you have to sign into… NEVER click on the link in the email. It may take you to a fake site and capture your access information.
Always open a new browser window of your own, and go through the main web address or your favorites link.
Facebook and Twitter Scams to Avoid…
Where pepper spray can be bought is dependent on each individual state’s laws. You can most commonly find pepper spray in hardware stores and stores that have a permit to sell firearms. In some towns, you can buy them at firing ranges. If your reading this, you are obviously comfortable shopping online, and PPS-Safety.com is Just one of the top sellers.
Before you buy pepper spray, you should review the laws in your state to make sure that you’re legal. Though it is legal in all 50 states to carry pepper spray, here are some states’ laws that you should be aware of:
“•Massachusetts - you must have a Firearms Identification Card (FID) to possess and/or use pepper spray
•Michigan - specific pepper or tear gas formulations are required ( see some samples of Michigan-approved sprays)
•New York - pepper spray must be purchased from a New York state licensed firearm dealer or pharmacist
•Wisconsin - state formulations do not allow UV dye in pepper spray ”
In some states, included but not limited to, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, and Alaska you have to be 18 or older to possess pepper spray. Some states have restrictions on the amount of pepper spray you can have on your person, as well as some states have restrictions on the form of pepper spray you can have.
Before buying pepper spray, make sure that you do your research. Once you buy it, practice to make sure that you know what you’re doing so you’re safe when you use it!
Sources (Quoted):
studenttravel.about.com/od/womenstudenttravelers/a/pepperspray.htm
www.pps-safety.com/pepperspraylaws.htm
Pepper Spray is a self defense tool made up of oleoresin capsicum, which is derived from the Chile pepper. It comes in many forms such as aerosol spray, fog, foam or gel. It is also available in very discrete carrying forms such as the Stunning Ring, Pepper Pen, or Pepper Pager. Unlike most forms of self defense, pepper spray does not actually injure the person or creature that you are defending yourself from, but rather renders them immobile with pain. You can use pepper spray on another human or an animal as it is effective with both. This is what makes it so reliable; have you ever tried to use martial arts on a bear? It tends to end badly.
Pepper Spray works by inflaming the mucus membranes of the attacker and causing the eyes to tear up and it also makes it hard for the attacker to breathe. This reaction lasts about 30 minutes; long enough for the person who is being attacked to escape and/or get help. Unlike other forms of self defense, pepper spray has no permanent lasting effects on the person who has been sprayed.
Aerosol spray cans are the most popular form of Pepper Spray. This is because it is convenient to clip on to a purse or wallet or set of keys. The down sides of Aerosol sprays are that aerosol tends not to travel as far as streams, foam or gel. Also if it is a windy day, there’s a good chance the wind could carry your spray in the wrong direction.
If you don’t’ want the chance of the wind blowing it off your target, your best bet would be to purchase Pepper Foam or Gel. It’s not as convenient as Aerosol in the fact that it takes a few seconds longer to affect your attacker’s mucus membrane, but it is more accurate and it also shoots further because it is heavier. With Aerosol it is more of a mist. The Foam and Gel are more solid and stick together, making it harder to get off the face of the attacker. Pepper Foams and Gels sometimes come with UV dye in them as well, which makes it easier for Law Enforcement to capture the attacker.
When your baby becomes old enough to crawl or toddle around the house, this becomes the time for looking at those things that can be a hazard in your home and adjusting things so your child cannot get into them and get injured. You need to actually think of these things before the baby crawls so you have the time it takes to check out these things for ease of use and safety. You can also have time to recheck your work to make sure you’ve caught every possible hazard.
Safety Latches and Child Proofing Locks
You’ll need to think about getting some safety latches and locks for your kitchen drawers and cabinets. You can install them easily and you should put them on all cabinets containing dangerous chemicals, medications and laundry detergent. When child proofing the kitchen you should lock up all knives, scissors and other sharp items and lock up the “junk drawer” that contains a lot of small objects a baby can choke on. You can put other things in these locked drawers, such as toothpaste and change cups that pose their own hazards but that aren’t usually locked up. In fact, anything small or hazardous should be locked safely away. You need to really look through your house for hazards and lock them up when you find them.
Child Safety Gates
You need to consider getting some child safety gates when the baby can get around by crawling. They can be pressure gates that protect a child from an area of the house or room that might be hazardous or you can use hardware-attached gates that protect stairwells. Hardware-attached gates are best for stairwells because they cannot be pushed out of the way with heavy pressure. Make sure the slats are no more than three inches apart.
Childproofing The Doors
Door knob covers and locks for some doors are really important to keep baby out of areas of the house he or she shouldn’t be in. Locks should be high enough so that the toddler can’t get on a chair and unlock it. You should put door knob covers on exterior doors to prevent baby from getting out but allowing you to get out quickly in case of an emergency such as a fire. Door knob covers are more temporary and can be removed with just a screw driver.
Outlet Safety Covers
You need to think about outlet covers or slides that slide over outlets when baby is old enough to crawl. The outlet covers should be hard to remove because they can, in themselves, become a choking hazard. When you are using the outlet for a bit, make sure you replace the outlet cover or slide the cover closed. Buy outlet covers that are big enough so the child cannot choke on them.
There are many child safety products to choose from when you have a new baby. Look on the Internet or at stores to pick up the items that can most protect your little one from harm and give you peace of mind.
Summer is here and we all want to go for a walk…
You must be cautious when your out and about. Not only are there predetors of the two legged variety, but also of the four legged variety as well. Yes, I’m talking about Dogs, Canines (K9), or Coyotes. More and more, I have people calling and asking what I can recommend for aggressive dogs or coyotes that are roming their neighborhoods. A good pepper spray is all you really need. Most brands of Animal Repellent Sprays are the same potentcy as pepper spray that you would use on a human criminal, but it has been approved by the EPA for use in the enviroment. Just spray alittle in the air, upwind of the animal and they will get a good wiff of if. If they decide to continue to advance, spray them directly in the face, in the same manner that you would a human. This is definately enough to stop the most aggressive animals. You can alternativly use your Animal Spray on a human attacker just as you could use your normal pepper spray against an animal.
Remember, think safety while your out walking. There are more than just one type of threat you might encounter.
Here are a few travel tips to remember:
1) Traveling Internationally:
a. Register with the U.S. State Department upon arrival into any new country (this will allow you to be contacted in case of an emergency at home or in case of a crisis in the country you’re visiting)
b. Make sure someone has your itinerary
2) Medical:
a. Keep your medications with you. Don’t put them in your luggage. Always pack enough for your entire trip.
b. Know where the nearest medical facilities/hospital is where you are traveling.
3) Airport:
a. Never leave your bags unattended
b. Carry your purse close to your body and your wallet in a front pocket
4) Hotel:
a. Keep your door locked at all times while in the room
b. Verify visitors by using the door viewer and call the front desk to ask them if they sent anyone up if you have an unannounced guest.
c. Become familiar with emergency exits
d. Keep valuables in the room safe
5) BE AWARE:
a. Being aware of your surroundings is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself safe.
b. If something seems unusual or out of place, it probably is……..Trust your instincts.
* Always carry a Personal Alarm, Whistle or other attention getting devise with you .
January 27th, 2009
I read this story on Sunday about a woman who saw a policeman struggling with an attacker and grabbed her stun gun and went to his aid.
Tanisha Cross never thought the stun gun she received for Christmas would come in handy so soon.
Cross said she was headed to Wal-Mart in Lithonia with her mother when she noticed a DeKalb County police officer being attacked by a suspect.
“I just told my mom pull over, … let’s try to help,” said Cross.
The 20-year-old mother, who received the stun gun as a gift from her husband, said she kept it in a diaper bag.
Cross said while others gathered to watch, she sprung into action.
“I went straight for my kid’s diaper bag and I got it and asked it if he [officer] wanted me to do it and he said, ‘Yea,’” said Cross.
Cross said the officer had a hard time defending himself because the attacker had taken the officer’s radio and managed to rub pepper spray in the officer’s face and eyes.
Jolting the attacker, Cross’ timing couldn’t have been better. Cross said she stunned the suspect in his arms and legs.
Cross said she stunned the attacker to where the officer regained his composure and fought back until a security guard came to their aid.
“He’s brave,” she said. “He did his best to keep him from his gun. He handled the situation very well. I was just glad I could help him,” said Cross.
Cross doesn’t consider herself a hero.
“I’m just a bystander trying to help do the right thing,” said Cross.
TASER is discontinuing some of its models. That includes the M-18 and M-18L . We’ve spoken to TASER and we trying to work out a deal where we will have access to the the M-18 and M-18L for the next year or so. They have parts available to make enough to last over a year, they’re just not going to be making anymore parts in the future. So, we will have the M-18 and M-18L for a little more more than a year, and then they will be gone. Get yours now if you’ve been stewing on it. TASER is a great product!
This quote challenges some assumptions.
Is your life worth protecting? If so, whose responsibility is it to protect it? If you believe that it is the police’s, not only are you wrong — since the courts universally rule that they have no legal obligation to do so — but you face some difficult moral quandaries. How can you rightfully ask another human being to risk his life to protect yours, when you will assume no responsibility yourself? Because that is his job and we pay him to do it? Because your life is of incalculable value, but his is only worth the $30,000 salary we pay him? If you believe it reprehensible to possess the means and will to use lethal force to repel a criminal assault, how can you call upon another to do so for you?
The police in Mumbai would not shoot, and the photographer wishes he had a gun. For those who do not know, firearms licenses are very difficult to obtain in India.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/article14086308.ece
Mumbai photographer: I wish I’d had a gun, not a camera. Armed police would not fire back
Jerome Taylor talks to the photographer whose picture went around the world
Saturday, 29 November 2008
It is the photograph that has dominated the world’s front pages, casting an astonishing light on the fresh-faced killers who brought terror to the heart of India’s most vibrant city. Now it can be revealed how the astonishing picture came to be taken by a newspaper photographer who hid inside a train carriage as gunfire erupted all around him.
Sebastian D’Souza, a picture editor at the Mumbai Mirror, whose offices are just opposite the city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji station, heard the gunfire erupt and ran towards the terminus. “I ran into the first carriage of one of the trains on the platform to try and get a shot but couldn’t get a good angle, so I moved to the second carriage and waited for the gunmen to walk by,” he said. “They were shooting from waist height and fired at anything that moved. I briefly had time to take a couple of frames using a telephoto lens. I think they saw me taking photographs but theydidn’t seem to care.”
The gunmen were terrifyingly professional, making sure at least one of them was able to fire their rifle while the other reloaded. By the time he managed to capture the killer on camera, Mr D’Souza had already seen two gunmen calmly stroll across the station concourse shooting both civilians and policemen, many of whom, he said, were armed but did not fire back. “I first saw the gunmen outside the station,” Mr D’Souza said.
“With their rucksacks and Western clothes they looked like backpackers, not terrorists, but they were very heavily armed and clearly knew how to use their rifles.
“Towards the station entrance, there are a number of bookshops and one of the bookstore owners was trying to close his shop,” he recalled. “The gunmen opened fire and the shopkeeper fell down.”
But what angered Mr D’Souza almost as much were the masses of armed police hiding in the area who simply refused to shoot back. “There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything,” he said. “At one point, I ran up to them and told them to use their weapons. I said, ‘Shoot them, they’re sitting ducks!’ but they just didn’t shoot back.”
As the gunmen fired at policemen taking cover across the street, Mr D’Souza realised a train was pulling into the station unaware of the horror within. “I couldn’t believe it. We rushed to the platform and told everyone to head towards the back of the station. Those who were older and couldn’t run, we told them to stay put.”
The militants returned inside the station and headed towards a rear exit towards Chowpatty Beach. Mr D’Souza added: “I told some policemen the gunmen had moved towards the rear of the station but they refused to follow them. What is the point if having policemen with guns if they refuse to use them? I only wish I had a gun rather than a camera.”
There is no reason to deny people the human right of self defense - ever.
A gunman walks at the Chatrapathi Sivaji Terminal railway station in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India’s financial capital, killing people, taking Westerners hostage and leaving parts of the city under siege Thursday, police said. A group of suspected Muslim militants claimed responsibility.
AP / Photo By SEBASTIAN D’SOUZA
I get a lot of questions about TASERs versus Stun Guns. I’ll try to quickly fill you in on the differences.
The TASER works on your bodies electrical system, it overrides the normal electrical activity that the brain uses to tell your muscles how to move, by basically shorting it out. This is why when a person is hit with it, they can’t move and just freeze. You loose control of your muscle movement.
This is unlike a stun gun, which works on your large muscle groups. A stun gun basically caused your muscles to “twitch” at an extremely high rate of speed, therefor causing an enormous lactic acid build up in a short period of time. This is why after a stun gun hit you feel as if you just worked out for a day straight, without any rest.
You might notice that on videos, when someone has a stun gun used on them, they recover slowly. They are exhausted and their muscles are tired. When you see them recover from being hit with a TASER, they are able to recover much faster, due to the fact that they regain control of their electrical system. Most of what they feel is the shock of not being able to control themselves.
A Civilian TASER fires two probes attached to wires that travel out to 15 feet (a police model is good for 25 feet), and can be purchased with a laser for accurate targeting. They are quickly reload-able for follow on shots or you can make physical contact this the target and get the same effects. A Stun Gun must make contact with the target and is more effective the longer you are able to hole it against you target, allowing more current to travel through the target.
When the probes make contact, the taser discharges electricity for a number of seconds, in short bursts, allowing you to set it down and make your escape. TASER is kind enough to replace your lost TASER for free, after an attack, by simply supplying them with a police report. They don’t want anyone afraid of loosing their investment, and therefor not using their TASER.
You have to register your TASER online with TASER International to receive an activation code when you purchase it. Your newly purchased TASER will be inoperable until it is registered. There is a $9.95 fee to register, which covers an instant criminal history check. When a TASER is discharge it drops small paper tags so that the police can identify who registered the TASER. This is designed to facilitate tracking down anyone who might misuse the TASER.
The TASER probes do not have to make contact with a targets skin, they can be within a couple of inches and the electrical charge will arc to the target. This is why you can still effectively use it through heavy cloths. If one of the probes was to miss your target the hand held portion of the TASER may then be used as a conventional stun gun, at which time you would have to make physical contact with your target.
Feel free to email or post any other questions you may have on TASERs or any other self defense products. I’d be happy to clarify anything possible.
A woman who was attacked as she got out of a cab early Monday morning said her pepper spray saved her from further harm.
Chicago police said they were looking for a man in connection with the attempted sexual assault of a woman in the Lakeview area early Monday morning. The attacker was described as a male white Hispanic, between 25 and 30 years old with short hair combed back and a medium complexion.
NBC5’s Anna Davlantes reported that the victim, identified as “Elizabeth,” spoke out about the incident, she said in the hopes it would help others. The victim said she used pepper spray to fend off the attacker.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my God!,’” she said. “I start spraying my Mace everywhere and he just takes off. So, luckily, thank God, I had that in my hand.”
According to an alert from Belmont Area detectives, the woman was walking to her home in the 500 block of West Briar Place about 2 a.m. when a man threw her to the ground and tried to sexually assault her.
Elizabeth showed the scrapes and cuts she received after being thrown to the ground by the attacker, but said she knew it could have been much worse.
The victim said she left her job at a bar at 2 a.m., got in a cab, and when it pulled away, the man attacked her.
“He came out of nowhere,” Elizabeth said. “All of the sudden, I’m attacked from behind and pushed down.”
Police said it has been a long time since they have heard of a victim fending off an attack using pepper spray.
“She was very courageous, and I give her a lot of credit for doing that,” said Chicago police Sgt. Debra DeYoung.
Elizabeth urged everyone to buy a can of pepper spray and have it at the ready.
“Go and buy Mace,” she said. “When you have it, and you get out and you know you’re going to be outside alone, physically have it in your hand ready. Because if I hadn’t had it ready, it would have been in my bag –what’s the use of having it?”
Davlantes reported that police said they hoped someone would have information on the case. There have been attacks in the area with a similar description, but currently, there wasn’t enough information to link them.
Story and information provided by Chicago Sun-Times Inc.
Mace is now a registered brand name for a company that sells pepper spray. When Mace (legally known as Mace Security International) was first developed, it consisted of CS and CN gases that the military used. They have since change the types of sprays that they carry and include a regular pepper spray and a product with pepper spray and some CS and CN mixed in. This is primarily due to the fact that CS and CN are irritants and pepper spray is an inflammatory.
What that means to you is, as an irritant, CS and CN can take longer to enter the pores and start working. CS and CN can also have their effects “washed”, by removing the irritant from your skin, you loose the effect. Also, people have different levels of pain management. So what might irritate one person dramatically, may not effect another as severely. This can lead to different effects from your spray, and possibly not disabling an attacker.
OC Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent which enters the pores and causes an inflammation of the tissue. It can’t be “washed” once is enters the pores, as an irritant can, which allows it to continue to work. When an individual has an inflammation of mucus tissue, they get the “feeling” of suffocation along with the burning of the pepper. There is no pain management involved.
Some brands (Sabre and Mace ) have many different products in their sales line. They carry products that only contain pepper spray and also some that use a bit of CS and CN in them to get a more volatile mix. Some also ad dye to identify an attacker later.
The delivery method will dictate the speed in which an spray works. The finer the particles, the faster it enters the pores. This is a double edged sword. A stream has a longer effective reach but takes longer to work, a fogger is finer and works faster, but will not travel as far and can be effected by the softest breeze (in a house this is best to just spray into the hallway and stop any movement down the hall). Some companies even produce a “foam” spray that is difficult to wipe away and results in the pepper being ground into the pores of the skin. These types of sprays are very effective in a windy environment or possibly in a store or office area where you would not want to risk spraying a bystander.
Many animal sprays (Bear and Dog/K9) have slight differences in the mixture, but are basically the same ingredients as pepper sprays, they just have the requirement of being certified by the EPA as safe for the environment.
Remember that when using anything for self defense, other than items that are designed for self defense, you may have to defend yourself in court at to why you chose that particular item. If it is an item that you KNOW might kill or maim, you may be held negligent by a jury of your peers. Pepper Sprays have consistently been approved for non-lethal self defense.
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Will YOU Be Ready?
It goes without saying that we live in exciting times. One only needs to turn on their television set and the world comes alive before our eyes. For our ancestors, it’s the stuff that dreams were made of.
Sadly, it isn’t all brotherly love and friendly neighbors. Every day we are bombarded with messages of war, famine and terror. Not to mention, fire, flood, hurricanes, earthquakes or tornados.
We need only to look at the events of 9-11 to see just how fragile we are.
Worse case scenario, are you prepared in the event of a catastrophe? It’s probably a good bet that you are not.
What about Hurricane Katrina? What happened to thousands of people in Louisiana and Mississippi is a good indication.
What it all boils down to is the fact that we all need to make certain we are taking care of ourselves and not be dependent on the government or others to take care of our daily needs.
“The Basic Survival Guide” is exactly as the name implies. It is a comprehensive guide to what you need to be prepared for in any given disaster.
¬ What is a Disaster – preparing for different situations
¬ Creating a Disaster Plan for Your Family - exactly what you need to do in preparation
¬ A Disaster Kit – how to build your own survival package and what to include
¬ Helping Your Children in a Crises – how to reassure your children during a catastrophic situation depending on their age group
¬ Watch or Warning – what is the difference between a “weather watch” and a “weather warning” and what it means for you
¬ Disasters and People with Disabilities – people with special needs require special preparation
¬ How to Create a Support System – creating a lifeline with friends, family and neighbors
¬ What If You Must Evacuate – where do you go and how do you get there
¬ First Aid for First Response – what you should have available
¬ Food Stores – how much and what kind of food should you have on hand and why
¬ What About Your Pets In an Emergency – pets fall into that “special needs” category – how do you handle them
¬ Medical Emergencies – what constitutes a medical emergency and what to do
¬ Safety Proofing Your Home – tips to make your home safer
¬ Disaster Insurance – what kind of insurance do you need and what you can get
¬ What You Should Carry in Your Car – what you need to carry in your vehicle at all times
Written in plain English “The Basic Survival Guide” will give you answers to those questions about how to be prepared in any emergency.
“The Basic Survival Guide” can put you and your loved ones one step ahead of the headlines. In these uncertain times, the old Boy Scout Motto of “Be Prepared” is more important than ever before.
Grab your copy today and you, too, can be prepared!
Order Your Copy of The Basic Survival Guide Today!
Hello Family, Friends, and Neighbors,
On October 18th we are taking part in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s (JDRF) “Walk for a Cure” to help raise money for its effort to find a cure for juvenile (type 1) diabetes.
As many of you know our seven year old daughter, Mary Kate, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in June of 2007. This disease strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.
The good news is that a cure for type 1 diabetes is within reach, and realistically, by the time Mary Kate is in college there could be a CURE!!
The most promising news for Mary Kate is the development of the Artificial Pancreas. We are extremely excited at the potential this has to improve her current way of living. She now gets her finger pricked 7-10 times a day to monitor her blood sugar level and must have her insulin constantly adjusted through an insulin pump to correspond with every carbohydrate she eats. The Artificial Pancreas would allow her to live and eat much like a person WITHOUT diabetes!
JDRF needs your help to continue its fight for a cure!
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation for juvenile diabetes research, and Mary Kate, we would be so grateful. Please don’t feel like you have to give a large amount, every cent helps and you can be confident that over 80% of JDRF’S expenditures directly support research and developement for a cure.
You can easily click on the link below to donate by credit card, or if you would prefer to write a check we would be happy to send you a self addressed/stamped envelope.
Last but not least…we would love for you to come walk with us! Our team name is “Mary Kate’s Walk for a Cure”.
The walk is Saturday, October 18th at 9:30 A.M. at Centennial Olympic Park. We are having T-shirts made, so please let us know if you want to join in. More information is also available at www.jdrf.com.
Sincere thanks,
Robin and Mike Kotzin
Please visit my Walk Web page if you would like to donate online or see how close I am to reaching my personal goal:
My Walk Page and Donation Goals.
Follow this link to make a donation:
If the truth be known, there are only one or two hotels in every third-world city where westerners and high-value locals stay or do business in. Clients prefer to stay in the nicest hotel that the city offers and often wrongly assume that because it’s relatively luxurious or a known U.S. chain that it must be secure. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Hey, this is the hotel that the U.S. Embassy uses for its guests, so it has to be safe”. This is faulty logic and lazy protection in my view.
Some consideration should be given to staying in second tier establishments and remaining relatively hidden and low-key. All of these hotels have some semblance of security and the adroit protector can vastly augment that with a little planning and preparation. I contend that there is great security in staying away from the one or two fat, obvious targets in the city and keeping a low-profile. Sure the spa might not be state-of-the-art, but what are you really there for anyway?
This is what 1300 lbs of explosives packed into a truck will do to a building even with considerable stand-off. The photograph lends perspective when you’re doing your next hotel advance.
Written by Eric, and Reused Here with His Permission
Read more from Eric at his blog, “Zen Traveler”.
Authors note: This is the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad Pakistan the day after is was bombed.
Watch this video to see Just how effective a Taser can be against a 300lb angry man…
Going to college for the first time or going back after a long break is a daunting enough experience without having to worry about whether or not your safe in your dorm room or apartment.
We have a number of great products for Home Safety, Dorm Safety and Apartment safety at very reasonable prices. You don’t have to install a security system that cost hundreds of dollars to feel safe at home.
Some of the items that we recommend are door braces, motion alarms, door and window alarms and auto dialer alarms that call a pre-determined number if there is any activity in your home or apartment.
These days, you can never be too safe, at home or your business. Crooks are everywhere looking to make money by taking what you have and selling it. Security is no longer something for big banks and jewelry stores, if you have something of value at your home in your business, you need to protect it. Systems these days are much more complicated than they used to be but they are also less expensive. Wireless hidden cameras and motion detectors are standard practice for homes and business that need increased security.
As you shop in your favorite store, make sure you smile pretty for the camera. No matter where you are in the store, chances are good that there is a camera pointed in your direction. Sometimes they are visible, but in most cases, the store has installed wireless hidden cameras to keep an eye on customers. These can be hidden in the strangest, and smallest places. Unless you are doing something wrong, you will never know that they are there.
Wireless hidden cameras are very popular as a business security measure. They are very small and can be place about anywhere since they have no wires. Stores with high value merchandise may have many scattered about to catch shoppers from every angle. Since they are so tiny and can be hidden behind or on top of anything you probably won’t even be able to find them unless you look very hard.
Those who are vigilant about security may wish to install the same type of wireless hidden cameras at home. Not only used a deterrent for burglars, a wireless hidden camera can keep track of what happens inside your home. If you have outside people coming in to cook, clean, or take care of the kids you may want to think about monitoring them to ensure that work is done properly and that your staff is honest.
The best place to find a wireless hidden camera is online. You can also find night vision cameras and motion sensors if you want added security. If you prefer, you can find these products at a local specialty shop. Be clear about what type and level of security you are looking for so you don’t buy too much.
Source: Security
(1) The Cyber Eye is a digital surveillance camera that senses the image of an intruder and automatically records and saves it to memory. It’s easy to install and very small (2-1/4″ High X 3-1/4″ Wide X 3″ Deep).
This infrared B/W digital surveillance camera will take pictures automatically whenever someone moves in front of it and then digitally store the pictures within the micro-camera. This allows you to retrieve them later just by plugging the camera into your TV/VCR.
The Cyber-Eye is a Great Free Standing Digital Camera!
(2) NASA Level Programmers have developed a next generation computer program called VISEC. VISEC turns your home or office computer into a powerful, global-wide video surveillance system in 5 minutes or less.
Watch your pets, nanny, babysitter even your kids!
View from any location in the world via the Internet.
Use your computer’s IP address to log on and immediately view live or past video.
Record all video activity, or just when motion is detected.
In motion detection mode you can be alerted by email, cell phone or PDA when motion is detected.
Can also be used as a stealth surveillance system allowing the program to operate secretly on your computer. Suspect an abusive nanny or cheating spouse? Simply set VISEC on ’secret’ mode and record everything for possible evidence.
VISEC is extremely easy to use. Installation and configuration will only take 5 minutes.
VISEC Home Security Camera Systems
How many of you are parents and still have electrical outlet plugs on your electrical outlets? My house is personally covered with them. However, the bad thing about regular outlet plugs is their size! How many of you had your kids put them in their mouth??!!?? For keeping things out of your outlets, they work great. However, as a choking hazard, they are one of the worst things to have in your house! I have watched both my children put them in their mouths. Then you have to go and retrieve them from their mouths leading to a tramatic experience for all involved.
That being said there is an awesome product on the market that solves this problem. Safety Caps are bigger than the traditional outlet plug, so your children are not able to stick the whole thing in their mouth. If for some reason they are able to get the whole thing in there, there are two holes in there to aid in breathing. The dad who designed his had his own daughter choke on a regular outlet plug, so he knew he had to do something so it never happened again to another family.
The things I definitely like about this product are almost too numerous to count. First, my kids can’t choke on it. Second, the color is awesome. It actually blends in really well with our electrical covers, so you almost can’t even tell that I have my outlet covered. Its a small thing, but it does look prettier. Lastly, the price rocks! For $9.99 (plus $2.97 shipping and handling), you can outfit your whole house by using this coupon! My regular ones were more than that! I know that my children’s safety is definitely worth that.
If you have little ones or know someone who does, this is a product that is both safe and can save lives. This can make a great gift for a new mom or just making your own house safer.
Source: daughter