Ah, yes.  I finished grad school.  My brain is slowly returning to a working state and I’m starting to come up with research ideas for survival.

1.  More on children and survival.  I’m not the biggest fan of The Walking Dead (I know, weird, right?) but what I can gleam from the interwebs looks like having a punk ass kid around is highly annoying.  How do I remedy this?

2.  Well, really I only have the one so far, but you should be proud.  That’s more than I’ve come up with in a year.  Wait…another idea is coming to me.  Cabins in woods.  How do you get there, how do you get out?

3.  And yet another idea.  Travel destinations and survival.  Is there a guide about travel locations that are suitable zombie hideaways?  Probably.  Let’s find it together.

Also, been running lately.  Can’t help but think that I’m training as I dredge along.

Oh happy day.  I’ll be researching.  Until then, I’ll just have to put one foot in front of the other.

I am currently working in a hospital.  To clarify, an academic hospital.  Hospitals are confusing and have thousands of weaving halls.  I can barely making it to the offices and clinics I am supposed to.  It would freak me out if there was ever a natural disaster and I was stuck in the bowels of this institution.  There are five billion exit signs.  I wouldn’t know which one to follow; which one was the fastest route.  How ridiculous!  

Even without the natural disaster, I’m always afraid I’m going to turn the corner into an area that I’m not supposed to be in.  What if I turn into a morgue or a room of lepers!  

I definitely have to learn some exit strategies.  Until then, I’ll just have to follow the exit signs.

Listened to a podcast on psychopathy, so you get to hear about it.

Would a psychopath have a better chance of survival in a world with no rules? What traits would make them more fit for survival?

They lack empathy. This could help with having to screw people over.

They are good at manipulating people. They could therefore get those resources you’ve been saving forever right under your nose.

They don’t need to be social. Wondering alone has a lot of benefits. Besides companionship might not be that say to come by.

Hmmmm. Too bad, I’m not a psychopath. I will have to think of a psychological disease to be my strength during the apocalypse. Until then, watch yourself.

Watching 127 hours brought home to me the glasses versus contacts issue.  He happened to be wearing contacts when he got trapped.  He had to wear these contacts for….you guessed it 127 hours.  That is not ideal and completely uncomfortable.  Lasik as soon as possible!

While on the topic, 127 hours is a true story of a climber that was trapped by a falling rock that crushed his hand between it and the wall.  While I don’t know the true story, the movie portrays the protagonists as one smart cookie.  It’s a hard movie to watch but interesting and you want him to make it out the whole time.  Go watch it.  Until then, I’m going to find another James Franco movie to watch.

That was quite a hiatus.  However, I’ve turned in my proposal draft, so here we are.

This last weekend I made a trip to Ikea, which is 2 hours away.  On the way there I thought about not being able to make it home.  In other words, the zombie attack happening then.  Having purchased a new pair of glasses, I’ve been wearing them a lot lately.  I started to wonder what would be ideal to be left with when the apocalypse is happening.  Glasses could fall off or be broken, but not being able to reorder contacts or have time to change them could mean eye infections which could lead to blindness.  I guess your best option is to get lasik, as I’ve always said I wanted to do.  There’s no time to find your glasses or put in contacts when you need to have the ability to wake up and run.  Sigh, I want lasik.  Until then, I guess I’ll just have to stock up on contacts and keep my glasses close.

My friend was followed recently.  So just thought you would like to know, because I did.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4474974_respond-someone-following-driving.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4434621_lose-someone-who-following-car.html

There was more on this in the Worst Case Scenario: Travel book, but that takes time to find.  Until then, I hope this helps.

I’m sure you’ve noticed.  Zombies are all the rage these days.  You can find zombie crap everywhere.  I don’t quite understand why there is such mass appeal.  I understand why I like it.  Hmph.

Is it because the end of the world seems closer?

Is it because we know of viruses that can ravage the body in such a way that brings up thoughts of the brain eaters?

Is it because we like to feel smarter than what is going to threaten us?

The answer is probably “no” to all those questions.  It’s just cool to like zombies right now.  Zombies are even cute.  Take it from me, I’ve conquered Plants vs Zombies three times now.  I guess the stranger thing is that I still like zombies even though they are “in”.  

None of this has anything to do with survival, I know.  Let’s see if I can make up something that ties it to survival.  Um, with all of this zombie information we will be set when they do walk the earth?

Actually, that does make me think.  When you watch these zombie movies and shoes, they probably due provide some advice that would applicable to any kind of survival.  Of course, I’ll have to start with Zombieland. 

1. Cardio
2. The Double Tap
3. Beware of Bathrooms
4. Wear Seat Belts
5. No Attachments
6. The “Skillet”
7. Travel Light
8. Get a Kick Ass Partner
9. With your Bare Hands
10. Don’t Swing Low
11. Use Your Foot
12. Bounty Paper Towels
13. Shake it Off
14. Always carry a change of underwear
15. Bowling Ball
16. Opportunity Knocks
17. Don’t be a hero (later crossed out to be a hero)
18. Limber Up
19. Break it Up
20. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, unless it’s a sprint, then sprint
21. Avoid Strip Clubs
22. When in doubt Know your way out
23. Zipplock
24. Use your thumbs
25. Shoot First
26. A little sun screen never hurt anybody
27. Incoming!
28. Double-Knot your Shoes
29. The Buddy System
30. Pack your stain stick
31. Check the back seat
32. Enjoy the little things
33. Swiss army Knife

Stolen from: http://www.zombielandrules.com/

Most of these “rules” can be used in everyday survival.  Cardio and sunscreen?  A doctor recommends that for such things as cancer prevention.

Anyway, just a little query I had on my mind.  I’ll think of a better topic for next time.  Until then, be happy this one got out.

Sorry about missing my Sunday deadline for posting.  However, I am blogging within a month of my last post so, I would say it is a success.  I’ve also started taking notes about things I would like to talk about.  I know, you are super impressed.  

Number one thing:

Living in colder weather.

This means having proper clothing, learning to drive (and walk) on ice, and skiing!

Recently, a friend noted that putting a candle in your car is a good safety measure.  A candle can be used to heat a car for quite a while.  I checked around on a couple different websites.  One said that it takes a pretty powerful flame, such as one from a wick candle to preform this action.  Another said that a couple of candles in a coffee can could do the trick.  Of mention, all open flames in a car seem kind of scary.  Also, keeping a pair of extra socks, etc in your car is helpful.  I hope to never have to use these techniques, but with my driving in North Carolina, who knows where I’ll get stuck.

On to the skiing…

I attempted to ski on Saturday.  It is hard as hell.  Snow/ice is a mystery to me.  To move across it elegantly is a task that escapes me.  I am horrible at ice skating and, as it turns out, I am no natural skier.  I did get some basics started.  I can now put skiis on, stand on them, move forward some, and fall.  As I angrily brushed snow off my ass and looked around at all of the people engaging in this foreign activity I started to wonder, why the hell would anyone ever want to do this in the first place?  Stupid Nordic inventions.  I can see how it is much faster to use skis to go down a mountain, yes.  However, unless you are good at it, I think it decreases your chance of survival to speed down a slope that fast!  Sigh.  I will be trying it all again soon enough.  I will go down a slope at least once.  If anything, skiing would be a kick ass way to get away from a zombie.

I’ll save some other topics for Sunday.  Until then, I hope it doesn’t snow again.

I constantly look for the North Star when I get the chance.  I have yet to see it.  I don’t know if it is the wrong time of the year or what but it is always too low to see.  So, I ask Evan, “If you were in a field at night how would you know what direction to head?”  He responded, “I don’t know.  The clouds always move to the north, well that’s how it is in Minecraft.” 

So, I figure I probably can’t rely on this so-called North Star, Mr. Polaris.  Therefore I’ve found this website which provides information about finding true north without using that silly ol’ North Star.  Most of these methods have been described and used by Mr. Bear Grylls, anyway.

They may be helpful.  Although both require the sun to be out.  One is the stick method, watching the shadow every 15 minutes and making a mark that will be the east/west line, standing on this line with your left foot on the first mark and your right foot on the second mark will make you face north.  There is a problem here if you can’t find a smooth surface or a place where the shadow can go around undisturbed.  

There is another method using an analog watch, which again requires the sun.  However, something I didn’t know, but in the Northern Hemisphere (where we all are) the sun is due south during midday!  

Hopefully, I’ll soon just have an innate ability to find my way around.  Again, it is always good to know the layout of land before you decide to head out into the wilderness.  That way you know if you head north you will hit so-and-so and if you head this direction bla, bla, bla.  Catch my drift?

Anyway I’m excited that this is my second post within a week. I plan to keep this up.  Maybe I’ll make Sunday my blog nights.  I can’t wait for next Sunday now.  Until then, I’ll do my research and think of topics.

I had a minor burn during my holiday break and couldn’t remember any of the do’s and don’ts.  However, I remembered putting something on my blog about it.  Sick.  Again, it was exciting to find use of my blog.  I don’t feel like a complete failure!

 Upon revisiting the burn section I didn’t see the don’ts, so here is this article that outlines some of the don’ts.

The three big ones are don’t use ice, don’t put butter or ointments on it, and don’t pop the blisters.  

I didn’t believe my parents when they told me to run it under cold water, but apparently that helps with swelling.  Lesson learned!

I have more to post, but on different subjects.  Until then, don’t get burned!