Laughing Wolf
Monday, January 22, 2007
Your Suggestions Sought
I am helping a colleague put together some panel proposals for the upcoming Blogworld & New Media Expo and would appreciate your assistance. For this proposal, he/we need suggestions for university/college blogs; that is, blogs done by colleges and universities, or by particular schools within such institutions. We also would like to get some good student blogs recommended, and those students can be full-time, part-time, local, long-distance, or purple with pink polka dots. Suggestions anyone?
LW
Sunday, January 21, 2007
A Hell Of A Note
Yesterday was one of those days you just can’t figure out. Parts of it were good, very good; and, parts of it were strange or worse. It ended on a hell of a note, including having to help encourage someone to go to a doctor/ER, then getting home to find messages that apparently a young lady I have known since about the time she started school, was dead. I keep hoping that someone will tell me the message was wrong, after all the fish-wrapper in Macon, GA had the last name spelled wrong if it is indeed her.
13-years-old. She died during breath play, edge play, what the kids are apparently calling “The Choking Game.” You cut off oxygen to the brain, usually by cutting off blood flow, and when it comes back it is a rush, including for some a sexual rush without any vestige of sex. A rush without drugs. Some are doing it in pairs, literally choking each other. Others use belts, scarves, plastic bags, and other implements and do it by themselves. I rather suspect that the highest percentage of the kids who die playing this game do so by themselves, when they goof and no one is there to catch them or call for help. That’s what happened to her.
13-years-old. A scarf. I wonder if it was silk, for silk sounds good in fantasies but has a nasty habit of tightening and not coming untied—nor is one able to slip even a slip knot with it. A couple of other fabrics have similar tendencies, but silk is the worst.
13-fucking-years-old. She was not a stupid child; not slow; not even average. Above average in everything but height. I remember laughter, surprising conversations, and a spirit that was many times the size of the body that housed it. A face bright with excitement and joy in and at exploration. I know that this last year and a bit had to have been rough on her, with the unexpected death of her father and a forced move to the mother (divorced), but this is just not something I would ever have imagined her doing. Going for the rush. Craving it. Doing it stupidly. Bloody bleeping hell.
If you have kids, go hug them. Now. Meditate, pray, whatever it is you do, do it. For them, and for this “E” Then give those kids another hug.
LW
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Snow, Finally
Well, it is finally snowing here and acting like winter. I’m actually quite happy to see it, as we need the cold and we need for the flipping rain to stop as the ground is saturated and heading towards supersaturation in some places. Not sure Jenny is happy with it, but will see.
LW
Monday, January 15, 2007
Greetings
Sorry for the lite posting, work and life have conspired against me of late. Not helping is having to talk to a lawyer about the contractor who put the new roof on the lair just a bit over a year ago. Once I talk further with Mr. Lawyer, all details may well be posted so that no one else has to go through what I’ve been going through. Though, I admit, I am a tad bit grumpy this morning as I was awakened by water in my face at 0115 hours as yet more of the “good job” he did shines through… More soon, I promise. Really, I mean it this time…
LW
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!
May it be filled with laughter and joy, health, prosperity in all good things, and love. For the enemies of freedom and individual liberty wherever they are, may quick and appropriate solutions come your way.
LW
Rational Preparedness, Part Three
Originally posted May 2, 2003
As a quick recap, remember to focus on the five things that can happen, rather than on all the ways they can happen. This is much more manageable, and allows for reasonable preparations.
While the discussion on personal and structural damage is not over, I don’t want to get so wrapped up in it that we fail to talk about the other three types of damage. They can be equally important, and will factor into later discussions.
Consumables are the things which we need to work and survive. They include fuel, food, water, air, and medicines, While there are more, these are the critical five for an emergency.
Wire systems provide the electricity to you, and data services as well. While electricity is technically a consumable, it is easiest to put it into this category for planning purposes. After all, storing electricity in truly usable quantities for an emergency really isn’t practical.
Equipment and records is the third category. These are the possessions in your structure, from the television to the backups of your computer files.
Let’s start with the easiest first: Equipment. Critical records, like vehicle titles, deeds, and such should either be in a safety deposit box at a bank, or in a fire and waterproof box hidden in your home. Include serial numbers and photos of all major (and minor) purchases, from your computer to your television, so that you have insurance records.
Truly important records need to be stored in two different locations. An easy way to do this is one I have used for many years: friends and family. I have stored copies of important records with people who are geographically separated from my location. In turn, I have done the same for them. Simple and safe, and it works as a matter of routine.
Wire damage is less easy to fix, but easy to plan for. Know a good electrician and keep the number handy. Make sure you have plenty of spare fuses, know where the fuse box is located, and how to turn everything off and on. In an emergency, you may need to cut off power to just one place, or you may need to know how to throw the main switch. This is not always straightforward, so plan ahead.
Consumables are the easiest to work with. As discussed before, build up a “pad” in your supplies, from food to toilet paper, and then keep the stock rotated. This covers you not merely from storm, but from the dreaded unannounced visit by family and friends as well. Rational planning does not merely cover you for major disasters, but all unexpected happenings.
There is more to come, and some fuller discussion of a variety of topics, but this provides a good overview and some food for thought. Concentrating on the results rather than on the causes makes planning for emergencies a much easier task. Take a few moments and plan ahead, it can be a lifesaver.
Content copyright C. Blake Powers and the individual authors. Comments become the property of C. Blake Powers and may be altered, edited, deleted, and used by C. Blake Powers or the individual authors without restriction or recompense.
