Open Letter to the meddler...

Hello

First I'd like to say that I'm happy to answer all of your questions if only you'd bother to ask me directly. There is no need to go digging for dirt because you'll only get dirty. I admit it, I'm not a perfect person. I've done things that I may not choose to do today given maturity and hindsight, but I have never done anything that I regret or hide away for countenance. Secondly I'd like to add that sincerity is one of my prime virtues. However, while sincerity is important to me and I always refrain from telling lies, I do not hesitate to spin tales for the sake of humor and entrainment. Somewhere between a half and some two-thirds of what I write is purely in the realm of satire and joke. Here I must point out that it is perfectly possible to pull apart something I've written and misinterpret a joke to be truth. I believe this is the source of a misunderstanding.

We live in the age of information. How easy it is for one so hidden away to view the world through such a small window as your computer screen and begin to believe the feed. Like the age of Television, this has revolutionized much of how we see the world. Also much like television, it is a mixture of fact and fiction. Often there is more fiction than fact. Today a person who views television as pure fact is seen as having a small and impotent mind. Only a child believes everything on television. This is something that extends to the Internet. Only the most credulous and dim would read my words and conclude them to be 100% fact. The same level of credulity I've seen in too many correspondences.

The emergence of Email, Uber, Bitcoin, Twitter, Youtube, Hulu, Netflix... are all examples of how much the world is changing and how much we need to change the way we see it. Email has forever changed communication. Uber is changing the way we get around. Bitcoin is changing the way we think about money, potentially making banks obsolete. Twitter is changing the way we get news, basically making corporate media obsolete. Youtube, Hulu and Netflix are making television networks obsolete. All of this means the way we think about each other, the ways we communicate, how we get our information, and how we understand it need to evolve. To use these new systems we (you) need to adapt your thinking. The fact that you have unabashedly stalked me online is a testament to this.

Here I must add more of the personal. It seems to me that you are all too eager to jump to assumptions and express your misguided opinions. You have no Idea what you are talking about. You have no clue about my true nature. Reading a few tweets or a blog does not grant you insight into the workings of someones life. It does not expose "secrets" as anything posted on the Internet is obviously NOT a secret. As you're so fond of trolling my posts you should be wise enough to have realized they are almost entirely jokes. Perhaps it's the nature of posting in mediums like twitter that hinders your understanding. It is possible that you simply have not been able to find the entire thread and are not able to comprehend that many posts, replies and responses are jokes. Maybe this means you have no humor, or maybe I'm just not funny. But I do know that thinking everything posted on twitter is true does make for a great laugh.

This is why I'd like to believe that we've merely had a misunderstanding. I want to think that your overly emotional correspondence is the result of a telephone-game-like scrambling of the message. I'd like to believe that you are not as credulous as you sound. That you are not eagerly seeking to formulate such ridiculous conclusions, but are just uninformed. I'd like to believe that you do not want to think such things and that you are not quite as perverted as to conjure up the crazy I see in reading your words. I hope you don't want to believe yourself. Unfortunately, you seem to WANT to believe the things you do. You'd rather believe the fabulous tales you've spun for yourself than learn the more boring truths of reality.

Sadly, I'm afraid the tales you've spun reflect not only your bias delusions but expose your own inner shame and desires. Shakespeare said it best with "me thinks thou dost protest too much" implying that your protests expose your own guilt. Similarly, as Chris Hitchens said in reference to 'King Lear', "the policeman who lashes the whore has a hot need to use her for the very offense for which he applies the lash". That is, your disgusting revulsion to my (our) behavior reflects your own desire to act in such ways or your own guilt for having done so. This extends also to your bigoted concern over my race and religion. That you were so appallingly worried I may be "black" because I have a "black name" oddly implies your own desire for interracial relations. In short these rather stupid complaints comments and concerns are merely projections of YOUR inner self. 

I feel I must explain my position on drugs as you've proven so keen on making assumptions. I do NOT have any addictions. I have never had any addictions. Unlike yourself, I've spent the last decade of my life working a very successful job, thank you very much for your arrogant and insulting judgments on that. During my tenure I drank an occasional beer, smoked a joint here or there, and did other things without any effect on my career. It is perfectly possible to do something without it being a problem. A person can drink a beer without being an alcoholic, similarly, a person can smoke a joint, or eat a pill without being a "drug addict." As far as addiction itself is concerned, a person does not need drugs to be an addict. Food, sex, TV, popping bubble wrap... anything can be an addiction. It's not the act that makes an addict, it's the addicts compulsion. Sadly, We live in a hypocritical society where you can raise your children to swallow pharmaceuticals by the handful, then have the stupid arrogance to condemn anyone an "addict."

Your arrogance and credulity exposes your ignorance. To claim I have a addiction because I wrote about taking LSD on independence day is an insult to both me and actual addicts. It shows that you have zero knowledge about drugs, no understanding of addiction, no understanding of myself, and no respect for the essential dignity of other people. Your reactionary comment about drug addiction is a slippery-slope fallacy that further shows your bias and ignorance. Claiming that this one-time use of a non-addictive drug (it is a fact: "LSD is not considered an addictive drug since it does not produce compulsive drug-seeking behavior.") will lead to the use of meth and "pimping", leaves me nearly speechless with sardonic laughter. This absurdity is why America has more prison inmates than all other countries combined. It's people like you (your generation), believing such blatant nonsense, who perpetuate it. Perhaps this is a form of sabotage intended to limit competition in your bullshit economy. Luckily, your antiquated views are dying as a new age of enlightenment is dawning.

Today we are seeing a wonderful revolution in understanding drugs. We are fortunate enough to live in a time when the giant black blanket term of "drugs" is being pulled back to reveal the truth. A truth that your generation has fought against from the beginning. The truth that if we are willing to call cannabis a "drug" then we should also call coffee, tea, and chocolate "drugs." The truth that "drugs" are not demons as you've been brainwashed to believe. The truth that many of these things have been used safely by "successful" people for thousands of years. The truth that in a free and civil society consenting adults should be free to get high. The truth that our culture and society is NOT fundamentally against "getting high." That alcohol, caffeine, and TV are readily acceptable and even encouraged is evidence that our culture is not opposed to "getting high." So what's so different about the other "highs"? What's the difference between drinking beer while watching football and smoking cannabis while watching cartoons? This is a question that you have obviously refused to ask. A question that perhaps is beyond your thinking as you've no doubt been thoroughly programmed to avoid it. The only difference is purely statutory and lucky for us the statutes are changing. Even the delusional belief that law (statutes) dictates ethics and morality is going extinct.

You're clearly trying to use money to manipulate us. Canceling this or that service for your own child (life-flight insurance, AAA, phone and others) is obviously a pitiful attempt at retaliation. It shows that your only sense of power comes from money. Your response of "I canceled this and that" and refusal to admit or confront and own your abusive and neglectful behavior is tantamount an admission of guilt. It also shows exactly how little power you actually have within your own life. The weakest power is manipulation and is a power used mainly by the weakest people. While I did not read the letter sent to you, I do know it's basic message. Again your refusal to confront a single point and your retaliatory response is basically a contemptible admission of your own guilt. 

As for your obsessive preoccupation with money. It's true that more money is always useful but it is not the sole measure of success. You think that money solves everything but it clearly hasn't solved your own problems. I will not argue that money is not important, but I will argue against it as the sole measure of success. If you measure success in dollars you must wake up to the fact that the world is changing. As the population increases there are fewer dollars to go around. We are slipping into a socialist country and the top 1% of the world are sucking up 98% of the wealth. So by your measure, only 1% of the world is "successful." There are some nine BILLION people on earth and you think that competition for a little slice of that remaining 2% of the pie is going to grant any success? Again your thinking shows how well hidden away you've been for the last thirty years. When you were my age, the average person owned their home, today this is almost an impossibility. When you were my age, the average person worked in a manufacturing plant, today those factories no longer exist. The measure of success has changed with the times. We are evolving into a creativity based economy while you belittle creativity itself. Today economic success is not to be found in a career working for others but in advancing the self. Your generation has been indoctrinated to believe people need to "find a good job", while my generation believes we need to create a good job.

I have to ask, with all your money (rather your husbands money), are you happy? Has any single dollar purchased you a shred of happiness? Has any dollar bought you an extra day of life? A shred of compassion? An ounce of understanding? I doubt it. Looking from the outside in, I can be equally judgmental and conclude that you are not happy. Your money hasn't bought you a single friend, let alone a fake friend and it obviously hasn't bought you a sense of humor or compassion. I'm sincerely wondering if you are happy. I must also ask, would you trade away any of your (husbands) wealth for real happiness? Perhaps here, I can illuminate the main difference between your generation and mine. We see a career as a meaningless drain of our precious little time. Simply put, we'd rather own nothing and be free to live our seventy years than work away half our lives to own meaningless stuff. We are simply not as materialistic as you so money is far less important to us.

Always remember, we are the generation that will inherit the mess you've made. We are the creators and makers, the dreamers and artists. We are not like you. We are not here to rape and take everything the world has to offer. We are not here to burn everything we can't own. We are not going to tear others down for having their own dreams. We are not going to nay-say and belittle any creative endeavors. We will take the world that you've left burned to ashes and trampled to dust. We will grow new life in it and thrive. You cannot stop us. WE are the future, YOU are the dead. We will mourn your passing, but we will embrace the freedom left in your wake. We will write history and tell the story of your failure to stop us. We will enhance the world instead of using it up, tear it down, trample it, and belittle it. Your antiquated beliefs will die with you. This change will only accelerate once your corpse has stopped weighing us down.

Rotten and corrupted with deceit, judgment, denial, and selfishness, you are a poisonous person. You are clearly seething with misery and denial. Like most people suffering from decades of misery you try to spread it around onto others. Also like most people long suffering, you are unaware that you are the source of your own misery. As we love you and care for you and we wish you well, but we are wise enough to understand that your poisons will spread into us. In other words, we refuse to allow your bitterness and misery to hinder our happiness. We have pity for your alienation but we understand that it is your choice. One day you will be left old and alone. Nobody will be there to care for you and nobody will help you. It seems this is what you want for yourself so we cannot avoid it. We will not fight against your self imposed estrangement. We love you and we have compassion for you but we will not swallow your poison.

Bitterly and mockingly but lovingly,

Darius V. the LSD addicted satanic pimp.

Mind reading technology and AI.

In the last century and for the first time in human history, we've seen the successful development of sincere and dedicated study of the brain. This has led to a wave of new technologies like forgetting pills, false memory pills, learning pills, thought scanning "brain decoder" computers, mind controlled drones and prosthetics (robotic limbs), and mind controlled games, brain to brain communication, implanting memories and more.

The human brain has always been a very difficult subject to study.  Caught between ethics and practicality it has remained a relative black box for most of human existence. Until very recently, practically all understanding of the brain came from the study of defects and damage. The comparison between a "normal" brain and an "abnormal" brain has been our only tool in linking the fleshy grey matter to the internal mental world. This has led us to answer only a few basic questions about our minds.

Sometime in the last century the surgical and mechanical approach to understanding the mind reached a plateau. We'd learned the separate organs of the brain. The visual cortex, the amygdala and other with some basic information about their function. It wasn't until the enlightening introduction of psychedelic compounds like Mescaline did we begin to learn the nuts and bolts of the brain. The compound commonly called LSD has probably taught us more about the functions of the mind than any single thing. Today we are seeing an approach of a wave in understanding. We are in the process of changing the stigma against psychedelic compounds and we are simultaneously developing better mechanical understanding of the brain.

I believe the combination of research with psychedelic compounds, brain scanning technologies, and unlimited data storage and processing will bring our understanding of the mind under the pressure of moore's law. This itself will most likely be a step in the evolution of artificial intelligence. As seen in the awful movie "Chappie", a brain scanning program that can copy a mind, is within the realm of imagination. But this will be possible in reality. Currently we're gaining in the entertainment roots of advancement and within the more practical departments of medicine and military. An article published on gizmag.com "BBC develops mind-controlled TV" is one example of the push for entrtainment to develop mind reading technologies. The successful use of brain machine interface has been used in medicine to create prosthetics. DARPA or course has worked to developing mind reading technologies for decades.

Right now the parts are not connected. The technology to read a mind is not connected to the technologies to implant memories, is not connected to the technology to control learning. However, just as cameras, audio recorders, libraries, phones, computers, notebooks, calendars, and clocks were all separate items. We've now combined and consolidated all these things into one. Eventually the technology to implant memories will be combined with the technology to forget, and combined with the technology to accelerate learning. They will be combined with the technology to read minds which will also be combined with the technology to control minds.

As scary as this is, it's not a future to fear. Imagine the possibilities of combining accelerated learning with mind reading. I could plug into the mind of Stephen Hawking and download his thoughts. A counselor could plug into the mind of a patient and pin point traumas, then write a superscription for a forgetting pill, or a "corrective memory" implant designed to grant a memory to reconcile the trauma. I could plug into the mind of a blind person to show them color though my mind and they could show me things a world I can't currently imagine.

This could be an ultimate enlightenment for civilization. instant communication, instant knowledge, and Instant understanding. There will come many moral and ethical implications. Given the ability to implant memories and remove them, could we adopt a new justice system? Could we reinvent our ideas of crime and punishment?  Reinvent ourselves and solve some major human flaws? Could we pass on information so abstract and complex that cannot be put into words that expresses deep reasons that can only be understood by perspective?

Better than any phony polygraph, using brain scanning technology we can determe if you're a liar. We could truly find the guilty. Perhaps a violent offender is implanted with the memory of his victim. Perhaps the violent memory is erased from victim and aggressor and the cycles of human traumas are broken. The evil that could be done is equally impressive. A new wave of treatments could compensate for a wide range of mental health issues. We have the basic ability to eternally control the emotions of others (site DARPA article). Implanting entire lives into the minds of Manchurian agents then controlling them to make horrific decisions. Spies, and torture on a level only dreamed of by the powerful are now within possibilities.

Another branch of brain technologies that we should pay close attention to is basic mind simulation. As computers get better, the simulation programs will advance as well. This mean that our current level of mind simulation could limitlessly advance beyond our own capacities. Here is a point about AI that we all need to consider. Not only that we could create something beyond our control, but that we could create something so far beyond our control it's incomprehensible.

We have the benefit of hindsight to recognize the massive impact a simple video game like 'Pong' has had on human life. Pong's impact extends beyond video games. It snowballed the momentum that eventually led us to processors allowing us to create entire movies digitally and communicate face to face instantly with people across the globe. The effect of technology dissipating from it's original use into other functions combined with moore's law has taken us from IBMs $2,000,000 (mid-1950s) IBM 700/7000 series computers to the $100 wireless Android tablet. 

This wave of brain technologies is much more important to human society than we currently realize. Like the invention of the internet it will transform human life in ways that we do not currently comprehend. Trials with the current level of these technologies have proven that it is theoretically possible to implant memories, accelerate learning, read other peoples thoughts, control machines and potentially control other people with only our minds.

Ultimately one day mind reading technologies will be combined with autonomous AI machines. Future humans will be living around robots who can read their minds. Think about that.







End rant.

Why I want to hang with Louis Theroux

     In the world of documentaries there occasionally comes a character like no other. Louis Theroux is a man who seems to fit in regardless of how much he doesn't quite fit in. Traveling in search of a great story, he finds them by pushing your buttons. He comes on as harmless but he's armed with sincere questions and a polite manner. Beneath his friendly exterior there seems to be a hidden comedian. He seeks out the unusual and the bizarre, as he calls it "the dark side of human nature." Spending his "Weird weekends" with some of the most odd people humanity has to offer. Louis Theroux exposes some of the stranger aspects of modern life. His adventures take him to places that most people would avoid. From the lawless city of Johannesburg to the back yard parties of swingers, to the hobbit holes of survivalist.

   He has a talent for exposing some of the more complex issues. When he interviews a couple who are life long meth addicts, they reveal an aspect of drug use that remains taboo and unmentionable. This couple does not want to stop using and view their use as a pleasure which enhances their lives, a perspective that is entirely missing from nearly all other drug related documentaries.

    Touching on a spectrum of complex issues that rightly deserve attention. His episode about the Westboro Baptist Church aptly named "The Most Hated Family in America", is probably his most compassionate work I've seen yet. He effectively shows the suffering and delusion the church members live under. Ironically he turns the 'Most Hated Family in America' into a subject of pity. A follow up episode further illuminates the families alienation. Interviewing former members, he adds to the sense of misfortune among this broken family.

   Sometimes he seems to spin a story that might misrepresent his subjects. For example, his interviews with the survivalists in northern Idaho basically make them out as white supremacists. He even goes so far as to interview the head of the Aryan Nation church. Theroux has an obvious fascination with Nazism and white supremacists. However, he does provide a fair perspective by allowing these freaks to speak for themselves.

    He travels to Africa and questions the ethics of big game hunting. Filming in private reserves where wealthy Americans pay to kill African animals, Theroux introduces us to the illusory paradox of conservation by commercial hunting. In this episode a reserve owners explains that "they (African animals) are going to go extinct if they don't bring in any money... if it's not for hunting, there will be no species left in Africa." An apt counter to the ignorance of animal rights propaganda.

  His strongest impact on me came from the documentary filmed in San Quentin called "Behind Bars". According to Wikipedia, "it was ranked the tenth most watched program of the decade on BBC Two." Netting some 5.8 million views, it touches on relationships among prisoners themselves and between the guards and the inmates.

  Many of his documentaries are of a less serious nature but a very serious one is "Law and Disorder in Johannesburg." Where in South Africa mercenary police forces are the only law enforcement authorities. Sadly he only touches on the stupidity of rampant homelessness among empty and abandoned buildings. An issue itself which deserves more attention.

 After seeing nearly all of his BBC published works, I am convinced Louis Theroux would be a fun guy to hang around. Perhaps I'll introduce him into my own eclectic world books, linguistics, rocks, guns, gardening and entheogens.

To Louis, If you ever read this, always stick with your gut feeling but remember what the Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' says about Earth. It's "Mostly Harmless." Have you ever thought about doing something on Mormonism? Please keep up the good work! Oh, and thanks for 'Going Clear.'






END rant.

The Satanic Verses, a review, sort of.

It is often said that the most influential books are the most essential. Books that have changed history or broken the mold with revolutionary style, topics or ideas. Books that spawned new literary genres, riots, political revolutions, and cultural revelations. Within my lifetime there have been very few books that fit these demands. Now, I must warn that I will be deliberately offensive and crude in composing my views. If you are of a similar mind to myself in thinking that no topic is taboo and that all opinions are equally absurd, I hope you see my observations and allow me to challenge the beliefs I find an affront to human decency. That being said, I also hope you see the shred of sardonic humor with which I pepper my writing.

As a fan of the late Christopher Hitchens I've worked avidly to fill the gaps in my understanding of his references. Being the literary giant he is, and will always remain, I doubt I will ever complete a reading of all works Hitchens is reputed to have digested. Not only will I probably not make my way through the library of Hitchens. I will probably never come close. However, reading all but a handful of his publications I have made my own list for essential reading. The majority fall into the category of "most influential books" but not all are inspired by Hitchens. It is directly through my exposure to Christopher Hitchens that I became aware of the author Salman Rushdie. Hitchens explains the fate of Rushdie in his book "God is Not Great." A fate woven by the publication of the book "The Satanic Versus." Recently I took up the challenge of reading cover to cover this formidable text. Formidable  because of it's five hundred plus pages, dreary language and uninteresting 'islamocentric' story.

"The Satanic Versus" obviously takes themes from a wide range of well known works beyond the Koran. The basic transformation of the characters is directly influenced by Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis". The writing style as long series short stories is reminiscent of the "Arabian Nights". The endless repetition of quasi-philosophical axioms is found in many other influential stories such as Frank Herbert's "Dune". These influences are blended with a satirical writing style that is almost directly stolen from Joseph Heller's "Catch-22." The book seems to be little more than a chimera of more influential works geared toward people descended from Arabic cultures. This view is perhaps his intent. "Satanic Versus" is an attempt to combine the rich culture of western literary works with the depressing lack of literary culture among Muslims. He only succeeds in exposing the dangers of belief and fundamentalism. I have no doubt that above all others, Islamic fundamentalists are the readers Rushdie had in mind when writing the book. It only justifies the western perception of Islam as childish ignorant and primitive by fueling reactionary fundamentalists.

I read it wondering 'what kind of book could possibly drive so many people to riot?' I thought it would at least be interesting given the riots, fatwa, death threats and media coverage it inspired. I finished Salman Rushdies "The Satanic Versus" and thought 'Holy crap monkey! The only way this crappy book could have possibly sold a single copy is with hype.' This has got to be the most boring story I've read since the forced consumption of Shakespeare in public school. Expecting a grand work worthy of its received hype I found it to be entirely unimpressive. I struggled my way though the book stopping frequently to rest my mind on things less mind numbing. I found Inspiration to continue only in the screaming faces of Islamic zealots calling for Rushdies head. Their ugly faces alone solidified my commitment to finish this book.

Ironically, the true insults within the book lay in the way Rushdie portrays the English. Snobbish, egotistical, self-centered, and materialistic are the qualities of the English characters. The Irony of this is a long tradition of English self-deprecation which would never object to such a portrayal. Yet as far as I am aware, not a single Englishman joined rioters or burned the book. This fact serves to magnify the civility of western culture and better contrasts it to the stagnant bronze age culture of the Koran. The basic principle of free speech expressed by Rushdie and embraced by western culture is also a magnifying principle. It highlights the differences between the civilized and the uncivilized. The refusal of any western government to comply with Muslim requests to ban the book further magnifies the divide between civilization and barbarism.  

Sadly, it does nothing to warrant respect for the 'offended'. In fact this book is so lame I have to think that those who claim offense must be mentally disabled idiots with no ability to comprehend written language in the first place. Call me insensitive but the idea that anyone let alone an entire "religion" (as if religions are entities themselves) could be offended by this books is laughable. This subverts any level of respect its followers may deserve. Ironically those who claimed offense never bothered to read it before burning. Simply put, to claim offense by something unread is the epitome of ignorance. It's nothing but contemptible and seems to justify the bias perception of Muslims as barbarians. That a religion could be offended is itself a concept worthy of contempt, but adding to the contempt, its followers voluntarily remain ignorant to the actual work itself. Offense by this childish fable is reason enough to dismiss such a religion as anything worthy of respect. Furthermore the fact that adherents of this faith are willing to call for blood without ever reading the words that inspired the fatwa confirms the western perception of Islam as merely primitive ignorance. The lesson is these people are more than stupid, they are violent barbarians who threaten the basic human right of free speech and the basis of human civilization. Not only does the bloodlust of this "faith" display a gross disrespect for Gods creation itself, it is the apex of inhumanity and barbarism that only begs for disrespect, derision, scorn, and pity. Like monkeys throwing their own shit, they bring disrespect upon themselves.

As misplaced as the Muslim rage is, I do not feel that their offense is entirely unwarranted. If the offended were to claim as I do, insult to the intellect, I would have to agree. The offense is not toward Muhammad or his ignorant, violent and hypocritical followers. Unless they are so stupid and primitive as to find anger in mere words on a paper they have never read, which they seem to be more than eager to do. The offense is not in the text itself but in the delusion and hype of being a work worthy of our time. If the riots were not a call to justice for offending Islam, but for the vast amount of human time wasted and devoted to reading this book, I could sympathize. I wish I could unread this book and charge Rushdie for the offense of stealing a bit of my life. I only recommend this book if you have already read all of the many great works that humanity has produced, perhaps "Atlas Shrugged", "War and Peace", "Dune", "It", "Shogun", "Walden", the complete works of Carl Sagan or if you are immortal and can devote an insane amount of time reading any boring garbage.

I must remind myself that his book acted as a spotlight illuminating the stupidity and radical insanity of Muhammad's followers. Here I must thank Rushdie for shining light on this topic by the peaceful means of literature rather than the preferred method of combining martyrdom and mass murder.

End Rant.

LSD and 4th of July without fireworks.

The 4th of July is an American holiday that fills the air with explosions smoke and the smell of BBQ. It is the celebration of American independence from British Imperialism. A celebration that terrifies pets and wild animals with fireworks. Unlike all the celebrations of war however, I totally fucking love the 4th of July!

Maybe I'm getting old so I'm less enthralled with the holiday or maybe I've discovered something more appealing than booze and bombs. This years celebration was very different from my tradition of drinking beer and blowing up the empty bottles with illegally modified fireworks. Or my alternative tradition of drunkenly riding my bike around the city while sipping on a bottle of tequila and eventually crashing a party or BBQ. This year I stayed home with my girlfriend and we ate LSD.

All day the city echoed the pops and whistles of fireworks and we sipped ciders left over from the night before. Each of us ate one and a half acid laced sugar cubes around Seven P.M. and put on a stupid movie to wait until the drug began to show its effects. About half way into the movie the acid crept in. I felt it grip my spine. My jaws began to tighten and my face contorted into the classic Cheshire cat grin. The shivers rolled around my body making me giggle and moan with its energy. Sitting on the couch I curled into the fetal position and hugged my pillow. We began to writhe and stretch as the LSD opened our minds to the tension in our bodies. Excitement and blissful joy energized us priming us for all that could happen. A loud series of bangs shot through the house from the fireworks in the street. The abrupt absurdity of it broke our tension and we laughed hysterically.

We finished the movie and stepped outside to explore the vines and trees in our back yard. We admired the fractal spirals in the sunflowers and ate some josta berries. We could only be outside for a few minutes because the sulfur smell from the fireworks was intolerable. I decided music is what we needed so I played the essential Pink Floyds' "Dark Side of the Moon" followed by Tychos' "Sunrise Projector" as we looked through a massive coffee table picture book of cosmic photographs. We stared at the nebulae and galaxies and planetary images taken by the Hubble Telescope for nearly an hour. The nebulae waved and sparkled in one trippy image after another. The Ant nebula expanded forever and the Eagle Nebula reached out to swallow us.

Inspired by the Technicolor worms and Amish blankets surrounding us we broke out the art supplies. But I could not focus on anything long enough to record this inspiration with color. I retreated to the bathroom and laughed at the absurdity of my face in the mirror. Horror and wonder rippled across my face and I laughed and laughed at the sight of it all. My eyes like saucers I made goofy expressions to see the shape of my face contort into the ugliest of masks.

This was one of the few LSD adventures that did not result in a grand awakening. It did however relieve the tension and stress we've been feeling since I quit my soul sucking job a month before. This trip was not filled with visions and revelations. Instead it was one filled with joy and relief and reaffirmed our faith in each other. It was a journey that let us abandon our apprehensions and embrace each other in the realization that everything is temporary. It reminded us that all we really have is the time we spend on each other. It expanded our love for one another. It smothered us in forgiveness and understanding. I imbued us with the understanding that everything really is going to be OK.

Robotic armageddon and survivalism

Robotic Armageddon - we all know the scenario from science fiction stories like 'Terminator', 'I Robot', '2001 Space Odyssey', the 2012 version of 'Total Recall', 'The Matrix', ... Artificial intelligence is created and is used to enslave people or decides by it's own volition to kill all humans, or otherwise turns against us. Like a bomb, a robots function and purpose is clear and definitive. Their very existence defines their purpose. As a bomb is defined by it's single function, the failure of it to perform as it is designed redefines its existence. An unexploded or defused bomb is simply not a bomb, A bomb is it's explosion and the explosion is the bomb. Until the first decade of the 22nd century robotic warfare was purely science fiction. Then beginning sometime during the American invasion of the middle east, robotic artificial intelligence was unleashed as war machines against humanity. These robots called drones are constructed more like planes, gliders and remote controlled helicopters, and not humanoid in physical construction. They are still the beginning stages of full robotic warfare. Essentially, the threat from robots is one found only in the realm of monsters. An inhuman, unfeeling, unsympathetic, unreasonable, nonnegotiable, machine. A machine who's sole purpose is the destruction of mankind. Robots cannot be bought, they cannot be bribed, bargained with, negotiated with, or compromised with. However, they can be reprogrammed or destroyed. The vulnerabilities to such technologies are both obvious and daunting. Sabotage, Physical destruction, Hacking, robots under opposition control, and E.M.P 'weapons'  which are incorrectly called "weapons", because weapons are used against humans and not machines. And an E.M.P. is completely harmless to humans and only affects electronic systems. I will only discuss the first two options for defense against robots.

How to kill a robot - Most machines use components of more basic designs. Gears, pulleys, hydraulics, leavers, cams, batteries, capacitors, motors, software, software processors, sensory systems, communication systems... any of these things can malfunction under the wrong conditions. Failures in any systems can occur because of fluctuations in temperature, humidity, voltage, external pressures, internal pressures, lubrication issues, programming errors, oxidation of components, mechanical wear and erosion...

continue later...

Why I want to hang with Chris Hackett

Have you ever wanted to make your own crossbow? Do you know how make a welding rig from old car batteries? Have you ever tried to build a man powered bicycle generator? Well Chris Hackett does this sort of stuff. He's an artist, a hacker, and fabricator. His projects are built from junk. He's the sort of guy who looks at a junkyard and sees a goldmine.

I first learned of this man after reading a facebook post about his junkyard crossbow. I followed the links and came to his Popular Science entry and video about making the crossbow. This video inspired me to search out more of his projects. I soon discovered a pneumatic battery gun and a video about a metal forge. I even found a video where he dumpster dives food. Something that some people (not myself) find horrifying.

By picking the bones of discarded household appliances, he scavenges pipes, sheets of metal, and even functioning motors for his creations. Scoffing at safety precautions and sometimes common sense itself, Some of his projects are of the 'because I can' sort of thinking. For example, he builds a four barreled potato gun in order to shred potatoes into fries. He even goes so far as to use thermite for cooking, or burning rather, hamburger. Although borderline fanciful, his essential message is that we can find everything we need if only we are resourceful enough. His outside-the-box style of thinking is exactly what our society needs and thrives on.

Hackett seems perfectly at home in the junkyard wearing the same dirty black pants and shirt every day. Hackett is the sort of person who would thrive in situations where most would suffer. In fact he mentions these projects in terms of post-apocalyptic survival.

I would like to see his opinions on essential tools. That is, as any woodsman worth his salt can create whatever he needs with only an ax. A fabricator such as Hackett seems to require a few more specialized tools. I'd like to hear his opinions on just this. Maybe Sometime I'll get to ask him myself.

Meditation as a survival skill

     This may sound funny to many but meditation is a very useful survival skill.


     I know of a man who was on a very long hike, when about twenty miles into the wilds he began to have a heart attack. He was an accomplished meditator and was able to slow his heart rate and control his blood pressure enough to hike back to civilization and seek medical attention. Most people would have just died. Different meditation techniques can provide you with subtle abilities that may prove invaluable. 

    Admittedly, his example is rather uncommon, the ability to clearly focus in a stressful situation is paramount to survival. The first rule of survival according to many including Douglas Adams is "DON'T PANIC." In fact, this simple rule in all its synonyms is the first rule of all survival lessons. Meditation is a means to not panic. but it is also a means to many other ends.  


     It has been demonstrated and proven that some people can withstand severe and traumatic pain through meditation alone. Some people have even had major surgeries with no anesthetics using only meditation. Personally I believe an ability to wait calmly and alertly without moving for very long periods has survival benefits that have not been mentioned in any of the popular survival shows, websites, and magazines. Basically, when sitting still in a focused state of mind one breathes slower, the heart rate slows and all metabolic functions are dampened, and when sitting, as opposed to walking, hiking, working, hunting, ect... one uses much less energy and water, effectively extending rations.

 When one regularly meditates and develops the practice sufficiently, sleep becomes slightly less important. The reason changes in sleep occur are still mostly unknown, but the current theory on sleep says, we need a long period of down time to process new stimuli and 'delete' redundant information and enhance memory of newer stimuli. But when one spends more time in meditation there is much less 'new' information to process and 'delete'. Having less information to process means less sleep is required. This is something that all experienced meditators will confirm, the more they meditate, the less sleep they need. But this effect does seem to plateau so one will still require some sleep.

    Meditation as a survival skill is something that should be included in all survival training. A basic principle of survival is the decision to sit and wait. For example, if your car breaks down on a long desert highway. It's probably more wise to wait for another traveler than to walk for miles in the sun. Depending on the time of year one may have to wait for hours or maybe a day or two. Regardless of the actual time, waiting is almost always the best decision. But you may break down far from any road and traveling on food becomes necessary. Here the wisdom of traveling at night and resting during the day will save you. Waiting in any possible shade, meditation could help stave off a sense of desperation, fear and hopelessness, and conserve water and energy.  

   The basic ability to sit calmly and wait for long periods of time is something that our culture takes no value in, that is, until we have to baby sit or teach a class full of children, or sit in a car for hours on end. Here it becomes paramount to the survival of an annoying child and a less than patient parent. Teaching children to meditate has been shown to correlate to successes later in life and gives them skills to handle frustration and difficult tasks. And by keeping them calm may save them from a parent pulling the car over for a bit of "physical education."

In combination, the effects of meditation allow for better chances of survival. Water, ration and energy conservation, alertness and (negligible) less time sleeping, pain management, and simply remaining calm can enhance ones chances of getting out alive and unscathed by trauma.

bug-in/bug-out stock and store

This list is a combination of home stores and backpacking equipment that I think all survival minded people will find useful. Many Items listed are clearly meant for backpacking (bug-out) while other items are meant to be kept at home (bug-in) or in a vehicle (bug-out-vehicle). Many of these items listed warrant their own entries and will be expanded on later.

Buckets with lids - Clean five gallon buckets should always be available for your use. If a warning comes that water will be unavailable you can fill them and store them until the emergency is over. They are about as large as a single person can comfortably carry regardless of what is stored in them. I use many to keep a dry food storage system as well as seed storage and general organization.

Bleach - This should be on everybody's 'Duh!' list but rarely makes it. The main purpose of Bleach in a Bug-Out bag is water sterilization. A few drops in some water, recommended 8 drops per gallon, one can effectively kill protozoa, bacteria, and viruses commonly found in water. Because only a little is needed I use an old pint bottle of rubbing alcohol to store it. Clearly marked with a blue sharpy to signify that it is NOT alcohol nor water. I carry a small 2oz screw cap nalgene bottle.

Candles - some people tend to have a few candles around the house used mostly for dinner parties or the cliché romantic night with a significant other. Then the power goes out because some drunkard crashed his car into a power line and suddenly a candle is more than romantic. The great thing about candles is they require no fuel, they ARE fuel. They provide light with no batteries needed. And a flame is an awfully pleasant glow. They last forever being forgotten and tucked away for just such an occasion. Every Household should have a stock of candles. Candles are cheap and abundant and can be purchased in bulk and used for barter. I spent about $25 at a dollar store on 6-packs of 'emergency' candles. These are simple paraffin wax candles that come in packs of six each pack sold for one dollar. I also bought many "Jesus" candles in plain glass with no Jesus or mother marry pictures on them. Jesus candles are great, if they are tipped over they will not start a fire because the flame is concealed by the glass and the flame will just go out.  You can buy these at a 1$ store, but they are sold in singles.

All Weather Space Blankets - NOT those cheap flimsy mylar space blankets sold for $1 at all the army surplus stores, But a real heavy duty 'Rip-stop' nylon space blanket. They usually cost between $15 and $25 and can be found on-line but less common in stores. I recommend two as I use one for a heat reflecting groundsheet and one for a blanket. Should have at least two, and one for each person.

Small Folding Shovel - These are sometimes called trenching shovels. Can be used for more than just digging, however, waste disposal is not only polite but necessary to maintain health and hygiene. Being able to effectively dig a trench or a root cellar or a foxhole can be the difference between freezing to death, starving to death or losing superior ground. These can also be used as weapons and a substitute for a hatchet. There are many cheap Chinese made folding shovels mass produced at the lowest quality. I bought one once that crumbled like foil when I tried to use it. Tools like shovels should always be of some measure of quality because any failure in the material in dire straits will make the job that much more difficult and frustrating and only add to a stressful situation.

Large polymer handled Spade Shovel - A good shovel is a must. 

Leather Work Gloves - These are very important and another item that should be on the 'Duh!' list. Rarely however do I see these included on lists... as anybody who has been in any number of survival situations knows, you must expect the unexpected. Often times a little hard work is necessary and that hard work can tear up your hands, leaving you with splinters, cuts, gouges or broken finger nails. All are painful and potentially leading to greater problems. Just like shoes for your feet, you need gloves for your hands. Simply put, protecting your hands is very important!!! These are also a great item to keep for barter. If work gloves become unavailable because they are not being manufactured or shipped they will quickly become very valuable especially since they are hard to make or improvise.

Lip Balm - This is an item I consider 'every-day-carry'. It protects your lips from desiccating thus helping to prevent dehydration and the irritation of dry and cracked lips. It protects your lips from UV radiation. It can be used as a candle or lubricant and can serve as a minor salve for skin problems. Everybody should have their own and a few extra for barter. This is the sort of thing that may go overlooked until you already have a dried and peeling sore lip. One of the little tricks I've learned is to use lip balm on sticky zippers.

Multi-Tool - The classic leather-man multi-tool has been a proven item for years, but you do not have to stick with a leather-man. However, any model chosen should include pliers, wire cutters, wire stripper, bit drivers, large flat head screw driver, Phillips screw driver, saw, blade, can opener, wood/metal file. Some models have loads of extra features such as wood chisel, scissors, cork screws, etc. I keep a 'Skeletool' and a basic leather-man.

550 Paracord - military specification paracord is very strong, rated to hold 550 pounds with one strand. It can stretch by about 30% before it begins to break, it's very thin and lightweight. In the last decade it has become wildly abundant both online and in many stores and sells in a wide range of colors. You can buy 100' lengths for $5 - $10, or 300' lengths for $20 - $25, or even 1,000' spools for $40 - $60. The prices vary by color and supplier. I keep three 100' lengths, one high visibility orange and one high visibility green and one black. I also keep two ten foot lengths in by boots as laces. The uses are numerous! sutures, lashing, repelling, tourniquets, leash, netting, snares, any general rope uses.... And it can be used for barter. As a side note, I've always wondered why nobody in zombie movies will ever set up trip lines. It seems to me that any sort of zombie from the rabid psycho ones in '28 Days Later' to the slow stiff ones of 'Night Of The Living Dead' would have a hard time chasing anybody through a course of trip lines. So just a thought for zombie freaks, use paracord for trip lines. Tie them to a height slightly below the knee, sit back and watch the hoards fall flat on their faces.

Bank Line - A very strong tar coated thread, it comes in many variants in strength and various lengths. Since I purchased a roll of size 36 (rated for 110lbs), I have replaced much of the paracord I kept in my pack. 

Sierra Zip Stove - I love this little stove. Ordered one a few years ago and have used it ever since. This stove if a self contained furnace. Just add some flammable fuel like wood, twigs, bark, or horse manure and bam! You're ready to cook. The beauty of this stove is that it is a high power fire stove that requires no fuel canister. If you can make a fire, you can keep it contained and use it for cooking. The one and only downside to this stove is that some places have very little available material to burn and if it's been raining recently everything could be damp. But the benefit to using this stove is that bottle of propane and other sorts of fuel may be very hard to find and demand will skyrocket in a situation wherever they are the main source of fuel. The standard model is steel but I'm upgrading to the much lighter titanium set which are very hard models to find. There are a ton of accessories and customer service is very good. To order one visit www.zzstove.

Jet-Boil with fuel - Probably the fourth essential item for backpacking gear. The Jet-Boil is a simple and efficient little stove about the size of a one liter nalgine bottle. It is designed purely to boil water. These units are worth every penny and I highly recommend them to everyone interested in backpacking or survival. I have only three complaints about these stoves. First, the igniter button is so unreliable I never bother to use it and light it with a highly reliable Bic disposable lighter instead. Second, the screw on housing for the fuel canister and control valve is made of plastic. I would have made it out of metal. And third, it needs a pour spout pressed into the lip of the rim. One feature that initially sold me the Jet-Boil is the optional coffee press. Minor complaints aside, after using mine on many backpacking trips I've added it to the 'essential gear' that I always keep in my pack.

Titanium Kettle - Any kettle will do. The purpose is obvious, hot water. The kettle I use is titanium mainly for weight and because the model I have has an opening large enough for me to store many different items in when not being used and I can put my hands in side to organize or remove items for storage. When I'm camping I'll boil a kettle of water and drop in a bit of soap to make a really nice mix of soapy hot water then use this to clean my whole body. Everybody who has not seen this done is surprised at the speed and pleasantness of a good scrub after a day or two in the trail dirt and mud. I also do this to wash my laundry on  the trail and simply wring out the water.

Swiss Army knife - Just a great little multi-tool. I try my best to keep mine in pristine condition just for the sake of its usefulness.

Duct Tape - I believe there is a book dedicated to the uses of duct tape, but I'm unable to find it... oh well. This stuff was supposedly invented by the U.S. army to help with various commonplace problems. Broken hoses in engines, holes in bags, cloth, shoes, it even has first aid applications. I do not keep an entire roll as it is too large and bulky to stow easily. Instead I roll about ten feet onto an old plastic gift card or hotel key card to keep it as flat as possible. I also keep a few feet wrapped around the handle of a box cutter.

Aluminum Foil/ Aluminum pans - Foil has a million uses, from cooking and preserving food to thermal insulation in your shoes. I keep a standard sized sheet about five feet long neatly folded into an Altoids tin (which could be used as a stove). I also keep a small foil bread pan folded into as small a space as possible.

Hand warmers - This is obvious to anybody who has tried to start a fire in freezing temperatures. When your hands become too cold you lose dexterity and all ability to use them. This is more than numb fingers, it's slow stiff muscles and loss of strength. Having a few packs of hand warmers can save your life. Also, hand warmers work through a ferro-oxidation, creating rust. This only works in the presents of O2. So, if you are in trouble and need to conserve your hand warmers you can reseal them in an air tight zip lock style bag and squeeze out all the air. It will use up the O2 in the bag and then stop oxidizing until more O2 is available. This only works for a very short time.

MSR dromedary H2O bags - I two six liter bags and one ten liter bag. Luckily I've never really needed to use all three at a single time. The best thing about these is that they are collapsible and can be folded down to a size not much bigger than their caps.

Alok Sacks - These are the best water proof 'zip-loc' style bags I've found. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, fitting anything from a wallet to a hunting rifle. I keep my primary (personal) first aid kit in one.

Alcohol gel Hand Sanitizer - This falls under the hygiene category and I sore it in a small 4oz squeeze bottle I got at a hospital and refill it from the large pint bottles that can be found in any store. As the bottle says it kills 99.999% of microbes. This is essential for maintaining health in not-so sanitary conditions. I store the bottle with my T.P. for obvious reasons. As hand gel hand sanitizers are alcohol based they can be use to start fires. I once filled a mint tin with it and used this as a lamp.

Iodine solution 4oz bottle - Iodine can be used to treat water as well as superficial wounds. I have heard that it can be used to help prevent the body from absorbing the radioactive Iodine isotopes produced from nuclear explosions and power plant melt downs. The theory is that the body can only absorb so much iodine nearly all in the thyroid where specific proteins are synthesized. If the body already has it's needed supply it will not absorb more (being the radioactive isotopes generated after a nuclear blast). This would mean it's a proactive preventative measure, which would do no good after the fact. Generally however most people get their supply of iodine from table salt that has iodine added to it. But I am unsure of the validity in this, though it seems plausible. I'll have to do some research.

Mineral Oil 2oz bottle - I use this as a gun oil, a lubricant, a skin sealant, wood treatment, and if needed a laxative or fire fuel. Some would say 'gee, gun oil isn't that expensive, why bother using mineral oil?' My answer is consolidation. I can use it for more than just gun oil, it's very cheap, and in a serious situation where commodities become rare and rarer, mineral oil will probably be one of the last things to disappear off the shelves.

Box Cutter + 1 extra blade - If I only need to open a package of some sort I don't want to fowl up a good blade, as everybody should know cardboard will dull a blade in no time. A small box cutter with removable razor is very small, light and easily concealed. I keep a two foot strip of duct tape wrapped around mine.

Bandanna/ Schemagh - a simple water filter, wash cloth, shade, scarf... there are tons of uses with these things. There are even web pages on the many uses of a bandanna...

"101 uses for a bandanna"

Glowsticks - They have a very long shelf life, and can generate enough light to make a great signal. I like to use them for reading, but I wouldn't waste one in an emergency situation just to read something. Sometimes when camping in large parties that are spaced out over an area larger than a singer camp site, I like to hang one from the tents so everybody can see where the tent is from a distance. This also helps people navigate in the dark without getting lost.

Baking soda - This can be used as a foot powder, as toothpaste, as a scrub for dishes, as deodorant and for insect bites.

Ear Plugs - I'm very serious about protecting my hearing. I'd rather carry some small foam ear plugs with me everywhere than go def. When shooting firearms it's very nice. Also there may be other people doing things around you while you're trying to sleep. I've heard people say that you "don't use ear plugs in a war." I wholly agree but still I like to preserve my hearing as much as possible. And in all the time I've spent at concerts and with firearms I'm proud to say that I'm the least deaf of my party.

Match Safe, + storm matches - Just another fire redundancy. Water proof matches are good, but I keep the storm matches and coat them in wax. Storm matches are made to light in direct wind and stay lit for quite a few seconds. They are far more expensive than regular matches but well worth the expense to have fire when it's needed most.

GI can opener (p38) - a very small light can opener. A little redundant if one has a multi-tool or a Swiss army knife but it helps to keep both in good condition.

GI nylon Garrison Belt - These belts are very strong and light weight. They can be used for lashing or just as straps for equipment as well as a simple belt. They can be rolled up into a very small and compact form.

H2O purifier tablets (sealed bottle) - Duh, water purification redundancy. They come in a very small bottle and last for a very long time as long as the seal on the bottle hasn't been broken, after that they have a very short shelf life.

Flashlight/ headlamp - Humans unlike cats and coyotes have very bad night vision, thus the flashlight. I use a 'pico' light and a petzle head lamp. The headlamp is my main lighting and the 'pico' is just back up. I also have a collection of very small LED key-chain button lights spread throughout my gear and all my kits.

Zip Ties - have a ton of uses, they are very strong and some in a wide variety of sizes. I know a guy who used one as a tourniquet after slipping down a slate ravine and cutting his arm on the sharp slate.

Tent - Too many bug-out-bags lack this very important item. A tent can be the difference between a night of chilly sleeping or freezing to death. It's good to have a few, my main tent is the Eureka Zeus 2. It's quite small but large enough for my use and can comfortably house two people with gear stored outside in the vestibule.

Water-less soap - Staying clean is essential. Sometimes there is not enough water to spend on cleaning, and drinking is far more important. This is why water-less soap is a great thing to have especially in a disaster situation or in dry climates.

Katadyn Water filter - more water cleaning redundancy. The best thing about this filter is that it is quite common, well known and easy to find replacement filters.

GI Rain Poncho - Rain ponchos are useful if you need to patrol and scout your area in the rain. However, I do not recommend them for travelling with a pack and have found that an umbrella works slightly better when backpacking.

GI rip-stop BDU pants - These are very strong yet thin enough to not weigh a ton and baggy enough to help generate a nice humid layer between your legs and the pants allowing for slower evaporation and thus better cooling in heat. Being 'rip-stop' nylon they are nearly impossible to tear and any hole that does for will not run and get larger. They are very light weight and durable. I wear Wrangler brand rip-stop cargo pants. They were recommended by a friend who works as a seasonal fire fighter for the forest service and swears by their durability and strength. 

Scrub Bottoms - these are one thing I do not take hiking, but I do keep in my 'bounce box' for long distance hikes (AT, CDT, PCT). They can be folded into a zip-lock bag and kept dry and clean for wearing at night or when doing laundry. I also keep a pair in my bug-out bag and camping equipment.

I also keep some in my vehicle bag and household emergency box.

Batteries - AA, AAA, C, D, and 9v you should have a small supply of each type of battery even if your equipment that requires batteries is all the same sort. (see ground rules). For me batteries are more barter items as most of my battery powered equipment takes only AAA and I have a solar charger to reuse them. This means that any 9v or D or other sizes are up for trade.

Solar Charger (portable) - Solar technology has come a very long way. I've been using a small folding solar charger in my backpacking gear for a few years. When selecting a portable solar charger look for something that can generate the minimum power for your most powerful electronics. As a general rule of thumb, the most powerful one would need to find is one that can generate enough power to use a standard light bulb of 40 watts. But 10 watts is sufficient for most electronics and portable devices. A 10 watt portable solar charger is what I use in my backpacking equipment. Prices vary according to connection options, solar cell quality, materials and construction. You get what you pay for so I recommend choosing high quality over everything else. Brand names are the best option for these devices. A decent 10 watt portable solar charger should cost around $50. For the home, I suggest an allowance for the 40 watt or even the larger and much less portable but still fordable 'suitcase' models capable of generating around 100 watts. The most power hungry device I use at all is an old laptop that asks for 135 watts of power. A solar charger capable of generating this much electricity currently cost between $200 and $500. Unfortunately, solar cells are one of the few technologies that does not get cheaper with size or quantity. Smaller units are the cheapest and they only go up in price proportionately to to the size of the unit. That is, a unit that has a surface area of 10"x10" will cost slightly more that twice as much as one of 5"x5". They are somewhat exponentially more expensive as they increase in size and materials. The reason for this is in the nature of silica wafer production. If one wishes to run machines such as electric hair dryers, microwaves, clothes dryers, blender, coffee percolators, electric hot plates, desktop computers, televisions, entertainment systems... I recommend professional home installation of units capable of generating the required power. Such units may be prohibited by building and zoning codes as well as home owners associations so confirm any possible permissions and legality before installation.  

Swedish Flint and Steel - these are very inexpensive and last a very long time. Made of a ferrocerium alloy they are not affected by water and have an indefinite shelf life. They produce a spark that is 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,432 Fahrenheit) hot enough to ignite almost anything flammable. I keep one on a small chain necklace when I'm camping, hunting, or backpacking.

Umbrella - This may seem oddly placed among survival gear. But having a good umbrella has proven just as and sometime more useful than a good poncho. I've found that even when wearing a good poncho I tend to get we anyway though less so without one. But using an umbrella I've found that I stay slightly dryer and the connivance of unpacking it, using it, and packing it away again is much easier than a poncho. It works much like a rain fly allowing one to take a break in the rain and prepare food or do other things beneath the umbrella.

Tarps/ Fly - Invaluable, This provides shade and shields from rain. It extends the 'livable' camp area beyond the tent. I like to keep a very large one in my general camping gear just to use as a fly over my main camping area. I also keep a 9'x9' kelty fly in my hiking gear.

Rat Traps - like mouse traps but made for rats, they are large enough for chipmunks, smaller squirrels and small mammals. I used to carry a mouse trap and ten feet of snare wire for making traps using the mouse trap as a trigger and switch. Eventually I watched a video on the web where someone talked about using rat traps for catching small mammals. So I upgraded to having two rat traps instead of a mousetrap and snares.

Radio (emergency) - An emergency radio is not something I consider essential, but it is a very nice luxury that will help you find help and stay informed of the local situation. The only downside to these is range. One could be far enough away that so signals make it to your radio. But most people live in or near large towns and cities and should benefit from emergency broadcasts. I really like the Eton brand emergency radios. They come with a dynamo hand crank and rechargeable batteries. The newer ones have a USB port allowing one to recharge cell phones and other devices using the dynamo crank.

Radio (two way, HAM, C.B. Police scanners) - Communication is essential. Not only is it a staple of civilization it's key to psychological well being. In a major power outage cell phone towers may be inoperable as most relay through ground lines and use the internet and are thus ties to the power grid. Telephone lines are on their own circuit and are rarely disabled from power outages, but these may be tied up from emergency calls, panic and general disorder. Phone lines may also be disabled by authorities to prevent information leaks and contain an 'incident'. All of this means that nobody can make or receive calls in some situations. This is why radios are so useful. Independent of land-lines and a power grid one can retain basic communication using radios. Since radio is a natural phenomenon it seems silly to require a license to use it. Most radio frequencies are used for AM/FM transmission and are regulated by the FCC. Guidelines on bandwidth and range are set by them to limit transmissions and keep people from broadcasting over each others' frequencies and to prevent different regions from transmitting to each other. Some are reserved for emergency channels some are designated for non-licensed civilians but most do require FCC licensing. The difference is which frequencies one uses and how powerful the transmissions are. Generally anything transmitting over a two mile radius requires a license. The only downside to using radios is that anybody can listen in and potentially give out false information. There is also a military tactic in which all signals are jammed by broadcasting over them with a high powered nonsense signal effectively drowning out competing signals. With digital encryption and digital signaling we can in theory broadcast part of a signal in one band and another part of the signal in some other band then recombine them into a coherent signal preventing interception. Few civilian radios can do this, but with a little know-how it is possible. Make sure that party members know which channels to use, when to check in, when and how to signal and general radio use. Police scanners can be used to stay informed and keep an ear on what authorities in the area are up to. Some authorities really dislike this but the fact is, anybody can listen in on any signals, the laws only cover broadcasting.

First Aid - this is a biggie and for now I'll only list a few items of choice that I keep in my personal first aid kit. One should have multiple First Aid kits with varying contents. When making a First Aid kit you should consider the widest possible circumstances. Anything could happen, a broken toe, a torn ligament, a laceration, a joint dislocation.... the list goes on and on. This is why everybody should be able to handle minor wounds illnesses and emergencies (FIRST AID). And recognize when it's time to seek help. A sprained ankle for example can be mended with just an ace wrap, but it may be bad enough to require x-rays and splints. I personally have everything one would need for any medical emergency short of severe organ damage, Impalement, gun-shot, broken spine, or child birth.

My most basic First Aid kit

1x - 5 staple skin staplers

5x - large cloth band aids

3x - sealed packs of Neosporin (generic)

3x - Chloroscrub wipes

3x - mini vials of benzoin tincture

3x - 2x2 sterile gauze

2x - 4x4 sterile gauze

2x - 18 gauge 1" needles

2x - 3mm sealed vials of saline

1x - very large blunt sewing needle

1x - 2' ace wrap

2x - 1' stretch blue rubber tourniquet

2x - petroleum jelly

3x - alcohol swabs

3x - 1/8th" steri-strip

3x - 1/4th" steri-strip

3x - 1/2" steri-strips

2x - large tongue depressors

mini chap stick

Sterile Suture Scissors

Tweezers

Tools! - When a job needs done it makes a world of difference to have the right tools. Here is an example of some tools I keep that have proven their value.

Scissors - A good high quality pair of scissors is a wonderful thing to have. I have surgical stainless steel scissors that I keep in my First-Aid kit.

Pry Bar/ Crow Bar - A great weapon that also seems to work very well for prying open doors, crates, fences and windows.

Bolt Cutters -  I once had a bike stolen from me. Luckily I found it one day changed it too a tree with someone else's lock. A unique bike I knew at sight to be mine. It sat there long enough for me to find the hardware section of the large store nearby and purchase some bolt cutters. I cut the lock and left it at the tree and rode the bike home. I'm sure that if somebody had seen me they would have thought I'd just stolen the bike. But I stole it back; two wrongs CAN make a right. Generally I only use bolt cutters when traveling through a gate the some fool abandoned after forgetting to remove the chains and the pad lock and the "no trespassing" signs. But there have been times when I've needed to cut the lock on something or other and these are just about the only hand tools that can do the job.

Screw Drivers - A collection of small to large Phillips head and flat head screw drivers.

Wire cutters/ Strippers - At some point you may want to rewire something, anything, and you really don't want to strip wire with your teeth.

Plumbers Wrench - A large and very adjustable wrench can add a lot of force to your grip.

Hack Saw - again being able to fix or modify your tools is sometimes essential. I once sold a shotgun to a friend who heard my complaint that the barrel was too long for my liking and he told me he planned to cut the barrel "shorter". I told him not to tell me about it and that as far as I know a shotgun cannot be shorter than sixteen inches, But I'm really not sure. But that does mean he could have cut the barrel down by twelve inches before it was illegal. I don't know the laws on this and I do not recommend modifying any firearms. But I have used my hacksaw for more constructive purposes like cutting rusted bolts from a bumper.

Car Jack (handy man jack, Bottle jack) - This is the sort of thing that every underground bunker should have near an entrance. A good jack can lift far more weight than any person and if trapped by rubble behind a door or hatch, a jack can be used to pry an opening. Any good subterranean bomb shelter should have one installed at the entrance tunnel to lift off the hatch and anything than may have fallen on top of it. I've used jacks to pry very large boulders off cliff faces (something I discourage anyone from doing) to expose a mineral deposit at the base of the boulder in the cliff face. Afterwards it occurred to me that a similar method could be effective for dropping large boulders onto a roadway to block access or to ambush or trap vehicles below. I suppose a car jack could also come in handy for changing blown tires and doing auto repairs.

Needle nose vice grips - A good pair of pliers can be very useful, especially if those pliers can attach themselves and provide a force without your hands.

Tin Snips - in many places seemingly remote I often find random bits of sheet metal or tin cans left behind after decades of abandonment. Having a good pair of tin snips allows you to modify sheet metal and other metal things into useful items like wood stoves and rooftops.

Small Vice - I mean very small. Mainly just to use as something stable to hold things that are being welded, cut, hammered, soldered, glued or whatever.

Lazer Bore sighter - This is not a very cheap item to keep with your gun cleaning and maintenance supplies. But as ammo becomes more and more scarce accuracy becomes more important. Being able to accurately place a shot is essential. A laser bore-sighter works very well with guns that cannot be sighted through the barrel.

Metal File - Most often I use a file on my ax before and after use to keep a keen edge. But a metal file is good for modifying fixing and sharpening metal tools.

Large Ax - Estwig makes a great ax that has lasted for me over twenty years. I highly recommend an Estwig brand ax.

Gun Cleaning kit - In general a gun cleaning kit should include many different sizes of wire brushes and tools used to maintain any guns you have. In mine I have a 'bore snake' for each barrel size and a 1oz bottle of gun oil, as well as various allen wrenches and flat heads that fit my weapons.

Long Handle shovel - A spade shaped head is best for digging but the long thin trenching shovel used by the forest service fire fighters works great.

Animal Dressing tools - Dressing any large game can be tricky especially when done without proper tools.

Whet Stone - a must have item for long term use. I keep a large stone with a very fine grain on one side and a medium grain on the other. And I keep a very small medium grain stone.

Watch (analog) - I don't waste my money on expensive fancy multi-function watches. I've always been the sort of person who will eventually destroy a watch. So I buy cheap ones only. I have one cheep watch that I bought for $20 at costco that has lasted almost fifteen years. It's beaten to hell, scratched so bad the plastic face would have long ago shattered to bits if it were glass. I like the analog watches mostly because the face can be used as a compass.

Baby Wipes - I keep these in the car. They are great for cleaning up dirty hands and faces. Sometimes you might need to check your oil or radiator fluid or do something that get's you a little dirty. Baby wipes are great because they come moist and soapy. I try to have the ones that are unscented.

Tyvek sheets - This is something I learned about through backpacking. Tyvek is a strong durable material that is breathable (allowing air flow) but water resistant (not quite water proof). I use sheets of tyvek for my ground sheet beneath my tent to help protect it from damage and extend its life. Also when sleeping beneath a tarp or fly I use it as a ground sheet to add a barrier between me and the dirt.

Shower Curtain (vinyl) - These are very cheap, costing less than $3 for a good quality and maybe $1 for ones of lesser quality. They are a strong water barrier and

I often use one as a ground cloth. I also keep one in the car emergency kit as a means to collect water an provide rain protection. 

Rat traps - Amazingly simple invention, that can be use to catch small mammals such as squirrels. They are light weight and easy to use. I keep one in my bug-out gear and many at home.