Its Sunday morning… my time… It is really 1:48 pm but I have been exhausted lately and needed to catch up on some much needed sleep.

I left off with how being in good physical shape is important. Just as important as that though is keeping your brain in good mental health. Sleep and proper nutrition aid in keeping the brain a well oiled machine. With that said, lets continue on with the list!

6. Stay knowledgeable. Learn as much as you can about survival before any event actually happens. Jack Spirko has compiled a list of books that he recommends when learning about survival –> Jack Spirko’s survival book list. Knowing a modern survival philosophy is a good idea and Jack has compiled a good list of rules to try and live by –> Modern Survival Philosophy.

7. Practice. Once you learn some basic skills… like shelter and fire building, go out in the woods and practice building a fire without any matches or flint. Build a shelter in the woods and sleep in it for a night. Learn what works best and what doesn’t. When learning about survival, hiking through the woods will take on a new meaning. You will be scanning the area for possible shelter locations and edible plants. Learning these skills will gain you a deeper appreciation for nature and help you feel comfortable in those surroundings.

8. Firearms. Have them and if you can afford it lots of them! Know how to shoot them, reload… etc. Most importantly always double tap!

I hope that will help you get you started on journey of survivalism and gaining a deeper appreciation for nature. To dive deeper into this topic make sure to check out the Survival Podcast.

Here is a definition of survivalism from Wikipedia:

Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups (called survivalists) who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order. Survivalists often prepare for this anticipated disruption by having emergency medical training, stockpiling food and water, preparing for self-defense and self-sufficiency, and/or building structures that will help them to survive or “disappear” (e.g., a survival retreat or underground shelter). Anticipated disruptions include:

1. Natural disaster clusters, and patterns of apocalyptic planetary crises or Earth changes, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, and severe thunderstorms.
2. A disaster brought about by the activities of mankind: chemical spills, release of radioactive materials, nuclear or conventional war, or an oppressive government.
3. General collapse of society, resulting from the unavailability of electricity, fuel, food, and water.
4. Monetary disruption or economic collapse, stemming from monetary manipulation, hyperinflation, deflation, and/or worldwide economic depression.
5. A sudden pandemic spreading through the global population.
6. Widespread chaos, or some other unexplained apocalyptic event.

With a basic definition of what survivalism is I need to clarify that I am not a doomsday wacko who thinks or tries to predict when the world is going to end. I am also not naive to the fact that something could  happen tomorrow that could disrupt everyday living. Having the tools and the knowledge beforehand is key to surviving any situation. I compiled a list to get you on your way to adopting the survivalist mind frame (I am working on this list as well, so I may not have implemented all of them myself). Good luck!

1. Have a disaster plan implemented so everyone in your house knows where to re-group in case of fire, tornado, earthquake…etc. For more information read this article Family Disaster Plan.

2. Have a bug out bag ready in case you need to leave your house quickly. What is a bug out bag you ask? It is a bag that has all essential items for survival in an emergency situation. Here is a more detailed description from Wikipedia:

A bug-out bag is a portable kit popular in the survivalism subculture that contains the items one would require to survive for seventy two hours when evacuating from a disaster. It is also known as a 72-hour kit, and other popular names include GO Bag and GOOD (Get Out Of Dodge) bag. The focus is on evacuation, rather than long-term survival, distinguishing the bug-out bag from a survival kit, a boating or aviation emergency kit, or a fixed-site disaster supplies kit.

The term bug-out bag is related to, and possibly derived from, the “bail-out bag” emergency kit many military aviators carry. The concept passed into wide usage among other military and law enforcement personnel, though the “bail-out bag” is as likely to include emergency gear for going into an emergency situation as for escaping an emergency.

Contents of a bug out bag:

• Water. It is recommended that a person have a gallon a day.
• Non-perishable food/cooking supplies
• First Aid Kit
• Fire starting tool
• Battery or crank operated radio
• Firearms
• Crowbar
• Cash. In case of a grid failure credit cards will be useless.
• Knife
• Duct Tape
• Maps
• Knowledge of local emergency shelters and having a plan to get there.

3. Have a bug out location established. A bug out location is a property that is strategically located about 2 or 3 hours from your home. This is not a reality for some people due to money issues. Never go into debt trying to establish any of these steps (see number 4). Another alternative would be to find a friend who has land that you can establish as a bug out location until you make arrangements for yourself.

4. Never go into debt and if you are in debt work hard to get out of it. Jack Spirko from the Survival Podcast wrote an artical about this Modern Survivalism Tenet Number Two:

Debt is financial cancer! Minimize it, pay it off early and stay away from credit cards.

On the surface debt elimination may sound far and away from what people think of when they think of survivalism.  The reality is the modern survival philosophy actually hinges on this tenet.  Before we delve deeply into the topic though let’s just put it up against even the typical view of survivalism and ask if there is any place for debt based living in the survival community. –> Read more.

5. Be physically fit and work on your cardio.

Will be posting the 2nd part of this post on Sunday… brew a nice cup of green tea and check back Sunday! Need help with brewing that perfect cup read this blog post Brewing the Perfect Cup of Tea.

Here is the story of part 2 of our journey:

Our original plan was to stay at a hotel in Xenia, Ohio. When we arrived at the hotel it was already booked up. I would have never thought a hotel in Xenia would have booked up. Oh well, it turned out for the better. I turned to my iphone for some guidance and it pointed us into the direction of a bed and breakfast. So we saddled up again and headed out to Yellow Springs.

The quaint bed and breakfast we found. I am glad we did, it felt like we are at home and the breakfast was amazing. If you are ever out this way and need a place to stay I highly recommend this place. There is some history behind this house too. To read more about it head on over to their website–>Yellow Springs Country Bed and Breakfast.

A double dutch door. I think they said it was the oldest double dutch door in Ohio.

Josh reading the local paper. Another cool tidbit to mention is that Dave Chappelle has a farm not far from where we were at. He also frequents a coffee shop about 5 minutes from the bed and breakfast. The lady that works there said that she is friends with Dave and she used to torment him when they were young.

The outhouse that they used back in the day.

After we got cleaned up we headed up to Young’s Dairy Farm to eat.

Hey goat.

There at not many places where you can see a goat giving birth while you wait to be seated for dinner. We just missed the actual birth but this baby goat is freshly born.

The group. I am glad I have friends that I can experience life with. Life is about adventure and I hope to be doing more adventures with this great group of friends.

The final mileage for the trip…109.2. The whole trip took about 8 hours of ride time to complete. So with the end of this trip I can cross off #55 from my bucket list: Bike 100 miles in one weekend!

This past weekend some friends and I headed out to ride 100 miles in one weekend. Our starting point was the Loveland Bike Trail and are destination was Yellow Springs, Ohio, which is near Springfield, Ohio. It was a great trip and aside from some sore muscles and a minor flat tire on the way back there was no serious complications.

Getting ready to depart from Loveland, Ohio.

J to the Bizzle cracking a smile before the trip.

This is early on in the bike trip… we stopped here for about 5 minutes and I decided it would be a good time to grab some pics.

I had the privilege of going to Honduras with Krista.

I think Josh realized how long we were riding and decided to thumb for a ride…

Eric, Josh and Krista resting a bit before we continue on.

I love bridges. I lost my camera battery and I had to order a new one. I got it the Friday before we left. I missed taking pictures and was glad to be able to get back into it.

Another shot of the bridge.

Another rest point under a really tall bridge.

There was a cool section along the trail with these flowers and butterfly’s were all over the place. I was able to snap some good pics.

We finally reached our destination. But you will have to wait to hear the rest of the story for tomorrows post. Nothing like a cliff hanger to keep you coming back. Have a great day!

Here is my summer reading list.

Bear Grylls believes outdoor adventure is not just about pushing your limits. It’s about overcoming challenges and living your dreams. This is the complete survival guide from the Everest mountaineer and ultimate survival expert.

Bear Grylls story about his ascent on Everest at the young age of 23.

Written by a young Jewish girl while in hiding with her family from the Nazis during World War II, Frank’s Diary has been dramatized in one form or another in every major language and country around the world.

Survivor, the second novel by Chuck Palahniuk–whose debut novel The Fight Club was widely received to critical acclaim–is a deranged comedy of nightmares, a groin-kick at Western society’s worst excesses. This is satire at its best, and Palahniuk handles it all with a distinct, engaging prose style and with plot devices that keep the pages turning long after your tea break should have finished.

In December 1937, the Japanese army invaded the ancient city of Nanking, systematically raping, torturing, and murdering more than 300,000 Chinese civilians. This book tells the story from three perspectives: of the Japanese soldiers who performed it, of the Chinese civilians who endured it, and of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved many.

What I am currently reading:

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Need some help making your own summer reading list? Here are some resources to help you get started.

40 modern non-fiction books everyone should read

30 books everyone should read before their 30th birthday

My Dad loved to coach to kids. His passion was baseball but he also coached basketball and soccer. He also coached me on how to play golf and coached me on how to be a honorable man. He coached all three of his kids in various sports, but he even coached when his kids were out of sports. My Dad was instrumental in starting Colerain Athletic Association or C.A.A. for short.

Here is an article about C.A.A. and my Dad:

Nobody strikes out, nobody walks and nobody keeps score. This doesn’t sound like much of a ball game, but the six and seven-year-old children playing T-ball in the Northwest area receive several benefits that competitive knothole baseball does not provide. “They get a good sense of working together as a team. They really stress good sportsmanship and fairness to the kids,” said Cindy Boes, whose six-year-old son John plays in the Colerain Athletic Association Instructional T-ball league. Boes added that support for the youngsters in the league is another positive aspect. “The parents all come out and support the teams, and if one of the kids strikes out or makes a bad play, the coaches are still very positive,” she said. During the games, the batting order is not restricted to just nine or ten batters. Everyone on the team is listed in the order, and everyone gets to bat during each game. In addition, each player must play at least two innings of defense during the games, which only last four innings. Bob Hughes is in charge of the league, and he has been involved with T-ball for the last nine years. “I love this level of ball. I coached Babe Ruth baseball for two years, but I quit because, with T-ball, I didn’t have to deal with the parents always getting upset if their kid didn’t play,” he said. Hughes especially likes the de-emphasis on competition in the T-ball league.

“Non-competition is the key, because we don’t have the pressures of league standings and statistics. This way the kids are having a great time, and this is the key to it all,” he said. Hughes also said that T-ball is effective in preparing the boys and girls for their next level of competition. “Nobody strikes out or walks, so they learn to play defense for when they move up to knothole,” Hughes said. The boys teams use a regulation baseball, while the girls use an 11-inch softball. The girls’ softball is one inch smaller then the regulation competition softball. There are seven teams in the boys division and each team plays ten instructional games during the summer and an all-star participation game at the end of the summer. There are nine girls teams including three Colerain teams, three White Oak teams, two from Monfort Heights and one from Mt. Airy. Hughes said the league uses a nine batters per inning maximum for the boys and a ten batter maximum for the girls. This is done so no team is a bat for an excessive amount of time. On the field the children are assisted by a host of coaches and an umpire. There are first and third base coaches, two other adult coaches stationed in the infield and one to instruct the batters at home plate. The infield coaches are instructed to knock down any potentially dangerous line drives off the tee and all the coaches are constantly providing positive reinforcement to the players on the field. In addition, the league hires 10-13 year-old kids to umpire the games. The umpires receive 3.50 per game. At the end of the season the players who are old enough to move on to competitive leagues receive graduation certificates from the T-ball division.

The possiblites of a major league baseball strike can’t detract what the game means to many youngsters across the country as well as in the Greater Cincinnati area. Here, Alex Mienhartt of the Noble Roman’s Pizza team gets some valuable T-ball hitting instructions from his coach – Bob Hughes

C.A.A. picnic back in the day at Colerain Park.

My Dad

My Dad teaching me how to ride a bike.

My Dad teaching me how to play soccer.

My Dad coaching baseball.

My Dad coaching soccer.

My Dad would always help at the field and track at day at Ann Weigel Elementary School. This is me doing the long jump.

I cannot possibly fill my Dad’s shoes, but I can take what he taught me and apply it to my life. I learned my work ethic from my Dad. My Dad worked third shift most of his life as a printer, which is a physically demanding job. He never missed a day, even when it snowed. He would drive to Dayton in the worse, snowy conditions you could think of. I remember one time he did this and he was the only one that showed up, he ended up coming back home.

My Dad no matter what would show up. No matter how tired he was, he would show up. No matter how inconvenient, my Dad would show up. It was a selfless act. I am sure there were times when my Dad struggled with this. Times where he did not feel like going to work. Times where he did not want to go to that sporting event to see his kids play. But he always did and I love my Dad for his ability to show up. If there is one thing I want to learn from my Dad, it is the ability to show up.

This idea of showing up got me thinking about Jesus. Jesus showed up to face death. I am sure he did not want to show up that day to be spit on, ridiculed, beaten, have a crown of thorns stuck on his head and whipped with a cat of nine tails. Then to be crucified on a cross for all to see. He showed up knowing all this would happen in advance. He did all this for me, for us, for the world so that we could live a life worth living.

He showed up for this:

Around Father’s Day I always do some reminiscing about my childhood and my Dad.

This is how it all began… My Mom was 13 when she met my Dad. Sure enough they fell in love and soon this happened….

My Dad loved baseball… this is him when he played for Colerain High School. He was drafted to the farm team for the Reds but did not go cause he would be traveling and would have been away from his family.

My Dad was in the Coast Guard. I believe his job was a fire fighter. He would tell me stories when I was a kid. One story I remember is when they got in trouble, as a punishment they would have to do push ups while holding their rifles and on gravel.

After they were married for awhile this happened…

My sister was born.

Chrissie in her senior year at high school.

Then sometime later…

My brother was born.

Rob in his senior of high school.

And I guess they saved the best for last…

I was born… actually I was an “oops” baby, so I was not planned like my brother and sister were.

My Dad holding me shortly after I was born.

My senior year.

My Dad loved his family, but he also loved his Corvette… I am not sure what year it was but it was a sting ray with a split window.

He also loved to play golf… I miss playing golf with him and his coaching out on the course.

At Montgomery Inn Boathouse and we met Boomer Esiason. I am not sure why I wore pants like that… I guess they were popular in the 80′s.

One of my favorite pics of my Dad and I carving pumpkins.

]]> http://amongtherealm.com/2010/06/23/memory-lane/feed/ 4 http://amongtherealm.com/2010/05/28/the-bucket-list-update/ http://amongtherealm.com/2010/05/28/the-bucket-list-update/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 20:23:03 +0000 Andrew http://amongtherealm.com/?p=794

I was able to cross off two and half (will explain in a minute) tasks on my bucket list so far this year. The first one was the mission trip to another country and not watching TV for a week which also happened while was in Honduras. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone. The third or the half is I technically have enough credits to have my four year degree but since I am getting more schooling I do not actually have that piece of paper that magically qualifies me for an awesome career (or so I am told). I thought crossing that one off halfway was in order.

What I hope to accomplish this year

I have some goals for this year as it pertains to my bucket list. I would love to cross off number 59 (learn Spanish), 56 (Sponsor a kid through Compassion International), 55 (bike 100 miles in one weekend, this will be crossed off in a few weeks!), 22 (Get all my A+ certifications), 18 (Learn to play the guitar), and for the scary one…

My friend from UPS is getting a group together to go SKYDIVING!! –> 3 (Go skydiving). So if anyone who reads this wants to go skydiving this is your invite.

Thought this would be a good place to show some clips from the movie The Bucket List (which if you haven’t seen you probably should rent it…now).

As a lover of poetry it is only natural that one of my favorite movies is Dead Poets Society. Here are some of my favorite clips from the movie.

So what will do today to seize the day. Poetry is about feeling, love, sadness and death. Poetry is also about getting the most out of life. What will you do to live a life worth living? How will you stand out from everyone else?

This is a review I wrote about this movie for my Survey of World Views class:

The Dead Poets Society is a story about a group of young men attending a preparatory school based on the four pillars of tradition, honor, discipline and excellence. There are two opposing ideas of existentialism between two characters in the film and the group of men in the Dead Poets Society.

The story begins as the boys are starting the semester at school and are in John Keating’s English class. The boys realize that Keating’s class is unusual in that it does not conform to traditional ivy-league teaching, which is based on the four pillars. During the first class, Keating instructs the class to rip out the introduction of their poetry book, which explains understanding poetry written by a professor with a PhD. The second class Keating takes his students into the foyer of the school where pictures of previous attendees of the school are displayed. Keating tells them, to hear the lesson of these men, and Keating then begins to whisper “Carpe Diem, seize the day boys.”

The boys, intrigued by Keating, begin to research him and found his picture in the school annual and discovered he was a member of the Dead Poets Society. They question him concerning it. Keating explains that the Dead Poets Society was dedicated to reading poetry and “sucking the marrow out of life.” One of the boys, and the leader of the club, Neil Perry discover a book left by Keating that the society used in the beginning of every meeting.

The group of boys decides to meet in a cave where the previous Dead Poet Society met, and they begin to define their lives. Todd Anderson is a member of the group but only under the condition that he does not read out loud. Todd is the shy one of the group, where Neil is the outspoken one. Neil is in direct conflict with what his Dad wants for him. In the beginning of the movie, Neil is forced to drop out of the annual committee. Later Neil joins a play unbeknownst to his Dad. As Neil’s Dad discovers the play, he tells Neil he must quit; Neil does not obey his Dad. The final night of the play, Neil’s Dad attends, sees Neil, and removes him from the academy. Neil’s Dad enrolls him in military school. Neil is unable to continue what he loves, so he decides to take his life.

The school, needing to find blame for Neil’s suicide, blames Keating for encouraging Neil against his father’s wishes. The school forces the boys to sign a document stating that Keating is responsible. Keating is fired from his teaching position and on his last day enters the class where the headmaster has taken over his English class. Upon leaving, Todd stands up on his desk, and says, “O captain, my captain,” referring to Keating. Following suit the devout members of the Dead Poets Society stand up along with him while the headmaster is trying to restore order.

The academy represents existentialism in that they believe their method of teaching is the only right way. They are assured that it works so they remain with their teaching methods. The students are expected to conform to teachings and rules instated by the school administration.

Neil and Todd have two direct opposite ideas of existentialism. His father holds Neil back from his passion of acting. Todd has yet to define himself so he has conformed to what everyone else does.

Knox Overstreet, another character who demonstrates existentialism and takes Keating’s teaching to heart to try and win over Chris, which is already involved in a relationship. His persistence finally pays off when Chris accepts his proposal to go with him to the play.

The Dead Poets Society is a coming of age story about a group of young men trying to define themselves despite what the institution and their parents say. The worldview of existentialism is a theme present throughout the movie.

A new addition to my blog

I have decided to add a poetry page on my blog where I will post all of my poetry and some of my favorite poems from other writers. I am still working on this and hopefully it will be up in the next week.

C.S. Lewis was a brilliant thinker. I have been re-reading Mere Christianity. This material in the book was first given on the radio and then later published in three separate talks.

I will admit it starts out slow and boring. I almost put the book down and gave up on reading it again. Trust me make it through the first few chapters and your golden. Hopefully it will challenge you and make you a better person and Christian.

God has been revealing a lot to me lately (probably more along lines of I am being open to what God has to say). TRUST is what I have issues with. God is destroying the barriers I have built.

The Cardinal Virtues- This is one of the chapters I have recently read in Mere Christianity. Cardinal is not one of those Roman Catholic guys dressed in the funky clothing. It is from the Latin word meaning “hinge of a door”. They were given the name Cardinal virtues because they were pivotal. There are four in total; Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Fortitude.

1. Prudence is practical common sense. God is efficient in my mind. “He has room for people with very little sense, but He wants every one to use what sense they have” (Mere Christianity, 77). God does not care how smart you are, instead He wants you to use what He has given you. In other words be efficient don’t waste energy in becoming someone your not, use the intelligence you have to make a difference.

2. Temperance in today’s world means teetotalism which is a fancy word for abstaining and promoting abstinence from alcoholic beverages. This was not the original definition. “Temperance referred not specially to drink, but to all pleasures; and it meant not abstaining, but going the right length and no further” (Mere Christianity, 78).

• The mark of a bad man is that he struggles to give up what he desires and demands every one else to give it up too. “That is not the Christian way. An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons-marriage, or meat, or beer, or the cinema; but the moment he starts saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning.”
• God is not deceived by externals. When people focus on the word Temperance as it relates to drinking, they forget that we can be just as intemperate about anything else. Focusing on a golf game or becoming obsessed with shopping is just as dangerous. The only difference is it does not show on the outside as much as a someone who gets drunk at night.

3. Justice- “Justice means much more than the sort of thing that goes on in law courts. It is the old name for everything we should now call ‘fairness’; it includes honesty, give and take, truthfulness, keeping promises, and all that side of life.”

4. Fortitude- “Fortitude includes both kinds of courage-the kind that faces danger as well as the kind that ‘sticks it’ under pain. You will notice, of course, that you cannot practice any of the other virtues very long without bringing this one into play. In the same way a man who perseveres in doing just actions gets in the end a certain quality of character. Now it is that quality rather than the particular actions which we mean when we talk of a virtue.”

If actions were only thought of it would encourage three wrong ideas:

• Right actions done for the wrong reasons do not help build the internal quality or character called a ‘virtue’.
• We would tend to think that God wanted us to simply obey a set of rules: But God really wants people of character or who are willing to build their character.
• “We might think that the ‘virtues’ were necessary only for this present life-that in the other world we could stop being just because there is nothing to quarrel about and stop being brave because there is no danger. There will probably be no occasion for just or courageous acts in the next world, but there will be every occasion for being the sort of people that we can become only as the result of doing such acts here.”

That is deep stuff. Ponder on that for awhile without your brain hurting. If you want more brain hurting and possibly life changing thinking go read this book….twice…maybe even five times.