Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Tips to Safety


Being in a big city like Atlanta I ever more reasons then one to want to keep my guard up late at night or while alone in a not so public area. But anywhere with bad lighting and/or a blind spot where no one can see you.

 

 

1. Watch your hair.

For girls especially. Long hair comes in and out of style but some of us just perfer a long flowing mane to a itchy shoulder length bob.

Point: If you are ever being chased or feel threatened, your hair is a weakness. This is not Mortal Combat, your hair is not a weapon, it is a painful extention that someone can grab onto and yank your head back.

Suggestion: Other then cutting it off (but hey if THAT worries you then go for a full Buzz cut) or stay focused in strange or uncomfortable places.

If your alone and feel followed then go ahead and tie your hair back and put the ends in the back of your shirt. It may look stupid but if you have to run it cant get wiped in your face by wing, grabbed from three feet behind you by a person, tangled in things in the area (branches, garbage, jagged brick, anything that has a chance to cling).

But this wont do you much good if you dont tie it back. Why? If you turn your head at all your untied hair will start to slip and come out inch by inch turning into a gaint blind spot. And in human nature you will be looking behind you.

If you have nothing at the ready to tie with, then just use abit of your hair. Pinch off a small amount and tightly wrap it around your hair and try to push a inch worth of loose ends into the already 'tied' area. This works better with longer hair but its better then nothing.

Another thing: If you are in danger RIGHT that second dont try this. In movies you'll see people taking off their jackets and pulling their hair back for fight scenes but you are NOT in a movie. Your attacker isnt going to wait for you to get ready.

 

 

2. Self Defense

 

Im not just talking about taking classes, im talking about weapons.

Its not legal to carry guns and knifes into most places and in many cases carrying these weapons can land you in trouble. In fact, I HIGHLY discourage trying to face off a mugger or any threat with a pocket knife or hand gun.

Why you ask? Because you just became a THREAT TO THEM. If someone else is armed and you are not, they feel cocky. You are at a HUGE disadvantage. Being realistic, this guys come up to you with a Hot gun (loaded and ready to fire) they can off you in a seconds notice. Their not going to give you a chance to dig out your own knife or gun and get it prepped to fight back.

Being a girl who enjoys her gun rights to the fullest, I keep a loaded and locked gun hidden at all times. But im carded for concealed carry and mainly carry it when going out for walks late at night, in areas no one really traffics, or when im not bring something far more terrifying such as my beloved boyfriend or my dogs.

Great ways to have a defense?

Pepper spray-It'll hurt and unless this guys use to getting it, he wont be making any moves for a minute or so. If he has a gun though you may want to watch that: When in pain or panic most people will empty a clip in seconds. Best bet would be to get behind them and let them empty it before trying to attack or flee since they might turn and manage to hit you if your backs turned. If they have a knife its the same thing, watch that crazed slash and just gun it out of there.

Knife or Gun-While pulling a weapon does make you a primary target, I cant say they dont have some advantage if you know how to use them correctly. There are courses to teach you proper hand to hand combat with knifes and how to disarm your attacker just as there are classes for gun safety and use. I do suggest learning some of the safe and effective ways to handle these weapons JUST for the chance you need to know but I cant recommended ever using these as more then a last resort.

Anything in 10 feet-Oh yes. That rock, a trash lid, your jacket, a high heel (oh yes ladies, take off your shoes. Most men are programmed to fear a woman weilding heals!), a thick stick, a sturdy looking piece of metal... Honestly anything you can handle to throw or hold properly to hit someone with, take it if you need to fight. Even though being against a gun your probably screwed, anyway but if your not use to hand to hand combat you might enjoy the added benefit.

Self Defense classes-A given. These classes teach you effective ways to handly hundreds of things from being grabbed to being held at gun point. Usually your taught how to disarm and then told to run for help but the point of these classes is to keep you alive-not to beat your attacker to a pulp. I do highly recommend these, especially for women.

 

Tazer-These are cruel and unusual punishment in sooo many ways and most people cant fight through this like pepper spray. The trade off is being up close and personal so you can reach them verse being just out of arms length with the spray. But its very easy to handle and effective. But your going to want to make sure their down before you run off. Cause if they catch you after that they will be more then alittle pissed...

 

3. Prevention

The best defense is to not be put their to begin with! Its true you cant help it alot of times, but so often (especially with young adults and teenagers) it was EASILY prevented.

Dont go out alone. There is safety in numbers, and even with a weapon one guy can be over powered by three.

Enjoy the comforts of animals. Having a animal (such as a larger dog) that you love and care for means when the time comes they will fight tooth and nail for you. Dont get a dog just for protection though. It takes real love and loyality for any creature to be willing to fight for you. But any dog over 40 pounds is a huge threat that most muggers wont want to take. While smaller can also be painful, the idea of bigger is better really fits this bill. Do you ever see a Yorkie as a guard dog? Nope. But honestly, they are more dangerous if you ask me...Im only half joking.

Avoid the bad parts of town. While many may live in these areas, but theres always a worse spot. These areas tend to be: dark, little to no population, abandoned buildings, and probably a good place to find a crack or meth head getting their fix... If you have to walk a extra hour to avoid this sort of area, that might be wise even in the daylight. This same idea can be applied to the woods.

Crowds arent a bad thing. If you are alone a crowded area is still a good defense. Most people wont attack with lots of witnesses. And if they are willing to then you might want to harness your inner wuss or inner fighter. Scream for help, go for the balls... The works.

Stay in well lit areas. That shadowy tree looks like a nice place to be alone and feel at peace doesnt it? Well its also far away from everyone else and you can easily not be seen there. Its like a horror film cliche... Infact...

DONT DO ANY HOROR FILM CLICHES! Dont run into a chainsaw filled barn, dont run in a cemetary at night, dont leave a "dead" body and then expect it to be there still, dont be stuck alone with a killer on the loose... Okay, most of those sound stupid? Well then 99% of the stuff I've said on the Prevention topic could be called one of these stupid rules that you scream "Dont do it ya stupid moron! You KNOW hes RIGHT THERE!" at the screen... So does walking down a pitch dark alley STILL sound smart to you?

 

 

4. Instincts

If you THINK your in trouble then you probably are. You think that guy in a dark hoodie is following you then he really might be.

If your gut says get out of dodge then dont freaking ignore it. Its better to run like a wimp then get gutted.

 

 

5. Careful of strangers

Kids especially, your parents say this for a reason. Dont talk to people you dont know, dont be afraid to go for help (especially of a nearby police officer), and dont be scared to tell your parents.

Needless to say, the van with tinted windows and the guy calling out "Hey, want a lift?" might be the oldest sterotype but is it any less creepy or dangerous to approach?

 

 

6. 911

Your home might feel like a fort buts its not... If you think your followed home call the cops. If a guy is staring at you grinning from your glass door then I think its a good idea to grab a weapon, call 911 and scream for bloody help.

This may not fit the theme of the rest of the blog, but I feel its just as important to share...

Side note, dont go lock the damn door the guys standing at. Dont go near him in fact. Haul your butt to a door that does lock! If you have a bedroom with a bathroom, then run in there, lock the bedroom door, lock the bathroom door, and hide till the cops show up. If you lose your crap-thats what insurance is for, but your life is not replacable.

 

 

 

 

Why am I suddenly posting a list like this? wellll.....

I have bad habits. YouTube is one of them. I dont usually promote people like this, but go check out Top15s channel and listen to some of the home alone scary stuff... And then search for craiglist horror stories. You'll see why I encourage looking out for your safety. People are batshit nuts.

Friday, January 22, 2016

WTF app rant

No really, why the hell do you need access to my camera..? You are not a webcam and have NOTHING to do with my camera!

And my bloody accounts, contacts? If I want you to know my personal info i'll give it.

Has anyone else noticed this or do you just blindy accepy the "Permissions" you give people to access a app?

Long of the short: Nothing is free.

If its a free app then they will use any and all personal info you have to either scam you or find products you'll want to buy based on previous searches. Usually the latter but we all know more then one are selling your info...

In the end though, its a big pain in the ass as you see just how much they take.

Sure, them getting access to a list of one person on a phone you never use because you have a new one seems like nothing... But they can hack old data that you've deleted and that one time you got on twitter or facebook just got found, suddenly your facebook is hacked.

No, no im serious. People do this stuff for fun, others do it for profit. Your not living in your parents world where hitch hiking was safe and normal.

So... Now that i've ranted you probably want to know what im doing to prevent that pervy hacker from watching my sleep?

Step 1. Duck tape every camera.

That is not a joke. I put duck tape on my webcam when not in use, as well as my front and rear phone and kindle cameras. Why? Because I had a tech savvy friend show me just how easy it was to be hacked and be watched. And lets face it, we do some pretty stupid stuff when those cameras are facing us and we think their off.

Im willing to bet half my readers take some device in the bathroom with them, and that alot of you even change with your camera 3 feet away! It sounds so innocent, but once you realize that camera can be rolling its abit dirtier.

 

Now im no nut job with a tin foil hat on, but im not naive either. People are sick and twisted and greedy. If I can think of something bad to do, someone else has done it 20 times and another has thought of something 50 times worse. That sort of stuff leaves me with a odd taste in my mouth.

But its not just phone apps. You have a facebook? I do sadly. You notice facebook demands ALOT of personal info but hey, you can make it "private"?

Facebook has been openly accused and not denied the fact that they've sold personal info, spied on people, and even conducted social test on its users without permission.

Sadly, I can believe it. Just look at those adds. Did you post a comment that you want a item off amazon or did it just appear there in the adds 5 minutes after you looked at it on another site with facebook closed?

Didnt I start this post about phone apps... Huh.

 

Monday, January 18, 2016

Hello, my name is Wolfe and im a Addict



They say the first step to recovery is admitting your issue. Well im a shopaholic!

No really, I got a few gift cards for surveys I did and I managed to blow through 80 bucks in two days via amazon... On what you ask..? Books. Yap, Wolfe spent every dime on Kindle books... She is slightly ashamed. But only slightly.

I mean, the comics are soo good! I only bought vol 1... How was I to know there were 200 volumes? It was just 99 cents a piece! Oh, and then I got 3 for 50% off!! And then there was the spin off and the side stories... I just couldnt wait, I had to read it now, now!

Ya, im slightly ashamed...

Now why with this post you might ask? Because I couldnt stop. And when you hear about addicts, whats the one thing people say? "Why didnt you just stop." Just like depression, its a mental thing that you cant turn off.

Unlike other addicts, my little habit only hurt me since I lost out on saving abit of cash to buy some new appliances or package foods via amazon. For others, it hurts entire families and even the users body.

But the first step is admitting the issue, the second step is getting help-which is the hardest step (and I personally will be ignoring it myself!).

If you do suffer from any addiction then speak with your family or friends about it and then seek proffessional help if its needed. From there (depending on the help needed) you'll start a serious of recovery plans to help you manage or completely quit your addiction.

And remember, we all have a addiction or bad habit. So never assume its as easy as "Just stop." More then not, we dont see a problem with it till its too late. Why? "because smoking pot only affects me, not them." or "Its my money, I can gamble if I want with it." and "We really do need that new blender, but oh that toaster is only 100 bucks, its a steal! whats a wine chiller? Do I drink wine? Oh its 50% off, i'll find a use for it!" And soo many more.

Good luck with your addiction, however minor and I hope you enjoyed the post!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Resolutions: Cleaning Out

Following the trend, now lets say your goal is decluttering.

Well first step is deciding what you hate and want gone.


Easy enough.  Surely you have SOMETHING on those lines... Like the shoes that look good when your drunk..


Second:  Things that no longer fit.

Baby clothes, shoes that dont fit (and never will again) after pregnancy, shoes that NEVER fit, clothes from before you lost weight, ect.

I know somethings may have value to you, so either invest in space bags for them or find something useful for them.  Memory quilts are pretty popular.



Third:  What is never used?  Dont club anymore?  Then lets toss that stuff or regift it to those that still do.  Same can be said for old sports and camping gear.  Like a tent... If you have a RV then why are you keeping a tent you wont use?  For that matter lets see the kitchen... You got a counter top oven, blender, and toaster that never get used.  Thats alot of space to make up.  Find a place to store them or donate/sell.

know some stuff in your house/apt you dont need?



Next lets box this stuff up and decide how to best put it to use again.  If its still new, fashionable and desired?  Well if you got the will try selling on facebook, yard sales, or craigslist.  Just be careful about inviting strangers to your home.

If selling isnt appealing then donate.  Theres plenty to find and most will pick up nearby or at your home.  Plus its not bad for taxes.  It all adds up!


Worse case, set it outside near the trash, not in it.  Someone is watching and they'll take it.  One mans trash is another mans treasure.


So good luck with your decluttering!

Wolfe

Friday, January 8, 2016

Meet a Resolution: Cutting Weight

So I got the idea to kick off the new year by doing some post on popular resolutions that never seem to make it.

So we'll start with:  Lose Weight



I know i've made this one once or twice myself, and its always unrealistic.  So let me explain something most forget when they say they want to drop pounds:

~It is NOT HEALTHY to lose more then a pound or two a week.  You heard me.  That means a max of 8-10 a month.  Meaning at the end of the year a strict healthy weight loss will average the 100 pds.  Sounds like a lot, but do you have the drive for that?

People go in saying "Oh imma work out daily and cut out bread" and on and on.  BE REALISTIC!

Say you'll lose 20-50 pds.  Something doable.  Something you can strive for while still cheating abit.



Popular tips to loose pounds:

Work out 2-4 times a week.


Eat healthy food.


Avoid sugar.


Drink plenty of water.


Stay motivated.



I agree with ALL of those.  But are they realistic?  Sound like it in theory.


Working out 2-4 times a week:  It sounds easy.  2-4 hours a week that you'll walk, lift weights, ect.  Now do it.  You have to stay motivated to go to the gym which takes time to reach.  You have to motivate yourself to walk out and around or use that ab buster you spent your christmas cash on.

Thats where it gets you.  BE MOTIVATED.


Eat Healthy.  Easy?  Nope.  You know that greasy burger you love so much from fast food?  Thats not healthy.  You know ice cream, candy, cookies, ect?  NOT HEALTHY!  Now imagine eating nothing but salads with no dressing...  THATS HEALTHY.  Still sound easy?  Probably not!  A serving of dressing is like a few table spoons to a salad the size of a turkey...  Toppings add pounds back that the salad took away.

Does this sound fun?  Eating no goodies just leaves?  I bet it doesnt.  So instead skip the diet and aim to have healthier meals once a day and avoid fast food 99% of the time.  Have a cheat day each week where you get that cookie and once a month treat yourself to that pink goo of a burger from Mickey Ds!


Avoid sugar:  Same thing... And FYI:  splenda and artifical sugar is worse for you.  Avoid sodas and try honey in tea or organic sugar in your tea.  Stevia works too.  If you cut out all soda then you've cut 50% of your sugar anyway.  Keep life sweet!


Drink water!  Your like 70% water and water keeps you full.  You loose water via sweat and other ways I shouldnt have to point out...  Either way, Water is great for detoxing, keeping you full, cant add pounds (just inches if you bloat..!  But that passes) whats not to love?

Plus theres also studies that say water can boost your metabolism and encourage fat burning and muscle growth.  There may be something to that since staying hydrated is the advice you get for doing anything.


And lastly, motivation.  That isn't a joke.  Everything you do, you wont do without a reason.  When do you do anything without reason?  "Well I sit and watch TV don't do anything" is not a answer.  Why do you sit and do nothing?  Because you either WANT to watch TV or you DONT WANT to do something else.  These are still reasons that motivate you to sit and watch TV. 

I personally never understood the term "lazy."  Because you cant really be lazy.  You are motivated to do something, even if its not what others think you should do.  You are motivated to not leave the couch AKA lazy, because you don't wanna mow the lawn, do dishes, or something like that.

So how can you combat this?  Well studies say you should imagine your healthy you or buy clothes you wanna fit into (never do that... I did that with some boots that I just needed to loose fat around my calves...  My calves actually got bigger because I have this lovely huge legged family...  Ladies, same can be said for skirts/shorts.  That fat may not be a huge hinderness now but muscle can bulk you up.  They may not look so good later). 

Personally, I say to use the idea of a reward system.  Example:  1 hour of working out = one bag of chips/ one cookie.  You know, its small but its something you REALLY want.  Just try not to completely undo your workout.  A whole cake is not off set by a hour of working out... 

Does that work though?  Well when you were a kid, what was the deal with veggies?  No toys, no leave table, no dessert, no TV, no fun in general till that green mashie yuk was gone.  I bet you ate that green goop too so you could enjoy that hour of fun before bed.  Principle is the same!




But seriously.  If you really want a healthier you even if its not for New Years, you gotta cut the fast food and soda.  You have to get alittle workout every now and then.  And ya gotta enjoy those nasty veggies your parents swore were food.  In the end though you'll feel better for it.  Every small step is its own reward.



Good luck to you weight droppers!


Wolfe

Monday, January 4, 2016

Yaay 2016 (ow)

Soo, who all has a New Years plan that they've already cheated on?  Me, I plan to try and lose some weight...  Workout twice a week... Heh, yah.


So to reach my goal, im buying a cheap bike-machine-thing... Im already saying it'll start in Feb. cause my head still aches.


On top of that, I plan to try and keep all my posts on time or early.  As well as attempting to get another book out this year besides Hell's Playground.


Theres then a plan of actually working on getting another site of and im just really unmotivated!


So what about the rest of you?  Hangovers got you down or you pumped for a fresh start?

Tell me below about some of your plans for the new year.  Lets suffer together!

Wolfe