What I did in May: Skills, Sports, Books & Stuff

I've been busy as a bee. The month of May was a hectic but productive one. Summer is practically over but I fed my brain with valuable things.

1. I spent a whole week getting my Basic First Aid Certification. Huge fun! I can bandage, splint, stitch, CPR, check for vitals, resuscitate, rescue-carry, and keep folks stable until an EMT arrives. You could imagine that I was gobbling up everything I could learn like a kid in a candy store. Its like I gained a level in real-life skills.

My manly man-purse now has a functioning 1st Aid Kit and the handy notes I took from the seminar. And speaking of gear, check out the details of a survival "Lifeline Kit" that they've put together. Mine's ready. Get to work!


I also want to send out my admiration for all those folks in the medical field. Especially the Red Cross volunteer guys who trained us who've saved lives and made things better for folks in a real way.

Ya'll make me wanna be a better Zombie Hunter.

2. I've been reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road and really enjoyed it. Its not a zombie apocalypse book per se, but the story of a father & son finding the will to carry the light through an unknown holocaust is a must-read. Surviving is not just the gear you carry or the skills you learn or apply. There are simpler, primal things that can propel folks past the limits of endurance in the face of endless desolation and crushing despair. Many people miss this point completely.

Now I wonder if the movie was any good. Reviews seem quite positive. My wife likes Viggo Mortensen, everybody wins.

3. This Miami Zombie nonsense. Relax folks, it is NOT AT ZOMBIE, it was not the BEGINNING OF THE END, it was not the RAGE VIRUS.

Just remember, drugs are just as bad for your brains as a zombie nibblin on it. Can the media quit it already?


4. I'm getting back into competitive form for a big IPSC Practical Shooting competition this July. Its the 12th Annual "Bolo" Tuason Cup, and this will be my 3rd attendance. The tournament is Level 3, so I'm expecting to gawk at the best shooters in the country. They're so good, if we had this as an Olympic event we'd be hauling enough gold to make a Leprechaun greener with envy.

If all goes well, I'd hope to qualify for the 2013 Australasia Tournament in New Zealand in February! 

time for some Jungle Boogie

I hope this month was good for you too. 

Stay vigilant!

The 20th Defense & Sporting Arms Show in July

UPDATE: Photos are over here!

Save the date: July 19 - 23, 2012 at the SM Megamall, building B. 10AM to 8:30PM.

Can you say fifty hours of shopping delight?

This year I'm bringing my aunt and a few of my cousins to check out a few home defense options for her home. Auntie G lives up in the jungle boonies with her pineapple farm and is asking my to help secure her perimeter.

I can do that.

What am I looking for this year?

1. I hope the Kel-Tec KSG shows up, this would sell like hotcakes over here. If only the manufacturer could ramp up production!

2. Rifles chambered in .22lr

A. SIG SAUER 522, one of the best tactical .22LR rifles out there.

B. The Armscor MIG 22 target version, their high-end product for this category.

C. Ruger 10/22 (takedown or regular version is fine with me). This weighs a lot less compared to those tactical models.  It is an elegant and compact design that makes it one of my top survival choices.

3. Ammo -  Hornady, CCI, or those Federal Premiums in large quantities because they don't make those over here.

4. Informative seminars -  There will be the usual talks on personal defense, martial arts, and hopefully a few top shots to share a few pointers for competitive shooting. Valuable stuff, all of them.

There's this Krav Maga instructor who kinda looks like Matt Damon and consistently draws a large number of female volunteers. Golly, I wonder why?



This is the 20th anniversary so I'm looking forward to a great time!




Stay vigilant!

The Legendary Fela Kuti, "Zombie"

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Fela Anikulapo Kuti is one of the most amazing saxophonists I've ever listened to. I happen to come from a musical family with two internationally-acclaimed musicians in my near-immediate family, so I know what I'm talking about. (funny how that particularly cool gene skipped me entirely)

The Father of Afrobeat

This musical force of nature and incredibly controversial figure was born in Abeokuta, Nigeria on October 15, 1938. Fela's music was all about the African revolution of the '70s. He took a stance that was a love of everything that is Africa, for better or ill, and his defiance often brought him at odds with Western norms, sensibilities, and colonialism. True fans will call this an understatement of continental proportions!

His legacy spawned some really powerful music, and the rhythm is unique in the whole world. The sound is created by a vibrant collection of instruments and band elements such as the saxophone, drums, trumpets, guitars, and those really cool congas. And it makes for one hell of a live performance.

Fela Kuti's massive hit "Zombie"
(from the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto 4)

Go check out his official website at www.fela.net.  I'll be preserving his music in case civilization as we know it goes nuts with zeds. If the last musician on Earth gets his brains eaten by walkers, we still need to shake booty. You can guess what will be in my solar powered MP3 player while I hunt walkers in our jungles.

The music is so powerful, I start getting a little jiggy and before I know it I'm full blown funky. African style.

Stay vigilant!