Hunting Safety

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Sam

Welcome back, folks. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Thanksgiving. The weather was unseasonably cold here that day, and the wind was relentless. But, with family and friends, we grilled turkey, drank some wine and had a sincerely good time. Hope you did as well.

Today, I’d like to talk about hunting safety. I don’t know about you, but around here (northeastern Kansas), hunting is a big deal. And while ducks, geese, turkeys and more have been in season for a bit, tomorrow starts deer season. And when you think about hunting, most people think about deer; which means it’s a good time to have this discussion.

Hunting safety is something often talked about, but seemingly too little thought about. The reality you have to face when hunting is this: you are carrying an incredibly powerful weapon that has the ability to injure or kill you in an instant. And you don’t have to be trying to do something stupid; you just have to be not trying to be smart. (And yes, that is a poorly constructed sentence). So, for all you hunters out there, here are some tips to help ensure that you have a safe hunting season.

Know Your Weapon: This may seem stupid, but really it’s not. I’ve heard stories of hunters going out after borrowing someone else’s gun. They weren’t sure where the safety was, exactly how to load it, what kind of shot it took, etc. It’s simply not safe. You need to know how to operate this deadly weapon safely, and the only way to do this is to know how the gun works. If you don’t know, don’t use the gun.
Always Keep Your Safety On Until You’re Ready to Shoot: Again, this seems like a no-brainer, but I went out with a friend a few months ago, and sure enough, he spent the entire day with his safety off. He didn’t mean anything by it, but had his finger slipped, it could’ve turned out very poorly.
Treat Every Gun As If It’s Loaded: This one may be slightly counter-intuitive. After all, you know there’s nothing in your gun, why treat it like anything other than a hunk of metal; without bullets, it can’t do anything. And that’s true. Strictly speaking, if you know there are no bullets in the gun, you won’t be able to hurt anyone. Despite that, there are two reasons why you should always treat a gun as if it’s loaded. First, it’s possible that there is a bullet or shell in the chamber that you’re unaware of; as would happen if you miscounted how much ammunition you put in. 2. It’s about training yourself. If you are always careful with guns, there is no chance that you’ll be careless (in theory, at least). Put another way, if you regularly treat unloaded guns as if they’re no big deal, you will be training yourself to accidentally treat a loaded gun as if it’s no big deal.
Always Know Your Target and What’s Behind It: Again, this probably seems like common-sense, but it’s less common than it should be. When a hunter is out in the woods, he’s excited, he’s gearing up for the shot. And that’s great, but it also means that, without practice and forethought, he can be a little trigger-happy. The second part of this, Knowing What’s Behind Your Target, is equally important. Simply knowing your target isn’t enough; you have to know what’s behind your target if you miss, and don’t take stupid shots.
Know and Follow Your State Laws: Most states have regulations about what firearms can be used, what amount of blaze orange you must wear, etc. These are designed to keep you safe. Know them and follow them.
Never Mix Alcohol and Hunting: Beer and hunting are both fine things, but like oil and water, they don’t mix well. Remember, you are carrying something incredibly powerful in your hands, and you need all your wits about you to use it safely. Wait until the hunt is over to enjoy a cold one.
Use Common Sense: This is not intended to be a comprehensive list. There are many great websites out there for hunters’ safety and you should take all necessary precautions when hunting. So, I’m going to conclude with this one point: use common sense. If something seems like a stupid idea, don’t do it. If you’re nervous about a particular hunting situation, don’t do it. Be careful, be safe, and have fun.

That’s all for today. Let me know any stories, suggestions, or other hunting tips in the comments box.

How to Safely Fry a Turkey

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Sam

Friends,

It’s that time of year; the leaves are mostly all down (at least in those sane parts of the country that have seasons), there is a crisp chill in the air, and everyone is getting ready for Turkey Day. It’s always a fun yearly ritual. Family and friends gather to cook and eat a meal together, laugh and catch up on old times. And in today’s world, that often involves deep frying a turkey.

If you haven’t had a deep fried turkey, or if you are a health nut with objections to cooking 10+ pounds of turkey in a vat of hot oil, you can keep your comments to yourselves. We can be healthy most of the other 364 days of the year; on this day, it’s time to consume some deep fried meat.

About the time I went to college my dad got a turkey fryer. And every Thanksgiving we would cook two turkeys, one deep fried, and the other on the grill (which is a lot easier and tastier than you would ever imagine). It was always exciting to slowly lower the turkey into the oil and know that it was going to come out moist and delicious. Also, it gave my dad, brother, and I a chance to sit outside, drink beer, and chat.

The nice thing is, my father was always very careful about frying a turkey. Because let’s be honest, heating gallons of oil over an open flame can be very dangerous. Still, not everyone is so cautious, and every year a number of Thanksgiving-celebrating Americans start a fire while pursuing the perfectly fried turkey.

At some level, that’s incredibly surprising to me. This isn’t the first year anyone has decided to do this; the fad isn’t just now catching on. People have been deep frying on Thanksgiving for years now. And every year, fire departments all over the country issue a series of warnings and public service announcements prior to that day. Still, some people just don’t get it. So, to contribute to a happy and safe Thanksgiving, here are some safety tips about turkey frying to help everything go smoothly this Thursday. Sources are at the end of the article.

Where to Deep Fry: Do not, under any circumstances, deep fry a turkey inside your home. Now, I hope this is obvious, but not everyone thinks so clearly, and after a few beers, some people become pretty hazy. Also, don’t cook inside a garage (whether the door is open or not), or inside of a shed. Basically, you need to be outside when cooking this, not in any structure at all.
Choosing the Right Space: Make sure that the ground on which you set the fryer is level. You don’t want that thing knocking over halfway through cooking and creating a giant fire in your backyard. Along the same lines, keep any crazy dogs or small children away from the fire, most importantly for their safety, but also to prevent fires.
Prepping the Turkey: Don’t put a frozen or wet turkey into the fryer. Water and hot oil…well, let’s just say they don’t mix.
Have the Right Temperature: It’s important not to overheat the oil as this can also lead to, you guessed it, a fire.
The Turkey Pot: Make sure it’s big enough to hold the turkey, and that it doesn’t have any dings, dents, or holes in it.

This list is not exhaustive; these are just a few basic facts. Read the instructions on your fryer for more information.

Basically, everyone needs to be safe and have a happy Thanksgiving. Use common sense and follow best practices when cooking your turkey, whether it’s in the oven or a deep fryer. And finally, just for fun, the below video is an example of what can happen if you don’t fry a turkey correctly.

Sources:

http://www.news4jax.com/news/25888104/detail.html
http://bostonherald.com/blogs/lifestyle/fork_lift/?p=2580

Topeka Home Security

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Sam

This is more of a local post. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re located in Northeast Kansas, in a small town called Saint Marys, about 20 miles east of Topeka. Topeka is like any city; it has plenty of amenities, lots of different neighborhoods, and its own share of problems. One of those, historically, has been an issue with crime, and that’s why I want to talk about today.

You see, Monday night, three homes were burglarized in the Grand Oak neighborhood of Topeka. This isn’t a “bad neighborhood.” But, on Monday a burglar (presumably the same one) broke into three area households, while the families were sleeping, according to KTKA.

The first thing you’ll notice about the article is the fear all of these families are currently living in. Put yourself in their position. It’s one thing when your home is robbed and you’re away on vacation. Even then, the victims often relate a sense of violation and a loss of peace of mind. Now try to imagine the horror of waking up, seeing that you were burglarized, and realizing that a stranger was in your house while you were sleeping. Think of the thoughts that must race through your mind: “They were here, touching my stuff. Thank goodness they only robbed us. We didn’t wake up. We didn’t hear them. They could’ve done anything.” Imagining that will only give you some glimpse of the terror felt by each of these families.

Let’s ask the next question, now. Could this have been prevented, and how? The goal in discussing this is not to criticize any of the unfortunate victims of this crime. The goal is to see what can be done to make sure that you, the reader, will avoid becoming a victim, yourself.

In order to do this, the first thing to determine is exactly how the burglar entered these houses. Thankfully, the article already lays that out. The thief broke into multiple cars and found three which contained garage door openers. The burglar exited the vehicle, pressed the button and entered the homes through the now open external garage door.

CUT. This is the first point that should jump out at you. Leaving your garage door opener in your car is a bad idea; unless your car is parked in the garage, that is. It’s bad for the same reason that leaving a keychain remote for your alarm system in your car is a bad idea. It gives people access to your home who you may not wish to have that access. As the article says, take the opener inside with you when you get into your house.

Continuing on, the thief then entered the home by way of the internal door going between the home and the garage. CUT. This should be raising big red flags. First of all, I’m assuming these doors weren’t locked. Or if they were, that they weren’t deadbolted. Why? I think the problem stems from the fact that too many homeowners consider that door to be an internal door, as opposed to an external, perimeter door. And while, you may, and perhaps should, consider your garage as part of your home, you have to treat the door between your home and garage as if it were going completely outside.

Then, they entered the victims’ homes with impunity, acting like they owned the place. CUT. Why didn’t the siren go off on their alarm system? Why didn’t their alarm system contact the central monitoring station? I’m guessing (guessing is the operative word) that none of these homes was equipped with a security system. We’ve talked about this again and again. It simply makes no sense to own a home, with expensive valuables, the same home in which your family lives, and not protect it with an alarm system.

So, how should you proceed. Well, first off, do all three things mentioned above. Second of all, walk around your house and think like a burglar. If you had to get in, how would you do it? What would you use or do in order to achieve the goal of entering your own home. Once you’ve determined those problem areas, secure them. Finally, be cautious. If you hear something strange outside, check it out. If you hear creaking or cracking in your home, and it doesn’t sound normal, check it out. It’s really that simple.

Until next time…

Identity Confusion in the Home Security World

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Sam

Your New Security Provider?Odd title, today, no? It’s the second revision of the title; the first was about three or four times as long. I finally decided that this would be just obscure enough to give me the leeway I need to make my point, while still being mysterious enough to be enticing (so I hope).

The article I’m going to comment on is from Wednesday’s Globe and Mail, a respected Canadian newspaper. It describes a phenomenon that has been taking place on the fringes of the home security world for the past few months (and really, much longer than that). So, here is my intention: To comment on the article and then to rant a little about our industry. Now, what are we talking about exactly?

The article, titled “Rogers set to break into home security field,” describes how Rogers Communications Inc., one of Canada’s largest communications companies (with specialty in cable television) is breaking into the home security market.

According to the article, “…the wireless and cable giant is set to break into the home security services market in the coming months…” Why? Well, according to the article, the goal is to bundle services together because it’s a convenience. You don’t have to worry about paying a phone bill here, and paying an Internet bill here, or a tv bill there. Now, security is being added to the mix.

Ok, fair enough. But let’s honestly ask why this is happening (and the article makes this point pretty fairly), “Because bundled customers are less likely to switch providers for lower prices at a competitor, this is another example of communications providers trying to be all things to every household.” Exactly! The goal here doesn’t seem to be providing great security (at least not primarily), but to tie another thread around your relationship with Rogers, making it far less likely you’ll switch somewhere else.

And why is that? Why are you less likely to switch? Is it because companies like Rogers are providing the best possible service across the board? Or is it more likely that you’re too tied in, and it would be a giant hassle to switch individual services to someone else? Now maybe that works with cable or Internet service, but it’s a pretty bad model when you’re discussing home security.

The considerations here are much more important. We’re not discussing whether or not you’ll get all 6 (or however many) MTV channels and all 10 (or however many) ESPNs. We’re discussing whether or not your family and your personal possessions will be safe and secure. Sorry if I’m dubious about a cable company’s ability to do so.

Which brings me to another point; the ignorance or arrogance of Roger’s CEO. Says Mr. Nadir Mohamed, “Rogers is redefining the notion of home security and taking it several steps further.” Oh really? How so? “Many Canadians already have alarm systems in their homes, protecting their valuables and their loved ones. Yet these systems currently operate on traditional phone lines and only connect with a network when an issue arises.” Really? Has Mr. Mohamed examined the industry he’s so boldly marching into with all the intentions of revolutionizing it?

The reality is this. Contrary to Rogers’ CEO, every security company I know offers cellular monitoring, and broadband, and yes, for those customers who still want it, traditional phone line monitoring. To pretend that his company is bursting into town with something totally new that will revolutionize the industry is naive to say the least.

The security industry has always been somewhat varied and fragmented. SafeMart has always focused more on the DIY model of home security, while trying to make it easier for the average homeowner to install and program their own system. We believe in that model. We always have. There are other companies, like Home Security Store or FrontPoint Security who fit in that model as well. For the big guys, such as ADT or Broadview, they have a “full-service” model where they do pretty much everything for you. Inside the industry, we’ve always had and always will have disagreements on which model is best, and which offers the best value for the customer. But at the end of the day, we’re all offering effective home security, and we all care about the industry as our primary focus.

But these communications companies masquerading as home security companies, whether it be Rogers or Comcast, are not primarily focused on home security. If you want home security, and you should, then go with someone in the industry who is trusted and knows what they’re doing. Let your cable company make sure you have Dancing with the Stars; but be wary of “bundling” everything else in there with it.*

*NOTE: I’m not saying that a communications company won’t be able to effectively offer real home security. I’m not saying they aren’t already close. What I am saying is that you should be wary of trusting your cable company to effectively provide home security, until they’ve proven themselves. I’m also saying that it’s a bad start for a company to pretend they’re revolutionizing an industry by offering what is already very prevalent in the home security industry.

Facebook Fails at Security

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Sam

Facebook’s Security Folks,

Hope all is well. I know it’s been a week since I’ve posted, but we had a couple of pressing issues that prevented me from blogging more this past week. Rest assured, the blog is back as a main focus and won’t be so sporadic in the future.

There have been few stories over the past week about which I wanted to comment, but none really jumped out as blog-worthy. Today, however, I found an interesting and timely story, especially as it relates to an article on parenting teens we did a couple of weeks ago.

Huffington Post had an article this morning, titled, “Facebook Gets an ‘F’ From Online Services Security Report Card.” And while that title is a mouthful, the article contains some genuinely interesting information. Basically, Digital Society, an online-focused think tank, created a report card of many popular websites, in order to grade them on how securely they kept users data, and how vulnerable they were to attack. Unsurprisingly (to me at least), Facebook failed. You can read the report card at Huffington Post, or over at Digital Society, itself. Basically, your personal information is less than ideally secure on many sites, depressingly so on Facebook and Twiter.

Now, am I suggesting that you stop using those sites? No. I am, however, suggesting that you pay better attention to the real security of sites that you use every single day. Be circumspect in how you use social media sharing sites, and finally make sure you educate yourself on what precautions you can take to prevent becoming a victim.

That’s all for now. I just wanted to make sure that you all had this information at your fingertips. So, is this surprising to you? Have you experienced any security issues in using any of the sites mentioned in the article? Let us know in the combox.