PSYCHOLOGY
1) Always watch the eyes, they give the first indication of imminent action.

MILITARY
1) The first casualty of war is... all of the pre-war planning.
2) The first casualty of peace is... the truth.
3) Any decision, even if it is flawed, is better than no decision. (decision errors will usually become apparent with enough time to adjust/correct)

NAVIGATION
1) The 2 outside stars of the Big Dipper's cup generally point towards the North Star.
2) The scabbard hanging down from Orion's Belt, always points South.
3) When in an area of many open iron ore mines, question what your compass says.

WOODLANDS SURVIVAL
1) A practiced Tracker is always aware of the previous week's weather.
2) Priorities in the wilds: shelter, water, food, warmth.

COMMON SENSE
1) Buying a car is not a question of how much money you did or didn't save, it's actually a question of how BIG or how LITTLE of a screwing you actually took!
2) If it sounds too good to be true, then it is most likely, FALSE!



These are a few things that I can come up with off the top of my head. Add/share your Rules of Thumb with us all.

Navigation

If something is in your way, like a fallen tree, go around it. Don't blindly climb over or try to navigate everything in your path. Going around obstacles saves injuries. I have seen more stupid accidents by people trying to go over, under or through obstacles, rather than simply going around them.

One for my wife....Always cut with the knife moving AWAY from you.

If you are in town, always have a dollar per mile between you and home. In cash.

In the field, always carry twice as much water as you think you'll need between refills, gather five times firewood as you think will be enough for the night, and carry meds and food for at least a third longer than you planned to be out.

"The pointy end goes in the other man!" - The Mask of Zorro

-Blast

Don't try to travel in the dark unless you're used to it, or possibly if you're in the desert.

Don't wait until dusk to find shelter. Try to get everything you need to do done in daylight.

Don't be afraid of wolves or coyotes, they aren't a danger unless they're rabid. Bears and cougars are something else.

Pay attention to your surroundings. Look back frequently in case you have to backtrack -- you'll know what it looks like. Don't be one of those airheads that travel the woods listening to music.

Don't signal for help and then keep moving.

The Golden Rule: If you think you're lost, STOP! Unless you need to take shelter from the sun/heat, park yourself out in the open during the day, where you can be seen from the air.

"Nothing is foolproof, because fools are so ingenious."

PPPPPP [censored] Poor Planning Prevents Proper Performance
PPPPPP Proper Planning Prevents [censored] Poor Performance
PPPPPP Proper Preparation Prevents [censored]-Poor Performance
PPPPPP Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Take your pick of acronym's

or more generally all ways look on the bright side of life

If your situation changes, you have to change your plans to fit what is happening now. Don't try to force the new situation to fit the old plan.

Life rule #1 Never lick a steak knife
#2 Never drink anything blue
#3 Trust everyone, but cut the cards

Boomtown,

Wellcome to the fire!



Sounds like you have some glassblowing training. You a chemist by chance?

-Blast, professional burn victim

Thanks for the welcome Blast! I've been lurking around here for about a year or so. Thought it was time to come in from the shadows.

As for the chemistry thing, it's more of a backyard hobby. It's kinda like "let's see how much smoke it takes for the neighbors to call the cops after I mix these two chemicals together"

There you have boys and girls, my introduction to hot glass, fingertip bandages, and what it means to be a defendant.

For me it was about half a block's worth using a pie tin filled with DELETED and sugar...

I think I'm going to like you (uh, in a fellow blammmo-fan sort of way).

-Blast

never let anyone closer that your comfortable shooting range with out knowing there intentions.

That's why my 48 year old body looks darn good even hough it has 80 years of mileage on it ! ! !

The best luck is that which you make yourself

Which goes hand in hand with the 6-P's

From our ever-present friend, Murphy:


Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are.
No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.
Friendly fire ain't.
The most dangerous thing in the combat zone is an officer with a map.
The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already mined it.
The buddy system is essential to your survival; it gives the enemy somebody else to shoot at.
The further you are in advance of your own positions, the more likely your artillery will shoot short.
Incoming fire has the right of way.
If your advance is going well, you are walking into an ambush.
The quartermaster has only two sizes, too large and too small.
If you really need an officer in a hurry, take a nap.
The only time suppressive fire works is when it is used on abandoned positions.
The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
There is nothing more satisfying that having someone take a shot at you, and miss.
Don't be conspicuous. In the combat zone, it draws fire. Out of the combat zone, it draws sergeants.
If your sergeant can see you, so can the enemy.

M

some of those are stamped on the new gel packs of ration
heater goop..when i saw that i did'nt know if i should
laugh or cry..if i was back in a fox hole again and saw
something like "if the attack is going well it's a ambush"
on my ration heat pack my first thought would be to cram
it down the throat of whatever ripoff military contractor
did that..and the new packs are harder to light than the old
triox bars...

If you live poorly, die properly, as that is all that will be remembered in a generation's time. If you can neither live nor die with honor and dignity, then it is better to have never lived at all.

Oh no. Two of them. Can anyone point me to the thread on reinforced concrete bunkers?

Well, you might consider one of these. I haven't played with anything capable of breaking one of these in a long time. You *should* be safe.

To return to the topic at hand, the safety/career advancement tip I tell new field engineers is, "If you see the head guy running, run faster. Whoever survives will be the next boss."


-Blast

Yeah, my phrasing isn't completely new. When I was an organic chemistry lab TA (teaching assistant) I wanted a patch on my lab-coat which said:

If I start running you just failed.

Never had the money back them.

-Blast

Something along those lines is good advice in bear country too.
"I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you."

"When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action."

The corollary:

"When you desire a consequence you damn well better take the action that will create it."


Lois Bujold
Source: Memory

Two of them? Well, sure, if you start counting at "0".

There are a lot of us here who like big booms.

I have been puttng all of these posts together in 1 file and will post it soon. I have also started collecting some of the signature motto's for the same reason. Stay tuned to this channel, if interested.

I just added one to my signature for ya. Enjoy.

NEVER WHITTLE TOWARD YOURSELF OR URINATE AGAINST THE WIND!

1) If you feel cocky, worry.

I am lost on your 1st common sense statement. Can you explain it again?

I have an ironic sense of humor.
If you listen to the commercials and the salesman, they are going to save you all kinds of money but the truth is: car salesman are trained to convince you of thatand distract you from the fact that they are in the business of fleecing the customer of the max amount of cash.
That includes the fact that you just gave them your trade-in or down payment for nothing. Talk to a salesman, off the record & they might explain how it is done.

CAVEAT EMPTOR in other words!!!

"Never marry an ugly woman, it'll take the life right outta ya"

Red

Rules of Wisdom

PSYCHOLOGY/PHILOSOPHY
1) Always watch the eyes, they give the first indication of imminent action.
2) "If you see the head guy running, run faster. Whoever survives will be the next boss."
3) "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you."
4) “When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action."
5) Just having stuff doesn't mean you are ready. Know how to store/move/use it properly.
6) Age and Treachery will overcome Youth and Enthusiasm
7) All of this will happen before. All of this has happened again.
8) Depend on yourself, help those who are not able, and teach those that are.
9) Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved
10) Do not follow where the path may lead...go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
11) "Never marry an ugly woman, it'll take the life right outta ya"
12)

MILITARY
1) The first casualty of war is... all of the pre-war planning.
2) The first casualty of peace is... the truth.
3) Any decision, even if it is flawed, is better than no decision. (decision errors will usually become apparent with enough time to adjust/correct)
4) "The pointy end goes in the other man!" - The Mask of Zorro
5) Never share a foxhole with anyone braver than you are.
6) No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.
7) Friendly fire ain't.
8) The most dangerous thing in the combat zone is an officer with a map.
9) The problem with taking the easy way out is that the enemy has already mined it.
10) The buddy system is essential to your survival; it gives the enemy somebody else to shoot at.
11) The further you are in advance of your own positions, the more likely your artillery will shoot short.
12) Incoming fire has the right of way.
13) If your advance is going well, you are walking into an ambush.
14) The quartermaster has only two sizes, too large and too small.
15) If you really need an officer in a hurry, take a nap.
16) The only time suppressive fire works is when it is used on abandoned positions.
17) The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
18) There is nothing more satisfying that having someone take a shot at you, and miss.
19) Don't be conspicuous. In the combat zone, it draws fire. Out of the combat zone, it draws sergeants.
20) If your sergeant can see you, so can the enemy.
21) Never let anyone closer that your comfortable shooting range with out knowing there intentions.

NAVIGATION
1) The 2 outside stars of the Big Dipper's cup generally point towards the North Star.
2) The scabbard hanging down from Orion's Belt, always points South.
3) When in an area of many open iron ore mines, question what your compass says.
4) If something is in your way, like a fallen tree, go around it. Don't blindly climb over or try to navigate everything in your path. Going around obstacles saves injuries. I have seen more stupid accidents by people trying to go over, under or through obstacles, rather than simply going around them.
5)

WOODLANDS/URBAN SURVIVAL
1) A practiced Tracker is always aware of the previous week's weather.
2) Priorities in the wilds: shelter, water, food, warmth.
3) If you are in town, always have a dollar per mile between you and home. In cash.
4) In the field, always carry twice as much water as you think you'll need between refills, gather five times firewood as you think will be enough for the night, and carry meds and food for at least a third longer than you planned to be out.
5) Don't try to travel in the dark unless you're used to it, or possibly if you're in the desert.
6) Don't wait until dusk to find shelter. Try to get everything you need to do done in daylight.
7) Don't be afraid of wolves or coyotes, they aren't a danger unless they're rabid. Bears and cougars are something else.
8) Pay attention to your surroundings. Look back frequently in case you have to backtrack -you'll know what it looks like. Don't be one of those airheads that travel the woods listening to music.
9) Don't signal for help and then keep moving.
10) The Golden Rule: If you think you're lost, STOP! Unless you need to take shelter from the sun/heat, park yourself out in the open during the day, where you can be seen from the air.
11) If your situation changes, you have to change your plans to fit what is happening now. Don't try to force the new situation to fit the old plan.
12) "Learn survival skills when your life doesn't depend on it."
13)

COMMON SENSE
1) Buying a car is not a question of how much money you did or didn't save, it's actually a question of how BIG or how LITTLE of a screwing you actually took!
2) If it sounds too good to be true, then it is most likely, FALSE!
3) Always cut with the knife moving AWAY from you.
4) Never lick a steak knife
5) Never drink anything blue
6) Trust everyone, but cut the cards
7) PPPPPP Proper Planning Prevents [censored] Poor Performance
8) "Nothing is foolproof, because fools are so ingenious."
9) The best luck is that which you make yourself
10) If you live poorly, die properly, as that is all that will be remembered in a generation's time. If you can neither live nor die with honor and dignity, then it is better to have never lived at all.
11) Our most important survival tool is our brain, and for many, that tool is way underused!
12) If you feel cocky, worry.
13) Advertising is just advertising. Truth often doesn't have anything to do with it. If Madison Ave. told me the sun came up this morning, I would step outside and check.
14)