A look at some of the best 4x AA powered flashlights

AA batteries - they're abundant, widely available and chances are most of us have them at home. Sure, more advanced and better performing cells exist, but you can't find them at virtually every store like you can with AAs. With the availability of alkalines, rechargeable, and lithium AA cells you have many ways to power a flashlight during an emergency.     

In this guide we'll take a look at some of the best, most versatile and most powerful lights that run on 4 common AAs. Whether its a light for power outages, walking the dogs or exploring the wilderness...you can't go wrong with any of these flashlights!




Fenix LD41

In 2015 Fenix bumped the lumens to 960, making this one bright light. With a throw of 300 meters, this tactical minded light will handle the darkness with ease.



Sunwayman D40a

The D40a is modern light that won't let you down. With a plethora of options, it is both a functional and high tech tool.



Fenix E41

The E41 might be compact, but it makes a wide searchlight style beam with a 275 meter throw to back it up. The 1000 lumen burst mode turns night into day.



Thrunite TN4A

This offering from Thrunite boasts an amazing blend of brightness and efficiency. With very low, and very high output this is one useful light.

The Last Nirvana Song

Every now and then I get a bit of Nirvana nostalgia and fall in love again with one of my all time favorite bands. But, as we all know their career was short, explosive, bittersweet and tumultuous. It's hard to listen to them without the painful reminder that their time with us was woefully short and ended in tragedy.

There's no secret collection of completed studio quality songs. Unfortunately, there's really not much left in the Nirvana vault. Hardcore fans are still elated to occasionally find that a new live recording has surfaced, or a home demo has been found or an obscure 1980s track has been unearthed. However, as far as completed studio work, we've basically reached the end of the road.

Back when I was younger, one of my good friends was also a massive fan of the band. Wise beyond his years, he basically hit the nail on the head just a few years after Cobain died - "Once they run of out Nirvana recordings, they'll probably resort to releasing whatever recordings they can find. We'll probably get to hear Kurt brushing his teeth." he said. It's a bit of an exaggeration, but he's right. We've seen Kurt's journals, old demos of him messing around - lots of things that were likely never meant to see the light of day, essentially because the high quality songs have already been released. One could argue that there is value in those kind of recordings, insight into the creative process but regardless they came to fruition because that's virtually all there is left.

When we got word that there was basically one last studio recorded, full band Nirvana song, recorded January 30, 1994 just mere months before Kurt's death, it became a holy grail of sorts.

Though, it was never officially titled it came to be known as You Know You're Right.

I just happened to hear the song, for the first time in a few years and all the memories and emotions hit me like a freight train, again.

The song does have a pretty interesting back story, though. It is assumed to have been written in the latter half of 1993, as the band played a slightly different version of it live in October of 1993. On January 30, 1994 the band recorded it in Seattle during their final studio session. Cobain himself even demoed an acoustic solo version of it at some point around that time.

The 1994 studio version of the song remained locked away for years until talk of a release of the song began, and in turn a fierce legal battle ensued. Courtney Love felt the track would be best suited for a single disc "best of" album, whereas Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl wanted to release it on an "anthology" type boxed set.

The lawsuit was eventually settled in 2002, with the studio recorded You Know You're Right appearing on the 2002 best of release Nirvana. The boxed set went on as planned, despite being delayed a few years and was released in 2004 with the acoustic solo demo of the song.

Now here's where the real fun starts.

At the beginning of October 2002, the song was officially released as a single, with the full compilation due out at the end of that month. However, prior to this a rough mix of the track leaked on the internet.

Yes, the last proper Nirvana song, one that was the subject to years of legal wrangling, perhaps the most sought after track for the band at the time....just somehow ended up online in its entirety, outside of any official release. Fan sites began blowing up and even some radio stations picked it up and started playing the mp3 file on the air. Cease and desist orders began flying around, and as a legal battle ended, a new legal battle started.

Whoever leaked the song, it was a clear fuck you to Courtney Love. She may have won the battle, but she lost the war. Essentially every Nirvana fan on the planet with a computer heard the track well before it's official release. In 2002 I was following this pretty closely, if I recall correctly, a fan from Spain claimed to acquire an advance copy of Dave Grohl's Probot CD, which had the Nirvana song secretly at the end of it and subsequently the track was leaked and spread like wildfire.

In the end, it was almost like something Cobain himself would have done.

While lyrically it invokes a definite sense of despair and sadness, the song ended up being a poignant track to be remembered as their final work. You Know You're Right is pure Nirvana: loud guitars, pummeling drums and a powerful vocal delivery. None of them at the time knew they'd be recording their final song together, but what came of it was among their best.

A Tale of Two Zombies

May 26, 2012. Miami, Florida.

For reasons unknown, 31 year old Rudy Eugene removes his clothes while walking and begins viciously attacking a homeless man. Eugene begins eating the victim's face, destroying nearly 80% of it. A lone police officer arrives on the scene and begins to order Eugene to cease the attack. The officer was reportedly growled at in response. After not complying with orders, Rudy Eugene was shot dead. The homeless victim lived, despite having to undergo massive facial surgeries. Marijuana was the only drug found in the perpetrators system.

August 15, 2016. Tequesta, Florida.

19 year old FSU student Austin Harrouff inexplicably storms out of the restaurant he and his family were dining at, allegedly agitated at the slow service. He begins the several mile walk, likely towards his father's house, when he began to remove some of his clothes. Along the way, he encounters a husband and wife sitting outside their garage that night. Harrouff begins his bloody rampage: killing the wife, injuring a neighbor who tried to intervene, and killing the husband, who he crawled on top of an began eating his face and abdomen. Officers arrived and took the subject into custody where he was transferred to a local hospital. Harrouff allegedly tells police they won't find drugs in his system. Initial toxicology results show negative for cocaine, marijuana and amphetamines. 

We have two bizarre, yet similar attacks here. Both assailants inexplicably attack their victim(s) savagely, but we have two very different outcomes here. Rudy Eugene, a black man, refused to stop his attack. He was shot multiple times and died at the scene of the attack. Austin Harrouff, on the other hand was a young white male. He too refused to stop gnawing on his victim, yet lethal force was not used. Officers utilized a taser, a dog and then eventually it took several people to remove him from the victim.

At first glance, this contrast seems ripe for racial commentary. Black cannibal gets killed; white cannibal alleged perpetrator gets humanely treated and promptly taken to the nearest hospital.

Of course, media outlets like the NY Daily News and Washington post absolutely blasted Martin County police for apparently acting with such restraint or conversely for not immediately shooting him dead, exactly how Rudy Eugene was handled. Many pundits went on to say that Harrouff was essentially spared because he was white.

Yet again, our country shows no sign of stopping the great racial divide.

However, as similar as these cases seem, they couldn't be more different. Rudy Eugene was initially approached by a single officer. In fact, it was that lone office who handled the whole situation. He saw a helpless man being viciously attacked by an assailant who was not responding to his commands to stop. This policeman evaluated the situation, felt he could stop the attacker without harming himself or the victim...and that's what he did. Every single shot fired was on target, not a single stray bullet hit the victim, who went on to survive the ordeal.

When police arrived to the scene of Austin Harrouff's attack, the officers admit they first considered shooting him. However, the deciding factor was not because he was white, rather because he was literally face-to-face with his victim chewing him apart while laying on top of him. Officers had no idea if the male victim was still alive and did not want to risk hitting him with a stray bullet, or even striking Harrouff and having the bullet go through him and then hitting the victim.

Both instances are a tragedy, no matter how you look at it. But skin color had nothing to do with it.

However, the biggest tragedy here is the media infatuation of questioning why a black man had to be shot for brutally attacking someone, while ignoring the fact that his victim miraculously survived against all odds, despite extensive injuries. And then so much outrage is directed at the white kid for not getting shot, we basically forget to mourn the 2 senseless deaths and 1 injury that resulted.

In the end, maybe these senseless killers aren't the real zombies. Maybe we are. 

Fenix UC01: A Modern Key Chain Companion

After getting a free purple CL05 from Fenix and subsequently adding it to my wife's already colorful key chain, I figured it was now time for a similar light of my own. When it comes to upping your light game, there's plenty of choices for your keys.

Ultimately, for me it came down to the E05 and the UC01. I liked the traditional look of the E05, as well as the 85 lumen output. The run times and throw are good, making it very much a light with full sized usability, just in a small package.

However, with the E05 utilizing a twisty head switch, the trade off is two handed operation. For some this isn't an issue. I could probably live with it but most of the time I have an E12 in my pocket, which has a tail switch and is brighter. Sure, the E05 could serve well as a back up but I want simple, effortless one handed operation. Chances are many times at night I already have my keys in hand, so a simple push of a button would be a convenient option for basic illumination.

The E05 is no slouch, but I already have a few other lights from the E series in my arsenal. With that said, I don't think it would get much use on my keys.

The UC01 seemed appeared to be a good choice: Wide beam pattern, USB chargeable, 3 modes, battery indicator light, single button control and moderately waterproof.

My impression is the overall ease of use with this would result in a more functional light for my keys. I believe I would use this more often and not necessarily feel like I need to grab something easier to use or something brighter. So, the UC01 wins. I place my order and find it in my mailbox a few days later.

Now the fun part...

Ripping open the tightly sealed packaging. I think Fenix uses Level III body armor when packaging their products.



Inside is a bit barren compared to other Fenix items. In this case, there's the standard warranty card, instructions and fold out ad for other lights. Obviously, no spare battery or O ring with this one.

In terms of size, the UC01 was smaller than I anticipated. It is styled like the old flat, rectangular key lights of the past, but with a modern twist. However, it's virtually the same width and height of a mini Bic lighter. It's a tiny little thing. Despite the small stature, it still feels fairly rugged. The front end has two little "horns" to aid in protecting the LED in the event of a drop and the rear securely holds the included ring. The soft rubber USB cover is easy enough to manipulate, but still feels snug when it's inserted. I wouldn't try and submerge this light, but it still boasts a water proof rating, so a little rain won't be an issue.

Operation is simple. To check the battery level you press the switch. The indicator light will shine green when at a good battery level, red when it is getting low and then blinking red when it's critically low. To turn it on you hold the switch down for 1/2 second. Then a quick press cycles the light from Low < Medium < High. Long press again to turn off. Mode memory ensures you start where you left off next time you use the light. Even though the UC01 is small, it feels secure in your hand, like a little remote control.

The beam is quite distinct. Very cool tint and the output is very wide and uniform. It isn't so much like a traditional flashlight with a hot spot and defined edges, but instead a simple, even spot light. You won't light up your entire backyard with this, but it does make for a very soft flood light that covers a wide area. Overall, the UC01 is excellent performing, modern key chain light. It's small, weighs next to nothing, charges with a common USB cable, displays how the battery is holding up and boasts a respectable 45 lumens with efficient run times and battery regulation to back it up.

To me, this light is what a key light is supposed to be: Small, bright and handy. A wide flood beam to me is more useful than a narrow, throwy beam in this format. I'm using it primarily for simple up close tasks - Finding a key hole, rummaging through my dark car, walking into a dark house, locating an item in a dark corner, reading in low light conditions etc. With that said, the UC01 is quite an awesome light and is a welcome addition to my key chain!

The Maura Murray/Betty Lee Connection

What are the chances of Maura Murray running into a random killer?

That question perhaps is the most common response to those who vehemently feel that Maura was not murdered. They point out the improbability of her simply crossing paths with a murder. The short time frame in which she disappeared is noted and many disregard this possibility simply because it just isn't likely. She was seen one minute and gone the next. What are the odds?

Meet Betty Lee, 36 year old New Mexico native and mother of 5. She was found brutally murdered in a remote area on June 9, 2000. Investigators were able to piece together her last known whereabouts and begin to get an idea of where Betty was prior to her murder. The night before she joined two female friends at a bar. They spent the evening drinking and socializing, but by the end of the night Betty began feeling left out. Her two friends met two males at the bar and decided they were going to leave the bar with them. Betty, upset by this, pleaded with her friends not to leave as she had no ride home. The two females left with the men anyway. She was left there alone after a night of drinking, emotional and with no way back home.

Betty walked a short distance to a nearby convenience store to use the pay phone. The store clerk stated to police she witnessed a woman at the phone booth, crying. When she looked again a few minutes later, she was gone.

The police eventually tied her murder to Robert Fry, who has killed before. He was sentenced to death, and is currently awaiting execution in a New Mexico jail.

How this fits in with Maura Murray's case, isn't the murder itself, rather the circumstances leading up to it. Investigators say Betty Lee attempted to call her brother, a police officer to pick her up but wasn't able to reach him. Upset and crying and still without a ride, she hung the phone up and stepped out of the phone booth. Almost instantly, Robert Fry and his friend Les Engh pull up in their car and offer Betty a ride. Maybe because her guard was down after drinking that night, or because she felt she had no other options, Betty accepted the ride and they drove off. Fry eventually stopped the car and attempted to rape her. Betty fought back and was stabbed numerous times and beat to death with a sledgehammer, her body left in a desolate area.

So, we have two women who had been drinking. Both without transportation to their destination, alone and out of options. What likely drew Fry and Engh to Betty Lee was the fact she was alone, vulnerable and crying. While Maura may not have been crying, she was still alone and vulnerable.

With Betty Lee, this would still be an unsolved case if it wasn't for one single piece of evidence.

On the night of her murder, police found a cell phone laying on the ground in the same area of her body. It belonged to a tow truck driver who admitted he was there that night, towing a car that got stuck in rough terrain. The driver said cell service was poor in the area and after receiving a call and being unable to hear the caller, his wife, he angrily threw the phone on the ground, leaving it there. He was in fact towing Robert Fry's car that night after it got stuck. After the police made that connection, the case was quickly solved. However without that key evidence, this could have very well ended up as another cold case.

That night, Robert Fry acted under the guise of a good Samaritan, pretending he wanted to help Betty Lee by offering a ride. Instead, he tried to rape her and then brutally killed her. Betty was last seen at a pay phone, there one minute and gone the next. 

I think it's very possible Maura may have met a similar fate. However, unlike Betty Lee's case, we have no key piece of evidence to tie everything together. And so the mystery of Maura Murray continues...

Smith & Wesson Shield 45 is HERE!

It's official. The long awaited Shield chambered in 45 caliber is now happening. Here's with Smith & Wesson had to say:

This small and slim concealed carry handgun is just a tad larger than the 9 and 40 caliber variants and comes with one standard 6 round and one 7 round extended magazine with a suggested retail price of $479. The Shield line up from S&W has been extremely popular, and for good reason, it's a great series of guns. With a new 45 caliber option, things just got better!

Review: Fenix CL05 Emergency Light

The nice folks over at Fenix sent out a satisfaction survey for their customers via email earlier this year. If you registered your Fenix light online to ensure your warranty is effective, you likely received one of these surveys. I gladly filled mine out, sent it back and thought that was that. Little did I know, everyone who entered had a chance to win a TK35, PD35 Tac, E20 or a CL05, for a total of 70 free lights being given away to folks all around the world. So I was quite surprised to get an email from Fenix corporate saying I won a free CL05.

The winners list, courtesy of FenixLight.com

Of course, winning one of their full sized lights, like the TK35, would have been awesome but I can't complain. I knew very little about the CL05 but it seemed like a handy little lamp so I claimed my prize and waited for the authorized US Fenix vendor to ship it to me. About 2 weeks later it arrived in the mail, in all its purple glory.

Fenix markets this as the CL05 Liplight, since the size closely matches a tube of lipstick. It runs on a single AAA battery, boasts 7 modes and can be attached to your keychain, backpack or anywhere you need light. Modes are controlled via twisting the base.

For a single AAA battery, the run times are pretty good and like most Fenix lights, it's waterproof and impact resistant.

After using it for a few months, I found it to be a pretty cool little light. It's a good addition to a keychain. Moonlight is a nice soft light for reading in low light conditions. High mode bumps up the output to 8 lumens, making it easier to navigate in the dark and search small areas, like your car, if need be. The red and green modes make for great personal beacons, even more so when flashing. SOS is a nice touch for emergencies as well. In additional to keychain use, you could clip it to a backpack when hiking, use it in conjunction with your car lights if you break down at night, increase your visibility while bike riding at night etc. This light would make a neat beacon for night dog walks or even trick or treating with the kids. The possibilities are endless, and all it takes is a single AAA battery.

The one complaint I have is the color choices. I wish we had black or slate gray to choose from. It is a very cool light in function, but the styling of it, to me, is quite feminine. Maybe Fenix will address this in the future but the "Liplight" tag and the colors don't exactly seem to fit the typical EDC crowd that they seem to be marketing this to.

In the end, the light is functional and quite handy and I do use it from time to time. I definitely appreciate it as a free gift from Fenix but, the colors aren't really my style. For the most part, the CL05 is clipped to my wife's keys where it serves as a useful lamp for short walks in the dark or searching around a dark car. Though, I still bring it along for night activities when a personal beacon might come in handy. Overall, the colors might not be the best but still a useful light nonetheless. Thanks Fenix!

Your car NEEDS an emergency bag!

Bug out bag. Get home bag. SHTF bag. 

 Whatever you want to call it, the idea remains the same - a bag filled with essential supplies to help you no matter what type of emergency you might face. I make long road trips frequently, so the idea started with a cheap modest store bought roadside emergency kit. It had a basic assortment of items ranging from jumper cables, minor first aid products and a few tools. The more time I spent on the road the more time I had to reflect on what I might need to add to my bag. What started as a very basic emergency kit for my car has evolved into something bigger.

I started to ask myself, what if it's raining? So I added a poncho. What if it's dark? I added a flashlight. What if I need to make a repair? I added tools. The different scenarios I could possibly face were numerous. Accidents, severe weather, mechanical problems...maybe even zombies. OK, maybe not zombies but, you get the idea. In my attempt to prepare for almost anything, I was constantly adding supplies and constantly reevaluating my needs and what I might be facing on the open road, in a parking lot or even in my drive way. Before I knew it, I needed a bigger bag. And then a second bag.

My little roadside assistance bag was a good start, but I needed to cover more bases. When I'm traveling, first and foremost I need my car to work. Tools and items for repair are a must. Accidents happen, and I need to deal with that accordingly. So I expanded on my first aid a bit. What if my car breaks down? Not every thing I can fix, so I may have to plan for that as well. And...If I am stranded, possibly alone, I need the means to defend myself, if necessary. That means an extra gun or two.

With all these considerations, I think I've assembled a pretty good assortment of items that are stored away in my car's trunk. Let's take a look at what sits in my trunk in case of emergency.

Bag 1 (Auto Repair)
I've dedicated this bag specifically to car related items to cover most things short of a catastrophic failure.

• Stanley 72 pc tool set
• Misc wrenches and screwdrivers not found with the set 
• Gorilla Tape
• Electrical Tape
• Spare Fuse Set
• 2 quarts Mobil 5W40 oil
• Zip ties
• Jumer Cables
• Can of Fix-a-flat
• 12v mini air compressor
• 1 bottle brake fluid
• Bungee cords
• 1 pair Mechanix gloves
• Spyderco Bug knife
• Magnetic mechanic light
• 1 bottle antifreeze
• Rain poncho

Bag 2 (Emergency Gear)
This bag covers a variety of gear for travel emergencies.

• First Aid kit (containing bandages, gauze, OTC pain relievers, antibacterial ointment etc)
• ThruNite Archer 2A with 2 spare AA Energizer Lithium batteries
• Ka-Bar Dozier knife
• Lifestraw water filtration device
• 2 Clif bars
• 1 bag Trail Mix
• Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm with 2 magazines
• Emergency thermal blanket
• Magnesium fire starter
• Small spool of 550 paracord
• Compass
• Anker powercore mini 3350 mAh USB power bank
• Waterproof matches
• Off bug repellent wipes
• Victorinox Swiss Army Fieldmaster knife
• Misc sized rags
• Fiskars 14 inch hatchet 
• $50 cash

There's obviously lots of things to consider here, such as being stranded for an extended time in a desolate area. I could still expand on the possibility of having to set up an impromptu camp site, but for now what I have takes up a fair amount of trunk space in my average sedan. Having usable space left over is important as well. But for the long road ahead, I think I'm well covered.

The Disappearance of Brittanee Drexel

The case of Brittanee Drexel has always resonated with me for a few reasons. She was only 17 at the time of her disappearance, a young and vulnerable age. For her parents this had to be an absolute nightmare. They never granted her permission to travel from NY to SC for spring break so for them to be notified that she was missing in the Myrtle Beach area must have been devastating, as she wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place. It was your classic case of teenage rebellion. She left to have a good time and deal with the consequences of her parents when she returned. But she never made it home.

It was late April in 2009. Brittanee was a 17 year old high school junior living in Rochester, NY. She asked her mother to go to Myrtle Beach for spring break but her mother said no. Instead they agreed she could stay with a friend locally. In spite of what her mother said, Brittanee went against her wishes and embarked on a road trip to South Carolina with her friends. During her trip, she spoke to her mother frequently but instead of telling her she was in SC she lied and said she was still in NY. It has been said the trip wasn't particularly enjoyable for her. She wasn't getting along with her friends at the time and was often confiding in her boyfriend back in NY during her time there.

Brittanee was last seen on April 25, 2009 at around 8:30 pm. Security cameras captured her entering and then leaving the Blue Water Resort hotel at that time. Afterwards, she walked to visit friends at another nearby hotel. A traffic camera spots her after leaving her friend's hotel. By about 9 pm that night she sent a text message to her boyfriend in NY. After that, all communication from her cell phone abruptly stopped. No further calls or text messages came from Brittanee's phone. The traffic camera she initially walked passed should have captured her image as she walked back, but she never did. She was gone, never to be seen again.

Years later, the case remains unsolved. Searches have yielded nothing as to her whereabouts, though a pair of sunglasses that may have belonged to her were found in a swampy area south of Myrtle Beach.

Based on her cell phone pings, at approximately 9:30 that night her phone hits a tower in Surfside Beach, 7 miles south of Myrtle Beach. By Midnight her phone pings a tower in Georgetown County, which is 50 miles south of the Myrtle Beach Hotel she was staying at. After that her cell phone did not communicate with any other towers, as it was either turned off or the battery died.

In terms of Brittanee's disappearance, there's a few trains of thought as to what happened. Initially, one of her friends from Rochester, NY, that went with her to SC, was considered a person of interest. He and some other friends in the group abruptly checked out of their hotel around 1 am the following morning and headed back to NY. Alternatively, it is believed Brittanee may have simply been abducted by a stranger(s). Though, her mother on the other hand, thinks it might be a case of human trafficking.

Other than following the cell phone trail, we don't have a lot to go on here. However, there are a few things that stand out to me. First, the sudden loss of communication is telling. Around 9 pm, when she sent her last text message, something undoubtedly happened that rendered her unable to use her cell. No calls made or even a simple text message of "help". She couldn't access her phone, yet it remained on for about 3 more hours, making contact with several towers. That very much seems to suggest she was going about her business and was taken by surprise. If she perhaps met a group of strangers, decided to hang out with them and left by car, you would think at the first moment she felt uneasy, she would send a text indicating it. It doesn't seem like it was a slow culmination of danger, rather she immediately was in trouble and had no way of communicating it.

Being a young girl staying in Myrtle Beach, it is very likely she met new people and I do think it is a possibility she may have simply met a bad group of people. But, going back to the abrupt lack of cell use, I tend to think she would have at the very least sent a text indicating she felt uneasy with any new people she met. We know she was walking from hotel to hotel, in a relatively busy area, yet she still managed to vanish. She didn't make it back to her hotel and presumably there are no unaccounted for incoming calls from other people who might be involved (unless police are withholding that info). So it doesn't seem like she had a planned meeting with anyone.

To me it seems unlikely she voluntarily went off with someone, without telling anyone. But - it is is not impossible. She was having a bad time there, she wasn't really getting along with friends and maybe that could have been the catalyst to take a chance and venture off with some new people she may have met while walking home. She went there for fun, and perhaps a chance for fun presented itself while she was heading back to the hotel. Maybe a car full of younger guys invited her to a party and against her best judgement she got in the car and joined them.

However, in the case of Brittanee Drexel I tend to believe she was abducted against her will. The area is generally busy and one would think an abduction on a busy street would be seen by others, right? We don't know her exact path of travel but she didn't necessarily have to travel on a busy street. In fact she could have used side streets, cut through dark parking lots and managed to avoid busy areas with more pedestrians. I keep coming back to the fact she so quickly lost contact with everyone and that leads me to think she was quickly taken by surprise and forced into a vehicle. Based on the timeline of her phone, it seems very possible she could have been taken to Surfside Beach and was subsequently murdered there. After that she was transported south to a more remote area to be disposed of. Likely her
phone was either destroyed or the battery simply died at that point, but that general area seems likely to be where she was taken to hide the crime that was committed.

Sure, it is possible maybe her friends were involved. Maybe she met some seedy characters while at Myrtle Beach. For me, the most likely scenario is that she was seen walking at night, a petite girl, all alone in a desolate area off the main strip and viewed as an easy target. Unfortunately for Brittanee, she never made it back to her hotel.

Why I Own Guns.

"Why the fuck are you making so much noise?"

It was about 9 AM as I answered the door to hear my neighbor bluntly ask me this very question.

It was about 15 years ago and I just moved to a duplex. A new job took me to a far away place, one I was unfamiliar with and my wife and I knew very little about the area or the people. We met our neighbor before, briefly, and simply exchanged "hellos" and some small talk. He was an older guy, mid to late 40s. Short but broad shoulders and quite built for his age. Without knowing him hardly at all, we didn't necessarily know what to expect but since be we all engaged in a short introduction he didn't seem unfriendly. Nor did he initially raise any red flags...until now. 

I stood there at the door, perplexed.

None of us were being particularly loud. The TV was quiet, no music was on, other than occasional walking throughout the living room there was virtually no noise. I wasn't entirely sure if he was mistaken but I figured I'd just try and brush it off and maybe he was having a bad day and this would be an isolated instance.

The neighbor continued standing there in my doorway, waiting for my response. His eyes were fixated on me. A genuinely crazy stare. His left eye angrily squinted, while the right eye conversely was wide open. I finally mouthed a quick apology and told him we didn't realize we were being loud in anyway. He simply walked off, without saying a word.

Unfortunately for us, we quickly learned every day for him was a bad day and this was not an isolated event. In fact, many more occurred. It ranged from more of these seemingly insane complaints that our quiet adjoining apartment was making too much noise, to all sorts of petty nonsense - The trash can shouldn't be there. Don't park your car there. Your grill is too close to the house.

It was official, we just moved next to our first certifiably batshit crazy neighbor from hell.

We immediately knew this wasn't going to work as a living arrangement. The guy was nuts, an asshole, confrontational, petty and short fused. Though he was older, he was remarkably built and in good shape for his age. I figured it would eventually get physical and that could potentially be a problem for me - I'm a small guy. We weighed our options and figured we'd be able to afford to move in 4 months, plus our lease was up then as well. This wasn't ideal but there wasn't much we could do.

In the meantime, I went and bought my first gun, a Glock 19. My wife and I immediately took a shooting class and began to frequent the shooting range. It's been awhile since I fired a handgun, but for my wife she was brand new to shooting. Luckily she picked it up quickly after our class and began punching close holes in her paper targets. Nice tight groupings. I was impressed. We didn't necessarily feel like we would need to use it but considering the ordeals we've had with our neighbor over the past year, we felt we needed one in the house.

As we reached the final 2 weeks left in our lease, we found a new place to live and began packing to begin the moving process. We were ready to leave this behind and start fresh again. Things have been quiet lately, our neighbor has been spending less time at home so we haven't seen him much lately and our problems with him have been less frequent.

But that was all about to change.

I remember it as clearly now as when it happened. I was driving home from work around 7 pm one night. All of a sudden my cell phone starts vibrating furiously on my front seat, illuminating the interior the front of my car. I had it turned off during work, but on this particular phone vibrate was comparable to a small scale earthquake. I pick up the phone, noticing it was my wife, and then answered the call. On the other end of the line, I hear the indecipherable screaming of two females.

On that night my wife had one of her work friends over at the house. So I knew why I heard two women yelling and screaming, but clearly the important thing here was why were they screaming. My stomach tightened, it was hard to swallow. That brief moment lasted an eternity. The feeling of knowing someone was in trouble but not being there to help. I immediately tried to find out what was going on. Repeatedly I asked what was going on. Finally the yelling ceased and I was able to make my wife asking me "Where is the fucking gun?!".

My heart sank as I realized I had our only firearm in the car with me. I had gone to the shooting range last night and left it locked in the car with me. Shit. Again I ask "What is going on?", yelling this time. Between my wife's friend yelling anxiously, and my wife talking a mile a minute, I was able to get an idea of what was going on. Quite honestly, it scared the shit out of me.

That night, my wife's friend came over, for the first time to our house, I might add. We lived in a small duplex, with and even smaller area to park in. Our neighbor, who claimed the parking spot closest to his side was not home. Unknown to the friend, she parks in his spot, next to our car. There's 4 spots in the lot, the neighbor gets two and we get two. We have two cars, he has one. Seems easy to keep track of it, but often his guests and our guests will mix up spots and one of our cars will inevitably end up on his side, next to his car, until we move it again. Unfortunately, our guest wasn't aware of this and she just happened to park there.

Our asshole neighbor just happened to come home at that time, saw a car in his space and fucking lost his mind.

My wife continues to explain to me, still on the phone, that he walks over and proceeds to bang on our window, then our door, demanding the car is moved. He's screaming, cursing, yelling things like "I know your in there. Open the fucking door and move your car. Don't make me break this damn door down." He continued to pound on the door. The two of them obviously became scared, fearing he would in fact kick the door down. They yelled at him to leave or they would call the police. Then everything became quiet.

I continued to listen to my wife as I switched her to speaker and put my phone on the passenger seat. At this point I was about 5 minutes away from my house. But what my wife said to me next still gives me the chills even to this day.

"Oh my God, he's got a baseball bat..." she said, proceeding to explain he is smacking it against the asphalt outside, yelling again, louder this time.

"You need to call the police NOW" I said.

"Sara left her phone in her car", my wife begins, "I'll have to hang up if I do that."

I think about it briefly, my mind was racing, I had no idea what to tell her. I was minutes away. The cops need to do something about this guy, though. Unsure of if I was making the right choice, I blurted out to call the police. I was two minutes away at this point and my main objective was quite simply to get there as fast as I could. I hang the phone up and pull the Glock out of my console. As I round the corner, speeding into our parking I see the situation right in front of me exactly as my wife described it - our neighbor standing at the bottom of our front stairs, 5 feet away from our front door. In his right hand he was clenching an aluminum baseball bat. He took a step up to the next stair, getting even closer.

What happens next, for me was more or less a blur. I quickly pull my car in behind our parking spots, crooked and basically blocking our drive way. Like in the movies, it was almost felt like it was in slow motion. I fling my door open with my left hand, my right grasping the Glock 19. Our neighbor, now at the middle of the stairs, turns around.

I stood behind him, maybe 10 feet away. The gun was raised at him. The bat still remains in his grip. What I said next, I honestly have no idea. Something to the effect of drop the bat and don't move. Later my wife told me she remembered word for word I said "Drop the fucking bat or I will blow your brains out, asshole." Sounds about right. Our neighbor said something, but that was something neither of us could recall. I think it was something about the car in his spot. I don't know. I do know he didn't drop the bat, so I stepped closer, giving him a better look at the barrel of the gun pointing directly at him. Again, I repeated the same general message. Just louder and angrier this time. The bat began to lower.

And then I hear the sirens.

A lone police officer arrives, immediately moves in with his gun drawn and first orders the neighbor to drop the aluminum baseball bat. He does. It makes a distinct metallic "clank" as it hits the cement stairs and rolls down to a stop. Next he orders me to put the gun down. I swiftly lay it down and put my hands up as the officers begins to question us.

In the end, the neighbor is taken away in handcuffs. I give a statement both to the officer and later at the station. I asked them if I would be in trouble for this. The officer looks at me and said no and explains why in two parts. First, we established the situation to them with my wife's 911 call. Second, there was reasonable belief of harm by him coming to the front door with a bat. The officer I gave my statement to was blunt and straight to the point. After he explains I wouldn't be facing any charges, he continues by saying "Off the record, had you shot this guy I doubt you'd be facing any charges either." He goes to recommend moving to avoid future issues with the neighbor. Luckily that was already part of the game plan. We moved 3 days later.

Even though this was many years ago, I still think about it a lot. I still think about that feeling I got as my wife fearfully explained the situation to me over the phone. I think about seeing him with the bat. I sometimes wonder how things would have went if I had to shoot him. Even though there was no loss of life, the effect was still profound. But afterwards several things became clear to me. The world is a crazy place and we must be prepared for that. In fact there's a lot of things we need to be prepared for. We continued shooting frequently, added a few more guns to the collection, took some karate based self defense classes and generally became more aware of our personal safety.

You might notice a trend here on this blog - guns, knives, self defense, missing people etc...personal defense never really crossed my mind up until that moment. Now it's part of my every day life.


Stay safe and be prepared!

Forgotten Songs of the 90s: The Flys "Got You (Where I Want You)"

It's 1998. You turn on MTV and happen to see a sultry Katie Holmes in the midst of a music video. The band and song might escape you but, Katie Holmes does not. In case you forgot, the band is The Flys and the song is Got You (Where I Want You). Maybe the most forgettable part of this is the fact it was featured on the Disturbing Behavior soundtrack. Apparently, this was another teen horror flick, trying to follow the success of Scream. Hmm, I don't remember either.

But there is just something about this song that, no matter how long it's been and no matter how close you are to forgetting it, you hear it for the first time in awhile and quickly realize it was a pretty good 90s song. Melodic, yet melancholy. Soft, yet strong. Catchy, strong vocal delivery. It wasn't a particularly unique song at the time, but I think it succeeds in simplicity and sincerity. The Flys obviously did not set out to try and reinvent the wheel, but they managed to make a good song, even if it was their only hit. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Katie Holmes in your video either.

Even the awful white boy Reggae rap bridge didn't totally ruin the song. Although, The Flys really should have looked back and realized white boy Reggae rap was never much of a commodity. Anyone remember Snow? Looking past that, the quiet to loud build up was well employed and worked well for this song. In the 90s, anyone could belt out a quiet verse and then stomp on a distortion pedal during the chorus. The effect wasn't always well received, though. But in this case I think it worked. I'll also award bonus points due to the fact the lead singer has two mics and more pedals than the guitarist.

...and in case you missed it, The Flys recorded an acoustic version of the song sometime around 2008.

MISSING: Kelly Nash, GA (found deceased)

The case is Kelly Nash, a 25 year old man from Georgia who went missing in the early morning hours of January 5th 2015. An episode of Disappeared aired regarding his story last year, if you haven't already check it out. Kelly seemingly had a lot going for him: He was a student, he worked with his father helping his business, and he had a girlfriend who he shared a house with. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary in his life and there were no major problems to speak of. However, around 3 am, Kelly's girlfriend said he wasn't feeling well but was up playing video games. She told him to get some rest. By 7 am, she noticed Kelly was gone.

His keys, phone and wallet were all still inside the house. The garage door in which they enter and leave the house was slightly ajar. No signs of forced entry or a struggle were evident. It was later realized that Kelly's 9 mm handgun was missing from the residence.

Shortly after, a large search took place. Friends, family and volunteers all searched as well as scent tracking dogs but there was no sign of Kelly. A nearby gas station's camera system revealed a figure walking by in the darkness around 4:30 am the morning, but the quality was too poor to definitively say it was Kelly.

By the beginning of February of 2015 a body was found in Lake Lanier, just a few miles from both Kelly and his dad's house. It was the body of Kelly Nash. He was found to have a gunshot wound according to authorities.

After the discovery of the body, the case became silent. News reports ceased. Updates stopped. It is almost as if, once the mystery was solved, a whole new mystery began. One with a bunch of new questions we may never have answers for. As of 2016 there's really been only been one new story I've found.

As far as my thoughts on this case, let's first look at the Disappeared episode. One thing I found interesting is the dogs used in the search. Almost right off the bat, one of the tracking dogs went straight to a dock on Lake Lanier. Amazingly, the dog was correct as to where Kelly was, but it was either ignored or disregarded initially. I'm not sure why they never considered the lake, perhaps due to the cold weather but either way the tracking dog was impressive. 

Another thing from the episode that resonated with me is the girlfriend. Her tone throughout the episode is very casual, almost speaking about her missing boyfriend like it wasn't a major loss and rather just a mundane event. Something about her doesn't seem right and I know others have echoed have same sentiment. I definitely think there was some things going on in their personal lives that would likely shed some light on this situation. There's more to this, at least more than she is willing to share. 

Ultimately, based on the episode and the subsequent, but few, news articles about this case, I feel Kelly Nash was maybe going through a difficult time in his life and perhaps chose to commit suicide. He didn't seem to be caught up in anything risky, and nothing seems to suggest foul play to me. I simply think he was overwhelmed and ended his life. By walking to the lake, going onto the dock and then falling into the water, he maybe wanted to attempt to spare his family some grief in hopes he would not be found and seen only as a missing person. Surely, that would explain the lack of coverage after he was found, and the lack of any details really. There's no further information because it's not a criminal case and no foul play is involved. If you read any of the statements from the family after the discovery of his body you quickly see they are "looking for answers" but they don't project any loss that would be attributed to a random killer, a bad guy, or anyone responsible. There's no call to justice for punishment to any particular culprit. I understand everyone grieves differently but to me it seems like this could be due to:

The family knows it is suicide, but doesn't want to come out and publicly say it. 
The family thinks it is a homicide, but police feel strongly it is a suicide. 

Based on the family's desire for privacy, I'd go with the first choice. Regardless of what happened, it is a horrible loss for any family and while an element of mystery to this still exists, I completely understand as to why this would be dealt with privately. Whatever the outcome is, I hope friends and family can one day find some comfort and closure to this. Losing someone is never easy.

Fenix E Series Round Up

I decided to invest in some dependable and practical AA flashlights from Fenix for both home and away. A good light is a valuable tool and the E series from Fenix delivers excellent performance for those looking to utilize common AA cells. I've reviewed each light individually, but collectively these lights compliment each other well. Looking for reliable performance? These three E series lights will definitely do the job without breaking the bank. Let's take a look at how these awesome lights can cover your everyday needs.

The small E12 serves as an excellent choice for an EDC light that can easily fit in your pocket with room to spare. With it's intuitive tail switch and low > medium > high mode cycling, this light has the best tactical feel of the bunch. Don't let the small size fool you, it boasts a maximum of 130 lumens and 289 foot beam distance and can handle a multitude of tasks. For it's size it produces a fairly wide and useful uniform beam, all powered by a single AA.

The 2x AA powered E25 has a nice long barrel that really allows for an excellent grip, and can still be tucked into a pocket. It features a high mode of 130 lumens with a burst mode capable of 260 lumens with a throw of 591 feet. Unlike the even beam of the E12, this light has a distinct hot spot with plenty of spill. This is helpful when you are spotting something from a distance with the brightest area of the light, as it produces a good amount of flood lighting immediately in front of you, providing light both near and far. A great choice when you need a little more wideness and distance when venturing in the dark.

The E41 is the largest of the three and runs on 4x AA batteries. With a high mode of 400 lumens and a burst mode of 1000 lumens, it is the brightest light of the bunch. The 902 foot throw is impressive as well. It's beam style is similar to the E25: Tight hot spot enclosed in a wide area of flood, just bigger and wider overall. It still manages to fit in a pocket, but can be carried a variety of ways with it's included belt sheath and lanyard. Overall, the E41 boasts a nice wide, bright light. Great when you need to illuminate a large area. 

Let's take a look at how the beams actually look at night, courtesy of fonarik.com. 

The little E12 makes pretty decent light for it's size with it's focused beam and subtle spill. 

At 260 lumens, the E25 makes for a far reaching light.

The E41 boasts both a very wide and very bright beam.

Overall, these are 3 excellent lights. Simple, reliable and powered by the most common batteries in the world. A good light is an important tool in staying safe and being prepared!

Maura Murray: Small Window Of Opportunity (?)

If you are new to the mysterious disappearance of Maura Murray you should start with the Disappeared episode. Here's the Wikipedia page. The Missing Maura Murray podcast usually features a round table type discussion of the case as well.

At 7:43 pm, Butch Atwood called police to report the accident he just saw involving Maura. He first noticed as he returned home in the school bus he drove for work. Atwood proceeded to make contact with Maura, offering to call police. He noticed she seemed fine, but her ignored her request and went home and called anyway. Keep in mind, Butch lived right here the accident scene. The time it took him to speak to her and then return home and make that call, is likely minimal. The first call that came to police was at 7:27 pm, from another close by neighbor, who noted Atwood stopped at the scene.

Although it's impossible to estimate Atwood's exact time he spent at the scene, but reasonably we have to assume he first saw the accident, noticed a female, stopped the bus, proceeded to speak to her and then drove a very short distance to his house, likely mentioned it to his wife and proceeded to call the police at 7:43 pm. However, he could not see Maura's car from his house but did notice several cars went by from the time he called until police actually arrived.

So perhaps Atwood arrived home, parked the bus, walked inside, spoke to his wife briefly about the accident and then made the call that came in at 7:43. So Atwood could have had his eyes away from the site as early as 7:35-7:38. Granted, he was older at the time and around 300 lbs. This didn't appear to be a dire situation, so I doubt he hurried.

By 7:46 pm, police arrived and as we all know Maura had vanished.

Now, the Westman family nearby, who also called the police, did not see this as a particularly bad situation either. Admittedly, they were not watchful of it much either. So potentially we could have about 5 to 10 minutes where none of the neighbors were really watching closely. Also, in the dark some details may have been missing, or confused (ie: the "red dot") as well.

From early as around 7:35 to up until the officer arrived at 7:46, Maura was likely to be unseen in whatever was happening. So yes, that is a small window indeed for something to happen.

However, if you've read anything about this case, often times the idea of foul play is dismissed due to it being "unlikely" due to the small window of time and it just isn't probable an opportunistic killer just happened to ride by.

After all, that would mean a stranger picking up Maura would have to do so 1) after Atwood left 2) after the other neighbors stopped watching BUT before 3) police arrived at 7:46 pm.

Yes, I will admit a very tight time frame indeed. But also a dark night in a desolate area without much attention.

Still, many reject this idea. The problem is many subscribe to the idea that Maura was picked up by a tandem driver, under these same circumstances many deem "unlikely".

But the idea is the same. A tandem driver would have to pick Maura up 1) after Atwood left 2) after the other neighbors stopped watching BUT before 3) police arrived at 7:46 pm. But there's a few more issues to address with the idea of a tandem driver in regard to this small window. First, as we know there is no cell phone reception there. Maura could NOT have simply called this mystery driver and told them to get her.

With that said, a tandem driver would have to first realize that Maura's car is no longer in sight. Depending on how close they are traveling together, this could this could take..2 minutes? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? Then would then have to turn around and pick Maura up, unseen to Atwood, neighbors, cops etc. Had this tandem driver been traveling too closely, well they would have been seen.

So it is indeed a small window of opportunity. However, we can't have it both ways. If there was enough time for a tandem driver to pick Maura Murray up, there was anyone time for ANYONE to pick her up.

In my opinion, Maura rejected Atwood's help for several reasons. Most importantly, he immediately wanted to get police involved. Maura obviously didn't want that. Nor did she want to stay with him if police were going to be involved. If Atwood himself noticed Maura's backwards facing Saturn and stopped to speak to her, and then later noted other cars also passed by, it wouldn't be unusual for those drivers to perhaps do the very same thing he did. Maybe, Maura just happened to take a ride from the wrong person.

Zapp's Voodoo Chips: Salty, Crunchy...AMAZING

I'm not really one of those people who actively hunt around for new snacks to try, but every so often you see something and just gotta try it. That something is Zapp's Voodoo potato chips. I found them at (of all places) at my local Dollar Store, crammed tightly next to all the conventional brands we know and love. However, these chips jumped out at me. Was it the bold golden lettering? The colorful bag? The dozens of dolls with pins sticking into them? Or was it something greater and more powerful, like that of voodoo, that drew me in?

Regardless, the bag is quite eye catching and not knowing exactly what flavor category "New Orleans Kettle Style Voodoo" would fall into, I grabbed a bag to satisfy my curiosity, and hopefully hunger as well. There was something unsettling yet exciting about a snack food that had tiny voodoo dolls with needles sticking into them, but without question it was different. And different is good.

As I returned home I unloaded my Dollar Store bag, leaving the Voodoo chips on the table as I prepared lunch. The soft afternoon sunlight reflected off the bag, almost like a beacon, as it laid on the empty table. Almost as it was employing some sort of voodoo trickery to make me forgo my main course and just go straight for the chips. Somehow my will power was strong enough (just barely) and I sat down with my sandwich and drink and reached for the bag.

My first guess in terms of flavor was maybe something spicy, tomato based. Voodoo isn't exactly an easy one to guess. I mean with dill pickle, you pretty much know what you are in for when you open the bag. Voodoo, well, not so much. Upon ripping open the bag I felt compelled to give it the sniff test first. I don't know if this is due to me having a connoisseur moment and treating this like a fine wine tasting event, or if I simply wanted to make sure the smell was not rank.

And rank it was not. The aroma of vinegar and spices drifted out from the bag and made their way into my nostrils. Interesting. It was somewhat familiar smelling, especially with the pungent vinegar scent, but there was something a little different in there was well. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Inside the bag were orangey, red kettle chips, all curled up in different ways and all nicely covered in that delicious smelling blend of spices.

Next came the first bite. Crunchy, robust. Definitely not a thin and wimpy chip at all.

The taste was definitely intriguing. At first it tastes like a well balanced blend of salt and vinegar, which gives way to a assortment of different spices, resulting in barbecue type flavor. While the vinegar and salt was a very familiar taste, the BBQ aspect of it created a whole new experience. I have to say, these Zapp's chips have a nice zip to them and I had about half the bag finished before I even touched my sandwich.

Lately, I can't get enough of them. Since they are readily available at my local Dollar Store, I can buy them all the time. Of course, Amazon has them as well but obviously the pricing is quite high with shipping. Though, if it came down to it, I'd probably order a few bags here and there if I had no other option. Seriously, if you see a bag, give them a shot.

These chips are pretty amazing. While the taste, to me at least, is essentially salt and vinegar mixed with BBQ, the spices and flavors used are unique and I can't say I've had any other chips like them before. There is just something about them that makes like them so much. Maybe the bold spices, maybe the cool packaging....or maybe it's just voodoo......