All Alone

In many of my past posts I talked about the importance of being in a group, not just for the shared security and increased firepower if needed, but for basic human companionship that we all need. Humans after all are social creatures, that’s what helped make us the dominate species, and what has built all our civilizations including the present one. We thrive in groups, and constantly long to be part of new and better ones, which explains the current popularity of social networking sites.
But what happens after the apocalypse and you’re alone, either everyone around you is dead, or far away and you have to be by yourself for several weeks or longer?

First you need to identify what type of person you are, and for that most of us fall into two groups extroverted or introverted. Extroverted are individuals who get their energy from social interaction. They like to be out in the crowd and the center of attention. Introverted are the opposite they don’t require as much social interaction and draw from themselves rather then groups, this isn’t to say that introverts don’t need social interaction they just find it overwhelming at times. Of the two groups introverts have a distinct advantage.

So how do you cope when you have to be alone for an extremely long time? For this there are a few things you can do to keep yourself going. First keep busy, have things you need to do and set up a routine. Think of movies such as I Am Legend, or castaway where the main characters have to deal with extended isolation for years. One of the ways they copped was to have a routine and projects to keep their minds busy, remember down time leads to thinking, thinking leads to your thoughts wandering usually to things you miss, which leads to depression, which leads to suicide.

Another thing that will help you when dealing with isolation is exercise. The better shape you’re in the more positive you’re attitude will be. This is because when you’re lifting weights or running for example the body is realising chemicals called endorphins which make you feel better, kind of like a natural high if you will. On top of that the healthier you are the clearer and more positive you’re mind will think. And if anything else it gives you a tool to vent you’re frustrations out on but in a healthy way.

Talk to yourself, I know this sounds kind of odd, and others would find this crazy if you did this in public, but when you’re alone the sound of your own voice can help ease the tension of isolation. If anything else this will break up the quiet that you might experience. Remember there won’t be any background noise from cars, pedestrians, or anything else you can expect to hear when living in an urban area.

Find a pet, if you are near a pet store or you find a stray one take in a dog or dog’s or another domesticated animal. Dogs are preferred because of their pack mentality and will be more keen to bond with you. This is in turn will give you a loyal companion; it also gives you something to talk to.

These are just a few ideas to help deal with extreme isolation. If the apocalypse comes and you find yourself alone, you need to be mentally prepared before hand as this will be one of the hardest things you may have to deal with.

Fallout New Vegas Update

If you’re a fan of the Fallout games like I am then you’re eagerly waiting for the release Of Fallout New Vegas coming out this fall. Awhile ago I had a post that showed the new trailer for the game, and today I found some new videos that give a sneak peak into some of what you can expect to see in the new game. Hope you enjoy, and I’ll keep updating as new information comes in.

How To Throw A Punch

In the post apocalypse defending yourself is paramount to you're survival. Ideally you would do this with a firearm or some form of melee weapon. Chances are though that you will be caught without a weapon and will have to resort to hand to hand combat. However most people don't know how to do this properly. In this post I'll show you the basics of how to throw a punch. However it's important to remember that this is to be used ONLY AS SELF DEFENCE and not to be used to attack or hurt others.



Before you can learn to punch you have to understand how you're hand works. For a punch you're striking surface will be you're two knuckles closest to the thumb (trigger and middle finger) If you make a fist you'll notice that these two knuckles form and almost straight line with the bones in you're forearm all the way to the elbow, giving them the support needed for a powerful blow. You're other two knuckles are known as "floaters" as these have no support and can be driven back into you're wrist with enough force.


To do a basic punch you need to first adopt a proper stance. Your feet should be shoulder width apart, any farther apart or closer together and you risk being unstable and easy to take down. Your heal of your front foot (depending on if your right or left handed) should be aligned to your toes on the other foot. Again remember to keep your feet spaced about shoulder width apart to give yourself as solid of stance as possible. Slightly bend your knees to allow your body to be flexible and loose, this will allow you to better withstand blows and keep yourself from being too rigid.


For your arms you’re going to need to have them in a ready position to defend against an attackers blows. To do this have your arms up to protect your sides and face, keep them spaced far enough from your face so that an attacker can't use your own arms against you. Also whichever foot is in front the same arm will be out in front, for example if your right foot is out front your right arm is out front too. This will be your jabbing arm, but I'll get to that a little later in this post.


For your hands there is no set way to have them, obviously you want them to be in position ready to strike your opponent, how you do that is up to you. Some prefer having your hands closed, others open, I prefer having my hands open as this leaves your options open. You might find it better rather then hitting them to grab your attacker and force them to the ground, or strike them in another way other then a punch.


Now it' time to punch, many think that the hitting power from a punch comes from the arms alone, this is partially true. What gives your punch extra power is your core muscles (torso) and triceps. Think of baseball when you draw power from your hips up through your arms and twist the motion you can drive the ball very far and much harder. The same applies when throwing a punch, except you don't want to swing your arms out wide this is what's called a "haymaker" and can leave you very exposed to a counter attack. You want your arms to be as straight and as fast as possible when striking your opponent while drawing power from your core. For your front arm you’re not going to be able to draw as much power due to its position, so with this arm you jab or light punch to keep your opponent on their toes. The same rules apply to jabbing as they would for your main arm. You can also use your jabbing arm to grab an opponent and hold them in place.


This is not something that you can learn in one go, remember that practice makes perfect. Start out slow to get the form down right and practice, practice, practice, until you think you understand how it’s done, then practice some more.