PRODUCT REVIEW FOR THE BOOMERS! ...and GENXers... ...and anyone who needs reading glasses...

EYEGUARD Reading Glasses with Portable Case Slim Mini Pocket Readers for Women Men Eye Glasses on Amazon now for $15.99 for two.

Would you like to become a writer? Are you a writer but having difficulty putting your thoughts down into words on a page?

Here are some tips and tricks that I've learned over decades of writing. These are not "writing formulas" but, rather, methods to be more efficient, effective and creative in YOUR style of writing.

Let me know what you guys think!

PRODUCT REVIEW:
NarwhalCo Set of 2 Small Pens (3.35") for Pocket, Wallet, Planner, Purse or Passport

This is a "thumbs up" but with a "caveat" - a la' Paul Harrell. Just no "Shatneresque.......PAUSES."

A quick overview of the fire-starting methods I've used over the years plus a product review of the: bayite Survival Drilled Ferrocerium Flint Fire Starter Rod with Keychain Ring 2 Inch Pack of 2 (on amazon for $8.99).

SPOILER ALERT: Two thumbs...WAAAAYY UP!

PRODUCT REVIEW:

OLIGHT Open Mini Ballpoint Pen, Replaceable EDC Black Ink Pens By Bolt Action for Office, Working, Writing, Construction Work, Special Gifts and etc (OD Green)

Let us know what you think about this flashlight in the comments.

Another product review for accessories for your Rock Island Armory M206 .38 special snubnose.

This time, it's affordable speedstrips and speedloaders.

Product review of my latest amazon find relating to EDC carry. I've carried a small multi-tool for many years.

How does this little one compare? Let's find out!

Use the following description if you'd like to find it on amazon:

ThruNite EDC Flashlight Archer Mini, 405 Lumens Tail Switch LED Flashlight, USB C Rechargeable Little Pocket Penlight for Camping, Outdoor, and Emergency - Dark Green

As I've said before, I don't do "affiliate marketing" links, blah, blah blah.

I have a day job. This is just to give back to the community.

If you're into "EDC", then this video might have some value to you!

Have you been looking for a holster that will work with your Rock Island Armory M206 snub nose .38 special revolver?

I review two affordable holsters that will definitely fit for right handed AND left handed!

I don't do "affiliate marketing" (I have a day job) but these holsters can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS2BYK9D?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://advancedtactical.com/ria-m206-revolver-holster-by-blade-tech/

Another old video with an old Koryu technique. Originally against a sword, it is an option for a stick or baseball attack (even a skateboard or "protest sign").

THIS IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY! I do not condone or encourage anything immoral, unethical or illegal!

Defense is against an overhead attack or baseball bat swing where your opponent is aiming for a "home run" with your head.

Scenario: you've squared off - maybe they are taunting you. You may or may not have something in your hand. Anticipating a baseball bat type swing, you instigate movement with a left hand feint.

As the "wind up" turns into a committed swing, jump forward, slip your head out of the way and smash into opponents rear knee cap just as they think they are smashing you in the head. If your aim is good, this pretty much ends the situation.

As you look around for other protes...err...attackers, sweep available legs. Citizen's arrest and detention follows...

Several versions are shown with various "timings". The most important part here is the "not getting hit" part.

Several (slightly) different versions of the same technique. Done slowly at first to show the fundamentals and gradually "smoothed out." Not "full speed" for clarification of the technique.

First movement is an evasion (tai sabaki), then a trap and a throw. a "1,2,3" movement. The most important thing to remember is, "first, don't get hit".

Another old video. This one shows a variation on a traditional judo technique called "uchimata". Bonus points if you can accurately count just how many times I say "uchimata!"

What do you do if you hurt your arm in a fight? And the other guy has a stick, "protest sign", skateboard, etc?

Here's one option. It's not an ideal situation and you have to act fast once you stop the power of the swing.

This is a common defense in many arts. Here, you can see some crossover between eskrima and budo.

Part 2. Video quality ain't great and there's some file degradation but I figured some of you might find it useful.

Techniques are slowed down for clarity and learning. Eskrima should have a "flow" to it. Some parts of this video don't "flow" in order to highlight a particular aspect or concept.

At some point, I'll redo these videos with better audio and video but I hope the information in this video is still useful in it's "as is" state.

Another old video for the archives. This one is on the basic 1 thru 12 strike and defense and some Sinawali exercises.

This is an old video showing the fundamentals of Eskrima. Eskrima should have a "flow" to it. There are parts of this video where the technique has been slowed down to illustrate a concept or aspect of the technique.

The video quality is bad and was starting to degrade on my computer's hard drive but I thought the information might be useful.

another woodworking Dollar Store deals and fails video - these were ALL FAILS!!!

Woodworking Dollar Store deals - NO FAILS in this one!

When you need "consumable" items for woodworking such as glue, tape, pencils, etc, check the Dollar Store or clearance section first!

More Dollar Store deals and fails. All deals with this one. 2 hammers: one for a dollar, the other for a dollar-fifty ($1.50).

Dollar Store deals and fails for woodworking on the cheap

an idiot's guide

An idiot's guide

MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE – AN IDIOT’S GUIDE

Hi! This is Kodo with Kodoan. You can find out more about me at kodoan.com.

That’s K O D O A N DOT COM.

If you keep hearing about Marjorie Taylor Greene and were kinda hoping for an “idiots guide” version of who she is – heads up! this might be just what you’re looking for!

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the newly elected United States representative for Georgia’s 14th congressional district, was born on May 27, 1974 in Milledgeville, Georgia. She graduated from South Forsyth (pronounced “fer sythe”) High School (Go “War Eagles”) in 1992 and from the University of Georgia (Go “Bulldogs”) in 1996 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business administration.

U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is considered a “far right extremist” by her political enemies such as “AOC plus three” – you know….”the squad!”. Also included on that enemies list is Nancy Pelosi, and the entire cast of the failing situation comedy known as “CNN”. They describe her as “basically President Donald Trump in heels”.

Oof! Talk about a mental picture! Plus, I can’t imagine anything scarier to lefties than a version of President Donald Trump with more “intersectionality”. If she came out tomorrow as a trans-gendered, black, muslim, non-binary unicorn that believes in free speech, the right to bear arms and smaller government – I’m fairly certain that Brian Stelter’s head would explode – I mean for real….not just get fatter...

In any case, there is, however, substantial evidence for Congresswoman Greene’s extremist views. Marjorie is a well known Christian, a wife (married to her husband Perry since they were college sweethearts), a mother of three children (Lauren, Taylor and Derek) and a small business owner - she and her husband own Taylor Commercial. Taylor Commercial is a commercial construction and renovation company that was first launched in 1969 by Marjorie Taylor Greene’s father, Robert Taylor. Taylor Commercial is located in Alpharetta which is inside Georgia’s 6th congressional district.

A self-described “proud American”, Marjorie Taylor Greene is avidly Pro-life, pro-gun, pro-Trump, and pro-MAGA. Adding to these extremist views, U.S. Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor Greene actually had the Cajones to have her campaign motto be “Save America, stop socialism.”

Even worse, Congresswoman Greene has shown tacit and peripheral support of wacko conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate and Qanon.

Ok, you ask…..what the hell is Pizzagate and Qanon?

Ohh boy...here we go!

Pizzagate: there is a belief that, there is a group among social elites, the extremely wealthy and the world’s political leaders, that actively traffics in under-age children.

Proponents of the Pizzagate theory point to Jeffrey Epstein’s Pedo Island, his buddy Prince Andrew, and Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager (and all around effing weirdo) John Podesta and his equally effing weirdo brother Tony.

In March of 2016, John Podesta’s personal email account was hacked and the contents given to WikiLeaks – who then published said contents.

Some of the emails stood out in the way they were describing ordering “pizza” for an evening of entertainment. The emails only made sense if you substituted the word “pizza” for something like “prostitute” or “sex-slave”. Thus, the birth of “pizzagate”.

Experts in the field of Federal Law Enforcement will point to patterns of worldwide, organized crime who’s foundation has historically been weapons, drugs and human-trafficking.

Those on the other side will say that nothing bad ever happened on Pedo Island and Jeffrey Epstein, like, totally committed suicide.

Qanon: there is a belief that, there is a group among social elites, the extremely wealthy and the world’s political leaders, that actively conspire to create a “world government that has dominion and power over every single human being on the planet.”

Proponents will point to attempts of bringing this about through the creation of entities like the United Nations and ultra-elite organizations of world power players like the “council on foreign relations” and the “trilateral commission”.

IDIOTS GUIDE TO GAMESTONKS

Hi! This is Kodo with Kodoan. You can find out more about me at kodoan.com.

That’s K O D O A N DOT COM.

If you keep hearing about the “GAME STONKS” and were kinda hoping for an “idiots guide” version – heads up! this might be just what you’re looking for!

The word Gamestonks is a clever combining of two words (GameStop and Stonks) by an even clever-er-er guy named Elon Musk.

Musk’s short tweet: “Gamestonks!!” shortly after the closing bell on Tuesday, January 26, 2021, added to the price of GameStop’s already soaring share prices which rose nearly 93 percent to a close of $147.98 - more than seven times its value just a month prior. By Thursday, January 28, 2021, GameStop’s share prices reached nearly $500 per share at $483 before closing at $193.60.

Ok, you ask...what the hell is GameStop?

GameStop is an American video game, consumer electronics and gaming merchandise retailer headquartered in Grapevine, Texas. GameStop operated over five thousand retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

As a brick-and-mortar chain, GameStop’s heydays were arguably behind it due to the rise of online video game services like Xbox Live, Playstation Network and others. Now, you could simply download a digital version of games instead of having to leave your basement and walk outside among the “normies”…..ewww!

By 2016, things started to look bad. Shares of GameStop’s stock fell 16 percent throughout the year. The holiday season alone showed a 16.4 percent drop in sales. On February 28, 2017, shares dropped an additional 8 percent following Microsoft’s announcement of its Xbox Game Pass service.

Afterwards, GameStop announced it would close over 150 stores by the end of the year. By late June of 2018, GameStop confirmed rumours of a possible sale. However, on January 29, 2019, GameStop said it had stopped looking for a buyer and was now looking at other ways to regain a financially solid foothold.

It must not have found it because, immediately following this announcement, shares dropped 27 percent to a 14 year low. Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!

Determined to out do itself, GameStop reported a record-breaking net loss of $673 million dollars for the 52 week period ending on February 2, 2019.

Then, along came the “coof”...the “bug potion number 19”….the “great bug of 2020”. The government required GameStop to close its doors on all its stores from around March to May 2020. “It’s just two weeks to slow the spread! Come on people! It’s just to flatten the curve! A year from now we TOTALLY won’t be on lockdown, forced to wear a Niqab like veil on our face that doesn’t protect against airborne disease and have twenty thousand military troops in our nation’s capital!” Nope...no way THAT would happen!

Like Blockbuster movies, 1 hour drive up photo booths and VHS porn, Gamestop was on a downhill spiral of the cultural toilet bowl.

That is….until the internet got involved. Reddit’s “wallstreetbets” forum to be exact.

Wallstreetbets, also known as WSB is a “subreddit” which basically means if reddit was a tree, then a subreddit like Wallstreetbets would be one small branch. Well, not that small. As of January, 2021, Wallstreetbets had 5 million users.

On the Friday of January 22, 2021, users of wallstreetbets initiated a short squeeze on GameStop that, along with Elon Musk, ended up causing its stock price to soar as previously mentioned.

Ok, you ask….what the hell is a short squeeze?

Sounding more like something you’d look forward to on your prom night, a short squeeze is an abnormally rapid increase in the price of a particular stock that has nothing to do with the rest of the market. ….which still kinda sounds like a prom night euphemism if you ask me…

In simple terms, there are two basic types of stock market investors: those who buy stocks for the long term and those who buy stocks for the short term.

Those who buy stocks for the short term tend to be hedge funds and day traders.

Day traders try to make a profit from intraday market price action – gambling whether a stock price will rise or fall from the opening to the closing bell.

A hedge fund is a group of investors that use their power as a group to make money from fairly complex trades in the stock market that others normally wouldn’t be able to do alone. One of these types of complex trades is short selling. Short selling is something akin to betting that your horse will lose instead of win.

In any case, If you were a stock market trader that was betting on the price of the stock to fall, the rapid increase in price would force you to “pay for the bet” quickly in order to stave off even greater losses. This mad dash to avoid losing more money tends to add upward pressure on the stock price. This, my lad’s, is known as the “short squeeze”.

Just such a “short squeeze”

That's what they say...