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Friday, February 1, 2013
Secrets of Far Cry 3 + Defiance Dates, Rumored Xenoblade Sequel & The Art of Dead Space
Five Survival Skills the Movies Taught You Wrong
January 31st, 2013Top StoryFive Survival Skills the Movies Taught You WrongBy Thorin Klosowski
Movies and TV shows are meant as entertainment. As such, they tend to take shortcuts so they get to the point as quick as possible. Occasionally the survival methods they "teach" carry over into the real world, and our understanding of things like CPR, getting punched in the head, or even the best way to deal with a snake bite get skewed. Here are the correct ways to handle those situations. Myth: CPR Takes Seconds and Brings Most People Back to LifeOn countless TV shows and in thousands of movies, CPR is used on a victim minutes after they've passed out (or actually died) and they're resurrected safely and easily within a couple seconds. The problem is that CPR doesn't work like you see on TV. CPR is meant as a life-prolonging technique, and it's typically not meant to bring someone back to life. Instead, it's supposed to keep their blood moving long enough for help to arrive. Worse, CPR isn't nearly as effective as it's depicted on television. On TV, CPR saves about 75% of victims and takes about a minute to perform. In reality, the effectiveness of CPR is between 2% and 30% depending on the reason for giving it. Instead of giving up after a minute, you should continue administering CPR until help arrives. Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn CPR. You should, but knowing when to administer it—and how to do it properly—is key, since most movies and TV shows get it wrong. You're best off taking a class, especially since standard CPR training changed in 2010 to reflect new research that chest pumping is more effective than initially thought. Myth: Knocking Someone Out (or Getting Knocked Out) Is No Big DealGetting a blow to the head is usually portrayed as a minor annoyance with no serious long lasting problems in movies. It's also a lot harder to knock someone out with a punch than you'd think. The problem is that if you get knocked out (or knock someone out), the effects can be a lot more severe than movies portray. In general, a concussion isn't too horrible provided you're not out for longer than five minutes, after which you're susceptible to longterm damage. Of course, repeated concussions, like the ones athletes deal with (along with bravado types like James Bond) are suspected to lead to serious brain damage. While movies often show getting knocked out as an everyday occurrence, medical help is usually a good idea. If you get a concussion, the best thing to do is see a doctor within a couple days of the injury. If you experience vomiting, a prolonged headache, visual disturbances, slurred speech, confusion, blood discharge, or another loss of consciousness you should see a doctor right away. Myth: Tilt Your Head Back to Stop a NosebleedAlthough it has been recommended not to tilt your head back when you have a nosebleed for years, movies and TV shows still show people doing it all the time. Tilting your head back to stop a nosebleed isn't just ineffective, it's also dangerous because it causes complications by allowing blood into the esophagus, which increases the risk of choking and vomiting. The New York Times explains how to stop a nosebleed the right way:
It's a simple little thing, but chances are the last thing you want to deal with when you have blood falling out of your nose is a bunch of blood down your throat as well. Myth: Suck Out Snake Venom After Being Bitten
Instead, keep the person as still as possible, cover the wound with a loose bandage (do not apply a tourniquet), and get the person (or yourself) to an emergency room as quickly as possible. The general rule is the less you move the victim, the less likely the venom will spread through the body and cause damage. Myth: Most Wild Animals Will Attack You UnprovokedOne thing that Hollywood seems to truly hate is the wilderness. As far as movies are concerned, it's the most dangerous place out there, and every single animal is dangerous, even the cute ones. The truth is that while many animals are dangerous, most want nothing to do with humans, and the last thing you should do is taunt them. When you run into most animals in the wilderness, it's best to remain calm, and back away slowly. Do not run from most bears, cougars, or wolves because they are way faster than you. In most cases, seek some kind of shelter if possible (and no, playing dead isn't a good all-around strategy, but it does work if the animal isn't aggressive). If they do attack, go for the eyes, and make as much noise as possible. Of course, in reality, the best way to avoid animal attacks is to not mess with them. Don't leave food sitting out, don't wander into their territory, and don't go looking for them. Generally speaking, they want nothing to do with you, so if you stay away from them, they'll stay away from you. Bonus Urban Survival Myth: Anything Any Movie Has Taught You About Computer SecurityWe couldn't help ourselves from taking on one of Hollywood's biggest urban survival myths: computer security. Hacking is represented in all kinds of goofy ways in movies. While these scenes are characteristically over the top, they also suggest that hacking is a fast process that just about anyone can do with the right mixture of Mountain Dew, Hot Pockets, and antisocial behavior. Of course, hacking isn't easy, nor is it fast. While some fast hacks exist, like Firesheep, they're pretty rudimentary and easy to block. More complex hacking, like Stuxnet or Zeus take months (or more) to find the exploits, code the hack, and implement it. In most cases, hacking also takes a lot of work and wits to do it. Even if you have tools like Reaver at your disposal, it still takes a fair amount of time, and just guessing passwords takes a special skillset. In general, finding an exploit and taking advantage of it is incredibly difficult. The fact is, hacking into any secure computer takes a ton of effort, and it's rather boring to watch on the screen. The same goes for how viruses are typically represented. Viruses are a pain, but they can't damage your hardware, browse for porn under your name, or infect alien spacecraft. As far as virus prevention is concerned, the built-in Microsoft Security Essentials is all you really need. And don't even get us started on "zoom and enhance" and Nokia gum hacks. We've barely scratched the surface here, and countless other examples of terrible Hollywood survival skills exist out there. Of course, the lesson here is to not trust what you see on TV when it comes to anything important, and if you want to prepare for anything, research the correct way to do everything first. Our guides to wilderness survival, urban survival, and disaster survival are good places to start.  |
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Thursday, January 31, 2013
How To Futureproof Your Job with a Career Insurance Policy
January 30th, 2013Top StoryHow To Futureproof Your Job with a Career Insurance PolicyBy Alan Henry
What Is a Career Insurance Policy?We first heard the phrase when career expert Hannah Morgan described it last year, and in this post we'll walk you through building your own. Hannah describes it as a way to financially and professionally protect yourself against the possibility of losing your job. In other words, doing all the things required to make sure that if fate pulls the rug out from under you tomorrow, you'll land safely. We're taking the original idea and piggybacking on it to include some ways to prep you for any career or job shift, not just the unexpected kind. Whether you've been laid off, thinking about a new job, or you're comfortable in the job you have, a career insurance policy can help take some of the weight from your shoulders. You'll have the basics—money, your professional network, your skills, and an escape plan, all taken care of, so you can focus on deciding what you should do next. Step One: Protect Yourself Financially with an Emergency Fund
Alleviate that worry right now by starting an emergency fund. How much you should put into an emegency fund depends on your needs. Most people say you should stash enough cash away for three to six months of regular bills, expenses, and purchases that you would normally make. Start with the basics, then move up to incidentals. Don't try to plan for everything, and keep your money somewhere it'll work for you. At the end of the day, if you can make your emergency fund grow on its own, you'll be better prepared for an emergency like a job loss or illness. Your emergency fund isn't just in case you lose your job, though. If your work environment gets so terrible that you want to leave badly, or just can't take another day there, having that fund on-hand makes it easy to walk away without having to wait and be miserable while you search for and land a new job. It also gives you the head-space to leave a terrible job and pick a new job carefully so you don't take the first thing that's available, or make the same mistakes at a new job just because you were in a hurry to get out of the last one. Step Two: Make Yourself More Valuable by Diversifying Your Skills and Experience
We've explained that being good at one thing just isn't enough anymore, but it can be worse when that one thing you're good at is suddenly no longer in high demand. There are plenty of ways to pick up new skills without much risk. Take night classes, go back to school for an advanced degree, take up an apprenticeship, or pick up a part time job. Your skill doesn't have to be a something as big as a degree or certification either: pick up a new language, or learn a new programming language or tool, or explore a side-passion or hobby. Consider an internship or doing some volunteer work to pick up those desirable skills. In any case, you get the skills, the non-profit gets the job done or a helping hand, and everyone wins. Whatever you do, make a commitment to keep learning and regularly pick up new skills that interest you and can benefit you professionally. You may even be able to turn those side passions or skills into a paying thing—a way to diversify your income streams so you're not so heavily reliant on the job you have. Step Three: Protect Yourself Professionally by Beefing Up Your Network
Remember, "professional network" is really code for "friends who help each other professionally when they can." That's all—there's no magic or secret handshake. Be sincere, willing to help other people, and in general a nice person, and others will do the same for you. Step Four: Keep Your Résumé and Social Networks Updated, and Learn How to Promote Yourself
Set aside an hour one night to make sure your résumés is up to date—everything from your contact information to your current job title and responsibilities. Then make it a recurring thing, every few months, sooner if things tend to move quickly at your job. This way, you'll never be in the position of thinking back two years to remember your accomplishments or responsibilities just because that's the last time you updated your résumés or LinkedIn profile. If you have a professional nameplate site, or a personal site where you host your résumés or portfolio, update that as well. It's worth the effort of doing now, while everything is fine, so you can devote more energy towards deciding what to do when the time comes to send those links to a potential employer, or after you've been laid off. Photo by CharlotWest. At the same time, learn how to promote yourself without being sleazy about it. You have desirable skills and experience that any employer would want, so flaunt it. Give anyone looking for more information about you something great to look at and find when they search for you online, or reach out to their colleagues about you. Step Five: Turn Your Hobbies, Passions, or Extra Skills Into a Second Income Stream
We're not saying work multiple jobs just because you can, but you should definitely consider finding ways to take some of your interest areas, hobbies, or passions that you may want to turn into careers someday and turning them into a second income stream. If you like to write, consider freelance writing or starting your own blog. If you're technically inclined, consider offering to repair friends' and neighbors' computers for a fee, or to help them with the things you know how to do, like backing up their data or accessing their systems remotely. It's not easy, but it's a great way to fill your emergency fund a little faster, and to make yourself a little less reliant on the whims of one employer. Then you can think more clearly about whether a layoff is coming your way, or whether a promotion or change in primary jobs is best for you. Ideally, all of these suggestions will help you build a kind of bulletproof "career armor" that will help protect you from sudden changes and make difficult decisions a little easier. You'll have the basics covered and you'll be prepared for most common eventualities. More importantly, you'll be ready to tackle whatever comes your way with confidence, knowing you're ready for it. That's the best thing insurance can possibly offer. Title image by huhu (Shutterstock).  |
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