Jericho: Season 3 - comic book, available as Iphone download too

ENG

Not exactly bushcraft related, but part of the reason i have started on this path (bushcraft, survival) was the TV series Jericho (from CBS).

After a great start for the series, CBS decided to make a hiatus in the middle of first season of about 3 months and when it was back on, it had lost a lot of viewers (not enough advertising so people were not informed it was back on). End of season 1 came with a shocking news: it was canceled, leaving the fans with a cliffhanger - reason? Not enough viewers (even though the ratings were dropping allover the networks due to the writers strike).

The self-intitled Jericho Rangers fandom united and after shelling CBS with about 20 tons of nuts and peanuts (a reference to the reason why the Jericho characters were fighting "the good fight"), in what seemed to be an extraordinary change of events CBS announced another season (a shortened season with only 7 episodes to see if it can get better ratings). What looked like a victory turned to bitter-sweet, because CBS decided not to advertise it enough and postponed airing the show for 6 more months (instead of airing it to "ride" the free publicity wave that the show's ressurection had for a few months after the announcement) so when the ratings dropped they decided to axe the show once again.

Since there was so much story left unsaid, the producers, writers, crew and the fans tried many times to give the show another comeback. The fans organised Nuts to Nielsen campaign to show that the rating company was wrong since it didn't count everyone, especially the new media - Itunes Store, Amazon, CBS's own streaming site; they even bought with their own money advertising space (a huge billboard) to keep the interest of the press and the CBS's decision makers.

While there are still talks and promises for a feature movie, that posibility seems remote now, after so much time (here's to hoping though).

The latest succes story is the release of the Season 3 storyline as a comic book from Devils Due Publishing and the availability of the comics on the Iphone and Ipod Touch platform through the Apple AppStore from the application ComiXology (the app is free)

For 99 cents you can get the first edition (out of six planned) of Jericho: Season 3 and help drive the story further.

Jericho: Season 3 comic book on ComiXology

Rangers Lead The Way!

RO

Nu e chiar legat de tufarit, dar o parte din motivul pentru care am ales aceasta directii (tufarit, supravietuire) a fost serialul TV Jericho (produs de CBS).

Dupa un start bun pentru serial, CBS a decis sa faca o pauza in mijlocul primului sezon de aproximativ 3 luni si atunci cand a revenit, a pierdut o multime de telespectatori (publicitate insuficienta, astfel incat telespectatorii nu au fost informati ca a revenit pe post). Sfarsitul sezonului 1 a venit cu o veste socanta: a fost anulat, lasand serialul fara finalitate - cliffhanger - motivul? Numar insuficient de telespectatori (fara sa tina cont ca rating-urile erau in cadere libera la majoritatea televiziunilor din cauza grevei scriitorilor).

Fanii auto-intitulati Jericho Rangers s-au unit si dupa un bombardament de aproximativ 20 de tone de nuci si alune la CBS(o referire la motivul pentru care personajele din Jericho au ales sa lupte "lupta cea buna"), in ceea ce parea a fi o schimbare extraordinara de evenimente CBS a anuntat un alt sezon (un sezon scurtat cu doar 7 episoade pentru a vedea daca se poate obtine rating-uri mai bune). Ceea ce parea o victorie a lasat un gust amar-dulce, deoarece CBS a decis ca in continuare sa nu faca suficienta publicitate si a amanat darea pe post cu 6 luni (in loc sa "calareasca" valul de publicitate gratuit de care readucerea la viata a show-ului a avut parte timp de cateva luni de la anunt), astfel incat, atunci cand au scazut rating-urile ei au decis sa il inchida definitiv.

Deoarece au ramas atat de mult lucruri inca nepovestite, producatorii, scriitori, echipajul si fanii au incercat de mai multe ori sa re-readuca serialul la viata. Fanii au organizat campania Nuts to Nielsen pentru a demonstra ca, compania de ratinguri a gresit, netinand cont de numarului real de vieweri, mai ales cei ce consumau noile tipuri de media - magazinele online iTunes Store, Amazon, propriul site de streaming al CBS-ului, etc., si chiar au cumparat cu proprii bani spatiu de publicitate pentru a mentine interesul presei si al factorilor de decizie din CBS.

Desi exista inca discutii si promisiuni pentru un film pe marile ecrane, aceasta posibilitatea pare acum din ce in ce mai greu de atins, dupa ce a trecut atat de mult timp (nu ca nu as mai spera, totusi).

Cea mai recenta poveste de succes este aparitia povestii Sezonului 3 ca o carte de benzi desenate de la Devils Due Publishing si disponibilitatea acestor benzi desenate de pe platforma iPhone si iPod Touch prin intermediul magazinului Apple AppStore din aplicatia ComiXology (aplicatia este gratuita).

Pentru 99 de centi puteti obtine prima editie (din sase planificate) din "Jericho: Sezonul 3" si sa ajutati ca povestea sa mearga mai departe.

Jericho: Season 3 comic book on ComiXology

Rangerii arata calea!

The Man - Introduction and About Luck

ENG

I have spent long hours (over several months) talking to a good friend of mine (from now on refered to The MAN - no reference to the use of that name in regular talk for government employees - he is just a friend, no guvernment relations that i know of) about the concept of survival.

I am usualy going on and on about the need of being prepared (you may know the phrase "failing to be prepared is preparing to fail"), and he always counters with some kind of arguement like that all the survival training is useless if all you need is luck to survive. It is a good point, and i happend to have a similar view: in a given situation, 50% of the chance to survive is skills, knowledge, kit, preparing, will-to-live, but the other 50% is pure luck.

There is almost no survival situation i am aware of that doesn't ultimately rely on pure luck to survive, and there are situations where people don't need to go through the ordeal related to surviving extreme situations, just because they are lucky (a car just happens to drive by in the desert, a fisherman alters his course and stumbles upon the person in need of help, etc.), but in my opinion relying on having luck is too risky - you may be the luckyest person on the planet, but what happens if you "ran out" of luck?

Over the course of this blog, i am going to post some of the preconceptions and misconceptions of some people (hopefully some of mine too, i wouldn't want to point fingers at others without finding some things that i lack or misunderstand and then trying to correct them).

RO

Mi-am petrecut multe ore (in decursul mai multor luni) vorbind cu un bun prieten de-al meu (in continuare referit ca The Man - nici o referire la utilizarea acestei formulari in limba engleza vorbita curent, pentru angajatii guvernamentali - el este doar un prieten, si nu are relatii in guvern din cate stiu eu) cu privire la conceptul de supravietuire.

De obicei, eu o dau intr-una cu necesitatea de a fi pregatit (poate ca stiti expresia "cei ce esueaza sa fie pregatiti se pregatesc sa esueze"), si el mereu contreaza cu argument de genul tot antrenamentul de supravietuire este inutil daca toate ce este necesar este sa ai noroc ca sa supravietuiesti. Este un foarte bun argument, si se intampla ca si eu am o opinie similara: intr-o situatie data, 50% din sansa de a supravietui este data de de abilitati, cunostinte, kit, pregatire, dorinta de a trai, dar restul de 50% este pur noroc.

Nu exista aproape nici o situatie de supravietuire de care sa stiu eu care in cele din urma sa nu depinda de noroc pur pentru a supravietui, si exista situatii in care unii oameni nu trebuie sa treaca prin calvarul legat de supravietuirea in situatii extreme, doar pentru ca sunt norocosi (o masina se intampla sa treaca prin desert, un pescar isi modifica intamplator traseul lui si da peste persoana care are nevoie de ajutor, etc), dar in opinia mea, sa te bazezi pe noroc este prea riscant - s-ar putea sa fi cea mai norocoasa persoana de pe planeta , dar ce se intampla daca "ai ramas fara" noroc?

Pe parcursul acestui blog, o sa discut despre unele din ideile preconcepute si conceptiile gresite ale unora (sper, ca si vor fi si unele de-al mele, nu as dori sa arat cu degetul la altii, fara sa gasesc unele lucruri care mie imi lipsesc sau inteleg gresit si apoi sa incearc sa le corectez).

Tufarit - Bushcraft in versiunea Scoala Ardeleana

ENG:

Hello everyone,

For a long time i have pondered if i should make a blog related to survival and bushcraft, since i am just a beginner(novice) in both subjects. While everyone learns from experienced teachers there is also value, i think, in learning from the experiences (both succeses and failures) of a fellow student. Sometimes we don't realize when seeing an experienced survival specialist or bushcraft specialist how tough some of the things they show us really are and that they make it look so simple just because their experience - and every specialist worth his salt will point this out to you.

Bushcrafting and survival knowledge are new in my country (Romania) and there are at this moment only a few local sources of knowledge available (some of them being - at the moment i am writing this - in no special order of importance: http://yety-bushcraft.blogspot.com/ , http://bushcraft-romania.blogspot.com/, http://leonbushcraft.blogspot.com/, http://iron-craft.blogspot.com/ and the romanian bushcraft forum http://www.bushcraft.ro/phpBB3/index.php ). Another problem for the romanian bushcraft is that most written sources are in english and while some of us can understand english, it is a barrier for a larger audience, so i have started on this road with the hope that the way i am going to write (disclaimer: i am not fluent in english so some mistakes WILL occur - i am no english teacher, nor am i pretending to be one) will also help them understand the basics of the english language, and make it easier for their journey towards bushcraft and survival.

To this ends, i have coined a new word in romanian (some will like it, some will hate it, some will think badly of the idea of inventing words) - "A TUFARI - TUFARIT" - for the word "BUSHCRAFT - BUSHCRAFTING", since we have no equivalent in our language; beside this reason, i have chosen this word from the romania words "TUFA" (bush) and "A FAURI" (to craft), also there are other words that are ending in the same way for some crafts: "A CIOPLI - CIOPLIT"(to whittle, carve - whittling, carving). I don't know if others have used it before me, if they have more power to them, is not like i am going to make a patent on the word. Like its english counterpart, "tufaritul" will mean not only the standard concepts of bushcraft but will also encompass the knowledge and skills required for survival in the wild and in an urban environment.

My sources for learning were (and still are, remember i am just at the begining of the road, as some of you are), beside the local sources i have already pointed out:
- Les Stroud (SurvivorMan)
- Dave Canterbury (WildernessOutfitterArchery, home of the PathFinder School)
- Ray Mears
- John "Lofty" Wiseman

RO:

Buna ziua tuturor,

De mult timp ma gandesc daca ar trebui sa fac un blog legat de supravietuire si bushcraft, avand in vedere ca sunt doar incepator (novice), in ambele domenii. Desi este normal ca sa inveti de la oameni cu experienta, parerea mea e ca exista, de asemenea, o valoare in procesul de invatare din experientele (atat succesele cat si esecurile) unui coleg de "suferinta". Uneori nu ne dam seama atunci cand urmarim un specialist cu experienta de supravietuire sau de bushcraft cat de dificile sunt cu adevarat unele dintre lucrurile pe care ni-le arata si cat de simple par doar datorita experientei celui ce te invata - lucru pe care orice specialist care isi merita renumele vi-l spune.

Bushcrafting-ul si cunostintele de supravietuire sunt inca la inceput in Romania si in acest moment sunt disponibile doar cateva surse de cunostinte locale (unele dintre ele fiind - la moment scrierii acestui post - nu in vreo anume ordine de importanta: http://yety-bushcraft.blogspot.com/, http://bushcraft-romania.blogspot.com/, http://leonbushcraft.blogspot.com/, http://iron-craft.blogspot.com/ si forumul de bushcraft din Romania http://www.bushcraft.ro/phpBB3/index.php ). De asemenea, o alta problema pentru bushcraft-ul din Romania este ca sursele de cele mai multe ori sunt scrise in engleza si desi unii dintre noi inteleg limba engleza, este o bariera pentru un public mai larg, asa ca am pornit pe acest drum, cu speranta ca in modul meu de a scrie (avertizare: nu sunt fluent in limba engleza, astfel incat unele greseli SE VOR produce - nu sunt profesor de limba engleza, si nici nu am pretentia de a fi unul) ii voi ajuta sa inteleaga elementele de baza ale limbii engleza si sa facilitez drumul pe cararile bushcraftului si supravietuirii.

Pentru a-mi facilita atingerea acestor scopuri, mi-am luat de la mine putere sa inventez un nou cuvant in limba romana (unora le va place, altii il vor ura, unii vor interpreta ca gresit conceptul de a inventa cuvinte) - "A TUFARI - TUFARIT" - pentru cuvantul "BUSHCRAFT - BUSHCRAFTING" , din moment ce nu avem nici un echivalent in limba noastra; pe langa acest motiv, am ales acest cuvant de la cuvintele romanesti "TUFA" (bush) si "A FAURI" (to craft) - de asemenea, exista alte cuvinte care desemneaza anumite meserii, care au acelasi sufix : "A CIOPLI - CIOPLIT"(to whittle, carve - whittling, carving). Nu stiu daca altii au folosit acest cuvant inaintea mea, daca au folosit, bravo lor, nu este ca si cum voi breveta acest cuvant. Ca si echivalentul lui in engleza, tufaritul va insemna nu doar conceptele standard de bushcraft ci va ingloba cunostiintele si aptitudinile necesare supravietuirii atat in natura cat si in contextul urban.

Ca surse din care m-am inspirat(si inca mai invat, amintiti-va ca sint doar la inceput de drum, la fel ca si unii dintre voi ), pe langa surse locale deja mentionate:
- Les Stroud (SurvivorMan)
- Dave Canterbury (WildernessOutfitterArchery, home of the Pathfinder School)
- Ray Mears
- John "Lofty" Wiseman