I need Illumination!

I personally believe one of the most important things to have that people underestimate is the power and usefulness of a good flashlight. I do an honest bit of camping/doing stuff in the wilderness when I have the chance. A flashlight is always good to have when you're doing stuff outdoors. It's not too hard to think so right? They also come in handy if your car breaks down, or to just having laying around just in case the power goes out in your home or worse. Now ordinary flashlights do get the job done to the best of their abilities, but I don't think it's good enough. Cheap little flashlights you get at walmart or wherever it is you shop aren't the most durable things on the planet. If I were to label them, I'd probably call them disposable. Plastic bodies and lenses crack, bulbs burn out or shatter, batteries run out.

I think it's important to reflect on Murphy's law here. If your flashlight can fall out of your hand and smash into a bazillion pieces when it hits the floor, then it probably will. Apply it to whatever little delicate anatomical part of said flashlight. Those things, for the most part, aren't meant to be tough. Maglites (those big metal monsters) are the exception. Those things are pretty tough. That may be, but they aren't all too bright. You could have your maglite trained on something close by and only see everything around what you are focusing on due to the accursed halo effect. That's unacceptable I believe.

Focus is a very important factor when it comes down to emergencies/life or death situations. You need to focus on the flat tire, on the person's eyes, on that animal moving through the bushes towards you, and so forth. Flashlights are good for self defense, I would even venture better than carrying a knife or gun. (how are you going to shoot someone when you can't even see them?) now D cell maglites are pretty big lights if you have held one/own one. They are good for self defense in that respect. They are like heavy metal batons. You don't want someone close enough to have to beat them with it though.

I guess some of you may be wondering why I am lecturing you all on flashlight what not and so forth in the first place. I believe it is important stuff to know and a little bit of knowledge I'd like to pass down to you all. Awhile back I went about trying to solve these little flashlight predicaments on my own. I was very pleased with the results. If any of you have been camping with me or have just been around when I decided to show off my flashlight you know I was quite pleased with it. Due to unforeseen circumstances that particular flashlight has left my hands, so I am currently looking for a replacement. This is what I have in mind:
Pretty cool huh? I need a flashlight when I go to walk my dog around the block at night/ checking out those ever present bumps in the night, spending time outdoors, and all around fun and excitement that occurs in a period of 24 hours. Bit pricey compared to what I had before, but I think it's important to strive for excellence once in awhile. For those of you interested in a good flashlight, check out www.surefire.com A good flashlight that is pretty affordable as well is the G2 Nitrolon. (my old flashlight) around 40 dollars, come with 2 lithium batteries. I think I got free shipping from them, but I think it might have been a special. I've also seen them at Sports Chalet as well as the knife store in the cerritos mall. I'd classify them as a good investment.

What's on my shelf

In alphabetical order by last name of author. (not on my shelf, but for listing purposes. Some of my books are big.) This is a list of books that I have read/plan on reading/finishing. X is for finished, fractions for how much I've read already. Books are in the same series if not spaced.

Rob Bell

[x] Velvet Elvis

[x] Sex God

Terry Brooks

[] First King of Shannara
[x] Sword of Shannara
[x] Elfstones of Shannara
[x] Wishsong of Shannara
[x] Scions of Shannara
[x] Druid of Shannara
[x] Elf Queen of Shannara
[X] Talismans of Shannara
[x] Ilse Witch
[x] Antrax
[x] Morgawr
[x] Jarka Ruus
[x] Tanequil
[x] Straken

Dan Brown

[x] Angels and Demons
[1/3] Davinci code. (sooo boring.)

Tom Clancy

[x] Red Storm Rising

[x] Teeth of the Tiger

[3/4] Red Rabbit (I don't know why I stopped.)

Michael Crichton

[x] Prey

[] The Lost World

[] Andromeda Strain

Ted Dekker

[x] Black
[x] Red
[x] White
[x] Showdown
[x] Saint

[x] Thr3e

Daveed Gardenstein-Ross

[x] My Year inside Radical Islam

Jean Craighead George

[x] My side of the mountain

Bear Heart

[x] The Wind is my mother: The Life and teachings of a native american shaman

Homer

[x] The Iliad and The Odyssey

Brian Jacques

[x] Redwall
[x] Mattimeo
[x] Marlfox
[] Martin the Warrior

Timothy Keller

[] The Reason for God: Belief in an age of skepticism

Stephen King

[x] Cell


Harold S. Kushner

[1/2] To Life!: A celebration of Jewish being and thinking (good. I think I was working on a good fiction book so I dropped it)

C.S. Lewis

[] The Magician's Nephew (now I recall reading the whole collection when I was younger, but I'm reading them all over again, so I'm not counting the earlier reads)
[x] The Lion, the With, and the Wardrobe
[] The Horse and his boy
[x] Prince Caspian
[] The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
[] The Silver Chair
[x] The Last Battle

[x] Mere Christianity
[x] Screwtape letters
[] The Problem of Pain
[] The Great Divorce
[] Miracles
[] A Grief Observed

Eric Nylund

[x] The Fall of Reach
[x] Ghosts of Onyx

Frank Peretti

[x] The Visitation

[x] The Oath

[x] This Present Darkness
[x] Piercing the Darkness

Mary Shelley

[x] Frankenstein

Lee Strobel

[] The Case for a Creator

Bram Stoker

[x] Dracula

Well that is what I plan on reading that is on my shelf. I've read more books than just those for sure. Clearly I'm bored.