Blank Wisconsin Medical Release: Fill & Download for Free

What is your opinion regarding the Kyle Rittenhouse shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin during the Jacob Blake protest?First, the context:Let’s review the facts and context before producing any opinions on the matter.1) What was Kyle doing in Kenosha WI, when he lives in Antioch IL?Kyle apparently works as a community lifeguard in Kenosha, and was there long before the night’s protests. After getting off work, he and a friend went to the local high school to clean graffiti created by protestors.Okay, so Kyle works in Kenosha, and is generally part of the community. No surprise, Kenosha and Antioch are neighboring towns, even if they’re split by a state border.2) Where was Kyle after that?Well, the time between Kyle cleaning graffiti, and Kyle showing up outside a car dealership is pretty poorly defined, but let’s take a little look at the geography.Here we can see the high school near the county courthouse, where Kyle was cleaning graffiti. Now, where is the next place Kyle is seen? Well, Kyle is interviewed by Richard McGinnis outside of a building he appears to be defending with a few other individuals.Well, looking at another angle from a different video from TheRunDownLive(which I’ve never heard of before), there appears to be a church across the road, perhaps 70–100 metres away.Google Streetview to the rescue…Bingpot, this is it.The Church appears to be called “Christ The King Church”, and this building that Kyle is seen next to for awhile is some sort of car repair shop which can’t be identified from Google Maps. Seems like the big board is a screen, which is blank. Best I have is this picture on the door and this picture of the inside:I’m no mechanic, but looks like there’s some cars receiving medical attention from the Car Doctor. So, how far is the Car Doctor?About 200 metres from the school.3) Why was Kyle there?In his own words, interviewed by Richard McGinnis:“So, people are getting injured, and our job is to protect this business, and part of my job is also to help people. If there’s somebody hurt- I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle, because, I need to protect myself obviously- but I also have my medkit."Not perfectly articulated, but the gist of what he’s saying seems to be: “Here to protect, here to help, so I have a first-aid kit, need to be able to defend myself, so I have a rifle too.”Now, him saying that is all well and good, but actions speak louder than words. Did Kyle actually help anyone? Well, I’m going to talk about that later, because from here, whether or not what Kyle is doing constitutes as “help” depends on which side of the Black Lives Matter protests you’re on.4) Where did the rifle come from?(Ed1)The rifle was an AR platform rifle chambered in .223 that doesn’t belong to Kyle. It seems that he got it from a friend or acquaintance. Who it does belong to is uncertain. What is certain is that the rifle never crossed state lines.Now, to quickly touch on whether or not he was allowed to carry it:Wikipedia: Wisconsin state law 948.60(2)(a) states: "Any person under 18 years of age who possesses or goes armed with a dangerous weapon is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor."So, open and shut, correct? Well, not quite:Wikipedia: Defenses to prosecution under this statute:…“The minor was 16 years of age or older and possessed or carried either a rifle with a barrel length of 16 inches or longer, or a shotgun with a barrel length of 18 inches or longer.”(Ed1)So whether or not Kyle was allowed to have the rifle is entirely dependent on whether the barrel length is >=16 inches. It is important to note that if the if the rifle barrel was shorter than 16 inches, it would have also been a short-barreled rifle, which is restricted separately, and Kyle is not charged with the felony under the National Firearms Act. This indicates to me that the rifle probably is compliant with the above defense.Was Kyle helping people?Well, footage featuring Kyle generally comes in 3 flavors: shooting(obviously), interview, and him offering medical help. There’s also the secret fourth flavor of him sprinting with a fire extinguisher, but that’s in limited stock.“EMS here, I’m an EMT.”Same shirt, same hat, same orange bag. Red fire extinguisher. The present theory is that Kyle is running to put out a dumpster fire(yes, literally) that is being pushed towards the CITGO petrol station, about 50 metres south of the Car Doctor. I’m not sure exactly where this image is located.However, the person who puts out the dumpster fire clearly isn’t Kyle. Doesn’t match the description at all. Different body type, no rifle, no orange bag, not even the same extinguisher.So, it’s not exactly known where Kyle went with that extinguisher, but let’s make the unfounded assumption that he was probably going to put out some kind of fire. It matches his past history of trying to keep the town clean(high school). It seems like a reasonable assumption to make- after all, why else would you sprint while carrying a fire extinguisher?Now, here’s my opinion: Kyle was there to help people. It matches what is known about him and what we see on video:- Community Lifeguard- Cleans up random shit- States intent to help people- Attempts to render medical aidThese aren’t the actions of someone who’s just out to get into a confrontation. Now, that doesn’t exclude the idea that he might also have wanted to get into a confrontation, though I also find that to be unlikely.So, after all that, the shooting.Here’s a map which briefly covers the whole thing:Not much to see, but we’re too far zoomed out to get a proper look at the situation.The Auto Shop - Rosenbaum’s Shooting11:47 Kyle and Richard McGinnis are walking south on Sheridan Rd , as indicated by the start of the red line. Joseph Rosenbaum, who has been hostile to Kyle and others throughout the night yells “Get him!” and begins chasing Kyle.Brief detail: Kyle has been separated from the other people he’s been with all night, essentially leaving him isolated. This might be why Rosenbaum initiated his chase, seeing Kyle alone as an opportune time to attack.Rosenbaum chases Kyle into the parking lot of the auto shop and throws an object.The object is:- Not a molotov- Inside a plastic bag- Rectangular- Heavy- Makes an impact sound similar to that of a brickSeeing the footage, the trajectory of the bag indicates that it isn’t empty. If Rosenbaum threw an empty plastic bag, it would have immediately been stopped by air resistance and fallen to the ground a few feet in front of him. Also, he has to wind up his throw, as the bag has some heft to it. It might not be a brick, but it is heavy.Kyle runs between two vehiclesThe first gunshot: A handgun is fired in the air by a protestor behind Kyle. This is not Gaige Grosskreutz. Some sources say it is a person called Alex, but information is scarce. It is safe to say that this is what prompts Kyle to turn around.Kyle’s response: Kyle turns around as Rosenbaum is rapidly closing the distance. Reports and witnesses say Rosenbaum was reaching for Kyle’s gun. Kyle fires four shots, hitting Rosenbaum, including a grazing wound to his head, and a shot that hit the pelvis. The wide spread indicates the shots probably weren’t aimed, and were fired in a panic. Rosenbaum falls.Kyle waits around: Kyle pulls out his phone and calls someone. Initially it was believed he called 911, but I believe it has been revealed that he calls a friend. “I just killed someone.” are his words. However, he approaches Rosenbaum on the ground, and appears to be staying around- except a mob of people begin to chase him, and he flees to the north, back the way he came.Sherridan Road, 61 and 60 streets - Unid’d, Huber, and GrosskreutzGrosskreutz, livestreaming, chases after Rittenhouse.He asks Rittenhouse if he shot someone. Rittenhouse only responds “I’m going to get police.”(Ed1) After sustaining a few strikes on the head and back by unknown assailants, and not retaliating, Kyle trips and lands on his back.Attacker #1, Unidentified Kicker:Kyle is kicked by a man while he’s on the ground. He fires two shots, both misses, and the kicker runs away. I’m not sure he’s been identified.Attacker #2, Anthony HuberHuber follows up the kicker’s attack by smacking Kyle with a skateboard. He then, according to witnesses, attempts to grab Kyle’s rifle. This leads to Kyle shooting Huber in the chest, directly in the heart. Huber takes a few steps, then drops to the ground, dying shortly after.Attacker #3, Gaige GrosskreutzGrosskreutz has been following for a bit, and has his pistol drawn as he approaches Kyle.After Huber is shot, Grosskreutz briefly raises his hands, and Kyle doesn’t shoot him(yet). Grosskreutz suddenly moves towards him. This still image shows the exact moment Kyle fires a round at Grosskreutz. It seems that the pistol is being brought towards Kyle’s head, though we can’t be certain.(Ed1) Grosskreutz flees, calling for medical aid, as his right bicep was completely annihilated by Kyle’s .223 round.Sherridan and 60th - Trying to turn himself inKyle approaches the police with his hands up, clearly attempting to surrender. The police appear more concerned with the wounded down the road, and ignore him, allowing him to pass.Aftermath:It’s getting late, so I’ll be brief:Rosenbaum died of blood loss.Huber died shortly, as his aorta was penetrated.Grosskreutz survived, and acquired medical attention.Grosskreutz spoke with a friend, and mentioned that he regretted hesitating, and not killing Kyle.(Ed1)Attackers:Kyle couldn’t have known the histories of the people who attacked him. This makes their histories irrelevant in determining whether or not Kyle was defending himself. The only information he had available was that which he had learned that night.However, it is relevant to my opinion on the situation in a broader sense. It tells us about the character of the people who were attacking him. Their character informs my opinion on them, which informs my opinion on the whole situation broadly.Rosenbaum - Convicted 2002, sexual abuse of a minor. Released 2014. Stepfather of one 2-yr old.Rosenbaum was convicted for sexual conduct with a minor in 2002.While imprisoned, Rosenbaum gathered 42 infractions for violating guard’s orders, and some violence.Rosenbaum had a girlfriend, and 2 year old stepdaughter.Rosenbaum was confrontational throughout the night, seen attempting to goad people into shooting him earlier before the shooting, exact words “Shoot me n***a, shoot me!”Huber - Convicted 2012, 2018, domestic abuse. Had a girlfriend.Huber has had numerous charges with the domestic abuse modifier in his past. It’s unclear if his girlfriend was related, or the victim in any of these cases. She appears to be raising funds on GoFundMe, and stating that Huber was a good person, which leaves questions in the air about their history.Grosskreutz - Firearm related misdemeanor, possible Felony Burgulary, records unclear.Grosskreutz was arrested in 2018 for being intoxicated while wielding a firearm, a misdemeanor. There is also a record for someone with the same birthdate and same name for Felony Burgulary, but no image to confirm.Grosskreutz survived, and stated to a friend: “[my] only regret was not emptying my mag into him.”I’m going to say, having a criminal record doesn’t make someone a bad person. People are wrongly convicted sometimes. Even people guilty of terrible crimes sometimes find salvation, and rethink their ways. Huber might have turned over a new leaf, if his girlfriend is any indication.So, I’m going to say this. These people don’t look like the best people in the world, but no one is ever the best person in the world. If you look into you own history, and I into mine, we would both certainly find things we had done incredibly regrettable. So, now that I’ve aired out their histories, I’m going to say that it should be put aside for judgement of these individual’s actions in this exact situation, beyond confirming that they possibly had violent histories, and solidifying that their intent to Kyle was more likely violent than to disarm.(pre-edit, my writing in this section was informed by a brain at 1AM, and was far less measured, along the lines of “not the best of humanity”. Well, it wasn’t the best way to approach this section)My final thoughts:I share something in common with Kyle. I’m also 17 years old. Looking at the footage, I’m reminded nightmares I’ve had. It’s night, it’s dark, you’re alone, surrounded by people who don’t really seem to be acting like people, they’re acting more like enraged monsters, and they want to kill you.Well, the difference is, in my nightmares, I was unarmed. Kyle had a rifle, and he got to live because of it.Was he asking for it? Well, consider:“He shouldn’t have worn that rifle. He was asking for it.”Versus“She shouldn’t have worn that dress. She was asking for it.”It’s… a rather disturbing comparison. Kyle carrying a rifle is not him signalling that he wants to be in a fight, just like a woman wearing a pretty dress is not her signalling that she wants to have sex.What did Kyle do wrong?Well, in my estimation, he was spending his night being quite helpful to his community. Is that wrong? I don’t think so. But what I do think he did wrong was to get separated from his buddies. Being alone was what allowed him to be attacked. If he had stayed somewhere safe, it’s likely that Rosenbaum wouldn’t have seen an opportunity to attack, and we wouldn’t have ever heard the name Kyle Rittenhouse.But, we have heard of Kyle Rittenhouse. Kyle defended himself properly. Kyle shot only when threatened. Kyle went to police.But, maybe, I’m not looking at the facts right. Maybe I’ve got it wrong. I’m willing to admit that. But as long as I keep turning this over in my head, as long as I keep wondering “what would I have done?”, I can only come to one conclusion.#FreeKyleSidenote from mapmaking: Why the hell are there so many used car dealers in that exact part of Kenosha??? Do you have any idea how long it took to find the right one? Well, not that long, but much longer than I thought it would.EDIT 1: Made some changes based on suggestions & self-critique. Edited sections are marked with (Ed1), meaning Edit 1, or First Edit. Thanks Dameon Wittacker for helping with edits regarding Kyle’s weapon.Minor Edit: replaced references of 5.56 with .223 in accordance with suggestions/corrections.Minor Edit: Fixed Rosenbaum’s criminal history- I clearly didn’t check my sources well enough. Thank you Peter Tatford.

This answer may contain sensitive images. Click on an image to unblur it.In this answer we are going to see how 49 singers died tragically. I will tell you which one of them I think had the most tragic death and why. At the end you can also give your opinion in the comments section.1AaliyahAaliyah Haughton’s had already released three albums. Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number, One in a Million, The third, issued a month before she died, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. By the time of Aaliyah, she had branched out into movies. Her 1999 film Romeo Must Die was a surprise box office hit.Aaliyah embarked to the Bahamas to film a video for the second Aaliyah single, “Rock the Boat.” She and 8 members of her entourage died when the return plane crashed shortly after takeoff on August 21, 2001. She was 22.2GG AllinGG Allin loved to put on an entertaining live show that included peeing on people, eating his own shit, and ripping off bats’ heads and eating them.Allin promised for several years that he would commit suicide on stage during one of his concerts, but instead died offstage from an accidental heroin overdose on June 28, 1993. He was aged 36.3Duane AllmanA scorching, career-defining live album, At Fillmore East, had been released and was cementing the Allman Brothers Band’s rep.Two months later, when Duane Allman took off on his Harley near Macon, Georgia on the late afternoon of October 29, both he and the band had good reason to chill and cut loose.After a short detox stint by Allman, the band was finishing up its next album, Eat a Peach.Allman went biking. Swerving to avoid a truck, Allman, he was suddenly thrown from his bike, which landed on top of him. Allman died in 1971 from massive internal injuries aged 24.4Chester BenningtonSince the Linking Park’s mega-selling breakthrough debut, Hybrid Theory, came out in 2000, Bennington had become the overdriven voice of a generation.Linkin Park’s seventh album, One More Light, had reached Number One on the Billboard chart. It was their fifth to do so.The band was just about to set out on a North American tour that would have seen them playing stadiums as well as arenas, when Bennington was declared dead through suicide by hanging. That was in June of 2017. Bennington was 41 and at the top of his career.5Notorious B.I.G.Hip-hop culture was being consumed by street violence. So several reconciliation summits were organized to renounce any “East Coast-West Coast” conflict.Biggie Smalls was murdered during a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997. He was aged 24.Biggie’s final album, Life After Death, dropped on March 25, 1997, to an overwhelming success. It cemented Notorious B.I.G.’s reputation as one of the most skilled lyricists of his generation.6Marc BolanRock pioneer Bolan helped shape glam as we knew it. He symbolized the evolution of rock subculture in the Seventies.His band and music career fell off in the mid Seventies. However Bolan found a new calling as the host of the 1977 series Marc. This was where he performed, also with a mixture of new and established musicians.A week after the final episode – which featured Bowie and Bolan singing “Heroes” together –Bolan’s wife Gloria Jones lost control of their vehicle. The car crashed and killed the singer instantly in 1977, just two weeks before his thirtieth birthday. So Bennington was 297John BonhamJohn Bonham was a drummer for Lead Zeppelin, renowned in the 1970s for his driving rock beats as well as his lyrical and mysterious poetry.On September 25th, 1980, at the time Zeppelin was preparing for an American tour, he consumed somewhere in the vicinity of 40 shots of vodka over the course of just 24 hours.John Bonham was found dead in his home the following morning. He was aged 32.8David BowieDavid Robert Jones (January 8, 1947 - January 10, 2016), born David Bowie, was an English singer born in London, the son of a fundraiser and a waitress.Bowie was loved by millions and continued to amaze as he got older.He kept his battle against cancer a secret, so that his fans won't be saddened on his final days.The music video of his song, "Lazarus", released only days before he passed away, was Bowie’s final goodbye to the world.9Cliff BurtonClifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician. He is best known as the second bass guitarist for the American thrash metal band Metallica. They recorded three studio albums.Whilst promoting, Metallica's tour van drove into a tree. And Cliff Burton died there in Copenhagen, on September 27th 1986 aged 24.His band, Metallica, would soon go off to make millions with albums like Load and Loader.10Patsy ClinePatsy Cline became one of the greatest vocal talents of the 20th century by fusing country charm and big-city boldness to a sterling voice.Hits like “I Fall to Pieces,” “Walkin’ After Midnight” and Willie Nelson’s “Crazy” assured her slow ascent to stardom.Patsy Cline died in a plane crash in Camden, Tennessee in 1963, aged 30.In 1973, she became the first solo female artist elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Patsy Cline Museum, the shrine to her in downtown Nashville, houses memorabilia from her 1961 Carnegie Hall debut, her history-making Las Vegas engagement the following year and the elegant wristwatch she was wearing during the accident just a few months later.Portrayals of Patsy Cline and continuing interest in her hits via jukeboxes and karaoke, spurred Cline’s Greatest Hits album to sales in excess of 10 million, earning a Guinness World Records spot for its chart longevity.11Kurt CobainKurt Cobain, born on February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington, started the successful grunge band Nirvana in 1987. He became a rock legend in the 1990s.Cobain had a dependency he blamed on a lifelong and cripplingly painful stomach ailment. After briefly spending time in rehab, he committed suicide in 1994 with a shotgun in his Seattle home at age 27. “I don’t have the passion anymore,” he wrote in his suicide note before quoting Neil Young. “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”He is also said to have been shot to death by an unknown assailant. Some say that he was murdered by his then-girlfriend, who later went on to great success with her band, Whole.12Sam CookeBorn in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, Sam Cooke helped shape soul music by bridging gospel and pop. He rose to stardom during the Fifties as a member of the Soul Stirrers. Then he crossed over with the 1957 classic “You Send Me,” which went to Number One.A top 40 staple throughout the early Sixties, Sam Cooke aged 33 was killed on December 11, 1964, in Los Angeles when a hotel manager claimed she shot him in self-defense after he’d allegedly tried to rape a 22-year-old woman and then turned on her. The coroner ruled it a justifiable homicide but the circumstances around the shooting are still murky.Eleven days after his death, Cooke’s greatest song, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” based on his own experience being turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana, was released. It became a Civil Rights anthem and one of the landmark records of the Sixties.13Chris CornellTwelve dates into their 2017 tour, Soundgarden touched down at Detroit’s Fox Theater on May 17th. Although it was an uneventful show, Chris Cornell wrenching growl and his fame as one of the most formidable vocalists of his generation, were powerful.When Chris Cornell went back to his room at the MGM Grand Detroit, he asked for help from his security guard and a hotel staffer to fix his Apple TV.In the night he hanged himself on a red elastic exercise band attached to the top of his bathroom door. He was 52.A toxicology report discovered numerous drugs in his system, including Ativan, the sedative Butalbital and barbiturates. Although Chris Cornell had been battling drug addiction and depression for much of his adult life, this was shocking because he was thought to be getting better.14Darby CrashDarby Crash was born Bobby Pyn. But later he changed his named to Darby Crash thinking it sounded cool.He fronted the San Francisco punk band The Germs and created the liberty spike punk haircut.After touring in England in 1980, Darby Crash committed suicide by hanging himself while reportedly listening to one of his records.15Ian CurtisJoy Division’s front man, Ian Curtis, remained aloof even when his group was just beginning to gain recognition as a groundbreaking post-punk act in the spring of 1980.Curtis was a deep baritone singer. He suffered from severe depression and epilepsy which sometimes made him have seizures onstage. Maybe because treatment options for both afflictions were minimally effective at that time, Ian Curtis infused nearly every Joy Division song with intense sorrow, emptiness and longing.Worse, consumed by the guilt he felt by cheating on his wife and mother of their newborn daughter, with a Belgian journalist, Ian Curtis poured all his pain into the lyrics of one of his final songs: “Love Will Tear Us Apart.”He hanged himself in his kitchen while listening to Iggy Pop’s The Idiot. That was 1980. And he was 23.16Dimebag DarrellDiamond Darrell or Dimebag Darrell, these were all nicknames for Darrell Lance Abbott.He was an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of two bands, Pantera and Damageplan, alongside his brother, Vinnie Paul.Abbott was shot to death in 2004 by a mentally unstable fan.17John DenverMany consider John Denver the greatest folk singer in American history.He recorded a bunch of hits like “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” “This Land is Your Land,” and “Rocky Mountain High.”Can you believe that John Denver left this world leaving on a jet plane that crashed over the Atlantic Ocean with his girlfriend Lauren Bessette?18Nick DrakeNick Drake was a Welsh folk singer/songwriter. Not only did he sing brilliantly depressing songs, he also crafted his songs in the dark.Since he wasn’t popular for most of his life, Nick Drake toured as much as he could to get his name out there.He died in his early 20’s while sleeping in his bed. It was later discovered that he died of an apparent overdose of vitamins. However, Nick Drake’s music lived on and his popularity grew.19Easy-EEasy-E is an American rapper, producer and founding memberof the N.W.A (Niggaz With Attitude) group.He is viewed as one of the founding fathers of the gangsta rap, having created Ruthless Records, the first label specialized in this type of music.Easy E, that master of 80’s Hip-Hop, succumbed recently to infection after a long battle with mercury poisoning.The exact cause remains unknown.20Jerry GarciaOne of the greatest songwriters and soloists in rock history, Jerry Garcia was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the ultra-hippie band Greatful Dead. During the four decades he played with them, stoners, beatniks and college dropouts idolized him.Jerry Garcia began smoking heroin in the ’70s. Full-on addiction triggered a downward health spiral worsened by diabetes, sleep apnea, cigarette smoking, other drug use and a toxic diet consisting mainly of meat and ice cream.After collapsing in 1986, he cleaned up, and the band’s popularity hit a new level. But he backslid, and old habits returned. Garcia died in the summer 1995 of cardiac arrest during an attempt at rehab. He was aged 53.Hippies worldwide mourned the loss of their overweight prophet by smoking his ashes.21Marvin GayeMarvin Gaye swiftly ascended the pop charts in the Sixties with catchy, moving singles like “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and established himself as a hit-maker.In 1971, he created soul music’s Sgt. Pepper – What’s Going On, a plea for compassion and humanity at the height of the Vietnam War. Within a couple of years, he scored Number One hits with “Let’s Get It On” and “Got to Give It Up”. But the 1982’s “Sexual Healing” missed the Top Spot, stalling at Number Three.Toward the end of the Seventies, though, Marvin Gaye’s personal life began going apart. He divorced his wife, Anna Gordy (the sister of Motown founder Berry), filed for bankruptcy, and moved to Europe to avoid the IRS.Marvin Gaye was battling depression and an addiction to cocaine, and in 1984, the year of his death. He threatened suicide multiple times. But it was his father, a preacher, who shot him at point-blank range one day before Marvin’s 45th birthday following an argument.22George HarrisonGeorge Harrison was an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and music and film producer. He achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles.He survived stabbing, and even got through a fight with cancer.His last words were love one another!23Jimi HendrixJimi Hendrix was one of the greatest American guitar players who wore a terrific afro.After the spring 1967 release of his first studio LP, Are You Experienced? he became the guitar god to which all other guitar gods would be measured.A year after playing a searing, psychedelic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Woodstock, Jimmy Hendrix was found dead in 1970 aged 27.Known for his drug use, he had ostensibly choked on his own vomit after taking barbiturates.His death was officially declared accidental although suicide was not ruled out. Some skeptical fans even believe Jimmy Hendrix died from heart attack triggered by having sex with his current girlfriend.24Brian JonesThe Rolling Stones owe their existence to the efforts of original guitarist Brian Jones.He placed an ad in the May of 1962 issue of Jazz News looking for band mates. This enabled him to form the initial incarnation of the group which he named after the Muddy Waters song “Rollin’ Stone Blues.”Brian Jones’ love of American R&B music was critical to the group’s early sound. But when Mick Jagger formed a songwriting partnership with Keith Richards and the group transitioned to original material, Brian Jones’ power in the band dramatically receded.A growing drug addiction made Brian Jones extremely unreliable and he lost more influence. This made the group to sack him in the summer of 1969.Weeks later, Brian Jones, aged 27, was found at the bottom of his swimming pool in Sussex, England. The coroner’s report read “death by misadventure.” But up to this day, some people suspect foul play.25Buddy HollyA 50’s legend as the voice of the burgeoning rock and roll youth culture of the Fifties, Buddy Holly was often referred to as the pioneer of blues rock. A master at the guitar and bass, his backing band was the Grasshoppers. They wrote classics like “Every Day,” “Peggy Sue,” and “Oh Donna.”As part of the Crickets and later as a solo artist, Buddy Holly’s distinctive vocal style and hits like “Not Fade Away” and “It’s So Easy!” gave him a significant influence on the next wave of rock and roll stars. These included John Lennon and Paul McCartney.On February 3, 1959, the 22-year-old Holly died in a plane crash which was flying to North Dakota with fellow stars Richie Valens and The Big Whopper (or Bopper).The crash, which was due to a hurricane, was later dubbed “The Day the Music Died” by Don McLean in “American Pie,” his signature hit.26Janis JoplinShe fled Port Arthur, Texas, as a teen, where she’d been routinely humiliated by hometown peers. She arrived in San Francisco to the hippie culture’s blossoming and became a star. First with Big Brother and then the Holding Company in the wake of a spectacular Monterey Pop festival appearance.She soon broke off and formed a band. Janis Joplin soon completed her first solo LP, Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!Working on a follow-up in 1970, after a summer of a media fiasco and a tumultuous relationship with a 21-year-old coke dealer, she overdosed on heroin alone in room #105 of the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood. She was 27.27Whitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer, actress, producer, and model born on August 9, 1963.Whitney Houston had everything which made her the ultimate crossover artist.She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of Dionne Warwick, the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin, Houston, and she had a rare voice.Beginning with her self-titled 1985 debut, Houston racked up 11 number one singles. These included “The Greatest Love of All” and “I Will Always Love You”.In 2009, Guinness World Records cited her as the most awarded female act of all time. Houston sold an estimated 170–200 ...read more. She won seven Grammys. And inspired the likes of Mariah Carey, Adele, Ariana Grande and others.All this beautiful facade began cracking after the commercial peak of the Bodyguard soundtrack in 1992. Some of the ugly cracks came from a volatile marriage to Bobby Brown. Others were serious drug and alcohol addictions. They led to the diminishment of her once flawless instrument.On the eve of the Grammys in February 2012, exactly on February 11, 2012, she was found dead in a bathtub in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton. She was 48.Coroners ruled her death as accidental, citing heart disease and cocaine use, with multiple drugs found in her system.28Michael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter also known as The King of Pop (a title given to him by Elizabeth Taylor) or under ...read more.He was born on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana.Michael Jackson’s unique blend of childlike innocence, songwriting magic, and incandescent performances made him an incomparable money-generator.A controversial figures in his last years, gossip was rife about his ostentatious wealth, extensive plastic surgery and bizarre habits.Accused of child sexual abuse and acquitted in a 2005 trial, the charges haunted his career and reputation. Therefore a series of 2009 London shows titled “This Is It” were planned to shore up his unstable finances as well as reward his fans with live performance.But on June 25, 2009, Jackson suddenly passed away at 50 years after overdosing on medication prescribed by his physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. He was later tried and convicted.Michael Jackson’s memorial service was broadcast on national television and given the status of a state funeral.Many of Michael Jackson’s massive, culture-defining hits like “Billie Jean,” “Bad” and “Black or White” reentered the charts.29John LennonJohn Winston Ono Lennon, MBE, was an English singer and songwriter. He rose to worldwide fame as a co-founder of the Beatles. An amazing singer and songwriter, he left us such famous anthems as “Give Peace a Chance,” “Imagine,” and “Band on the Run.”On December 8th he was heading over to the Record Plant to work on a remix of “Walking On Thin Ice.” He arrived home in the Village of NYC and was gunned down by an obsessed fan, Mark David Chapman. He was 40.The news was announced on Monday Night Football by Howard Cosell. It sent mourners thronging to the building site to share their grief, sing songs of peace and try to make sense of the horrific tragedy.To me, John Lennon's death was one of the most tragic among tragic celebrity deaths. He didn't die of a drug overdose. He didn't commit suicide. A zealous fan killed him.After five years of seclusion in the late 1970s focusing on his family, John Lennon was about to return to public life in late 1980 with his new album Double Fantasy. He was excited about it.That fateful day, he went home early instead of going out to eat. A good father, he wanted to see his son Sean and tuck him into bed. And instead of that noble act, he was shot in the back and pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.30Bob MarleyRobert Nesta Marley was the most famous reggae musicians that Jamaica gave the world.Bob Marley, as he was called, was part of the reggae/rocksteady group The Wailers. He recorded such hits as ” Jammin’,” “One Love” “No Women No Cry” and the cover of Eric Clapton’s hit “I Shot the Sheriff.”Marley was only 35 when he passed away from cancer.11th May, the day he passed away, is still celebrated throughout the world, perpetuating his legendary status.His music still lives on through his 20 children like Ziggy, Damien, Stephen, Jacob, Ky-Mani, Julian, and Billy he had with various women including Rita Marley, one of his backup singers.31Hideto MatsumotoHideto Matsumoto (X-Japan) was a stunning lyricist, and a great guitarist. He displayed such a vibrant appearance. In terms of attitude, he could be wild and crazy on stage but logical and kind.Even more than two decades after his death, Hideto Matsumoto continues to have and gain fans and inspire many. It’s safe to conjecture that he could have been a musical giant like the others if fate hadn’t been so cruel too him or if the Western world had been more receptive of Asian musicians back in the 1980s/1990s.It’s amazing that people continue to mourn this guy who was born on December 13, 1964 and passed away on May 2, 1998.32Freddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on 5th September 1946.A British singer of Zanzibari Indian descent, songwriter and record producer, he was the lead vocalist and songwriter of the British rock band Queen.Freddie Mercury dressed up like a woman sometimes and painted his face all psychedelic colors. He was also known for his flamboyant stage persona and four-octave voice.Some of the hits that Freddie Mercury wrote were “We Are the Champions,” “Changes,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”In the late 80’s, Mercury ventured into many Russian bathhouses where he met different types of people who later became his drinking buddies. A decade later, rumors began circulating that he had contracted AIDS, which Freddie Mercury confirmed. Just two days later he died of bronchial pneumonia, a side effect of his disease on 24th November 1991 at the age of 45.Freddie Mercury’s music has gone on to inspire many musicians, from Lady Gaga to Metallica.P.S: Freddie is said not to be gay. He was bisexual. His main female love was Mary Austin about whom he wrote a song called Love of my life.33George MichaelGeorge Michael was a former Wham! front man, one of the great pop vocalists of all time, an icon.He lived a very private life. To that end, he rarely went on the road.So when he was rarely seen in public throughout 2015 and 2016, it didn’t raise many red flags. But due to pneumonia and complaints of severe chest pains, he had to cancel many dates on his 2011 tour. Fred was then in his early 50s and didn’t seem to have any sort of fatal condition.So imagine the shock when he was discovered dead in his bed at his home in Goring-on-Thames, England on Christmas of 2016!An autopsy revealed Freddie Michael, 53, suffered from the heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy.34Keith MoonIf there is anybody who has fully embraced the rock star lifestyle, it is Who drummer Keith Moon.Imagine that just as the group was beginning to rack up a tiny bit of notoriety, Keith Moon’s life became one of nonstop drunken orgy of trashed hotels rooms, crashed cars and parties that lasted for days on end at a time.One of the greatest drummers in rock history, Keith Moon was a feral force-of-nature who became the backbone of the Who’s Maximum R&B sound when he joined the group in 1964. He turned classic songs like “Won’t Get Fooled Again” into showcases for his wildly idiosyncratic playing.But by 1978 that lifestyle had gotten the best of him. Keith Moon became bloated, hopelessly addicted to alcohol and couldn’t lay down even basic drum tracks during recording sessions.On September 6th of the same year, he went to the premier of the Buddy Holly Story. Then he retired to his London flat, the same place where Mama Cass had died four years earlier.That evening the 32-year-old took 32 clomethiazole tablets which, instead of fighting off the effects of alcohol withdrawal, killed him.35Jim MorrisonJim Morrison was the superb front man for the Doors. He was also an excellent poet, writer and lyricist. Some even claim he was one of the greatest rock singers ever.During his short career, Morrison personified the psychedelic movement. Fans of the Doors considered his erratic outbursts and stage performances as part of the appeal of the seminal psychedelic rock band.But towards his final months, he lived the hard and fast lifestyle of his songs. Though he loved to use drugs like LSD, Morrison’s main vice was alcohol.By 1969, just two years after his band became one of the biggest names in rock music, he was almost physically unrecognizable. His concert outbursts became more violent and unhinged. He was even arrested in Florida for indecent exposure.While living in Paris in 1971 with his girlfriend Pamela Courson, she found him dead in their bathtub. The official cause of death for the 27-year-old was listed as heart failure.36Bradley NowellBradley Nowell, or Brad for short, was the lead singer and bass player of the California hippie reggae band Sublime.Sublime became popular, especially among college students and vagabonds when the band signed with Skunk Records.Many of their songs were at the top of the Billboard charts, including “What I Got” and “Wrong Day.”In 1997, after the band’s major label debut got released, Brad Nowell was found dead in his apartment of a cocaine overdose.37Selena Quintanilla-PérezSelena Quintanilla-Pérez’s father, former doo-wop singer Abraham Quintanilla Jr., made her drop out of school in the 8th grade to sing in the family band, Selena y Los Dinos.Quickly, this third-generation Tejana singer became a hero to many young Latinos and an example for women in Tejano music.Crowned queen of that music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez eventually won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. And this, nine years in a row.In 1994 she grabbed a Grammy for Selena Live! and broke attendance records at Houston Astrodome and Miami’s Calle Ocho festival.In March 1995, Yolanda Saldívar, manager of Selena’s fan club and fashion boutique Selena Etc., who was under fire by the Quintanilla family for embezzlement of funds, shot her dead at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas.At that time, the 23-year-old was working on her English crossover album, Dreaming of You, the follow-up to her smash 1994 LP, Amor Prohibido.Three months after she died, Dreaming debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart – a first for any Latin artist in history.38Elvis PresleyBeginning in the mid-fifties, Elvis Presley took a nation of teenagers by storm with his hip-swiveling performances on TV and Number One records like “Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”His easygoing demeanor, boyish good looks and golden voice made him early rock & roll’s greatest success story, with the release of uncountable classic albums and movies.The icon, who could sing country, rock & roll and gospel, played at many casinos in the 1960s, and was mostly popular in Las Vegas.Elvis took a two-year hiatus from performing when he was drafted into the Army in 1958. Thanks to a string of hits he had before entering the service and an appearance on Frank Sinatra’s TV special in 1960, the draft didn’t affect his career.After spending much of the Sixties making movies, Elvis Presley reestablished himself as a singing star with an NBC special (his “’68 Comeback”). Then he began playing residencies in Las Vegas. This eventually got him his first Number One in close to a decade with “Suspicious Minds.”But in the Seventies, Elvis’ personal life began falling apart. He divorced his wife Priscilla, began gaining weight and overused barbiturates, tranquilizers and amphetamines.At age 42 and in 1977, his girlfriend found him naked and dead on the toilet at his Graceland estate in Las Vegas.Elvis Presley’s death was officially ruled a casualty of heart disease. But he apparently died from an accidental overdose of the combination of too many anti-anxiety pills and painkillers with sleeping pills.His body is laid to rest in Graceland, located in Nashville, Kentucky but his numerous fans believe to this day that he walks among us.39PrincePrince “produced, arranged, composed and performed” all the music on his debut album, For You, which he released only aged 19. Throughout the rest of his career also, he displayed talent as a multi-instrumentalist by moving from one instrument to the other with virtuosity.In the late Seventies and early Eighties Prince became a hit-maker with his provocative, sexually charged image and pop, R&B and dance charts singles like “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Uptown” and “Controversy.”He became ready for primetime with the 1999 album and a megastar with Purple Rain, the movie with a diamond-certified soundtrack, which had hits like “Let’s Go Crazy” the epic title track and “When Doves Cry.”As Prince released hit album after hit album, his legend continued to grow into the Nineties. Then he fell out with his label, Warner Bros whom he accused of giving him a bad deal.Prince scrawled “slave” on his face, changed his name to a sigil and fought to become an independent artist. He proved the rightness of all this contesting with the double-platinum 1996 LP Emancipation.Prince continued to score Top 10 albums into the 2010s, experimented with releasing songs on Twitter and toured when and how he felt like it.Prince developed a hidden addiction to painkillers. Possibly as treatment after he allegedly got hip-replacement surgery.Prince died of an overdose of the opioid Fentanyl in April 2016. He was aged 57.The week after his death, Billboard reported that The Very Best of Prince and Purple Rain claimed the top two spots of its albums chart.40Joey RamoneThe Howard Stern look-a-like Jeff Hyman fronted the Bronx New York punk rock group the Ramones.He was an excellent singer having a lot of range and diversity. People often described him as the Jim Morrison of punk rock.Johnny, Dee Dee and Joey Ramone were the only original members of the band who stuck with the band to the end.Joey died suddenly of lymphoma in 2000 in New York which dedicated a midtown street after him called Joey Ramone’s Place.41Otis ReddingOtis Redding’s performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967 was not only incredible, it brought soul music to a white rock audience. This became a landmark boundary-breaking moment in pop music history.Just a few months later, precisely on December 10, Redding died in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin, where he was scheduled to perform that night. He was aged 26.With hits like “Try A Little Tenderness,” “Pain In My Heart” and his hard-hitting cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction”, Redding had already established himself as a vibrant force in R&B. At the time of his death, Otis Redding was wrapping up the recording of “(Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay”.Steve Cropper of Booker T & the MGs, to whom fell the task of mixing the final version of “Dock of the Bay” after Redding died, said: “Elvis was the King of rock. Otis was the king of soul. Had he lived, I think he would’ve been King of them all.”42Randy RhodesRandy Rhodes was not only a British guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne’s band but also a good friend of his.Ozzy nicknamed him Whammy because he was such a klutz who knocked down guitars, tripped over wires, and other clumsily things.One day while tripping over something, he had the idea to develop a guitar leveler for the guitar called the whammy bar.While other members were sleeping, Randy Rhodes flew a small plane near his tour bus. He ended up flying the plane into a mansion. Randy Rhodes died instantly.43Tupac ShakurTupac Shakur rose to fame with the popular group De La Soul. He also later became famous as a solo artist with such hits as “Keep Your Heads Ringin,” and “I Get Around.”During a 1994 trial for sexual assault, he was shot five times by unknown assailants at Quad Studios in New York City. And found guilty on numerous counts the next day.While in prison, he released Me Against the World in 1995. Several months later, his multi-platinum All Eyez on Me made him bigger than ever. Tupac’s powerful, incendiary raps expressed the joys and pain of a young man trying to make sense of his chaotic life.Tupac was gunned down in a hail of bullets on September 7, 1996 in Las Vegas and he died in a nearby hospital a week later, aged 25. The circumstances surrounding the death is shrouded in controversy.Even a little over two decades after his death, Tupac Shakur remains one of the most popular rappers in the world, having released more albums dead than he did alive.Many still believe that Tupac Shakur was still alive, perhaps inspired by his final posthumous album under the Makaveli alias, Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He is also rumored to be living in the Bahamas with his biotches, his death faked in order to avoid the gangs of the West Coast and the IRS.44Elliot SmithElliot Smith was a brilliant songwriter and composer, famous not only for his music, but also for his appearances in The Royal Tenenbaums and There’s Something About Mary.He made a suicide attempt but it did not succeed.Curiously, it was the moment his life seemed to be looking up that fate had it that his girlfriend bought a new kitchen knife and left it on the floor. Elliot Smith stepped on a loose plank and the knife flipped up and disemboweling him.Sadly, when his girlfriend called paramedics two hours later, he was already gone.I think Elliot Smith had the most tragic death.He tried suicide but it failed to take his life. Just as he was picking up his life again, a freaky accident causes a knife to disembowel him. What a tragedy!45Joe StrummerJoe Strummer, or Jon Mellor, was the lead guitarist and singer of the legendary punk band the Clash.Strummer began first with a psychobilly band The 101ers before joining The Clash, a group already formed by Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. Together, they created some of the best punk music ever.After the Clash, Joe Strummer went on to form The Mescaleros. He then sang in the Pogues after Shane McGowan quit the band.Just when things were getting good for Strummer again, he was suddenly struck by a heart attack. Joe Strummer died just before Christmas.46Johnny ThundersJohnny Thunders was born John Paul Beahm. He was often referred to as “The 5th Sex Pistol.”The singer rose to prominence as a singer in many punk rock bands like New York Dolls, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and The Johnny Thunders Band. He was a punk rock icon that others imitated often.Johnny Thunders wowed audiences with his drug-fueled performances. His death was declared suicide by heroin in 1980.47Amy WinehouseAmy Winehouse was already a whirlwind when the world discovered her.Her 2006 sophomore album Back to Black became an international success. This brought her smoky, Mark Ronson-assisted retro-soul to the masses. It also made her the world’s foremost vocal diva. Unfortunately this turned out to be her final LP.In effect, as Amy Winehouse rose to success so did her dependency on alcohol and drugs. This made the omnipresence of her biggest single “Rehab” even more ironic and heartbreaking.Amy spiraled out very publicly. This continued up to her death from alcohol poisoning in 2011. She was aged 27.48Sid ViciousSid Vicious was born Simon Ritchie. The infamous bassist of the classic London punk band the Sex Pistols, changed his named after his grandfather, Sid Vicicci.Sid Vicious couldn’t play the bass at all. But he wanted to be famous. So he did a lot of drugs and acted crazy on stage for attention.While making the movie “Sid & Nancy” with his girlfriend, Sid accidentally stabbed her on set. She died from the wounds the next day. Arrested, Sid was later released on bail since he didn’t remember the murder at all.Only a few weeks later, Sid died in his apartment in London while doing more drugs. Some say he committed suicide because he missed Nancy.49Ronnie Van ZantRonnie Van Zant was one of rock’s major bands’ front men. He was also the most powerful singer and lyricist produced by Southern rock since Gregg Allman.A high school dropout with a criminal record behind him, Van Zant was also a genuine populist. He projected anti-corporate Southern pride (“Workin’ for MCA”).Onstage, the stout, sullen Van Zant exuded a hardened, macho cool, like an American version of Van Morrison.The songs Ronnie Van Zant co-wrote for his band spoke of his early struggles (“Four Walls of Raiford”), dealt with his self-doubt and moral struggles (“Was I Right or Wrong”), viewed guns as being “good for nothin'” (“Saturday Night Special’), and exposed his melancholy (“Free Bird,” “Tuesday’s Gone”).The band boarded a chartered Convair on October 20, 1977 from Greenville, S.C., to Baton Rouge as part of a tour in support of their new album, Street Survivors.Guitarist Allen Collins was freaked after seeing a flame erupt out of the right engine.“If the Lord wants you to die on this plane, when it’s your time, it’s your time,” Ronnie Van Zant told them. “Let’s go, man. We’ve got a gig to do.”The pilots were forced to attempt an emergency landing in a Mississippi field. On clipping trees the plane smashed into the ground.While most of the band survived, 29-year-old Van Zant was killed instantly. Guitarist Steve Gaines, his sister Cassie (a backup singer) and road manager Dean Kilpatrick also lost their lives.Now, which of those 49 celebrities do you think had the most tragic death?

11 Critical Hotel Room Security Tips (Solo or otherwise)The decision has been made to travel to a far-flung destination, dreams of exotic experiences and a host of stories to tell on your return home. Are you planning to head away on a solo expedition, with a partner or perhaps the whole family are heading off together to reconnect and spend some quality time?Once the destination is decided, the next consideration is where to stay. With a range of options available from home stay experiences to backpacker accommodation, five-star hotel, or anything in between, there are many other things to consider. Do you prefer to be situated close to the action in a high-rise hotel, or is the preference leaning towards resort style accommodation in a more relaxed setting? No matter your choice of accommodation it’s important to do the research beforehand when deciding where to stay during the trip.There is literally a plethora of hotels available around the world which can be accessed, reviewed and booked at the click of a button catering to all tastes and budgets. When making a booking it’s important to check the reviews and google the hotel to ensure you are not greeted with any surprises such as renovations, photoshopped images or non-existent facilities.This article explores a range of measures and countermeasures to minimize the risk most of us are exposed to during a vacation to another part of the world, one we are not familiar with. For the most part when traveling tourists can become overwhelmed with the new environment, their minds and senses bombarded with new experiences coming at them from all angles.Changes from our normal daily patterns including jet lag and tiredness coupled with a willingness to cram as many experiences as possible into our stay can leave any individual feeling like they are a ‘deer in the headlights’. As a consequence, our instincts and sensory acuity may be diverted into other areas with little or no focus in managing personal security and risk.When staying in hotel rooms which, for the most part are small and compact by their very design, there are a number of specific points within the space where the security of ourselves and our possessions are open to compromise. We will explore each of these areas and look at ways to minimize exposure of becoming a victim or circumstance.Hotels With A History (Not A Good One)Before selecting and finally booking your hotel, spend some time researching the area in which you are intending to stay. Check the nationally provided travel warning and advisory website in your home country for information pertaining to risk in the destination country.Check out the hotel including what security provisions are provided including such things as key card or manual key security on doors. Is CCTV installed in the hallways of each level of the hotel, or if the hotel reception area is open 24 hours? Many travel forums are also a great source of information when it comes to the track record of the hotel, including incidents of theft and break ins.Most hotel rooms are raided or ransacked during the day, when the room is most likely to be vacant. Access is obtained by one of two methods, either entry is made at the hotel room door, or via the balcony sliding doors. The threat of entry can be minimized greatly by simply selecting a room above the 5th floor, although there are known burglars who have been assigned the moniker of ‘Spiderman’ for their ability to swiftly move from hotel room to hotel room via the balconies.Burglars are an entrepreneurial bunch, as they continue to come up with new ways to access your hotel room. Using such simple items as a rubber band to disengage the security chain, a length of wire or even a credit card. Alarmingly, more and more reports of electronic access cards being hacked are coming to light making thievery on a grand scale in a small amount of time, a real option for a tech savvy thief.Worst Case ScenarioWhat would be considered to be the worst-case scenario is an entry to your room while you were sleeping. In 2016, one couple staying at a hotel in North Little Rock, Arkansas reported the incident while staying at the Quality Inn and Suites Hotel. When CCTV footage was reviewed by security personnel and hotel management, it showed the hotel cameras had captured a man walking through the hallways pushing on hotel room doors before finally gaining access to their room.In a very short period of time the man was seen to exit the room where he had stolen cash, credit cards, a mobile phone, tablet, jewelery, and frighteningly a handgun which was licensed to the couple with a permit to carry. Thankfully the couple remained oblivious to the event, as they slept through the experience.Master Key SecurityMaster key systems are used in many commercial environments to manage the first layer of security protocols being entry and egress. Comprising a hierarchy of keys which are coupled with a designated number of cylinders allowing different groups or individual key holders to gain access, limited or otherwise to specific areas of designation throughout a building.Sometimes the system is also referred to as a ‘restricted key system’. A master key can operate two or more locks that operate on two individual keys. Some of the benefits of master, or restricted key systems are said to include the use of security blanks, which can only be obtained or copied from the locksmith business which designed the system, coupled with written authorization from the hotels owner or nominee.Locks are considered to be more secure than regular key systems as the restricted key-way system reduces the chance of accidental opening by the wrong key. No system is infallible the master key system being no exception, as the importance of maintaining accurate records of keys, who they were issued to and when, and when returned must be maintained to avoid the possibility of duplicate keys being made without authorization.Issuing keys, especially high-level keys such as those required in a hotel environment, should not be taken lightly. If the integrity of the system has been compromised for example, if a key is misplaced, or lost, part or all of the system may need to be re-keyed to lock out the missing key. For this reason, it is important an accurate key register is maintained by the staff to identify who is in receipt of certain keys. Collecting keys after their assigned guest has checked out is essential to maintain security of the building.Most hotel room keys provide little or no security when it comes to securing the hotel room door. It takes only seconds for a seasoned hotel raider to access your room. Older type physical master key systems are still in place in many hotels around the world. Whilst a master key system is designed to ensure keys cannot be duplicated by a locksmith, much like anything else, there are good and bad people in society, locksmiths being no exception.Many master keys issued to staff throughout the hotel, from room service, housekeeping and the maintenance department. Keys can be easily lost or misplaced during the course of the day by any employee, who may fail to report the issue until the end of their shift. Always keep your hotel key safely out of sight by placing in your pocket or handbag, ensuring others are unable to see your room number displayed on the tag.For the most part hotel staff are an honest, hardworking bunch. However, in some countries, staff work long hours with little financial reward. The temptation to supplement their income may become too much if they are experiencing financial difficulties in their personal life.Electronic Key SecurityAlso known as key cards, these are used in conjunction with the key card lock. The card itself is about the size of a credit card, made of composite plastics and stores a unique physical or digital signature which is accepted by the door hardware (mechanism) and is required to disengage the lock. Many types of electronic security for doors using card systems are available including barcode, magnetic strip, Wiegand, RFID and smart cards. Onity locks are one of the most popular key card systems used by hotels around the world, have had their open source hardware hacked.By inserting a device, which can be built for under $30, it’s simply a matter of plugging into the port on the underside of the door hardware, the device the maps the hardware, including the decryption key, which is then used to trigger the door to release. The only way to really mitigate this risk is to seal up the port on the underside of the door hardware. Many other electronic locking systems used around the world are also susceptible to hacking.New technology is now a reality and spreading through a range of hotel chains including Aloft, W Hotels and Element, with Starwood rolling out the upgrade throughout its 150 sites. It’s a no brainer really, keyless entry via smartphone is so much more convenient and cost effective in the long run than using the current key card system. Keyless hotel room entry works by installing an app, then enrolling your smartphone.Photo Credit: Starwood Hotels and ResortsOn the day of arrival at the hotel, an encrypted key is sent to guests via text message or push notification, together with a message advising the room number. On arrival, guests simply place their phone in the proximity of the hotel room door reader to provide entry. The technology used is Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Whist it’s a more convenient option, no doubt it will only be a matter of time before a black hat, cracks the algorithm.Until such time this technology becomes more available, many guests will continue to experience the inconvenience of a demagnetized key card. Arriving at your hotel room door, swiping with the expectation of seeing the blinking green light, then nothing. Red, it remains. After several attempts, its back to the lift and down to the front desk in order to have the card reprogrammed.Hotel Room SecurityAfter entering the hotel room, place the 'do not disturb' sign on the door, for the duration of your stay. Only place the ‘please make up my room’ sign out for a short period of time. This can be confusing to any would-be thief, as he/she will be unsure if you are in or out of your room in the event they are undertaking surveillance of hotel corridors for opportunities.When leaving the room, always turn on the TV or radio with the sound loud enough to be heard outside the door. If your hotel room utilizes the electronic room key to provide access to the services within the room, (where once you have opened the door, then place the room key in the plastic slot next to the door) use a business card or a piece of cardboard and place it in the slot, allowing the power to remain on in the room whilst you are away.In the event a guest is planning to return to the room returning after dark, leave a light on also. Always ensure any windows are secure at night and when leaving or occupying the room. Test the windows by pulling back to confirm they are secured by the latches. If you are in a room with an adjoining door, ensure that it is secured using the deadbolt and lock. If not, contact reception to arrange to have it secured for the duration of your stay.Door SecurityWe don’t often consider the integrity of the door to our hotel room. For the most part modern hotels are fitted with solid doors which are fire rated. However, some remote or island destinations provide less than solid doors to their bungalow or bure style accommodation.Always check the integrity of the door to your accommodation and make contingencies with whatever you have on hand to secure the door in the best manner possible. Products like the Doorstopper or Swege, portable travel door stop devices are great products for use when the room is occupied.Most doors are fitted with a chain or sliding lock and while these items alone won’t provide full security they can contribute to the overall layers of security available. One no-cost alternative is to create an improvised burglar alarm. A couple of glass ashtrays, with a wine glass balanced on top of the two, then seated on the floor beside the door, is a great no cost option for travelers.Balcony SecurityBy selecting a higher floor, its deemed the security risk is lowered and in some sense it may well be however, in consideration of fire and subsequent evacuation, it places a guest at higher risk, literally. Of course there is always compromise, rooms on the lowest floor are always considered to be at greater risk of unauthorized access due to their easy proximity to exit the hotel. Higher floors can pose a greater risk in the event of fire. So, a compromise in this instance is a good idea, select any floor between the 5th and 10th to strike a sensible balance.Singer Connie Francis, a popular chart-topping female vocalist during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s became a victim of a balcony breach of her hotel room when on November 8, 1974 an intruder forced the lock of her balcony door entered the room, raped and robbed her at knife point, leaving Ms. Francis tied to an overturned chair and covered with a mattress, nearly suffocating to death.The harrowing two and a half hour ordeal stayed with the singer for the rest of her life. During the ordeal her attacker continued to count down from twenty saying he’d slash the singer's throat when he got to zero. She managed to talk the intruder down by telling him she was a professional singer who was scheduled to perform at the nearby Westbury Music Fair.The singer said this conversation in all probability saved her life. The intruder was never caught and six months later, the singer sued Howard Johnson’s hotel chain for failing to provide adequate security in the amount of $5 million, with a final settlement out of court being made in the amount of $1,475,000.Peephole SecurityOnce settled into a hotel room, one of the first things you should do is check the peephole. If you can see through it from the inside, then this is a good thing however, if the view from the inside to the outside seems cloudy, then you need to take evasive action. Whilst it’s a rare occurrence, it does happen, in this instance a cloudy peephole could be an indication that a reverse camera has been fitted, allowing those on the outside to see in. If you are suspicious, alert the hotel immediately of the problem.In 2014, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin a man was caught spying on ESPN reporter Erin Andres through the peephole of her hotel room. The footage taken by Michael David Barret from Illinois, went viral. He was subsequently charged and plead guilty to one count of staking. The disgraced former insurance executive detailed his method which included requesting a room next to the star. He was able to get her room number by using a house phone which showed which room she occupied.We all remember the episode of Seinfeld when Cosmo Kramer installs a reverse peephole on his apartment door. It’s a classic. Peepholes are a window into your world, anyone who is stealthily on their feet can be peering into your hotel room whilst your oblivious to the peeping tom outside. This area of security should be given serious consideration by women traveling alone on vacation.Creeps are to be found all over the world, and guests may be stalked without even knowing it. Women may be followed back to their hotel room and spied upon. Some hotels do provide peepholes on their hotel room doors, which have a privacy cover allowing the viewer from inside the room to slide it to one side in order to view who is outside, though many do not. A simple countermeasure requires the use of some tissue or toilet paper to 'plug' the peephole for the duration of a stay. It’s simple, costs nothing and provides an additional layer of security.Telephone SecurityTravel today is a pretty high-tech experience yet most hotel rooms come complete with at least one telephone handset. These dinosaurs of technology past, once produced massive profits for hoteliers. However, unless you are ordering room service or dialing into another room where friends and family are staying, they are rarely used. Fixed landline phones though will still be around for a while yet, as the interests of guest safety and security demand them to remain in the space for a while yet.Many hotels though are currently exploring smartphone applications, which when loaded onto their personal phone, guests can use the service to request room service, wake up calls and use the app to call for assistance. In the interim, as a single traveler, you may want to consider placing the room phone into ‘do not disturb mode’, for the duration of the stay, and only change the status to call room service, then placing it back into DND mode afterwards. In some instances, a burglar will make a number of attempts to dial your room, to check if its occupied. Have you ever received hang up calls to your room? It may seem a little over the top, however any countermeasure can be of great benefit with the advantage of hindsight.In Room Safe SecurityNever, ever assume your hotel in room safe is a secure method when it comes to storing valuable documents such as your passport, cash, jewelery, credit cards and compact electronic items. YouTube is full of examples of just how easy it is to open a hotel room safe.Access can be easily gained by reprogramming the lock, by entering the rear of the safe, or use of magnets are a few of the many ways in which, only minutes are taken to rob you of your valuables.In real terms guests should consider the in room safe to be a step above hiding your valuables under the mattress, or hidden in a draw. Some suggest reserving your most precious items for the hotel safe, which is kept in the managers office behind reception. For most hotels their policies clearly state valuables are stored at your own risk anywhere throughout the hotel, including the managers safe.If you regularly travel with valuable items, consider the purchase of a lockable suitcase or bag. You can then secure the suitcase or bag using cable mesh or lanyard which is secured to a fixed item in the hotel room. At least if you are robbed, there is a good chance the offender will be caught on CCTV with your bag tucked under his arms. This may assist with his or her apprehension at a later date.Personal SecurityMost of us are aware of the Kim Kardashian-West incident which occurred at a hotel in Paris in 2016, in which her room was invaded by a team or organized thieves hell bent on robbing the star blind of her treasured jewels. In what must have seemed like a lifetime, the star was held against her will while the bandits systematically searched her hotel room.Some readers may recall in 2009 when actor Jamie Foxx was attacked in his hotel room in Philadelphia by a stalker claiming to be affiliated with Beyoncé Knowles. Fortunately the actor was able to remove the invader from his room post haste. Local police were subsequently contacted with the invader duly arrested. Remember too, the Craigslist Killer, a good looking medical student roaming hotel corridors in search of escorts he’d booked previously online.Assess your location and local crime statistics. Unfortunately, not all hotels are created equal in terms of the local and crime area statistics. A rural hotel setting will have a different crime profile to that of one situated in an urban landscape. The CAP Index, is a summary measure of crime risk as expressed in numerical, form where '1' represents a location of having a rating where the number 1, is considered to be of a very low risk, and 10, a very high risk of crime. It’s used by Fortune 500 companies in consideration of a hotel security and safety plan.It certainly makes you wonder if the beefed-up security in hotels during visits by celebrities, or just standard security measures aren’t enough, then how can we protect ourselves.Here are just a few tips to ensure your personal security risk is minimized when traveling.Don’t overlook the obvious clues for thieves by wearing and proudly displaying your expensive jewelery, diamond earrings and watches.Don’t leave items on display in your room, including laptops, phones, cameras, even receipts – which indicate your purchases and may contain personal information which can be used to steal your identity.On leaving your room, ensure the door is securely locked. It’s a simple thing however, you’d be surprised how many people don’t actually check their hotel room door has been fully latched.Don’t leave your room key laying around on top of the hotel bar or on a table by the hotel swimming pool. Keys are often labeled with the room number, leaving time for any opportunistic thief to head straight up to your room, knowing its most likely vacant.Beware the parking lot, either under the hotel or external to the building. Where possible take advantage of a valet service or avoid the car altogether.Single female travelers should also take note if they are intending to use the in-room breakfast order hanger, as a completed card contains your name and the number of persons occupying the room. Any would-be opportunistic raider can use this information against you by knocking on your door and using your name to gain entry to the room.Before leaving home take photos of all credit cards, passports, air tickets and other valuable documents and store them on your phone for offline viewing. Additionally, review the contents of your wallet or purse, and only take the items necessary for your trip.It's worth considering the security of your hotel accommodation is the first line of defense for any traveler to ensure a worry-free vacation.