Hot Nerd Girl

Tag: zombie

  • World War Z Reviewed

    DSC00787

    I was surprised by how much I liked World War Z.

    First of all, let me start by saying that I had very low expectations going into this movie. I’d heard the rumors of how the first cut was terrible and they had to refilm huge chunks of it. Plus, I love the book by Max Brooks so I was already wary of it to begin with.

    Second, World War Z the movie has absolutely nothing in common with World War Z the novel with the exception of the title and the fact that someone from the UN was a character. Everything else was completely new.

    Third, if you know me or have read the blog for any significant amount of time, then you know that my biggest fear is zombies. Hands down. I thought I’d managed to desensitize myself to them thanks to this past season of The Walking Dead. I seemed to be doing better and was actually looking at the screen during the zombie scenes. Well, Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, I fully expect to have horrific zombie nightmares every night for the next week. That, and I will likely be very sore for the next couple of days because I was wound up so tight during the whole movie. My friends were laughing at me because I spent half the movie covering my face with my scarf.

    ***I think I do a pretty good job of not spoiling too much this time but I’m putting up the usual warning just in case***

    In the book, a UN Postwar Commission agent is collecting stories from survivors of a zombie war that started 10 years prior. He interviews astronauts, a soldier from the Battle of Yonkers, a Japanese gamer kid turned samurai, a girl who survived cold and starvation in frozen North America, amongst others.

    The movie, on the other hand, focuses primarily on a former UN Crisis Specialist named Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his attempts to figure out where the plague began and subsequently, a cure for it. He’s recruited by an old work buddy, UN Undersecretary Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena) and assisted by various soldiers and scientists, most notably an Israeli soldier named Segen (Daniella Kertesz). The only other people you get to know for longer than 5 minutes are Gerry’s wife Karin (Mireille Enos), their two daughters Rachel (Abigail Hargrove) and Connie (Sterling Jerins), and a boy they pick up in Newark named Tommy (Fabrizio Zacharee Guido).

    [youtube:http://youtu.be/qPGUtytMUk8]

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    As competent as Lane is, the scientists around him all seem to be smart but clumsy. An ill-fated Virologist (Elyes Gabel) gives a pretty epic speech about Mother Nature being a serial killer before accidentally tripping and blowing his own brains out. Oops. And the guy in charge (Pierfrancesco Favino) at the W.H.O. research facility in Cardiff is physically incapable of not bumping into anything and everything around him which is super annoying. There are notable cameos by David Morse, Matthew Fox, David Andrews, Ruth Negga, Peter Capaldi and others.

    At times the zombies are so obviously CGI that it’s almost laughable, especially in the larger group scenes. Other times, they are so detailed and grotesque that it’s hard to watch even if you’re not completely petrified of zombies like I am. This is most apparent in the W.H.O. facility and featured crowd zombies in Philadelphia and Jerusalem.

    A few nitpicky things: I saw the movie with a bunch of friends and my brother who’s a Marine. He pointed out that the military plane could never have landed and/or taken off from the aircraft carrier (that’s where the movie lost him) and that different planes were used in different shots.  That, and this particular plane never could have reached South Korea from the Eastern Seaboard. It wouldn’t have enough fuel to make it.

    I was fine with most of the book not being included in the movie because, honestly, it’s a very difficult book to translate from page to screen, but there are a couple of things I think they could have kept that fans of the book would have appreciated. The Battle of Yonkers, a brief shot of the astronauts watching from the ISS, and some zombies walking around on the bottom of the ocean could easily have been included.

    I can’t say much more without spoiling the movie, which I’m trying really hard not to do. But I’ll just end by saying that I’ve never been so inspired by a guy walking down a hallway full of charging zombies. It was a beautiful moment in a movie that was truly horrifying for me to watch. It’s worth it to see World War Z on the big screen; however, if you haven’t read the book, do yourself a favor and read it. Same goes for The Zombie Survival Guide, also by Max Brooks.

    3.5 out of 5 Sci-Fives!

     

    Don’t forget to buy a calendar! It’s got every nerdy holiday you can imagine, plus a super handy convention calendar, and some never-before-seen pictures that will never, ever be seen anywhere else. It’s worth it to get the 2013 calendar. Besides, if I don’t sell these, then there probably won’t be one next year so, ya know…buy one  Since it’s June, they’re super discounted (I promise you I’m not making a fortune off of them) and the price includes taxes and shipping within the US and Canada (if you live outside of the US/Canada then email me at princesstrek@hotmail.com). AND I’ll sign it if you want.

  • WonderCon 2013

    Mama Jedi, HNG, Geek Outlaw

    Mama Jedi, HNG, Geek Outlaw

    Hope y’all had a very happy and nerderific Easter! I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Between working full-time (yes, I have a “real” job!), out of town guests, and just plain old life, I just haven’t much time to blog. But I’ll try to be better.

    So, a lot of cool crap happened this past weekend. There was new Doctor Who, the season premier of Game of Thrones, and the season finale of The Walking Dead. And, of course, WonderCon.

    I mentioned in my wrap-up of last year’s WonderCon that WC was the first comic book convention I ever went to (back when it was in Oakland) and it holds a very special place in my hearts. It’s a nice combination of comic books and TV/movies. San Diego Comic Con is great, but it focuses so much on the Hollywood stuff that the comic books tend to get a little lost. A comic book vendor and I were joking on Saturday about the audacity of the people who actually buy comic books at a comic book convention! Inconceivable!

    After cosplaying as Thor for a day at SDCC last year, I honestly didn’t think I would cosplay in public again for a very long time. I’m quite shy, especially around large groups of strangers, and my instinct is to blend in. Cosplaying is the opposite of blending in. Because of the timing of the day, I didn’t spend much time at SDCC walking around as Thor. But in the brief times that I did, it garnered a lot of attention. Attention that I’m not used to and that made me a bit panicky. I was very uncomfortable and not just because of the corset. I’ve been putting together a Tenth Doctor costume for quite a while now. He’s my favorite of the Doctor incarnations (followed by Eleven, Four, Nine, and Five) and, if I’m being completely honest with myself, I was looking for an excuse to buy a sonic screwdriver. Because of last year’s experience, I almost didn’t wear it, but I’m glad that I did. It was comfortable and fun and was a great ice breaker (that and the flask of liquor I kept in my backpack *ahem*)

    Enough rambling, on to the panels I attended. Sadly, the TV show panel I was most excited about was the Vikings one and I missed it thanks to the traffic around the convention center. I was very, very sad because, as many of you know, I’m very proud of my Viking heritage. But I sat in on a bunch of really cool ones that made up for it.

    Allons-y!

    Geeking Out with the League of Extraordinary Ladies

    Panelists: Autumn Massey, Dina Kampmeyer, Emily Heyer, Geek Girl Diva, Jenn Fujikawa (Just Jenn), Sarah Kuhn, Stephanie Thorpe, Theresa Wollenstein

    These geektacular ladies are very much in line with my favorite motto: “nerd girls of the world unite.” They are a positive group of strong, independent, intelligent women who love to geek out together and support each other. As someone who can’t stand cattiness, these ladies are right up my alley. The first thing I did when I got home was to join their facebook group. I encourage everyone (men are also welcome) to join as well.  Unfortunately, we had to leave their panel early to make it to the next one. What I wouldn’t give for a time-turner so that I could go to multiple panels that are scheduled for the same time.

    Falling Skies

    Panelists: Drew Roy (Hal), Sarah Carter (Maggie), Seychelle Gabriel (Lourdes), Remi Aubuchon (Executive Producer)

    I’ve been a fan of Falling Skies from the get go. As my NerdBFF Geek Outlaw says, “if it’s got aliens in it, I’ll watch it!” And it keeps getting better. We got to see some clips from the first episode premiering June 9th on TNT, including a new baby girl, some more Karen, a badass new punk rock haircut for Matt, promotions for Tom and Lourdes, new alien technology, conflict for Maggie, and some pretty epic looking battle scenes. It definitely got me excited.

    Oddball Comics Live: Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll

    Panelist: Scott Shaw

    I’ve never laughed harder at a panel than I did at this one. Scott Shaw has collected some of the most bizarre comic books imaginable over the course of the last 50 years. It’s filled with crotches, boobs, phallic symbols, crazy concepts, and hidden-in-plain-sight imagery (kind of like the dirty stuff found in every Disney movie made from 1989 to 1992). It’s hard to tell if they were done intentionally or unintentionally.  He’s compiled them into a power point presentation that he complements with witty commentary. It’s hysterical and I highly recommend checking it out if you ever see him on a convention schedule.

    Roddenberry Presents

    Panelists: Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Tory Mell

    As a life-long Trekker, I always enjoy checking out the Roddenberry Presents panel. I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with Rod and Trevor a few times now and even interviewed Rod at SDCC last year (I’m still perfecting my interviewing skills, mmmkay?) They are super nice and working on some seriously awesome stuff.

    Rod Roddenberry, HNG, Trevor Roth. I have no idea why I look bored in this picture, I SWEAR I wasn’t. I was probably wondering if Mama Jedi knew how to operate my camera.

    Things worth checking out right now: Days Missing, Mission Log podcast, and White Room: 02B3. Things worth checking out in the near future: Worth. We were teased about exciting new things TBA at SDCC this year. One of the highlights of the panel? Winning this awesome “Cool as Kirk” t-shirt for answering one of the trivia questions correctly.

    Geeks Get Published

    Panelists: SG Browne, Katrina Hill, Alan Kistler, Alex Langley, Dr. Travis Langley. Moderated by Jenna Busch.

    This panel was extremely informative. It was a panel full of geek-centric authors offering up free advice on how to get published. The main thing I took away from it was that I’d like to get a literary agent and that I’m doing the right thing by writing what I love. Afterwards, Alan Kistler found me downstairs and wanted a picture (he’s a big Doctor Who fan and is coming out with a Doctor Who book later this year.

    Alan Kistler and HNG

    He graciously stayed and chatted with Geek Outlaw and I for a good 10-15 minutes about writing while his friends wandered off to the bar without him. Thanks again, Alan!

    Here’s some of what happened down on the Floor…

    One of the first booths we noticed was that of Lion Forge Comics. It was a mighty impressive booth.

    Geek Outlaw oohing and ahhing

    They had a healthy line for the slot machine which we were talked into joining. It was manned by this lovely lady armed with a sonic screwdriver.

    Mama Jedi went first and won a giant bag.

    Then it was my turn.

    The machine didn’t seem to be working properly so I fixed it when no one was paying attention and won a bracelet.

    Then Geek Outlaw went and won a bracelet. I totally took a picture of him doing it but he didn’t send it to me so blame him for the empty space here.

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    Based out of St. Louis, MO, Lion Forge has a lot of projects in the works and were some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. We chatted with a number of the people involved, including the Creative Director, the YouTube channel host, one of the primary writers, and even the guy who’s in charge of Licensing who was kind enough to help me get Mama Jedi into the giant bag she’d won.

    It seemed like a good idea at the time

    There was a large “celebrity row” including Boomer aka Herbert Jefferson Jr. from the Classic Battlestar Galactica.

    Star Wars staple Chewbacca aka Peter Mayhew.

    The ghost of Richard Hatch aka OG Apollo and reboot Zarek.

    The Soup Nazi aka Larry Thomas, who’s decision to sign soup ladles convinced Geek Outlaw to buy an autographed one for his parents who LOVE the Soup Nazi.

    And then there was this guy who Mama Jedi made a beeline for. I still have absolutely no idea who he is or what he does besides sitting there shirtless.

    We ran into SDCC buddy Daniel who was holding down the fort at the booth of a friend.

    We also visited a buddy from this past Long Beach Comic Con. Artist Matt Stevens creates metal fan art. Last time I bought Tenth Doctor and Wash. This time I got an Eleventh Doctor and River Song bookmark. They sit right by my desk and I LOVE them. Not only is Matt a fantastic artist but he’s a super cool dude so you should definitely check him out HERE.

    That’s a mighty fine t-shirt you got there, Matt

    One of the ships from Oblivion.

    There was a parade of R2 units lead by a small child.

    Where were those brakes again?

    They got into a fight with a couple of WALL-E‘s.

    There was some spitting and at one point the Black R2 unit totally flipped off one of the WALL-E’s as you can see in this video I took:

    [youtube:http://youtu.be/gfu_uFi_W6E]

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    It wouldn’t be an HNG convention wrap up without the costume pictures!

    One of the very first cosplayers we ran into was Toni Darling, better known to the interwebz as Lady Thor. She’s a friend of Daniel’s and the artist who’s booth he was manning (see the posters and artwork behind him?)

    I have no idea why I’m making that stupid face

    On our way to the Falling Skies panel I time crashed into my future self in the form of a delightful guy with a very convincing British accent named Jack.

    Something’s up with the universe because we ran into each other again at the end of the night while Geek Outlaw and I were chatting with Alan Kistler and took some more pics.

    This is Alan’s friend who took off for the bar while we were deep in conversation about writing and stuff

    Jack even helped us out by taking the picture of our little group in front of the WonderCon sign.

    Time crash number two occurred down on the Floor. This time I ran into my Fourth incarnation.

    Four is my favorite of the Classic Doctors so he gave me a jelly baby which I totally ate, because, heck, it’s a jelly baby from the Doctor! It was delicious.

    It was a little freakier when I saw myself. I’m just going to assume that he’s the Meta-Crisis Doctor 😉

    Mini me. Seriously, this kid was adorable. He was a bit upset with his Mom because she ruined his jacket. It’s not easy being the mother of a Time Lord, mmmkay kiddo?

    There were many, many, many ladies dressed up as the TARDIS. Apparently a Time Lord dropped some TARDIS coral on Earth at some point in the past.  This one was one of my favorites because it was so unique.

    Let’s move away from Gallifrey and check out some of the other costumes, shall we?

    This Lady Thor sat next to us during the Roddenberry panel.

    I ran into this walker at least three times. It freaked me out just as much each time. *shudder* He obviously ran into Haley from Woodbury because there’s no way Daryl would have missed that badly. Twice.

    There are always a few Ghostbusters wandering around conventions. This time they were everywhere. We chatted with a group from Sacramento for quite a while. I like the Ghostbusters groups, they do great things in their communities.

    The Ecto-truck (behind Ecto-1) belongs to one of the guys from the Sacramento group.

    The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was the Dad of the Mini Tenth Doctor (see him down in the right hand corner? He’s totally thinking he has the coolest Dad ever).

    Stay Puft helped me out by posing with Flat Stanley. I was put in charge of Flat Stanley by a friend who’s kid read the book. I honestly have no idea what the heck Flat Stanley is all about but I returned him to his owner yesterday. Apparently I’m getting him back when I go to Wisconsin for my family reunion next month,

    Rad.

    Steam Punk Snow White can kick your ass.

    Disney Princesses + Rainbow Brite = every little girl’s fantasy come true.

    Jon Snow admiring Daenerys’ …uh…eggs. Riiiight…..

    THIS.

    COBRA Command from GI Joe. I’m pulling this entirely from memory here but the group seems to include Serpentor, Destro, The Baroness, and I think Zarana, a BAT and a Night Creeper. Please correct me if I’m wrong, it’s been more than a few years.

    Marvel goodies vs. DC baddies.

    LEGO Darth Maul!

    This fellow HNG was mighty hot for a scruffy looking nerf herder.

    That’s a nice multipass you got there, Leeloo (and a view from the rear for anyone who’s interested).Finally, there’s CMDR William T. Riker as portrayed by a guy who’s name really is William (no joke). He was very nice and we chatted for a few minutes about how much we love Star Trek. It was only after I got home that I realize we’d already met and taken a picture together at Long Beach Comic Con back in November. Kismet!

    And that concludes my wrap up of WonderCon 2013. It was loads of fun and I’m looking forward to next year!

  • What I need to survive the zombie apocalypse (revised)

    HNG Zombification by Brett DeWall

    One of my earliest HNG posts was titled “What I need to survive the zombie apocalypse.” Since then, The Walking Dead has premiered and risen to cult-like status, not to mention I’ve discovered new products and had about a gazillion more zombie-related nightmares (seriously, there are nights when I hardly sleep at all because of them…bastards).

    I think about the zombie apocalypse a lot. Way more than I should. And despite my massive fear of zombies, I’ve watched every episode of The Walking Dead (and Talking Dead) religiously. I’m a glutton for punishment, apparently.

    When it comes to the zombie apocalypse, some people get it and some people think that I’m completely ridiculous and insane. I’m of the opinion that it never hurts to be prepared for a disaster, regardless of whether it’s a plague of the undead or an earthquake. You just never know.

    So I’m updating my list of must-have items. The original listincluded:

    – Two Japanese swords (katana or tachi – although I would totally take a couple of tsurugi’s) … this was long before I knew of Michonne, by the way.

    – Some grenades (in case I get surrounded)

    – One really good pair of running shoes (uhm, self-explanatory)

    – Five ponytail holders (in case some get lost and because rubber bands are really damaging to your hair)

    – One kinetic water resistant watch (doesn’t need batteries and can handle some rain)

    – One really amazing sports bra (YOU try running around with 34DD’s)

    – Water purification tablets (alas, I doubt I’ll have easy access to my beloved Arrowhead)

    – One pair of Maui Jim sports sunglasses (preferably with one of those landyards that hold them to your head)

    – One baseball hat (can’t have sun in your eyes while you’re fighting the undead)

    This is one of my faves

    – As many MRE’s and meal replacement bars as I can carry in a light hiker’s backpack

    That’s a pretty darn good list if I do say so myself. But I’ve come to realize that there are other things I’ll be wanting and/or needing. The Zombie Research Society recommends packing items like maxipads and pantyhose. They serve multiple functions and are definitely good suggestions; however, they don’t make it to my list (sorry, Matt Mogk…I still heart you). Remember, I’m a rather petite chick and plan on carrying as little as possible.

    So here’s what I’d like to add to my list:

    – A sturdy Buck knife (I have a trusty one that my Dad gave me when I became a Brownie Girl Scout…cause my Dad is awesome…and I’ve learned from Andrea that having a knife on you at all times is a life saver)

    Thanks Dad!

     

    – Pocket knife (also trusty, also given to me by my Dad when I became a Girl Scout)

    – Brass knuckles (when all else fails, PUNCH the zombies in the head)

    – A roll of Duct Tape (because it fixes everything and can be used as improvised light body armor)

    – A length of chain and a carabiner (For scrambling up fences or walls or whatever. I’m not sure how long a length I could practically carry but the longer the better. I’d settle for some rope if I had to)

    – Eye Drops (nothing puts a damper on zombie killing more than getting crap in your eye or having dry eyes. It’s a luxury item, but one I’d like to have)

    – Chapstick with sunscreen (to protect your knuckles, nose, eartips, and lips from sunburn and chapping)

    – Bar of deodorant (not necessarily for body odor, but to prevent chafing. It can help prevent blisters if your shoes don’t quite fit, or if something like, I dunno…a gun holster rubs you the wrong way)

    – Baby powder (can also be used to prevent chafing and can be used in lieu of shampoo/soap to absorb oil and grease)

    – Hand or baby wipes (I’m Obsessive Compulsive and my hands must be clean as much as humanly possible. In fact, throw a toothbrush in there too)

    – Extra socks (every military guy I know, most of whom are related to me, recommend having extra socks. Plus, I know it’s been mentioned in a ton of movies)

    – First aid kit with antibiotics and an EpiPen (Duh, this should have been on my original list)

    – Electrolytes (these bad boys come in handy when you get a muscle cramp. I take them when I go hiking and it helps prevent muscle soreness later as well)

    Electrolytes FTW!

    – Night vision goggles (couldn’t hurt to be able to see in the dark)

    – Collapsible canteens (a no-brainer and I really prefer them over the condoms the ZRS recommends carrying around)

    – A Keeper or Moon Cup (see explanation below)

    That last one might be TMI for the guys reading this, but we girls need to think about these things and there’s no guarantee we’ll have a Glenn who’s willing to risk his life for a box of tampons. The Keeper/Moon Cup is a fantastic little gizmo. You can leave it in all day and just rinse and reuse. Plus, it literally lasts for decades. I have yet to find a better alternative for dealing with Aunt Flo during a zombie apocalypse (or a day at the beach). You’re welcome ladies.

    If possible, I’d like to throw a gun and a decent amount of ammo on the list but since I don’t currently own a gun, I’d have to pick one up along the way. Luckily, I have a few Dad’s that taught me how to use guns so I’m familiar with them and can pretty much handle any one I manage to grab.

    Hopefully I’ll never have to worry about this stuff but I’m tougher than I look and could probably lead my Zombie Apocalypse Annihilation Team (ZAAT) without going batshit crazy a la Rick.

    Ready to kick some zombie ass for realz yo

    Have anything you think should be added to the list? Let me know in the comments!

  • “Dylan Dog Dead……” And that’s it

    Ok, what with all the sci-fi/fantasy movies coming out lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reviews. I don’t want this to turn into strictly a movie review blog, but it’s nice to throw them in on occasion. And as this summer looks to be a pretty big nerd/dork/geek fest for movies (Captain America, Thor, Priest, X-Men First Class, etc etc) I’m going to see if I can slide movie reviews over to Mondays so that Wednesday can be my usual musings on whatever nerdy thing comes to mind. Like mustaches. :{)

    That being said, I’ll kick off my Monday Movie Madness with a review of colossal turd “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night“. [SPOILERS AHEAD]

    This movie had a ton of issues with it. First off, you guys know me. I love a good bit of fantasy. I’m an avid closet Twilight fan which means that whenever there’s a vampire or a werewolf in something, I’m totally willing to give it a shot. But the vampires, werewolves, and zombies kind of looked like they were made by a high school student creating special effects. I will say that the giant Zombie with the mandibles that looked like the cracked out vampires from Blade 2 actually looked really good. But everything else was kind of cut-rate. Which is totally fine for a movie that looked like it had a very, very cheap budget. The whole thing was filmed in Louisiana, which gives huuuuge tax breaks for filming there. If you watched the trailer, you’ll hear him say, “No plan, just bigger guns.” That ‘bigger guns’ moment lasted about 15 seconds and consisted of Dylan (Brandon Routh) walking at the camera shooting different guns. As he walks out of the cameras periphery, you see bodies of all the vampires he’s killed with some kind of flares in their chest or something. Come on guys, you had to go THAT cheap on the special effects that we can’t even see people getting holes blown in their chests, a la Desperado?

    [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCeLIa02iy0]

    That being said, I can look over bad make-up/special effects when the script is at least fun. I’ve never read any of the Dylan Dog books but the script for this one was just flat out weak. It was the trailer that gave me any measure of hope that it would be good, but it did the classic move of just grabbing any chunk of the movie that worked. And maybe it’s what we’ll call “The Whedon Effect” or perhaps “The Raimi Conundrum,” but when I see a trailer like the one for Dylan Dog I expect to see either more wit/sarcasm (Whedon) or tongue so firmly pressed into cheek you see blood (Raimi). This had neither. There were so many clinched lines that just didn’t work. It all started with Dylan having a gun pointed in his face and then having a discussion with the guy who was pointing the gun about the proper way to threaten people with a gun. Blah. It’s like they were pissing on the future graves of Whedon and Raimi. How dare you sir, how dare you. *slaps with white glove*

    "Hi, I'm a zombie. No really. A zombie." – Sam Huntington (only redeeming thing in this movie)

    But lets not lay all of the blame on the script. There were definitely moments that could have been funny. The problem is that Brandon Routh did nothing with them. Seriously. Nothing. I had high hopes that Mr. Routh could be the making of the next Nathan Fillion or Bruce Campbell. Unfortunately, he just came off as wooden and kind of stiff. When you’re so pretty you make a girl swoon (seriously, when he took his shirt off, I drooled a little) and you aren’t willing to have fun then you’re going to drag all of us kicking and screaming through the movie. Remember when Ash (Bruce) is showing off his BOOMSTICK?

    See that face? He’s into it. That’s HIS boomstick. He’s sold. I never got that from Brandon. I don’t know, maybe I was just too lost in his eyes, those lipid pools of awesome cascading down from the glorious mountains that are his pectorals…… what was I writing about again?….

    hubba hubba

    One Sci-Five out of Five

  • What I need to survive the zombie apocalypse

    Even as a Zombie, I can still work an iPhone… Girls are smarter than boys, even when we're undead 🙂

    What do you give a girl who’s biggest fear is zombies?

    Why, two Samurai swords, of course!

    You may have read any number of zombie survival guides.  I know I have.  Because hey, the zombie apocalypse could TOTALLY happen.  I have nightmares about it.  I had one particular nightmare a while back: I was walking down the aisle of the church and everything seemed to be fine.  Just as I reached the altar, zombies started swarming into the church.  I was literally fighting zombies in a wedding dress with a candelabrum.  This got me thinking.  What do I really want/need in the event zombies start to take over our planet?  Here is the list I came up with:

    – Two Japanese swords (katana and tachi – although I would totally take a couple of tsurugi’s)

    – Some grenades (in case I get surrounded)

    – One really good pair of running shoes (uhm, self-explanatory)

    – Five ponytail holders (in case some get lost and because rubber bands are really damaging to your hair)

    – One water resistant watch (in case of rain, we all know zombies are impervious to water)

    – One really amazing sports bra (YOU try running around with 34DD’s)

    – Water purification tablets (alas, I doubt I’ll have easy access to my beloved Arrowhead)

    – One pair of Maui Jim sports sunglasses (preferably with one of those landyards that hold them to your head)

    – One baseball hat (can’t have sun in your eyes while you’re fighting the undead)

    – As many MRE’s as I can carry in a light hiker’s backpack (they last FOREVER, my emergency MRE’s are from WWII)

    Zombie family reunion

    Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really believe in zombies that are dead people come back to life.  I believe in the virus zombies.  The kind where a virus gets out of control and infects everyone but the few unlucky immune who are left trying to save the planet and find a cure if they’re lucky.  It’s pretty bleak but entirely possible.  Just think of how many viruses and bacteria are being worked on, manipulated and created everyday in labs.  Think of all the diseases that are mutating in nature.  Think of the work being done in nano technology!  Any one of these factors could result in a zombie apocalypse.

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxs3tZkgIAk&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3]

    Why swords instead of guns?  Guns run out of bullets.  Swords don’t.  Japanese swords tend to be lighter then their European and Middle Eastern counterparts.  For a chick, that’s a good thing.  Swords cut off heads.  Zombies are hard to kill but it’s universally accepted that cutting off their heads will get the job done.  They can be strapped to your back for easy two-handed access in a pinch but are still out of the way while walking and running.  They can always be sharpened and won’t jam up when wet.  They are easy to clean.  They are bad ass.

    I’ve got everything but the swords and the grenades.

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