When Zombies Come...

2012-05-10T09:19:00.002+01:00

An interview with a young explorer:

Zombies and Aye-ayes!

I think it would be fair to say that we all have a spirit of adventure and a hunger to live a little on the edge. In some of us it might mean wearing those wild Homer Simpsons socks to work that your boss specifically said looked stupid. However, in a rare breed of others it means travelling to the wild and remote corners of the earth trekking rainforests, braving waves and crossing that rickety rope bridge you see in every Indiana Jones film. My good friend Chris Willmet is certainly the latter and on his journeys he has actually came across stories of zombies and demons. So here is a short but sweet interview with him that’s a world exclusive for wherezombiescome!

So can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Well, I’m 21 years old and from South Wales originally. When I've got some free time I really enjoy rock climbing, mountain biking and surfing. I'm currently living out in Australia on a one year visa and having an amazing new time travelling round and meeting new people every day.

Chris Willmett
(Image courtesy of Chris Willmett)

Where have you visited and what has been your favourite place and why?

Lets see I've been around parts of Europe and Africa and now like I said I’m in Australia. As far as my favourite place I would have to say Madagascar because it was somewhere I had always wanted to go as a kid. The terrain it fascinating as well from north to south it changes completely. Its one of the most isolated places in the world as far as animals are concerned and packed with incredible species exclusive to that one island. You can even still find egg shells from the extinct Elephant Bird that was around 10 feet tall just on the surface of the ground. It really is a fascinating place.

(Image courtesy of Chris Willmett)

What made you want to be an explorer and is there much of a living that can be made out of it?

Ha, no not at all really. I fund all my own trips so its not glamorous - I've not got an off shore account in the Cayman Islands with a couple million stashed away! I do hope to document some trips in a journal though and maybe I could look into getting that published. I just live as humble as I can at home and save up for my next trip. I think it would be pushing it to say I’m an ‘explorer’ too; I just grew up watching Steve Irwin, Steve Backshall and other wild life programs. Then I started to read books by Bruce Parry and Ranulf Fiennes and not really wanted to do much else other than make some great stories of my own.

What zombie related stories have you picked up?

Well as far as zombies go, I think out of where I have been South Africa stands out the most. Some people do have very strong and serious beliefs in zombies and the dead coming back to life. In South Africa they link being made a zombie with small children and being possessed. In Madagascar they believe the species of lemur that is exclusively found there called the aye-aye is a demon and can kill with the point of its extended finger. When I visited a tribe in the jungle they thought that we were actually ghosts because they has never seen a white person before. It was amazing to see how they reacted to us and its an experience I really feel lucky to have. But yeah as far as zombies go I would say South Africa.

The lovely looking aye-aye
(Image courtesy of Amareta Kelly)

Where are you off next?

Well, I'm really enjoying Australia at the moment but I think next on my list is South America. That is a place I really want to go. In fact I may even pop over to Haiti and see what else I can find out about zombies for the next time you want to interview me.

I would just like to say thanks to Chris for the interview and I hope it made for some interesting reading.

Zombie love.

2012-04-12T16:46:00.001+01:00

How To Market A New Blog:

I would just like to take this opportunity to say thank you for visiting my blog, its only been going for a few weeks but I have already has some great feedback. This is my first proper blog and would still very much class myself as a newbie. However during this short time I have picked up some handy hints and tips on how to market a new blog. So if you are thinking about starting one up I highly recommend it and hope this post helps you on your way.

(Image by Inju)

So you have a really good new idea for a blog, you know how it will look aesthetically and you’ve already started writing your first post. Now all you need to do is spread the word! First things first, when you set up your blog make sure the web address has all the key words that would be used to define your blog. My blog is about zombies so I made sure that key word was in the web address, this will really help you optimise your search engine results. This is very important once you come to monetize your blog.

Maybe not as simple as this, but this might interest you.

To monetize your blog is very simple. If you are with blogger like me then all you have to do is click on ‘Earnings’ on the dashboard and follow the steps. This will take a few days to become active but will allow Google to advertise on your blog. If you want to do this or not you still need to market your blog, because no matter how good your content is you still need get it out into circulation.

To make sure your blog comes high on the results generated from a search engine you need to post regularly. As well as this you should try to make as many connections to other sites as you can. This can be done by linking to other site in your posts, posting on specialised forums and of course social networks. To make your blog look professional it helps to set up facebook and twitter accounts dedicated to the blog, then you can post freely and regularly without using your existing social network accounts.

If you are looking to set up a blog similar to this one then your best bet is to really focus on forums. There are a lot of really well maintained and interesting zombie forums such as zombie-forum.com, zombiehunters.org/forum/ and allthingszombie.com/mb/. If you can get a few discussions going then mention your blog as a place to investigate more then you will see your hits go up. As well as this get in touch with myself, I would be more than happy to co-promote with a fellow zombie blogger!

Once you have begun to do all the things already mentioned all you need to do is keep it up! Regular and quality posts really are the foundations for any successful blog. Good luck fellow bloggers.

Image by marsmet544

2012-03-18T22:59:00.003+00:00

A review of the new iPad: A zombie fighting tool?

If you asked someone to name a modern day 'must have' item, they may very well name an Apple product. The latest iPhone sold over four million units in its first three days and has fast become one of the most highly grossing gadgets of all time. Apple have now just released the new iPad on the 16th of March , which sold out of pre-order copies in the UK. So the aim of this post is to do a little review of the iPad, then asses how well it would do as a part of your zombie apocalypse supplies.

The iPad

(Image courtesy of apple.com)

The tablet computer will cost you £399 for the basic 16 GB Wi-Fi model. If your willing to spend a bit more then you can get 32GB or 64GB as well as Wi-Fi + 4G models. Apple have made several improvements on the previous iPad 2. This latest model has four times as many pixels on the same 9.7 inch screen, giving it one million more pixels than a HD television. It also boast a ten hour battery life, 5 megapixel camera and HD video recording. Full specs are available here, the video below offers more description and a little bit of eye candy.

So far reviews have been good. The iPads stunning new screen is winning over many critics, such as The Guardian and techradar. However, as surprising as it may seem, no review has yet to critique the new iPad as a zombie fighting tool.

Undead Essential?

The new iPad is slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor, however it is still a very portable and compact computing device. This is essential when looking at zombie friendly gadgets as the ability to make a swift get away is paramount.

As well as being light the iPad is very versatile the ability to construct word documents, record still and moving images and research information are all helpful in documenting zombie related knowledge. Whilst Apples intuitive interface and slick controls allow all of this to be done quickly and easily. Furthermore Apples ever expanding app store is increasing the uses of the iPad daily, as well as supplying games such as Plants vs Zombies and Age of Zombies.

However as a zombie fighting tool the iPads complexity is ultimately its downfall. As a post apocalyptic rule the simpler the better. Although the battery life is an impressive ten hours, when electricity reaches a premium it is lighting and heating that take priority. So as impressive all its applications are once it has no power the iPad is no more than a large signal mirror.

In conclusion the iPad is a very impressive bit of tech. Although when your preparing your zombie survival kit you may want to leave it out. Look for low tech alternatives such as a book, a jigsaw or a samurai sword.

2012-03-18T12:30:00.000+00:00

#2 Lucy Briggs

What I would grab...

My Zombie Apocalypse Supplies

Dolly - The first thing grab because I've had her since I was a child and would make me feel safe.
Canon 600D - My dslr would be great for documenting what happens and it is too expensive too just leave.
Olympus OM10 - Like my dslr this camera would be good for documenting what happens, but more importantly it used to be my mums and she passed it onto me.
Journal - This is the journal I made at the beginning of the year to document events that have been happening throughout the year. If there is a time to document one, Zday would be it.
Box - A hand made box which has lots of sentimental things inside.
2 books - My mum always said you should have a book in your bag at all times because you never know how long your going to be waiting around. These are two books I still need to read, so I'd grab them.
3 cd's - These are cd's from my favourite artist (Damien Rice), pianist (Ludovico Einaudi) and band (The Maccabees). Music would be great for passing time and relaxing me.
Jumper - My favourite jumper which I'd mainly grab because I get cold so easily.
My diary - It goes everywhere with me and could come in useful.
Jewellery - 2 rings from my 2 sisters and a Pandora bracelet from my boyfriend.
Photos - I'd grab photos of my family, especially the one of my nephew, in case something happened to them.
Phone - Would come in handy for trying to call friends and family.

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock.
Photo by Roger4336

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire is Winston Churchill's birth place. I know the grounds of the palace like the back of my hand and its such a big area which means there are lots of escape routes and places to create traps. The palace has such a high level of security that it would make sense to go there to protect myself. Even though its an old building, it is made of strong stone and it equipped with all the things I'd need like food, water and shelter.

2012-03-12T19:47:00.002+00:00

Zombies: A brief history of the concept

When investigating the history of the modern zombie concept the hunt can be split into two categorise, fictional and factual. Out of these two it is clear that the biggest influences have been fictional, with films, television and books collectively crafting the modern zombie shaped mould. However this fictional fellow is delicately hung on some factual events.

This post is my run down of the key dates and events that the future zombie apocalypse survivors will look back on and say, 'How could we have been so blind!'.

1) 1584 - First recorded case of rabies by Italian Girolamo Fracastoro. Rabies is a viral disease that is transmitted by bite. It most commonly effects animals such as dogs and bats but has been recorded to effect humans. Swelling of the brain can cause pain, violent movements and aggression, usually resulting in death. It was considered to be eradicated in the UK however recently rabid bats have been reported in Scotland. Many believe that if a zombie virus did materialize, it would be a mutation or variation of rabies.

Human infected with rabies

2) 1937 - Case of Haitian woman allegedly returning back from the dead. Folklorist Zora Neale Hurston reported a family in Haiti, that claimed a strange woman who appeared in the village to be a family member that had been buried in 1907. The notion of rising from the dead and zombies is one that runs deep in the voodoo beliefs of many Haitian people. The use of dark magic and witch doctors is prevalent in many Caribbean and African nations.

(video courtesy of BBCWorldwide)

3) 1993 - A group of female Chinese athletes broke five world records in running after eating cordyceps mushroom. The cordyceps are a fascinating species of mushroom that included about 400 different varieties. It has been used as a medicine in Asia for thousand of years for its energy giving properties. Western medicine has recently begun exploring its benefits, largely due to impressive results such as in 1993. So what does this have to do with zombies? Well some species exhibit the ominous ability of mind control as explained in the video bellow. Currently this has only been recorded in insects, although science has yet to fully understand the processes involved in this method of skull busting reproduction. This fatal fungus should not be dismissed when considering possible zombie apocalypse scenarios.

(video courtesy of BBCWorldwide)

4) 2011 - Mexico City break world record in 10,000 strong zombie march. This impressive gathering is evidence that the obsession with the undead is only increasing. 'Zombie Walks' have become an increasingly popular pass time, meaning that you may not even have to wait for a zombie virus to see a horde of pale crusties walking down your street.

10,000 Mexican zombies!
(image courtesy of BBC)

5) 2012 - Zombie grandmother ‘dead’ for six days. 95 year old Li Xiufeng was found motionless and appeared not to be breathing and unresponsive, shortly after a injury to her head. After being presumed dead she was put in an open coffin and respects were paid. However after six days she awoke from her coffin and was found in her kitchen cooking some food. She didn't seem to be bothered by the whole thing; she said she has slept for a long time and now she was very hungry. Ok, so this is not really an omen of the final zombie reckoning, but an interesting story nonetheless.

(image courtesy of The Mirror)
Li Xiufeng looking very much alive

6) The Future... So what should we be looking out for in the future? Angry bats? Head fungus? Zombie Mexicans? Undead grannies? Maybe a combination of them all, an angry mushrooming Mexican old lady? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that I'm going to keep posting until I find out. If you have any idea then please comment.

Stay sharp.

2012-03-05T16:37:00.001+00:00

How to do a nifty little card trick:

Although supplies and location are the number one priority when preparing for Z day, its also good to have one or two little tricks up your sleeve. These could come in handy to hustle some chump out of his last cream egg or to just keep you entertained on a boring night of zombie patrol.

Here is a really simple but effective card trick you can learn in under a minute. After reading this post you will be able to hand your chump a deck of cards, ask them to shuffle it, then then flick through the deck until they say stop. Then without looking at the card yourself, you will be able to show them the one they picked and tell them what it is.

So like most card tricks this one is all about slight of hand and a little trickery. Give your intended fool the deck and get them to shuffle it - they can do what they want, it wont make any difference. However make sure to peak at the bottom card before you start the trick. This is very important.

When you get the deck back hold it in one hard by pinching it side on with your thumb and fingers. Make sure the deck is facing your chump with the end closest to them tilted down slightly. Then with your other hand use your middle and index finger to pull the cards towards you. At this point ask the chump to say stop when they have chosen a card.

Pinching the deck with one hand and using the other to
shuffle through the deck.

When they say, stop scrolling through the deck. Then use the hand not holding the cards to push down on the top of the deck sliding the top cards away. Now this is the only tricky bit. Use your free thumb to also slide the bottom card towards you at the same time.

Use the index and middle finger to slide the top of the
deck and the thumb to slide the very bottom card

Make sure to hold the cards tight enough that both top and bottom of the deck come away together. This will give the impression that the bottom card which you have memorised is in fact the card they said stop on.

Pull all cards away in one smooth motion

When you have pulled the cards free make sure not to look at them. Lift the cards up to face your chump and say the card that you memorised. Then just wait for them to be amazed. Oh, and of course eat their last cream egg.

This is a simple and elegant trick that when done well will look genuinely impressive. If your still a bit unsure how to do it don't worry the video below of my ugly mits should clear up any confusion.

Now go out and hustle for keeps!

More posts on the way....
Thanks for reading

2012-03-02T17:36:00.000+00:00

#1 Rhys Evans

So this is the first post on what this blog is really about. A personal account of what you would take and where would you go if Z Day ever did happen. To start it off Ill do my own.

My Zombie Apocalypse Supplies

My childhood teddy bear - There is no way this guy is getting left behind.
Plastic crossbow and dart - It may only be plastic but crossbows are phenomenal, and if nothing else I will mildly annoy the approaching zombie masses.
Lighter - I don’t smoke but as we all know lighters are bad ass, especially if it’s a Zippo lighter.
Etch-a-sketch - This is one of favourite pass times and if it is truly the apocalypse then someone has to document it, so why not on an etch-a-sketch.
Books:

Sharks - I have a child like obsession with sharks and find any and all books on them fascinating.

Into The Wild - The article bellow should explain this one.

The Zombie Survival Guide - If there was ever a time for this book to show its worth…..

Essential Foreign Swear Words - This always makes me smile and could be a valuable if Britain got a bit too zombielicious.

A History Of The World In 100 Objects - This is one of my favourite books and I could read it for hours.
Boxing gloves - These are from my kickboxing kit bag and remind me of my favourite sport.
Lobster pot- This was given to me by my girlfriend and not only is in one of the most memorable gifts I have ever received its also really useful. A zombie apocalypse is no reason not to indulge in a little fine dining.

Caldicot Castle
Photo by Nicksarebi

This was my second home as a child. I have climbed (or at least attempted to) every tree and hidden in every den. There is no place on earth I feel more at home or safe, the fact that it is a huge castle is just an added bonus. As well as all the long swords and dungeons there is a café for food and a giant chess set (in case I get bored). The combination of feeling and being safe makes this my number one location for a zombie proof fortress.

Many more to follow.

2012-02-28T11:30:00.002+00:00

A useful tool suggested to me by Martha Davies for calculating how long you would last....

2012-02-20T11:33:00.002+00:00

The book I would read post zombie apocalypse:
Into The Wild by John Krakauer

To kick off this blog I will be reviewing one of the first items I would grab in the event of a zombie invasion. Into the Wild is a book that documents the enthralling story of Christopher McCandless (aka Alexande Supertramp), written by the journalist who became obsessed with him - John Krakauer.

After writing his 900 word article on McCandless entitled “Death Of An Innocent” for Outside magazine, Krakauer felt compelled to continue his investigation into the life and death of the young man from California.

Photo by Stephen Cummings
'Into The Wild'

Born into a relatively wealthy family, McCandless graduated from High School with money, success and opportunities. However it was at this point that he chose to donate his entire savings to Oxfam and begin travelling throughout America alone with no money, family or long term plan other than to end his journey in Alaska.

Krakauer was so fascinated by this story because it is so similar to his own. He was a climber who also has a yearning for adventure. Through out the book he talks about his life, as well as others who had a similar story. He also talks about the writers such as Thoreau, Tolstoy and Kerouac that inspired McCandless and whose words offered solace in moments of loneliness and defeat.

Photo by Laurent-34
'A self portrait of McCandless discovered in his camera after his death'

Prior to reading this book I did idolise McCandless. However, after reading (and re reading) it I do not feel the same. Krakauer does an excellent job at addressing Christopher as a complete character. In researching the book he visited the McCandless family and many of the people he interacted with on his journey. The young man is portrayed to be insightful, brave and incredibly committed to his moral values, as well as selfish, inconsiderate and naive. The story is evidently written with passion and as a result it reads with true emotion and honestly that reverberates far beyond its pages.

The book has been received with a mixed reception. Some (like myself) have found it incredibly powerful. One specific landmark mentioned has now become the end marker of a pilgrimage made my many who seek the same freedom that Christopher sought. However, some believe the book is simply an account of one mans naïve outlook of the wild and the dangers in places such as Alaska.

Photo by Blmiers2
'Alaska; The Last Frontier'

For me it was the most inspirational book I have ever read. It awakened a hunger for adventure and a great journey, whilst making me humble to the love I already have around me. Since reading it I have recommended it to anyone that would listen. It seems only fitting that I end with what is believed to be the last written words of a 24 year old man who left everyone who loved him in search for ‘The Wild’:

“Happiness only real when shared”

For those interested in reading this book it is available from all good providers, such as Amazon and Play.