Criminals and More Zombies

So I’ve tried not to extend my zombie love affair in the office. Not that anybody’s interested anyway. I’ve put down “No Easy Hope” to give way to the season finale of The Walking Dead. Suffice to say, it was a good rendition of the classic movie, Night of the Living Dead. Of course, there former had more action with the characters fighting back and having that “God-mode” of hitting-zombies-in-the-head-with-just-one-shot-while-moving. I would remember as a kid that I first had a glimpse of zombies in HBO, while watching Night of the Living Dead. What got to me was the ugly and scary faces of the zombies, rather than their sluggish movements. The ‘walkers’ in the series were more energetic (?), maybe they were eager at the prospect of a fresh meal. Anyway, the next season would premiere on Fall, so it’s another long wait before we see what happens to the group.

Moving on to non-zombie matters....

Safety and security in the village has not been satisfactory. There were incidents of theft, carnapping and forced entry into some homes. Despite efforts of the association to increase security guards and their wages, it still wasn’t enough. They were suspecting tenants who usually rent houses inside the village and observe patterns of households. They would also befriend household helpers, sometimes get them as girlfriends who would serve as lookouts or informants. When they have acquired information, they would force themselves in the house when the owners are in their offices and schools.

According to spy movies and novels, the most dangerous mistake is to have a routine that could help these criminals predict your next move. Sometimes, it is also a good practice to have erratic schedules and use different routes. It’s good to have a pilot for a brother as they have the most bizarre and erratic schedules.
A neighbor’s car was stolen as well, but it might be because it was parked outside his house. Secretly, I wouldn’t mind those cars being taken away... I mean, what’s the point of buying cars when there’s not enough space in your garage to keep them. Our village roads only have 2 lanes so when a car is parked on the street, only 1 car can pass. It’s such a hassle for everyone, really.

Fact is, criminals are getting smarter. They invest by staying in villages, doing their “due diligence” to make calculated efforts and maximizing their returns, given the risk mitigation that they took. I remember a story a few years back wherein South American ladies would fly business class and steal from other passengers in the lounges. Other passengers wouldn’t think so much about security as they are in an exclusive area and that everyone is “honourable” enough. Right now, we need to be more vigilant, keep an eye out for suspicious persons and be have erratic schedules.

Partial Review: No Easy Hope

I’ve been one of those people who are called spectators. I enjoy watching from the sidelines and cheer/boo people on. This would be mighty applicable with my fascination for anything zombie-themed. I like watching movies, reading books and even the walkthroughs of epic zombie games like Left 4 Dead and the Resident Evil series. But when it comes to actually being part of a world that is dominated by zombies (think 28 Days Later and The Walking Dead), I am pretty sure I’d be one of the first to freeze up, squeal like a sissy girl and cause myself more harm than good. I’d rather play Plants vs Zombies than play Left 4 Dead, which I know will induce a few white hairs and an increased heart rate.

So I am currently reading this ebook I got from Amazon.com. The title is No Easy Hope (Surviving the Dead) Book 1 by James N. Cook. It only costs around $4 and it’s a pretty easy read. It’s a first person perspective of protagonist Eric Riordan, where he narrates his life in a zombie-infested world. He then takes us back to a few years prior to the outbreak where he meets Gabriel Garrett, former scout sniper in the Marine Corps. To explain without giving up too many details, Gabe was aware of a virus that can kill people and bring them back to life as flesh-thirsty monsters. He and Eric prepared for the inevitable and true enough, when the virus took to the streets, they were capable of defending and caring for themselves.

I’m only 54% done in the novel (according to my Kindle App) but I would like to share that what struck and surprised me the most in the story so far was when Eric was watching the virus spread on TV. It’s that feeling of helplessness as well as frantic anticipation of the bad things that will start coming your way. Despite the fact that the hero had a well-equipped bunker in his semi-isolated home, there is still tension and nervous wonder if you’ll ever survive.
Is this preparation enough?
Do I have enough to last me weeks? Months? Years?
Is this the life I’ll live for the rest of my life?

It was the waiting and wondering that really got to me...how long do you think you’ll hide before deciding to go out into a new world?

...to be continued...

Getting fit for the apocalypse

Lately I've been researching on books or fiction with alternate realities, specifically the scenario wherein Nazis won World War II and left the Allied powers almost broke with no military force to protect them incase the Axis powers decide to invade their country. One good suggestion for a novel is Robert Harris' Fatherland. He's the same author of Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. I personally haven't read Fatherland but I read Hannibal and Red Dragon. I'm thinking of buying the Fatherland ebook. It might be a good read and see from his imagination and perspective a world with Germany as the most powerful country on earth.

Jumping to the future, I've been watching some gameplays of Left 4 Dead on youtube. This also makes me wonder what kind of world we'd have if zombies live among us. Many popular theories are depicted either in books (Max Brooks' World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide), movies (Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days/Weeks Later, I am Legend) and even on TV (The Walking Dead). This may suggest the possibility of a widespread virus that attacks the human body and turns it into lifeless cannibals.

Apart from The Zombie Survival Guide, the movie Zombieland gives us tips and tricks which may be useful in the event of that catastrophe. Which kind of changes my perspective on fitness. Instead of going to the gym to help me lose weight, I could see this as a paradigm shift a d turn it into a training for zombie protection. Improve stamina, build mental toughness and even learn how to fire high-powered weapons. Personally, I'd think it would be a better motivation than improving self confidence and body image. But that's just me.