Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 does this explore the theory of zombie survival as well as cover the different type of zombies and best gameplan for zombie head removal in each case? i may have to look into adding this to my graduate school curriculum next year.
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 World War Z is part of the curriculum - six of the fifteen contact hours are based on the book (it's a one credit seminar). We start with a Nova film called Rat Attack!, and then move to international relations theory, including this cool article from the June/July issue of Foreign Policy. And I think I need to move this out of the news thread and into NSR!
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 I would suggest adding dates of scheduled zombie walks in various cities.
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 Zombie walks are an awful idea. Everyone who's seen a horror movie knows that zombies have an unerring sense of ironic timing. If there were to be a zombie outbreak, where do you think the first one would show up? At a zombie walk, of course. Everyone would be like "Oh man, you've got such a great costume! How did you do the maOH GOD YOU'RE EATING MY FACE OH GOD!" And then other people would see it and assume it was just an extremely realistic bit of acting, and they'd get killed too. Then, the surrounding areas would assume this big group of slouching people who looked like zombies were the participants of a fun weekend activity and not actual flesh-eating undead, at which point they'd be killed as well. So basically, if you're concerned about zombies, participating in a zombie walk (or any variant, such as a zombie run--because really, we need FAST zombies) is about the worst thing you can do.
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 Just curious Ismitje, have you been watching the Walking Dead on AMC? I've only watched the first episode so far, but I really like it. Heres a question for you: Why in everyone of these stories, the main characters always end up going to the city. Its a CITY with PEOPLE, and THEY ARE ALL HUNGRY! Geez.
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 Such a good show!!! I just got through the 3rd and half of the 4th episode last night. Cant wait for tonight to see the rest of 4. Check it out!
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 ya its a pretty good show, havent watched the season finale yet so im hoping they finish it off strong. they've already signed on for another 13 episodes next season. i agree about your point though, seems like they always make the same stupid mistakes. zombie films are one of those breads of movies where you as film watcher are so intrigued but so damn frustrated at the same time. true zombie film lovers always get mad, i'm constantly thinking and saying out loud how stupid the decisions the characters make in those films. always thinking, i would do this and this and i definitely would survive this situation. zombieland is probably the one zombie film that actually subtly addresses those things, with his rules and all that. most other films the characters are completely naive of any ideas of how to handle a zombie apocalypse.
Re: RSL Offseason News Thread 2010-11 I know I'm a little late to this party, but Zombieland is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I just haven't been able to watch that Facebook movie (the title escapes me) because I don't think I could take it seriuosly! And try to tell me Woody's role in that show wasn't the best role he's ever played! "Double Tap"
I took a public speaking class during my sophomore year at Weber State, and our final speech was a celebratory speech. We had to give a 5-7 minute speech giving praise to someone or something. A lot of people gave their speech on family members, favorite memories, etc. I decided to give mine on zombies and the lack of civil rights we give them. I spoke on how zombies are just trying to survive like we are, only we are their source of food. I in no way recommended befriending them, but suggested respecting them instead of persecuting and killing them. I fielded questions afterward and corrected misconceptions surrounding them. I ended by handing out a wallet size copy of the list of ideas on how to survive/deal with a zombie outbreak taken from Max Brook's zombie survival book. The list included: Cut your hair and wear tight fitting clothes; ditch the car, get on the bike; get up the stairs, then destroy stairs; guns need reloading, machetes don't; etc. I recommended them placing the list in a location for quick reference: wallet, car dashboard, bathroom mirror (for some people that becomes a location for memorization). The speech was a satire (of course), but I was able to keep a straight face through the entire speech, including the questions. One girl had a look of bewilderment and horror on her face, and asked if I really believed zombies existed. I remained in character and replied that I did in fact believe they were out there. Her reaction was priceless. With all of the talk of coexistence and respect for people who lead different lifestyles, I think you should incorporate zombie civil rights into your lectures. You could use the ending of Shaun of the Dead (one of my favorite zombie movies) as a visual example of zombies leading normal lives while contributing to society (the scene with the zombie gathering carts at the supermarket illustrates this point). I would definitely take this kind of a class at the university. It would be awesome. Speaking of Shaun of the Dead, the Queen fight scene was hilarious. One of my favorite examples of how music affects the movie. Watch it without the sound, and it's just a weird fight scene. With the music, and it becomes hilarious and brilliant. **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnTR-cG5W1I&feature=related** *I didn't directly link the video due to the graphic language. Be advised that it is not edited. I own the edited movie, so I had no idea how many times they dropped the f-bomb.
Nice Senor, wish I could have been there. Finished watching the first season of Walking Dead. I was a little disappointed, it ended, well rather abruptly. Anyone else watch them all?
Good idea, especially because I can introduce the entirety of the human rights regime, then shift to how NGOs focus on their own particular corner of the spectrum no matter how ridiculous it might seem to the rest of us. Save the guinea worm and all of that.
I had a colleague create a map for hypothetical emergency management in Detroit during a zombie attack. Remind me to email it to you. Any chance you can video record your classes?
this is relatively tangent to the topic of Zombies, but it is an international issue at the heart of what could cause a zombie outbreak. Just saw Contagion tonight. I have to say it is by far the most well done science thriller movie I've ever seen (and yes, I do watch a lot of them because they pique my interest as a scientist, even if 99.9% of all science movies are horribly done). The premise of the movie is the rapid outbreak of a highly virulent virus that spreads rapidly through the population. Without giving away the entire plot or anything else, i highly recommend people see it. As someone with a highly scientific and medically related background I want people to be aware of what could happen in these types of situations. Often times science/medical thrillers are over-done, exaggerated, factually incorrect accounts of what might happen. Contagion is a dead, spot-on, 100% accurate of what would happen in today's world if a deadly virus infected the population. I work with many scientists with varied backgrounds, shit my lab specifically does viral reprogramming of human cells to produce induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells, look it up). I'm constantly being exposed to most recent and relevant viral research out there, my boss (Markus Grompe) is quite literally one of the leaders in the pediatric cancer and stem cell research fields. I've had direct conversations with scientists who were the first to clone monkey's by using the reprogramming of somatic human fibroblast cells (non-embryonic cells, for the laymen, the less controversial but insanely more difficult route), who work at the university im at. Needless to say I have a fairly good idea of what would happen in the event of a serious viral outbreak. Contagion portrays that to a T. there is no exaggeration, no over the top scientific jargon that is difficult to understand. It has the science, it explains it well, and it shows the aftermath. And its all very real. In my scientifically related opinion it will be a virus that ends humanity. It wont be a nuke, or a war, or chemicals, or global warming, or an asteroid, or a black hole, or tectonic plates shifting, or an earthquake/volcano/supernova/2012 scenario. it WILL be a virus, man made or al natural. You see, science has gotten good at this stuff, real good. But mother nature is leaps and bounds better. Given how small and interconnected our world is now (flights that can take someone half way around the world in 15 hours) means that the incubation period of a virus will be longer than a person has the ability to spread said virus to the entire world. this means that before that person even wakes up with an itchy throat they could have spread it to several countries/continents. This is HORRIFYING for scientists. Geographic isolation/islands have been removed from the worlds natural quarantine process. Even worse is the spread of false information via the media which will cause widespread panic and drives millions of people out of their homes, across the world further spreading the virus uncontrollably. If something like contagion happens we just have to hope that enough people have natural immunity. The very real possibility exists that anywhere from 25-33% of the worlds population could be lost within 3 months. You better hope that scientists arent a part of that percentage, because it can take twice that long to actually develop anti-viral treatments against a virus.
yup, havent watched sunday's episode yet though.....tonight i need to catch up. been a good half season so far, i had my doubts when they switched directors.
This past episode was a total WTF and I loved it! Not following the comic and I'm fine with that! I was concerned with these last episodes snice Darabont left but I think they've done a great job without him so far. BRING ON THE GOVERNER NEXT SEASON!
I'm still not 100% sold on the second season. I was stoked when they said this was going to be on tv, and I loved the first season, mostly. After thinking about it... I'm not sure if I liked the last episode. I'm glad they're not sticking to the comic 100%, but man... that was a little much for my taste. I guess that proves even more that no one is safe. Which is neat. I'm excited for them to leave the farm though... the next location is arguably the best location of the story.
