<![CDATA[Forum for We're Alive - Blogs]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/blog.php en Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:22:25 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Forum for We're Alive - Blogs]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/blog.php <![CDATA[Reaper's Corner and Poli-Ticks]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?353-Reaper-s-Corner-and-Poli-Ticks Thu, 21 Feb 2013 20:09:11 GMT osiris suggested i post this here so i said, "eh, ok."

so, i recently had this major discussion on the other forums with my friend Osiris regarding gun rights, which then devolved into an argument over the basic nature of rights, and it occurred to me: osi didn't actually have a firm understanding of the nature of rights. now, this isn't anything against osi, he's a smart man with a lot of knowledge to impart, but he does seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding as to the basic nature of human rights. to him, rights are semantic, it's all in the language, but the true nature of rights is something much more.


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there are three pillars to western civilization: Judeo-Christian morals, Greco-Roman philosophy, and Anglo-Saxon law. Judeo-Christian morals form the foundations for our freedom. Judaism esteblished the concept of one God, which established the idea of absolute truth. if the is one God to answer to, then there is an ultimate judge, and an arbiter of final justice. God hands down a set of standards for all men to strive for, though none can atain them, and this is the first step in self governance: self accountability. mind that we still keep each other accountable, but it starts with self. i'll discuss this more in depth in my post on perpetuating freedom.


Greco-Roman philosophy established the idea that the world could be understood. this concept was revolutionary in that it removed mystique from the world around us. it fostered curiosity and that things could be known instead of being out of reach. this encourages exploration and innovation and is the source of discovery for the laws of nature. in fact, the very idea of laws of nature arose from Greco-Roman philosophy. i'll be discussing this aspect of western civilization when i discuss American Exceptionalism.


finally, we come to Anglo-Saxon law. Anglo-Saxon law is the basis for human rights, in conjunction with Judeo-Christian morality. Anglo-Saxon law holds that there are certain universal truths about people, for instance no one wants to be killed, and establishes common law, or natural law, to which all are held accountable, and which is above political law (ie government legislation). Judeo-Christian morality portends that this law is handed down from the one true God, and that these laws are absolutely true, and not established by any earthly force.


so, human rights. there are two fundamental rights from which all other rights may be derived or implied: the right to life, and the right to property. the right to life is, of course, your right to live, while your right to property pertains to you're ownership of property. from these we derive the right to liberty, or self determination. for the right to life in it's truest sense, you must have the ability to determine your own quality of life, as any infringement upon that could lead to an early death and so indirectly cause a violation of your right to life. an example of this is north korea where people do not have a right to self determination and are starving to death because their food is being taken, thus constituting a violation of not only the right to life, but the right to property. property directly influences the quality of life and so the right to self determination also protects the right to property.


all rights exist independent of other people. that means that you have your rights regardless of what other people say or do. if those rights are violated, they don't simply go away, they are instead suppressed. this is why slavery had to be abolished. Judeo-Christian morality contends that all men are created by God and are equal at creation, all men are created equal, and therefore, all men have equal rights under common law. slavery is a violation of the right to self determination, and therefore is a violation of human rights.


the right to self determination confers the right to self defense. the right to self defense is the right to defend, with force, ones right to life and right to property. my discussion with osiris was about gun laws, and gun regulation. my position is pro freedom, while his position is for the resriction of people which will, in theory, lead to safety. he claimed a right to protection through legislation and that my right to carry a gun, or determine the use of my property, be secondary to his right to legislate safety. there is no right to legislate safety, because his definition of legislating safety requires imposition on others. it requires action taken against others under threat of force. this is not a right, but tyranny, and tyranny is a violation of rights. osiris argument stands in violation of my right to self determination, and my right to property, and rights cannot violate other rights, this is a basis of common law. i come back to slavery, a person cannot be considered someone elses property because that violates their right to self determination. i can't claim you as property because my right to property cannot infringe upon your right to self determination, and ultimately your right to life.


rights exist in harmony with one another. your rights exist within the confines of other peoples rights. it's like a bubble, your bubble of rights cannot penetrate other peoples bubble of rights. for instance, stealing is a violation of property. this seems obvious, but let's look at why. property is obtained through barter, something of value is traded for something that is seen to have comparable value. how do you obtain something of value in the first place? you trade the only thing you are inherently born with, your time and efforts, you work for it. after performing a set ammount of labour, you will be compensated with something of predetermined value, today we collect a wage payed in a monetary system which says that one dollar is equal to one unit of the combination of skill, time, and effort. the more skill required for a job, the more time required for a job, the more effort required for a job, the more money a person will seek for compensation in return for completion of that job. this money can be taken and traded for anything you want as it represents labour you have done for someone, which can be used to compensate someone else for labour they have perfomed for you. now, let's assume that you have used your labour to trade for something, say a lamp. now, i come along and want your lamp, so i perform labour of my own to gain money with which to trade for your lamp. that's fair trade. now, let's suppose instead that i break into your home and steal your lamp. i have performed labour, but my labour was not equal to the value of the lamp, and what labour i did was not transfered to you to compensate you for the lamp. i have taken your labour without compensation, i have stolen, and this is why we have a right to property. property equals labour and labour equals time, effort, and skill, three things that are inherently yours. if i want something you have, i must trade my labour for your labour.


rights are fundamental, you are born with them, and no one has the right to violate them. you have the right to defend your rights against violation, and for that you have the right to carry force comparable to force you may encounter against you. it's a fundamental issue of rights. ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?353-Reaper-s-Corner-and-Poli-Ticks A tribute to our beloved Aunt: Zombies and the Law http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?352-A-tribute-to-our-beloved-Aunt-Zombies-and-the-Law Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:29:28 GMT .

Hello and welcome again to my WA-blog about All Zeehs Things.


During my preparations for this article something weird happened on the forum: CabbagePatch raised a couple of questions in the topic about Zombies and Canada on the forum which actually partially falls into what I was going to write about in this article. This is, what Cabbage wrote:

Quote Originally Posted by Cabbage Patch View Post
I think the key to getting the government to respond to a brewing zombie crisis is to tap into the things that are important to the government. For instance, are zombies still citizens? If so can they vote, and does their transformation effect their party affiliation? What social services do zombies qualify for? Is their a need to establish undead affirmative action and hiring quotas? Do they still have to pay taxes? Can the government confiscate their investments and property in lieu of direct payment of taxes? Could the zombies be some form of Islamic, or worse, Christian fundamentalists?
As it turns out the web is full of blogs or articles which raise different questions regarding the legal situation for Zombies.


The first one I highly recommend reading is the thesis on "Death and Taxes and Zombies" provided by Adam Chodorow. The link, which I put under the title of his thesis, leads you to his paper, which is about 25 pages long. The first half covers legal issues on zombies, the second half on vampires and ghosts. Now, ghosts and vampires are bogus and spawns from the D&D monstrous manual, while zombies are REAL! You know that as much as I do, which is why the first half of Chodorow's paper is much more interesting.

In this paper he first gives an overview about various types of zombies and the different sources which are to be considered as the roots for zombies. He then leads over to a very focussed view on law and especially taxes and zombies; doing so he admits that it is pretty challenging to get into a broader perception of zombies and their relation to law or legal matters. More interestingly, though, is the spoilered result of Chodorow's work: Zombies, at least the ones which never died as humans and thus remain human beings to some degree, are bound to pay taxes. The question about how to enforce tax-regulation on zombies is something Chodorow leaves open, though.

If you don't want to read the paper provided by Chodorow, then check this Forbes-article by Peter J. Reilly from March 2012.


Since this was only about a particular legal question, you might wish to learn more about zombies and law in general ... or better: zombies and legal questions.

I don't know, if this is going to enlighten you much, but there is this Joshua Warren from New York. And in October 2012 he had a small and in the end successfull Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campagin running. He raised a couple of thousand USD in order to produce a certain book he wishes to see published. And the title for it will be nothing else but this: Zombie Law (link to the Kickstarter page unter the title). This book will be about "Zombies in the Federal Court", and in this case-book Mr Warren will inform you about certain procedures in front of the Federal Court in which "zombies" or the term "zombie" played a role - well, more or less.

Besides this Kickstarter Campaign there is also the rather lively Zombie-Law-Blog. On this blog the blogger (Mr Joshua Warren?) posts many, many, many articles regarding zombies and all kinds of topics - not only legal topics. But from what I understand here, since this blog documents the development of the above-mentioned book to some degree, this is probably the main source to stay up-dated about what is going on and when this book will be available. Maybe it is something you wish to own sooner or later ...

It is quite interesting to see that not only does Joshua Warren care about zombies and law, but also Kirsten Thompson from Canada. It might be a coincidence (or not): But at about the time of Mr Warren's Kickstarter Campaign Ms Thompson published an article on 31st October 2012 about Zombie Law, i.e. Zombies and the Canadaian jurisprudence: A Halloween special on zombie law.


Now, you may wonder: Ok, here we are - two sources about zombies and law. But what would happen, if lawyers would have to deal with zombies?
From Kelly we already know that the skills and qualitites of a lawyer used against zombies are somewhat ... How should I put it ... ? Limited. I think that's fair enough. A more thorough answer to that question is provided by Joe Patrice on his article "How Lawyers Would Botch The Zombie Apocalypse" from 31st Cotober, 2012. This article does not go very deep, but I think you'll get the picture being drawn ...


I hope you enjoyed this article. If you like to leave comments, feel free to do so or discuss it on the forum. Maybe you know of some special sources or articles to think about ... Go ahead, point me and us towards it ...

All the best!
Liam ]]> LiamKerrington http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?352-A-tribute-to-our-beloved-Aunt-Zombies-and-the-Law Canadian politicians are masterminds ... ? http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?351-Canadian-politicians-are-masterminds Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:55:53 GMT Hello everyone,

I wouldn't have expected this myself - just a second blog-entry within less then a day ...

edit: I just happened to realize that this was partially mentioned already on the forum; I am sorry for the double-posting. /edit

Maybe you remember the two (in)famous websites - one provided by the British Columbia Emergency Information Services (Canada) and one by the Center for Disease Control (USA) - telling the people how to survive in extraordinarily catastrophic situations by imagining a zombie-apocalypse. The information provided give you clues about how to behave and especially prepare for any such or similarly dangerous situation mostly based on natural hazards like tornadoes, super-storms, earthquakes, pandemics of whatever kind, etc. And in these two linked cases those public services used the zombie-apocalypse-theme as a carrier for sharing vital information about how to behave in such situations. And basically they underline serious core of similarities between a zeeh-pocalypse and any other major catastrophe.
I wished the German or EU authorities would show similar humor and connect this part of pop-culture with realistic scenarios.

But anyway ...

The reason for this blog-article is recent news I read on one of the major news-services in Germany - (www.tagesschau.de/schlusslicht/zombies102.html). This kind of news is kind of an aside which is meant to put some smiles on your faces. And again: I wished German public authorities, in this case the members of parliament, would show some similar humor ...

According to various news services from Canada the Canadian Parliament briefly discussed the theoretical trouble with a zombie-apocalypse and that there could or would be some dire need to cooperate more thoroughly with the CDC from the USA, because a zombie-apocalypse would not stop at national borders. Many news-services simply 'quote' a video which is also available on YouTube:



This happened on February 13th, 2013 - so just a couple of days ago.

Now, I like that - actually.

a) It is kind of funny to see high grade politicians to spare a few minutes on homurous speeches in parliament, while
b) these speeches share a certain serious core, since - as mentioned above - public authorities in Canada and the USA have already understood to connect serious shit with pop-culture shit.

Now, if that is not awesome, I don't know what else could be. Did I hint that I'd like to see something similar here in Germany or the EU? If not, well, whatever ...

Also the question here would be: Are Canadian politicians kind of prophets or masterminds regarding the quality of debates about important topics?

All the best!
Liam ]]> LiamKerrington http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?351-Canadian-politicians-are-masterminds Where to begin ... ? A Blog-Introduction AND Zombies and Neurobiology http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?350-Where-to-begin-A-Blog-Introduction-AND-Zombies-and-Neurobiology Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:13:42 GMT .
1. Pointless Introduction

Just check your google-fu or bing-thing or whatever search-engine you prefer and enter the two words "zombie" and "blog", hit the search-button, and then you'll see what's going on.

In short spoilerage: The zombie-apocalypse is already stampeding through the net. And that, what you may find, is rich in quantity, quality and certain standards. When I 'searched' with the two chosen words for the first time, I was pretty much amazed how much is going on the web about all these zombie things ... And it left me with the not so seriously ment question: Is this a mirror-image about the real (consumer-idiots-)zombie-apocalypse, or are there just so many zeeh-fans out there willing to share their thoughts in the WWW ... ?

And here I am. Just doin' the same. Starting a blog somehow related to zombies. So, would I be a consumer-idiot-zombie-apocalypyse-survivor or -zombie myself?

What is it that I want to write about? The description of this blog pretty much wraps it up. And now, after Nikvoodoo made me a WA-blogger, it took me about another one-and-a-half weeks until my first posting. I wished it was something amazing or incredible or at least hilarious or ridiculous that kept me away from writing my first article. But I think it mostly comes down to something between laziness on the one side and the big question on the other side. Which question? Well, this one: How to begin? Or in other words: How to get started?

Enough of this pointless introduction. I want to share plenty of stuff about All Zeehs Things already made available on the net. But since the really cool stuff is widely spread over many, many different platforms my aim is to make this one blog about All Zeehs Things the melting pot of the real zombie-shit.

Ok, where to begin now?

2. Zombies and neurobiology

Let's get scientific in this first posting, shall we? I would like to point you towards one amazing and somewhat 'scientific' approach towards zombies by the Havard Assistant Professor Dr. Steven C. Schlozman. What he does or did is to think about zombies and neurobiology. He wondered on what medical 'facts' or 'theories' certain behavior of zombies - their speech, their movement, their lust for brains or human flesh, etc. - could be based. This already happened 2.5+ years ago. And it received some feedback or echo on the web - like for example on these two platforms:

A Harvard Psychiatrist Explains Zombie Neurobiology by Mark Strauss
or
What Zombies Can Teach Us About Braaain Science by Rebecca Jacobson

Basically these articles give you an overview about different regions of the human brain being analyzed by Dr. Schlozman. And he analyzes what typical neurobiological circumstances lead to what kind of behavior. By doing this he proves certain zombie-behavior to be true or false - to some degree - from a scientific point of view.

In 2009 he also was guest on this podcast-show:
A Head-Shrinker Studies The Zombie Brain provided by NPR, a 15 minute epsiode. There he speaks about his idea to analyze zombie-behavior. And in the show calling listeners share their thoughts or give insight to their own experiences.

Also there is a about 30 minute presentation in front of a bigger audience available on the web - also from 2009:
PODCAST: Harvard psychologist explains the science of zombies. This one really is worth watching.

If you want to learn more about Dr. Schlozman, then visit his personal website - and there you will get a lot more insight into his various interests including All Zeehs Things.

I hope you enjoyed this first blog-post of me. Feel free to share your thoughts on the comments-section below; or simply start rambling about it on the forums.

Enjoy, all the best!
Liam ]]> LiamKerrington http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?350-Where-to-begin-A-Blog-Introduction-AND-Zombies-and-Neurobiology <![CDATA[Reaper's Corner is Out of Time]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?349-Reaper-s-Corner-is-Out-of-Time Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:29:33 GMT [COLOR=#add8e6]and goes kicking and screaming ot the end. so, when this was released i fully intended to write an amazing and breathtaking review full of emotion and devestatingly deep. and then the itus set in and i stopped writing reviews for the season break. sucks huh. well, now that the full impact of the story has mostly worn away i can make an honest assessment of the game, and i must say, i think my initial response was pretty spot on. for some reason i am possessed to run a marathon of reviews, and today we keep going with The Walking Dead Episode 5: No Time Left.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=#add8e6]
so, the refinement is done. the gameplay mechanics are exactly as good as you need them, and as good as they are going to get. this episode contains a culmination of all the different aspects you've played through the other episodes: quicktime, shooting, exploration, hard decisions, this is it, they all come together here. not flawlessly mind you, there are some minor hiccups that can leave you walking into a wall for five minutes, but the overall execution is superb. the action is hot, the down time is not. i've talked enough about mechanics in the other reviews, i don't need to cover it any further, this will be the last paragraph i mention it.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=#add8e6]this game isn't about gameplay, it's about story. of course the gameplay is vital to the conveyance of that story, but it's not the central feature. games like call of duty are given story to showcase the gameplay, games like this are given gameplay to tell a story. and tell a story it does. i went back and gave the whole thing another go, and wow. the characters feel full, life like, meaty (prolly a poor choice of words for a zombie game), substantive. in each episode you see a certain degree of character development, but when you look at the whole arc you can see a real change from the Lee Everet that crawls out of that cop car in episode 1, to the lee that's searching like a madman for the girl that is his legacy at the end of the game. and it's not just lee, you watch all of the characters grow. you see the things they go through, and the choices they make, and you come to understand their motivations, whether survival, validation, continuity, love, community, you see to the heart of the issue. whatever their loved thing is, it comes to the forefront at some point in the game. you also get to see motivations changeas the reality shifts around them. in this episode, i wouldn't so much call it character growth, as character finishing. almost all the growth has occured previous to this episode, and characters are really taking the pieces that they have gained through the other episodes and tying them together, whether it's aspects of their humanity that they thought were lost and have recovered, or an intensifying of the characters desire for their loved thing, the characters come full circle in their development to the place they were when they started, but from a different perspective. give you a for instance: we first meet ben in a situation that requires a sacrifice, but he looks to someone else to make the sacrifice, however, if he survives to the end (he can die before reaching this point, and it may seem similar here, but the motivations are false, which you discover after saving him) he comes to another situation that requires a sacrifice, and he comes to the point of shouldering the responsibility to make the sacrifice. if he dies before he reaches his arcs conclusion, he dies for penance, if he survives past that, he accepts his personal sacrifice and doesn't seek penance, but instead the salvation of others. it gets super deep.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=#add8e6]character development and story go hand in hand, you can't develop a character without a story to put them through, and you can't have a good dynamic story without characters changing and developing to the new situations in the story. to that end, the story here is wonderful. i don't mean wonderful as in, "everything is sunshine and lollipops," i mean it in the sense that the story is deep, elements are well written, the story flows and maintains continuity, the backstory is rich and fleshed out and is explored to deepen the immersion, and the characters are mortal.even if you don't want to play the game, i would suggest watching it on youtube, especially if you like the walking dead, or just generic zombie stories. even if you don't necessarily like the walking dead, the story is, in my opinion, good enough to warrant a stand alone viewing. it's hard to talk about his without spoiling, and without repeating myself, so i'll just leave it at this: the superb writing that has been present throughout the series is just as prevelant here.[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=#add8e6]the conclusion to this game is breathtaking, the characters round out nicely, the grand finale is something to talk about with friends, and the whole wraps up in a mess that leaves several questions hanging. i should explain, the mess is a good mess, it doesn't wrap up nice and neat and put a bow on it for your enjoyment, it leaves you questioning what happened, it makes you yearn for clues as to the final outcome, and it makes you crave more. the final scene is so brilliantly written i wasn't able to play it again right away. for an ending that crushes your soul in zombie laden despair, this episode get's a 10/10.[/COLOR]


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[COLOR=#add8e6]BONUS REVIEW: ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!!!!!?!!!!?!!!?!!?![/COLOR]

[COLOR=#add8e6]Reaper's Corner Vs The Walking Dead[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#add8e6]ok, so, rather than write a whole new review for the over arcing game, in which i would say a lot of the same stuff, i'll just tack it on to the end of this one. so the over all game is as superb as i made it sound. i read a bit of the comics and there is a pervading sense of doom throughout. this is something that telltale has nailed, without being overbearing about it. the doom and despair are subtle until you notice it and then you realize just how crazy things have gotten. i keep thinking back to episode 2, when you arrive on the farm, things don't seem quite right, but you can almost chalk that up to the fact that you're playing a zombie game and your nerves are getting the better of you. but as you play the sense of foreboding intensifies until it erupts into the pure insanity and depravity that marks the main arc of that chapter. but when you look back at it from outside the immersion, you realize that the sense of foreboding was engineered into the game from the beginning. it is this ability to write in highs and lows that transition seamlessly from order to chaos, and from normality to tragedy, in an instant and that can ramp up and down in the span of a single scene. it's a rollercoaster from start to finish, and one that you will want to ride again and again, 10/10.[/COLOR]


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[FONT=verdana][COLOR=#add8e6]well, that's enough of that, on to the review. today i am reviewing... Release the Panic by RED. yeah, i bet you thought this would be a Panic at the Disco album review huh? (are they still releasing album? i never listened to them.) so it was almost two years exactly since their last release that REDs latest musical offering was released, and being the diligent fan i am, exactly a year later that i stumbled across it (two days ago). i already slapped my own wrist. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana][COLOR=#add8e6]so, a little history on RED. they formed in 2004 and worked for about two years before releasing their first album The End of Silence. TES was a reasonably solid debut album, though it sounded infuriatingly like a Linkin Park album. sounding like Linkin Park wasn't the infuriating part, it was that there was so much more potential there that just a Linkin Park sound alike. despite that one downside, it was a decent album. they differed from the LP sound enough to display the raw talent to shine and stand out from other generic rock bands. then in '08 came Innocence and Instinct, which, as far as i'm concened, was their real debut album. i consider TES to be like a practice album, because on I&I they abandoned the cheap Linkin Park cover sound and really started to feel out their own sound. in 2010 they explored a slightly harder sound balanced with some beautiful ballads when they released Until We Have Faces. this was a solidifying of their core sound. now, while none of those albums were perfect tens, they all fell into the 8-9 range. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana][COLOR=#add8e6]now a bit about their style. RED is a rock band, first and foremost, but what kind of stands out in their sound is the very ambient sound that pervades their albums. in every song, the tone isn't so much set by the music but by a kind of background music that flows below the surface and brings the action in the forefront into a much sharper focus. it's kind of like a good movie, if you watch a movie without any kind of background music, the movie feels empty, with a lot of empty sound, but a good movie will have background music that you don't even notice until you look for it, instead it blends into the scene as a natural organic part of the movie. in much the same way, RED lays ambient tracks in all their songs that really adds life to the rock. of course a lot of bands will do something similar by adding extra sound to the song, but the difference in RED is that the ambient music sound totally natural, it flows with the songs rises and falls throughout the albums, and really adds to the experience instead of sounding like just another instrument.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana][COLOR=#add8e6]now for the album itself. this album takes what they solidified in Faces, and starts to expand on it. Faces added an action movie quality to the album, and Release takes that qualitiy and adds groove to the mix. this album kind of embodies the concept "slow is smooth, smooth is fast." they're not setting any speed records on this record, but at the same time, where the other albums would wind down on ballads, this album paces the ballads so there is no break on the flow. you always feel like you are making progress through the album, which is good since i wound up skipping songs on every other album because everything would just grind to a halt in the middle of the album. it's kind of hard to describe accurately how disconcerting it is to have an album that's moving along and then just stops for a piano ballad. there's nothing wrong with a piano ballad, but you definitely don't want to just drop a 5 minute one in the middle of an album with songs averageing 3.5-4 minutes. it just kills the pace. so, while there are several ballads on this album, they don't just stop the whole album for five minutes, they have enough pick up to carry through and connect to the next song. also, all of the songs have a better length and flow to them. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana][COLOR=#add8e6]on their past albums, some of their songs either sounded too short and rushed, or too long and slow. they fixed that on this album, most of the songs hover around 3 minute mark, but they all feel organic and smooth. none of the songs exceed four and a half minutes, but none of them sound too short or long, so the change is very welcome. so, now i'll go ahead and talk about the songs. Release the Panic is the album opener. it starts with a build up and then flares. the opener is a solid rock song, that sets the tone to the rest of the album and lends a bit of groove to get us going. some of the songs have a more classic rock feel to them, but this just adds some variety. then there are songs like Die for You, which have a dance floor groove to them. RED kicks itt into high gear with songs like Damage, which is one of the heavier songs on the album. keep in mind that there is a distinct difference between heavy and hard, Damage isn't fast, but it has a darker tone and the music pulses rather than rocks. then there are the ballads. unlike Becoming the Archetype, where the instrumentals act as a sort of port in the storm of the adrenaline fueled music, the ballads here act as an ebb in the tide. it pulls the album back enough to allow you to follow it without significantly dropping the pace. some rock albums keep up the same breakneck paceing all the way through, and you kind of lose the tracks, each blurring into the next, and you can't follow where the album is going or what is trying to be communicated, but RED has never had that problem. instead, their problem has always been (as previously stated) halting the album in the middle and having to build momentum all over again. they mercifully avoid that here and you can just coast along the whole way without having to make a conscious effort to continue forth. as always the lyrics focus on man's struggle against himself, the things we do to sabotage ourselves, and our failings to God. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[FONT=verdana][COLOR=#add8e6]over all, this is a very listenable album. while previous efforts have had gems that were placed together somewhat poorly, here the album manages to keep the attention of the listener the whole way through. while certainly not the best rock album i've ever heard, it is a very commendable effort and one that i'll be listening to for quite some time. 9/10

[video=youtube;KQjOK3e5sCU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQjOK3e5sCU[/video]

for more videos, check out my blog page at [URL="http://www.reapers-corner.blogspot.com"]www.reapers-corner.blogspot.com[/URL][/COLOR][/FONT] ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?348-Panic-at-the-Reaper-s-Corner Defining A Pandemic: The Elusive Perfect Chapter http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?347-Defining-A-Pandemic-The-Elusive-Perfect-Chapter Fri, 01 Feb 2013 23:24:09 GMT DISCLAIMER: The following blog may contain material some may consider to be spoiler worthy. It is recommended that you read at your own risk. I could claim responsibility for you not paying attention to this warning, but I won't. That said, I'm going to forego any further warnings of spoilers within the blog.

I'd also like to take a brief moment to apologize for my absence over the last few months? Has it been months since the last issue? I can't remember. Doesn't matter, I'm back and I've got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of lost time to make up for. Enough cheese, let's get to the meat.

It was recently put to the community, via Facebook and Twitter, which chapter should be submitted for consideration in an unnamed contest. What a question! There’s so many to choose from! It’s like asking someone, “Which of the following women is hottest?” and then handing them a copy of FHM’s 100 hottest women. It’s too subjective, it’s too broad a question. So we’re given the restrictions of choosing from chapters twenty-five through thirty-six—as if that’s going to make it easier to narrow it down.

You’re a mean one for doing this to me, Kc. Terribly mean.

My initial reaction was to go with one of those big moment chapters. The kind where something is revealed, something I’ve been waiting to hear for so long! That first reaction was to choose Chapter Twenty-Nine– Beyond Our Walls, the chapter that answers the burning question: Did Burt make it out alive? I considered the chapter that gives us the most human look at the most-roundly-hated character in the We’re Alive world: Chapter Thirty-One – Family Ties. The season finale makes a good case for itself as well. But in the end, one chapter stands out above the rest.

Chapter Twenty-Seven – The Thirty-First

It’s by far the most cohesive chapter in the entire series. It has one of the best performances of the series, great big ups to Kevin Flood for that. It’s a whole lot of exposition, sure, but it’s not needless. It gives you a compelling story from start to finish. Frankly, it’s the one chapter of the entire series that stands on its own in more ways than one. It would be the one, single chapter of the story that would be perfectly suited for novelization, as it is Kalani’s story in toto. Sure, it answers the question we’d all been asking: Who’s the rat? It doesn’t just tell us the who, but it tells us the why. It gives us something that the other chapters don’t give us, a complete portrait of a man’s story of survival, all in one shot. There isn’t another chapter that pulls that off. You get bits and pieces of history from characters, but nothing like twenty-seven gives us.

It also provides us with an experience that no other chapter gives us. It gives us a taste of the cast in its entirety. Each of the main characters has interaction with the chapter’s central protagonist. It gives us all the action you could ask for. It gives you a chance to experience a range of emotion. It moves not only through time, but through space, taking the listener from Hawaii to Los Angeles, from the airport to the mall, from the mall, and then from one tower to the next. You meet new and old characters in a way that feels natural, and makes sense. There’s a linear feel to the story that just feels right. It’s a single arc told from various perspectives, but the central protagonist remains constant in his voice, his choices, and his motivation. There is a simplicity to the complex nature of this episode, as much exposition as it’s giving us, at its heart it is just a story about a man who loves his daughter, and will stop at nothing to save her life. It’s a brilliant piece of writing on Kc’s part, and deserves far more recognition than it gets. He’s taken an almost convoluted bit of plot, and smoothed out the wrinkles, slowed it down, and fed it to us like a campfire tale. The pacing is beautiful; the sound design supports the story in a way that really is far more subtle than other chapters, from the sound-effects to the music—oh don’t get me started on the music!

The chapter unfolds like a great novel. It drops you into a lifeboat on the middle of the ocean with a bunch of strangers, and then pokes a hole in it. Imagine for a moment that you were given a paperback called “The Thirty-First” by a friend. You read the blurb on the back:

“Kalani is a pilot, a skill that comes in handy when the world ends. A catastrophic viral outbreak hits his home in Hawaii, forcing him and his daughter to flee the state. He manages to rescue a group of survivors, flying them into Los Angeles, only to discover that the plague has already brought the city to its knees, and when his daughter is kidnapped, and held for ransom, Kalani is forced to do anything and everything to get her back.”
Now, sit down and experience the chapter again. It’s an amazing tale of survival, treachery, loss, and redemption. The arc of the character is not only defined, but brought to resolution, a feat that no other chapter can boast. It’s an impressive piece of storytelling. I’ve sung Kevin’s praises in another blog, but there’s no harm in reiterating. His performance is pitch-perfect.

To be entirely inclusive with regard to Kalani’s complete arc, it would be necessary to include parts one and two of chapter twenty-eight into the mix, along with the last half of chapter 25. I would argue that this story would have been better served as a single ninety-eight minute drama, considering it is the only storyline that has tied up all its loose ends. See, this is where it all falls apart, because you really do need Kalani’s redemption, which I had forgotten was not included in his confessional.

That said, the story in The Thirty-First still stands on its own. Damn you for making me defeat my own argument. Sound off—if you’re still reading—and tell me which season three chapter that really defines We’re Alive, showcases its strengths, and the talents of the cast and crew?


Osiris—formerly known as Satan—
enjoys long walks on the beach, dramatic
readings of grocery lists, and Elmore Leonard. ]]> Osiris http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?347-Defining-A-Pandemic-The-Elusive-Perfect-Chapter Year 2. http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?346-Year-2 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 03:27:30 GMT Well, here we are once again, Ladies and Gentlemen. The second anniversary of the Great Forum Switch of 2011, when Kc trudged his way through the... Well, here we are once again, Ladies and Gentlemen.

The second anniversary of the Great Forum Switch of 2011, when Kc trudged his way through the muddy, deep and depressing forums of old to choose vBulletin as an upgrade.

In this year, plenty of great events have taken place. Live-streams, a live-read through, and another excellent season of We're Alive: a Zombie Story of Survival, also certain people got engaged. ;)

But, unfortunately there has also been some bad, some friends drift away, get busy and forums get hacked.

Everything is fine and was handled by the excellent staff, so there is no need to worry.

Things are calming down after the season finale and everyone is getting back into the groove of waiting for Season 4.



... It's the last season. :mad: And it's almost here. :yay: It's coming, be ready. :D ]]> Wicked Sid http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?346-Year-2 Departing From A Pandemic--Briefly http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?345-Departing-From-A-Pandemic-Briefly Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:01:33 GMT So last night, along with 40,000+ of my fellow Canadians, I watched Paul McCartney rock the fuck out of a small Vancouver stadium. 70 years old... he's a fossil for certain and the majority of his catalogue was recorded long before I rocketed out of my dad's balls--and mercifully didn't end up on my mom's chest or face! It was an amazing night that didn't seem to end. The THREE HOUR set broke down like this:


  1. Magical Mystery Tour
    (The Beatles song)
  2. Junior's Farm
    (Wings song)
  3. All My Loving
    (The Beatles song)
  4. Jet
    (Wings song)
  5. Drive My Car
    (The Beatles song)
  6. Sing the Changes
    (The Fireman song)
  7. The Night Before
    (The Beatles song)
  8. Let Me Roll It
    (Wings song) ("Foxy Lady" snippet)
  9. Paperback Writer
    (The Beatles song)
  10. The Long and Winding Road
    (The Beatles song)
  11. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
    (Wings song)
  12. My Valentine
  13. Maybe I'm Amazed
  14. I've Just Seen A Face
    (The Beatles song)
  15. And I Love Her
    (The Beatles song)
  16. Blackbird
    (The Beatles song)
  17. Here Today
  18. Dance Tonight
  19. Mrs. Vandebilt
    (Wings song)
  20. Eleanor Rigby
    (The Beatles song)
  21. Something
    (The Beatles song) (Paul on ukulele)
  22. Band on the Run
    (Wings song)
  23. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
    (The Beatles song)
  24. Back in the U.S.S.R.
    (The Beatles song)
  25. I've Got a Feeling
    (The Beatles song)
  26. A Day in the Life
    (The Beatles song) ("Give Peace a Chance" snippet)
  27. Let It Be
    (The Beatles song)
  28. Live and Let Die
    (Wings song)
  29. Hey Jude
    (The Beatles song
  30. Encore:
  31. Lady Madonna
    (The Beatles song)
  32. Day Tripper
    (The Beatles song)
  33. Get Back
    (The Beatles song)
  34. Encore 2:
  35. Yesterday
    (The Beatles song)
  36. Mull of Kintyre
    (Wings song) (with the Delta Police Pipe &… more)
  37. Helter Skelter
    (The Beatles song)
  38. Golden Slumbers
    (The Beatles song)
  39. Carry That Weight
    (The Beatles song)
  40. The End

The vibe in the building was fucking amazing. Every face I saw was light up like it was Christmas morning. I even saw tears more than a few times. People were dancing all over the place. For me the moment that made the night was singing Eleanor Ribgy with the other 40,000 present. It was my favourite song when I was growing up, and remains my all-time favourite Beatles song. It was a true bucket list moment, and when the crowd sang Give Peace A Chance I almost cried along with the two women sitting in front of me. There is something overwhelming about hearing that many people singing in unison.

Never been the world's biggest Paul McCartney fan, nor the world's biggest Beatles fan... but that show was really incredible. Just to be in an atmosphere that is that positive really makes you feel just a little bit better about being on the planet. There were pyrotechnics during Live and Let Die that you were certain would bring down the house, but the show just kept going and going. There were moments when it was just Paul on the stage along with an acoustic guitar and the rest of the building to back him up, particularly during Blackbird--which was so beautiful to see and hear.

I've been to a lot of concerts over the years, from small venues to big, outdoor festivals to coffee bar acoustic sets. I've seen a lot of amazing musicians play, but by far the most positive, lifting environment I've ever experienced was last night's show. I wanted to hug everyone in that building, and I wish I could have stayed in that space forever.

Thanks Paul, and thank you Vancouver for making that night so welcoming and amazing. I love you all for it.


 ]]> Osiris http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?345-Departing-From-A-Pandemic-Briefly <![CDATA[Around Every Reaper's Corner]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?344-Around-Every-Reaper-s-Corner Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:48:42 GMT [COLOR=#cfe2f3]that's right chilluns, the new walking dead has hit the interwebs, and it's like a roller coaster of awesome. outside of story, not much has changed from the third chapter, but i still feel that it deserves some space on the blogosphere.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]wow, that's all i can really say. the story in this chapter is def one of the best yet, i don't know how, but somehow the writers keep managing to out do themselves. it's really amazing, when you get to the end, everything you've done to that comes to a head and completely alters the makeup of the game you'll be playing in the final chapter. maybe i'm just a walking dead nut, but i absolutely love the writing here. being a fan of the show, i love anything that gives back story and axpands the universe of the story, one of the reason i love dead space.[/COLOR]
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[LEFT][COLOR=#cfe2f3]this chapter doesn't really wrap up any story threads, instead it inserts a new scenario that introduces the character to the depths of human depravity, and the depths to which men will sink to ensure their own posterity. remember episode two? something like that on a grander scale. i won't say anymore, but while the event's in this chapter dealing with that subject aren't as outright shocking, you get the sense of it's scale as you progress through the game. every new detail uncovered stacks on the detail before. you also build your relationships to lead into the season finale. this episode doesn't progress the main story line by much, nor does it deal with the man on the radio, but it does build to the finale. all of the interactions work to establish the frame of mind that leads to the events of the final 15 minutes. [/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]the gameplay is pretty much the same in this one as in the third chapter, certain aspects were expanded upon and worked in better, like the first person shooting sections, no movement, but you do aim down the sights and put down a small, but vicious, horde. this chapter more than any other requires quick reflexes and tight control. i had to go back over a couple of sections simply because i was asleep at the wheel. [/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]ooo, who's that? play the game and find out. the only thing that really dissapointed me was that they didn't have a "next time" reel at the end. of course, there has been a patch release since, so it may have changed, but i was kind of sad about that. great story, fun engaging gameplay, this chapter gets a 10/10.

for more, check out [COLOR=#cfe2f3][URL]http://reapers-corner.blogspot.com/[/URL][/COLOR] and also [URL]http://unacceptableentertainment.blogspot.com/[/URL][COLOR=#cfe2f3][/COLOR][/COLOR] ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?344-Around-Every-Reaper-s-Corner <![CDATA[Reaper's Corner gets Dusty]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?342-Reaper-s-Corner-gets-Dusty Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:28:14 GMT [COLOR=#cfe2f3]i don't really have a clever thing to roll off of this title, so i'll just say: Dust 514. anyone who's into sci fi shooter, knows what Dust 514 is. anyone who is into EVE Online knows what Dust 514 is. if you don't fal into either category, you may not know, so break out your pen and paper, class is in session.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]ok, so Dust isn't actually out yet, but your friendly neighborhood reaper, being the pimp mac daddy i am, managed to get access to the closed beta. that's right, i was scrolling through my games and noticed it sitting there randomly with no idea how it got there. cause i'm a pimp and devs just through this stuff at me. i wish there was an eye roll smiley on here. so, i originally heard about Dust like, a really long time ago, and haven't really heard anything since, so imagine my surprise to find that i had apparently registered myself a long time ago for the closed beta. i love when i do things without telling myself. unfortunately the rest of the reaper crew does not have a PS3, and so they will not be able to join me in this giant sack of awesome. that's right, a sack. of awesome.[/COLOR]
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]so, i've been into shooters for quite some time, but lately the standard call of duty formula just isn't doing it for me. i've been more into stuff like ME3, GR:FS, Operation Flashpoint, Operation Racoon City, etc. but, while those are great, they each have their flaws: ME3 isn't a hardcore shooter, i can't seem to get into the multi for GR:FS, no one really plays any of the Flashpoint games (even though they're awesome) and Racoon City, while still pretty enjoyable, is only a somewhat mediocre game. i know, right, beggars can't be choosers, which is why i haven't been complaining to this point, but i have been wanting something a little... more. enter Dust. Dust is a spin off of the MMO EVE Online, but it's not your standard spinoff. most spinoffs are standalone projects that have no real connection with the original IP, other than name and overall universe. this however has direct interaction with EVE Online. Dust players will have the option to join one of several space faring corporations, which can then be deployed by players in EVE in real time, to fight over resources on planets spanning the galaxy, with Eve players being able to provide orbital fire support, in real time, to Dust players in the heat of battle. it is one giant persistent universe, where people interact across platforms and games to effect events that touch thousands of players. pretty cool huh?[/COLOR]
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]keep in mind, this is still in beta form, but even now the game is deep. really deep. i don't know that you can get much deeper in this game unless you dig a hole dig a hole dig a hole. the RPG elements are stellar. you can buy whatever you want, but unless you have built up the requisite skill level, you can't use it. you have to have dropsuits, which are sets of armor, in order to participate in battles. there are different levels of gear: militia is the worst, but it's infinite, you buy one, i don't need anymore, so you don't have to worry about running out of supplies. at this point i should probably explain, you play as a soldier who transfers conciousness, once dead, to a clone. that clone requires a whole new set of equipment to go into battle, thus you face a logistical nightmare. i have built up my favorite class by combining the best equipment i can in such a way that it supports my play style, and there is no feeling like haveing a bad round and watching the number of deployable units you have in that class plumet. there are four class of dropsuit: Assault, Logistic, Recon, and Heavy, and it looks like more are going to be in the final product. assault is your typical well rounded dropsuit that can be enhanced anyway you choose to suit your play style, jack of all trades, master of none. logistic is what it sounds like, it has a heavy focus on supply, you get one wepon, and two supply options. recon has a focus on mobility, being fast, but lightly armored makes them great for range, or if you throw some extra armor on there, use them as a fast assault. heavy is what it sounds, heavy. lots of armor, takes a beating, like walking in molassess, tank it up with more armor and give it something that hits heavy like a shotty, or a rocket launcher, and you got a beast. it typically takes about two guys to drop me in my heavy class. of course, then you have to make sure that you've got plenty of your other supplies, like guns, grenade sets, dropsuit mods, etc. it takes a lot of planning and work to keep you in the fight, but man is it fun.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]the logistics aspect adds a whole new level to the game, you have to buy supplies to keep fighting and while 100K+ for a battle sounds like a lot, it's put into perspective when you realize that picking up 30 of your favorite rifle will set you back by half that. stuff ain't cheap, which is why it's good to diversify. it pays to buy different equipment specific to the mission at hand. i'll give you an example of two of my classes. Assault: GEK rifle (powerful, high rate of fire, no zoom, heavy, high power consumption), Breach SMG (low rate of fire, powerful, low MAGAZINE size (rusty), low weight, low power), 2 sheild extender (gives more HP to your sheild), 2 sprint recharge, nanohive (refills ammo and grenades when deployed). the assault is mobile, powerful, and good for engaging targets at close range. Operator: Tactical Assault Rifle (single shot, very powerful, low zoom, low magazine size), a (i can't remember the name of it but it is a very powerful) SMG (high mag capacity, very powerful, high rate of fire low power, low weight) sheild extender, sheild recharger (increases the rate of recharge), armor plate (increases armor), armor repair (repairs armor over time), nanoinjector (medkit). the operator is best deployed at mid range, but is formidable at close range. when i'm moving from one location to another, one objective to another, i like to use my operator class, when i'm going to be in close quarters, i like to use my assault class. it's a tradeoff.[/COLOR]


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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]then there's vehicles. so far i've seen a tank, a jeep, and a drop ship. there's also some kind of mother ship that hovers over the battle field on some game types, but you can't pilot those. the vehicles, especially the dropships, offer a different play to the game. you can fly high above the battlefield, and then you and some buddies can just drop in on the enemy. it kind of reminds me of MAG the way some of the vehicles are worked into the game, and the way you can interact with them. there looks to be more types and models coming, but i don't know for sure. the controls are also a little odd for vehicles, something i hope they fix, but then it is still a beta. vehicles are a nice touch, but at the moment they just feel kind of tacked on. if they can really integrate vehicles into the equation and make them an integral part of combat, they will work nice, but for now they are forgettable and, in some cases just feel kind of cheap. another aspect is bunkers and turrets. there are several different kinds of turrets ranging from rail cannon, to anti-air, to anti vehicular. if played right, they are a force multiplier, but no one really knows what to do with them, or how to combat them.which brings me to another thing: the learning curve is steep. like that first step is a ten foot drop steep. there is a lot here, and it's very complicated. i watched an egoraptor video that said good games should teach you through doing, and then he busted out megaman, which is elegantly simple. sure it worked for megaman, because that didn't need anything complicated, but this could really use a new guy tutorial. sure there are little messages that pop up when you enter a new menu area that tell you kind of what that area is for, but they need a short tutorial to help show people how to really use that area and how it impacts your game.[/COLOR]


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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]all in all though, it's still a beta. they have some work to do still before release, there are bugs and glitches and what-not, but overall it's fun. assuming they fix what's wrong, this is going to be the game for shooter fans who want something deeper than the call of duty experience. this is not a full release, so it doesn't get a review, but i will say this, play it. if you've got beta access, go play, if you don't, it's free to play, so you're not out anything if it turns out you don't like it.

check out my [/COLOR][URL="http://reapers-corner.blogspot.com/2012/09/reapers-corner-gets-dusty.html"][COLOR=#00ff00]blog site[/COLOR][/URL][COLOR=#cfe2f3] for bonus video material on Dust 514, and to see what else the RC crew is up to.[/COLOR] ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?342-Reaper-s-Corner-gets-Dusty <![CDATA[Reaper's Corner on the Long Road]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?341-Reaper-s-Corner-on-the-Long-Road Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:28:04 GMT [COLOR=#add8e6]busy busy busy, seems like i'm doing a lot of posting here.

[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]that's right kids, the new walking dead episode has hit consoles and and digital distribution sources everywhere. The Walking Dead: The Long Road is yet another new chapter in the slowly-becoming-epic saga of lee everet and clementine as they try to make their way in this brave new world. so episode 1 A New Day followed lee through the outbreak, episode 2 Starved For Help watched our slowly expanding crew get a little smaller and fight for their survival against the living and living dead alike, while episode 3 takes us on the road as our heroes finally flee macon and make their way to savannah and the expected salvation there.
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so, this episode picks up fairly quick after the last one left off. the gap between episodes 1 & 2 was a span of several months, not so here. at the end of episode 2 our heroes find some supplies that looks to tide them over for a little while. well, now they're out scavenging for supplies again, and that's where we catch up with them. lee and kenny are strolling the streets of macon having a leisurly chat and going to the pharmacy from episode one, which looks a little worse for wear than the last time we saw it, looking for medicine and food. we get a little toe in the water, you know, a warm up exercise, and walk around looking at stuff, trying to figure out how to get over a semi-truck. and that's when the "fun" starts.[/COLOR]
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]F is for fire that burns down the whole town[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#cfe2f3]U is for uranium... bomb[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#cfe2f3]N is for no survivors[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]decisions, decisions, decisions, this game should be called decisions, because that's what it's all about. right off the bat, they throw you into making one of the hardest decisions you've had to make up to this point. so far, most of the decisions you've had to make have had pretty clear ramifications, not only that, they've fallen pretty squarely on one side of "the line" or the other, depending on where you draw that line. this decision, however, is much more ambiguous, if it had come up one episode earlier, the answer would have been obvious, but now it's not nearly so cut and dry. funny how the end of the world can do that to you. and this is just the first of many, the whole game is decisions like that, flying by the seat of your pants, praying you're right, probably being wrong, it's kind of nerve wracking. the best chapter so far. [/COLOR]

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[COLOR=#cfe2f3]so, every episode gets a little more dynamic and deeper than the previous. in previous episodes, you got to kind of point and shoot a gun a little, but here you actually get to take aim and engage. granted, you don't have any real control over the character, but you do get to actually engage the enemy in a more traditional shoot out. other than that, the gameplay is still the same, just... more. here's an example: at one point you have to get a map, but the only way to do that is to get another character to move. in the past, there would've been something you did to that character, or for that character to get him to move, but here you have to do something for another character wich opens up another option with the first character and allows you to retrieve the map. the game has become more convoluted, more complex, requireing more thought. the more time you are with these survivors, the more you become entangled with them, the harder decisions become.[/COLOR]

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[LEFT][COLOR=#cfe2f3]again, this game all comes down to the decisions. this is a nasty piece of writing that will leave you questioning whether you really want to get the next chapter... untill you see "next time on the walking dead" then you say, "i can't %&*$&$*&% wait." oh yeah. this is some of the best writing i've seen in a game. there are some examples throughout history that are better, but not many. i give this episode a 10/10.[/COLOR]
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[COLOR=#add8e6]check out the bonus videos on my [/COLOR][URL="http://reapers-corner.blogspot.com/2012/09/reapers-corner-on-long-road.html"][COLOR=#00ff00]blog site[/COLOR][/URL] ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?341-Reaper-s-Corner-on-the-Long-Road <![CDATA[Reaper's Corner and The Siren]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?340-Reaper-s-Corner-and-The-Siren Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:41:26 GMT [LEFT][COLOR=#cfe2f3]so, i recently checked out Wait For The Siren by Project 86. there's a reason i own their entire catalogue. P86 is, in my eyes, one of the most highly underrated bands ever. a decade and a half after n sync and and P86 is still going strong. back in the mid 90's, people were all about the latest and greatest corporate pop band to crop up, but no one was talking about the band that's still doing it after all the others have come and gone. thats because good music and musical talent has staying power. i still listen to Truthless Heros on a pretty regular basis (one of their most criticized albums, but one of my favorites). but i'm not here to talk about the past, i'm here to talk about the now, and now we have Wait For The Siren.[/COLOR]
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[LEFT][COLOR=#cfe2f3]andrew schwab is irish. at least partly, and between the last album and this one, he spent a lot of time figuring that out. he was, clearly, inspired by his new found heritage and that inspiration shines through in his music. in most P86 albums, with hindsight and a clear understanding of their previous works you can see where they came from. this is especially true going from Truthless Heros to Picket Fence Cartel, in every successive album you can see traces of where that album came from in the previous album. this one kinda came out of left field. this one is all over the place, i can't even begin to predict where this one will go next. but it still fits the pattern somewhat, certain aspects that were experimental in Picket Fence Cartel are more prevalent here, but for the most part, this album is just new.
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[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]that's not to say that it doesn't sound like P86. in each album, their sound grows and changes, just like a person as they mature. somehow, some bands manage to keep their personal growth out of their music (why i don't know) but P86s personal growth is displayed in their music. changes in the lineup are certainly somewhat obvious, but all new comers keep that P86 sound while adding to the heritage. it's kind of like a skillet, each new thing you cook adds to the flavors imparted by the skillet. each new band member adds his own little flavor to the sound, but they keep the P86 sound. this album is obviously P86, from the opening notes, to the closing instrumental, this is unidentifiable as anything but P86.[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]

[/COLOR][COLOR=#cfe2f3]so, so far i've pretty much been gushing about P86, and how awesome they are, and how much i love them, and how they're music is some of the deepest ever... but i haven't really talked about the album yet. so the album starts with Fall Goliath Fall, an anthemic rock song that leads with irish overtones and leaves a scene of a war camp in the mind. it's a great opener, lot's of energy, really builds up to the rest of the album. this album is one of the heaviest albums P86 has ever written, yet also one of the softest. they tend to play to extremes on this one: heavy or ballad. there are like 1 or 2 songs that land in between, but the rest kind of go to extremes. the heavy songs have a nice flow to them, they have that classic P86 beat but with a very fluid motion through the song. it feels very natural. there are also guests on the album, guys like Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice fame and Head of Love and Death. the only problem is that the guest vox simply aren't given time to show why they were asked to contribute. they have a couple of lines in each of their respective songs, and that's it. it would be nice if on Crossfire Gambit we got to hear some more of Head, or more Fitzhugh on SOTS.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#cfe2f3]on Picket Fence Cartel,Schwab tried something a little new for him: singing. on Siren, the singing makes a reappearance with gusto. whereas on the last album, it was very tenuous and experimental, very iffy, good but uncertain, here the singing is confident, forceful, and clear. he brings a new presence to his vocals from his standard yelling, to a much softer, but just powerful ballad style singing, his vocals carry a weight that wasn't as present in previous albums, like a new found wisdom that guides him at just the right moment to switch styles. its like a sledgehammer in the way it slams your ears with awesomeness. the ballads have a special power in this album. with most heavy bands, ballads are thrown in almost as an after thought, kind of a, "look, we can be deep and contemplative" type of deal. not so with P86, every ballad is strategically placed to manage the ebb and flo of the album. it's like waves, you get these torrents of fast paced hardcore rock, followed by gentle eddies of softer ballads. it's and experience for sure. and every ballad fits where it lands, it's not like "let's make some ballads and throw them in at these places," every ballad fits to follow and precede the songs around it.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#cfe2f3]probably my favorite songs are Fall Goliath Fall, New Transmission, Crossfire Gambit, Ghosts of Easter Rising, and Take the Hill, although it's really hard to pick just a few. this is probably one of their best albums. it's well written, well organized, well recorded, it's like it hit a nexus point in making an album where all the aspects of releasing an album converged on excellent. a lott of albums will only hit one of them, but this is one of the few that is just downright excellent. i can only think of a couple of albums that reach this level: Mmhmm by Relient K, Blast Tyrant by Clutch, Celectial Completion by Becoming the Archetype, Haunted Horse by Neon Horse, and In Shallow Seas We Sail by Emery. very few albums reach this level. unfortunately, the guest vox kind of bring it down a little. if they had left the guest vox out it would be a perfect 10, but because they give you a taste of something else but kind of cut it off at the knees, instead of really showcasing the guest vox the way such heavy hitters of the industry should be, it cost the album. but it is still my pleasure to give it a 9/10

[video=youtube;usZDw9c0iQM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usZDw9c0iQM[/video]

also, check out my [/COLOR][URL="http://reapers-corner.blogspot.com/"][COLOR=#00ff00]blog site [/COLOR][/URL][COLOR=#cfe2f3]for an extra vid of a P86 interview.[/COLOR][/LEFT] ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?340-Reaper-s-Corner-and-The-Siren <![CDATA[Reaper's Corner is Moving... Sort of]]> http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?339-Reaper-s-Corner-is-Moving-Sort-of Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:46:34 GMT [COLOR=#add8e6]i used to have a lot more blogs and reviews and whatnot than this, but it was on another site, and then that site was taken down. obviously, this was rather dissapointing to me, and while KC has said that this site will be staying up, i still feel it prudent to collect all of my material to an independent location. thus, i have moved to blogspot.com. (the last dot is a period) never fear, i will still be posting here, i will just be posting to my blogspot location as well. a little double duty, but i have already tdiscovered that copy and paste holds format and whatnot so it will be simple. i will also be posting non-review material to the blogspot that will not be posted here, so for more writing from me, check it out. for the next few days i will be moving stuff there, and then i've got a review coming (which will also be posted here) and a simple blog post (not posted here).

the site is [URL="http://reapers-corner.blogspot.com/"]reapers-corner.blogspot.com[/URL] . apparently someone named jake already used reaperscorner once, to post how awesome he was at call of duty, in 2005, what a jerk. anyhow, check me out.[/COLOR] ]]> reaper239 http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?339-Reaper-s-Corner-is-Moving-Sort-of Survivor Skills for an Apocalyptic Age: Part 1 by stick, hook and wheel yarn is born. http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?338-Survivor-Skills-for-an-Apocalyptic-Age-Part-1-by-stick-hook-and-wheel-yarn-is-born Sat, 25 Aug 2012 03:26:38 GMT As this is my fortieth blog, I felt it was a milestone for me and I wanted to do something special. I’ve invited two of my dearest friends on this... As this is my fortieth blog, I felt it was a milestone for me and I wanted to do something special. I’ve invited two of my dearest friends on this forum 7oddisdead and Reaper239 to join me in starting a series we’ll call for now Survivor skills for an Apocalyptic Age. (Subject to their input)

I’ll start the ball rolling with one of my unique hobbies which in the end of modern civilization will become very useful. I can spin. No I’m not talking about spinning in a circle I’m talking about the ancient art form of spinning wool or other animal fiber into yarn as well as processing it in its raw form from the beginning which is right off the animal to the end product which is useable yarn.

I know many of you would scoff and find it a useless craft but think about it, machine made socks are thin and wear out rather rapidly and are also not easy to repair. In time you will run out of socks it’s going to happen there is nothing anyone can do about it. So what will you do? Wrap your feet in strips of cloth and or animal hide and hope for the best?

Napoleon Bonaparte said “An army marches on its stomach.” I always found this quote to be bullshit. An army marches on its feet and if a solder doesn’t change his socks every day or sometimes more depending on how wet his feet become. He succumbs to foot rot and your army no longer marches.

The very best material to make socks from is wool yarn. It will wick away moisture from skin as well as hold in heat if it gets wet. Wool yarn is made by spinning the processed fleece from a sheep.



This is a sheep with an ok growth of wool but she’s not quite ready to be sheered.


This lady really needs a haircut.


To understand wool you must understand sheep as not all sheep are created equal. There are many different breeds of sheep, a thousand total in the world with forty breeds here in the United States. Sheep are classified primarily by their use meat, wool, or milk with sub classifications within each classification. For simplification of this blog I’ll deal only with wool sheep and specifically fine wool sheep. For my own hand spinning I prefer the Merino breed of sheep. The second sheep picture in this blog is of a full coated Merino sheep.

Sheep’s wool is classified by its diameter of hair. The finer the diameter of the micron of hair, the finer the end result of the spinning. My preferred wool is from the Cormo which is a hybrid of Merino and Corriedale or pure Merino. Most hand spinners prefer a longer length of sheep wool as the fiber is easier to spin. I do not, as the longer the wool fiber the rougher and more itchy the end product. I prefer my wool yarn soft and non-itchy.

The art of spinning wool or animal fiber into a yarn for the creation of garments is an ancient craft. There are documented “twisted” fiber garments dating as far back 10,000 years. For the purposes of this blog I’ll be talking about a drop spindle and the techniques used to produce yarn with it.
There are two types of common drop spindles, a bottom or low whorl and a top or high whorl.

A bottom or low whorl drop spindle is used to make heavier or thicker yarn. A top of high whorl drop spindle is used to make a finer yarn.



You can also see the parts that make up each of the spindles. The shaft is what is used to spin the drop spindle as well as a holder for the yarn that is created in the process. The whorl is a weight used to help the shaft spin and pull the yarn from the fiber or roving that you are using. The hook at the top is merely a place to secure your yarn during the spinning process. In history before the hook a notch was cut into the shaft to be used in its place. The last part is the leader thread, which is a piece of yarn used to wrap and hold your newly spun yarn

A drop spindle can be made of anything you can find you need a weight and a stick and a hook. The weight or whorl can be anything from a lump of claw to a cd disk or even something as ornate as a disk of carved wood. My very first drop spindles were made of a wooden rod, a hook, and a wooden wheel from the craft store, like the picture below.


As you can see a drop spindle can be made of almost anything. The one above is a clever use of junk mail and a good example of recycling. ]]> yarri http://www.zombiepodcast.com/forum/entry.php?338-Survivor-Skills-for-an-Apocalyptic-Age-Part-1-by-stick-hook-and-wheel-yarn-is-born