A holiday song ...

have a good winter festival ... whichever one you choose to believe.

KELOID

Saw a bunch of teenagers at my subgig today all enthralled with this. Every bit of it is CGI. Seems to all be in an eastern European language (Russian?). It appears to be vaguely apocalyptic. Reminds me a bit of Robopocalypse.

Here it is, enjoy:

Dinty Moore Wasteland Stout

Friday was the big day. Brewed the third batch of Dinty Moore. I'll be enjoying 5 gallons at the brewery and the second 5 gallons I'll take with me to share at Wasteland Weekend. It took a full seven and a half hours to brew it this year. Did a couple things different this batch.

First, I got a refractometer as part of my Christmas loot last year so I didn't need to just guess at gravity and hope I had hit the target I wanted. I think I was testing the wort when it was too hot. It tested at 1.110 so I thought it would be ok to stop the boil. When we tested before we pitched the yeast the gravity was at 1.085. My target gravity was 1.090. So I missed it by just a little.

Also since the gravity was high I changed the yeast to White Labs WLP 099 from White Labs American Ale Yeast Blend WL060. So it should be just a little more agrressive and be able to handle the sugars in the wort.

I changed the boil time as well as the hop veriety. The stout boiled for an hour and used Newport Hops mostly instead of Chinook.

The grains were the same grains I used for the first two batches. The only difference in the grains were that the spelt, the wheat and the rye were rolled. The last two times I was only able to get the whole grain and had to crush them in my grinder. Not the best way to do it. The rolled grains made the actual volume of the grains larger but it also created more surface area.

You can find the origanial post I wrote here.

This is what I did for this batch:

Grain Bill
23 pounds 2 row
2 pounds rolled spelt
1 pound amaranth
1 pound quinoa
1¼ pounds rolled wheat berries
1¼ pounds rolled rye berries
1 pound old fashioned oatmeal
1 pound flaked barley
2 pounds roasted barley
1½ pounds Chrystal 170º
1 pound Black Patent Malt
2 pounds carapils
1½ pounds victory malt

Other Ingredients
2 Cups molasses
¾ pound of Rocket Java

Hops
2 Oz. Newport
2½ Oz. Chinook

Yeast
White Labs Super High Gravity WLP 099

Step by step:

Coarsely crush all grains. For the amaranth and quinoa you'll need to employ a food processor.

Heat 10 gallons of water to 170º. Mash in. Stabilise at 155º. Hold for 90 minutes. Raise to 165º and mash out. First running should take about an hour to complete, be patient. Sparge to collect 15 gallons of runoff.

Bring to a boil. Allow the boil to continue until you have reduced the total volume to 13 gallons (may take awhile depending in how hot your burner gets.) You are aiming for a total end-boil volume of no more than 10 gallons of wort to reach your target gravity. Add the two cups of molasses at anytime during the boil. Use caution to avoid scorching it on the bottom of your boil kettle.

Hopping Schedule: 60 minute boil.

2 oz. Newport after initial 10 minute boil
1½ oz Chinook at 45 minutes
1 oz Chinook at flame out


¾ pound Rocket Java (beans broken in half. A frying pan and Ziploc bag work well.) at flame out

Cover and rest for 10 minutes. Chill and ferment. Primary ferment one week. Secondary for two weeks (Dry hop with ½ oz. Chinook per five gallons). Bottle/keg as normal.


og 1.085
fg 1.005
ABV 12%


Here's a photo of five gallons of this year's Dinty posing with my Chainsaw Bat:

Die2Nite Flash Fiction: The Unsightly Tomb Day 13

It only took a look from the top of the watchtower yesterday for the full scope and magnitude of the situation to fully sink in. A horde of 1761 zombies were lurching and groaning toward our gates. Our defenses stood at a mere 1139 points. With all of temporary defenses in place the defense wasn't going to get any better. Even worse, all the buildings had been camped so there was no hope of a last minute reprieve.

With hands shaking and sheer panic near-to-hand I walked to the bank. I had seen the note posted on the town bulletin board about defenses (that in previous days had aptly kept the horde out of town) were now to be distributed amongst the citizens. I withdrew my allotment and carried them back to my shack.

As I was placing the wooden board and the sheet metal in front of the door I heard someone tacking a note to my door. I opened it just in time to see EnglishNinja dart away (The general defense of the town had depended on his quick thinking these past two weeks so I understood why he was in such a hurry).

The note asked me if I could drink the Wake the Dead in the bank. He wanted me (in my hammered state) to convert 3 scrap irons to wrought iron and then build a fence around my shack when I was finished. Another citizen needed my sheet metal.

After I had finished the fence I went back inside my shack. If I was to die this night I'd do it drunk.

I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

At midnight I was awakened to loud, pain filled screams. I ran to my door and opened it the slightest crack. "Tinted!", I called out. "Can you hear me? Are you ok? Megaton! Hang in there!"

I saw a group five of zacks turn their heads and begin to climb over my newly constructed fence. I paused to wish my coalition mates some luck, then slammed the door. I heard the five pounding on the door and was sure they'd break it down any second. I grabbed my Wooden board and put it over myself as I hid under my bed. Maybe if I stayed very still and didn't cry out they'd think I was camping the Post Office again.

The door eventually gave way and all five made it in. They slammed around for a bit. They left without finding me. It might be because I had gone this past two weeks without out ever cleaning my house or uniform, I'll not know. But after the experience I was left even sweatier and much stinkier. Even my faithful labradoodle Munchybunny is keeping her distance.

I had to shove with more force than normal to wedge my door open enough so I could get out. In all the chaos of the horde breaching the walls the streets are filled with even more debris than normal. The spikes, the bonfire, our cannon and even our garbage heap had been broken and scattered all through the town.

Other than the trash the streets were empty. No one had ventured out. I went to TintedGrey's shack first. I pounded on her door. No answer. With heavy heart I pulled the door open and peeked inside. Tinted had attempted to hide under her bed as well. She chose to hug a broken guitar instead of pull the defensive objects with her. Half of her was still there under it. The other half was across the room.

I stepped inside and rifled through my rucksack. I pulled out a water ration and poured it all over her remains. I backed away quickly as it bubbled and steamed. "I'd never allow you to become a shambler. Rest easy friend."

I closed the door and continued to Megaton's shack. The streets were still empty. I began to wonder if I was the only person left. But then I hear a distant voice. It sounded an awful lot like Pooper. I was not alone after all.

As I stood outside Megaton's shack, I was still. I listened very carefully. No sounds emerged from within. I knocked gently. Still hoping my friend had made it. No answer. I knocked louder. Still no response. I knocked with all my might. Nothing.

I heaved a heavy sigh and pulled the door open a crack. Peeked inside. From the coppery odor that emanated from within I knew the worst has happened. My friend had been devoured.

I stepped fully into the shack. He was in an even worse state than I found Tinted in. Either more had come for him or they had been hungrier. His entire mid section was gone. I was only able to find one of his legs and his upper torso.

Once again I opened mu rucksack and pulled out a water ration. "I took care of Tinted the same way Megaton. I know you'd do the same for me buddy. Rest easy." With that I poured the ration over him and walked out into the sunlight.

We lost 12 citizens last night to the horde. 12 of the finest citizens it's ever been my pleasure to scavenge and build and well .... survive beside.

I know I'll join them soon. There's just 14 of us left. I'm standing at the tower now and the horde is much larger than last night. Much. More then 2125 will come for us tonight. At least I am certain the TintedGrey and Megaton will not be among them. I can live with that.

Wasteland Shirt

I thought I'd posted this. Maybe, maybe not. Anyhow this is the shirt I'll be sporting at the festival. It's an art shirt I guess. I bought it from Dirty and Distressed. So yeah it's the only part of my costume I haven't made myself. But I think making the chainmail sleeve makes up for it don't you think?


Anyhow here it is:



I'll be wearing it the first day at least.

The Culled by Simon Spurrier

No one was making anything new. No documentaries along the present emergency. No one had the time or energy to programme new channels.

Everyone was to busy staying alive.

This was at the beginning. This was during The Cull itself, as The Blight swept the country, as the infrastructure gave way like a dam made of salt and all the comfortable certainties - advertising, street-sweepers, hotdog stalls, the Metro newspaper on the underground, discount sales, pirated DVDs, free samples from the supermarkets, full vending machines - all the little frills you never fucking noticed, just slowly ...

went away.

Halloween playlist

1) Wendnesday 13: Haunt Me




2. Misfits - Halloween




3. Donavan - Season of the witch





4. Matthew Sweet - Devil with the green eyes



5. Peter And The Test Tube Babies - Zombie creeping flesh





6. Wenesdayday 13 - The Ghost Of Vincent Price





7. Groovie Ghoulies -(She's My) Vampire Girl





8. G.B.H.- Lycanthropy





9. Demented Are Go! - Zombie Stalk





10. 45 Grave - Partytime





11. Godless Wicked Creeps - Vamps




12. Samhain-November's Fire





13. Bloodrock D.O.A.





14. Groovie Ghoulies - Graveyard Girlfriend





15. Alien Sex Fiend-R.I.P.





16. Chixdiggit! - Chupacabras







17. The Damned - Thanks For The Night





18.Type O Negative - Creepy Green Light




19. Wednesday 13 - Haddonfield

Post Apocalyptic Earth Blog: Post Apocalyptic Larpers Unite!!

Post Apocalyptic Earth Blog: Post Apocalyptic Larpers Unite!!: So I thought I would post this, I am looking to start a Post Apocalyptic larping group. It would by no means only be about Fallout of Mad Ma...

REBLOG: Musical Interlude the First Megton.us

Reposted from Megaton.us



The band says: "We created a video set in a post apocalyptic era... Not too long into the video you realize the cause of the end of society as we know it, ZOMBIES! I play the role of zombie slaying bad mother fucker roaming the dessert looking for salvation.

Instead i find a shack infested with all sorts of evil. To capture this horror based music video i recruited my people at Knotts Scary farm. Designer Brooke Walters as well as a legion of monsters. Happy Halloween followers of Plague, stay bloody!"


For more information on WINDS OF PLAGUE, please visit:
www.facebook.com/windsofplague
www.myspace.com/windsofplague
www.twitter.com/windsofplague
www.centurymedia.com

Spikes for the Chainsaw Bat

Procured them today. 8 of the larger ones and 12 of the smaller ones. Bigger ones will be in two rows down the sides of the bat where the chainsaw bar isn't. the smaller ones I'll put in four rows. A row on each side of the bigger ones. The rest I'll put in rings around the bat below the chainsaw bar.

These are the spikes:



Now to paint them flat black. Stay tuned.

In honor of my In Game Death

I'm not dead yet but soon. To comemorate this event I present a little sing along:




Die2nite .... indeed.

Another part for the Chainsaw Bat

Scavenged the local Pick-A-Part and came away with this nifty ball hitch right here:



It should make the perfect pommel to balance out all the extra weight at the top.

And yes (as noted by tintedgrey) I can bash someone to a pulp with both ends now.

Chainsaw Bat

75% done with the epoxy. Looks exactly as I wanted it to.

Next step spikes. Stay tuned, further updates as events warrant.

Of Dreams, Dreaming and The Apocalypse

My dreams have aways been vivid. There are times when I've had a week-long miniseries type dream. Most of my dreams have two basic dreamscapes. In one I'm in a tall tower. Think 'the biggest building in the world'. For what ever reason it's a self contained building. Schools and everything inside. I never leave the place. Also, for whatever reason the elevators are extremely opulent. Also they are immense. I am always in the elevators I ride them to the top then go back down. In one dream there's an office inside. Computers. Cubicles. Everything. I didn't have the 'Tower' dream last night.

The other dreamscape is at the beach. Sometimes I think it's Hawaii in them because I have to get on a plane to get there. Other times the dream opens with me there already. I always stay at a beach house. And I mean it's right on the beach. Sometimes the house is up on a cliff. Other times it's almost on the sand.

I always do the same types of things too. But it's in the doing that the dream takes the sideways run and becomes different. Sometimes I'm fishing, and one time I fished right off the back porch. Sometimes I walk through the street market/fair that's in constant motion about a block from the house. Other times I take a walk either through the city or along the beach. Many times it's a combination.

The house is always filled with friends. Some of these I can't remember when I wake up, some are amalgams of two or more people, but always always my wife Millie is with me. I know she's there even if she's "off frame".

In the dream I had last night I takek a walk through the street fair. Stop places and have a beer or two (because I'm a beer tourist). Eat food and have a great time. I have my cell phone with me and know that my wife is out with some friends but that we are going to meet on the beach at sunset. I am supposed to call her when I am done exploring the street fair and am on the way to the beach.

After wandering the fair for a bit I begin to make my way to the beach. It's still a bit of a walk so I don't call yet.

Then a strange thing happens. It's a dream so it only seems strange when you wake up. Time lurches forward. It's now past sunset. The day has entered my favorite time. The Blue World. It's that time that exists for only about five minutes just after the sun has set. The whole world turns blue. It's at this time that I am entering the beach. I notice that there seems to be more people there than normal. It's filled with people.

Millie is not with me. But I don't find this strange. We've met and watched the sunset and she has gone back to rejoin 'the ladies'. We meet and then do our own thing a lot not in dreamscape so I didn't think anything of it.

As I walk along the beach the night begins in earnest. Lights in the city come on, the moon rises. I continue to walk along the beach.

Then from the far distance I hear voices begin to rise. That's not normal. The beach is always been fairly peaceful (well there was the big storm that one time). The voices become more urgent and louder. I picke up the phrase 'radio' in all the babbling.

Soon after a squadron of jets flies over. They come from the far side of the city then cross over the beach and continue out over the ocean.

As I turn my head to follow the path of the jets my gaze falls on the moon. It is bright and full in the cloudless sky.

It is also moving rapidly from horizon to horizon and tumbling as it does so. When everyone else on the beach notices this panic sets in. Everyone begins to run. I stand firm and watch the moon. It is still tumbling and moving quickly across the sky, but now it looks as if large areas are on fire.

Time lurched again and I find myself running down the beach with everyone else. I hold my cell phone in my hand and frantically try to call my wife. The signal isn't going through. I try several more times and then put the phone in my pocket.

Up ahead on the beach is some sort of large tent or pavilion and everyone is going into it. I follow them. Everyone is getting into a line. At the front, there is a lady who looks Chinese but speaks in a Russian accent. She hands me a chocolate bar and says that it's the best I'd ever taste and that it'd make me feel better.

I open the wrapper and take a bite.

It's then that I wake up. I look around my dark bedroom, reach over and pat my wife on the behind and think to myself 'wow, that was weird'. Then I go back to sleep.

Weapons of the Wasteland

My primary weapon will consist of the perfect melding of two sweet armaments you'd want as a scavenger.


The first: A classic Louisville Slugger









The second: A typical chainsaw










Since I had a lot of spare time in my Remedial Reading (Special Education) class ... well because I'm a reading specialist and it's a lot of review for me (right now anyway), I decided to try my hand at some concept art. Hey, it's not my fault she handed us a giant box of crayons during our first class.

That's right. CHAINSAW BAT! Complete with giant metal spikes. YES!

Also for those among you who are just a little more techno savvy than I am, there's a chainsaw bat pictured at about the 46 minute mark in the film Deadland that I tried (with no success) to capture. I have something shiny for the first person to post it. That is all.

Further updates as events warrant.

Wasteland Rucksack

Check this off the list: one apocalyptic-looking backpack. I'll be the envy of all the scavengers with this number.



It's a Russian Military Rucksack made in 1961.

Now to add patches and things/stuff/junk

Musical Interlude The Twenty First

Just listen ... think about it.



I look to the sky but there's nobody watchin'
Left here behind all alone and forgotten
So now the world belongs to me, the world belongs to me

Wasteland Weekend Promo

Next year it's on! But, for now, I'll have to make do with watching from the sidelines.

Leather Jacket Update #2

The Good News is the chain mail is about 1/4 of the way done. And is looking great:

The Bad News is I have run out of clipped loops and need to wind and cut some more.

Further Updates as events warrant.

Leather Jacket Update #1

The left sleeve will be chain mail at least to the elbow.

I'm doing it from scratch. I want to spend as little as possible on this this thing. Anyhow I borrowed my father-in-law's electric drill and got a piece of scrap metal from the welding shop I worked at before I was a teacher:


Then I got some left over wire from when I built a Trumpeter Swan from paper mache and used the drill to make tightly coiled springs:


Next I cut all the 'coil loops' apart with a wire cutter:


Lastly, I weave the mail from the cut loops. Here is the start:


Notice my hands taped up with duct tape in those photos? My delicate hands began to blister after 15 minutes of cutting. Duct tape (and ingenuity) came to my rescue.

Wasteland Weekend 2012

This is a Mad Max Festival in the Southern California desert. I can't go this year because I didn't have enough lead time. But next year it's on.


Costumes are required for everyone. Mine will be sweet. First step is to take my old metalhead leather jacket and transform it.

Here is a before pic:


I'll update as needed. It'll be tagged Wasteland Weekend.

Contagion

This film looks pretty exciting, looks like the real deal to me. When I saw it last night I thought it was a teaser for The Stand at first. But that's crazy because I don't even think it's stated to film yet. Be that as it may, this appears to a fairly large budget apocalyptic movie with some pretty big-named stars in it.

Come September I know where I'll be. At the front of the line man.

Yet another apocalyptic music video

Been so many lately my blog is flooded with tunes.

Live it up right? School (substituting) and my second masters degree (special education this go 'round) start very very soon.

Musical Interlude The Twentieth

Slow death is what we can expect
Strike will have just this one effect
Condemned to capital punishment
By the nuclear sword of Damocles

Miracle Mile "I think it's the insect's turn"

Julie: All those chances, I mean ...

Harry: Hey, hey, hey! Don't think about it.

Julie: Oh, God. Hell. It's hell out there now isn't it?

Harry: Just blot it out.

Julie: If you weren't in here with me ... that would be hell. People are going to help each other won't they? I mean rebuild things. The survivors, I mean.

Harry: I think it's the insect's turn.

Julie: Oh ... all your life you think you have time to do everything ... and then it's just ...



Saw this movie was free on demand earlier today and just had to give it a go. Who cares that I own it right? I didn't feel like standing up and putting it in my DVD player when it was right there at the push of a button.

The movie plays like the most twisted version of that old kid's game 'telephone' ever. And it starts with an actual phone call. The only person who knows for sure what was said during the call thought it was a prank caller. There's several points where I found myself wondering if it was true or not as well. I know there were several times when Harry was thinking 'Oh. Shit. What have I started?'

It's the mix of that kid's game with just the slightest dash of the Cassandra syndrome that makes this film so great. Harry knows KNOWS that the missiles are on the way but very few people exept the wingnuts will believe him. It's enough to leave anyone doubting their own sanity.

Anyhow, it was just as great this time as was when I first watched it years ago. As I was telling my friend Megaton it starts off slowly but by the time it's over you're all white knuckles. If you've not seen it before watch it. Now. If you've seen it, well, you should give it another go.

You'll need a hug ... indeed.

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

After many (many) months of wheedling and asking plaintively, Susan Beth Pfeffer has agreed to continue the Moon Trilogy (now named the Moon Saga, winky emoticon) with a fourth Moon Book. Sue, being a Very Nice Person, has been giving all of us Apocalyptic Junkies a look behind the curtain at her blog.

Over the past week or so she's gone through many trials and (dare I say?) tribulations. Anyhow the latest episode involved some fruit flies. In her latest post she refered to these as being a 'symphony of difficulty'. Well Susan it could always be a Symphony of Destruction.

I give you said symphony:

The Infection by Craig DiLouie

'The sun was rising over a smoking America and its first rays provided a dim red light in the bedroom.'

Centipede Infestation from Nintendo

Remember that old video game from the dusty recesses of your childhood? You know, the one in the back of the pizza parlor. Remember? It was in between the Operation Wolf and the cockpit version of Star Wars. Remember now? Yes, I'm talking about that arcade classic; Centipede. It had a giant trackball and you just held down the fire button for all you were worth.

Well friends, it seems that it has had a rebirth. An update if you will. I never knew that Centipede was an apocalyptic game at all. Apparently though it was/is. Or at least its update is.

This comes from Nintendo:

Twelve years after a nuclear war, the world has turned into an uninhabitable wasteland with mutant insects and humanity holding onto survival in outposts hidden from the poisonous air and killer Centipedes. This Fall, Nintendo fans can become humanity's only hope for survival as Atari, one of the world's most recognized publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, and developer WayForward re-imagine the legendary video game franchise Centipede for a new generation of gamers with Centipede: Infestation.

"Centipede: Infestation modernizes one our most popular brands for Nintendo's youthful audience," said Jim Wilson, President and CEO of Atari S.A. "This game and other games to follow, further define Atari's strategy to build upon our library of celebrated IP and reimagine them for next generation game platforms."

Centipede: Infestation is a post-apocalyptic action experience that features run-n-gun shooting style gameplay with tower defense-style objects, paying homage to the original Centipede while bringing the brand into the 21st century. Players assume the role of an orphaned teenager hero named Max as he trudges through the wasteland, fighting off giant bugs. During Max's travels he encounters a young teen named Maisy who possesses a collection of seeds that hold the secret to bringing plant life back to the wasteland. Max and Maisy join forces to grow these gardens and protect the last natural resources on earth.

Players will be swarmed by mutated spiders, beetles, grubs, caterpillars, moths, and boss insects across the game's expansive world of seven environments and 40 stages. To defeat these mutant species and restore mankind, players will have to use an array of weaponry - Lightning Orb Gun, Nuke Cannon, Freezethrower, Mine Launcher, and more - as well as power-ups to fight through the invasions.

Like the toadstool of the original Centipede game, each insect has a unique defensive object that it can leave behind, as a 'special' variation. These defensive objects are short-lived combat tools that distract, attack, or block insect assaults during battle.

Additionally, the game allows players to team up with friends to fight off even more bugs with 2 player co-op multiplayer features. Nintendo 3DS players will be able to take advantage of unique StreetPass features that enable them to uniquely share content between passing Nintendo 3DS users. Centipede: Infestation for Nintendo 3DS will also feature gooey 3D visuals and ad-hoc multiplayer for 2 player co-op.

For more information, please log onto http://www.atari.com/.


And here's a small taste of game play. For the record, I'd have liked to see more ruins.

Foster the People Helena Beat

When I'm in the car with the wife she doesn't go in for the insane, crazy crust that I enjoy she's more for mild and mellow stuff. Things that you may find on The 20 on XM. One of the bands that is in high rotation on that station is Foster the People. They're not so bad really. Sorta catchy in fact. Their song Pumped Up Kicks in particular is a real 'Toe-Tapper'

If you think that

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet."

was a little violent, you've seen nothing yet.

Here's the latest from Foster the People.

I give you Helena Beat. Watch for the dead cat and the pig's head. Choice!




They describe the video as:

Post-apocalyptic, ‘Lord of the Flies’ meets ‘Mad Max,’ so, it’s a bunch of kids, and they kidnap us and take us into this warehouse, and there’s a really crazy twist at the end. But it’s super-visual, and it’s a mixture of really, like, bizarre circumstances — it’s dark, but it’s also pretty tongue-in-cheek and fun.

Enjoy!

UPDATE!

A little behind the scenes action here:



Even more choice!

Book Clubs and Coupons and Zombies, Oh My!

(re-posted from megaton.us)

OK, technically, there are no zombies involved in this post, but "infected" had too many syllables, and the infected are close enough to zombies anyway. Or are they?

That's one of the topics that's likely to come up as we discuss the next official Post-Apocalyptic Book Club selection, The Infection, by Craig DiLouie.

It's been a while since we've had a book club discussion, but we've had several requests to start one up again, and the folks at Permuted Press made it easy for us to choose a book by offering readers a 20% discount on an ebook version of The Infection from Smashwords.

The Infection takes place as one in five people collapse screaming before falling into a coma. Three days later, the Infected awake with a single purpose: spread the Infection. A small group—a cop, teacher, student, reverend—team up with a military crew to survive. But at a refugee camp, what’s left of the government will ask them to accept a dangerous mission back into the very heart of Infection.

So if you want to get in on the fun, first head over to the Smashwords page for The Infection, and use coupon code VW57R (that's a V and then a W). But the code expires on August 5th, so don't put it off.

Then join us in the Book Club section of The Post-Apocalyptic Forums (forum registration is not necessary for the book club). We'll have separate threads set up for different sections of the book so that you can read at your own pace, and discuss just what you've read, but still not be spoiled by others who have read further than you.

And Craig DiLouie has said that he'll stop by the forum himself to see how the discussion is going, and to contribute what he can.

The coupon expires in two weeks, but those of us who've already read the book will start up the discussions right away, so feel free to join us anytime.

Theme song for a blog

Yesterday when I took my three-hour-drive to a job interview (that I think I bombed, but you know time will tell), I grabbed a random stack of CDs to listen to because the radio in the car I was driving doesn't work ... and things and stuff and junk. Also while I was driving I'd grab a CD from the top of the stack and plug it in. It was on one of those random CDs that I stumbled on the perfect theme song for this blog.

And yes. Before you ask it was on the second Gray's Anatomy soundtrack. It's the message though ... the message.



see also:

Vacation Commercial

Last vacation it was an epic tire commercial that I found to be particularly amusing. This week I find myself in the Napa Valley of California (for beer, why else would I be here?) and witness to yet another very odd commercial. This time for Toshiba. Yes it's real; I saw it just last night.

Food for thought

Is the song Stayin' Alive by The BeeGees (The Brothers Gibb) in fact apocalyptic in nature? Based on the lyrics and the video, I say 'Yes'.




"Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin', people,
Stayin' alive, stayin' alive."

Wastelander .... you know you want to cover this.


Comments Welcome.

Apocalypse City

While I was chillin' in the PA chat room (as is my wont) a user I'd never seen before stopped by to say howdy. He asked us to log into Apocalypse City. My regular readers will remember this. That's Apocalypse City in a nutshell. A war of all against all. The site does want you to update your flash player so don't let that freak you out or anything.

A screen cap to whet your appetite:


My in game handle is fear. See you on the inside.

In which Fear goes on vacation

Just got back last night from our annual Memorial Day vacation to California. The wife and I go every year to visit her best friend. She lives in O'Neals, that's pretty close to geographic center of the state. It is closer however to 'The Middle of Goddamn Nowhere, California'. This photo is of the marker and shows the compass rose. The blue spot is the exact center of the state.

Another fun fact about this area is that there old buildings around. One such dilapidated building I ran across was an old 'Garden Shed'. It came complete with a number of rusty chains, a couple chainsaws and old lawnmowers as well as a few toolbags:


As I told Megaton: You know you're playing die2nite too much when you discover an old garden shed and your first response is 'YES! Chainsaw -fistpump-

On the trip (as always) I bring a number of books. This trip I brought the book I am reading now (Without Warning) and a book of short stories (Wastelands, Stories of the Apocalypse), to sort of fill in, if I got bored with the other. Anyhow I was reading in the car on the way to somewhere or other a story called The People of Sand and Slag by Paolo Bacigalupi. That last link goes to the full text of the story. I'll wait 'till you finish then move on ....

The short story reads kind of like the polar twin to A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison (not the polar opposite of ... because polar and opposite are synonyms. Better is an antonym: polar and twin do nicely.)

The story it is most similar (twin) to is Something Passed By by Robert R. McCammon (Link goes to full text ... I'll wait ... again).

But that's not why I'm writing about The People of Sand and Slag. I can't be the only one who has been reading and listening to the radio when the word they are reading is said on the radio or is in the song. When I was reading Sand and Slag it happened for the first time ever. Not just the single word sung and read simutaniusly, the entire sentence I was reading was in the song that was playing. The one sentence (and the following one as well) also sort of sum up the feeling of the short story. 'If it makes you happy, then why the hell are you so sad?' It's by Sheryl Crow:



That's all I have to say about that.

Every time I go to O'Niels I pass through Turlock. It just so happens to have a Costco that supplies us with cheap gas. It is also home to the Tulock Killdozer. Well that's what I've always called it anyhow. Each time I've passed it I've wanted to stop and check it out. Then inevitably I just tell myself 'next time' and continue on the way.

Not this time. I made it a point to stop. I had assumed that it was just one those giant roadside attraction type things like the giant ball of yarn or a rodent of unusual size. It was even better.

The Turlock Killdozer is a giant bulldozer. Big and stuff.

Front view:

Back View:


From the side:

That's right. That's me your humble blogger there in the photo. You may not be able to tell from the picture but let me assure you I felt like a giant asshat. 'Why?', you may ask. Well because the 'Killdozer' is, in actual fact, an office building for United Equipment.

You can imagine my shock when I opened the door to the thing, expecting a gift shop or something, and found a rather normal, ordinary office building inside. I asked if I could go upstairs and look out the window. The guy who greeted me had no problem showing me around.

At the top of the stairs I was met with a sight I had TOTALLY not expected. He opened a door so I could look out the window as I had asked and I was greeted with a fully functioning Man Cave in what would have been the cab of the Killdozer. RIGHTEOUS!



I am not the only one who has been stunned by what the Killdozer turned out to be.

Ripley (of Believe It Or Not Fame) was taken aback by it:



It's been featured in newspaper comics:


Magazine articles have been even been written about the Killdozer:

So I guess I shouldn't feel so bad about about thinking the Killdozer was an ordinary roadside attraction as it has fooled so many. But I felt like a jackass anyhow. My wife's laughter didn't help much.

So that's it. A great vacation topped off by a healthy dose of embarrassment. What more can you ask for huh?

Drinking in the Rapture: Or what would Harold Camping quaff?

@CGclimateChange of Twitter and Jessica Gelt of The Los Angeles Times ask that age old question: If yesterday was really the last day, if instead of Harold Camping just making a giant jackass out of himself, if what happened had more in common with the movie Last Night instead of fizzle, what then would have been Harold Camping's last drink of choice?

I would suggest that he open up a nice bottle of Ommegeddon Ale from Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY:

This beer was pretty good. It's not my normal choice of beverage. I usually go for a brew with a bit more hop flavor.

The beer itself here.

It was expensive. The 22 oz. bottle set me back $13.99. I was expecting some bottled magic here. When I got it home I unwrapped the foil, twisted off the wire basket and carefully popped the cork that held the beer pressurized.

Now I don't have a snifter to pour it into (I guess this what is required to get the full effect of the aroma). If any of you wish to purchase me one feel free to let me know. I only come equipped with a set of four pilzner glasses. I made them do. With the glass I didn't get a whole lot of hop aroma.

The color was golden. The head was stark white and very creamy.

There was some sediment but as a homebrewer I'm used to that and left the last half ounce or so in the bottle. The clarity of the brew was not impeded by the yeasty fallout.

The taste. It had a fruity quality. Sweet. I go for beers that are extremely hoppy and excoriate your pallet. This one (although it was a fine tasting beverage) is not what I drink. So your millage my vary.

Harold Camping: Pop the cork. Quaff the drink. Bet you'll find it enjoyable. And the expense I mentioned earlier? You wont have to worry about it will you? You old coot. Plenty of fools gave you everything they have.

Final thought: the bookshelves of doom has had a soundtrack for awhile, as of today it has an official beverage as well.

Without Warning by John Birmingham

"I reckon the universe, or merciful Allah or The Great Pumpkin or whatever, sneezed and blew the good ol' US of A right out it's arse, which as we've seen, a lot pf people think of as A Good Deal. But me, I reckon it means we're about three days away from a Hobbesian fucking meltdown."

Fifi's blank look spoke volumes for a for education that ended when she was only thirteen years old.

"Thomas Hobbes, darling," explained Jules. "A Brit. He invented the idea of the violent clusterfuck, with everyone fighting each other. Like a Jackie Chan movie. Or a cagewrestling free-for-all on the telly. You know, Smackdown or Spankdown or whatever it's called."

I'm back

with the best commercial ever.




The irony here? The only time I've seen this was with my feet propped up at my uncle's house in HAWAII. HA.

further updates as events warrant.