Of the Undead

When zombies attack, will you be ready?

I know I will be.

For the past few months, I've been gathering information on the possibility of a Zombie attack.  Mainly, I've been reading a very intensive book on the subject:

This event has been proven to be a serious threat, as shown in films such as Dawn of the Dead and its spiritual successor, Shaun of the Dead.

However, there is another threat which could prove even worse:

The return of the dinosaurs.




As we have learned from Jurassic Park, these creatures cannot be tamed, nor can they be controlled.  They are vengeful, savage monsters who will hunt us down until they have exacted their revenge upon us, and WE are the extinct ones.

Undoubtedly at this moment you are very frightened of this danger, as am I.  However, the real threat is even greater than you realize.

What if these reptilian monstrosities were to become even more deadly, by way of some terrible chemical agent?  It is doubtless that the more creative minds among you have already reached my same conclusion:

Zombie Dinosaurs.




I apologize if I may have frightened you with the above image, but I felt that it was necessary to get the message across.  In truth, you should be frightened.

Imagine the endless horrors.  Dinosaurs that cannot be killed by traditional means, scouring the earth, slaughtering what humans they find and infecting those they cannot kill.  Due to the fact that they are not human, they might in fact be able to move quickly, unlike their human zombie counterparts.
The smaller saurians (such as Compsognathus) would act as quick, vicious disease carriers, infecting entire groups of humans with deadly precision and agility.
Others, such as the above pictured Velociraptor, would be hunter-killers, capable of both brute strength and lightning speed.
Finally, the worst of them all would be the the large dinosaurs.
With the Zombie virus infection, these dinosaurs would no longer bleed to death or be able to die by any means other than a killing blow to the brain.  This presents a major problem with large dinosaurs, as they have extremely small brains, and would be almost impossible to kill with traditional firearms.  In the case of many large dinosaurs, the brain is also protected by a large, thick skull.




How on earth would you fight these things?  The answer, sadly, is unknown at the present.  But we must continue to seek the answers, before we are too late.  I urge each and every one of you to spread the word.
Make a zombie survival plan.  Stock up on basic supplies.  Vote for political candidates who support anti-Zombie research.  The apocalypse is nigh, and we must be ready.

Behind the sparkles

.


Statement:
Twilight is emotional porn for women.

















(you know it's true)

First week of College

I spent the past 2 years at Tarrant County College, but that wasn't a "real" college.  In nearly every possible way, it is nothing like a University.

This Fall, I transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington.

It
Is
Awesome.


It's very "new." While other schools seem a bit run-down or old, UTA has taken great care of itself. It's clean, slick-looking, and has a bowling alley. I don't ever bowl; I just like knowing it's there. :)


I like to sit in the leather chairs on the top level of University Hall (the building where students go to "hang out."  As a matter of fact, that's where I'm typing from at this very moment.

It's nice and cozy.  The first time I went to go sit down here, all the couches and chairs were pulled together so that there was no opening.  I had to vault-jump over the couch on the left; it was pretty cool.
On the first day of class, I sat here during my 2-hour break between classes, innocently blogging about the injustices of Star Wars publishing, and three guys sat down in the same little seating-square.  One of them, noticing that I was browsing the net, asked me how to get his laptop online (because it is rather complicated), and I helped him out.  In response to my apparent friendliness, the other two guys started introducing themselves to me and bringing me into their conversation.  Of course, this is college, so there are really no standards or morals for conversation.  I really don't need to hear about all the different not-to-be-mentioned things that a guy and his girlfriend do with one another.
They seemed friendly at least, though if I never saw any of them again, I wouldn't be unhappy.

[side note: at the current moment, there's a guy sitting in one of the seats across from me that looks a bit like 1977-era Mark Hamill. It's kinda distracting.  I feel like I need to shake his hand and tell him how great he is.]

Two days later, whilst in the same chair (I love this spot), three girls (not the stereotypical shallow/hot/whatever college girls you see on TV) sat down right at my left.  I noticed that one of them was about 4 feet tall.
After sitting there for awhile and pretending not to listen to their conversation, I interjected with a comment about something they were discussing (the effect of drugs on essay-writing).  They were apparently impressed with something I said, as they kept talking to me.  I eventually learned that the short one was named Allison, and that she was an English major and hopeful novelist (she joked that we were "academic soulmates"), another of them (dark hair, blue eyes, about 5'7'') was named Courtney Cox (I kid you not!), and the last one (average height, red/brown hair, video gamer) was named Diana (I think).  They were nice.
Allison and Diana left for class after awhile, but Courtney stayed around for a bit. Eventually I realized that she was only hanging around so that I wouldn't be left alone; that was nice of her.  I think she feels a bit lonely: she lives on-campus, but her roommates apparently have other friends that are higher on their priority list than her.  We told each other that we'd be sure to hang out more when we next see each other.
I think I'll be her friend. :)
[side note: I really shouldn't be listening to the love theme from Attack of the Clones while I write this; I think it's giving this story a slight romantic edge that it doesn't have in reality.]

Oh, that reminds me.  I think my Star Wars fandom has reached a critical point.  Every time my teacher would mention an aspect of literature, I would immediately think "that's just like Star Wars! =D"
Now, if and when I ever did make a Star Wars reference in class, it was also a very good point. I did, however, get unofficially labeled "the Star Wars reference guy."
I'll have to find clever ways of not mentioning it directly.

I'm getting to go home early today because my afternoon class is only on Monday and Wednesday. :D
I'm gonna go home and play a--wait for it--Star Wars game.

Seriously.

I am sick of certain girls being recognized as desirable.
I mean those girls with obviously-fake blonde hair, way too much eye makeup, skin that's so tan it's disturbing, and that "f*** off" look in their eyes (or on their lips, depending on whether or not you dare to make eye contact). Those girls who you always see talking on their cellphone, leaning sideways into that "I am so pissed right now" stance, and being upset about things that honestly don't matter (like their appointment for their obviously-unnatural hair).

Does anyone still think those girls are hot? Honestly?

I am sick of that always-present idea that girls have to be so skinny that it's unhealthy.
Ladies: there's a certain point at which you can actually become too skinny. It's not attractive.

I've walked around several college campuses in the past couple months, and noticed this at all of them.

Is the world at a point where every guy has to be an obnoxious jerk (who can't help but tell you how he got his piles of muscles through hours of daily weightlifting) and every girl has to be an obnoxious bleach-blonde zombie?

UGH.

Smallville

Back in 2001, when I was twelve, Smallville started airing.  I had heard about the show, but didn't think much of it.  I was a big Superman fan, but I was more interested in "Superman" stories, not "how Clark Kent became Superman" stories.  The fact that Smallville seemed to be taking some rather large liberties with the story (such as creating the idea that Lex Luthor and Clark were best friends while Clark was high school) didn't exactly excite me either.

However, it so happened that Smallville aired right after my mom's favorite-show-at-the-time, Gilmore Girls.  When we left the TV on that channel for a few minutes after my mom finished her weekly ritual viewing, Smallville came on.  The "preview" for the episode involved a football coach who'd somehow gotten the power to control fire.  At this revelation, the still-childlike geek in me squealed.  Who cares about overall story quality when you've got live-action superhero stories coming every week? For a twelve-year-old, that's like someone giving you a free $50 bill every week.  It's amazing.

It was very interesting watching Smallville at that point in my life.  Even though I was a good three years younger than the characters in the show and never even attended public school, I could still relate to the stories.  It's been said that the Superman character is unrelatable, but I found Clark Kent's portrayal in Smallville to be the most relatable story I'd ever seen.
Clark is a truly good person; he chooses to walk the straight and narrow because it's the right thing to do, even though he has to make sacrifices.
He wants to be with the girl of his dreams, Lana Lang, and he actually ends up saving her life many times.  However, because he must keep his powers a secret, he can never tell her just how much he cares for her, nor can he show her who he truly is.  I can't tell you how many times I've felt that way: how I wanted to be with someone, and thought "if only she knew."
Clark is also an alien.  He doesn't know exactly where he's from, where he's supposed to be, or what he's supposed to do.  All he does know is that he's destined for greater things.  Now, I realize that it might sound egotistical of me, but I feel much the same way: like there's something inside me that just wants to leap into the sky and take flight.  However, much like Clark in Smallville, I have no idea how to do that.
Come to think of it, Smallville may have been responsible for my obsession with wearing Superman T-shirts in my early teen years.

I recently started going through Smallville again, right from the beginning.  I'm surprised at how much I'm loving it every bit as much as I did when I was twelve.  It's full of sometimes-cheesy teen drama and storylines that are completely contrived, but somehow I'm wholeheartedly enjoying it.  Maybe it's the generally-hopeful message that it gives me; maybe it's the fact that for once there's a story about a teenage boy who's a genuinely great person; maybe it's that Allison Mack is adorable.

Whichever is the case, Smallville is entertaining me once again after all these years.  I am pleased. :)

In Hindsight

So 2007 was a very, very weird year for me. In only three months, I graduated from high school, became a legal adult, started going to college full-time, began working at my first real job, and moved to a new home. It was insanity.

Somehow, during all of that, my brain apparently stopped working. I recently went back through my archives of MySpace messages, phone IMs, etc.
DEAR GOD.
Something must have been seriously wrong with my brain. I wrote some of the weirdest, over-emotional, smothering, desperate-sounding, awkwardly flirtatious things-I-never-would-have-imagined-I'd-say. I wrote things that I don't even think I honestly meant at times.

If I could erase the memories of everything I said that year from my friends' brains, that would be great.
In fact, if you guys wouldn't mind, follow along with me; I've written up a tutorial.

1: Click on My Brain.
2: Go under My Memories > 2007 > Aaron > Dialogue
3: Right-Click, then click on "Select All," then click "Delete."
4. Be sure to empty your recycle bin.

The Old Republic - Jedi or Bounty Hunter? ACK!

So I've been totally obsessed with the upcoming game Star Wars: The Old Republic.



I'm super-excited to play as the bounty hunter and Jedi character classes.
I want to be that light-side Jedi who deftly and expertly takes down hordes of Sith.
I want to be that amazing Bounty Hunter who defies the Sith Empire and chooses to fight for the other side.

*sigh*

:)

Battlestar Galactica: Words Cannot Express

The 2003 re-imagined version of the classic television series Battlestar Galactica is something truly special.

It began as a 4-hour TV miniseries, which tells the beginnings of the story:
Somewhere in the galaxy, in an unknown time or place, the human race colonized twelve planets, and forged them into a society much like our modern United States. At some point, they created the Cylons, a robotic race of beings, who then turned upon their masters and began a bloody war. An uneasy treaty was struck, and the Cylons retreated into deep space. Decades later, the Cylons return and proceed to completely wipe out the human race with nuclear weapons. Only 50,000 survivors are left, fleeing from the Cylons in a barely-working group of civilian ships protected by the last remaining military Battlestar, Galactica. Their goal is to find a new home: a fabled planet named Earth.

This sounds like a fun Sci-Fi series, but it is, in truth, a Science Fiction series--yes, there is a difference. "Sci-Fi" is a slang term used to refer to any story involving fantastical technology, but true "Science Fiction" involves things that are much deeper.

It is my belief that the original Science Fiction story is the Greek myth of Icarus. Icarus, who attempted to reach the heavens with his wings made of wax and feathers, fell to his death when he flew too close to the sun, melting the wax on his wings. The first modern Science Fiction story is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which deals with the theme of mankind attempting to obtain godhood, and the horrible consequences that follow. Another story is that of The Time Machine, which suggested that capitalism would ultimately bring about an extreme social class distinction that would destroy humanity.
All true Science Fiction asks us questions: How high can we fly before our wings of wax melt? Can we play God? What are the possible consequences of our current actions?
Science Fiction may not always come to the correct conclusions (as The Time Machine illustrates), but its point is no less well-made. Science Fiction uses theoretical ideas about technology to realistically examine future possibility, which may inform modern action. How many times have politicians cited the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and its concept of "Big Brother" as realistic and terrifying outcomes for possible government rule?

In today's world, we have endless hordes of sci-fi TV series, films, games, and books. Many of the more popular franchises, such as Stargate and Star Trek, have become more focused on maintaining an enjoyable story, rather than telling a meaningful one. There's certainly nothing wrong with surface-level entertainment, but for something that truly makes statements about modern society and gives you something deeper, Battlestar Galactica reigns supreme.

Battlestar didn't seem so amazing at first. Its premiere miniseries was striking in its ultra-realistic style and fictional culture that closely resembled our own, but it wasn't necessarily a super-engaging story. Once the TV series actually started up, however, things began to change.
It soon became clear that this was a show like no other: while other TV series relied upon "characters," Battlestar relied upon "people." The cast of the show was portrayed in such a realistic manner that it rarely felt like watching a rehearsed show; it felt like peering into something real that was happening somewhere out there in the universe. By the 3rd season, the show had reached incredible levels of depth.
A complaint often raised against the show was that it relied too heavily upon sex, and that's a valid point. Those seeking to watch a show where they can "live through the characters" might find Battlestar problematic, as it portrays a universe in which nearly every major character makes serious moral errors. This is, however, part of the point: Battlestar portrays a world in which society's structure has been almost entirely broken down, and people are now forced to find truth for themselves, independent of any guiding rule. It's a sociological dissertation, examining ideas of religious belief, good, evil, life, death, and human rights.

The entire United Nations assembly actually held a conference in retrospect of BSG, inviting the cast and crew of the show to speak on the real-world issues that the show dealt with.



Two days after that conference, the UN rewrote their charter to no longer refer to different cultures with the term "race."
That's right, the UN actually did something. Because of Battlestar Galactica.

I do not personally agree with every position that Battlestar Galactica takes, but that does not lessen the significance of its existence. It truly is the pinnacle of modern Science Fiction, holding up a mirror to our own society and forcing us to look in a painful mirror of jagged edges and harsh truths.

So say we all.


So say we all.



So say we all.

Superman

I'm not sure why I haven't blogged about it yet.  Superman: one of my childhood obsessions.

There's a cynicism in culture that seeks to keep people rooted to the ground: to keep them from moving beyond the muck of average life.  They say that morals are relative; that life is unchangeable, yet you should make it yours.  They say that tradition has no place, and that social rules are mere barriers perpetuated by an aging and unenlightened society of hate-mongering elders.  In this world of semi-anarchy, Superman stands as a symbol that refuses to sway in the face of social collapse.  The superficial onlooker would assume that Superman is an unrealistic, outdated, and boring cultural icon.

When I was five years old, I first saw Superman on TV, played by Dean Cain.



For a five-year-old living in the 90s, that show was freakin' amazing.  Even at that age, I was enthralled by the show's themes of justice, kindness, and laser vision.

At one point, when I was nine, I came to the realization that superheroes' abilities are physical representations of their values, beliefs, and personal strengths.  Superman's amazing powers are a reflection of strength of character, and it is his character that makes him "super," not his physical powers.  I realized then that Superman was truly an ideal: a representation of all that is good, just, and loving.  Anyone can be "Superman," merely by choosing to make the right decisions and genuinely caring for people.

It's been said that love is a choice, not just a feeling.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

If that doesn't describe Superman, I don't know what does.   Superman isn't a great person because he has powers that put him above other people; he's a great person because he was raised in the American midwest by God-fearing farmers who taught him the value of life and the importance of doing the right thing--even when it's not easy.  I hold to these same beliefs, and therefore empathize a bit with the character of Superman.

Superman is the last survivor of a long-dead planet; the only one of his kind.  Every one of us has felt that way at some point in our lives: alone, rejected, misunderstood, etc.  There are few of us who do not have multiple "identities," striving to be honest with some and keep important secrets from others.  All of us have certain desires that seem unattainable, yet strive forward with the hope that one day our struggles will not be in vain.  Superman knows that keeping every living being on the Earth safe is an impossible task, yet still he fights on.
Superman represents the best we can be: someone who always makes the right decision, and is unwaveringly caring.

Even more than that, Superman can fly.  He's not stuck to the ground; he can fly above and away from it all. He's not simply restricted by his moral code; he's freed by it, as we all should be. Doing the right thing doesn't hold us back, it makes us better.  Yes, there are sacrifices to be made, but at the end of it all is hope, joy, and love.

And heat vision.  =D