Zombies vs. Vampires

As Wozgog pointed out, vampires have the potential to be just as disasterous as the zombie menace. Even scientists are intrigued, as there was a recent study at Cornell University that "disproved" the possibility of vampires through the power of math. As wozgog also correctly observed, my concern is for the problem of zombies, though perhaps I should be more concerned about vampires if academia is giving this kind of attention to them. Still, I believe that the potential for zombies to overrun the world is an actual problem. The reason I neglect the vampire threat is that I don't consider it to be a serious threat.

Why aren't vampires the same level of threat as zombies? This is an interesting question because the differences are discussed rather early on in The Undead and Philosophy. Forget for a moment that I think believe vampires are a fictional entity. The book correctly asserts that tradition and folklore indicate that vampires are sentient beings. In contrast, zombies are mindless hosts for a virus that is not sentient and only serves to spread. This means that zombies are part of a mass that has the potential to dominate the planet. Vampires, perhaps due to their increased physical and mental prowess, and of course, immortality, combined with consciousness, would be very selective about whom they admit into their ranks. This is the flaw in the Cornell study's argument. Of course, vampires would be a burden on society, since they are esstentially murders, but their deathly population wouldn't explode expontentially, like zombies' would if left unchecked.

There is also the matter of individuality, which makes becoming a vampire seem so much less terrifiying. A vampire, because (again as folklore declares) they are a fusion of human and demon, still maintains the personality of the human it previously was. In essence, you are still you, though a much more evil, blood-drinking, super-powered you. As a zombie, your body is present, but your individuality is not. Your body becomes an animated shell. And as we all know, being zombie hunters, you should not hesitate to kill the monster no matter who it looks like, because it is no longer that person.

I guess I shouldn't wholeheartedly discount the possibility of vampires; it could be my downfall. However, I like to think that my zombie hunting skills might serve in other instances. Regadless, because of their individuated sense of purpose and selective "breeding", vampires do not pose the threat that global outbreak of the zombie virus does.

Spreading the Word

One of the biggest things I support is informing the general population of the zombie threat. This includes making people aware of the possibility of zombies taking over, as well as giving them the tools to fight back.

Justin recently went on such a mission in Cancun, Mexico. Being a tourist location preaching about the zombie threat here has the potential to reach people from all of the US, if not the world. I commend him on his efforts. Here is a picture of Justin on location, complete with his zombie resistance t-shirt:


So go out, inform the public, support the cause!

Fido

Thanks Verloren!
I just want to put my zombie killing skills to use. Maybe I should be playing some Resident Evil just to get my fix.

In other news, Justin, just brought Fido to my attention. Check out the trailer at www.fidothemovie.com for a host of reasons why zombies should not be kept in a domesticated state. Even though it is presented as a comedy, comedies are most effective when they contain a hint of truth. Hopefully, Fido will have the level of social criticism apparent in Shaun of the Dead.

Now if only it were playing at a theater near me.

Are we there yet?

Will the necropalypse never come?
*goes back to sharpening machete*

Like Zombies?!?

One question I often hear is, "Why do you like zombies?" I can only presume this question is based on the assumption that I like them because I talk about them so much. Anyone who spends any amount of time with me knows that I hate zombies. Perhaps a better question would be, "Why do you spend so much of your time on zombies?" with the "instead of other monsters" being left unsaid.

Not to discredit other monsters, except that is exactly what I'm about to do; other monsters are not real. This is not to say that they don't represent interesting cultural and social phenomena (which zombies can also represent). However, the vampire/werewolf/mutant threat is non-existent. Even if they do exist (which they don't) they hardly represent a global threat. Because of the selective process necessary to pass on these particular "monster traits", the possibility of a vampire (or any other fictitious monster) outbreak and consequent destruction of the human race are a statistical impossibility.

The popular retort to this is, "well there obviously aren't any zombies because there haven't been any large scale zombie infestations." Even if the person disregards the evidence towards the end of The Zombie Survival Guide, the reason zombies haven't decimated the earth is because of dedicated individuals like myself. So the correct answer to "Why do you like zombies?" is "I HATE zombies, and you should be grateful!"

More Zombie Dreams

I think I have zombie dreams every night now. I hope that that is some indicator of my passion for hunting zombies. Usually, the dreams is set right at the turning point when the undead start to outnumber the living, and I'm just starting to get a feel for the best anti-zombie strategies. The one thing that is common to every dream is my over-estimating of my abilities, nearly getting killed, stepping back and re-evaluating and becoming a better fighter. I think that's probably a fairly accurate subconscious evaluation.

I assume that this is evidence of my brain trying to provide subconscious training simulations for me while I sleep. It's a way for me to actively analyze strategies on my down time. Moreover, I like that my subconscious tries to keep my ego in check (it's classic Freudian psychology). Mostly, I think the dreams will help tamper my fear response when the zombies do actually rise. Regardless, it makes for exciting sleep, and I usually do feel well rested in the morning.

Zombies and Philosophy

I just received my copy of The Undead and Philosophy (note that I am purposefully neglecting the subtitle here). I haven't started reading it yet, but I'm hoping (and it seems possible from a quick perusal) that it will continue some, as for yet, unseen zombie insights. However, as interested as I am in the philosophical underpinnings of zombies in our culture, I am approaching this cautiously, for the following reasons:

1. Any philosophical approach to the zombie phenomenon will only provide further understanding of the human understanding of zombies. It will most likely not serve any practical function in the field. Thus it is potentially of less training value, than say, Guns and Ammo.
2. The authors/editors found it necessary to include vampires under the subject of "undead". Sure, vampires are undead, but they are also fictional, and of little use to the zombie hunter.
3. The subtitle is a major turnoff, implying that there is sympathy to be found for the undead masses, where there should be none.

Still, despite my reservations, I will try to give this a read, and glean any possible useful information regarding the impending zombie hordes.