Fires

BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF FIRE! There are no longer any fire services to rescue you should you get reckless with a few Molotovs. There are also some very real disadvantages associated with burning the undead. I will list some of these.

-Time. Destroying the reanimated through fire takes 30 seconds minimum. That's thirty seconds the zombie can continue to walk towards you. If you can clear a space that a zombie can cross in 30 seconds ( 50meters approx., to be safe) , at least 100 meters away from you, and seal yourself inside a complete perimeter of fire, after addressing all the risks of smoke inhalation or what you will do once you run out of fuel, go ahead . But otherwise, understand that there are MUCH more effective and less potentially lethal methods of dealing with the walking dead!

-Walking candles. within that 30 seconds, a zombie could just as easily burn you to death in its clutches as it  would succumb to the flames itself. It could collapse in/near a building you are trying to defend and ignite it. Dealing with the undead is difficult enough without having to contend with evacuation as well!

-Attraction. Should your building burn down, every zombie within several kilometres will congregate around the light and noise. This is NOT an environment you want to safely escape in! How will you evacuate with a wall of flame to your back, and a wall of rotting flesh in your face? It is therefore imperative that you do everything in your power to prevent this from happening. Remember, zombies do not feel pain or fear. They are not deterred by flames and will walk in to devour you.

-Anaerobic decomposition. One of the major products of rotting flesh is Methane. Contrary to popular belief, Methane is odourless. However, in the case of the undead, it often accompanies H2S04 ('Rotten Egg Gas") which is easily identified by its putrid smell. Methane will begin to accumulate in any body after death, but will be most prevalent in dead that have reanimated in areas without the presence of oxygen (such as underwater or within enclosed spaces). Only 5 to 15% methane (within a rooms normal gas mixture) will be enough for a volatile explosion. If you have to enter rooms that contain/ have contained zombies, DO NOT SHOOT! The flash from the bullet could rip the building apart! Asphyxiation is unlikely, as only 19.5% oxygen within a room is necessary for respiration. Go with your common sense; if a room stinks of H2SO4, do not enter! Also, as corpses bloat, the inevitable rupture could ignite any cigarettes or other naked flames with gaseous fuel. Understand this and treat it with respect!

A Visionary

Someone ("Sergey31" of millitaryPhotos.net) had the insight to design this beauty. As a weapon against the undead, i could think of nothing better against the hordes. It would take a lot of engineering know-how to make something like this happen though, and there is also the noise to consider.

 If there is anyone left who can hole up in a bunnings and prepare some chainsaws for this design, PLEASE DO SO! HUMANITY NEEDS YOU!

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?66428-Rocket-Propelled-Chainsaw-%28in-action%29.

Reminiscences... (5.0)

22/08/10
This week's lecture had Dr. John Harrison talk to the class about ethical practice in communications. He said that there were 3 broad categories of ethics; 'deontological' ethics, 'consequentialist' ethics, and the 'virtue theory' ethics. A deontological approach to ethics would be built on absolute rules and duties, such as a code of ethics. A consequentialist approach would be to achieve the best possible result. An approach built on "virtue ethics" would be on the concept that humans have virtues such as "justice" or "benevolence" instilled in them naturally and would therefore not require external indotrination. "Consequentialist" ethics can quite easily degrade into "the ends justify the means" like arguements, and are therefore often derided. Most Journalistic practices were dictated by a code of ethics, (deontological in nature) to prevent unethical offences.

Dr. Harrion pointed out that sometimes it is quite difficult to point out what would be classed as unethical and what would be classed as poor quality or low brow. The line between the two is grey and changes between whoever you speak to on the subject. Different countries have different perceptions on the word "bugger" for instance or "bloody". Distinctly unethical practice would be something like "astroturfing" (faking grass roots sources to gain credible objectivity) or "sock puppeting"(creating a fake persona to publish web material that serves your cause).

Reminicences... (4.5)

...Personal Media Use Dossier...
(26/08/10)
For this part of our assessment last year we were asked to record all our media use (both consumption and production) and make some observations upon our findings. These 4 graphs depict my personal media use, within certain boundaries. All times were recorded within 5 minute increments, therefore if my usage was less than that it was not noted. Therefore results on things such as "Facebook" or email production may not be as accurate as desirable. Also, whilst some books were recorded ("World War Z", and "The Zombie Survival Guide" Max Brooks), any text books for study purposes were omitted.

Fig. 1 Media Use Per Day

Fig. 2 Total Media Use By Time Slot

Fig. 3 Media Use As %age Of Total Time

Fig. 4 %age Of Media Types

Figure 1 reveals some trends. I never consume over 7 hours of media per day (roughly 1/3rd of the day), but as a bare minimum would consume more than 20 minutes. "Consume" is probably a debatable point as it cannot be measured how much attention i was paying at that particular day. For instance, i might read an online article for 20 mins and critically absorb each word, and i might leave a radio on while my attention is completely elsewhere for 5 hours. There seems to be no identifiable pattern as to what days are peak periods as my highest consumption falls on Saturday the 13th, Sunday the 14th, Wednesday the 17th, and Friday the 19th. The reason it is higher these days is because i drove on these days, and therefore had the radio on. My peak consumption points fail to discriminate between weekends or weekdays. Likewise my lull periods also fail to follow any pattern, except both Thursdays within this period, which is because i did not drive on those days. The 15th and 16th ( Monday and Tuesday) are low because on that week i was too broke to pay for petrol and therefore caught the train. This is highly reminiscent of ABC's Steve Austin's belief that pre apocalypse Australian society was "time poor", and needed to consume radio as a multi tasking exercise while doing something else (in my case driving).
Figure 2 illuminates what time my media use tends to occur. My peak periods tend to be around mid-day, and 21.00 to 23.00. I often used to surf the internet aimlessly just before bed, and drove most days of the week after 9pm. From 00.00 until 10.00 i was usually asleep and therefore not consuming media. The lowest point (other than sleeping) is around 20.00 when i used to train for judo. Again, with reference to Steve Austin, my peak uses of media occur at times where i was either doing something else (work, study) or returning home in my vehicle.

Figure 3 I put in merely for perspective, to point out that within the 336 hours in a fortnight, i was consuming media around 10% of that time ( roughly 44hours).

Figure 4 is a cross-section of that approx. 44 hours, and what media use went into constituting it. The largest segment is devoted to 4ZZZ, which i had on in my car whenever i drove. B105 is the next contender, which i (was forced to) listen to at work (Subway). Everything else on the left of the chart are all internet borne media (including the books and movie) except for one negligible reference to MX (the pre-revolution railway newspaper). Of these "Blogger" the google derivative took the largest amount of my attention, with roughly 8 hours. There was a complete absence of any media that wasn't electronic, and there was no TV usage recorded either.

Discussion

To first analyse my media use and how it is relevant to journalism/communication, you must first ask, what does J/C mean? Without descending into semantics i will simply argue that journalism/communication is/are much like any other product manufactured by humans; in that it/they is/are a industrially produced commodity that is designed to generate capital. All of these mediums listed had advertising, whether it was for a specific physical product (radio ads , B105 is saturated with them) or an ideological concept (such as peace in "Apocalypse Now", or safety in "The Zombie Survival Guide). Journalism specifically is used as a lure to draw the audience into buying these products.  "Objectivity" is mythic, as this self sustaining capital is critical for the media to exist. Logically no one would offer their informational/entertainment expertise to a faceless public for free.  This is debatable as 4ZZZ is not commercially driven per se, but rather funded by donation. Yet it asks the listener to pay to fund the station. Therefore it must be understood that as a product, it must appeal to the consumer to generate this revenue. "The consumer" is diverse and much effort is extended in order to understand demographics in order to better market to them. As i was often listening around the 21.00 point on, advertisers would therefore target my age group (or at least not an age group that would be absent at that point). There is a bit of freedom for obscenities and ect for marketers when generational censorship is taken out of the equation. People seeking such titillation on audio broadcasts would tune into radio at these times and be marketed to accordingly by professional communicators. The key point is that all media must draw attention of consumers, and make them fund their existence.

I as a member of the "young student driver" demographic would be targeted during my radio use, and would be offered concepts and products that i would desire; so long as i could be identified as a member of that group. On the internet time slots aren't a consideration per se, but URL still is, as well as networking sites which can log what media you access. (Youtube, Facebook, etc.). If i am to assume that i am like others my age and class there is a limited amount of time (10% of the day) in which marketers can appeal to my group to buy things i might be interested in. They must therefore edit their journalistic authors to attract me to their medium, and make me internalise their advertisements and fund their existence. My attention span, my interests, my occupation, my subjective life experience (to list a few) must be taken into consideration when communicating with me. Therefore it is the job of people like Public Relations employees to study me and my peers and our collective wills and opinions. Assuming you have a large potential client base driving around the 21/22.00 time slot you can attract the audience you want by offering them their interests (interview with certain niche celebrities), and then market to them accordingly.

toad.

Reminiscences...(4)

(15/08/10) "Week 4"
This week covered two interviews, from Richard Fidler (ABC Radio's "Conversations" hour) and  Steve Austin (ABC Radio's "Evenings"). Fidler's description of radio was that it is a much more personal medium than TV. Whilst TV tends to be a  more visual, sensational spectacle, radio's reliance on audio alone makes it cater much more to creating empathetic bonds with the audience. As radio is something that is often consumed in the middle of some other activity (driving, working, etc), more attention must be given to include the listener. "Conversations" therefore, attempts to bring the listener on a "journey", an anecdotal exercise that contains more than just the mere facts. This cannot be done without connecting with your interviewee. Fidler stressed the importance of this, to make the program more "intimate". He adopts a non-adversarial style so as to put the speaker at ease and foster open-ness.
Don't be "above" your listeners, rather attempt to create a forum which will draw out conversation. He advised that this might be done by having a concrete image in your mind as to who it is that is receiving your message. His example was his pregnant wife, post first child, at home, needing a break and some humorous enlightenment.

Austin's "Evenings" illuminated that there is hope for aspiring journalists in the ABC. He mentioned that after many years of applications and round-about kerfuffle-ing, anyone can get in with the right amount of determination. His advice for interview techniques were similar to Fidlers. Austin worked for 4ZZZ( my favourite radio station, awesome music, free from commercial pressure), and said changing radio stations necessitated changing his interviewing style, so as to think more on the audience's perception of issues without airing your own prejudices. Doing so closes discourse and negates the crucial element of intimacy. He also also advised against "gotcha!" style interviews where the interviewee is fearing a kind of verbal trap. Much work needs to be done to encapsulate the "human" element of the story, to encourage listeners to relate. Austin also stated that as time moves on society is becoming more "time poor"(working later hours), therefore peripheral media outlets such as radio capitalise on this.

Swift flowing, natural sounding radio interviews necessitate a lot of background research. Fidler's "conversation" hour must therefore require exhaustive work. I have listened to his program once or twice (admittedly, always as i was doing something else, just as he predicted) and really enjoyed its content. I had ambitions of working for the ABC, or at least did before the recent events described unfolded...

Judo techniques against the undead...(1.1)

(Song Played is 'Ratfinks, Suicide Tanks and Cannibal Girls By White Zombie)

Opening picture by "ScottPurdy" of Deviant Art.

Joint Authored by "Toad" and Anonymous...

Judo techniques against the undead...

P 31 of (Max Brooks; "The Zombie Survival Guide; Complete Protection From The Living Dead" Crown Archetype) correctly states the absolutely dire nature of engaging in hand to hand combat with the undead. However, you MUST be prepared for all eventualities. Whilst close encounters are to be avoided at all costs, in practice this may be impossible to abstain from. I will attempt to give some enlightening tips as to how to react to such a catastophe.


1. UNDERSTAND THE UNDEAD
                               Conventional forms of attack do not work on the reanimated. This is for a variety of reasons, some of which i will explain.

-Jujijsu style submissions, joint hyperextensions and pain manipulation fail to succeed on an opponent that does not feel pain or fear. Jujitsu also nessetates getting well within the boundaries of biting range to be desirable, and is often done on the ground (kneeling/ground wrestling). Engaging the undead on the ground is foolhardy due to the fact that they attack in packs, and "newaza" is only effective against singular opponents.

-Striking is also limited against the undead due to their phenomenal pain thresholds. Unless you are Mike Tyson and can sufficiently damage the brain to cause death with a single strike, every extra strike is another step the horde will take towards you. If you have the room to strike a zombie, why wouldnt you reach for your machete? there are also peripheral risks involved such as possible abraision of your skin whilst striking, which will infect you (on the assumption this IS an infection and not something paranormal...?). Wearing boxing gloves may assuage this risk, but also negate your abillty to grasp weapons, which will be infinitely more useful than fists.

-Zombies often move in hordes that outnumber living assailants 100-1 (as a conservative estimate...). The time it takes to despach one is long enough for the rest to advance on your position. Utilizing any hand to hand technique that takes more than the bare minimum of time and effort to erase the threat of a bite is impractical and dangerous. The only advantages the living have over the dead are agillity and speed. Doing anything that might tire you or make you less agile narrows the only advantage you have over the reanimated. If at all possible play to these strenghts.

2.A Judo Approach To The Current Social Climate

Judo, or "the gentle way" is about manipulating an opponents strength and using it against him/her. Undead strength is negligible one on one, but in the numbers they congregate in they can exert great forces in one direction. Judo as a dicipline would teach you to utilise this force. This would be done by throwing your opponent to the ground. Whilst doing so would not prevent them from getting up, it would at least buy you some time to get away, or repel a scrabbling hand.

Judo teaches 8 points of unbalance ("Kuzushi" Figure 3) to attack from. Whilst this works on conventional conflicts, our assumption must be that your undead assailant would be a member of a massive horde. Therefore, attacking an opponet in any backward direction is only going to be met by a wall of walking dead, and will fail to knock it down( not to mention highly compromising your safety). You must therefore throw your opponent in the direction they are moving in. here are some examples....(all assume righthandedness, inverse if left-handed)
 Ippon Seoi-nage

 Translated into English as " One Armed Shoulder Throw" this is an excellent throw should you have a weapon in one hand. Turn so that the zombie's hips are higher than yours, pick them up, then drop then by twisting your head and shoulders to the left. (note that the last figure on the right's head is pointed away from the undead. This helps create the winding motion nessesary to swing them to the ground, and also keeps your kneck out of biting range.)

Sasae Tsuri Komi Ashi

Particularly relevant when a zombie reaches for you "Supporting Foot Lift-Pull Throw" is a good technique for deflecting unwelcome reaching (decomposing) arms. You prop the reanimated with your left foot, and wheel them with both hands (much like the motion of using a steering wheel) over that prop. The advantage of this throw is that it takes minimal effort to do, and is quite effective against a shuffling opponent with failing motor skills. Remember to STEP AWAY QUICKLY from the zombie after throwing!

Yoko Otoshi

Obviously this is a last resort, as the attacker ends up on the ground after throwing. Use this throw only when just about to be bit. Sit down on top of your right foot, and extend your left past the reanimated's feet. This will block them advancing, and your dropping weight will project them over the top of you. The hand movement is much the same as sasae, like a steering wheel. If correctly done you will land on your side, propell yourself up IMMEDIATELY and retreat out of biting range!

3. Judo Limitations On Undead Assailants

Judo is completely reliant upon being able to grip your opponent. Undead skin is not particularly well attached to the corpse and may slip or tear. If in desperation, this is a risk you may not be able to avoid. Try to stay to the ones that wear jackets and long sleeve shirts. Also, it does not address the problem of what to do with the zombie once it has hit the ground. Whilst throwing one will buy you some time, it will not decommision it. TREAT ALL HAND TO HAND COMBAT WITH THE UNDEAD AS A LAST RESORT ONLY! Getting close enough to use such techniques also has such complications as the palatabillity of the air. The stench may stun or otherwise incapacitate a survivor, so be aware of this risk. Make absolutely sure that there are no open wounds (however small) upon your hand when engaing with a zombie in such a way.

Obviously such techniques are not something that can be mastered by casually observing a few pictures. You must train for these technigues daily. Such activity will help you mantain/aquire fitness and morale. Find a teacher if you can, if you can't attempt to follow manuals through a process of trial and error with other survivors. YOU MUST practice this at least 2 hours a day for a month(as a bare minimum!) before you trust your life with your abillity!

Toad.
(P.S If i can find a surviving teacher i will post videos in due course of some appropriate techniques...)
P.P.S Have a video available! http://s4261233.blogspot.com/2011/08/judo-techniques-against-undead11.html