Category: News

Zombie Weapons (addendum)

Can’t believe it but I seemed to have forgotten an all important aspect of zombie fighting with my last post (Zombie Guns). We all know there are certain kinds of firepower that excel at smashing zombie brains. But when it comes right down to it, there’s something to be said for a truly old fashioned weapon. The kind that relies on your swinging arm, or perhaps a little gasoline! I am of course referring to melee weapons, the kind that are designed for hand to hand.

So I am amending my last list to include some prime zombie smashing equipment. I also think I will amend the rules from the last post. Instead of four guns, I think we should get our pick of three plus one melee weapon. That seems fair, and works well with the whole balance of firepower and versatility thing. Bullets run out, but what you got in your hands can keep on killing until you break it or you get overrun! Dammit, all this talk of zombie smashing is making me

Melee Weapons:
The weapon on truly last resort, what you grab a hold of when all else fails or you just plain run out of ammo. In this case, what matters is either blunt force trauma, slicing power, or a combination thereof. Weight and balance are also important, as is compactness and portability. Since this is your last weapon, it should fit on your person without trouble and not be a hassle to get around.

Axe:
Chopping wood is just one of many uses for this traditional tool turned zombie killer! On the one hand, you can use the blade to chop zombie skulls, then you can turn it around for a little blunt force trauma. This allows for swinging back and forth without having to worry about making sure the sharp end is pointed forward. And it can also be used with one hand, keeping the other free for other weapons!

However, as anyone who’s chopped wood for an extended period of time knows, swinging an axe can get pretty tiring! And even though it can be swung with one hand, its hard to do that and shoot or stab from the other, know what I mean?

Baseball Bat:
Ah yes, the symbol of America’s pastime and the favored weapon of gangsters, gang-bangers and thugs everywhere! And in the event of a zombie apocalypse, its also pretty handy for smashing the heads of the infected/undead! In terms of blunt force trauma, it can’t be beat. Its tough wooden frame can take down a zombie with a single blow, and a few more will finish the job! It’s also quite wieldy and not heavy, making repeated use easy.

Downsides? Well it requires that you keep a hand free to carry it. Otherwise, you need a special carrying sleeve to hold it which can take up added room. Miniature ones can be snuck up your shirt sleeve, but that presents its own problems.

Chainsaw:
What is it about chainsaws that are just so cool? Is it because they’re gruesome and ruthless, at least in the right hands? Perhaps. But in the right hands, they are also a very good zombie killer. A single slashing cut can take off a zombie head, and simple contact can hew off limbs and chew through their ugly flesh!

Naturally, the size and weight of this weapon can make it a bit unwieldy. And of course it requires two hands which can make cycling between weapons difficult. And last, it requires gasoline to function, which means it has a limited term of service. Lots of killing power, but you pay for it in other ways.

Chainsaw bayonet:
Now here is a pretty awesome combination! The raw killing power of a chainsaw with the added functionality of a bayonet. In addition to providing the user with the grinding power of a chainsaw, it also frees up their hands so they can tote their rifle. This combination gives them killing power at a distance and an effective melee attack if any zombies get in close.

The downside of this is obvious though. The added weight to the front of the rifle makes for depleted accuracy and portability. Basically, a soldier has to hold the front end constantly, forcing them to shoot from the hip instead of taking aim. And again, the weapon is only functional so long as it has a gas supply.

Claymore:
The sword that made Scotland proud and its warriors feared! Heavy, long, sharp and beautifully crafted, this sword is famous for knocking off heads and limbs with single strokes. Its long blade also makes for a good reach against flesh-hungry zombies!

Downsides? Well, its size and weight make it hard to wield. As long as you got two arms and big muscles, you can swing this around and take out any zombie in the vicinity. But anyone doing this can expect to get tired fast. And like the chainsaw, it requires two hands, making cycling difficult.

KA-BAR:
The knife made famous by the Marine Corps, or was it the other way around? No, I’m pretty sure the Marines were doing fine before this knife came along. Still, its effectiveness as an infantry weapon make it a perfect addition to any zombie killing arsenal. A good 7 inches long, sharp as hell, and made of steel with a carbon tip point, a good thrust will render zombie brains inoperative.

As for downsides, can’t think of many. In close quarters, this is a good weapon to have, being lightweight and requiring only one hand to wield. Of course, the fact that it can’t take off zombie limbs means it can only kill when plunged into a zombie’s skull. And in its current form, it can’t be fixed as a bayonet, making it less versatile than some other blades here.

Pigsticker:
The little bayonet that could… F*@#! up the face of some zombies! Yes, this spike bayonet has undergone a revival of sorts thanks to the prospect of a zombie apocalypse. Small, adaptable to any rifle, and capable of taking out a zombie brain with a good poke in the eye, this weapon is both portable, versatile, and effective!

It’s small size and the fact that it can be mounted on top also doesn’t eliminate the possibility of a grenade launcher attached to your rifle either. However, the spike is somewhat limited in some respects. Being small and thin, it can’t really penetrate a skull with ease. Overuse can also break it, and its range is somewhat limited.

Samuria Sword:
My thanks to Goran Zidar for suggesting this one. In the event of a zombie attack, this weapon is definitely one I would want on hand! Made of folded, tempered steel, good weight and wieldy, this sword can cut through bone, flesh, knock off heads, and limbs all at once. It can even chop into the brain pan of a zombie when used in an overhead attack.

But of course, the sword still takes two hands to wield effectively. What’s more, in the event of a head attack, it can get stuck in vertebrae and skull bone if not used properly. Always remember to snap the blade back at the end of the strike!

SKS folding bayonet:
This Soviet-era bayonet is famous for being the only gun mounted blade that is retractable. This can be a time saver when it comes time to prepare for a zombie charge, or ensure some added safety should you want to leave the bayonet on full time.

Downsides are few, but the folding attachment means that a stiff blow can detach it from the fixed position. In a zombie fight, you don’t want to find your bayonet folded back on you, thus forcing you refix it between brain stabbings! Having this bayonet on also means you can’t have a rocket launcher fixed to your weapon.

Machete:
Much like the baseball bat, the machete’s greatest features are its simplicity and brutal efficiency. And just for fun, I selected the Kukri machete, the Nepalese inspired variant which is the workhorse of modern machetes. Few weapons can out-cut this one, and a single blow is about as effective as that of samurai sword. But the Kukri manages to accomplish this with a much smaller frame, making it more compact and portable.

Potential downsides… Well it’s not the easiest thing to carry when not in use. Its curved blade means that you’d need a special holster since you can’t expect to just stick in your pocket, not unless you want to sever something vital! And since it’s smaller than a sword, you can’t really sling it over your back. So yes, portability might be a bit of an issue.

M9 Bayonet:
Last, but certainly not least, is the standard M9 infantry bayonet. A favorite amongst the US Army and USMC, the M9 is effective, reliable, and a quick kill option when fixed onto an assault rifle. Fixed at two points to a weapon, the odds of it coming off are also unlikely, making it a sturdy killer as well.

Drawbacks include diminished accuracy, which has been a problem since WWII. Soldiers usually resolve this by waiting until the enemy is close before fixing them. However, this presents the problem of having to take the time to slap it on while the zombie’s approach!

Are You Ready?
Okay, so the rules are clear right? One melee weapon, three guns. GO! My new picks are as follows:

Melee: Kukri Machete
Small Arm: Calico
Shotgun: USAS-12
Rifle: Stey AUG

I’m ready for some zombie smashing! Let me at em!

“Bath Salts” and the Zombie Apocalypse

zombiesI hear it more and more these days: “Is this the Zombie Apocalypse we were warned about?” Or is this just one of those rare occasions when pop culture and real news come together to create a sick, existential joke? In either case, I think we all know what I’m talking about. A little incident involving a naked man and some face eating? Yes, that one!

In that case, police indicated that drugs were involved, a strange new psychogenic named “Cloud Nine”. This drug is apparently a form of MDPV cocaine, also known by the street name “Bath Salts”. The “zombie man” Rudy Eugene was apparently loaded on the euphoric amphetamine when he attacked Ronald Poppo, bit half his face off, and then threatened to eat the police.

According to numerous stories on the subject, this product is a perfectly legal form of bath salt that is meant to provide an invigorating bath experience. But given its recent link to this and other incidents , that’s likely to change! Shortly after the first “zombie attack” took place, police in Miami began reporting similar incidents where people ere either biting or threatening to bite other passerby’s. Here too, the behavior was attributed to Bath Salts.

And now it seems that a similar incident has happened here in the Great White North. For those not familiar with the Luke Magnotta story, allow me to elaborate. It began a few days ago when two political party headquarters in Montreal began receiving body parts in the mail. This was followed shortly thereafter by more body parts appearing on the doorstep of Vancouver Police Department, which appeared to belong to the same victim.

Magnotta, crazy-ass freak!

It took no time at all for authorities to identify the guilty party, a 29 year old man by the name of Luke Magnotta who was apparently a gay porn actor. After committing the grisly crime, he had fled to Germany where authorities found him and arrested him. According to the police reports, he was in an internet cafe reading about himself online. It also took them no time to identify the victim, a Chinese student named Lin Jun, a 33 year old man who was having a relationship with Magnotta.

RIP dude!

Based on their initial investigation, police revealed that in addition to cutting his former lover up, Magnotta also engaged in some cannibalism with the body parts and video-taped the whole thing. He posted these and other gruesome tidbits on the web, hence why it was not hard to catch him! He is being extradited as we speak to Canada to stand trial. No indication has been given yet whether or not Bath Salts or some other drug was involved, or if he was just bat-shit crazy.

Granted, this is not the first time that drugs have been linked to cannibalistic behavior. In fact, cases have been reported where people high on PCP/”Angel Dust” have engaged in these and other totally messed-up behaviors. Still, the way this has coincided with the recent zombie craze is nothing short of sickening and frightening!

Just in case, I think it might be a good idea to start researching Zombie guns. I’m not condoning the whole “Zombie Apocalypse” theory, I’m just saying that it might not be a bad idea to have a contingency plan just in case this behavior starts to… you know, spread! In the meantime, I’m thinking it might not be too late to re-evaluate the “Just Say No” policy either, especially where Bath Salts are concerned. I know we all love a good, invigorating bath, but it aint worth becoming a zombie people! Stick to aromatherapy, lotions and luffa; or better yet, do what I do and just have a hot shower. Thanks for listening, and in the meantime, protect your exposed flesh!

More Prometheus Trailers: Quiet Eye and Space Travel Part I

So… here we find ourselves just two days shy of the official release date of the movie Prometheus. And wouldn’t you know it, these people still aren’t finished toying with us yet! Seems they got more trailers, which I just happened to snag! Let’s be honest, sci-fi and Aliens fans everywhere are hungry as hell at this point, and these are just more tiny snacks to tease us with! But what can we do? Any snippets that come out, we gotta gobble em up! So here they are… Bon appetit!

The first video is entitled “Quiet Eye”, where an interview camera takes archeologist Dr. Elizabeth Shaw’s statement to Mr. Weyland (head of Weyland Industies). Basically, she is stating why she should be allowed to lead the Prometheus mission and speaks about its potential benefits to the company. You know, Alien-type stuff!


Second, there is this clip I dug up over at Verizon’s Facebook page (they are apparently a big sponsor. This particular one is an interview with Prometheus’ conceptual artists who talk about the eponymously named ship, its design and layout, and how all of this was intrinsic to setting the tone and feel of the movie.


Jeez… When is this damn movie coming out?!

Once in a lifetime view of Venus

There are stellar events which take place once in a lifetime. The arrival of Haley’s Comet, the alignment of three or more planets, and as of yesterday, the passage of Venus across the face of the Sun. According to astronomers, this event will not happen for another 105 years. So for those of us who lucky enough to see it, this really is a once in a lifetime event

News of this has junior astronomers scrambling to get a glimpse, and the web is already buzzing from the first photos to be uploaded. The one featured at top comes from the orbiting satellite known as the Solar Dynamics Observatory, courtesy of NASA, and is the first views of Venus passing in front of the Sun’s Corona. The second, featured below, is from the same satellite and is a close up of the planet as it begins to move across the face of the sun.

But by far the most impressive images come from NASA live’s feed which captured Venus’ early passage from the depths of space into the Sun’s corona. Captured with a AIA 171 wavelength channel (that’s 171 angstrom, extreme ultraviolet) one thing which really stands out are the coronal loops. These are the extended arcs which reach up from the surface of the Sun, where plasma moves along magnetic field lines. The brightest visible spots are the locations where the magnetic field s exceptionally strong near the surface.

This second video comes from NASA’s ESA SOHO spacecraft, which tracked the planets approach before SDO took over and began tracking it across the Sun. Images and feeds are still coming in and can be expected to do for some time. For those people in Hawaii, Alaska and South Korea, the view of the passage is expected to be ideal since it will coincide with their daylight hours. Those of us on this side of the world will just have to be content with what we can catch! I recommend everyone get out back with some protective eyewear – don’t stare directly into the Sun! – and see what they can see. Once in a lifetime people!

Thanks Twitterers!

I recently noticed that some of my buds here have been sharing my articles over on Twitter quite regularly. I can only assume that they did this out of sheer awesomeness, and that in doing so they sent some more traffic my way. As such, I want to thank those responsible. So thank you to the following people (and their twitter handles):

Cassie Hynds (@CassieHynds) – erotic fiction writer and critic who frequently includes me in her “awesome author” posts. Don’t know what she sees in my humble sci-fi blog, but who am I to complain?
Goran Zidar (@GZidar) – my colleague over at Grim5Next and a fellow writer. His YA, paranormal works can also be found on Story Time.me, which by the way he is the creator of!
Vanessa Howe (@geekinacardigan) – fellow geek, sci-fi enthusiast, and Firefly acolyte who seems to appreciate this stuff even more than I do. Didn’t think that was possible, but again, can’t complain! Good to have such people in my corner.
khaalidah (@khaalidah) – mother, wife, and fellow writer and colleague over at Grim5Next who’s cross cultural insights and personal touch with her writing puts me in awe. As a working mother, she often asks other writers where we find the time. Me? I wonder how SHE finds the time to produce these gems!
Nina D’Arcangela (@Sotet_Angyal) – a horror writer and the woman behind Siren’s Call Publications, she’s also a colleague over Grim5Next, not to mention the woman who beta’d my contribution to our anthology. She’s a talent scout people, put in a good word for me!
Maureen Hovermale (@zencherry) – writer, reviewer, voracious reader, this woman does it all and has the scars (and writer’s callouses, apparently) to prove it! I hope to keep garnering her attention, she sounds like she could worth impressing!

An extra shout out to all those who have given me any kind of promotion or reblogged me over the last two years. You’re a cornerstone of the edifice known as DIY writing! I hope I can return the favor someday. Like my pa always says, “It’s takes about 20 years to become an overnight success.” So my philosophy is, any breaks we can give each other are golden! So thank you all for and good luck in all your endeavors!

The Future is Here: Invisible Tanks!

Swedish-made CV90 with ADAPTIV panels

So far, we’ve heard of stealth fighters, stealth ships, and stealth suits. But what about stealth tanks? Why shouldn’t the mobile armored fighting vehicle be included in this race to make all weapons stealthy? Well its seems BAE (British Aerospace Marconi Electronic) Systems has decided to do just that. Working with the concept of Infra-Red imaging and its use on the modern battlefield, BAE has created the ADAPTIV camoflage system.

Basically, modern military vehicles use IR imaging for a number of purposes, namely target acquisition, night vision, homing and tracking. Ever since the late 80s and early 90s, any vehicle that did not have these capabilities found themselves at a marked disadvantage on the battlefield. After all, if you can see your enemy but they can’t see you, then you can destroy them with impunity!

A prime example of this happened during the Gulf War, where Iraqi armored formations were eviscerated simply they did not have the ability to see in the dark. While they moved about blind, US Abrams tanks simply targeted the enemy using their night vision and began picking them off one by one.

However, with every advanced army in the world employing IR technology, the pendulum has once again swung to defense. With all armies able to see an enemy vehicle’s thermal signature, any vehicle that has a way to hide it will now have the edge. That is the principle of ADAPTIV, which combines the idea of Infra-red concealment with the larger concept of adaptive camouflage.

Essentially, this consists of sheets of hexagonal panels that act as pixels when attached to the exterior of the vehicle. These pixels can individually change temperature very rapidly and combine to display an infrared image of the background scenery captured from cameras on board the vehicle, allowing even a moving tank to match its surroundings. BAE has also put together a library of images to display the heat signature of other vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and natural objects, such as large rocks.

Pretty cool huh? Already the technology has been proposed as being adaptable to more than just land vehicles. It can also be added to helicopters, surface ships, for commercial use, and can even send friendly identification signals. Check out the BAE promotional video below for a demonstration.

In Rememberance of Tiananmen Square

Hello all. I’m not unusually inclined to use my site to talk about things outside the scope of science fiction, but once in a while I feel the need to break from this habit and dedicate my attention to current events. And today is one such day. For those who don’t already know, today is the 23rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The day that Communist China chose to respond to a peaceful and democratic demonstration by sending in the tanks and murdering thousands of its own citizens.

And interestingly enough, in mainland China, a few events have culminated to mark the occasion. For starters, Chen Xitong, Beijing’s former mayor and the man who was in charge of the city when the massacre occurred, has released a book in which he expresses “regret” for the so-called crackdown. This book was written from the confines of his cell, as Chen is currently serving a 16 year sentence for corruption. For some, this represents one of the first indications that China might actually be opening up about this past incident and on the road to reform.

But of course, this won’t mean that the truth, the real truth of what happened will be acknowledged anytime soon. Much as in the Soviet Union, it took the collapse of the system for people to have access to the uncensored version of history. What’s more, expressing regret is just another way of saying “were sorry IT happened”, and not in any way an acknowledgment that criminal acts took place or those responsible are being held to account.

What’s more, the actual number of those killed is not likely to be acknowledged anytime soon. Ever since the massacre took place, China’s various administration continue to stick to their “official estimates” which were clearly low-balled. For monsters, this is a typical tactic: diminishing their holocausts wherever they don’t have the option of denying them!

In the meantime, China continues to maintain it’s policy of blatant hypocrisy. Officially, they maintain that the Chinese people remain behind the government and condone its response to the Tienanmen demonstrations. At the same time, the Square has been closed off, their internet censors are forbidding people from looking it up, and numerous activists have been arrested. Of course, they do this every year to mark this anniversary. And it’s really not surprising for a country that spends more on domestic surveillance and security forces than its foreign military to make these kinds of preemptive moves.

But as always, the contradiction is clear: China’s government maintains that it has the support of its people, but its behavior suggests they are scared shitless of them. And you know what, they should be! Because like it or not, the days of China’s Maoist government are numbered. They have tried to bribe their citizenry with economic growth and insisted that their presence is necessary to keep it steady and even, but the truth is, they face an impending catch 22 and know it. The more development they bring, the more outrageous their old world oppression seems. At the same time, they can’t stop developing the country, because that’s the only way they can hold on to power.

So I recommend everyone give the Chinese Communist Party a big ol’ middle finger today by doing what they seem to hate. Speak your mind, express your ideals, use the internet, conduct unfettered research. Be free and be sure to learn what you can about the massacre and China’s situation in today’s world. Information is the weapon, and we need to spread it around! Peace out!

1000 Likes!

Holy crap, this has been the month of milestones! As the title suggests, I have just received my 1000th “Like”! You gotta appreciate the notifications feature on this website man, they really keep you abreast of things. And as usual, there are many, many people to thank.

First off, I would like to thank jazfagan for being my 1000th like. As the person who pushed the stock ticker over, you deserve special mention. I also notice you’ve been following me and liking my posts for some time, so good for you! And me…

Also, there are many people who take the time to come by and like what I have to say. I know I can’t possibly honor everyone who has done so, but I shall try to do my best by giving credit where credit is due. The following people deserve special mention:

Amateur Professional
caralaceo
iampeterstorey
khaalidah
kotev1000
nine and a half hours ahead
magikostudios
Nonoy Manga
ramiungarthewriter
sotetangyal
thegoodbadpeople
urbannight
vandyscape
versipellusfenris
writerlious
victorsmoviereviews
zencherry

Were it not for your attention-giving, on a pretty much daily basis, I’d be typing to myself! I know this is starting to sound repetitive after three separate announcements, but it’s still true. And all the kind words of encouragement, suggestions and constructive criticism have been extremely helpful and encouraging. While I am still not as accomplished as I would like to be, stuff like this makes me think like it’s truly possible.

Thank you again, and best of luck to all of you in all your future endeavors!

The Future Is Here: Google Glasses!

It’s like something out of a cyberpunk wet dream. Long the subject of speculative science fiction, it seems that we now have a working prototype for a set of goggles that can handle our wireless and networking needs. Merging the concepts of Augmented Reality with a Head-Mounted Display (HMD), Google has created what are now known as the “Google Glasses”.

Also known as “Project Glass”, this device is the first working model for what is often referred to as mobile computing. While still being tested, the project has been unveiled and Google Inc announced that they will now be conducting public trials to test their portability and ergonomics.

But of course, some of the terminology needs a little explanation. For example, augmented reality. By definition, this is the live direct, or indirect, view of the real world with computer generated imagery laid over top. One can be walking down the street or otherwise interacting with their world, but will also be able to view a desktop browser, a web page, or streaming video laid just overtop.

According to Google, the glasses will function much like an iPhone with the Siri application, in that wearers will be able to get onto the internet using voice commands. If this goes through, Apple Inc. will have its work cut out for it if they want to remain top dog in the technology race. I wonder what Steve Jobs would have made of this, may he rest in peace!

The project is just one of several being worked on by Google X Lab’s team of crack engineers, which includes Babak Parviz, an electrical engineer who has also worked on putting displays into contact lenses; Steve Lee, a project manager and “geolocation specialist”; and Sebastian Thrun, who developed Udacity education program as well as working on their self-driving car project.

Naturally, this news is causing a great deal of excitement, but I can’t help but wonder if certain people – not the least of which is William Gibson – aren’t getting just a tinge of self-satisfaction as well? You see, it was this Vancouver-based, American born purveyor of cyberpunk that predicted both the use of “cyberspace goggles” and augmented reality many years ago. The former were featured extensively in his Sprawl Trilogy and a similar device, known as Virtual Light glasses, made several appearances in his subsequent Bridge Trilogy.

What’s more, his latest books (known as the Bigend Trilogy) also made extensive mention of Augmented Reality before most people had heard of it. Beginning with Spook Country (2007), the second book in the series, he described an artist who used wireless signals and VR goggles to simulate the appearance of dead celebrities all over LA. This new type of touristic art, known as “locative art” was the first time AR was mentioned in a pop culture context. In his third book of the series, Zero History (2010), he mentions the technology yet again but says how it has been renamed “Augmented Reality” now that its more popular. As always, Gibson was on the cutting edge, or just ahead of the curve.

Click on the links below for a little “light reading” on the announcement:

https://plus.google.com/
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/

20,000 Hits!

Morning! Some good news, netter news, and bad on this rainy day here in Victoria BC. Good news first, I’m finally over my flu… well mostly. For days it’s been dogging me and keeping me grounded. Luckily, I turned this  time towards more articling and have topped 250! Good for me. As for the better news, I just learned that my hit ticker, the thing that monitors my overall traffic, has just passed 20,000. YAAAAAAY!

Okay, now for the bad news… I lied, there is no bad news! At least none that I can see right now, but I’m heavily biased by this good news. Perhaps I’m tempting fate… Who cares?! Point is, I’ve finally reached this milestone and there are plenty of people to thank!

For starters, I want to thank Worpdress.com for the FP back in March of this year. Were it not for them posting my article Dystopian Science Fiction, on their home page, I never would have made it this far. I know, the moderators give FP’s to like a dozen people a day, but thanks to that sliver of recognition, I got over 7000 hits in the space of 24 hours. That’s almost twice what I managed to get in the 12 months leading up to it. In the space of a day, my overall traffic went from just over 4000 to 11,000, just in the space of a day!

Wow. But more importantly, that day allowed me to pick up roughly 100 new followers. 100 new colleagues, peers, friends, and collaborators to spin ideas with, bounce my thoughts off of and help with ideas of their own. This meant that every day thereafter, whenever I published something, I had 100 people to share it with, rather than just speaking my thoughts to the void. That kind of interaction is invaluable and matters far more than overall traffic, let me tell you 😉

And things only got better from there. As March rolled in April and April to May, more and more people came by to comment on what I had to say and began following my blog. In those eight weeks, my total followers went from just over 100 to 200, on WordPress that is (think I got like 600 from twitter, but they rarely stop by!) So naturally, my endless gratitude goes to all the people who came by, liked what they saw, and decided to stay. Without you, this would really be impossible!

And of course there’s my family, my darling bride, the good folks at Grim5Next, and Story Time to thank. You’re encouragement, invitations to join in writer’s projects, proofreading and editing and helpful comments have always been a source of help and inspiration. I dream of someday writing professionally, which in addition to committing all my time to it means that I’ll also get paid. Hopefully, that dream isn’t too far from realization. I can’t tell you how annoying I’ll be when that happens, at least to those who sign my checks… Freaking PAY ME!

So once again, thank you all and I hope you’ll keep coming by in the future. I have plenty more to share, new ideas to formulate, and about a million more articles concerning science fiction, pop culture and the changing world we live in. And rest assured, if I EVER get famous, I’ll be taking all of you with me! Good luck and good day!