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The idea behind this blog is to share my opinions about Post-Apocalyptic Literature, Films and Ephemera as well as my random nattering on a regular basis.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

An Odd Sign for a rehab establishment

At first I thought it was a sign for a church but on further examination I figured it was a drug rehabilitation center. I think anyhow. I don't care enough to call the number. I did however care enough to get a picture of it to share with everyone.

























Their tagline aught to be "Nuke Your Addictions". Am  I right or what?

Friday, July 13, 2012

Fear's Wasteland Spam Chili




4 cans Spam
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp cumin
4 T chili powder
Corn flour
1/2 cup peanut oil
4 red onions
6 cloves minced garlic
6 jalapeno peppers
4 cans tomato paste (6 oz size)
4 cans diced tomatoes
2 pints Dinty Moore Stout
1 quart chicken stock
2 T cocoa powder
1/2 cup double strength coffee (from a toddy)
6 cans black beans
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Cut Spam into 1/2 inch cubes. Season Spam with salt pepper, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin and 2 T chili powder. Coat spam with corn flour. Heat pot add 1/2 peanut oil. Brown the spam and allow to caramelize on all sides. Remove spam to a bowl and repeat with any remaining meat.

Add onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes add jalapenos and cook 2 more minutes. Add vegetables to the Spam in the bowl.

Use some of the chicken broth to deglaze the pot then add the rest of the stock and beer. Add tomato paste to the pot. Next add remaining cinnamon, cumin and chili powder to the pot. Next add cocoa powder and coffee and whisk until smooth. Add can of tomatoes, the cans of black beans, Spam and vegetable mix and cook over low heatuntil boiling. Stir occasionally.
 
Serve out of the bleached skulls of your foes. 

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Weekly free E-books (eight)

Once more these are free as of today. No idea how long long they will remain free. Hop to it if you want 'em.

1) H10N1 by M. R. Cornelius (yes I've posted this one before but the author has reposted it as free. Posting it again because it was just that good. Get it and get it now.)

2 The Survivors: Book One (Life After War) by Angela White, Kim Fillmore and Lanae Morris


4) We Are Elephants by Kevin Hilliker

5) Blood Skies (Book 1) by Steven Montano and Syd Gill

6) One by One by Phil Tucker
 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

When Life Imitates Fiction

In 1974 James Herbert published a rather nifty piece of fiction wherein rats, after millions of years of survival under the heel of humanity, relegated to living only at the whim of man, rise and begin to systematically attack and prey on us.

He followed it with The Lair in 1979. In this one the rats are sorting into caste systems and are licking their collective chops remembering the glory days of running amok and feeding on man.

1984 saw the release of Domain. This one is an end of the world story. Man wages the final war and while they are distracted rats emerge for the sewers and wreak havoc.

He rounded out the saga with The City. A graphic novel that tells the story of man's defeat. They are now scavenging in the ruins the rats are now the ones that allow man's existence to continue.


Now, while James Herbert was writing this terrifying series of books about how rats begin to get more aggressive and unafraid of man, a scientist deep in Siberia was conducting research about how our ancestors may have domesticated animals. He uses rats in these experiments. Apparently he separates the rats into two groups: one sweet and snuggly and the other evil and demented. According to the article the nice group, upon seeing people, walk to the bars of their cage and push their nose through and enjoy a good pat on the nose and scratch under the chin. The evil group, called 'hyper-aggressive' hurl themselves at the bars shrieking, wanting to escape to tear you limb from limb.


Some interesting quotes from said article:


“Imagine the most evil supervillain and the nicest, sweetest cartoon animal, and that’s what these two strains of rat are like,” said Tecumseh Fitch, an animal behavior expert at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. 

and

When the aggressive rats have to be moved, Mr. Albert places two cages side by side with the doors open and lets the rats change cages by themselves. He is taking care that they do not escape to the sewers of Leipzig, he said.


Yes that's right. He specifily mentioned the care he was taking so as to keep the rats out of sewers. This leads me to wonder if he has indeed read the books by James Herbert. I'll wager he has.

The full article can found at this link: Nice Rats, Nasty Rats: Maybe It’s All in the Genes