October 2013 – Page 2 – Looking to God

The Walking Dead: Zombie Names

Posted on October 14, 2013May 19, 2014 by Jack Flacco

Doesn’t it feel good to know there’s a comfortable place to relax when all hell breaks loose? Now that The Walking Dead is back on the air serving pleasant meals of Horror with a side dish of dark humor, wouldn’t it be nice to know what those names for those zombies actually mean?

Monday Mayhem is my series where I delve into all things zombie in order to gain a better understanding of the undead’s wicked ways. If this is your first time here, enjoy my back catalogue of zombie posts tailored specifically for the genre. If you want to see something in the future, drop me a line. I do take requests.

Okay, let’s have some fun!

One of the coolest aspects of AMC’s The Walking Dead is the show’s ability to entertain their audience with trivial things. In this case, names the writers choose to describe zombies. They could have gone and called them zombies, but you’ll never hear that. In fact, here’s a challenge: Find an instance in the show where any of the survivors refer to a zombie as a zombie. You won’t find it. What you will find, though, is a list of euphemisms to describe a zombie’s principal attribute.

What are they? I thought you’d never ask.

Walkers—These are the garden-variety zombies most often seen in the show. The virus transformed them from productive humans to deceased corpses with no other intent other than eat other humans. In a zombie horde, walkers make up the bulk of the frenzied mass.

Lurkers—A common name for zombies that have sustained a massive injury that prevents them from walking. These are the most dangerous because upon approach they seem dead yet can pounce at any time. They tend to grab hold of the victim and munch on a limb thereby spreading the virus, making the victim one of them.

Meat Puppets—The name given to zombies whose intelligence is so low that survivors consider them nothing more than mindless puppets of meat.

Floaters—Of all the zombies, these are the ones most pollutant to the environment. We can find them in the water either stuck somewhere or floating. Should survivors attempt to steer these beasts away, a mighty explosion may occur that’d dismember the floater and spill its entrails. Not fun when survivors need to travel the waterway corridor to get to the other side.

Roamers—They do nothing other than hunt for humans to devour. Much of the roamers’ days transpire with nothing more than lurching back and forth between feeding grounds. They’re main attribute is an insatiable appetite.

The list goes on: Biters, creepers, dead ones, empties, deadies, geeks, monsters, ghouls, goons, lame-brains, psychos, swimmers, and wanderers. I’m sure you can find more.

Nevertheless, what I’ve described are the dominant ones in the show. If you do know of any more, don’t hesitate to comment. I’m sure the folks looking for a thorough compendium to the show’s creativity would appreciate it.

Do you enjoy watching The Walking Dead? What is your favorite part of the show? Did you know about all the names the survivors have for the zombies?

Curry Chicken

Posted on October 11, 2013May 8, 2017 by Jack Flacco

Having watched the Food Network for a full year made me appreciate the culinary delights of cooking with a few simple ingredients. No, this is not a zombie post. Nor is it a piece dedicated to strong chicks that kick butt. But this Freedom Friday entry is about a quick and easy recipe you can try at home with minimal to no chef experience. Yeah, that describes me, all right.

Real Jamaican curry chicken is hard to make. I know because some of my best friends are Jamaican and theirs is beyond description. Does the term “mouthwatering, savory dish” mean anything to you? It will be once you taste the real thing. Mine is a cheap imitation knock-off. But, as my kids have indicated several times, “Is this ever good.” It’s an ever-good, cheap imitation knock-off.

Okay, enough with the chitchat, let’s get to my recipe, as I know you’re dying to get started on it!

You will need chicken. I always get my chicken from Costco since they package their meats in affordable units. For instance, in my neighborhood, 24 skinless chicken thighs is about $24. I’m paying a buck a thigh. I think that’s a good deal. If you don’t have a Costco, you can try the regular supermarket, although I’m sure you’ll pay much more for the same package.

Once I get my chicken, I tend to soak 12 pieces in brine overnight. Not to make it complicated or anything, my brine is salt water. You can use a pot, which works well. Load the pot with the chicken thighs, add water, and add lots of salt. I can’t say how much salt. I go with what I’m used to—about ten dashes. How’s that for a scientific measuring system? Make sure the fridge is cold enough so as the chicken doesn’t spoil. I can’t stress enough how important it is to ensure food meets health and safety specifications.

Before going on, the reason for soaking the chicken in brine is to plump up the pieces. Ever wonder how restaurants get their chicken to look so huge? They soak them in brine to get the meat to swell at massive proportions. Nice trick, eh?

Next, set the chicken in a skillet/baking pan—your choice. We use a glass skillet in our house and it works fine for our family. If you have something else, that’s fine too. It’s nothing to get hung up about.

Add your ingredients:

Cayenne

Curry powder

Garlic powder

Ginger powder

Onion powder

Pepper

Salt

And when I mean add your ingredients, I mean sprinkle to taste. You may only want to give a couple of dashes of cayenne, but pour on the curry. After all, it is curry chicken. Have a gander at the photo to get an idea of what it looks like before baking.

What you’ll want to do is set your oven to 375°F and cover the dish with aluminum foil. This will trap all the flavors inside the skillet to make the meat nice and tender when serving. Leave it in there for an hour and prepare the side dishes. I typically make peas or have some fries on the side. On this particular Saturday, my wife jumped in with some corn on the cob. It was goo-ood!

Once done, take the chicken from oven, let stand for about five minutes in order to allow it to absorb the juices from the skillet, then serve with side dishes.

In the photo at the beginning of the post you see the curry chicken served with corn on the cob, marinated egg plant, and green beans. What a wonderful, delectable dish!

Enjoy!

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Have you ever cooked Jamaican-style curry chicken? If so, how do you do it? Do you have any chicken recipes that have become a staple with your family?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Eli/Abby

Posted on October 9, 2013October 9, 2013 by Jack Flacco

Horror. The word spins tales of madness between moments of lucid thought. The darkest moments in our lives become our episodes of horror for us to share with those who know nothing of who we really are. Horror.

As part of my Women Who Wow Wednesday series, for the month of October I’m focusing on female roles in Horror movies. I began the event last week with Rachel Keller, the lead character in The Ring, a film about a cursed video tape capable of killing anyone who watches it.

This week, I’m looking at two girls, both the same yet very different. Two girls because the film came out in Sweden in 2008 and Hollywood adapted it to American audiences in 2010.

The girls? Eli (Lina Leandersson) of Let the Right One In, and Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz) of Let Me In.

*spoilers ahead*

My friend, who is an undisputed Foreign Film buff, led me to the movie Let the Right One In a couple of years ago without a hint of its plot. He said, “Watch it.” I had no idea.

Circa 1982, Eli is a young girl who moves into an apartment complex with her guardian. It’s night. Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant), a boy about the same age as Eli notices their move. They meet alone in the dead of winter at the playground between apartments. He offers her a snack, but she’s not very hungry.

As the friendship blossoms they have this conversation:

Oskar: How old are you?
Eli: Twelve… more or less. What about you?
Oskar: Twelve years, eight months and nine days. What do you mean, “more or less”? When’s your birthday?
Eli: I don’t know.
Oskar: Don’t you celebrate your birthday? Your parents… they’ve got to know.
Eli: [Eli looks down on the ground]
Oskar: Then you don’t get any birthday presents, do you?
Eli: No.

Something about Eli bothers Oskar. She’s not like the other girls. Why isn’t she in school? From where did they move? Why did they move?

In the meantime, a serial killer is on the loose. The killings started about the same time Eli and her guardian moved into the Blackeberg suburb.

The film is a slow build feature. Much of who Eli is does not come out until later in the movie when Oskar confesses to her how he has enemies at school, who just as well rather see him dead than have him live a fulfilling life. Eli encourages Oskar to fight back and in turn becomes Oskar’s closest friend, which soon enough becomes love.

The charm with Eli’s character is seeing how she reveals to Oskar who she really is. In the American version Let Me In, Abby’s revelation comes at a more intense moment than is otherwise expected.

Let Me In's Abby played by Chloë Grace Moretz — Let Me In’s Abby played by Chloë Grace Moretz

Don’t worry; I won’t reveal the nature of who Eli/Abby really is. Although I do feel it somewhat my duty to warn that the movies, especially the Swedish version, have their moments of creepiness.

Why would I choose Eli/Abby as a Woman Who Wows? Everyone has a secret. In her case, she’s kept it for a long time. How long? No one knows. But when Oskar finds out, she keeps from acting on instinct. Instead, she builds him up to defeat those who dare stake a claim on his life. Her strength lies in empowering the weak. And this is why she wows.

That ability to empower is greater than the threat of death.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Have you seen Let the Right One In? How about Let Me In? If you have, what did you think of Eli/Abby?

Monday Mayhem

I Hated Zombies

Posted on October 7, 2013October 7, 2013 by Jack Flacco

There once was a boy name Jack, and he hated zombies without lack. Crazy, isn’t it? That boy was me. I disliked zombies because I thought they were the stupid, malignant, dregs of Horror that amounted to nothing better than cheap laughs and gruesome kills.

Now that I have your attention, I’m dedicating this Monday Mayhem post to the skeptics. To all those folks who hate zombies and don’t know why. Ahem, because they think zombies are of the devil—or something so insanely ridiculous as such. This post goes out to you dislikers of the undead. Prove your hatred.

It wasn’t long ago when I, too, freely admit to have been one of the zombie naysayers. I’d thought vampires were cool and werewolves were powerful. But zombies? What did they have? I couldn’t get past their weak countenance. They wore torn clothes, for crying out loud. Even I could have punched one of them in the face to have it topple over like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.

Ah, but you see, that’s where I went wrong. I thought of a zombie as a single unit. That’s not where a zombie’s strength lies. Zombies don’t work that way. Separate a zombie from the crowd and yes, it’s time to say good-bye to another of the undead. However, as part of the horde, it’s as good as dug itself in like an Alabama tick. As a whole, they’re impenetrable; functioning as a single-minded mass with only one thing on their mind—eat.

Someone's in Trouble — Someone’s in Trouble

When did I change my view on zombies? I saw 28 Days Later late one night while my family slept, and I needed some solid entertainment. I didn’t know what the movie was at the time, having caught it a few minutes after the credits, but I watched it anyway. Hard not to watch someone waking up in hospital garb to what looks like a world gone crazy. Then have the movie tease me to a slow reveal. That’s what started it all for me. I saw the zombies. They weren’t weak but strong brutes able to turn other humans into zombies. And the humans were afraid of them. I thought, what is this? Shivers trailed my arms to my spine leading up my neck. The movie captivated me. I wanted more.

From there I went on a zombie binge. Within a week, I had seen 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, and Zombieland.

The old Scooby-Doo paradigm I had carried for so long had all but disappeared, replaced by today’s zombie—a predator of vast proportions, able to seek and destroy those who’d dare get in the way. Their single-minded focus to rid the world of humans fascinates me. They act as Star Trek’s Borg, a collective bent on satiating eternal hunger pangs. How can I argue these zombies are weaklings?

To exacerbate the issue, I’d fallen in love with the notion zombies can reproduce. One bite is all it takes and a human is no longer with the living. In some respect, it might actually be an improvement since some folk are dead already.

Yae, naysayers, come and give pittance to your trite cause for slamming zombies wherefore you know nothing of. You hate the undead in ignorance. Let the beasts of the field show you the empty graves to those who will dismember the world.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

What do you like about zombies the most? Did you have an epic flip from hater to lover of the genre?

Freedom Friday

A Day Off

Posted on October 4, 2013October 4, 2013 by Jack Flacco

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about sleep and how it boosts productivity. For this week’s Freedom Friday, I would like to share another productivity booster some folks can’t imagine trying, even if their lives depended on it. Are you ready? It’s called a day off. Yeah, scary, isn’t it?

In some circles, the day off is an outdated relic that belongs on the trash heap. It gets in the way, wastes time, and is nothing more than a distraction.

I wish I had a penny for all the times I hear how we can become better at what we’re doing if we dedicate more time to what we’re doing. I’m here to tell you different. I’m here to say it’s okay to take a break. Everything will be there when you get back.

How does it work at our house?

Well, every Saturday I unplug from the internet to spend time with the family. This means you won’t find me posting or commenting on mine or anyone else’s blog. You won’t see me on Facebook or Twitter. And my email collects dust until Sunday morning. Saturdays is when I treat my family to a special meal, watch a couple of movies, visit friends and relatives, and typically relax doing nothing other than stare out the window, daydreaming. That last part happens more often than you think.

It’s a day we do what we don’t have enough time to do during the week. And I don’t mean chores.

So let’s go back to the productivity thing. How productive, really, is taking a day off every week? This question harkens back to my sleep post where I talk about time management experts encouraging folks to shorten their sleep cycles in order to gain a half-hour extra on their day to do things. I think I manage a convincing argument establishing the fallacy of that sort of thinking. That half-hour is not extra time to use for other things. That half-hour is for sleep.

Similarly, and speaking from my own standpoint, taking a day off enhances creativity and boosts energy levels. On a personal level, I mentally disconnect from life so I can replenish my reserves. By the time Sunday comes, I’m all set to tackle the week with new ideas and a healthy perspective.

There was a time I didn’t do that, and I used to have days run into each other like a continuous merry-go-round. Thankfully, that’s over. In all honesty, without wanting to sound pretentious, I find taking time off once a week to unplug from the internet and spend it with the family aids in a more balanced lifestyle.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Do you take a day off to unplug every week? If not, have you thought about it?

Women Who Wow Wednesday

Rachel Keller

Posted on October 2, 2013October 14, 2013 by Jack Flacco

A first for Women Who Wow Wednesday—during the month of October I will feature tough heroines who rock the Horror genre. They will at times seem victimized, but their strong resolve carries them through, overcoming whatever obstacles get in their way. In the end, they will make it out alive from their terror-filled world to rule the day.

Naomi Watts as Rachel Keller in The Ring

To kick things off, let’s have a look at Rachel Keller of the movie The Ring.

*spoilers ahead*

When The Ring came out in theaters, I missed seeing it. In some ways, I’m glad. The premise leaves a person with a sense of heightened awareness of the dangers of watching something someone might recommend as a must-see.

The story goes something like this: Someone finds a video tape. Within minutes of watching it they receive a phone call telling them in seven days they will die.

I don’t know about you but when I heard about this movie, it sent shivers up the back of my neck. To add to the mystique of the film’s allure, the DVD release features the short film as a hidden item on its menu. If you haven’t found the video, you can simply press the up arrow a few times until the cursor disappears, then press enter on the remote.

I have never seen the video in its entirety.

Rachel Keller (Photo credit: The Ring Wiki)

Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) is a reporter investigating the mysterious death of her niece who rumors state died in an unnatural way. Taking a personal interest in the case, because the victim was family, Rachel heads to a cabin in the woods where her niece and a few friends had stayed a week before. Examining the contents of the room, she finds a video tape. Unsure what it contains, she watches it. Soon after it ends, Rachel receives a phone call from a child who says, “Seven days.”

As creepy as it sounds, things get worse. After having copied the tape to show to her ex-boyfriend Noah (Martin Henderson), Rachel begins to experience nightmares and surreal experiences. Nosebleeds are a common occurrence. In one scene, she pulls a fly from the monitor where the tape plays. The fly belongs in the video.

Later on in the week, as the events turn more sinister, Rachel discovers her son Aidan (David Dorfman) has watched the video. In horror, she calls Noah and admits Aidan is his son.

Eventually, Rachel’s investigation leads her to Moesko Island, the site of the lighthouse in the video, and the reason the video exists in the first place.

Rachel’s character makes the movie a treat for those of us who enjoy a slow plot reveal. She’s a woman caught in a trap, and has every reason for wanting to escape in order to save her and her son from unseen forces churning within. The big surprise, though, does not come from the events unfolding in the film but from her reaction to the results. In stark contrast, what would otherwise rattle most of us, if caught in the movie’s horrific web, Rachel handles with a firm conviction.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale October 22.

Have you watched The Ring? If so, what did you think of the film’s concept?

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