Looking to God

The Walking Dead: Violence

Posted on January 19, 2015January 21, 2015 by Jack Flacco

Terminus. Bent over a trough with their hands tied behind their back, they await their fate. A baseball bat to the back of the head. Their throats slit. Another episode of The Walking Dead makes a debut.

For today’s Monday Mayhem I would like to talk a bit about the level of violence in The Walking Dead. Why is it there? And—is it necessary?

[Spoilers lie therein.]

If you have followed The Walking Dead for any length of time, you will know the show has gone through a transformation of sorts that, for lack of a better cliché, has pushed the envelope of dramatic series television. Season 5’s premier episode caught viewers off-guard with one of the most brutal scenes ever depicted on the small screen. If a phrase ought to typify the episode, it would be this one: “You’re either the butcher or the cattle.” If the viewer thought they had seen it all in the final episode of Season 4, they had miscalculated the show’s ability to deliver an even more shocking story.

You see, up to that point, the violence had always centered around the undead ending up splattered all over a wall or torn apart from gunfire. Humans receiving the brunt of their destruction typically came from walkers searching for food. That is until the absolute terror-inducing scene in the slaughterhouse of Season 5’s premier. It was then the viewer realized just how cruel a human could be toward another human.

The increasing level of viciousness from season-to-season attests to one thing the show has accomplished well—depicting that humans left to their own devices will kill without mercy.

Necessary? Yes.

The violence in The Walking Dead has become a symbol of what society would be like should an actual apocalypse take place. Brother will turn against brother. Hatred will spawn more hatred. And the concept of family will extend to those who will come to the aid of the less fortunate. If it sounds pessimistic, you’re right. But if you caught that last sentence, there will always be those who will not succumb to the human compulsion of killing. They are the ones who will make the world a better place.

Does that sound idealistic? Perhaps. But who’s to say how it will all play out until it actually happens? All I know is in every disaster, there are heroes.

And the heroes are the ones who will make a difference.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

What do you think about the violence depicted in The Walking Dead? Have you had any nightmares yet?

Freedom Friday

Heads Down

Posted on January 16, 2015January 19, 2015 by Jack Flacco

This week has been interesting, don’t you think? Monday, I talked about my binge watching ways of The Walking Dead episodes from AMC. Wednesday, I wrote about Rick Grimes, a small town sheriff’s deputy who finds himself in a real-to-goodness zombie apocalypse. And today? I’m not sure. Perhaps I can talk about zombies, but I have something else on my mind. Forgive me if I go off on a tangent for the next few minutes. Bear with me, folks.

Freedom Friday wouldn’t be the same without me observing something and not telling you about it.

Recently I took the train into the city from my own small town, and although I’ve noticed this before, I’ve never written about it. Seems this is common, and since purchasing an iPhone 6, I’m finding I’m doing the same thing. What am I talking about?

Heads down.

You know what I’m talking about.

Walk into any coffee shop, bus station or simply sit on a park bench. It’s there.

Heads down.

Terrible, isn’t it? There was a time I could stand in line or sit in a waiting room at the doctor’s office where I could strike up a conversation with someone there, talk about the weather, the latest sports scores or anything really. Not anymore.

Heads down.

Even going out to have a meal with the family. Instead of folks paying attention to their menus they’re doing other things that have nothing to do with either the meal or the conversation at hand. In an effort to remain connected, have we disconnected? Well?

Heads down.

I used to love sitting in a movie theater before the feature presentation. I went through the rite of passage of easing the seat back, putting my feet up, and joking with my friends about the silly, stupid things in life that makes us who we are. Hairstyles. Clothes. Talk.

Talk. Talk. Talk.

Not anymore.

Heads down.

It’s silly, isn’t it? We’re living a world where never have we had it so easy to talk with someone, yet we’re still alone.

Train ride. Coffee shop. Bus station. Park bench. Standing in line. Waiting room. Eating out. Movie theater.

What about it? Did you have your head down while reading this?

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RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

Have you noticed it, too?

Wednesday Warriors

Rick Grimes

Posted on January 14, 2015January 16, 2015 by Jack Flacco

He awakens from a coma to find the world overrun by walkers. Once a small town sheriff’s deputy, now he’s a leader to a group of survivors who he fights for so that others can live. His entire life becomes a life serving others. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

For today’s Wednesday Warriors let’s have a look at The Walking Dead’s strongest character, Rick Grimes, and what makes him who he is. Be warned, spoilers lie therein.

Played by Andrew Lincoln, Rick begins his journey into real life horror by taking the job no one wants. That job is that of leader to a band of people who have no clue what has caused walkers to take over the world. All he knows is what propels him forward each day—the hope for a new beginning, the hope to survive another day—hope. Perhaps a place out there exists that will save his group from the ravages of the roamers. Perhaps that place is closer than anyone thinks. Wherever it is, he’ll be damned if anyone or anything will stop him from finding the peace he so richly deserves.

Every season of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Rick gets that much closer to losing his mind. But isn’t that what being a leader is all about—walking a thin line between making the best decision to becoming an utter failure? In that sense, he succeeds admirably. He’ll have his good days, where everyone will love him for getting them out of the worst of messes, to his bad days, where everyone will question his sanity for him wanting to rid a prison filled with walkers. If that isn’t enough, he has to fend against insubordination at every turn, and that’s not including those outside the group who want to see him dead.

Adding to his troubles, Rick has to deal with the ever-increasing threat of walkers to the group. His life has become nothing more than a game of shells. No matter what he does, he’ll always meet with opposition, and if he so happens to do good, there’s isn’t enough time to relish the moment because the undead is ready to pounce on him and those he loves.

Of all The Walking Dead characters, Rick is the one who goes through the most noticeable transformation. From an everyman to someone bent on survival, he pushes the limit of what it means to be human, all in an effort to keeping the group together and his sanity in check. If anyone needs a reason not to live another day, it’s Rick. Yet, despite all the obstacles, he makes it through each day with a new resolve that never betrays his strong convictions—even if it looks otherwise.

Rick Grimes, Wednesday Warriors’ rock, and a walker’s ultimate nightmare.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead, what do you like about Rick? What excites you the most about the show?

Monday Mayhem

The Walking Dead Revisited

Posted on January 12, 2015January 14, 2015 by Jack Flacco

I’ve been binge watching. Is that an addiction? I’m certain one day I will be part of a support group for binge watchers everywhere. Until then, I’ll admit my fault, and say I’ve been binge watching The Walking Dead. It doesn’t sound so bad when I put it into that context. Doesn’t it? Well, binge watching is this: take a television series and watch it one episode after another until you’ve consumed every single one in a relatively short span. Who needs to wait for the next episode when you’re binge watching? Not me.

Anyway, for today’s Monday Mayhem, I have an observation for you Walking Dead fans.

Let’s talk about Season Three. Now, if you’ve never seen The Walking Dead, I suggest you skip to the last paragraph to see what I have to say about the series because I will certainly spoil it for you by revealing key elements of the plot.

Back to Season Three—I know The Walking Dead is a Drama/Horror show. I know that. AMC has established that by the story and plotlines. And I love that about the show. But what I’d like to see more of is humor. Inject a few bits of humor here and there, and I’ll love you even more. It’s not a criticism. Not at all. I just find after long stretches of binge watching, as a viewer, some levity would bring me back to focus on the stories.

For instance, when Rick and the other survivors take over the prison, they encounter the remnant of the prison population who haven’t turned. That to me is a great story. Even better is when the survivors try to explain to the former prisoners how to kill the walkers. They specifically instruct them how to aim for the head. Get rid of the brain. Get rid of the problem. Well, what happens? As soon as the group meets with walkers, the former prisoners hit prison riot mode and they assault the walkers in a flurry of body blows, which, by the way, has no effect on the undead other than to prove they can withstand stabbings and mutilations to the torso. In some respect, it’s a funny scene due to how it all went down. None of the former prisoners listened to any of the instructions, but instead did their own thing.

The other funny moment in Season Three, is when one of the former prisoners is hanging out with Beth as she coddles Lori’s baby in a prison cell. A known felon, he asks her how old she is. She says sixteen (I think that’s how it goes—I can’t remember). He then says, “Interesting.” All of a sudden, I roll my eyes thinking the worst. Fast forward to a minute later when Carol and the former prisoner have an off-the-cuff conversation away from the rest. He had convinced himself that she wasn’t interested in men. Guess what he says when he discovers otherwise. Yep. He says, “Interesting.” Of course, she says something that totally shoots him down. And there lies the humor.

I wish for more humor in subsequent seasons, not only for us binge watchers, but also for the new viewers.

What do you think?

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

What do you like about The Walking Dead? Do you have a favorite season?

Freedom Friday, Other Things

Ja$on

Posted on January 9, 2015May 10, 2017 by Jack Flacco

Boy, oh, boy. Do I have a treat for you. If you’re like me and follow a number of Twitter accounts simply because they’re funny, then I have an account you may want to have a read through. The best part about this Twitter user is I’ve know him his entire life—literally. And as time goes on, he gets funnier and funnier.

For today’s Freedom Friday, I’d like to introduce you to Jason Chaulk a friend of our family and a really funny guy. Okay, I’ve said that a few times—I better stop.

My wife and I have known Jason’s parents before any of us ever got married. Yeah, you might say that’s a long time. We used to go to the same church together, and we’d also have game nights at each other’s homes. We also participated in the same Outreach group, which entailed us going to entertain the elderly at nursing homes. And we’re still at each other’s houses, enjoying the company and having the time of our lives.

As for Jason, he’s been cracking jokes ever since I could remember. The last time we got together, we were reading through his tweets when all we could do was laugh through the whole night. I think what makes him unique is his ability to think quickly on his feet. He always has a comeback, and he always has a good nature when delivering his comebacks. That’s what spurred this article about him. I suggested if he wouldn’t mind if I went ahead and featured his work on my site. He said sure. No problem, in fact.

"I was very dissapointed when I found out it wasn't a house made out of waffles." — “I was very dissapointed when I found out it wasn’t a house made out of waffles.”

To give you an idea of how he works: whenever he gets an idea, he writes it on his phone. He has draft versions of many of his jokes, and when he feels they’re ready, he releases them.

Anyway, enough of my yakity-yak. Below are a few of his tweets he’s written over the years. By the way, before I forget—he’s still in high school!

My dentist recommended for my sensitive teeth to spend more time with them and talk about our feelings
Going to the dentist is uncomfortable enough without us locking eyes while his hands are in my mouth
Little does Santa know that one day I will sell all this coal and buy out his dumb little business
People tell me to be myself but the Little Mermaid taught me otherwise
Kids nowadays need to stop TWERKING and start WERKING
I was in an argument with an amputee but he didn’t have a leg to stand on
Before a fight, take off your cardigan to assert dominance
Auto correct ruined my leaf
I once tried to shoplift but they totally saw the shirt hanging out of my pocket
I used to model as a baby so of course I put it on my resume
The thug life chose me but it conflicted with my trumpet lessons
“R2-D2’s career has really gone downhill since the last Star Wars movie.”

The cop told me I “have the right to remain silent” then he asked me “where’s the body?” lol make up your mind bro
Keep sending me Candy Crush requests, maybe one day you will break me
Not only am I smart and beautiful but I am also humble
Superhero capes are just backward aprons
I am probably better at being humble than all of you
I still don’t smile in photos unless someone holds a teddy bear over the camera
To avoid jury duty become a convicted felon #lifeprotip
The One Where Monica Has a Mental Breakdown and Brings a Gun to Work #rejectedfriendsepisodes
When someone is yelling in your face give them a little kiss on the forehead to difuse the situation #lifehacks
My girlfriend does this thing where she calls me a “stalker” and threatens to have me “arrested”
My life in a nutshell is basically me looking for places to sit down
So glad this subway has windows so I can see the nice view
I woke up today to birds chirping and I did that thing in Shrek where they sing until the birds blew up
Without spell check I would so scruwed
How come all my friends can talk to me in third person but when Jason does it it’s weird
My only regret in life is that I didn’t love more, that and I did crystal meth for 6 years #latenightconfession

I hope you enjoyed reading Jason’s work. You can follow him on Twitter, but I’m sure one day this rising star’s comedy will be everywhere for you not to miss him.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

Do you know anyone in your life who is a success in the making?

Wednesday Warriors

Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer

Posted on January 7, 2015January 12, 2015 by Jack Flacco

Sent into the fictional South American country Val Verde, Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his team of crack mercenaries hunt and kill guerilla forces responsible for the kidnapping of presidential cabinet members of Guatemala. But once they discover there’s more to the mission, another enemy surfaces in the jungle, and one by one they die a horrible death—everyone except Dutch.

Today, Wednesday Warriors salutes Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer, the man who single-handedly defeats the ultimate fighter in a place that for lack of a better term some may call hell.

Having served in Vietnam during the Battle of Huế with former teammate Agent George Dillon (Carl Weathers), Dutch’s only concern when receiving a mission, is to get in and out in one piece, taking his team along with him. Confidence is high, his team also fought in Afghanistan and survived. Who would suspect they couldn’t pull though for this mission? After all, everyone of the old crew shows up for the party:

Jorge “Poncho” Ramirez (Richard Chaves) is the Spanish translator whose ever-present sarcastic wit graces the team.

Billy Sole (Sonny Landham) is the one who senses something amiss when he feels the presence of another entity hunting them. Little does he know how right he is.

Blain Cooper (Jesse Ventura) is the tobacco-chewing cowboy whose weapon of choice is a modified M134 Minigun. He calls it “Ol’ Painless” but in reality, within seconds it can punch a hole in a huge swath of jungle forest.

Sergeant “Mac” Eliot (Bill Duke) is Blain’s best friend, and the man who eventually administers the first wound to the unknown creature. Who are we kiddin’? He’s the guy who takes the first shot and wounds the predator.

With his whole team by his side, Dutch doesn’t suspect what lies before him in the jungle to be a threat. Yet, once his team slowly breathes its last, and Dutch has no one but himself to rely on, he takes matters in his own hands. A trained soldier, a survivalist, a gambler, he seizes the opportunity in the environment around him to blend in, vanish, disappear. Little does he know the predator hunting him also has an advantage, and that is to find its prey using its own skill sets at its disposal.

Warrior against warrior, the battle lines are set and the cat and mouse game is on.

Dutch’s keen sense of anticipating his enemy’s next move is what keeps him alive time and time again. Nowhere does it say he should play fair. And to that end, he takes advantage of everything he comes across, rigging it to meet his needs. Dutch will not go down without a fight.

Dutch’s resilience is what makes his character unique. As a formidable opponent—even if the creature he battles is more cunning and better equipped than he is—Dutch will do anything to survive. No matter what the obstacle, no matter what the situation, he will win. It’s within his nature to conquer. He will not go without taking anything and everything with him.

Predator‘s Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer—Wednesday Warriors’ ultimate survivalist.

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RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

What did you think of Predator and the subsequent movies?

Monday Mayhem

A New Year

Posted on January 5, 2015January 12, 2015 by Jack Flacco

Happy New Year, folks! Welcome back to Monday Mayhem, where zombies rule and humans run. Perhaps this is a good time to lay the groundwork for 2015—what to expect and when, and to talk a bit about where JackFlacco.com is heading.

First, two years have passed since I started writing three posts a week about zombies, strong female characters and anything else that pops into my mind. Recently, I’ve transitioned Wednesdays from my female-centric Women Who Wow Wednesday series to the testosterone-fueled Wednesday Warriors. This will continue through 2015, as the main character to my Ranger Martin series is just that—a testosterone-fueled warrior aiming to rid the world of the undead.

Second, if you haven’t caught my podcast interview with Denver Everett and TV Media Junkie Mark G. Pogue, I suggest you head on over to Everett’s Hangout to check out last week’s episode. Denver’s show is one of the few podcasts I listen to, and with Mark’s banter, I had so much fun fielding questions about my early years growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Toronto, my family life, and my writing. You’ll finally have an opportunity to associate my voice with my words. Have a listen and tell me what you think!

Third, as many of you may know, the only time when I talk about my books is during release. I’ll typically write a post or two dedicated to Ranger Martin, his latest exploits, and the road I had to take in order to get the book published. Other than that, I’m the type of guy who holds his cards firmly to his chest, only releasing news when I have to.

That is, until today.

Today, I’m announcing Ranger Martin’s exploits will end this fall with the third and final book. This should not surprise anyone close to me, since I’ve talked about a Ranger trilogy for a long time.

When I began to write the first draft of Ranger Martin and the Zombie Apocalypse in 2011 for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), I mapped a three-book arc for my hero that would include zombies, aliens, and other surprises. I had always meant it to be a trilogy, but never knew when I would complete it. Sure enough, here it is 2015, and I’m ready for the final, exciting chapter. Will there be zombie deaths? Oh, yes. Will there be revelations? Of course. Will there be explosions? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

All I can say for now is stay tuned, folks.

Finally, I’m holding on to a couple of more announcements until the time is right, but until then, check here often, as this will be the place where I will release the big news.

Again, stay tuned. There’s more to come.

RANGER MARTIN AND THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, on sale now.
RANGER MARTIN AND THE ALIEN INVASION, on sale now.

What is on your schedule for 2015?

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