This is the blog for ENC 1102. We will use blogs for this ENC 1102 class to post replies to in class conversation, homework/classwork, our papers, peer review comments, and news about our class. We will use our blackboard pages for class grades only, so please refer to this blog for class information.
You are required to create a gmail account and a blogger account for this class. Use your name for this account along with your class color (assigned during class). Make sure you note your class color, because some posts will be directed to your class color. These posts will be noted on the blog Title.
Our class today will be composed of the following:
1. Introduction to the Class and One-Page Syllabus
2. Talking about the Theme of the Class (and What to do in case of a Zombie Attack)
Video One: A day in the Life:
Video Two: Kill the Queen
3. What are the Rules and what is the Game and why is it writing? ~ Chris Crawford defines a game as "what the player does"
- Magic Circle
- Rules
- Components
- Interactive
4. Homework
- Create an e-mail with your name and your class color
- Read the Zombie Survival Guide Passage for Tomorrow's Class (underneath this post)
- Read over the complete online syllabus
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Welcome to ENC 1102 - Red , Yellow, and Orange Classes
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(Pages 1-17 of the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks)
THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE
THE UNDEAD: MYTHS AND REALITIES
"He comes from the grave, his body a home of worms and filth. No life in his eyes, no warmth of his sun, no beating of his breast. His soul, as empty and dark as the night sky. He laughs at the blade, spits at the arrow, for they will not harm his flesh. For eternity, he will walk the earth, smelling the sweet blood of the living, feasting upon the bones of the damned. Beware, for he is the living dead." ~ Obscure Hindi Text, 1000 BC
ZOM-BZE: (Zom'be) n. also ZOM-BIES pl. I. An animated corpse that
feeds on living human Flesh. 2. A voodoo spell that raises the dead. 3. A Voodoo snake god. 4. One who moves or acts in a daze "like a zombie." [a word of West African origin]
What is a zombie? How are they created? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their needs, their desires? Why are they hostile to humanity? Before discussing any survival techniques, you must first learn what you are trying to survive.
We must begin by separating fact from fiction. The walking dead
are neither a work of "black magic" nor any other supernatural force.
Their origin stems from a virus known as Solanum, a Latin word used
by Jan Vanderhaven, who first "discovered" the disease.
SOLANUM: THE VIRUS
Solannm works by traveling through the bloodstream, from the initial
point of entry to the brain. Through means not yet fully understood, the virus uses the cells of the frontal lobe for replication, destroying them in the process. During this period, all bodily functions cease. By
stopping the heart, the infected subject is rendered ''dead." The brain, however, remains alive hut dormant, while the virus mutates its cells into a completely new organ. The most critical trait of this new organ is its independence from oxygen. By removing the need for this all important resource, the undead brain can utilize, but is in no way dependent upon, the complex support mechanism of the human body.
Once mutation is complete, this new organ reanimates the body into a
form that bears little resemblance (physiologically speaking) to the
original corpse. Some bodily functions remain constant, others operate in a modified capacity, and the remainder shut down completely.
This new organism is a zombie, a member of the living dead.
1. SOURCE
Unfortunately, tensive research has yet to find an isolated example
of Solanum in nature. Water, air, and soil in all ecosystems, from all parts of the world, have turned up negative, as have their accompanying flora and fauna. At the time of this writing, the search continues.
2. SYMPTOMS
The timetable below outlines the process of an infected human (give
or take several hours, depending on the individual).
Hour 1: Pain and discoloration (brown-purple) of the infected area Immediate clotting of the wound provided the infection came h m a wound).
Hour 5: Fever (99-103 degrees F), chills, slight dementia, vomiting,
acute pain in the joints.
Hour 8: Numbing of extremities and infected area, increased fever
(103-106 degrees F), increased dementia, loss of muscular coordination.
Hour 11: Paralysis in the lower body, overall numbness, slowed heart rate.
Hour 16: Coma.
Hour 20: Heart stoppage. Zero brain activity
Hour 23: Reanimation.
3. TRANSFERENCE
Solanum is 100 percent communicahle and 100 percent fatal.
Fortunately for the human race, the virus is neither waterborne nor airborne.
Humans have never been known to contract the virus from elements
in nature. Infection can occur only through direct fluidic contact. A zombie bite, although by far the most recognizable means of transference, is by no means the only one. Humans have been
infected by brushing their open wounds against those of a zombie or
by being splattered by its remains after an explosion. Ingestion of
infected flesh (provided the person has no open mouth sores), however, results in permanent death rather than infection. Infected flesh has
proven to be highly toxic.
No information-historical, experimental, or otherwise-has surfaced regarding the results of sexual relations with an undead specimen, but as previously noted, the nature of Solanum suggests a high danger of infection. Warning against such an act would be useless, as the only people deranged enough to try would he unconcerned for their own safety. Many have argued that, given the congealed nature of undead bodily fluids, the chances of infection from a non-bite contact
should be low. However, it must be remembered that even one organism
is enough to begin the cycle.
4. CROSS-SPECIES INFECTION
Solarum is fatal to all living creatures, regardless of size, species, or ecosystem. Reanimation, however, takes place only in humans. Studies have shown that Solanum infecting a non-human brain will die within hours of the death of its host, making the carcass safe to handle.
Infected animals expire before the virus can replicate throughout their bodies. Infection from insect bites such as from mosquitoes can also he discounted. Experiments have proven that all parasitic insects can sense and will reject an infected host 100 percent of the time.
5. TREATMENT
Once a human is infected, little can be done to save him or her. Because Solanum is a virus and not a bacteria, antibiotics have no effect. Immunization, the only way to combat a virus, is equally useless, as even the most minute dosage will lead to a full-blown infection. Genetic research is under way. Goals range from stronger human antibodies to
resistant cell structure to a counter-virus designed to identify and destroy
Solanum. This and other, more radical treatments are still in the earliest stages, with no foreseeable success in the near future. Battlefield experiences
have led to the immediate severing of the infected limb (provided
this is the location of the bite), but such treatments are dubious at best, with less than a 10 percent success rate. Chances are, the infected human was doomed from the moment the virus entered his or her system.
Should the infected human choose suicide, he should remember that the brain must be eliminated first. Cases have been recorded in which
recently infected subjects, deceased by means other than the virus, will nonetheless reanimate. Such cases usually occur when the subject expires after the fifth hour of infection. Regardless, any person killed after being bitten or otherwise infected by the undead should be immediately disposed of.
I dont think that its really hard for some one to defend themselves from a Zombie attack. You have to have a good plan to make sure that no one in the group gets bitten by one of the zombies. You can come up with all kind of ways for you to be able to defend yourself from the zombies. Some ways that we came up with ways to protect ourselves in class was that we could get a bus an put armour on it for us to make a good get away. Some of the other students said that we could blockade the entries to the building to help keep the zombies out. Another group said that we could use the buses to get to Walmart and we could try to hold off there. All of theses ideas are pretty good.There are plenty more good ideas to stop the living dead from taking over.
Although a lot of students mentioned making bombs in the discussion, it came to my attention that we were in a primarily English building, not a Chemistry building. Nevertheless, it would be probable that we could find some bomb materials, or that we could make gunpowder. Lastly, there should've been enough materials to create enough fuel for fire to also ward off the undead.
Lastly, as my group pointed out, the undead are still unrealistic, so why can't we bring other unrealistic forces in? Going for the science fiction view, use anti-gravity generators on their side as an effective barrier. One could also call on a Starfleet ship to "beam us up" with Bertol Rays. On the other hand, if we are going with fantasy, we could enlist the help of clerics and other spell-casters to help us. At the least, we could ask the Stygians (true undead - skeletons, lichs, etc.) for help in culling their useless kin.
Still, this was an interesting discussion.
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