Animals is a self-published short story by Lauren Shain-Raque that I found on smashwords.com by searching for “apocalypse”. The story follows Dania and Gil through some awkward interactions and deep revelations on the military base they and many others must live on to keep themselves safe from “Animals.”
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Author: tavia.
End of The World Mega Mix
Today I discovered, I can put “90s” into Pandora and it’ll generate a 90s pop or 90s alternative station. Best day of my life. (Sorry, Husband.) It’s like listening to the 90s music channel on cable but I don’t have to be in my living room monopolizing the TV and being laughed at for listening to the cable music channel.
My 90s station got me thinking about my dearly missed mixed tapes I use to make by recording songs off the radio using the mind-boggling technology of a boom-box.
Back in the day we didn’t have have luxury of toting every song ever in our music collection. If you wanted some SWV, you’d have to cut out some Ace of Base.
In the future all these multi-functional music devices will be more useful as compasses and cameras, edible plant finders and generally for their survival apps. Your space for music will be rationed like a can of fruit cocktail.
Post-apocalyptic Fashion: Resident Evil – Alice
When roving the desert cities that were once California or the untamed wilderness in Western Mass, what will you wear?
Some examples of post-apocalyptic outfit options from Resident Evil’s Alice.
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The Mythical Land of Safety and Security and Free Food
It’s in the North. Unless you’re from the North, then it’s in the East. Well if, like me, you’re in the Northeast, it’s in Canada or out West. Maybe down south in Florida.
Wherever it may be, it’s a vague and general direction far from where you currently are. There’s someone in your party who wants desperately to go there. It’s the brand new Promised Land where fast food and hot showers still exist, who wouldn’t want to go there? A Smarty Pants is who.
Just like weight loss pills that not only work but also won’t eventually blow your heart up or destroy your metabolism, it doesn’t exist. Never wholly at least.
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Post-apocalyptic Video Game: RAGE
Set for release in September 2011, Rage embraces the notion of a chaotic, violent and indulgent future. It has a similar vibe to the Max Max or A Boy and His Dog universes. It’s some how dark and dangerous while still being light and fun.
But, where will I get my hair done?
I’m kind of obsessed with my hair. And, by kind of, I mean I have to start listing it as a hobby to justify the amount of time I spend paying attention to it. It’s not even tricked out. Just hair on top of a head. an inordinate amount of hair that took years to grow and takes hours to condition and comb or style, but really, just hair.
In a post-apocalyptic world, I’m going to be throughly screwed on the hair front.
Movie: STASIS
Stasis, by Jason Hite, is an 8 minute stop-motion film based on the idea of a future made of bio-mechanical… something. That’s really the most I could understand form reading the blurb and watching it. But, after reading the blurb and watching it, my imagination is running wild.
How Will You Know?
Most scenarios resulting in the end of the world would ease us into apocalypse. There might be a phase of war, or panic, or confusion before everyone left is certain that this is definitely The End.
How long would your power need to be out before you started to think it wasn’t ever coming back on? How long would you wait to hear from anyone you know who lives outside of your area before you guessed you might be cut off from the rest of the world? How many people would have to fall fatally ill before you came to the grim realization that there is no cure, no quarantine, nothing but getting comfortable and waiting?
Me, personally? I imagine it taking me a while. At least a month. Maybe.
I’d drive around; and as long as I kept seeing people, I’d stave off the panic.
Post-Apocalyptic Eating
So, today I’ve been eating only non-perishables and drinking water. I’m planing to grab a Powerade, depending on the expiration date. If the date is March 9th 2012 or later it’s mine.
I’m trying to see what it’d be like to only eat food that would still be good a year into the post-apocalyptic world.
I can’t churn butter and I don’t have a chicken or a cow, so dairy is out. I don’t even understand how to make bread with modern electronic tools so that’s not happening.
There were free baked goods everywhere in the office today but I didn’t have any. Bagels would have been a wrap in the first 2 weeks, much less a year later.
I like to think of this as a reverse Old Sturbridge Village experience. Instead of thinking of how our ancestors lived, I’m trying to think of what like might be like in the future.
What's The IDEAL reaction?
So, the other day I was yelling at the TV and throwing things, wondering why people keep hiding “up there”, or “in front of the glass doors”, or “without checking that.” It makes my heart hurt to see people trap themselves in a precarious position then chill for a breather. You are not safe!
Maybe that’s just television theatrics doing its best to keep me engaged.
Maybe they have a psychologist on staff who’s shrugging saying, “Yeah. People would really hide upstairs on the balcony after leaving a trail of blood behind to lead the hunters right to them. Overall, people aren’t very bright.”
Well, our lack of intelligence is supplemented by a use of tools and relay-able knowledge.
I started to wonder if maybe someone had thought about best practices for surviving dangerous situations. Like “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” when you’re on fire; or, ICE (Ice, Compression, Elevation) for when you’ve injured yourself.