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Zombie Buddha?

buddha mummy

Ok, ok. Not strictly the living dead. Well, at least not anymore. Japundit recently featured a description of the end results of the practitioners of a set of Buddhist rituals called shugendo. Though the term itself refers to the actualization of the self and developement of spiritual power through asceticism, austerity, and intense physical tests and rituals known as shugyo. Some practitioners would go so far as literally mummify themselves using a extreme diet bark and tree roots, and drinking a tea made from tree sap to induce vomiting, diarrhea, et al. in order to toxify the body and stave off decomposition.

sitting zombie monk

The monk would then be sealed in a tomb with only a small tube to provide him with air. That is, until he perished at any rate. Monks would check daily and listen for the ringing of a bell within the tomb. Once the ringing stopped, the tomb would be entirely sealed and airless for the remainder of the ritual. Once complete, the body would be removed and, if successfully mummified, venerated as a Buddha. Voila, enlightenment in 10,000 days.

Or, a fantastic method of preserving your zombie horde from the cruel ravages of mother nature. You be the judge.

Time to get me some tree sap….

The Mexican Emo Wars

I’ll be honest. When I first heard about this I laughed my ass off. And kept laughing for the first five minutes or so. And then I felt weary. I mean, who hasn’t made jokes about emo-bashing at one point or another, regardless of how emo you might actually be? But the sad truth is that Mexico is now home to a wave of violence targeted at, you guessed it, emo kids. Of late there have been gatherings of the other Tribes powered by cell phones and social networking, for the sole purpose of locating, and kicking the shit out of, groups of emo kids. It makes me think of punks vs. mods on a massively networked scale.

I’ve seen numerous posts speculating on the cause of such a widespread and extreme reaction; everything ranging from latent homophobia, to outrage with recent elections, to a recent tv personality slagging off on emo kids live on the air:

BoingBoing’s picked up the thread and points to Daniel Hernandez’s Intersections blog where there seems to be the best coverage. Recently though, tensions have escalated. From Brock Thiessen’s Exclaim post:

“More recent reports state that the emos have begun to fight back against the other “urban tribes” and organized marches in Guadalajara and Mexico City, escalating the violence and leading to increased police presence. Also, some Mexican newspapers, such as El Porvenir, have called for government intervention to protect the emos, writing, “It’s the responsibility of the authorities to make sure the threats aren’t carried out and the aggressions are punished.”

We’ve seen the polarization that can occur anytime a group is made to feel marginalized; most subcultures arose as a rejection to the predominant socio-political climate that existed at the time of their inception, but this isn’t any rebellion, it’s other supposedly marginalized groups gang-banging one particular group based primarily on what would appear to be their sense of aesthetics. To me this begs the question, have we moved so far from a positively created individual sense of identity (I am) to a self definition that relies entirely on exclusion (I am not) that it becomes a question of orangised violence towards the latter? It’s a sad state for any subculture which cannot define itself by its own principles and ideology, regardless of aesthetics.

I suppose the only really redeeming thing here was that group of Hare Krishnas marching for tolerance in the midst of all that turmoil…

Happy Easter!!!

I decided to post some delightful pictures in honor of Jesus rising from the dead. Praise the lord!!

…And let’s not forget chocolate Jesus.

re: Your Brains

Clever song by Jonathan Coulton talking about the important things in life, Brains!!!

And the debate rages on

There appears to be some controversy amongst the learned as to the proper balance that would constitute the ideal zombie diet. We’re all familiar with the classic school of thought:

food pyramid1

But some recent research suggests the proportions should be more in line with this:

food pyramid 2

The article:

STONY BROOK, NY—In a dramatic reversal of decades-old medical wisdom, the late Dr. Albert Rossum, director of the O’Bannon Institute For Postmortem Nutritional Studies, recommended an all-brain diet for zombies Tuesday.

Dr. Albert Rossum (1940-1991) announces the findings.

“Our research indicates that live human brains are not merely the cornerstone of a healthy diet; they are, in fact, the only food an active adult zombie should consume at all,” Rossum said during a press conference at the institute, located at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. “A daily three-pound serving of brains supplies all the vital sugars, neurons, and ganglia essential to promoting zombie fitness and slowing the decomposition process.”

The Rossum Plan challenges the traditional zombie food pyramid, which consists of five to seven daily servings of human hearts, three to four servings of livers or eyeballs, and two servings of brains. Instead, Rossum advocates a four-level pyramid, with all four levels consisting of as many servings of brains as possible.

“Ideally, the brains should be consumed fresh from the head of the victim,” said Rossum, widely considered the nation’s leading expert in the field of undead nutrition. “However, precious scraps of brain may also be pried from the fingers of other brain-crazed zombies. Failing that, dropped brains may be slurped from the ground by a third party to such a scuffle.”

Added Rossum: “Braaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnns!”

zombie nutritionist

Nutritionists at the Romero Foundation For Zombie Health, the nation’s oldest zombie-health organization, were dismissive of Rossum’s announcement.

“The O’Bannon Institute’s plan is a reckless fad diet,” the late Dr. Vincent Peters said. “Five servings each day from the neurosensory group, made up of the brain, spinal column, and nervous system, as well as from the vascular, digestive, and pulmonary groups, are the best way to maintain robust zombie health. It is an established fact.”

Told of Peters’ remarks, Rossum strenuously disagreed, citing recent tests conducted by his institute.

“Studies have shown that zombies who follow the Romero school of nutrition can be stopped with a single bullet to the brainstem,” Rossum said. “On the other hand, our exhaustive studies conclusively show that the newer, fitter breed of zombies who adhere to an all-brain diet cannot be subdued by anything short of total incineration.”

Rossum’s detractors are quick to point out that a high percentage of zombies in his studies are young accidental-death victims, many still in their teens, recruited from the punk-rock-fan community. Such individuals, critics charge, are too healthy and recently deceased to be reliable subjects in long-term dietary studies.

Critics also charge that a diet consisting entirely of brains would not be likely to attract many followers due to its monotonous nature. Rossum again disagreed.

“There is still ample room for dietary variety in this plan,” Rossum said. “One day, you might make a spicy South Of The Border treat of a Mexican person’s brains. The next, you could enjoy the Far East taste sensation of an Asian. There are so many different kinds of heads to tear open, there’s no reason ever to get bored.”

Rossum then stepped down from the podium and descended upon New York Times photographer Dennis Levitan, cracking his skull open and devouring his brains.

Personally, I favor the high protein brain diet. Also good for absorbing your victim’s knowledge….

Source: The Onion

One last Odyssey

Arthur C Clarke (1917-2008), prolific writer, visionary, and godfather of hard science fiction passed away early this morning due to cardio-respiratory attack at his home in Sri Lanka. He had recently turned 90.

arthur c clarke

While perhaps most widely recognised for his collaboration with Stanley Kubrick on ‘2001: A Space odyssey’ Clarke’s fierce insight into the relationship between the advancement of technology and its impact on the human condition led him to foresee the rise of the the telecommunications satellite, cell phones, and even moon landings.

As Issac Asimov once put it “Nobody has done more in the way of enlightened prediction.”

Very truly a great loss for us all. We wish him well on his own journey.

Link

Do You Do Bachelor Parties?

AH Yeah!!! I know it looks tempting, but don’t go there, trust me. If this jumps out of your cake run. I don’t care if she’s holding balloons and can sing don’t let her sit on your lap. It might seem like fun, but the medical bills will be the least of your problems.