"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: Earl Zax
The Prompt: If you have five (5) days left to spend together with your love one how would you spend those days?
The Music: "Moving Pictures Silent Films" - Great Lake Swimmers

"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: Prosperous Snow
The Prompt: When you went to sleep last night, it was in your own bed or familiar surroundings. You wake up this morning in a strange bed and unfamiliar surroundings. You recognize your reflection with some differences, the face in the mirror is an older/younger version of you. Everyone you meet knows you, but by a different name. Where are you? What is your name? How do you believe you arrived in your present location?
The Music: "Us of Lesser Gods" - Flogging Molly

To put a little jig in your step.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: BIG BAD WOLF
The Prompt: AHHHH!!!! It's the Zombie Apocalypse! Run for your good-for-nothing lives!

Okay, hopefully that got your heart racing, and your brain a-firing. The situation is grim, the undead are coming for the brains of the living and you must protect yourself and your loved ones.

What would you use to protect yourself if ZA occurred right this second?

This means that you are limited to what is in your place of residence/work/education/wherever you are. Be realistic- you probably don't own an assault rifle, machine gun, flamethrower, or a bazooka, or some other such weapon. Be practical- do you really want to lug around a 10lb chainsaw, especially when it attracts more undead through noise, gets stuck, and more than likely you don't know how to use? Less is more- Limit yourself to as few weapons as possible, which will help you out at all ranges of combat- Far range, Medium Range, Close range, and Intimate range.

Well, I'm off to grab my weapons- oh wait, I just picked up a sand-wedge golf club. Not ideal, but it will do until I can get to the 12-gauge and the 30-06 in the back bedroom. Oh, and I just grabbed my sword-like letter opener- perfect for stabbing a Zed through the ear canal.

May you still be alive come day 16.

The Music: "House of the Rising Sun" - the Animals

the Far Range.

Zombie-fiends, bring it on. Wooden board go up on the windows and glass doors first. A small deterrent, but we're only working with things we've already have in our household arsenal. Unfortunately, my Winchester hasn't arrived in the mail yet, and the heaviest weapon movie I have on me right now is "Wanted". "Tombstone", and "Shaun of the Dead". I could chuck the cases at them. Maybe play some Enya over the loud speakers. Next, grab the rocks I brought with me from the California beaches. Sentimentality saves my ass again. That's right. Get David-and-Goliath on these living-dead. It just got real.

the Medium Range.

By this time I'm hoping my neighborhood squirrels are bringing me back prime information. You figure the television, phones, and internet are gone. No communication. Never fear, squirrels are here. Don't mock. They're the pigeons of our time. About three miles heading northeast you hit farm country. Hopefully, they're back some heat. I've got kitchen knives and bunnies slippers at the ready.

Don't launch fuzzy objects until you see the bloodshot whites of their eyes.

the Close Range.

This is where things get tricky. I have stumps for legs. Like Gimli said in LotR - "I'm wasted over long distances." If we're in a pack, and we have to run from a hoard of zombies ready to eat our brains, trip me and make a run for it. Appetizers. Don't worry, I'd do the same to you if the roles were reversed. You're welcome.

The plan is to have traps set up around the city. People are so nice here I'm not sure they could kill zombies outright. This is where you utilize you foreigner force. Anyone who is not from B'ham should be in charge of killing. We're less likely to sit down with zombies to try and talk it out with some organic granola bars.

Also, I've been keeping my eye on machete prices at my local grocery stores. In this economy, they can be brutal. $7.89 has been the lowest so far. Go pick up a couple for safe-keeping. Remember - it's all about the slice, bob, and weave once you get in close. Watch for that wayward decapitated arm. Again, you're welcome.

the Intimate range.

Showtime. This is where we cut the wheat from the chaff. This is where grown men pee themselves. Or lose a pair of legs. It is time to put those limited acting skills to work. You know where I'm going with this. Break out the shredded jeans and face makeup - it's "Thriller" time. Bust out your best Michael Jackson moves and zombie out with the rest of the prion-disease seeking rejects. If you can't beat them (literally), join them. Just make sure to try and cook the brains first before you eat them.

Interesting enough, this is not Michael Jackson. Maybe next time.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: Evertrap 
The Prompt: Explain something or someone that you feel is widely misunderstood.
The Music: "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" - Nina Simone

         What is commonly misunderstood? What do I think can be better explained, understood?

         I went around and around with this. There are several topics that can be explored. Those quirky people on the conspiracy shows, now the specialty on the History Channel. These are my people. They are no doubt misunderstood. But I have kind of already talked about it. There are the zombie survivalists throughout the world. A city in Britain was sued by a citizen for not having a contingency plan in case of zombies. But zombies are for tomorrow. Sociopaths - maybe not. So, where to go...

         People with common sense.

         Unfortunately, people with common sense are often misunderstood. When they state the obvious, others jump on the wagon to bring them down. When they raise an eyebrow at the ignorance of certain special individuals, people call them elitist or snobs. I feel this in unfair.

         Let's just call it - common sense is not common. There are far too many poor choices being made this very minute for everyone to have this embedded in their grey matter. That's alright. It really is. Let's just not bring down those who use the gift.

         Let me give an example to demonstrate. Having intimate relationship while driving a car is not a good idea. It doesn't how good a driver you may be or how little skill your partner may have. This is just a bad idea all the way around. Very bad things can happen. Just say "no". Common sense people see this. Those who like to take unnecessary risks, don't. Guess who is more likely to die an embarrassing death.

         We can fix this trend. Next time you see a person with common sense. Give them a nod. A hug. A smile. A fist pump for being just a little more with it. And if you feel you are a person with common sense, know that you are appreciated. Keep up the good work. We salute you.

A lovely tune for the ears.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: Bonnie14222
The Prompt: We have seen significant technological advancements in our time. Sites like TED and Big Think offer amazing ideas. What do you think will be the next big thing?
The Music: "Funky Good Time" - James Brown

Intriguing prompt! I dig it.

First -- TED is a geek's paradise. If you've never been to the website, you should really check it out. One of my favorite discussions is by enthnobotanist Wade Davis. His story is a graduate student's dream/nightmare - being told by your professor to go check something out (how to make zombies) in a foreign country you have no idea of about (Haiti). Can you really say no to that? He wrote "The Serpent and the Rainbow"; not the crappy horror movie from the 1980s, but the book about his experiences in becoming a part of the Vodun culture while finding out how to make zombies.

Second -- I have no idea what the next big thing is, but can tele-portation is high on my list. "You have the deck, Number One." This would definitely make my life easier. I can go bug my little brother after class in California, scare my guy in Michigan, hop over to Paris for dinner, and be back before the midnight hour. My only reservations on this is how particle displacement will probably hurt like a mother. I'm not sure I get behind being shred to bits over and over again.

Third -- my family has been secretly working on project for the disposable medic bubble. When my grandfather was in the hospital, my Uncle P-- commented on how the hospital was built inefficiently. There were several people in a narrow hallway, terribly sick, while the entrance lobby was wide enough to play a pick-up basketball game with full bleachers. My father began talking about triage and the spread of germs and how there need to be a way for doctors to be able to treat patients in clean, sterile environment that could easily contain different illness and not spread anything to other sick patients. Easy to build, easy to clean up. Disposable Medic Bubble. Give it ten-years; we might be on to something.

We're gonna have a funky good time!

"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: Outasync: Editing
The Prompt: Time. We all have it, but nobody completely understands it. What are your thoughts on time?
The Music: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen

Time. A funny, fickle --

I've got nothing, really. Time sucks. Any sort of timing is not on my side. I have yet to learn how to really utilize, so in several ways it is my enemy. There are many moments, especially in the past few days, that I have thought about setting time on fire. But that's another nightmare for another day.

The first thing that popped into my mind was "Doctor Who". Who doesn't think of Tardis and The Doctor when anything about time is mention? Queen also came to mind. Well, "Wayne's World" comes to mind, which then leads to Queen. My eldest brother was a "Wayne's World" dude. Since we only had one television, all of us have were dudes whether we wanted to be or not. I could sing "Bohemian Rhapsody" all the way through by the time I was four. Grey Poupon, anyone?

So, quick recap. I hate time. Yet it reminds me of things I truly love. Like I said, time is a funny, fickle thing.

May your head banging rock!

"30-Day Blogging Challenge"  by: Julie D
The Prompt: What is your greatest strength? What is your biggest weakness? Write about each and why you think it’s a strength or weakness. How would you change either of these things, if you could?
The Music: "Weighty Ghost" - Wintersleep

The Strength.

         Multitasking.

         There is a great possibility that if you decide to stalk me that I will be doing about three things at once. Maybe four. I've managed six before but almost lost a toe, so that is an experiment I probably will not repeating. The multitasking aspect of my nature gives me a bit of a split brain, but I feel that is part of my charm.

         Consequently, because of this penchant to multitask, I will most likely be wearing my shirt backwards or my sweat pants inside out. Some things have to fall to the wayside if you're doing several things all at the same. It seems only fair the great law of numbers. Sometimes I forget to put on one of my socks. It's a cute look, I swear.

The Weakness.

         Underestimation.

         I have no sense of time, really. My estimates of time are usually off by at least fifteen minutes. Sometimes it is longer than that. I've been days off at times. That was an awesome experience. Luckily, I was early instead of late. Sure I looked like a fool, but if I had missed the appointment it would have been worse. Still, whether it is cooking or meeting someone for coffee or finishing project, any type of pre-planning usually ends badly for me. My underestimation also includes any type of pain I'm in, any mistake I've made, or how much a situation has gone pear-shaped.

         This has only really screwed me over. There are other people in my family who suffer from this condition much more than I do. This makes me look good, so thanks family! My boyfriend has been an excellent sport about this over the years. A typical conversation will go something like "Sweetie, I have to go put the clothes in the dryer, be back in ten." A soft sigh follows. "Okay then." Twenty-five minutes later. You get the picture. The very mangled picture.

         How to fix this? Never allow me to plan any type of vacation for you. You need a details (except time estimation) kind of girl, give me a ring. You need oddball humor, look no further. You need someone to give you a minute-to-minute breakdown of how the day is going to go, call someone else. Mr. Rogers is a good candidate. Or someone with a working watch.

The Side-Note.

         I had one of those nights last night. And kind of today as well. Forgive any mistakes. I'm not really here.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge" 
The Prompt: Here’s a mistake I would love to have a do-over for.
The Music: "Don't Let No One Get You Down" - War

The Mistake.

         I'm having difficultly narrowing down a mistake. There are dozens that come to mind; all of which are as painful as the first. The very first mistake my tattered grey matter can think of. Yet that mistake is untouchable as it was the mistake of a small child. It would be like picking on a kindergartener because they're just so small and are less likely to hit you. Give them a year or so, then their sadistic need to bring down others will kick in. Kidding. That doesn't really kick in until junior high.

         Here's an incident that was somewhat foolish:

         For a while I was a house-cleaner for my godsister as her house keeper. Jay is an jolly and boisterous and has no sense of clean whatsoever. She would like to leave little piles of weird things for me to clean up while she was at work. My favorite was four-day old soup that had developed a nice layer of mold on time. Yummy.

         Jay has been with the same man for almost fifteen years, A--. He is a nice guy on the wrong side of the law. His boss, who I met once by accident, turned out to be a high-ranking member in the Salvadoran cartel. Anywho, A-- was an extremely clean person but refused to pick up after Jay on principle. More work for me, but that was what I was getting paid for.

         One day, doing their laundry, I came across a semi-automatic at the bottom of the laundry hamper. Being all of twelve, it was a pretty shocking moment. Scared, I put it in the corner and started on their bedroom where I found a 9mm between the night table and the bed. The trend continued throughout the house, ending with a wad of hundreds next to a container of expired milk in the refrigerator. Somehow, I had become an extra in a remake of "Good Fellas".

         The mistake was dealing with it myself and not freaking out. I got lucky that none of shit blew up in my face. Jay and A-- are good people, don't get me wrong, but they are also some the stupidest criminals in the world. My godsister came home while I was cleaning. I still remember the expression on her face while holding the 9mm by my pinkie, asking her what I should with it since I had already made the bed.

         Emotion clouded judgment. I think we can all agree on this.

         I don't know what happened to the hardware after that. Stupidly Amazingly, I went back two weeks later to clean. Except for the usual science experiments on the stove, the apartment was clean of anything that could possibly send me to prison to do a dime. I was lucky enough that Jay and A-- cared enough not to get me in trouble. Or they that I would tell on accident. I like to think the former as it has more of a Hallmark feel to it.

The Do-Over.

         Easy. My prints were all over the place. The moment I saw the first gun, I should have grabbed my crap and headed out the door. CSI 101. End story.

The Reality.

         The do-over, unfortunately, is not a plausible possibility. I do not have the power to go back in time. I do not have the ability to erase that part of my history. Here's the rub: I wouldn't if I could. Sure, I play back that scene with relative frequency in my head much like a movie of past transgressions and movie clips, "Godfather" soundtrack and all. But if I went back and did everything over, I would never learn not to do that stupid thing in the future. You live. You learn. You have a shot of whiskey. You mock terribly horrible movies much I like I did last night. You move on. A little bit of wisdom - fortune cookie style.

This is summer, in California, during the late afternoon played in winter, in Washington, during the dead of night. Enjoy.

"30-Day Blogging Challenge" 
The Prompt: Anything Goes!
The Music: Motown Classics

Stevie Wonder - "As"

A new semester of school is in session. Attending two different schools is definitely a new experience. Going to class takes much more energy than I remember. It really hasn't been that long since I've actually had to go, sit and listen. But I feel like it has been years, and I am truly out of shape. My schedule kind of went pear-shaped over the last couple of days. Instead of attending school four days a week, I'll be going every day. Not that much of change. Except I notice that I'm one of the eldest students in my classes. Makes me feel old, which is absolutely ridiculous, right? Right. Can I borrow someone's cane?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NDholT0NdU&feature=fvst
Edwin Starr - "25 Miles"

Maybe because of the holidays, or the added workload, or something in the water, but I've kind of lost my appetite. I was reprimanded the other night by my loved ones because I hadn't eaten dinner. Or lunch. Half of a tuna fish sandwich was forced down my throat. Ah, love. Today was the same deal. Made so watery mac and cheese from the box. Couldn't really taste it, but it got the job done. This would be worrisome if I cared. Honestly, I really don't. And I have enough padding on zee bod to not have to worry about starving. Apathy = Problem Solved.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE2fnYpwrng
Martha & the Vandellas - "Heatwave"

Found a hole in my Led Zeppelin t-shirt the other day. That was kind of depressing seeing as it is not even close to being authentic. It was one of those whim buys at the store where you know you need a new shirt, but really don't have the heart to cut through a pack of raving hyenas (Southern California Discount Moms) to pick out a shirt. I went to the dude clothes section, saw the Led Zeppelin logo, "Kashmir" immediately popped into my head, and I bought the damn thing. I'll patch it. It almost has sentimental value.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nA18g_PwG0
Otis Redding - "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"

I've been thinking about my short time in the Bay Area lately. B'ham is close the same experience with less crazy people, less pollution, and less pot. Except there is no shiny Golden Gate Bridge here. There was something about driving across the bridge (Bay, no Golden Gate) with the windows rolled down so your car doesn't drift over the side that I miss. Usually Santana was involved. The Munchkin (my mother) and older brothers would trot out the old stories that wasn't even born for. Yet I know everyone of the people they're talking about. Maybe no in person, but the stories have been recycled so many times it's hard not feel a part of it. Everything happened in San Francisco. My brothers were born there. My parents met there. My grandparents died there. So much attachment to a city barely had a chance to get to know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdpe7TRGt74&feature=related
Diana Ross & the Supremes - "Someday We'll Be Together"

A large box of boxes arrived today. Mostly late birthday and Christmas presents I have to ship out to California some time next week. I've stressed over what to get Z-- for quite some time. He's the baby of the family, and possibly a genius. This puts some pressure on the situation. He does math homework for fun. Taught himself how to play chess in two hours. He was six. One has to step up the gift giving or you fail as an older sibling. My first thought was to ply him with candy, however, besides the amusing factor for me since I don't have to be there when he warp-speeds off the wall, it wasn't memorable. I finally choose brain block puzzles and books. Feed the machine. Not the most exciting thing for an eight-year old, but I'm hoping the benefits outweigh the wow! factor. This could be a massive pipe dream but I've got nothing else. He'll grow from this. Without hating me. Hopefully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tOpwgrqshU
Marvin Gaye - "Inner City Blues"

Last year I did nothing really productive on WDC. Some new campfires. A few reviews here and there. I don't think I wrote one freakin' poem or short story. This is sad. I'm going to try and fix this. 2012 - the year of writing. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't a complete failure. There is research up the galore on my hard drive. Post-its, hand-written notes, pin boards, pictures. I just haven't done anything with it yet. Yet is the operative word. There will be blood. There will be headaches. There will be my head hitting the wall.
But, by God, there will be writing!

Smokey Robinson - "Cruisin'"