The Basics Of Zombie Survival Part 2

 Before we get started let's have a quick recap, last week you learned how to spot the zombie apocalypse, what supplies you should pack and the team that you should assemble. So you have a team now you need to figure out what exactly you're going to do.

Step 4 Making A Plan
  There are many different approaches you can take to try to survive the zombie apocalypse. Here are a few options in order of decreasing likelihood of survival.
1. Wait It Out: Find a safe place and wait for someone else to handle the problem. Hope for a cure or for zombie eradication. For safe house options see Step 5.
2. Keep Traveling In Search Of Society: Chances are your zombie situation may just be a local annoyance. Travel far and wide in search of a zombie less civilization.
3. Find A Cure: Why wait for someone else to solve the problem, find a laboratory somewhere, fortify the building and start researching. Have some friends wrangle you up some zombies as test subjects. It's okay they're restrained so it's safe.
4. Eradicate The Problem: Sure you should probably wait for trained soldiers but you have the motive and the equipment so what the heck let's kill some zombies. Remember to stock up on those guns before you head out there.
5. Make A Peace Treaty: Have you ever actually tried to talk to a zombie, who knows they may be kind-hearted people with an odd taste for brains. Well probably not but there is a possibility you can barter with them. Explain to them that they won't get shot if they only eat the humans given to them. Feed the criminals to the zombies and now you have more space in your jails and happy zombies that don't try to eat everyone. Personally I wouldn't want even criminals being eaten but that could just be me.

Step 5 Where To Stay
 There are several different places you can stay but not all of them are a good idea. Here are the top 10 places you should consider including a couple places that you should not stay.
1. Jail: This is my mom's first pick for a safe house and it's by far the best place to stay. Jails are not only made to keep people in but also to keep people out. Jails can be found outside of largely populated areas making the zombie count lower. Jails are packed with supplies such as food and ammunition. In case of invasion you could have bags of guns with ammunition in various cells throughout the jail so if zombies somehow breach the perimeter everyone can fall back, lock themselves in a cell, and get to shooting. The only downside I can find to this hideout is clearing it out. If the infection made it into the jail then the jail will have a high concentration of trapped zombies. Enter with caution.
2. Farmhouse: This was my original choice for a safe house but the errors in this decision were recently explained to me. The perks of a farm is that you can grow your own food, like a jail there will most likely be guns and ammunition and it's off the beaten track meaning less threat of zombie attacks. Now the downside is that farmhouses are not meant to withstand an attack. You are out in the open and will be forced to fight every time a zombie appears. If you plan on laying low and hiding this may not be the ideal place.
3. High Rise Apartment Complex: If you live in an apartment you are probably thinking about staying in the comfort of your own home. The height does give you an advantage over the zombies but being in a city central can cause problems. As far as I know zombies can't climb but I'm fairly certain they can go up stairs.
4. Mall: A mall has tons of supplies and weapons that you can use but again it will probably be in a densely populated area which is not where you want to be. A mall may not be that easy to fortify because there are a number of entrances that you will need to pay attention to as well as windows and skylights that you will have to protect. There are just too many places for the zombies to enter to consider it safe.
5. Bar/ Pub: The movie Shawn Of The Dead shows the perks and draw backs of this place pretty well but for those of you who haven't watched the movie I'll summarize what the movie shows. First off let's talk about the negatives. Once again it's in a populated area, there are usually windows the zombies can break through and there is not much to eat other than nibbles. The positives are that it has big heavy doors, it's familiar and you can get drunk and forget about the current situation.
6. Top Of A Building: This is fine and dandy as long as you have a way to get back down again to gather supplies. If zombies can't climb and you can get up and down without stairs this could be an ideal spot although personally I'd opt out. Day and night you would hear the moans of zombies surrounding you and with that I doubt even the most courageous and sleepy could get a good night's sleep.
7. Hospital: A place where the sick and occasionally the dead are kept. Sounds like a great place to hide out for a zombie plague. Did you catch the sarcasm? Anyone infected in the early stages of this plague probably went to a hospital to get diagnosed, now all those people are ready to eat your face off as soon as you enter the building. Sure the place has food and first aid kits galore but the zombie concentration is not worth the attempt to use it as a hide out.
8. Rich Person's Mansion: If your number one agenda is to have fun rather than survive than breaking into some rich persons place is a great plan for you. Enjoy the lavish experience while it lasts but remember those regular wooden doors won't hold back the hordes forever.
9. Cemetery: You only need three words to describe this place, Worst Place Ever! The only reason I wrote this one in was to give you a perfect example of what not to do. If the dead are coming back to life the last place you want to be is somewhere with a high concentration of dead people.
10. Phone box: If it's not a T.A.R.D.I.S in disguise just avoid it.

Step 6 Rebuilding Society
For whatever reason the zombie problem has dissipated but now you are faced with the new dilemma of rebuilding your society to the glamor it once was. Personally if the soil was fertile I would start a new life as a farmer and just separate myself from society but it is probably a good plan to help society get back to normal. 
First off you are going to need to decide what your priorities are through a vote. If I had my way my first priority would be to get a hospital running as there will be many survivors who aren't zombies but in need of serious medical care. My next priority would be on making farms and then finally reopening schools. Once people start learning essential skills you will have people back to their jobs and eventually back to their regular lives. 

Alternate Step 6 Your New Life As A Zombie
There is a chance that somewhere along your journey you failed and got eaten but it's not all bad there are some good things about being a zombie. Life as a zombie may get you down but here are ten things to look forward to in your new life as a zombie.
1. You can finally bite all of those people who said bite me.
2. Being a zombie is the best way to get revenge. You don't have morals anymore take this opportunity to attack all those people who have wronged you in the past.
3. No more nasty fruitcake and other unsavory baked goods, you're on a brain diet now.
4. You don't have to worry about your appearance or trying to get out those nasty blood stains because your fellow zombies won't judge you.
5. No more traffic jams. Zombies don't drive cars.
6. If you forget to change your clock at daylight savings time you won't be late for anything.
7. You won't have annoying close talkers around you because people keep their distance from zombies.
8. For the younger readers there are no bedtimes.
9. You can eat your money if you want because the new currency is brains not paper.
10. And best of all you don't have to feel guilty when you forget to write a blog post for a couple of months.

Business

Hey there readers. There will not be another post until next month and I am taking requests. Readers now is the time to have your say, simply leave a comment, anonymous or otherwise, on any post and I will choose one to write about. 

Comic-Con Costumes
Hey readers here's some of the best costumes from my first trip to comic-con. On Saturday I dressed up as an evil fairy and on Sunday I was the fourth doctor but the costumes I saw there were far more creative and intricate than pretty much any costume I've ever owned. The coolest costume I saw was one girl that made a dress to make her look like a T.A.R.D.I.S. There was also a pretty cool dalek dress and there was a man dressed up as a big daddy from BioShock with his little girl dressed as a little sister. There were a couple people dressed up as Shawn from Shawn of the Dead, While there are many people who go all out with their costumes there are still people who decide to opt out. One person I went with wore a blue shirt and told me he was the sky lucky for him he's awesome so he can get away with it. Overall the costumes at comic-con are absolutely amazing.