As I am writing this on Halloween night, I pause because the animals are acting strangely. I hear faint scratches on the front door then pounding. The door is shaking and about to give in to whoever or whatever is outside. Too afraid to get up from the computer, I peer out the window and…. ZOMBIES! All over my front lawn! What to do, what to do? I nervously wring my hands and pace the floor until I remember: the federal government has already figured this one out for me! I turn to my handy-dandy zombie handbook and relax. I am already prepared. Now all I have to do is head to the basement, barricade myself in and wait on those guys from the CDC to figure this whole mess out so I can go back to my writing (yes this is fiction – who ever heard of the government figuring something out? LOL).
Seriously, the CDC issued a Zombie preparedness document on their blog website. See: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp
It is full of interesting tidbits on how to prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse. I was at first incredulous that the federal government, in a time of down-sizing and cut-backs, would waste money on making handbooks, getting a comic book written and publicizing about a possible Zombie apocalypse. But then I thought about it. This was a very smart marketing ploy to get people to be prepared in the case of an emergency, such as a hurricane or tornado. Actually it’s also kind of cute. The comic book is well done and would speak to a lot of people who would not read about emergency preparedness in any other circumstance. After all, you have to be prepared for a zombie emergency, wouldn’t you? See: http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/documents/11_225700_A_Zombie_Final.pdf This comic takes a while to download but it's fun and worth the wait.
Last April, Alabama was hit hard by a tornado outbreak that lasted all day long. Thousands were without power and basic essentials. Creating a handbook, which in reality speaks to emergency preparedness, like this is a very clever idea. Maybe more people will read this and then have the essentials in-stock if we, God forbid, ever have to live through another disaster.
Now that I am prepared, I just worry that if we were to suffer through a zombie outbreak how would I be able to identify them? We have a lot of locals around here who might be iffy…
So are you prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse? Did you have your emergency preparedness kit ready on Halloween night? Did you see any zombies? I am sure there is a link on the CDC blog to report one if you did.
That is really funny, Cheryl! I am tempted to go check out that comic book.
ReplyDeleteI'm not one to take things too seriously, like the threat of a nuclear disaster, so I think this is hilarious. :-)
"We have a lot of locals around here who might be iffy…"
ReplyDeleteHahahaha!!!
I totally agree! Though if anybody's following "The Walking Dead," it's always obvious who the zombies are. I gotta wonder, though; they don't start out looking like the Park Zombie from TWD's premiere...
:)
I think it is great that they are willing to use humor to appeal to people who might otherwise not see the information.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that with us!
I thought it was funny too, Melanie. The comic book is really funny and interesting.
ReplyDeleteElla, yeah, I have to do a double-take sometimes when I see a suspicious-looking person. Have to worry if the next words out of his/her mouth is "Brains!" LOL i watch the Walking Dead except the parts where the animals are hurt. That horse scene scarred me for life.
You are right Stephanie, it is definitely a good idea. Humor does work when nothing else will.
I saw several zombies Halloween night and I was prepared--with Baby Ruths, Butterfingers, and Nestles Crunch.
ReplyDeleteWhat Jean? No Brains? If you saw that many you should already be contacting the CDC. LOL
ReplyDelete"Give it to the Zombie, he'll eat anything."
ReplyDeleteZombie watchers take this stuff seriously. But seriously, this post is a hoot, Cheryl!