Although Bird Flu panics have come and gone since the late 90s, we have always had diligent scientists on the side of humanity, safe guarding us from these outbreaks. But since all has been quiet on the western front for a few years now, it appears as if several of these eggheads have grown bored enough to cook up a super contagious mutation of the virus.

They are now debating if they should release the recipe for such a vile concoction, which they guest-imate could kill half of humanity, to the world. Because that seems like a great idea.

A genetic study showed that the new, dangerous strain had only five mutations compared to the original one, and all of them were earlier seen in the natural environment – just not all at once. Fouchier’s strain is as contagious as the human seasonal flu, which kills tens of thousands of people each year, but is likely to cause many more fatalities if released.

“I can’t think of another pathogenic organism that is as scary as this one,” Paul Keim, a microbial geneticist who has worked on anthrax for many years, told Science Insider. “I don’t think anthrax is scary at all compared to this.”

Some argue that the release of the data would allow for humanity to better prepare for a pandemic of this kind of deadly strain.

[RT]

The above picture is one of the following two items:

A) Proof that an alien landed in Peru and died in a cave. The elongated shape of the skull proves it is not of this earth. Besides it looks like the Crystal Skulls in that Indiana Jones move you’d successfully forgotten about before I reminded you.

B) Evidence of a tribal custom of skull elongation. Infants of a certain social standing would have their heads wrapped tightly in a cloth for up to sixth month, creating a sharp conical point.

Baby skull reshaping? Alien evidence? YOU DECIDE!

[Daily Mail]

Our favorite crazy Swiss aeronaut, Yves Rossy, was at it again. This time flying in formation with two jets. How much more bad ass does it get?

Sources tell us that shortly after he landed, Nick Fury arrived on the scene to recruit him for some special initiative.

A Tale of Scientific Adventure…

It’s 1890 and the citizens of Boston are beginning to go missing in the fog.

The police are confounded. The public is frightened. The city is on the edge of hysteria.

It’s up to the mysterious Smith, inventor and adventurer, to figure out what’s going on with the help of his assistant, April Malone. They’ll have to face off against a secret society, corrupt policemen and a mad psychologist hell-bent on dissecting Smith, in order to solve the mystery of what’s going on and to save the city from an even more sinister threat.

A fast-paced 45,000 word tale of science adventure, this novella is the first story about Smith, a curious man combining elements of Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark.

You can have it for only 99¢ on the Amazon Kindle store.

[Chronological Man]

Finally.

This is the show I fell in love with. These are the conflicts caused by the world rotting from the inside out. These are the decisions made by compelling characters with conflicting points of view. This is the genre violence that sets The Walking Dead apart from anything else on television.

If for one moment before a horrific mid-season break, The Walking Dead cashed in on the promise of the first season.

It’s good to be home. Read all about it AFTER THE JUMP… Read the rest of this entry »

I took my six-year-old little brother to see The Muppets. He was excited. Not because he’s ever seen an episode of the original series, or any of the previous feature films or even the Muppet Babies cartoon, which remains memorable to those of us born in the early 80’s.

He was excited because there were furry creatures being silly during commercial breaks of Phineas & Ferb. They might as well have been a new franchise.

He loved it. I loved it.

And despite the disparity in our awareness of the brand we loved it for the same reason: the Muppets are amazing.

Several times, the film jabs at the perception of the Muppets as out dated or culturally irrelevant and writers Jason Siegel and Nicholas Stoller work feverishly to disprove the theory with any weapon they can. In fact, the plot strains at times by a Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back-esqe references to previous works. “Haven’t you seen our first movie?” responds Kermit when asked how he intends to get his band back together.

More successfully, Siegel and Stoller nail the smart without sarcasm, cute short of cloying innocent tone that makes this such a magnificent and, yes, relevant franchise.

The real muscle of the movie is in the songs. Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie is credited with the best of them. Some bare the wordplay or stylistic hallmarks of his previous work (“Me Party” and “Let’s Talk About Me”) the big production number (“Life’s A Happy Song”) and power ballad (“Man Or A Muppet”) are true triumphs accenting broad emotion with note-perfect Muppetational silliness.

He did not write the Kermit-voiced “Pictures In My Head” which I inexplicably cried during. Because I am, in fact, a Muppet of a man.

The Muppets are relevant based on the content of their unique and versatile tone. They are relevant because Siegel and Stoller and the cast and crew (including a revolving door of cameos) identify with the vision set forth by Jim Hensen and now under watchful eye of Disney.

The Muppets are relevant because we love them.

You only have a few more days, but fans of the koopa shell flinging road derby franchise Mario Kart can see life size constructions of some of the vehicles on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

You only have until the end of this weekend, so you better hurray.

[IGN]

Chinese television news features a man who claims to move objects and shatter glass using only the power of Qi.

Today all over the United States people have been standing in line for hours in hopes of getting that one great deal on their special someone’s Christmas gift! Unless of course you’re me then you prefer to stay home in your pajamas, eating leftovers and sleeping off the tryptophan hangover you occurred the day before.

And because of that I love Cyber Monday!  And to make it even easier I’ve put together a list of some more of my favorite books I’ve reviewed in the last few months.  Hopefully you’ll be able to find just the right book for that avid reader on your list!

As much as I love to read, sometimes I just don’t have time to read a full-length novel.  That is where a well-written short story comes in handy.  Scott Burgess’ The Plague: Dead Solstice fits the bill very nicely!

The Plague has a good, solid story line and is filled with inspired writing, which made for a fun read. I enjoyed Burgess’ use of dry humor and intriguing character development. It was not as much a predicable read as many zombie books could be and I literally laughed out loud at Burgess’ humor and attention to the characters’ details. He definitely kept my attention throughout the story.

And for those readers who appreciate a good romance I highly recommend the next two books.

Modern Witch is a cute and very entertaining book, easily read in an afternoon. It kept my interest from start to finish with its refreshing concept. It’s an airy contemporary fantasy with plenty of laugh-out-loud humor, a little romance, and characters you won’t want to leave.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the author, but she certainly won me over. I was drawn in by her words and almost put sound to the voices. If you’re looking for something lighthearted that will make you smile, this book is it!

Addison Moore crafts a tale of girly goodness in Ethereal.  If you enjoyed the Twilight series, the Vampire Diaries or just enjoy a good paranormal love story then you will most certainly like Ethereal.

I really enjoyed reading Ethereal.  It was a different take on the angel genre, that also had a strong, non whiney female lead that wasn’t content with just sitting around and waiting for whatever fate has in store for her.

Do you have an evil genius on your Christmas list?  Well How to Succeed in Evil would be the perfect gift for him or her!

Patrick E. McLean’s story, How to Succeed in Evil reads like a how-to guide on achieving evil through any means.  Edwin is frustrated with the lack of good super villains as clients, and has had to settle for D list villains whom he finds incredibly frustrating and haven’t helped with the bottom line of his business.

McLean’s story is full of bigger then life characters, both literally and figuratively.  Wait until you meet Topper!  They just jump off the page at you while you read about their inner most desires, needs for revenge and plans for ruling all of mankind.

I absolutely loved Torment: A Novel of Dark Terror by Jeremy Bishop! Torment was a fast read, a little heavy, but still very enjoyable!  I found myself wrapped up in the story from the very first chapter.   I was convinced that this was going to be a story about an alien invasion, but was pleasantly surprised to watch as it turned into a tale of human survival in a post apocalyptic world.

Torment is a social science fiction novel; meaning it is concerned less with technology and space opera type themes and deals more with sociological speculation about human society and beliefs.  The religious undercurrent helps flesh out the characters and allows you to see their differing opinions of god, and what life really means.

Hopefully this list will keep you in bed at 4 am instead of out in the cold with the rest of the crazies and make you the best Santa in the whole universe!

A recent collection of Yeti researchers in Siberia might have turned up evidence of a nest.

“We didn’t feel like the trees we saw in Siberia had been done by a man or another mammal…. Twisted trees like this have also been observed in North America and they could fit with the theory that Bigfoot makes nests. The nests we have looked at are built around trees twisted together into an arch shape,” Bindernagel told the British tabloid The Sun.

Next up: proof of Yeti pillow or electric blanket.

[Live Science]

The crew of a human vessel under attack by robots that take human form deal with the stress. Specifically Colin.

Performed by the hilarious Mitchell and Webb.

Monsters are monstrous. That’s the point of them.

Their inhumanity is defined by how little of ourselves we see in them. For example despite his Gallifreyan origin, The Doctor is chock full of human quirks. He’s prideful, arrogant, caring, has an accent (after all, lots of places have a North) and many times a liar. All elements that we recognize as human. All elements that make as love and trust The Doctor.

But his greatest enemy, The Dalek has a sliding scale of humanity. Sometimes they are fixated terrors determined to wipe out any and everything in front of them. But sometimes they are just a lost alien race, a pitiable hoard of lost barbarians long separated from their tribe. Often time, the latter is accomplished by having our tin can cretins talk more. Which is a mistake.

The Daleks suck the more they talk. I will prove it now!

Unreasonable

Many of the worst cop out endings for Doctor plots involve the one piece of information revealed when all is lost that totally changes the power dynamic. Great plot resolutions come from action and action is a necessity when your obstacle will only reply “EXTERMINATE!!!” to any pleadings.

It also reinforces the superior race element to the Dalek personality. They believe they are the most advanced race in the galaxy. Why would they engage in dialogue to pond scum like humans?

Iconic

They look like pimply tin cans, the roll as fast as Will Smith’s suggested Summertime cruising and look rather harmless.

Which is what makes them awesome.

They are the greatest killing machine known to any species in any time. This is best exemplified in the 2005 Dalek reintroduction entitled Dalek where the Doctor and Rose find a lone Skaro warrior trapped in the basement of an American billionaire. One tortured creature murders dozens and dismantles a man’s empire like a lost child. A slow rolling tower of chaos.

Quite simply, no words are needed.

They Look Stupid Talking To Each Other

When they sit there blinking at each other with their barely differential voices (a la The Daleks In Manhattan) plotting against each other or their enemies it just looks a bit too much like a really boring animatronic exhibition.

Holy crap.

Stuff actually happened on this show. Sure, there were some pretty maddening plot problems and we rehashed a few issues for the millionth time, but at the end of the episode people said important things to each other that might actually move the plot along. You hear that world! We might actually be heading in the right direction with this GD series! Yippee!

And then… there are two bits of news that almost completely ruin your joy. Find out both of those and everything else you need to know about Secrets AFTER THE JUMP… Read the rest of this entry »

Chinese native Chunzhenwang reports from Shanghai

I don’t like horror movies or ghost stories. My imagination pictures those things, especially at night, which freak me out. But the curiosity never stops me from listening to them. I want to figure out the reason behind each story. I feel like if I can find the rational side of these stories, I wouldn’t be scared anymore. Against my better judgement, I find myself seeking out ghost stories but very rarely finding the rationale behind them. So every night, I still fight with my imagination.

When you live in Shanghai, the subway will be your first choice for transportation. It’s not expensive and very convenient. But on Line One, there is a Caobao road station, or by its more popular name, “ghost station.”

According to popular legend, the train will suddenly break down at that station, without driver error. When a maintenance trailer pulls the train out of the station, it works again. Other riders have reported the door not opening when in the haunted stop.

But most alarming is the nine deaths at Caobao, all involving unexplainable circumstances.

A few couple years ago, when the subway in Shanghai did not have shielded gates, a passenger waited for the train. All of a sudden, he plunged down into the tracks after inexplicably losing his balance. Unfortunately for him, his train was on time, ending his life. Witnesses say he didn’t fall off the platform, they saw something dragging him.

Just imagine the poor souls that have to work there.

One day, as usual, the staff needed to clean the trash in the track. One worker while cleaning, heard a woman laugh from the deep and dark side of the track. Since the station was closed, no one was supposed to be there.

Other staff report sometimes seeing a girl in red sitting in one of the chairs. Many believe she is the spirit of a young woman who committed suicide a couple of days before in the Caobao station. In the next few days following her death, many staff saw her sitting there every night.

I haven’t been to the Caobao station myself, mostly because I don’t live near that area. But where do these stories come from?

I think the main reason is the location of Caobao. It’s near a local mortuary, and the station’s ladies restroom is specifically close to the mortuary.

I don’t know these stories of the Caobao station is true or not. But I believe at least the inspiration for them couldn’t be totally invented.

Simone Allyne is the Weird Things eBook reviewer focusing on readily available, affordable Science Fiction and Fantasy. If you have a book you’d like reviewed, please email WeirdThingsMail@Gmail

Blue Earth would not be a typical pick for me when deciding on a new book to review, that being said I really enjoyed reading it!

Jeff Stover paints a detailed and wonderful story in this page-turner of a book. The book takes place in a futuristic setting the story and the characters within making it seem not necessarily plausible, but definitely possible.

I found myself totally swept away by this book starting with the intro. There is an intriguing mystery that runs through the whole story, as well as some interesting and unique characters. I enjoyed Stover’s diversity of personality among the main characters. Blue Earth is fast paced, with tons of action, cool sci-fi ideas and genuine heart.

Embattled doctoral candidate Ruth Long struggles between playing it safe in the conservative world of academia and reaching out to truly discover humanity within a 12-member brotherhood of mutants, called Thrones. Jamal Battle, a former soldier turned bounty hunter, must determine whether he will continue to destroy for the rest of his life, or finally protect creatures with primitive values which are now so foreign.

Stover set a lofty goal for himself when writing Blue Earth – blending science fiction with religion. Not only does he meet this goal, but also he does so with a mix of tact and tenacity that few sci-fi authors are able to reach. The world that Stover creates around the reader is as compelling as it is mysterious, and the juxtaposition between Jamal and Ruth highlights his ability to create a dynamic spectrum of personalities that will keep you hooked from page one.

Blue Earth is science fiction in a philosophical sense – no techno-geek vocabulary. It has good story telling, a provocative story line that will keep you turning pages and asking the question “what is “normal?””

If you’re into science fiction and are a deep thinker, this is definitely a book you want check out – and Jeff Stover is an author you’ll want to keep your eye on.

[Amazon]

Spotted at a Kroger.

[@ITJanitor]