JUGGERNAUT, by Adam Baker

Iraq 2005

Seven mercenaries journey deep into the desert in search of Saddam's gold. They form an unlikely crew of battle-scarred privateers, killers and thieves, veterans of a dozen war zones, each of them anxious to make one last score before their luck runs out.

They will soon find themselves marooned among ancient ruins, caught in a desperate battle for their lives, confronted by greed, betrayal, and an army that won't stay dead...

*****

It is a prequel to his debut novel Outpost which I enjoyed thoroughly for its fast-paced action, unique frozen setting, and the interesting cast, especially the unlikely heroine.

To get inside the author's head, check out Dark Outpost. Here's a video interview he did for AndyErupts.com

I want to see this at the movies. With a cold drink & nachos. Give us survival in the frozen wastes!

A trip to the bookstore is in order folks. 




Stay vigilant!

Myopia and the Zombie Apocalypse

I have an admission to make. 

The Zombie Hunter wears contact lenses. 

This is a very frustrating Achilles's Heel to have WTSHTF don't you think? I think it all started when I began gluing myself to the TV watching my heroes Sir David Attenborough, The A Team, and Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

I also devoured a lot of books growing up: Britannica, National Geographic, comics, Time, Popular Mechanics, I read them all.

No regrets.

I've got myopia, in simple terms my eyes are a bit near-sighted. At about 7 yards, faces start to become fuzzy, beyond that, things are soft around the edges. Even further, things look like I'm under water. Most countries will not permit me to drive without corrective lenses.

At home I use eyeglasses (being the domesticated Clark Kent that I am), and wear my monthly disposable contacts when I go out. 

I. The Past

I've always hated wearing glasses. Having myopia also meant that I sucked at billiards, got more pimples, and it defined my identity as being part of the "nerd herd" back in high-school. I could not be a fighter pilot or astronaut, two very important childhood dreams.

I was way more physically fit compared to my fellow geeks. That muscled guy who plays Dungeons & Dragons at lunchtime? That was me. Being part of the school's Competitive Swimming Team does that to you. However we were always picked on by the football and basketball jerks who got all the girls. 

II. The Present

I've been using contact lenses since the late 1990's when they became a lot more comfortable. This has allowed me to join competitive shooting events, and I could see as far as any eagle-eyed hunter. Life has gotten really sweet. 

That is until they get a bit dry after about 10 hours of use w/c requires me to dunk them in lubricant for at least 3 hours.

I'm too scared to get LASIK Surgery. This should make my eyes perfect, assuming the doctor does not screw up on me. (Murphy's Law + laser + eyeball = chicken)

Is it safe?

Maybe when the technology is as commonplace as a routine tooth extraction...

III. The Future

When the world plunges into the dark years of the zombie plague, I will be forced to don my eyeglasses once again. I've purchased a few rugged pairs that could withstand some abuse such as falls, scratches, or sitting on them accidentally. I think I need to hoard more of them too. 

There would be nothing worse than losing your last pair in a life & death struggle against an army of walkers.

I will also need to search for fresh contacts & lubricant if I ever brave a zombie-infested mall. The shelf life on them go for about 6 years. If the zombie apocalypse lasts longer than that, I guess I'll have to resign myself to being the best four-eyed zombie hunter I could be.

We sure take a lot of things for granted. Are you prepared to live without running water, electricity, convenient medicine, and perfect eyesight? 

Hey, this is serious.

• According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 32 million adults have myopia. 
• Around 150 million people use corrective eye-wear. 
• More than 38 million Americans use contact lenses.
• I'm also worried about studies showing nearly 1 in 10 kids having nearsightedness.

Stay vigilant!

Run For Your Lives 2012

The VIRUS is spreading!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES is now happening in 11 locations across America. 2011 was a huge success and this year promises even bigger thrills. You know its gaining momentum when the big news networks are talking.


There's a lot of videos on YouTube from participating runners, and its really cool that most of them were taken from the 1st person perspective. I really need to get one of those sunglasses with built-in video recorders.


Stamina and speed are important, but you really need to think on your feet to make it through the day.

All kinds of deadly challenges await the participants. From blood pits, an infested barn, dark tunnels, mud traps, deadly choke points, and things to climb over, this event will test the mettle of seasoned survivalists.

Don't wanna run? Wanna eat brains? Volunteer as a zombie! This totally rocks if you got creative make-up and latex skills.

Check out this volunteer's journal at The OMB's Lawn to find out what a cool dude and a lovely zombie named Deb endured to make the event extra special. Without the enthusiasm of awesome people like them, the whole event would suck.

This race is also a great opportunity to introduce non-survivalist types get into our vibe and spread zombie preparedness. If you ask me, I like this sorta thing way more than a zombie walk because nothing beats a runner's high!

Stay vigilant!

The Zombie Marketing Craze

Fancy stuff will not win the zombie war. 

Here's my stand on the zombie-themed items that have been making noise in recent months. I've been following these products for some time and all of them have left me pulling out my hair in disbelief.

Ruger LCP Zombie-Slayer edition

This .380 caliber pocket pistol is quite popular with folks who carry concealed firearms, either as a primary defense weapon, or as a backup gun. Thing is, Ruger is charging us an extra $50+ or so to get a limited-edition that has the words "zombie slayer" painted on its slide. Dude! I'd rather buy the regular version and use the savings for extra ammo. 

Paint don't kill zombies. Bullets kill zombies. Sheesh.

And speaking of which...

Hornady Zombie Max ammo

I do not endorse the purchase of namby-pamby specialty ammo to take on the zombie threat. Hornady claims that these are proven zombie killers. Don't believe the hype. Save your money and get plain old Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) or Jacketed Hollow-Point (JHP) ammunition. 

If you buy cheaper ammo, you'll have more ammo. Just don't forget to buy quality stuff.

Taurus Zombie Responder

This is one big bark of a gun. 

A heavy, slow-firing weapon with limited ammo capacity does not make an ideal zombie-killing weapon. I heard this will be chambered in .454 Casull, .45 Colt and .410 shotshells in both 2.5” and 3”. For those not in the know, those are monstrously large bullets. Not to mention expensive.

And when you see that green paint on anything, be sure that it will cost you an extra $50+ at the least compared to the standard models.

What is ideal?

1. Affordability AND reliability. Both of these characteristics must exist in any zombie-slaying weapon. There are oodles of choices for these.

2. The ammunition used must be commonplace. Caliber is not so important. Anything bigger than a .45 won't give you as much "bang for the buck". 

Even the humble .22LR can punch through a zombie skull. Don't believe me? Check  this out.

Stay Vigilant!