when the end comes !

[Thaurismunths]

Maybe if your icon photo didn't look like River? ; )

[J.R. Blackwell]

Maybe if your icon photo didn't look like River? ; )

My icon looks like River? Thats a picture of me I took about two weeks ago.

Really, looks like River? Hm.

[JaredAxelrod]

Actually, now that he mentions it, I totally see it.



And here I thought you just reminded me of Gina Torres.

[Thaurismunths]

The distinction is clearer in the large format of the photo, though there is still a similarity.
I think it’s how the light highlights your lips and forehead.

[Russell Nash]

Nice!
(you know she'll get heavy after a while, right?)

I was there.  J.R. is quite capable of carrying herself.  >8->

Why does everyone think I'm a man?

Do I need to put more ribbons in my hair? Because goddamnit, if that's what I have to do, I'll do it. (No I won't)
:-)

It's the whole initial thing. It's a whole stereotype thing. Women don't normally use initials.

J.K.Rowling used her initials, because the publisher didn't think young boys would by a book written by a woman.

[SFEley]

It's the whole initial thing. It's a whole stereotype thing. Women don't normally use initials.

?!

C.J. Cherryh, C.L. Moore, P.D. James, E. Nesbit, L.M. Montgomery, A.S. Byatt, S.E. Hinton, M. Rickert, M.K. Hobson...

In modern times I'd say it's at least as common for women authors to use initials as men, although frequently for different reasons. 

[Russell Nash]

It's the whole initial thing. It's a whole stereotype thing. Women don't normally use initials.

?!

C.J. Cherryh, C.L. Moore, P.D. James, E. Nesbit, L.M. Montgomery, A.S. Byatt, S.E. Hinton, M. Rickert, M.K. Hobson...

In modern times I'd say it's at least as common for women authors to use initials as men, although frequently for different reasons. 

Writing may be one of the fields where it's close, although I bet we can probably come up with more men than women. But most of these women are generally assumed by the lay public to be men at first.

In my personal life, for example, I have never been introduced to a woman who used her initials, but I'd say 1-3% of the men I meet go by their initials (25% of the Texans). This is only true, in my experience, in the states. I've never met a non-American who went by their initials.

[ClintMemo]

Nice!
(you know she'll get heavy after a while, right?)

I was there.  J.R. is quite capable of carrying herself.  >8->

Why does everyone think I'm a man?

Do I need to put more ribbons in my hair? Because goddamnit, if that's what I have to do, I'll do it. (No I won't)
:-)

Let me pay the part of the old pig here...
When I first noticed your name, I assumed it was a pen name, not your real name.  To me, "J. R.  Blackwell" sounds not only like a guy's name, but a tough guy's name.
"Who's that tall stranger that shot up all them bandits?"
"That there's the new marshal, J.R. Blackwell."

Also, with the little portrait on the side, enough detail is lost (to my old eyes, anyway) that the gender of the person in the picture is not clear.  Now, the big version of the picture you posted - obviously, that's a woman.

btw, that is a really cool picture.

[SFEley]

Writing may be one of the fields where it's close,

Writing is the context here.

although I bet we can probably come up with more men than women.

In the last fifty years?  You're on.  I'll drop E. Nesbit and L.M. Montgomery from the list because they were early twentieth century writers, when everybody was using initials; the rest of them are relatively contemporary. 

That's seven women.  Now you name eight men.  Anyone else can join on either side.  >8->

But most of these women are generally assumed by the lay public to be men at first.

And intentional gender ambiguity is one reason why women use initials in writing.  Sure.  The statement I disagree with is that "women don't normally use initials."  In the context appropriate to this discussion and this community, i.e. literature, we both seem to agree that they do it  at least nearly as often as men.  Is that correct?

[Thaurismunths]

Ok, in reality, it's because you didn't say "I'm a woman" in any of the posts I’ve noticed, and because you said you were a photographer. You have a studio portrait of an attractive woman for your icon, so I figured you were just showcasing some of your art (which you were) not posting a photo of yourself (which it was).
Straight up sexism. : )

[Bdoomed]

maybe its because ive associated her voice with the name ever since the first episode of Voices of Tomorrow, but i dont think J.R. Blackwell as a man's name... (tho that skit with the sheriff was funny)...

either way it seems like "the end has come" for this topic...

[Russell Nash]

Writing may be one of the fields where it's close,

Writing is the context here.

No, Screennames is the context here.

although I bet we can probably come up with more men than women.

In the last fifty years?  You're on.  I'll drop E. Nesbit and L.M. Montgomery from the list because they were early twentieth century writers, when everybody was using initials; the rest of them are relatively contemporary. 

That's seven women.  Now you name eight men.  Anyone else can join on either side.  >8->

But most of these women are generally assumed by the lay public to be men at first.

And intentional gender ambiguity is one reason why women use initials in writing.  Sure.

Also I said normally. I NEVER SAID ALL!!! If you come up with seven names out of thousands and admit they were after sexual ambiguity, you have proved my point.

As far as the avatar goes, I noticed it to be a very attractive woman, but since J.R. had previously said she takes pictures of attractive men and women, I thought it was just one of her shots and not a self-portrait.

[Thaurismunths]

either way it seems like "the end has come" for this topic...

Yes. Right. Zombies.

Assuming that all official communication channels are down (TV & radio stations, cell phones, news papers, the internet, etc), how will you contact the others in your group?
How about when the power grid goes down?

[oddpod]

how long will it take for things to stop working?
if all the telecommunication workers walked away from there posts how long till the phones stop working?
will abandoned power stations keep chugging away for a few days , go dead or blow up if unattended?

what about gps navigation, the satellites Will be fine i assume but as there a ground based link in the Chane?

all so , how long dose tined food actual last? i assume the expiry date on tined foods is ower dead line for having self sufficient farming up and running

[Thaurismunths]

how long will it take for things to stop working?
if all the telecommunication workers walked away from there posts how long till the phones stop working?
will abandoned power stations keep chugging away for a few days , go dead or blow up if unattended?

what about gps navigation, the satellites Will be fine i assume but as there a ground based link in the Chane?

all so , how long dose tined food actual last? i assume the expiry date on tined foods is ower dead line for having self sufficient farming up and running

I don't have any numbers on these, and have always wondered about them myself.
I suspect the phones will keep working as long as the power does, but EVERYONE will be tying them up, so the odds of getting a call thru would be pretty bad, but not impossible. I think voice mail will be where it's at.
I think satellites will work as long as the phones do, and I think that the power grid will stay up for maybe a month if unattended. But I have no experience in any of those fields.

[Russell Nash]

how long will it take for things to stop working?
if all the telecommunication workers walked away from there posts how long till the phones stop working?
will abandoned power stations keep chugging away for a few days , go dead or blow up if unattended?

what about gps navigation, the satellites Will be fine i assume but as there a ground based link in the Chane?

all so , how long dose tined food actual last? i assume the expiry date on tined foods is ower dead line for having self sufficient farming up and running

I don't have any numbers on these, and have always wondered about them myself.
I suspect the phones will keep working as long as the power does, but EVERYONE will be tying them up, so the odds of getting a call thru would be pretty bad, but not impossible. I think voice mail will be where it's at.
I think satellites will work as long as the phones do, and I think that the power grid will stay up for maybe a month if unattended. But I have no experience in any of those fields.

I believe the satelites are pretty self-sufficient and as far as I know require no real ground element. I think power for the handheld units will be a problem far sooner.

Dole ( or one of the other big fruit canners) opened up some 30 year old cans of fruit and tested them in the early 90's. They said it was the same as if the fruit had only been canned for a year.

[Startrekwiki]

Actually, satalites need some attending to, although how much depends on how low their orbits are.

They need people to start their rockets just a bit in certain directions, to keep the satalites from falling.

[wakela]

It depends on your ZCS*, but it may not be that bad. If we are going with Venusian Radiation from Night of the Living Dead, then I don't see too many zombies.   Most of the EDs** are boxed up.  The NDs*** would take their toll at first, but once Ls**** figured out what was going on, I think they could be dispatched pretty easily.  Great movie, but not particulary realistic.

If you are talking about a 28 Days Later (technically not zombies) situation, then you would have a problem because they are so much faster and more aggressive.  It this case you would have a hard time defending yourself with just a bat.  You need to get holed up somewhere and fast.

Either way, a boat is key.  Many marinas have boats anchored to fixed positions out in the water.  Be the first at the marina.  You could swim to a boat, and with any luck the owner (whom you might have to kill) would have some supplies because he would use the boat for trips.   Get a sail boat and you have unlimited travel to find a ZFI*****.  I think with enough time you could learn to sail.  I'm trying to remember if the zombies swam in Land of the Dead.  But you could rig a boat to make it impossible to climb into without a ladder. 

*Zombie Creation Scenario
**Existing Dead
***Newly Dead
****Living
*****Zombie Free Island

[Russell Nash]

Actually, satalites need some attending to, although how much depends on how low their orbits are.

They need people to start their rockets just a bit in certain directions, to keep the satalites from falling.

Sorry for not being specific. I was only referring to the GPS satelites. They are in Geostationary orbit (about 35,000 km). Satelites that high rarely need to be nudged back into place. By the time that was a problem I think we'd be out of batteries for the GPS handhelds.

[ClintMemo]

Actually, satalites need some attending to, although how much depends on how low their orbits are.

They need people to start their rockets just a bit in certain directions, to keep the satalites from falling.

Sorry for not being specific. I was only referring to the GPS satelites. They are in Geostationary orbit (about 35,000 km). Satelites that high rarely need to be nudged back into place. By the time that was a problem I think we'd be out of batteries for the GPS handhelds.

Somewhere I saw a solar powered battery charger. IIRC, It charged a pair of AA's in about 8 hours.  I plan on getting a few of those. I already have about a dozen rechargeable AA's - and 4 wind up lights.

[Russell Nash]

Actually, satalites need some attending to, although how much depends on how low their orbits are.

They need people to start their rockets just a bit in certain directions, to keep the satalites from falling.

Sorry for not being specific. I was only referring to the GPS satelites. They are in Geostationary orbit (about 35,000 km). Satelites that high rarely need to be nudged back into place. By the time that was a problem I think we'd be out of batteries for the GPS handhelds.

Somewhere I saw a solar powered battery charger. IIRC, It charged a pair of AA's in about 8 hours.  I plan on getting a few of those. I already have about a dozen rechargeable AA's - and 4 wind up lights.

If it charges NiMH batteries, PM me a link when you find it.

[Thaurismunths]

So, where do you think they will come from?
Asia? The sewers? The government?

[Russell Nash]

So, where do you think they will come from?
Asia? The sewers? The government?

Definately, from a lab researching intelligent design.

[SFEley]

Definately, from a lab researching intelligent design.

Ha!

Of course, if intelligent design could be "researched" it wouldn't be such a problem for the scientific community.  (Hmmm, there may be a story idea in that...)

[Thaurismunths]

So, where do you think they will come from?
Asia? The sewers? The government?

Definately, from a lab researching intelligent design.

The over worked lab tech will have used the Kansas equivalent of Pi to vary the DNA refractor's stabilization field, creating an irrational mutation in the Darwinian calculations, but he'll have been too distracted by American Idol 64 to notice in time.