 On the CDC Site, under a heading of "Emergency Preparedness and Response" is a subhead called "Social Media: Peparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse." There's a tongue-in-cheek novella shown there called "Zombie Pandemic" which "demonstrates the importance of being prepared in an entertaining way that people of all ages will enjoy." You can follow along with the adventures of "Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease begins spreading, turning ordinary people into zombies."
The CDC wasn't expecting any Zombie Pandemics to occur when they published the novella, but it's a really neat way to appeal to folks on the importance of being prepared in an emergency.
And that was that ... up until this past week when a series of particularly gruesome events made sensational headlines that seemed to indicate that we were in the midst of a Zombie Apocalypse and no amount of Twinkie weaponry would be sufficient.
Time.com creates a time-line starting with the May 26th episode in Miami during which a man attempted to chew off the face of a homeless man; he was shot dead after growling at police. Reports are that he was high on bath salts. Not a Zombie-fying disease.
Every bit as weird is the report of a New Jersey man who stabbed himself repeatedly, then "threw bits of flesh" (and perhaps entrails) at police when they tried to subdue him. According to NBC New York, as of May 31, he was in critical condition at an area hospital and mental illness or drug abuse was suspected as the cause of the incident.
Another incident from Baltimore in the cannibalistic slaying of his roommate, and the accounts of abear who ate a convicted murder rounded up a series of potential evidence pointing to a Pandemic for sure.
We can all stand down from preparedness on that front,however. The CDC says there is no Apocalypse.
“CDC does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present zombie-like symptoms,” David Daigle, a spokesman for the CDC told The Huffington Post.
He dismissed the possibility of Dr. Steven C. Schlozman's fictional disease Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency as the culprit.
 Hornady Manufacturing has come out with a specialized bullet for zombie killing. Its more of a gimmick than anything else, but they are selling off the shelf. The box looks like a toy or novelty item, but the bullets inside are real, usable, ammunition.
They come with glow-in-the-dark tips, which adds to the fun when shooting zombie targets at the range. The packaging also has instructions about how to properly identify and kill zombies, as well as warnings about the bullets being real. They are available in four different calibers. And remember to aim for the head.
 Some would argue that 2011 was The Year of the Zombie, but 2012 is chock full of undead features to look forward to in movies, television, and video games. Here are a few of the titles we are most excited about.
Movies:
'Juan Of The Dead' is a zombie movie from Cuba that has received high praise at several movie festivals and will be released on the big screen in the United States this year.
'Warm Bodies' is due out in August and could be the Zombie Twilight, featuring a love story between an infected and an un-infected human.
'R.I.P.D.' is the movie version of the comic book series "Rest In Peace Department" about a special force of undead police officers. It is rumored to be in mid to late 2012 or early 2013.
'Resident Evil: Retribution' due in September, continues to follow the battle against the undead and the Umbrella Corporation.
'World War Z' is the much anticipated movie version of the best selling Max Brooks zombie novel about a journalist documenting the apocalypse. It stars Brad Pitt, and a slew of other well-known actors. It's expected in December.
Television:
'The Walking Dead' returns in February on AMC with the second half of season 2 and season 3 is already being planned for the fall.
'Awakening' debuts on the CW network, a new series about rival sisters facing off during a zombie uprising.
'Zombies Vs. Vampires' is NBC's attempt to jump on the zombie-genre bandwagon. It is basically a buddy cop series in a society where zombies and vampires are an accepted part of society. One of the cops is secretly a vampire.
Video Games:
'The Last Of Us' is a new third person zombie survival game coming for the PS3. I guess it was officially released late 2011, but we'll throw it in the mix. The story features a father and daughter trying to survive during an uprising. Lots of shooting and scavenging involved.
'Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City' takes place during the setting of the movies Resident Evil 2 and 3. The citizens of Raccoon City have been infected with a virus turning them into zombies. You take the role of an Umbrella Corporation operative trying to conceal evidence of the bio weapon that caused the virus, and killing any survivors in your way. It will be available for XBox 360 and PS3.
Feel free to add any titles we forgot in the comments below!
 According to ShockTillYouDrop.com, Pennsylvania native Gary Streiner has one year to raise $50 thousand to save a cemetery chapel that was featured in George A. Romero's original 'Night of the Living Dead'.
According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the chapel - built in the '20s - was scheduled for demolition by the Evans City Cemetery Association. You may recall seeing the structure at the beginning of the classic zombie flick.
Streiner and other supporters have created a website for their effort to raise the funds needed to keep the chapel in place. Visit FixtheChapel.com for more details.
 Netflix has just signed a license agreement with cable channel AMC to feature episodes of "The Walking Dead" on their streaming service. Soon you will be able to watch all of season 1 and episodes of season 2 (after they air) on your computer or participating gaming system online.
It is all apart of Netflix's strategy to offer members more content as the company splits into two separate companies, one for DVD's in the mail, and another for in home streaming. The deal also includes streaming of other AMC shows like "Portlandia" and "Bridezillas".
 HuffingtonPost - How did people during the medieval times protect themselves against zombies? They shoved rocks into dead corpses' mouths.
Archaeologists recently uncovered two skeletons dating back to the 700s. Both remains had rocks wedged in their mouths, a custom that was believed to prevent people from coming back from the dead,Chris Read, an archaeologist from the Institute of Technology in Sligo, Ireland, told Discovery News.
The skeletons were dug up as part of a large research excavation near Loch Key in Ireland, which has unearthed more than 120 other remains, CBS reports.
The ritual was not performed on all dead bodies, only to the ones of people considered to be dangerous, such as "enemies, murderers, rapists, ordinary people who died suddenly from a strange illness or murder," according to Discovery News.
 While filming a new movie in the UK, actress Kristen Stewart took part in a promotional even for the new PS3 game Resistance 3. The event included a 'real-life' depiction of the game that involved Stewart being chased by actors dressed as zombies.
Her role was to run from them, but it turns out, the game was a little too real for her, as she was genuinely afraid. She may have experience with vampires and werewolves, but zombies are definitely not her thing. Luckily Theo Hutchcraft, lead singer of the band Hurts, was also involved in the promotion and took Stewart in his arms as he fought off the horde of undead. He was quoted as saying, "She was shitting herself." I guess we won't be seeing any zombies in future Twilight movies.
 Heavy Metal Rock band Kittie has a video for their new song 'We Are The Lamb'. And we love it because it features ZOMBIES!
Watch it below.
 A new restaurant is opening up in Des Moines, Iowa with an interesting theme. It is called 'Zombie Burger and Drink Lab'. Apparently the owner is obsessed with zombies, so he decided to create a restaurant that would cater to them.
The restaurant is decorated with artwork of zombie invasion and other undead themes. The menu will have selections that reflect what zombies might want for entrees. Like burgers with fried cheese curds, fried pickles, and a mushroom apocalypse. There is also a Drink Lab offering specialty drinks and milk shakes.
The restaurant will be open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night dining. It officially opens on August 30th but people can get a sneak peak this Friday during 'Zombie Fest' a street party being hosted outside the new restaurant from 8 to 11PM.
See video below for local news coverage about the new Iowa restaurant.
 On Saturday, September 17th, the 2nd annual Zombie Festival will take place at Willow Kiln Park in Rosendale, New York. Everyone is encouraged to come dressed as a zombie, complete with make-up. An experienced make-up artist will be on-hand to assist those who need it.
A day of events starts with all zombies meeting behind the Rosendale Theater at noon. At 12:30 the zombies will walk to the park to start the festivities with a live music, a DJ, contests, and movies. Organizers ask for a $5.00 donation with all proceeds going to the Rosendale Food Pantry.
For more info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=219197921438596
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