Month: November 2012

Remembrance Day 2012

On this day, at the 11th hour on the 11th month, we pause to remember all those who died in war. We pause to acknowledge the sacrifice of the many for the many more, who died defending freedom and this thing we call civilization from fear, oppression, genocide, hopelessness, brutality, and the scourge of war itself. And, as we have done several times now, my wife and I chose to honor the veterans by going down to the Legislature in Victoria, BC. There, massive crowds come to watch the parade, see the wreaths being laid, hear the speeches, and listen to the 21 gun salute.

And let me tell you, it was cold and rainy this year! But still, thousands of people still came out to pay their respects and show their support for the current generation of veterans and military personnel who are here at home or deployed overseas. As I’m sure most people know, Remembrance Day began as a way of commemorating those who died in the Great War, a somber anniversary that was made to coincide with Armistice Day. After four years of horror and endless conflict, the combatants agreed that the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month would mark the end of hostilities.

Since that time, it has grown to commemorate those who have died in any war, as a tribute to the terrible lessons learned in World War I, but have since come to be repeated, either through necessity or the frailty of humanity, many times since. Known as Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, Veteran’s Day in the US, and Armistice Day in New Zealand, France and Serbia; for much of the world it is simply a day to reflect on the greatest sacrifices, worst mistakes, and terrible horrors to ever be witnessed by history.

To mark the occasion, I thought I would take the time to honor two veterans who are very near and dear to my heart. They are my grandfathers, both of whom I’m named after: Grandpa Matthew Vincent Williams and Grandpa Stewart Beverley Wilson. Both men were pilots with the Royal Canadian Air Force, flying out of bases on Canadian soil, patrolling our coasts, and training pilots and instructors how to fight.

Stewart Beverley Wilson: Born in 1922, my maternal grandfather became a pilot and flight instructor who then went on to be a instructor of flight instructors while serving at CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Trenton in Southern Ontario. He was in his 20’s for the course of his service, barely a man himself, and was responsible for teaching other young men to train other pilots how to fly. He was part of the Commonwealth Air Training Program, a vast air training program in Canada designed to ensure that Britain and the Commonwealth had enough pilots to defend the skies during the Battle of Britain, and then to take part in the Allied air offensive for the rest of the war. Afterwards, he and his family settled in Brantford, but he continued to serve as a flight instructor.

Matthew Vincent Williams: Born in 1912, my paternal grandfather enlisted in the RCAF with the hopes of becoming a pilot. However, due to his eyesight, he was instead trained as a gunner and navigator. Stationed in British Columbia, in part because he had recently become a father (one of my uncles). His tour took him to Jericho Beach in Vancouver, as part of the Western Air Command where he flew personnel in and out of the city and Vancouver Island. During the course of the war, his aircraft – a PBY Canso – sunk a Japanese submarine off the coast with depth charges while on patrol. Though he hoped of settling in the west, he returned to Ontario in Aug of 1945 to take care of his mother and settled into Hamilton. He remained in the Glider Program for many years before retiring.

Thank you all and wishing you a sober, reflective and peaceful Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day/Armistice Day, wherever you may be. Let us hope that with every conflict and every act of sacrifice since the Great War ended, that we’ve learned something about the futility of war and the needless nature of aggression and conflict. And here’s to the day when we can settle our differences without bloodshed or violence.

Lest We Forget

NaNo News

Okay, good new and bad regarding the NaNoWriMo challenge this year. Good new I got a lot of support from people who told me they wanted to participate but couldn’t. It seems that every year, we find ourselves overloaded with our current responsibilities and unable to take on the task of additional writing. As such, my friends and colleagues who are also indie writers wished me well as I attempted to take on a new novel amidst everything else.

Bad news is, I’m dropping out of the challenge! Yes, I really wanted to take this on and thought it would be just fine to add a daily writing requirement of about 2000 words to my articling, editing and existing writing responsibilities. But unfortunately, it’s not working out. It’s not that I find myself particularly overburdened or stressed out, or the fact that I’ve gotten sick in the last few days – although those were a factor in this decision. No, the real problem is far worse. It seems that I’ve lost interest in my story idea! For a writer, I happen to think that this about the worst thing that can happen.

However, there’s an upside to this, a second bit of good news. Dropping one project allows me to make time for another. And it just happens to be the one I would rather be doing. In order to make time for NaNoWriMo, I decided to put off authoring the sequel to Whiskey Delta – aka. Pappa Zulu. But with Etemenanki sidelined, I’m now able to focus on it again. And I happen to know there are some people who would prefer to be reading it. So look for new entries. If I turn it out at a good enough rate, I might even be able to enter it into NaNo instead 😉

The Revengers Take The Field!

So… now that we’ve got a justice league ready and in place, we need a mission. Some suggestions have been made, some preliminary ideas spit-balled, but we should have some kind of consensus before we move! So to break things succinctly, I’ve taken the liberty of compiling our possible super-hero missions into the following list:

  1. Fight Crime: It has been suggested, largely by me, Captain Smackdown, that we address the growing concern of crime and violence in the inner city. People are crying out for help, wanting an end to the cycles of gang violence, drug dealing, prostitution, and intimidation. The police are largely ineffective, due to indifference, disillusionment and the vagaries of the law which prevent them from doing what needs to be done. Witnesses do not testify, and those who agree to soon wind up dead. What’s more, efforts to gain the people’s trust are hampered by incidents of police brutality and corruption that make them turn a blind eye. But we, the Revengers, are a force apart. We can go where the law cannot, find the evil-doers and bring them to justice! What’s more, we are incorruptible and cannot be bought! So we shall find the pimps, pushers, crime bosses and dirty cops, and make them all pay!
  2. Fight Criminal-Networks: This plan is a little more grandiose than taking down the scum in the inner city. For alas, all criminals and crime bosses are able to do what they do because of a large network that supports, funds and equips their activities. Drugs are being shipping in from around the country and abroad, drug labs operate all around town, and guns and explosives are brought in with the help of arms smugglers. At the top of these networks lie the worst kinds of criminal, the well-dressed, well-spoken sociopaths who make millions off of the suffering and deaths of others. They think themselves untouchable, but we will show them just how vulnerable they truly are!
  3. Fight Corruption: City Hall is a morass of decay and abuse of power. The Mayor is largely impotent, the Police Commissioner struggles to do his job, and much the elected representatives and appointees are on the take. We need to send a message and to do it now! Take down the bastards who have been getting richer off of a city in peril and make sure that all know that the people’s representatives are not for sale! What’s more, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that those in power are there because of voter fraud, smear campaigns, graft, cronyism and campaigns of intimidation. Ferreting out the individuals responsible and busting up their network of influence is paramount to straightening this city out!
  4. Fight Villains: As Police Commissions Jim Gordon once said: “What about escalation?” The presence of superheroes in the city prompts criminals to reach out to private “specialists” who, like us, are in the habit of concealing their identities and not playing but the usual rules. Their methods are unorthodox, and their aims rather grandiose, but they are very dangerous nonetheless! And unlike the criminal scum that hire them, they are not concerned with things like money. For them, it’s all about power, fear, and watching the world they so richly hate burn! And therefore, they must be stopped before they can make their maniacal visions a reality.

Well, that’s my list of ideas. Got any more, feel free to add them. But then again, after grouping the possibilities like this, we might consider tackling the problems of our beloved city and our world in this precise order. Let’s start small, work our way up to the big fish, take out the enemies within, and then be forced to confront the arch-nemeses that will make us question the very nature of what we do. Perhaps I’ve internalized all these superhero movies and comic books and outlined our group’s ongoing agenda without even knowing it 😉

The Revengers Are Complete!

Alright! At long last, the Revengers are complete. All thirteen members are registered and accounted for, and so we area ready to start battling crime and corruption in the big city! Yes, I know… twelve isn’t exactly a round number, but unless the makers of Craps have lied to me, its lucky! So without further delay, here is the remainder of the Revengers starting lineup. Behold!

Dark Angel:
Alter Ego: Nina Dee – Publisher, attempting to claw her way to the top. (plus part-time barista at the local Cuppa’ coffee house)
Abilities: Mad Fighting Skills; Ability to Fly; Regeneration
Appearance: Black wings, bustier, skin-tight pants, elbow-long gloves, long blonde hair, clawed fingers and feet, and a bamboo staff
Backstory: Nina was living abroad in Tokyo when she became involved with a Yakuza arms dealer. Unaware of the deeds committed by this man, she was blinded to the wrong doing taking place around her. Until one day, when she realized a mass killing had been carried out using weapons he was shipping. When she confronted him about it, he shot her and left her in a shallow grave. While lying there, she experienced an overwhelming sense of rage, and the souls of the children reaching out to her. A horrific metamorphosis took place that not only saved her life, but transformed her mind, her body, and her soul for a single purpose – Revenge. Rising from her grave a new and malformed creature, Nina vowed to never allow the innocent to suffer at the hands of the greedy and uncaring again, and to never touch a weapon forged by the hand of man.
Catchphrase: “You’ll pray to this Angel, but the only thing I’ll save you from is your next breath!”

Freedom Fighter:
Alter ego: Carolyn Page, lover of man, beast and the epic discovery of joy.
Appearance: Blue, red and gunmetal grey ensemble with a hint of feathers, ribbons, brooch insignia, powder gray ankle flight controls, fiery sword.
Abilities: Ability to Fly, Mad Fighting Skills, Super Strength
Backstory: Page emerged from the wilderness back in June 1765 and has remained a force for joy and justice ever since. Her immortality is as mysterious as she is, as is the origin of her signature move, the high kick. To those seeking to know her past and why she fights injustice and hate with as much verve and dedication as she does, there remains only her bright smile and her enduring motto…
Catchphrase: “Freedom Fighter Flies for Freedom..!”

Pax:
Alter Ego: Lance Schubert, non-violent activist, writer
Appearance: High-tech suit, form fitting and temperature sensitive. In extreme heat, turns white, in cold, black.
Abilities: Teleportation, Healing, Elasticity
Backstory: Lance woke up one day in the hospital, the sole survivor of a collapsed California high-rise. Everyone he knew or cared for died in the fall, but his new abilities gave him a sense of purpose. And so he headed east and things started happening to his body. In addition to being able to go from one place to the next without moving, he could bend his body in ways that no human body could, and heal instantly when hurt. With his newfound abilities, his non-violent activism found new expression, as a means of stopping evil-doers without inflicting harm.
Catchphrase: “I will ease the pain.”

World War Z Trailer!

Fans of the zombie-horror genre are no doubt aware of this title, and for some time now, it’s been known that Brad Pitt would be playing the lead role in the film adaptation of Max Brook’s seminal novel. Well it seems that they are all done shooting and preparing for launch! My thanks once again to David Lim at Ellipsis Media for bringing this one to my attention. I have to admit, it made we want to abandon NaNoWriMo and get working on my zombie stories again!

Admittedly, the movie doesn’t look anything like the book, which was a collection of oral accounts that describe the zombie war over the course of many years. But people will certainly forgive that if the movie boasts the same orgiastic zombie apocalypse stuff that’s apparent in this preview! As befitting a would-be blockbuster, the movie is set to be released in June of 2013. Which is good, because I plan to see this movie while sitting in a comfortable, air-conditioned theater eating hot popcorn and laughing at all the people who predicted a zombie apocalypse was coming in 2012.

Bath salts and some isolated incidents of alcohol-induced cannibalism do not a zombie apocalypse make! Anyway, enjoy the clip.

The Future Is Here: Bionic Hands!

Behold, the latest in bionic technology! The bebionic 3 model prosthetic hand, by the RSL Steeper company! Encased in an aluminum chassis, boasting improved electronics, a redesigned thumb, and new motors that increase the power grip, this hand was first unveiled at the American Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) Conference in Boston this past September. Since that time, amputees have been obtaining the hand and incorporating it into their daily lives. And the results are quite encouraging!

In addition to being able to do delicate work, like handle eggs and fine china without breaking them, the hand is also capable of performing a power grip that is capable of generating 31.5 pounds of force. That’s quite the Kung Fu grip, just in case you were wondering. And in “hook” mode, the hand is able to bear a load of 99 pounds. So, though it doesn’t have quite the same dexterity or free range of motion as an organic hand, the bebionic is capable of performing all the basic tasks, and is pretty powerful to boot!

Much like the bionic leg which was popularized by Zak Vawter’s historic climb last weekend, the bebionic works by reading the nerve impulses from the wearer’s arm skin. These are amplified by the arm’s electronics and translated into one of 14 possible grip configurations. These different grips are uploaded to the hands internal memory and users are able to cycle through them to determine which grip they want for which purpose. For instance, a mouse-clicking action makes the thumb grip a mouse, while the index finger clicks the left button. The “precision open grip” can be used to grab small objects and the “tripod grip” can be used to write with a pen.

Currently, and depending on its configuration, the hand costs clinical centers between $25,000 and $35,000. In time, and as it becomes available for public purchase, the price is likely to come down somewhat. Still, such a revolutionary device will not come cheap for many years to come. It also comes available in a range of colors and designs, including snow and jungle camouflage and tiger stripes, as well as realistic silicone skin coverings. See the video below for some examples.

Combined with other advances in the field of bionics and prosthetic devices, the bionic hand presents some new and very exciting possibilities. For one, technologies like ReWalk and other exoskeletons are making it possible for paraplegics to walk again, while sophisticated wheelchairs like the wheelchairbot are making stairs and obstacles passable. Coupled with bionic limbs that are giving full ambulatory motion back to amputees, we could be looking at a future where robotic enhancements can restore any and all ability to accident victims, combat veterans and people born with physical deformities.

In addition, the most audacious developments, such as bionic enhancements or robot chairs that read brain waves directly, giving full motion to quadriplegics and the ability to communicate fully to people with degenerative conditions is still yet to come! Once such technologies are readily available and commercially viable, we might even be seeing the emergence of a cybernetics industry, where people can receive enhancements that not only restore abilities, but greatly enhance them. Artificial limbs the enhance strenght and speed, artificial eyes that enhance vision and provide projected images and augmented reality displays, and even silicate implants that enhance brain function and make people smarter.

Homo Superior people… I just got goosebumps!

And while we’re waiting on all that to happen, check out this promo video for the latest bebionic model:


And here’s a video of the bebionic going through a battery grip pattern tests:

Aliens: Colonial Marines

As a big fan of the Alien franchise and someone who’s enjoyed just about every AVP game there is, I can honestly say that I am eagerly awaiting the release of this game! For years now, gamers have been getting a taste of combat with xenomorphs and hunters thanks to the AVP franchise, but this promises to be purer in nature.

In short, you’re a human being hunting the most dangerous creature in the universe, no fuss, no muss. And Pulse Guns, Smartguns, Flame Throwers and grenades are your weapons, hopefully with a little assistance from some M577 APC’s, a few UD-4L Cheyenne Dropships and maybe even some of them big power loaders!

Another aspect of the Aliens experience which this game appears to be improving on is the squad combat feature. Whereas in all the previous incarnations of AVP, you were forced to play solo for the vast majority of the game, this time around there appears to be better AIs and group play at work.

This is good seeing as how Colonial Marines are not meant to fight alone, and the explanations for how and why you kept finding yourself fighting solo in the games got pretty tiresome after awhile!

According to Steam, the game is set for release in February of 2013. Just a few months away, and in the meantime, enjoy the preview! I think you’ll agree, it’s pretty cinematic in nature.

Microchips Made With DNA!

It seems IBM is deep at work developing a revolutionary new method for assembling microchips. This process will involve using self-assembled DNA nanostructures to create microchips and chip components. Or, to put it more dramatically, DNA would be used as a sort of “origami”, serving as a sort of scaffolding in the arrangement of nanotubes and allowing the company to develop microchips that are smaller and much less expensive to produce.

But of course, the long-term goal is much more ambitious. According to Greg Wallraff, a scientist working with IBM, the “goal is to use these structures to assemble carbon nanontubes, silicon nanowires, quantum dots. What we are really making are tiny DNA circuit boards that will be used to assemble other components.” In short, this could be not only a step towards bioassembly, nanotechnology, and even quantum computing.

For some time now, scientists have been experimenting with DNA as an assembler for microcircuits. One such individual is Paul W. K. Rothemund, a research associate at the California Institute of Technology, who developed DNA origami back in 2006. This involved taking a long strand of viral DNA, putting into a 2 or 3-D shape, and then holding it together with shorter strands of DNA. In this way, he was able to create shapes such as triangles, stars and smiley faces, according to his Caltech Web site.

Based on this process, complex DNA nanostructures are made in solution and then applied to surfaces which have designated “sticky spots” to ensure that they hold a specific configuration. Once the scaffold is in place, molecules of polymer, metal and other materials can then be guided into place, assembled from the cellular level outward. According to Rothemund, there are still some problems that need to be worked out and it is likely to be another 10 years before the process is entirely viable.

Still, for enthusiasts of bioware, biotech, and nanotechnology, this is exciting news. To know that we could be just ten years away from components assembled by nanostructures composed of living material, a stepping stone towards machinery composed entirely of DNA structures or nanomachines themselves… like I said, exciting!

Source: findingdulcinea.com

The Future is Here: Mind-Controlled Prosthetics

This past weekend, amputee Zak Vawter stood at the foot of Chicago’s Willis Tower with the intention of scaling its 103 flights. The purpose of this historic climb was simple, to test out a new bionic leg which may very be the way of the future. Unlike previous prosthetics, this limb is actually controlled by the user’s mind. Thanks to Vawter’s determination, and a little help from the bionic limb, the climb went off without a hitch!

Vawter, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2009, performed this climb as part of SkyRise Chicago, an indoor stair-climbing fund-raising event for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), along with roughly 2700 other climbers. For years now, he has been commuting from Seattle – where he lives with his wife and two children – to Chicago to assist the RIC with the development of the leg.

This consisted of a surgical procedure called “targeted muscle reinnervation”, originally pioneered by the RIC’s Center for Bionic Medicine for upper-arm amputees. The operation reassigns nerves that once controlled a lost limb, allowing amputees to have more natural control of prosthetic devices. In Vawter’s case, this meant rerouting the residual nerves that normally would carry signals to his lower leg by attaching them to his hamstring.

Once that was complete, Vawter was assigned the leg that would turn these nerve impulses into full-range movement. Consisting of a powered knee and ankle that work in unison, the device reads the wearer’s intent. When they push on the device to stand up, for example, it pushes back, propelling them up. When they pull on the device, it retracts, allowing them to take a step forward or vertically, depending on the signals it receives.

“Everything went great,” said Vawter at the event’s end. “The prosthetic leg did its part, and I did my part.” Kudos to you Zak Vawter! Who knows? This could be the end of problems involving accessibility as we know it!

Source: newscnet.com, huffingtonpost.com

Walking Dead, Season 3 Episode 4

Welcome back to the Walking Dead! Today’s review, episode four entitled “Killer Within”, which as you may notice is a double-entendre. After last weeks introduction of the Governor and his walled town, things are once again shifting back towards the main group in the story, focusing on events in the prison and their ongoing struggle to build a safe haven.

Attention is still given the growing mistrust Michonne feels towards the governor, and the conflict between her and Andrea over the issue of trust. But by far, the biggest events took place within the prison complex, and I mean biggest! Some seriously big curveballs were hurled in this episode, which included the birth of Rick and Lori’s child, the death of T-Dog, and the death of Lori herself.

Killer Within:
Things open up on the prison, where we see someone opening the gates and laying bait for the Walkers to come. The identity is left a mystery for the time being, all we know is they are intent on sacrificing everyone within. Shortly thereafter, we see Rick, Glenn, Maggie and Daryl in the yard where they are moving their vehicles and discussing clean-up. They intend to plant crops in the field soon, and don’t want the litters of Walker bodies contaminating the soil.

Hershel comes out to see them on crutches, accompanied by the other members of their group. They are joined by the two prisoners, Axel and Oscar, confront them and ask to be allowed to join them in their side of the prison. They decide to give them supplies and send them on their way, but the send-off is cut short when Walkers show up in the yard and begin attacking them.

A fight ensues, and things are made worse when the prison sirens go off, attracting more Walkers. The group must split up, with Rick, Glenn, and Daryl fighting to clear the yard and get inside to shut off the sirens. Oscar, who used to work in the power room, escorts them to it after Glenn shuts the gate to keep more from coming in. Hershel and Beth manage to get to safety, but T-Dog is bitten while trying to protect Carol and get her inside. Maggie escorts Lori and Carl inside but they find Walkers have infiltrated the prison interior and flee to the basement.

Over in the town, Andrea continues to get to know the Governor while Michonne pursues her suspicion that there’s something “off” about him. Andrea learns that his true name is Philip, and that he had a wife who is now dead. Michonne inspects the army trucks they procured and notices traces of blood and bullet holes and suspects the Governor’s cover story was false.

At the same time, Merle learns of the location of the farmhouse where Andrea was staying, and asks the Governor for permission to go there and begin searching for his brother Daryl. The Governor believes its a wild goose chase, but agrees to go with him if he finds more concrete evidence that his brother could still be alive. Andrea and Michonne are set to leave and Andrea says goodbye, but is told she and Michonne are always welcome back.

Back at the prison, things are going from bad to worse. When they reach the power room, Rick discovers the identity of their betrayer. Turns out it’s Andrew, one of the prisoners who was believed to have died at the hands of the Walkers, is alive. After Rick is knocked down, Oscar grabs his gun and points it at the two of them. He then shoots Andrew and gives the gun back to Rick. Apparently, trust has now been established between their two groups, and the sirens are shut down.

Elsewhere, T-Dog and Carol are rushing through the tunnels and are cut off by a group of Walkers. T-Dog makes his final stand by rushing the group, and dies screaming while Carol makes it back to the yard. In another room, Carol begins to go into labor and experiences serious bleeding. She asks Maggie to perform a C-section and tells Carl she loves him, and does not appear to make it through the process. However, the baby is alive and well, and Carl tells her to leave so he can shoot Lori before she becomes a Walker. A gunshot is heard and he joins Maggie, and the two go back to the yard. There, they meet up with the rest, and Rick is broken when he sees the baby and realizes Lori is dead.

Summary:
Needless to say, this episode was a real nail biter. Granted, it wasn’t too much of a mystery who the saboteur was, though I did suspect it might have been Oscar for a short while. His knowledge of the power room seemed to me to be an indication that he might be the one behind the whole thing. But at the same time, we never really saw Andrew die so… yeah, not a big mystery!

No, the real tension here came in the form of the split which took place inside the prison. Thanks to the arrival of the Walkers, the group was split three ways, with each one facing its own particular crises. For Rick and his group, there was the task of shutting down the sirens and finding out who betrayed them. But Lori, Maggie and Carl, there was the challenge presented by her imminent delivery. For the rest, it was all about staying alive and getting back to the others. Between all of these perspectives, the full range of the show was displayed. You had betrayal and desperation, life in the midst of death, and terrible sacrifice. All of it was poignant and effective.

Also, the slow build-up of tension over in the town thread is something I really approve of. It’s pretty clear at this point that Michonne’s distrust  of the Governor will bear fruit in time, and that the Governor is likely to take her and Andrea prisoner once the cat’s out of the bag. What’s more, they are letting on that Merle’s efforts to find his brother are likely to lead the Governor to the prison. And we all saw what he did with those army men. Clearly, he believes anyone who doesn’t reside within his walls is a threat that must be dealt with. Clearly, these two threads are destined to collide, and sooner other than later.

But above all, the biggest thing in this episode was the deaths of T-Dog and Lori. In the former case, I wasn’t particularly surprised. As a friend of mine recently pointed out (hi Khaalidah!) T-Dog has remained an underdeveloped character in the series. Since we know nothing about his past and he’s got no one he’s particularly attached to in the group, his loss could not be considered a terrible tragedy. Lori, on the other hand is an essential character, the wife and mother of two other main characters.

Personally, I am entertaining the notion that she is not really dead, mainly because her death at this point in the show goes against material from the comics. However, there have been plenty of diversions from that material already, and who’s to say what the writer’s have planned. Perhaps I’m in denial…

Oh yeah, and there is the matter of the title itself, which as I said earlier I believe I to be a double-entrendre. On the one hand, you have Andrew who is busy at work plotting the demise of the group. He is the literal killer within the walls of the prison. However, the other meaning I believe lies within the Governor himself. Whereas he seems like a stable and caring fellow on the outside, the kind of man who projects a positive image to Andrea and the townspeople, we know him to be a cold-blooded murderer and insane man. This side, however, he keeps tucked away from prying eyes. Make sense? Just one man’s interpretation.

More to follow from this series soon enough. Don’t venture too far…