Stuntman's Death

According to an article published by BBC, stuntman Conway Wickliffe died during the filming of "The Dark Knight." He was forty-one years old and left behind two children. The Health and Safety Executive are considering a prosecution charge over the incident. Conway's partner, Dee Chase, was infuriated by the incident. She did not understand the reason for Warner Brothers to be cutting corners and not assuring a health and safety person is on site during all stunt shoots. She later commented on the situation and stated, "These guys are under pressure because the director will say he wants something and they have to respond as quickly as possible. It is the culture of the industry and it needs to change." However, the filming of "The Dark Knight" was plagued with disaster, as Conway's death was only the first incident. The actor of twenty-eight years of age, Heath Ledger, past away due to an accidental drug overdose. While in London during the movie's premiere, Christian Bale was accused of assaulting his mother and sister, but no charges were filed.

The reasons for Conway’s death are truly staggering. When acknowledging that Warner Brothers could have prevented this death by simply shelving out the cash for a professional to be on set during a stunt is sickening. It certainly changes my outlook on the director of the picture (his name escapes my mind for the time being). Perhaps if his ego wasn’t so large, he could have waited to make sure all lives were not under extreme danger before shooting. Sometimes ego drives things in the wrong direction.

The Theory of Robolution

The ongoing progression of Robot technology invigorates the theory of a global artificial intelligence takeover. The "Heart Robot" project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, sports the creation of a machine adept to emotion. The developers of the "Heart Robot" plan to utilize their project to assist in medical treatments and therapy.

The Heart Robot uses advanced mechanics to facilitate life-like movement. The robot, Heart, is fitted with valves to undulate the flow of air through a network of tubes that inflate his belly and then exhale through his nose. Heart also uses a nervous system made up of five small computers that cooperate with each other to organize functions. These computers work to produce behavior and they communicate to excite or calm Heart's reactions. Heart has been equipped with sensors in his eyes to detect objects at a distance, sensors for hearing, sensors for balance and touch. Heart is able to fully react to his environment and vice versa. For instance, when Heart is violently shaken his heart (made up of silicon) will begin to pound rapidly, a rapid breathing pattern will follow, and it will proceed to act in an excitable manner. When gently patted, the heartbeat will lessen, a natural breathing pattern will occur, and the overall movement becomes calm. Heart also utilizes actuators to enable movement of the eyelids, hands, and heart beat along with two air-pumps in the legs to fluctuate a realistic breathing pattern.

Professor Alan Winfield at the University of the West of England and founder of the Bristol Robotics Laboratory says he would argue that artificial intelligence in robots will become omnipresent in the not so distant future and therefore proclaims that we need to begin a discussion about the moral and ethical question that will arise.

Hot to Trot

Is it just me, or is the demographic line that runs across the screen during the debates a bit distracting? Anyway, this third debate was certainly a fiery one. I especially enjoyed Obama’s appreciation for McCain’s dedication to the Arizona Cardinals. That was awesome! But whose advertisements were worse? I think both presidents took some low blows at each other, and to be quite honest, it’s quite funny and I’m sure there are other countries watching this presidential process and laughing. It’s like a comedy show. We have so much going on. America is still at war, our economy is not looking so good, President Bush…well, he just Bush, McCain’s watching football games, his Vice President decided to audition for Saturday Night Live, and Obama…well, besides his questionable socialistic policies and strange relations, he tends to just keep listening to the sound of his own horn.

While listening to the CNN coverage after the debate, it seemed that the commentary was positive for Barak and negative, for the most part, for McCain. Both candidates held true to their policies and when it came down to one on one, both shared some snickers and flittering eyes. However, the man asking the questions was far more entertaining. His tie was great. He reminded me of that guy from Caddy Shack. Back to the point, I found this debate to be a lot more grounded, intriguing and raw in terms of the way it was filmed, and the way the candidates responded to each other from across the table. Both were hot to trot.

Horses, Cars, and Pods

The last major transportation transition in America was from a horse to the car. Another possible transition in the near future may involve the car and the Podcar. Jacob Roberts, president of Connect Ithaca, says, "it's time we design cities for the human, not for the automobile." He plans to construct the first podcar community in an upstate New York college town. This project will not be the only of its kind, however, as Sweden, with their attempts of creating a fossil-fuel-free environment by 2020, has already planned to build more than a dozen cities that utilize podcar systems. By next year, London's Heathrow Airport will introduce the first pilot podcar system to ferry passengers on the ground. The use of the podcar, however, is not being viewed as a complete replacement for automobile transportation. Such a massive shift would be cost ineffective, as explained by professionals of the field. They are simply adding a new element to the transportation strategy.

Podcars are electric, automated, lightweight vehicles that travel on their own network. They can carry up to ten passengers while simultaneously voiding traffic congestion, reducing fossil fuels, and clearing up the parking lot. The passenger would wait on a computerized pad that would be located every block or half a mile. Some stations would have a slanted pull-in bay for the passenger to enter whereas other podcars would continue to travel on the main course. In this case, the passenger would have to catch a podcar like a trolley.

This alternate transportation strategy sounds reasonable in the long term for a greener future. Unfortunately, the podcars would do not travel freely from the choice of the individual passenger, but instead acting as just another bus station. Regardless, I think this idea has potential, but is expensive. In fact, building these network systems would be a financial burden for most cities. However, there is indubitably a new frontier emerging from the transportation world with hopes of advantageous affects for our environment. So why fight it?

Talibany?

The Vice Presidential Debate was surprising, but for the wrong reasons. Many Americans were geared up for this debate. We were curious to see if Governor Palin would fall flat on her face, or Senator Biden stick his foot in his mouth. However, nothing of the sort would occur on America's grandstand of debate.

The CNN media coverage on the debate was actually quite surprising as the comments made by the analysts held a positive outlook on both debaters. The analysts commended Governor Palin for her effort and thought that her performance acted as an essential bandage to stop the bleeding from her previous interviews. All in all, Palin's performance was far from groundbreaking, nor was it a quick fall down the stairs. It was more like a gentle glide down the side of a jagged mountain with a porous parachute. I noticed that Palin did utilized her sports caster credentials to speak straight into the camera, but her glasses were so magnified it made her eyes look as if she was a scared little Oliver Twist asking if she could, "have some more, please." Anyway, I did not know there was such a thing called a "Talibany." It sounds cute; I think I want one, whatever it is.

Senator Biden gave an impressive performance in terms of allowing his knowledge to speak his speech instead of his temper. However, there was an evident moment were Governor Palin mentioned something about the waving of a white flag of surrender for America and Biden's face turned redder than the backside of a barn. Senator Biden did keep his cool and gave a good debate. He responded to questions with answers, which is more than I can say about some other candidates who insist on making off the cuff remarks about the new child's play toy sweeping the nation called the "Talibany." I think I really want one!

Evading the American Reality

According to an article on the CNN website, the United States military force launched two air strikes on a Pakistani village. The strikes were reinforced with President Bush’s approval of invasions to go after terrorists in Pakistan without the consultation of Islamabad.

These unauthorized invasions into Pakistan to pursue potential terrorist threats are bolstered with good intent, but lack an essential diplomatic method. Since the attacks of September eleventh, our government has committed itself to abolishing global wide terrorist activity. This method of thinking seems commendable, but is it realistic? Is America solely responsible for the extermination of global wide terror? Why did we take this heavy burden upon ourselves? It was a choice clouded with misunderstanding and miscommunication. The American people believed our government had the correct information to act upon the current terrorist threat with swift efficiency. However, we have gone deeper into a trench that just keeps getting steeper. As a united front, America has regained balance since then, and now stands with a new passion for freedom.

America’s diplomacy sets the foundation for liberty and freedom. But as diplomacy remains disregarded through successive military attempts to rid the world of terror, there has been a reestablishment for the word, “freedom.” Freedom means more than free from the prejudices of race, religion, and sexuality. It declares a secure homeland free from the negative afflictions of an evil. A true evil that is more than just the workings of one man, but a mass of men working together to kill an idea. The American people make that idea a reality.

You're Right Jim

“Clinch and hold,” was the tactic of Barak Obama according to the CNN analyst. “Yes, you’re right,” Obama repeated as McCain continued to angrily defend the efficacy of the Iraq War. Over and over again Obama agreed with McCain’s claims. It was a smart tactic by Barak. If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all. The polls had Obama slightly favored, but nothing was dramatically agreed upon. The media coverage of the Presidential Debate on CNN was truthful and honest.

It was an honest report of an honestly scripted debate. McCain was persistent about cutting ear marks that would amount to only about seventeen billion compared to our enormous seven hundred billion dollar Bailout Bill. Then Obama kept praising for funding new programs. Meanwhile, the question (which was rephrased about three times) was what programs when elected president would they cut. However, the answer would seize to split the ears of the American people. Needless to say, it was quite fun to hear Barak repeatedly insist that McCain’s first name was Jim and not John. I think Obama was trying to tell us that John looks more like a Jim if you squint your eyes with disgust long enough. Subsequently, my eyes were wide open as I anxiously waited for the foreign policy questions. Luckily, they only discussed it for about fifteen minutes and by then I had already made the decision that maybe both of these guys are too busy with their own campaigns to bring up the foreign policy issues facing America in regards to Venezuela manufacturing oil or Africa’s unstable nations. Then again, the Iraq War is certainly a pressing topic.

All in all, the Vice Presidential Debate should be a bit more intriguing and possibly more revealing. Maybe they’ll fire into a heated debate about the failing of the Bailout Bill?