Shearwater International Air-show 2010

Well Today we woke up early to get to Shearwater before the crowds, SunJoo and I woke at 7:00am and got ready to go out.  This involved getting showered and starting to make Sushi (with wonderful smoked salmon).  While SunJoo made the Sushi I went off to pick up Ian and my cousin Daniel.  Once I had them in the car it was a quick trip back to the apartment to pick up SunJoo.  In retrospect we should have brought our chairs as we stood a lot.  This was SunJoo’s first time at an air show and she enjoyed it very much.  However this being said I was kind of disappointed with the static displays this year.  There were only six and none were of the Jets.  Understandable because the main runway at Shearwater has been torn up and they only have a short landing strip now so none of  the main attractions could land all flew out of the Halifax International airport.

The air display was fantastic though and here are a few of the pics I took:

 
C-117 and SunJoo

SunJoo and Daniel on a tank.

 
Wildcat

Hawk 1

Snowbirds

 
Texan/Canadian version is the Harvard

Wildcat flying between radar domes.

 
CF-118 Strutting its stuff.

Canadian Forces Parachute team SkyHawks

 
F/A-18E Superhornet

Wildlife and Sea Kayaking

Well SunJoo and I have just finished a day of Sea Kayaking out at East Coast Outfitters.  It was a great afternoon.  It started as a foggy day on the water around 4:00 PM but after about half an hour out the fog burned off and we were surrounded by great landscapes and beach heads.  The rocks of the bay and the seaweed gave us little trouble as we paddled our way through the bay and to the edge of the North Atlantic.  Regrettably we took no camera along to get any good sea faring pictures.  My left shoulder is a little sore but overall I think I’ll live.

On Thursday we went to the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park.  It was fun seeing all the animals and we did manage to get a few pics before my battery died.

View Full Album

NYC

It is the evening of the 11th almost transitioning to the 12th of May.  SunJoo and I are at the DO Dream Guest House on Wall St.  it is a great place, very comfortable and welcoming after an eventful day of travelling.  we woke very early this morning in Halifax and caught our flight to Toronto, and watched Shutter Island as the in-flight movie.  (actually we started it on the flight to T.O. and finished on the flight to NYC. Customs was very efficient and polite and not at all as problematic as I thought it might be. 

Upon arrival in NYC (at LaGuardia) we were met by a private taxi service for the guest house and driven directly there.  SunJoo and the driver spoke in Korean all the way and it made me feel oddly comfortable as it reminded me of may taxi rides I had had in Seoul.  Seoul being a city I am very comfortable in the experience fostered a psychological reassurance here. 

We then went on an excursion around NY, contrary to previous beliefs I had held about the coldness of the occupants of large cities I find NYC to be quite welcoming.  We went to the harbour area and took some pictures of a tall ship (the PeKing)  and then went uptown to Union Square.  After wandering around and taking many pictures we went for coffee (Think Cafe) and then dinner at Saigon Grill, bothe excellent choices.  We then went to see The Blue Man Group.  I cannot describe this as it is too good and my words would only cheapen the experience. 

Until next I write….

New to SLR

Well Sun-Joo and I have just recently purchased a Canon Rebel XS 10.1 MP DSLR camera and were out and about with it this evening.  As I am new to the whole SLR thing right now I just left it on the full auto settings but I am reading the manual.  (Don’t snicker I can here all of you now “reading the manual” You’re not supposed to do that I know).

Anyway here are a couple of the shots taken today.

Fall from Grace

I used to frequent Gatsby's when I was in University, however over the last few years the place has seemingly taken a nose dive.  2 years ago with friends I ventured into the restaurant and had little to no service.  It took 20 minutes to get a waitress and another 20 to get the invoice.
Last night after 2 years I decided to go and give it one more chance.  I ordered the Italian sausage spaghettini.  The sauce was good but it astounds me that the chef would try to pass off hot-dogs sliced on an angle as Italian Sausage.  I brought this to the attention of the waitress (a good server so I cannot fault her actually her service was exemplary).  I ended up paying half for the dinner as I was already behind schedule and did not want to re-order.  suffice it to say I shall not be darkening the door there again.

 

Cylon or Replicant Pt.II

“You were made as well as we could make you.” Elden Tyrell
“But not to last” Roy Batty

These words uttered by during the endgame sequence between creator and creation in the movie Bladerunner perhaps gives one method of control over our creations. An incept date, or in laymen’s terms expiry date for the robot; a predetermined death that the makers set for a pre-programmed lifespan. Again this brings up the moral quagmire of us playing god. In Bladerunner Replicant s were controlled by the fact that they had no emotional connection that would bring about the questioning of human masters. However, as revealed in the movie the Tyrell Corporation was experimenting with the idea of implanting memories within the programming of the Replicant. This would have the effect of not only making them believe they are human, but give the ability to control them easier. Would this have worked as a preventative measure in the world of Battlestar? Regrettably we don’t know. The real question is rather will this work in the real world when we become the creator of these sentient beings? What would happen to the identity and the persona of a Cylon/Replicant were their true nature revealed to them? How would they react to the knowledge that they are machines? Could you or I accept the revelation that we are not what we think? How would the mind reconcile this knowledge?

Cylon or Replicant? Pt. I

Having Just read the Can Robots be Trusted article in the February 2010 edition of Popular Mechanics (why it is a month ahead when it is only now January 15^th I have no idea), I find myself thinking on all of the different sci-fi renditions we have been inundated with over these last few years. Even though the article debunks what most people fear, the extinction of humanity at the hands of a cold logical machine, I cannot help but wonder if we may slip down that road anyway.

For me the first things that come to mind (much like the articles author) are movies like The Terminator, 2001, where logical and self-aware A.I., take drastic measures to protect themselves and eradicate the humans who threaten them. It strikes at the heart of one of our deepest fears; betrayal of our creations. Do we deserve the fate so ominously heralded? Or is there way out?

Battlestar Galactica deals with this in its story with a possible solution given by, of all characters, Ellen Tigh, “We wanted to warn the colonies about creating Cylons, We wanted to tell them ‘keep them close’...but we were too late. The war had already begun”.[1] The idea was to care for and appreciate that which we create in order to have the trust we need to interact socially. The article presents the idea that one thing that may allow this is that we as humans will react positively to a robot “...if you have the robot behave and move in ways that are known to enhance trust and engagement the reaction is the same as it is with people.”[2] This, at least, gives us some hope.

So what of the rights of the creation from the creator? We have seen this argued in sci-fi forums like Bladerunner, Star Trek, I-Robot and others over the years. Will we have the moral fortitude to give equal rights to these creations or will we fall into the pit the 12 Colonies and the Tyrell Corporation? Herein lays the conundrum when it comes to machines: if we have the right to create do we have the right to destroy them. The obvious argument being it is a machine and does not have life. We must somehow quantify what life is, but are we then not stealing fire from the gods? Likening ourselves to god in our arrogance and determining what life is and is not? There is a whole other can of worms both ethical and spiritual.

---

[1] Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Deadlock.

[2] Can We Trust Robots, Popular Mechanics Feb. 2010, pg. 60.

Point Pleasant Lodge

Well it is now day 0 of moms treatment, she had the stem cell replacement done and we are back at the lodge after a good dinner.  In a few minutes I shall be calling my wife and waking her up for her busy day.  Thankfully the lodge has wi/fi  and I am able to check e-mail and do my finances online. 

I am hoping that things will go well for mom, right now we are awaiting the levels of white/platelets/etc. to drop.  When it does mom will be admitted to the hospital for 2 weeks until they rise again. 

I have bought a mouse for the computer and got it on sale for 24.95 plus taxes.  it works really well with this system and helps me to avoid the touch pad (which I still use). 

Planning a trip soon when everything settles down. 

The New Year

So this is 2010, the year we make contact.  One of the discussions over the transition to the new year was how sci-fi got so many things wrong.  For instance Space 1999, V, and the afore mentioned movie title in the first line of this post.  So where did they get it right?  

Star Trek influenced tech:
Cell phones that look like the old communicators.
Touch screen computer interfaces like the control panels on the Enterprise D.
And other things....

hopefully that link will provide a good chuckle or two. 

Having just spoken with my wife I am hoping that this January flies by though I know that there are some tough times ahead of me before February comes.  My mothers treatment begins a week from Monday.  This hopefully will go smoothly though I know that it won’t be at all a easy.