Lots of new pictures coming SOON to a xanga near you! I have lots of household stuff to do first, so maybe later this evening! A preview-

The article I referred to below, about "tongue vision" can be found at:

http://www.livescience.com/technology/060424_ap_tongue_soldiers.html

Or just click here.

I would not give you guys anything I could not back up! So, there you are.

-Patrick

Vision from the back of your head- and into your tongue?

I realise this topic sounds almost nonsensical, which is why it fascinated me and caught mine attention. Science has come farther than we think- and most of us already know it has come pretty far. Work on transmission of information to the human brain has taken some pretty incredible leaps, and most of those leaps are funded by military-related projects. Recently, work was being done to find a way to try to connect a transmitter to nerves in the back of someones neck- that way, images could be relayed to the brain. However, the scientist discovered something rather startling- the tongue, with its many incredibly sensitive nerves, actually functions as the best transmitter of information to our brain (and safest, too). So, he connected the device to... his tongue. And it worked.

How? What? WHY?!

Well, imagine this. Instead of bulky night vision, sensors transmit the images to your... tongue. So you get signals of the shapes in front of you "through your tongue". You operate underwater, and have clear water vision. The next step, when they can make sonar smaller (right now it is the size of a box- they need it smaller) they could attach it to military divers heads and allow them to percieve sonar signals from their tongue. Also, you can have a sensor on the back of your head- allowing a person to "see" from the back of their head and into... their tongue.

A person who tested this likened the sensation to pop-rocks. Ever had those in your mouth? It is not really painful, just an odd and kind of prickly- almost painful feeling, but not really painful. It is apparently hard to describe, but it actually works. They tested it with blind people- who were able to perceive doors infront of them, avoid objects as they walked, etc. A military diver tested it out, and was able to identify and manipulate test objects underwater- it supplemented his limitted vision. Apparently somehow the prickling feelings given to your tongue- very very complex things- allow you to get the 'shapes'. Somehow, your brain learns to interpret the unique sensations into usable information.

If anyone wants the link just ask. I'm too lazy to add it right now, when I'm not sure if anyone really even cares. But I found it quite fascinating.

Blindness cure? Taste the world around you!

Who ever would have thought? Of course, the funding and main direction of this right now is military- I mean, most technology often starts that way. However, think about this! We cannot really get to the point yet where we can fix eyesight or transmit images to the eyes- especially when, in a blind person, there are problems with that particular part of the brain and trasmission issues.

However, what if someone born blind could- like learning brail- learn to see through their tongues? If a person who sees normally can learn to interpret this data logically, what about a person growing up with this tool as their vision? The more advanced and complex this gets- even perhaps beyond the capability of a normally seeing person to use- the more useful to a blind person it could be, perhaps even surpassing some elements of human vision. Imagine a blind person who can perceive objects around them in a complete 360 degree vision within a certain distance. It almost reminds me of Geordi from Star Trek Next Gen. It is not the same as normal vision, but it is quite exceptional in its own way.

The thing that gets me is- who could have predicted that of all things, the first way it would turn up would be through our tongues?

Taste you later!

-Patrick

There's a lizard on my shoulder- it's the truth, it's actual... everything is satisfactual!

In case you are wondering, those cute little wet footprints up my shirt are not reptillian pee pee- she had been sitting in water, and so left little wet tracks.

Who needs a badge to pin on their shirts when they have an itty bitty lizard? A perfect symbiosis, as well. She draws on the warmth of my body, thus being quite content perched on me. I enjoy the fact a cute lil lizard is content and perched on my shirt.

It is perfectly safe- her lil claws keep her attached, without bothering me in the least. The only disadvantage is the fact that, like a cute lil puppy or kitty, she will not stay this size forever. Otherwise I would have the world's perfect lizard-pin.

Who, what, when, where?

That'd be telling.

-Patrick

I wrote this letter to a friend about our 4th of July experience, and I thought I would share it on here.

I had a good 4th myself, and I hope you did as well. Usually the 4th of July is not much more than another day, except with lots of fireworks popping around outside and people hollering and getting drunk- and a bad day to go out due to crowds, traffic, and police looking for people to pull over.

However, this 4th was really nice- grilling, great home-made food, fun stories, and a boat ride on the lake I lived on until recently. We enjoyed it with my parent's good friends, their german neighbours Anna and Ziggy. Funny, that one of my best fourth of July's was with people from another country. Of course, they are American citizens now, so I won't say non-Americans. In fact, they are almost the best example of where most of us came from- and the original idea of coming from a hard, painful life of poverty and stife and ending their lives with successful children, a beautiful home and a peaceful life. Yet despite all that, they still use what they have to serve others- they use their healthy bodies to help others(they are in their 80's now I think, late seventies at earliest, but they were pushing their boat out of the cove with poles almost as well as I could!! Talk about healthy and strong!!! They are always helping my Mom out with physical work, and they are OLDER!). Ziggy lost some of his family through starvation during the time of the war (WWII), was kept prisoner after the war since he was German and lived in poland I think. They both have their own incredible stories of life as young adults during and after the war in Germany. Anna was raised Christian, and Ziggy became a Christian.

Yes, when I think about it, they really are a unique example of where our country came from.

And it is interesting to hear both their support of our country, and their questions about choices people in our country make. The way we always leave food on our plates (sometimes, just to be polite)- how parents let their children eat a whole apple, but the children just throw most of it away when the parent could easily just cut the apple off the core and give a fourth of it to the child. Ziggy shared that he gets really angry inside when he sees this- because he had to watch family members slowly starve to death. Anna knows that you can't give starving people the food you save, but she says she buys less food by saving it- and uses the extra money to give to those very starving people in the world, or to fund her helping others in poverty. Most of us, myself included, just do not think about that very often. And if we did save that extra money, we'd just use it to go out to Outback Steakhouse for a special family dinner instead.

They also have interesting conversations with people who say "I'm poor." or "I just don't have any money"- when, compared to many other places in the world, even those people would be well off. Their own poverty stories always 'win'- but the point isn't to beat them, but to encourage them to look at what they have, to appreciate it, and to work hard to change their situation if they do not like it. Sometimes they cannot help it, but most of the times they can at least do something. Anna says that a lot of Americans have forgotten that there are LOTS of "old fashioned" ways to do things that we can still do now- but either do not know we can do, do not know how to do, or do not want to do.

I looked out at their beautiful porch, around at their lovely immaculate house- their yard with elegant flowers planted all over and a trellece with climbing flower vines just now blooming... the green grass and wondeful landscaping... and I think to myself, "If anyone has earned it, they have." And the fact is, they don't hire people to do their yard- in their eighties, they use their free time and energy to, by hand, personally plant, tend to, and make their yard look so elegant. In their "spare time" they went over and painted my Mom's porch for her and Dad (since Mom and Dad physically just cannot do that), and Ziggy- who can fix most anything, yet never went to any kind of school to do it- will help with their plumbing or a broken kitchen device.

When we left, they said, "If you ever want to drop by, just do it. Oh, it's nice to have warning, but that's not important. I don't know about 'Southern hospitality', but the way we see hospitality- it means opening your home to let people who need to stay, or need to get food, to come when they want."

Sorry to flood your email again! I didn't quite mean to. But I thought that I would share an interesting, and enriching, experience while it was on my mind.

Until later,
Patrick

I was inspired suddenly while getting my drink from the fridge this morning, as Katrina fed Conor. I turned around and sang my suddenly inspired song as I created it- I do this sometimes, and I thought I'd share my silliness with you. Kat was impressed when she asked "Did you just make that up?" It wasn't really that much, but for improv its not bad. Look at my masterpiece:

My name is Larry- and I am a rat

My name is Larry, and I was chased by a big
cat

My name is Larry, I’m kinda scarry to look
at

Cause I was bit-ten in half by the cat.

AAH!

Heehee. The joys of parenthood.

-Patrick

What holiday is today?

I found a recent article from an American writer in Japan very interesting. It informed me of how his newest car will greet him and inform him of what special day it might be that day. What particularly interested me is the fact that the 22nd of every month is married couples day.

"Married Couples' Day" (the 22nd

of every month, since the numbers sound like the word for "married couple").

Isn't that interesting? Below is the portion of his article referring to this if you are interested. I think that it is a really neat idea- don't you? Maybe in America we need a day to celebrate just the fact that a couple is married (and still together!). It is especially interested that it isn't anual- it is monthly! We really do not have any holidays here in the US that are monthly. Of course, like many special days here now, I doubt many in Japan even know about it- but I like the idea. I think maybe my family might start celebrating married couples day. Who knows, maybe we should even celebrate "Toilet Day"- and reflect upon how much better life is without having to go out to a ditch in the yard everytime we want to poo poo or pee pee.

I remember we bought a talking car back in 1984, a Chrysler that told us

things like "a door is ajar" or "your headlights are on" -- and that was about

it. Our Mazda MPV is much cooler, greeting me every morning and informing me

of today's date, and also what "special day" it is. These interesting

commemorative days include, for example "UFO Day" (June 24, from a major UFO

sighting in Washington State in 1947), "Ice Cream Day" (May 9, after the

founding of the first ice cream factory in Japan in 1869), "Natto Day" (July

10, because the numbers 7 and 10 sound like the name of Japan's famous

fermented soybeans), "Arigato no Hi" (March 9, since "3 9" can be read "san

kyu" or "thank you"), "Toilet Day" (Nov. 10, a day for thinking of how much

benefit we gain from our, er, toilets), and "Married Couples' Day" (the 22nd

of every month, since the numbers sound like the word for "married couple").

My car also tells me to drive carefully as I pull out of the driveway.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

It's Conor!

Conor has recently made a particularly remarkable achievement from my perspective! It is another Conor's FIRST! Many mark physical growth and major landmarks like talking, sounds, body functions, etc. However, Conor is reaching the point now where he will begin to understand consequences- that is, the fact he can alter the state of something and cause a result. For those computer geeks out there, he can work out an if/then statement- "IF I do this, THEN this will happen".

Conor has already begun to realise that if he flips himself over in his crib during a nap time and stays quiet, he can entertain himself and not have to sleep. Of course, this results in a long ritual of flipping Conor over, letting him cry until he flips himself back, etc, etc. However, today I came into check on him after he had been quiet for a while. I was just a little suspicious since he had not been in there long enough to work out his resistance yet- he was very resistant today. I noticed he was on his back and came forwards, realising at the same time he was kicking at the side of the crib.

I stopped, however, when I realised this was not a normal kicking. There is a mobile on the edge of the crib with a button to start it, and then three choices of music buttons. I was startled to realise he was kicking specifically at that pannel. He that unique, focused look of incredible interest and concentration on his face that he can get- and apparently I used to get as well. I silently watched and cheered him on, as his foot got lower- and within seconds, bam! He hit it, and the mobile turned on! He watched with glee and fascination as his mobile began turning to Mozart. He never ceases to be entertained by it.

Is that it?

No, not by far! Once he figured this out once, he tried again until he turned it off. Then I heard a while later it turn back on. Pretty soon, he was turning it off and on- all with his feet and toes! His toes are becoming VERY nimble. This is odd, because I have to wonder if it is something genetic. My sister and I have always had unique dexterity with out feet. We will pick up dropped objects with them, I might open a door sometimes, etc. Well, he was doing some fancy footwork! I am not sure, but he may have even figured out how to change the music already- we'll have to see. That would be quite some brilliant work for one day! He works a LOT like I used to- he will watch and analyse something for a long time, and then when he feels he has it down he will begin experimentation.

I am so proud of him! This is the first sign of truly unique problem solving I have as yet seen in our son. He hasn't reached the point of "above-animal" intelligence yet visibly, but I know it is coming.

Superman

I saw Superman last night at 10 PM. I expected it might be an interesting movie, a little like X-men. It truly surprised me! It was not just a fun ride, but it was a brilliantly done movie. It was an enjoyable trip that really seemed to pick up where I remember the "feel" of the original movies left off. This is the first movie of the Summer that I truly feel fits up to the expectation of a "movie blockbuster". And I did not even expect it! Please, if you feel like seeing a movie soon, SEE Superman Returns! I will give my thoughts on it later, but most of my thoughts will have to be included under a spoiler section to truly make sense.

I think, however, I can safely say that Superman Returns not only has an enchanting story that takes up with good, clean Superman fun and action but also has a very thought-provoking plot. Just as Superman has the "Fortress of Solitude" and his home planet is based on a crystal-growing technology that results in a land of cold, empty crystaline type rock formations- so too do they focus on the idea that Superman is alone and apart and his home destroyed. Yet when an element of his crystaline civilization is present on Earth, it is realised that this is NOT his true home. A home is based on family and people, not on a place or planet.

There is also one very delightful line I can attempt to paraphrase/quote from the movie. Louis wrote an article on "Why the world doesn't need Superman", and Superman took her up into the sky to look down on the planet. She says that the world doesn't need someone to save it, and she doesn't need a savior. He looks out on the planet and asks, "What do you hear?" "Nothing at all, it's completely silent."

"I hear everything. You say the world doesn't need a savior, but everyday I hear people everywhere crying out for one."

Wow. Now that is a phrase worth remembering.

-Patrick

Note- I encourage everyone to read this, the first part of a (probably) short story I am writing. I came home this evening, sat down, and simply began writing. I wrote all that you see below in one sitting- I was simply inspired by creativity to write it. I appreciate your feedback, your thoughts (hopefully positive- if you don't like science fiction or something, then, just quietly dislike it ), and please feel free to share my website for others to read if you desire. It is late, and I need sleep, but I plan to write a lot more later. In fact, if I wanted to, I could easily elongate it all into a "novel" style- but I wanted to at least finish it short style before I go trying to make it bigger. I really feel like this is a story I want to, and need to, tell. Everything is completely fictional, obviously, and yeah I based some of my characters on my own experiences- but none of the characters are truly actual people nor should be taken to be. I encourage you, if you are not technical or find the sci fi genre strange, to give it a try- I mix genres a bit here, and I think you will find this rather unique. Enjoy.

Come Back to Us

By Patrick R
Flanagan

Copyright
Patrick Flanagan- June 2006

All
Rights Reserved. Not for sale or print without author’s permission.

Michael gently took hold of the
delicate, fragile elbow wiggling before him and eased it back onto the table
where the thin paper was. It began scribbling furiously again, as the intent
baby wildly moved his fist containing the brown crayon in a death grip that
would hurt any living thing. Michael knew- he had felt that strong grip many
times from his son as he grew older month by month. It would not be very long
until David was a year old. He had never known that babies could be so… grown
up at so young an age! David had an intense look of concentration on his face
as he scribbled away, punctuating his masterpiece with occasional gap-toothed
grins and squeals. Being a Dad only seemed to get more enjoyable as time went
on. If only the challenge did not increase as well! Of course, his extensive
experience with games and computers reminded him that the more the difficulty
of a task increased in any game or experience the more rewarding it could be.

His watch lit up
and chimed a delicate sound, and he tapped the face of it with his finger.
“Hello, Sarah! What are you doing calling here? Aren’t you supposed to be busy
today?”

His wife’s voice
a little more thick than normal as she spoke in audio only through the cell
watch, betraying her feelings just a little despite her presence at work.
“Well, dear, my supervisor understood the… the circumstances. It is very
busy here this week, especially today, but she was willing to give me this
afternoon off. As soon as we finish things up here for lunch break, I’m taking
off to meet you and spend some time with the family before we leave for the
centre this evening.”

Michael’s lips
thinned unconsciously for a short time, before he relaxed himself as he
realised what she must be feeling right now. For him, it was a thrill of
excitement. For his wife, it was probably more akin to having a limb detached
for several weeks. While it comforted him that she cared about him so much, he
grieved that she had to hurt like that. Sometimes daily life could make them
forget just how vital they were to each other. “Sarah… late Summer is a busy
time of year for you at work, and I know you and your team is being reviewed.”
He paused before continuing, “I know you will be happier being with our family
before I leave. So if you and your boss really think this is alright, then I am
all for it.”

The sigh of
relief was very audible from his wrist. “Okay, I’ll be home in the next hour or
so.” Michael took the crayon from the baby’s hand before he could stuff it in
his little mouth. “Michael? I’m really going to miss you. I know this has been
done fairly regularly now in the government and military- they wouldn’t let you
do it otherwise- but I’m still nervous.”

Michael smiled and
pulled out his Pocket-Pal, switching the call from his wrist-watch to the
screen of the small computer the size of a paperback book. These pocket
computers had been around for years now, but only recently had they been able
to catch up in processing power and speed to the bulkier notebook computers. It
was surely the infusion of nanotechnology into computer development that
allowed this. That, and whenever there is something better available the
‘older’ technology becomes less 
expensive. Quantum computing was the next thing, and the development of
this was lowering prices of current computing. It was hard to believe that in a
decade he might be able to have a watch more powerful than the network
mainframe where he worked that was the size of his watch-cell he was talking to
his wife on now. The computer at work was fast enough to manage thousands of
computers, terabytes of data- he couldn’t imagine that cabinet sized monster
fitting into his wrist watch. However, he had seen things just as stunning happen
in his life.

His wife’s face
appeared on the PP, and he could see the worry hidden underneath her features.
“Come on home. There will be a big hug waiting for you. We’ll have a great
afternoon, and I’ll only be gone a month. We’ve been apart longer.”

She cracked a wry
smile, “Yes, but that was nothing compared to this.” Her smile faded and she
became more serious, “Nothing like it at all.”

He looked at the
little camera seriously, diverting his eyes from the screen to show his serious
intent. “If you say the word, I will call this entire thing off. There will be
consequences, but you and my family come first. God, my family, and then
myself: those are my priorities. You know that.”

“I know, Michael.
I’d never ask you to do that. I’m behind you all the way.” Fair fingers dabbed
at the corner of closed eyes. “You just stay safe and be careful. Okay? If
anything happens to you, I will come there myself and make you regret it!”

A wink and a
smile preceded his parting words, “That is incentive I simply cannot ignore.
See you soon.” The screen blinked off.

Sarah was
changing David’s diaper while Michael typed away at his computer. He wanted to
check over some emails and make sure everything was in order before his trip.
He had long ago turned off the main line for his cell watch- reporters of all
kinds had somehow found the number and were trying to get an exclusive
interview from him before he left. Until he left the house, this was time for
him to make sure his family was secure and tended to.

A little angel in
emerald green stepped into the den, a large bow secured at the back of her head
in her long copper hair. Celina stood at the doorway for a moment until her Dad
noticed her before walking in and presenting a large drawing to him. “I wanted
you to see this before you go, Daddy.” She said in her very proper, gently
nasal voice.  After clicking his mouse a
few more types, he touched the keyboard and turned off the screen to give his
five year old daughter complete attention. The seriousness with which she presented
her creation brought a smile to his face as he looked over the drawing and
admired how much her skills had improved over time. He could actually recognize
the planets as circles, now, instead of lopsided eggs.

Her little finger
darted out to point out what was already adorably obvious, but it elicited not
a single protestation from her Father. “This is our house, and this is us
living in our house.” She said with her lecturing tone that only a little girl
could quite accomplish. Her finger pointed at what appeared to be earth with a
house drawn on top and three little people drawn on it. There was the baby in
Sarah’s arms, and there was Celina. Her finger moved to the other side of the
paper to point to another planet with stars around it. The distance from Earth,
Michael noted, seemed to represent how far Celina felt the distance to be in
her mind and heart. “This is Mars. This is the station on Mars. And this is you
when you get on Mars.” Michael looked at the figure of himself.

“Not only am I
larger than the station, darling, but I would not be smiling like that if I did
not have a suit of some kind to protect me from the atmosphere. I would be
choking and probably very upset.” He could not help but grin at the offended
frown Celina adopted at his impudence. Rather than responding, she put the
drawing down on the desk and gave him a big, silent hug. She remained there a
few moments as Michael stroked her long, satin hair. Then she suddenly let go
and ran out of the room, obviously not quite comfortable with the idea of
saying goodbye to Daddy. To her, a month might as well have been years. At
least Sarah understood that his job would be one of the safest ones on the
team. He would at least get a few opportunities to walk on the surface of Mars,
but most of his duties would be minor.

Michael was a
counsellor as well as an expert in intercultural relations. Since the Mars
station team would be composed of a mixture of groups from a variety of UN
members it was recognised by the United States that it was essential to have a
member of the American team that was capable of counselling their crew and
facilitating relations amongst the international crew. He would only be there a
month, as the facility began its operations, but during that time his goal was
to enable friendships and ease conflict by counselling the US members and
building friendships with the international group. Once that was established,
from the second month on it would be up to the crew to take it from there. Oh,
the team would have kept him as long as they could- but Michael had a family of
his own, and he had refused countless times any and all offers to stay longer.
When he was pressured by the US ambassador to the United Nations himself, he
had flat out threatened back that he would not even go for the month he had
accepted if he received any further “requests” of that nature. Since then, none
were given.

Michael got up
and put on a light coat. It was only late August, but the weather had been a
little cooler lately and he did not want his memories of Earth for the next
month to be of shivers and chills on the way to the centre. He could hear the
slight commotion in the other room of David making noises and Celina
complaining about something in a whining tone while her mother very firmly scolded
her. He would miss being here, but he was excited about the trip. It would be a
wonderful month. In only a short time, he would be back. For the rest of his
life, he would be treasuring memories of an experience that would go down in
history. An experience that very few people on Earth might get the chance to be
a part of.

“Alright guys.
It’s time to go. I was told to get there three hours early, sharp. This is one
appointment that it would be wise not to be late for. After all, I doubt you
would want me to be known internationally as “the one who was late”, would
you?” He cracked a smile, but he could tell that everyone save for David was
feeling stress. After one glance back at the now dark house, they closed the
door and headed for the car.

The Gobal
Transport Centre was mainly used by government and UN officials world-wide, as
well as essential military travel. The hope, however, was that in the
not-so-far future it would eventually be opened up like unique sort of airport.
It was a huge complex made of sleek, white walls with elegant windows and a
very modern feel. It felt more like a combination of an airport, a very nice
government building, and an expensive hospital all in one. After checking in at
the front and waiting while they were all thoroughly checked by security, they
stepped into the beautiful glass elevator and were taken up many floors along
the side of the building. The crowd below was held back away from the building,
thus there was no flood of reporters attacking them while they entered the
quiet building. This did not feel so much like he expected people who used
space shuttles used to feel before launch. It was much more subdued and sterile
feelings. Perhaps this was due to the fact the governments had relied heavily
on the technology that businesses had developed, so everything had a more
secure and businesslike feel than ever before.

Reaching the
correct floor, they stepped off the elevator to a beautiful lobby and very
suddenly his family was approached by a young woman in dark blue business
dress. “Welcome! If your family would follow me, we would like to ask them to
sit in this waiting room with the other families while our very competent staff
leads you to our transportation facilities. We would invite you all to watch,
but in order to make this a safe procedure we need to keep the number of people
involved as small as possible. Right this way, please.”

Sarah immediately
grabbed his arm, looking at him with surprise at having to part so abruptly. He
pulled her close and gave her a long, intimate kiss, “I love you. I’ll see you
very soon.” He ran his fingers through her auburn hair and smile, twining his
fingers with hers before letting himself be escorted towards a hallway leading
out from the lobby.

“I love you
Michael! Come back soon! Come back safe! I love you!!” Sarah shouted out
after him, heedless of the formality of the occasion. Her husband waved back at
her before they passed through sleek grey doors which sealed behind them.
Celina wrapped her arms around her Mom’s leg and began sniffling, while Sarah
occupied herself with rocking the sleepy David rapidly against her. She ignored
the fact that tears were pooling in her eyes and leaking down her cheeks. It
would only be a month- what was that compared to the years they had been
married?

If the exterior
of the GTC was impressive, the inside was even more so. It truly felt like he
was walking from his usual world into something of an alien world- though the
closest comparison he had was a hospital as he noticed the special equipment
and doorways. He was lead into an area that looked like it connected to several
hospital-like rooms and one room in particular with very large caution signs on
it. They read, “Caution- Concentrated Magnetic Field. Authorised Personnel
Only” and “Radiation Danger Area- Security Clearance Level One Required”. He
was shown his own little room with a gown in it and a locker. This time a real
nurse guided him there, telling him to remove his clothing and all items and
place them there- he would be unable to take any of them with him. He had
already selected important or special items he wanted for the trip months ago-
now, he would only be taking himself. Even his clothing would apparently be
left behind. He had sent his wedding ring ahead as well, and worn a temporary
one instead. He wanted to have his real wedding band with him while he was on
Mars. His Wife had not really understood, but he had insisted. He simply felt
it was important.

He took a calming
breath to slow down his racing heart as he tied up the laces of his drafty
gown. This was it. He would be experiencing something completely new and
incredible- he would set foot on another planet in only another hour or two.
One small step for man, one giant leap for Michael! He finish with the gown and
pressed the button on the wall. Seconds later the nurse opened the door,
gesturing for him to follow her. He wondered why the speed surprised him- after
all, he was a national celebrity now along with the others chosen for the trip.
Everyone in America could probably recognize his face- maybe even the world-
especially since he was the only member of the team who was staying for so
short a time. It was particularly popular among the press that his reasons for
returning were his family. They kept repeating it until Michael finally gave up
watching any TV, since he was always seeing himself on it. He appreciated the
fact people liked his reasons, but disliked the motives behind the hype. The
media wanted a story that sold- and his sold. The reason it sold, however, was
because people wanted family values back. After all, that was why he held
himself so strictly to his priorities- he knew it was easy to let life catch
him up in its fast pace, and it was his choice to put his beliefs and family
first that got him so far. Without God, without Sarah, he would never have been
successful.

He was lead next
to the room with the caution signs, and then to a room next to it. This was the
surprising part- though he supposed it made sense. They proceeded to shave all
of his hair off except for the hair on the top of his head, his eyebrows, and
his eyelashes. He was glad they were willing to let him keep that much. The
fact one of the two people doing it was a woman made him embarrassed, the fact
one was a man made him feel a little violated when they got to his more private
region. “Be careful down there- I’m willing to give up my hair without
complaint, but there are some things I might not appreciate loosing.” He got a
grin from the two nurses.

Once he was
shaved, he was then cleaned in a very unique way. First he was put in a glass
room and sprayed down with water. He then was told to rub a foamy soap all over
his body and scrub himself down with a very rough sponge. This room connected
directly to metal doors leading into the room that had been labelled with those
intimidating signs. Michael figured out that apparently they wanted him to be
thoroughly sterilised and cleaned without risking any contamination once he
finished. By the time he was done scrubbing, his skin was red and the hot water
stung as it sprayed him down. He was blown dry over a grated area with special
lights added to help. A friendly male voice explained some of what was to
happen next.

“After you are
dry, you will enter the next room. You will put on a new gown made of a special
material, and then lay down on the tray before you. We will explain the rest
from there. We hope to make the rest as easy and comfortable as possible. We
said this would take two hours, but that was to give us extra time. In actuality,
if everything goes well we should be done thirty to forty minutes from now.
Just think, in less than an hour you will be standing on Mars.” The voice
finished, and Michael could not help but grin at the idea. His heart was racing
with excitement. He prayed to himself that his family would be comforted and
feel peace about this- but he knew things would be well. They would all be
taken care of.

He had expected
an audience, a crowd- something. There was probably a video recording that
began once he had his gown on, but the only person in the room was a specially
suited technician. The machine present reminded him of nothing less than a
monstrous MRI machine he had experienced once years ago. In truth, it
apparently used a variation of the same technology- as was explained to him
prior to this, and once again by the technician. He would lay on the special
tray. A brace would be put over his face and he would be secured so that his
body would not accidentally move in the process. He was asked once again if he
had eaten anything in the last twelve hours, and verified he had taken the
medications he was told to and held to the special diet required of him for the
week prior. Finally, the technician laid him down and put an oxygen mask over
his face before giving him several injections. His racing heart relaxed a
little, and he felt a little more at ease and peaceful. The room was cool, and
the mechanical hum of the machine behind him was both relaxing and exciting at
the same time.

After a short
time, the technician removed the oxygen mask and looked at him. “Sir, after
this I am going to leave the room. You must remain completely still. We will be
scanning your entire body more completely than any non-quantum equipment is
possible of doing. This scanning process has an error-correction process, and
it will be repeated two times total to be sure. However, you must do everything
you possibly can to remain as relaxed as possible. Swallow when you need to,
breathe but otherwise keep your body completely still. We gave you some
medication to help the scan and also relax you to make keeping still as easy as
possible. If we feel you moved too much, we will have to repeat the process all
over again and it will take twice as long or more. We do not want to allow any risk
of harm to you- after all, you and your team are heroes.” The technician smiled
warmly and patted Michael’s shoulder. “Good luck, have a safe trip and do our
country proud up there. Come back to us.”

The braces were
secured- the fabric over them was not uncomfortable or too cold, and he was
snug and well fitted on the tray. All people had left the room now, and the
tray slid back slowly. Soon he was in the brightly lit white tube with the
surface close above him. He felt the cool air slide over him as his knees past
the opening, then his toes. He was totally inside the machine now, and it felt
rather comfortable. The sequence of events had been explained to him, and now
it began.

First there were
short two to three minute scans to get the image of his body. Then, he felt the
vibration and heard the muted low tones of the machine as it sent waves into
his body to carefully scan every single molecule within it. He could hear the
clicking and deep vibrating whir as he was circled by the equipment. The series
of scans finally finished and were repeated again, before they began the third
and final run. This was it. The sounds were now a louder, deeper vibration
punctuated by high pitched noises. His eyes were closed and he felt his head a
little fuzzy as the vibrating went over him. During this last run of scans, the
actual transportation process would occur- all this data would be instantly
relayed by quantum communication to the facility on Mars where he would be
reconstructed using quantum and wet nanotechnology. What was here would be
vaporised- thus the radiation warning on the door- and he would simultaneously
appear on Mars.  Officials did it to
transport quickly on Earth, and now he was one of the second groups to make the
journey all the way to Mars. His thoughts drifted a little to his family as he
lay there. He looked forwards to getting to tell them about what he saw.

“Come back to
us.” He heard the technician say in his mind, the last words he had heard
someone say to him.

Then the
vibration stopped. He kept his eyes closed. Nothing. He heard the sound of the
door opening. Michael opened his eyes, seeing once more the clear white and
brightly lit tube surface above him. He heard some voices, and more people came
into the room. The tray was slid out, and after a few moments of the tube he
suddenly could see the technician and several other unsuited people in the
room.

“Why didn’t he
go?” Asked one of the government officials he recognised.

One of the
doctors now in the room shook his head, “I was told that a safety mechanism had
turned on- it is an emergency procedure, so that if there is a problem
establishing a connection to the other point, he will not cease to exist here
without appearing there… that is, he would not be killed.”

Michael blinked.
He had heard the protestations about this method by some people- but it had
successfully occurred, and he even had a friend who had done it multiple times.
He could attest to the fact that his friend was the same guy he had always
been- no scrambling, no demonic possession or evil twin. Yet it was a little
strange to think about the fact that if the other connection did not succeed-
he would basically be killed, vaporised by the very people trying to send him
safely elsewhere. He put that aside from his mind.

“So what happens
next?” Asked  another man.

“Well…” said the
doctor, “We have to follow procedure exactly. Until we hear back a clear
communication from Mars National Community, we cannot attempt to send Michael
or any of the other two we were sending in this attempt. So, we wait.”

They let Michael
sit down in a chair in the room- apparently since the data had been taken, he
did not have to be kept totally sterile. Once they got the all clear, he would
return to finish the final scan as before. The wait was unnerving. He wondered
what they had told his family. He hoped they were not getting upset.

Finally, a
commotion started outside the room and a very well dressed member of the staff
stepped in. “Gentlemen, I have serious news. There was a sudden atmospheric
storm that began on Mars, and we believe the facility was damaged. All
communications with them have been severed as of three hours ago. We can only
wait until either the storm passes or they repair the equipment on their side.
I am afraid we have to call off the transportation. From what our experts know
about the weather on Mars, it is safe to say that we may need to consider
calling off the transport of these men entirely and follow up with an emergency
assistance crew instead when we renew contact.”

The mood in the
room changed drastically. Concerned murmurs began, and Michael felt his heart
sink down in his chest. He felt a little guilty that it was not only for worry
of the crew on Mars, but also the fact that his one chance- this incredible
opportunity- had just shattered into pieces right before him. Come back to us?
He never even left.

After the news,
he was allowed to dress, and lead back into the lobby. Sarah ran to him and
threw her arms around him. “When they said something had happened, I was so
scared… I was so worried… so when they finished saying that you had never left,
I felt like I was about to explode with relief. I am so glad you are okay. I’m
so sorry you didn’t get to go! I’m sure… I’m sure it will work out soon. I’m
just glad you’re here, now.”

Michael gave her
a warm hug and nodded, “We’ll see what happens. It’s all in God’s hands right
now, we just have to go with it.” He smiled down at Celina, who was tightly
clinging to his leg and smiling up at him. He had to admit that this warm reception
made the prospect of staying not quite so bad. If he had gotten there and then
the storm had hit, he had no idea how he might have felt- being forced to be
separated from them for only God knows how long. He was here, safe, with his
family- and maybe, God willing, he would get to go in the near future.

Michael heard a
whoop from the other room, and disentangled himself from the exercise
machine so rapidly he scraped his leg. When Hijii whooped, everyone listened-
he was a very calm, serious Japanese scientist who had kept a very level head
through all this. Michael made his way carefully through the doorway and stood
next to Hijii’s console while gradually other crew members began to gather
nearby. Hijii smiled at him. It was good to feel useful- after all this time,
he had been told by other crew members that it was his experience in
counselling and working with other cultures that helped keep people from
killing each other during the first few months of their isolation.

I guess God knew what He was doing
after all when He sent me here. Who could have thought this would happen? Only
God could have known- and somehow, I had the strength to help calm things down.
I’m not the only one who misses my family, here.

Everyone was
desperate for their homes, their family. One look at Hijii’s monitor made
everyone start laughing and grinning. Not any longer. It was the words they had
waited ten whole years to see. Ten years of total silence and separation from
Earth, no explanation or understanding of how or why it was so. By now, they
had gotten into a routine of trying to find joy in each other’s friendship and
keep up hope for the future. They could occasionally see through the rough
atmosphere into space- Earth was still there, and as long as that was so there
was always hope. Hope that had finally been answered in the form of a sentence-
“Earth to Mars- do you read?”

Soon followed
voice contact. They were saved. Already, one of the Mars-side techs was racing
to his post to being a routine he had probably practiced millions of times
since that faithful, horrible day. He would begin to divert their power towards
warming up the quantum transport machine, and in a few days they would finally
be able to be home. Years upon years in a small, isolated community on a
dangerous planet- and now they would go home to breath the air of Earth.
Finally, finally, finally- Michael would get to hold Sarah in his arms
again, see his precious angel Cilina, and see what kind of man David was
growing up into.

After all this time
growing up without him, their father, they would get to see him again- and he
would get to see them. He would finally come back to them.

Is Pixar in the pits, or do they have more hits?

I have personally never found Bugs Life quite as impressive as many other CGI films, and Toy Story was fun but not quite a four star on my list- definitely a classic though, comparible to Lady and the Tramp on my level of enjoyment upon seeing it initially. However, as time has gone on Pixar seems to be doing an increasingly excellent job at producing very tasteful and enjoyable films. Best of all, they do it with a high tech edge and breathtaking graphics that increase incrementially as time goes on. Then they throw out a hit like The Incredibles and totally win me over- even though they put a "monkey wrench" in their own wheels by hiring the director of the movie that tested everyone's patience and skills. The Incredibles is surely one of my life-long favourite films now, and not just because it is a RARE gem that features a married couple as the main character! How nice is it to have a movie where the character seeking after love finds it in his own Wife? I'd like more of those, thank you very much- I think one reason so many men are inclined to look for "new love" is because entertainment (which puts us into the main character's shoes) so often features a main character searching after a new love, be they single or divorced, or soon-to-be divorced.

Enter Cars. It is Pixar's last movie under their contract that requirse them to ONLY produce films for Disney. From now on, they can make movies for anyone. When I heard the plot, then saw the first previews, I was sure they must be thumbing their nose at Disney with one of their lesser ideas as though to say "Haa haa, we'll throw this one at you and then give our REALLY big hits to someone else". I'm not a big car person. Come on, a whole movie about them? With all the characters as CARS?! About racing cars at that? I hate racing cars, I'm not interested in racing, I could care less what makes my car go as long as it goes. I suppose I dislike people who say the same thing about computers- but the truth is, if they really do not want to know, then that is okay. A computer can be an enjoyable thing, or just a tool- that is the beauty of it. A car too, perhaps.

So what was it?

Well, I heard good things about it... so I saw it finally with my Dad and Sister.

It did not grab me right off, but the graphics were absolutely amazing- they put all their previous works to shame within minutes. Glossy, reflective imagery at fast pace- throwing new fancy images at you so quickly, you almost could think the cars were real until you saw the eyes on them! And the scenery- the whole movie, the scenery stood out as a contrast to the unreality of talking cars. Detailed, photo-realistic beauty unfolded- truly the plot relied heavily upon a beautiful and realistic depiction of the desert areas along Route 66 as well as the race track.

The plot, a little generic at first, made a bold attempt. Instead of throwing curves and surprises at you to try to make an ending you couldn't guess- they kind of seem to know hey, we can kind of guess where this is going. But it isn't the end that matters the most- it is how you get there. Funny, but as I say that I realise that actually IS the whole point of the movie! Watch and you will understand.

I give this movie three and a half stars out of four. Definitely a worthy sequel to the Incredibles (which I would definitely give four stars to). On a scale of ten, I would give this an eight out of ten- and the Incredibles a perfect ten. This movie is definitely worth your time! It is a classic film that doesn't try to fake you out, it just gives you a heart-warming goal with its own way of getting there. In a movie that questions if the "fast lane to the goal" is really the BEST lane to your goal- it too takes us on its own road to the "finish line". We all know where it will end- but we're a little surprised at how we get there!

Spend your next movie ticket money on Cars and you will be happy. Of course, I know Superman is coming up- so I understand if you do not- but you won't feel bad after seeing Cars.

-Patrick

Edit- Thinking back on the movie, I realised something. In the beginning, and the fast-paced racing parts of the movie, the cars were fancy, impressive, sleek, absolute models of computer graphics. The effects and racing blew me away. As we move into the slow paced part of the movie in the remote town, the cars loose that glossy look- no more smooth racing or incredible effects- and the fact it is a computer animation fades into the background. Literally- the real effects, the real awe, is in the realism and incredible perfection of the scenery. I believe this is an intentional choice and statement.