"V" is Back

"V" is Back - this time on ABC and an update retelling of Aliens who appear as human in the beginning, but are really lizards in human disguise who wants to use humans as livestock. Oh, and in the original mini-series of the same name(created by Kenneth Johnson back in 1984); they also need our water.

But doing some websurfing today before going to visit some friends tonight for the broadcast of this new version, I came across this story in the Chicago Tribune, written by Glenn Garvin; 'V' aims at Obamamania. Take a look at the first two paragraphs:

Imagine this. At a time of political turmoil, a charismatic, telegenic new leader arrives virtually out of nowhere. He offers a message of hope and reconciliation based on compromise and promises to marshal technology for a better future that will include universal health care.

The news media swoons in admiration -- one simpering anchorman even shouts at a reporter who asks a tough question: "Why don't you show some respect?!" The public is likewise smitten, except for a few nut cases who circulate batty rumors on the Internet about the leader's origins and intentions. The leader, undismayed, offers assurances that are soothing, if also just a tiny bit condescending: "Embracing change is never easy."

Glenn Garvin states later on in his article the following: 'it's also a barbed commentary on Obamamania that will infuriate the president's supporters and delight his detractors.' I will cross link this to my other blog as well - The Shanks Dimension (http://www.theshanksdimension.com/).

This new version of "V" is suppose to focus on Erica Evans, a Homeland Security officer who has a son that just loves the idea of working with the aliens. And like in the original V, there will be other story lines as well. This might very well turn into another "V" tv series. If it does, lets hope it gets the same type of revamp that "Battlestar Galactica" got.

Image above is of the 'new' Vistor's vessels arriving on earth.

UPDATE: Now having viewed the first episode of the new (possible) TV series, the main complaint I heard my fellow viewers talk about was the fast pace of 'discovering' the aliens true nature. Also, the character of Erica Evans is a FBI agent. And her partner - it turns out - is one of the aliens who have been here on earth for years. As in part of a 5th column type agent.

I will also add that the "motherships" hovering over Earth's major cities are now shown to be like triangle shape colony ships.

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Ref. Chicago Tribune, November 3, 2009. "'V' aims at Obamamania" by Glenn Garvin. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tc-tvcolumn-v-1102-1103nov03,0,7062976.story).

image from Film Fetish(dot) com. (http://www.filmfetish.com/2009/05/20/trailer-for-the-new-v-sci-fi-mini-series-now-online/)

HRP-4C Female Fashion Robot

Today, Japanese robot designers showed off a new robot that will soon be strutting her stuff down a fashion runway.  The HRP-4C.

The humanoid, girlie-faced robot with slightly over sized eyes (Manga style).  A tiny nose, shoulder length hair and boasting 42 motion motors programmed to mimic the movements of flesh and blood fashion models.  

She greeted the audience at the National Industrial Science and Technology outside of Tokyo by saying, "Hello everybody, I am cybernetic human HRP-4C." The "fashion-bot" is five feet, two inches (158 centimeters) tall - which happens to be the average height of Japanese women aged 19 to 29, but weighing in at 95 pounds (43 kilograms) - that includes the batteries.

While her face is manga-inspired, she has a silver metallic body. "If we had made the robot too similar to a real human, it would have been uncanny." Shuji Kajita, one of the inventors, told reporters. "We have deliberately leaned toward an anime style."

The institute said the robot "has been developed mainly for use in the entertainment industry."  But it is not for sale at the moment.  

The "fashion-bot" hammed it up for the photographers and television crews, the seductive cyborg struck poses, flashing smiles at her audience.  Pouted when commanded to do so via bluetooth devices.  

This preview was just a warm-up for her appearance at a Tokyo fashion show scheduled for March 23, 2009.

Projected price for this class of robot is around two million dollars. 

Now for my observations... When the Japanese can reduce the costs to a more favorible range for the greater masses, these things will take off.  These things first and formost are to help the Japanese with their aging population for such things like elder care in nursing homes and companionship.  But, the unwritten (or unspoken) idea behind these things is a tried and true staple of science fiction.  

Sex-bots!  I give you example number one.  In the new version of Battlestar Galactica, the human-looking cylons and especially the blonde known as the "Six" model, played by actress Tricia Helfer.  For those of us old enough to remember how quickly prices for VCRs came down once the mainline movie industry (and the porn industry too) got into making tapes and selling them.  

The same will be true for the sex-bots which in turn will bring down the costs for humanoid (and human size) robots to the general public.  Then, while all that is taking place, keep updating the the Laws of Robotics as put forward by Isaac Asimov.  And for those of us who need a reminder of what they are, here is the wikipedia link to them (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics ). 

And this will bring up a interesting question about copyright laws reguarding the looks of a actor/actress, or regular person off the street.  Lets have a what if?  Rich guy wants a sex-bot of actress Tricia Helfer.  She has the copyright to her appearance and the production company has the right to "Six."  

Now lets look at this problem.  Same rich guy wants a sex-bot of a old girlfriend that he had a fling with in college and he has photos so that the robot company and build him his old girlfriend.  But that was 20 years in the past and now that same woman is a politican.  And images of this old rich guy and his "robot" toy gets out, and affects this woman's chances at re-election. 

What is the legal recourse for both of them? That will be interesting to see in the coming decades.

 

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Ref.: Fashion robot to hit Japan catwalk.  March 16, 2009. ( www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.44a97a809485fd7d7e11839fef31a365.21&show_article=1)

Breitbart.tv url ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brD5D0ytD04&eurl=http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=298783&feature=player_embedded).