From the Mind of the Lemming: Night Flight

Humans are adaptable critters. Or perhaps the Lemming should say "adapting."

For example, although they've got top-rate color vision and see well enough to avoid trees at twilight, humans are most sincerely not nocturnal. But instead of accepting a role as day-dwellers, they keep developing new ways to stay active: no matter where a sun is relative to the local horizon.

They do, however, seem to like feeling "in control," even when the actual work is getting done — and quite well — by their tech.

The Lemming recalls a time when a train's "driver" didn't tell the train's AI that he was stepping out of the vehicle — and ran after the train as it left without him.

Vaguely-related posts:

• "It's Morning — Somewhere — Or Maybe Near Sunset"
  (September 12, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Morning in the City"
  (August 29, 2014)
• "Gone for the Weekend"
  (July 4, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Xanadu Springs"
  (June 20, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: The Lemming's Walking Stick"
  (May 23, 2014)

King's Quest, Doom, and Candy Land: The Lemming Opines

(From Activision/Sierra, via gameinformer, used w/o permission.)
(King's Quest Returns.)

"[Update] Sierra's New King's Quest Won't Be Point-And-Click, Will Be Adventure"
Mike Futter, gameinformer (August 16, 2014)

"Update: The Odd Gentlemen, the developer working on the new King's Quest game, reached out to clarify an aspect of its still mysterious project.

"The game won't be a point-and-click title in the traditional sense, but it will retain King's Quest's adventure roots. Below, you will find our conversation with Activision's MacLean Marshall about reviving Sierra and King's Quest.

"Original Story:

"One of the more surprising announcements during Gamescom was Activision's revival of the classic Sierra brand. The original Sierra, founded by Ken and Roberta Williams in 1979, was known for the King's Quest, Space Quest, and Police Quest series (among many others). Activision has big plans for the brand that include classic franchises and brand new creations...."

Apparently the Sierra brand was owned by Vivendi, which was acquired by Activision.

Instead of fussing about corporate greed, why nobody should use Microsoft, or the sky being the wrong color: the Lemming takes this opportunity to ramble on about creativity and all that.

Creativity will be involved in the Sierra reboot, since The Odd Gentlemen will be "...doing a contemporary reboot of King's Quest...."

At least that's what Mike Futter says The Odd Gentlemen said.

The good news is that someone will be thinking about the new-and-improved King's Quest.

'The Lemming doesn't know yet' news is that someone other than the original creators will be doing the reboot.

If The Odd Gentlemen is/are smart, creative, and have tastes that correspond to those of a flannel-wearing Lemming, the results could be quite satisfactory. To the Lemming.

On the other hand — Roberta Williams, who designed the original King's Quest series, understood storytelling. She had a particular style that shows in the original series. The games had 'personality.'

So, for that matter, did id Software's Doom. The Lemming enjoyed playing Doom: and King's Quest.

But think about it: what if someone decided to reboot Doom with a Super Mario Bros. feel? Or Candy Land with Doom-inspired graphics?

The Lemming thinks these posts are related — your experience may vary:

• "Roomba Review, and Dancing Robots"
  (August 17, 2012)
• "Nifty Screensavers: An Old Review, Micro-Reviewed"
  (March 8, 2011)
• "Farfel!"
  (February 6, 2011)
• "Five Strange Video Games"
  (September 8, 2010)
• "Pushpin Mario: New Dimensions in Cork Board Art?"
  (January 5, 2009)

It's Morning — Somewhere — Or Maybe Near Sunset

Or maybe it's near sunset. Or this is one of those places where the sun never gets very high.

And is the — steed? — mount? — pointing at something, or just stretching its fingers?

One of these days the Lemming really should get organized, and start labeling these things. Not the whatsit with the saddle. The rider must know what it is, and probably named it. The pictures, that's what the Lemming means: at least a locale, a date, something.

Posts that aren't quite entirely unrelated.

• "Robots With Attitude: Maybe, Eventually"
  (August 15, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Xanadu Springs"
  (June 20, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: The Lemming's Walking Stick"
  (May 23, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: A Far Horizon"
  (May 16, 2014)
• " 'Anchovies and Peanut Butter?!' "
  (Wednesday, October 30, 2013)

Robird: False Falcons, Ersatz Eagles, and a Rambling Lemming

(From 3D Print, Audubon Magazine, via The Tech Journal, used w/o permission.)
(Look, up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, no: it's Robird!)

"3D Printed Robotic Birds Made To Protect Real Birds, Trials Undergoing"
Anatol Rahman, The Tech Journal (September 3, 2014)

"Birds are one of the most beautiful creations of God, but flock of these birds can be a menace for agriculture as they tend to destroy crops. Besides, they can pose a real threat to the aviation industry as they get stuck in airplane engines and raise serious issues. But don’t worry, there will be 3D printed birds that will be controlled via a remote control. These 3D-printed robotic birds are now being tested at airports, landfills and farms to scare away birds that can cause problems.

"Robird is actually a pair of 3D printed robotic birds that look like a real falcon and eagle. Full names of these robotic birds are Robird Peregrine Falcon and Robird Eagle. That falcon bird will be able to travel 50 mph speed. It has been designed to scare away birds. On the other hand, the eagle model will be able to chase off a bird of any size, because no bird dares to stand against an eagle...."

The Lemming thinks this is a pretty good idea: provided that birds loitering about airports either mistake patrolling Robirds for the real thing: or get spooked by high-speed flying robots.

That's what the Lemming thinks: but of course, the Lemming can't leave it at that. Not when there's a perfectly good opportunity to warn humanity — hysterically, of course.

As anyone who saw Hitchcock's "The Birds" realizes, birds are just biding their time: waiting to wreak chaos and destruction upon an unsuspecting world. Or Bodega Bay, at any rate. Lovely place, really.

Birds, Black Vinyl, and the Stepford Wives

The real threat, of course, was from Mars: wearing black vinyl, accompanied by a robot named Chani. Ah, they just don't make movies like "Devil Girl from Mars" any more.

Now that the Lemming thinks about it, though: there's a fairly continuous stream of that sort of thing. Not always with black vinyl, of course.

Well, one doesn't get everything: for which the Lemming is duly grateful:

• "Devil Girl from Mars"
  (1954)
• "King Kong Escapes"
  (1967)
• "Westworld"
  (1973)
• "The Stepford Wives"
  (1975)
  • and 2004
• "Android Apocalypse"
  (2006)

Let's see, where was the Lemming? Ah, yes: ranting hysterically about robots and black vinyl. Right.

Does nobody see Robird for the threat it really is?!! First they fly around airports, lulling humanity into false sense of security. Next, they'll turn to landfills: driving gulls away; and where will the gulls go?!!!

To supermarket dumpsters, of course!!!! There, they'll organize into small strike forces - - -.

No, the Lemming really should stop now. Somebody might actually believe that drivel.

Seriously? Robird: looks like a pretty good idea. Cool, anyway. In the Lemming's opinion.

More of the Lemming's view of robots, penguins, and other related topics:

• "Robots With Attitude: Maybe, Eventually"
  (August 15, 2014)
• " 'Tampering With Things Man Was Not Supposed to Know:' the Angst Continues"
  (August 1, 2014)
• "From the Mind of the Lemming: Amateur Night"
  (September 20, 2013)
• "Turing Tests, Subcognitive Low-Level Association, and Perambulators"
  (April 13, 2012)
• "Flying Mechanical Penguins"
  (February 12, 2011)