A fascinating story of courage, dedication, skill, and genius. Hugh Herr is an inspirational guy…and we, at General Catalyst, are so proud to be a part of his journey.

A Step Beyond Human

Andy Greenberg
Forbes Magazine dated December 14, 2009

MIT professor and double amputee Hugh Herr is building the world’s most advanced prosthetic foot.

On his way to a lunch meeting a few years ago Hugh Herr was running late. So he parked his Honda  Accord in a handicapped parking spot, sprang out of the car and jogged down the sidewalk. Within seconds a policeman called out, asking to see his disability permit. When Herr pointed it out on his dashboard, the cop eyed him suspiciously. “What’s your affliction?” he asked dryly. Herr, a slim and unassuming 6-footer with dark, neatly parted hair, took a step toward the officer and responded in an even tone: “I have no [expletive] legs.”

Blurring the boundaries of disability is a trick that Herr, director of the biomechatronics group at MIT’s Media Lab, has spent the last 27 years perfecting. At age 17 both of Herr’s legs were amputated 6 inches below the knee after a rock climbing trip ended in severe frostbite. Today he’s one of the world’s preeminent prosthetics experts. His goal: to build artificial limbs that are superior to natural ones. His favorite test subject: himself. “I like to say that there are no disabled people,” says Herr, 45. “Only disabled technology.”

Read more at the link below.

via A Step Beyond Human – Forbes.com.

Research is currently being performed with artificial limbs that would allow individuals not only to control those limbs but also to receive accurate feedback, sensations, from the prosthetic limb by utilizing lasers as a transmitter to individual nerves.

It is the year 2023. Hundreds of elderly people have undergone elective surgery in order to replace non functional or weak limbs with superior mechanical ones. However these same individuals are facing hard times as society begins to exponentially increase health and life expectancy. The elderly are perceived as unneeded group, leftovers from centuries past. The majority is simply waiting for the last of them to pass so that the age of endless youth can begin.

Tensions build as two retirement homes are attacked by young white males eager to find some remaining group against which to commit hate crimes and prove whatever if it is they hope to prove to one another. The government does little to compensate or protect those retired communities which are at greatest risk. In fact retirement as we know it is expected to be legislated out over the next two years.

The elderly are forced to take up action on their own. They alter their artificial limbs into powerful weapons. The old people cyborg uprising is begun.

Lapsing into flaps to close a cardboard box, she slips a note in afterward
the way she forgets she can dance
without strings. The tension
for the right arm varies from that of the knee. Thighs weigh more 

than you might imagine. Pulled out, she emerges
naked and cut free
of nerves before the flaps fold
over each other, before everything collapses, 

before she slips away without written instructions
on how to manipulate the soil
to grow freshly carved limbs.

Namanya Nick Vujicic. Wajahnya tampan, pengusaha sukses, motivator ulung dan pembicara kelas dunia. Nick tidak memiliki apa yang menjadikan kita manusia utuh: tangan dan kaki, kehilangan kedua lengan setinggi bahu, dan berkaki tetapi dengan dua kaki kecil, salah satu yang memiliki dua jari kaki. Ia tidak memiliki organ yang bisa dipakai untuk melakukan sebagian besar aktivitas manusia : makan, minum, mandi, menyisir rambut, memakai lotion atau bersosialisasi di Facebook.

Lama sebelum Nick sadar dan malu terhadap cacat tubuhnya, kedua orang tua terlebih dulu merasa hancur hati ketika melihat bayi yang harusnya menjadikan mereka pasangan berbahagia ternyata tidak lebih dari seonggok daging yang bergerak. Memiliki anak yang hampir cacat total itu, telah memaku kedua orang tuanya pada salib ‘menjaga-dan-merawat-anak-itu-seumur-hidup’.

Lahir di Australia, 4 Desember 1982 pada saat peraturan pemerintah tidak mengijinkan anak-anak dengan cacat tubuh mengikuti sekolah umum

merupakan siksaan lain yang harus dialami orang tua dan tentu saja Nick sendiri setelah sadar bahwa ia berbeda dengan manusia umumnya. Rasa tertolak dan tidak berharga tentu saja dirasakan mereka. Tidak heran saat berusia 10 tahun, Nick mulai mencoba untuk bunuh diri. Ketika akhirnya hukum pemerintah berubah dan mengijinkan anak-anak seperti Nick bersekolah di sekolah umum, itu hanya memberikan babak baru pada bentuk penolakan yang lain yang diterimanya. Kalau orang sehat saja sering menjadi sasaran empuk bullying, apalagi dengan cacat tubuh seperti yang diderita Nick.

Selain mencoba bunuh diri, Nick juga mencoba untuk membujuk Tuhan, menguji kemahakuasaan-Nya, dengan meminta Ia menumbuhkan tangan dan kaki baginya. Tapi mu’jizat itu tidak pernah terjadi. Nick kecewa karena Tuhan tidak mendegar doanya. Namun Tuhan ingin memberikan kepada Nick lebih dari sekedar tangan dan kaki. Jika Tuhan menjawab doa Nick dengan menumbuhkan tangan dan kaki, tentu saja tulisan ini tidak pernah terjadi. Saya dan jutaan orang yang terinspirasi dengan kehidupan Nick tidak akan pernah mengenalnya. Ia hanya akan menjadi salah seorang pemuda tampan di kampung sebelah, ayah yang sayang keluarga, kemudian meninggal sebagai orang tua yang renta, tanpa memberikan dampak yang lebih besar bagi dunia. Kunci titik balik dalam hidupnya adalah ketika ibunya menunjukkan kepadanya artikel koran tentang seorang pria yang cacatnya lebih parah.

Nick akhirnya berhenti berharap menjadi manusia normal ketika ia sadar bahwa ketidakberuntungannya dapat menjadi inspirasi bagi banyak orang. Jika ia bisa mengatasi keterbatasannya, apalagi manusia yang utuh tanpa cacat. Ia mulai belajar dan berlatih. Ia belajar untuk menjadi pembicara sejak remaja. Nick lulus pada saat ia berusia 21 tahun dengan Double Major:
Accounting dan Financial Planning. Ternyata Tuhan memberikan kelebihan kepada Nick, yaitu otak yang encer dan karisma sebagai Public Speaker. Sampai sekarang, Nick bisa mengerjakan hampir semua yang bisa dikerjakan oleh manusia normal, hanya dengan 2 jari kecil yang tumbuh di kakinya. Ia bisa menulis, mengetik cepat, browsing internet, memancing, bermain golf, berenang dan tentu saja mencetak uang.

Apa yang dicapai oleh Nick menjadikan ia International Motivational Speaker yang didengar oleh baik kalangan Kristen maupun non Kristen. Ia berkeliling dunia untuk memberikan inspirasi dan motivasi bagi orang-orang yang seperti saya dulu, tanpa pengharapan dan tujuan hidup. Selain menjadi pembicara yang karismatik, Nick juga memiliki karir yang sukses di bidang keuangan. Ia memiliki beberapa rumah mewah yang dilengkapi oleh kolam renang pada usia yang relatif sangat muda, menobatkan ia sebagai salah satu Most Wanted Bachelor.

Saat ini, tangan dan kaki bukan lagi kebutuhan utama bagi seorang Nick Vujicic. Bukan juga materi dan popularitas. Ia telah memiliki semuanya. Ia memiliknya bukan karena menjadi seorang manusia yang sempurna, melainkan menjadi manusia yang mengerti arti dan tujuan hidupnya berada di dunia ini. Di wajahnya selalu terpancar senyum bahagia, kepercayaan diri serta kepuasan akan apa yang sedang ia kerjakan.

Sungguh dahsyat perjuangan Nick, ia salah satu manusia yang pandai bersyukur. Kekurangan fisik yang ia miliki bukan menjadi hambatan untuk menjalani. Sedangkan apa yang sudah kita lakukan selama ini dengan kesempurnaan fisik yang lebih baik dari Nick? Sudahkah kita mensyukuri itu semua? Akankah kita tetap bermanja-manja, bermalas-malasan dalam menjalani hidup ini? Benar kata Dewa 19, Hidup adalah perjuangan. Giving Up Already?

Untuk mengenal Nick Vujicic lebih jauh lagi bisa dibuka di: lifewithoutlimbs.org

Courtesy: Wikipedia & Youtube

Slowly Friday slips beneath
The gravel which once was concrete
We travel nowhere down this street
As time unravels at our feet

And night comes on without alarm
It takes us in with seasoned charm
The wistful words, the twisted arm
She stays to please, but comes to harm

The orange glows conceal the hours
The hidden hands, the city cowers
Cocooned in cars and lonely towers
Marooned within these walls of ours

And yet, despite her taunts, we dare
To step unchecked into her lair
The fingers tremble in her glare
She does not fear, nor feel, nor care

ou better connect that french

we’re in for a long night

she said step and fetch

keep her on if the lips look alright

look out and look up

they’ve got bombs on bombs

look out for the ones

with the honest faces

and the limbs that go numb

you better brace yourself

you asked for a light and a good life

you wore it well

your all days turning into all nights

she looks up from a stiff drink and says to you

“I’ll smoke this bridge if you want me to”

Donald Conrad

Leaves

It all began when he bought the chainsaw.

That she had no way to defend herself seemed to matter little to him. She was in his way, so he cut her into manageable pieces and fed her into a wood chipper.

Limbs went first.

He had taken a job that ran on a continental shift of twelve hour days; three on—four off, and then four on—three off. In March he had the back end of the week free, including that brutal day: Friday the thirteenth. The day was cloudy and cold with a light breeze.

The chainsaw was an impulse buy. Home Depot is one of the few rare stores where guys actually take the scenic route, shopping by browsing like women do in any other store. All the newest yard-care equipment had been put on display when he visited for light bulbs. He checked out lawn tractors, weed trimmers, and power edgers. Then he came upon the selection of chain saws and a plan came to mind.

It came to him as a grand vision. He had more time on his hands and landscaping always appealed to him, particularly topiary. Sure, he mowed the lawn; but he wanted more. With warming weather soon arriving, he could begin clearing the way for his new hobby. So he bought the chainsaw, put it on his charge card. His wife paid the bills, but he wasn’t the least bit worried. He would have used it plenty by the time the bill came in.

It was an eighteen inch model; certainly enough to rid himself of her. She had been high maintenance all along and hardly worth the trouble. During the winter months she was depressing, cold, and gray. By the end of spring she was leaving her stuff all over and he was forced to clean it all up. She was always upbeat during the summer months when the sun rose high overhead; she so vibrant and colorful. He took solace in those grand times. But as the days shortened, she would begin leaving little bits of herself around in anticipation of winter’s doldrums.

He had had enough.

This was his chance for change. So he put his plan into action. On his way home he stopped at the rental center and found he could afford to rent a wood chipper. The price was actually cheaper in March because of its low demand. He giggled lightly as he drove toward home, surprised at how quickly the plan had come together.

When he pulled up out front with the wood chipper on his trailer hitch, her friends tried to warn her. There was a rustle on the air-waves. Yet none of them could act in defense. They were powerless that way, and could only watch in horror as he carried the box that spelled out its contents in red across it: Husqvarna.

Now she is spread around in the bushes and flower beds on his property. Her mortified friends conspired to retaliate the only way they knew how. They talked among themselves. They foiled his repeated attempts at order. Their actions had him talking—actually muttering—to himself. The poor man was slowly losing his grip.

“Vile, dastardly leaves,” he said again and again.

No one could say where he got such a phrase.

Her friends had been practicing. They had been slowly building on their successes. They dropped hints here and there. He had been thwarted at every turn. This was the life he had chosen when he cut her down in her prime though he couldn’t know it at the time. She was the tallest tree in the neighborhood at eighty feet; a grand large-tooth aspen. Her friends, mostly oaks and maples, had conspired. It was, after all, an anniversary coming up.

Friday the thirteenth occurred again in November. All the trees within sight of his house shuddered and quaked in remembrance. He came out of his garage on that horrible anniversary to once again do battle with the leavings of the deciduous around him.

They had plotted overnight with the only revenge they could muster. When the garage door rose, leaves poured in from a three foot drift. He stood there, backpack leaf-blower at the ready, and his jaw dropped.

The final assault her friends had waged covered his property in leaves a foot deep and drifted much higher. All of it fell overnight. They were still falling in ones and twos from the branches. His leaf blower seemed useless to battle such an onslaught. He let the straps slide from his shoulders and the leaf-blower hit the garage floor. He fell to his knees causing a sudden crunch of crushed leaves. He began sobbing and babbling incoherently. All the work that he had put into his landscaping, his topiary, and his property came to nothing. It was the final straw for him.

His mind snapped like a twig.

Hours later, his wife came home to find him sitting at the entrance to their garage. She couldn’t understand all the leaves still covering their yard. The front of his jacket glistened with drool. He was munching on leaves; they were in his hair and in his clothing. When he noticed his wife, he chuckled the nervous laugh of someone a little deranged and slightly caffeinated. His gaze left her and he looked into the empty branches.

“Leaves,” he said, and laughed again.

From the future Skynet sends their cyborgs to destroy one man and anyone else in their path. The story is well known and these ultra intelligent robots are incredible pieces of art. One wonders where did they come from, how did they start and what was the driving factor behind investing all the money into research for the creation of these machines…

Bionic Hand

Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamond from Tel Aviv Universities department of engineering with a team of E.U. scientists have successfully attached a robotic hand to the nerve endings in the stump of a severed arm. Robin af Ekenstam from Sweden is the project’s first human subject. Since the hand has been attached Robin has been able to do complex tasks such as eat and write. He reports that he can once again feel his (robotic) fingers.

This is a massive step forward in terms of robotics and the application abilities are amazing. With steel being potentially stronger than bone we could create a defence force of super humans. The concept is that nerves in the arm after it has been severed remain intact and can be connected to a device with the capabilities to both send and receive impulses. This allows for you to wire a machine directly to the brain.

The “Smarthand” uses a flexible electrode that will last for 20 years once attached and with the use of 40 sensors and 4 electric servo motors the hand allows the brain to individually control the finger joints and allows for sensations to be sent back in just the same way a natural hand does. With the hand being the most complicated limb on the human body we can now expect bionic limbs and other appendages to be made. With research being put now into articifial skin the “Smarthand” can look normal and we can expect even more feeling to be incorporated. Science fiction has become reality…

n. The act of stretching and extending the limbs, in tiredness or waking

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
Directed by Paul Weitz
Starring John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia

Darren and Steve are best friends. They are also opposites in almost every way. Darren is the good kid, works hard in school, makes good grades, etc. Steve is the teenage punk from a troubled home that is apt to get into trouble. After finding a flyer for a traveling circus of freaks, the two decide to attend… and both of their lives are transformed.

During the show, Steve recognizes the magician to be a vampire from one of the many books he has on the subject. Darren, on the other hand, is far more interested in the unique spider that works with the magician/vampire.

When the show is broken up by local citizens and police, Darren and Steve are separated. Darren finds himself outside the dressing room of the magician/vampire, and decides he wants to see the spider again. Inside he finds the spider, but hears someone coming down the hall and grabs the spider and sneaks into the closet.

The magician/vampire and a friend step into the room and shortly thereafter… and so does Steve. Steve confronts the magician/vampire, and tells him he wants to be made a vampire, that he has nothing else to live for. The vampire sends him away.

When he gets the chance, Darren makes a run for it, and goes home, with the spider.

The next day, Darren takes the spider with him to school and meets up with Steve. The spider, accidentally freed from its cage, bites Steve, leaving him near death.

Darren makes his way back to the theater where they saw the show, hoping that the vampire can help Steve. The vampire makes a deal to help Steve, in exchange for Darren becoming his assistant… and a half-vampire.

Thus begins Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant. This movie is an obvious foundation for other films planned for a series based on the Cirque Du Freak books, which is both good and bad. Good, in that it is trying to establish a world and we are introduced to a lot of characters so that we get a feel for that world. Bad, in that many of those characters are given little time to truly establish themselves.

But, if the film does spawn the sequels, that will be forgiven, perhaps even lauded as we don’t have to deal with the problems of introducing so many characters with each subsequent installment.

The real basis of the story, though, is the rivalry between two sets of bloodsuckers – the Vampires and the Vampanese. Vampires, in this setting, are the “good” guys – they still drink blood, but they only sedate their victims, they don’t kill them. The Vampanese, on the other hand, are violent and bloodthirsty, and power hungry. There has been a long tentative peace treaty between the two groups, but it is now threatened.

I’ll admit that I knew nothing about this film going in. I had seen one commercial for it, and decided to see it just because of the planned theme for this week. And, though the film had a lot of faults, I was pleasantly surprised overall.

This isn’t really a vampire film, though. There are “sorta” vampires in it, but it is almost… vampires sifted through Tim Burton’s brain and then highlighted with Harry Potter-ness… if that makes any sense. The film is more of a quirky fantasy than anything in the realm of horror. Because of that, a lot of people will be immediately turned off of the film. Me? I’m rather proud of myself. When I realized what this film was going for, I thought, “Oh, okay. Well, I’m not exactly the target audience, but let’s see what happens.”

And, sure enough, I’m not the audience for this film. I can’t imagine rushing out to get the DVD for it when it comes out, or even going out of my way to see it again… but I did find it enjoyable.

Yeah, I could talk about the shortcomings of the film all day. I could tell you that Chris Massoglia, who plays Darren, is essentially a clone of Ashton Kutcher and that his performance seemed disengaged. I could complain that the other freaks of the Cirque didn’t get anywhere near enough screen time, and that the large number of name actors were generally wasted in the film.

But, you know what? That is a bunch of nitpicky kinda stuff that, while accurate, didn’t really stop me from enjoying this movie. The effects for the movie were pretty cool, even if some were a little too obviously computer animated. The makeup on this film was stellar, though, top notch stuff that really made this world come alive.

And, though they had limited screen time, the cast of freaks were really good. Jane Krakowski as Corma Limbs was bizarrely perky.

Orlando Jones as Alexander Ribs was… well, Orlando Jones. (Orlando Jones seems to be himself in most things.) Ken Watanabe had an amazing presence as Mr. Tall, and Patrick Fugit was so fantastic as the Snake Boy that I’d like to see an entire movie based on that character.

And, there is Salma Hayak… being all Salma Hayak and hot and all.

The most amazing performance for me, though, had to be John C. Reilly as Crespley, the vampire. The role is so completely against type for him, but he manages to completely own it.

His turn as the weary, cynical vampire is enough for me to recommend this movie to anyone I know. He delivers some of the best lines in the film that range from dark, wry humor, to an almost sad melancholy, and delivers them well.

Honestly, other than when he appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and tore into Kevin Costner about when they both were doing For Love of the Game, this is my favorite thing John C. Reilly has ever done!

(And, by the way, if anyone knows where to find a clip of that, I’d be forever grateful to have it!)

For me, this movie was an unexpected treat. It won’t appeal to everyone, as it is definitely aimed toward mid-teens, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that I wouldn’t mind seeing this film get some sequels, if only to expand on this world and to see the actors in supporting roles get a chance to shine.

I’m giving Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant three out of five Running Steves.

If nothing, this film has made me want to seek out the series of books on which it was based.

Hey everybody,

I figure I’ll share an additional photo as I’m processing my shots from this trip. The fall foliage was really amazing during the first week of October up in the Green Mountains. There were plenty of reds, oranges, yellows, and not a whole lot of green.

Please click the above image(s) to view larger.

To purchase a print or stock rights, please contact me. Feel free to view more of my work at my website.

Have you heard yourself saying “I wish I had the time for this…” Well, the truth is, however busy you may be, you do have the time. With the hectic mad pace of life, it is easy to waste time that you could have set aside for yourself. I suggest that you take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves or else TIME FLIES….

Put aside 15 minutes every day and do something worthwhile. Do something for yourself. You’ll be amazed what you can achieve in those few minutes set aside every single day.

You can set a 15 minute count down timer for an activity such as do yoga, arrange your cupboard, go for a walk, clear up the papers you don’t need, arrange your clothes, read a book, clean the kitchen, dance, play with your kids, have a hot relaxing shower…. The list is endless. Be creative and think up fun ways to add constructive activity each day to your life for just 15 minutes. This 15 minute fun routine has made a dramatic positive difference in the life of thousands of people. It improves vocabulary to self confidence to finishing off what seemed like cumbersome tasks with ease, improving fitness levels and relationships.

I’m sure you want to know why 15 minutes, why not any lesser or more? There is no clear answer to this. It just seems like 15 minutes is neither too long to get something done nor short enough to be tolerable. Let’s say for example, the hardest part of achieving fitness is taking the first step and making the much needed lifestyle changes. By cutting down an overwhelming goal into 15 minute time slots, it seems so much easier to begin achieving the seemingly difficult tasks. The 15 minute rule need not only be applied to tasks that you need to complete. You can even spend the 15 minutes time to hang out with your kids. Its quality time, you can even read a motivational story to your kids in that time. They will be so delighted and you will know you did the best possible thing with your time.

The best thing is, you can find those 15 minutes at any time of the day, late evening or night. Whatever time fits in your schedule is perfectly fine. You can even use the coffee break at work and go for a quick job, or do some simple stretching exercises especially if you work in a desk bound job. This will relax and loosen your limbs. It can be something as simple as watering the plants early in the morning and thanking God for each new day.

The moment those 15 minutes are up, just stop and see how much you have achieved. And, if you are a lazy slacker like me who leaves everything for tomorrow, you will be amazed how much you accomplish with the 15 minute and rEaliZe the True PoWeR oF TiME.

Vær forsigtig, når der skæres Tree Limbs

Af Mark J. Donovan

Sidste weekend besluttede jeg at skære ned på et stort egetræ lemmer. Træet lemmer var cirka 8 inches i diameter og var omkring 25 meter fra jorden. Lemmet forlænges ud over 30 fod ud og hæmmet søen Udsigten fra mit hjem.

Da jeg var nervøs for at bruge en motorsav øverst på en stige, besluttede jeg at i stedet bruge et træ stang så. Selv om det var langsom gang jeg gjort store fremskridt skære igennem træet led, i det mindste indtil savklingen blev klemt i sagging træet led.

Efter at have tilbragt omkring 15 minutter at forsøge at fjerne savklinge fra klemte træet lemmer, besluttede jeg at få en lang af rebet og smider det rundt i slutningen af træ lemmer. Når du har placeret mig væk fra, hvor træet led vil falde, jeg begyndte at trække i rebet. Efter blot et par trækker træet lemmer gav måde. I første omgang det bare svinges på det punkt, at jeg gjorde nedskæring. Men lige efter den filial gik lodret det adskilt fra træet og gik indkøbsvogn skalten over mod vandet, og min 12 fods række båd. I processen med vognen Wheeling, flåede træet led rebet gennem min hånd og fingre. Heldigvis er jeg ikke have rebet viklet mine hænder. Men den hastighed som rebet glide gennem mine hænder skabt rebet brænder på min højre hånd. Hertil kommer, (roden af træet lemmer igen 8 inches i diameter) landede i min række båd, knusning af metal bue sædet.

Så hvad er det at tage væk i denne oplevelse Først, når der skæres et stort træ led gren, skæres fra toppen til at sikre, at saven er ikke bindende i snit. For det andet, hvis du vil forsøge at trække ned en hængende træ led Kontroller, at du ikke under det, og at rebet er på ingen måde svøbt omkring din krop dele, eller sammenfiltrede under fødderne. Endelig skal du sørge for der er intet i det område, du værdi. I mit tilfælde er jeg meget heldig ikke at have mistet min hånd og min båd det dette projekt, men jeg vil have nogle permanente ar at minde mig om denne oplevelse.

Over the past few months there has been a heightened profile of disability in all forms of the media – newspapers have been carrying front page stories about disabled people, TV channels have been running programmes during primetime viewing about disability and its impact on those who have become disabled.  Particularly about those who have been injured in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

The reason for the heightened profile on disability is quite simply – war.  War and disability are inextricably linked.  The war that our country is currently engaged in (whatever the rights and wrongs) has created a new generation of disabled people.  During any conflict, this has been the case.  For my generation, the first real insight into the horror of war came with Vietnam.  Images of badly injured American soldiers being flown back home from Vietnam filled our living rooms during the early 1970’s.  Then in 1981 we in the UK, lived through the Falklands conflict and experienced the terrible impact that burns injuries and limb loss had on people from the baby boom era of the 1960’s.

Modern history provides an interesting link to the connection between disability and war.  With injured soldiers returning from the battlefields, it was necessary to treat them in the best way possible.  Following World War One, major advances were made in plastic surgery.  The problems of limb loss during the Second World War were dramatically portrayed in the film “Reach for the Sky” telling the story of Group Captain Sir Douglas Bader and his return to active war service following the loss of his legs in a flying accident.

However, advancements in the development of prosthetics following the First and Second World Wars weren’t great.  Artificial limbs were, and remained for many years, no more than tubes of metal, hinged at the knee or elbow providing a crude way of replacing lost limbs. 

When my generation of Thalidomide children were born, we found ourselves in an archaic system that failed to recognise that as children, we needed limbs which worked for kids and not by using rehashed limb designs for (as they were called in those days) limbless ex-servicemen. 

The limbs that were provided for Thalidomide impaired children were often ill-fitting and uncomfortable, unsightly and unreliable and wholly inadequate for the needs of a generation of children who had specific impairments that did not “fit the norm”. 

In my case, and in an attempt to make me look normal, I was encased in a metal jacket, given heavy and unwieldy limbs, a gas cylinder was strapped to my back, and just for good measure I was given a crash helmet to wear on my head!!  I’m sure you’ll agree that this was hardly the stuff that makes a three year old look “normal”, and if you are interested, there are some photographs of me in this “genre” in Four Fingers and Thirteen Toes.

This scenario was repeated the length of the country as the limb service struggled to cope, and continued until many of us rebelled against the use of our prosthetics, in favour of making the best use of the small limbs that we had.

The visibility and impact of limb loss could not be hidden after Thalidomide.  Whilst some children were left in hospitals and institutions many of us were embraced by our families and enjoyed a full family life – going to school, having non-disabled friends and playing an active part in our local communities.

Disability was now no longer a “taboo” subject.  Consequently, when the Falklands war maimed and injured so many, those returning soldiers were embraced by their communities.  Simon Weston (with whom I have shared speaking platforms) was a typical South Wales “valley boy”.  However, when the Sir Galahad was bombed Simon’s life changed forever.  It is hard to forget the documentaries that charted Simon’s recovery from some of the most horrific burns that war has ever produced.  Not only did life change in a very physical sense for Simon, it also led him on a journey of discovery, ultimately making him into the motivational speaker that he is today.

Now we are witnessing another generation of disabled people maimed by war, coming to terms with their impairments.  Perhaps the real difference for this generation is the major advancement in medicine and rehabilitation. 

Quality of life will be enhanced for these honourable soldiers, and the Government has made it clear that it will continue to provide the highest standard of limbs, in line with those which are presently available to servicemen, even when they retire.

Currently, returning soldiers are provided with differing limbs dependant upon usage – computerised limbs for walking, limbs for swimming and limbs for exercising.  The cost of even a basic artificial limb runs into thousand of pounds and so it is quite reasonable to assume that the cost of limb provision for our returning soldiers will amount to tens of thousand of pounds.  One therefore has to wonder whether the NHS can sustain this commitment without affecting the level of service for other limb users.

No-one should begrudge this provision, but it does beg the question as to whether a two-tier system of limb provision is beginning to emerge.  The way impairment is acquired may be different, but decency and fairness requires that the treatment afforded to amputees should be the same irrespective of the cause of impairment.

Disability arises in various ways – through accident, illness or old age.  The basis of Aneurin Bevan’s National Health Service was the provision of help at the point of need.  Sadly, for those who have already gone through the NHS limb fitting service, its failings are well known.  It all comes down to a question of resources.  The resources currently made available for limb provision are wholly inadequate, even without the extra pressure of caring for those young men who have been so terribly injured in the name of international peace.

In saluting their bravery and determination, I hope that when these young service personnel return to a world outside the regime of the armed forces, they will benefit from the campaigning and commitment of people such as the parents of Thalidomide impaired children and other disability groups, who have done so much to make life more inclusive, and more meaningful for disabled people generally. 

Out of the horrors of war, positive changes can come to the way disabled people are treated and portrayed.  Firstly by Government realising that extra resources are needed to make life easier and more equal for all disabled people.  This will then be followed by an acknowledgement by the whole of society that respect and courtesy, and not pity and sympathy, are what disabled people seek.  Ultimately then, the long and sometimes tortuous road to disability equality will have been worthwhile.

Hi, all. Here’s a poem I wrote from 29th to 30th of September. The first sentence of the poem had been on my mind for about a week; the 29th of September I woke and the entire first strophe poped out of my head. I immediately wrote it down on my graphics diary. That day, the poem structure and content continued to develop on my mind and I wrote it bit by bit until I finished what I had in mind.

Lately, many spontaneous strophes have been oozing out of my head and I’ve been writing some of them down. You can also read and comment this and other poems of mine on DeviantArt. I hope you like it.

If only you could see the things I have done,
You’d understand
Why I am now lost in sorrow

If only the moon would stop,
To never move again
And never to show that full face glimmer of hers

If only my limbs would not move
Responding to my feelings,
They’d hurt no one

If, at least, my legs were broken
Lest I could not dodge the blows from the ones who strive for killing me,
Others would not be hurt instead

If only the dawn of the morrow would be everlasting,
With all its tones of pink, orange and red,
I’d be free forever

If only I had no sense of smell
And could not scent blood drips in the distance,
Maybe I’d not prey

If only my mouth was shut
And my canines were not sharp,
I would not bite

If only I was not blind and had no claws,
I would not cut through flesh
And tear hearts in two

At least,
I am not deaf
And I can hear the cries from the ones harmed

If only I was not one of God’s mistakes…
If only I was not…
Hybrid…

When the field froze, I said, “Help!”  And then, help came.  The hawk stooped and lit, where I could see how rusty red his tailfeathers were.  And, though he didn’t speak to me, I knew that whatever he might have said would have helped.  I carry that promise now in my heart.  It is a phrase that fills the chambers up.  Wait, it says.  The field will thaw.  The birds return.  I know it seems as if the winter always wins because the trees drop all the leaves.  But soon, so soon, how loud the limbs become.  After months and months of surrendering, finally relief.

This would be great for scaring house guests or just upping the quirk ante a little bitsy. They glow, so they mustn’t look realistic.

We went for our 2nd ultrasound check. As were waiting for our turn, Mayu was asked to drink lot of, lot of water (for the obvious reason ). Again the anxiousness started encircling us again. The radiologist was all ears to the ultrasonic sound that were radiated from the Sonography machine. And to our expectation, suddenly we started hearing the heart beats! Doc. Then moved the sonography’s sound-backing device were able to see the baby! And baby was actually moving….we were told that baby is moving so rapidly that its difficult for me to focus on one part…but that’s normal. We were able to see baby’s face, limbs, ears, neck, shoulder, spine and hips. It is an amazing feeling and too difficult to express in words.

Michelle Childers and her husband, Daniel, were taking a recreational drive on a rural road in Idaho on Sept 5 when a spruce tree crashed through the passenger side window of the vehicle.

The twenty-two-year-old said she then felt a “strange” pressure on her neck and shoulder.

“I asked (my husband) ‘what where is it?’ “she told Fox News.

Her husband, twenty-two- year-old Daniel Childers, told her that the tree limb had impaled her.

The branch was more than an inch in diameter and 18 inches long.

However, Mrs Childers said she felt no pain.

The couple drove to the Lochsa Lodge near the Idaho-Montana border to call for help and was flown by helicopter to St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Mont.

Childers said the 13-inch tree limb was removed from her neck during a six-hour surgery.

Doctors discovered that the branch had somehow missed her jugular vein and her windpipe. The branch penetrated its way to the back of her left shoulder.

Source

Have you had a similar experience?

The Haunted Palace (1963) is an American International Pictures horror feature film starring Vincent Price, Lon Chaney Jr., and Debra Paget in a story about a village held in the grip of a cult. The film was directed by Roger Corman, and is usually listed as one in his series of eight films based on the works of American author Edgar Allan Poe. However, the film actually derives its plot from The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, a novella by H. P. Lovecraft. The film’s only connection to Poe is its title, which derives from a poem by Poe published in 1839 and later incorporated into his horror tale, “The Fall of the House of Usher”.

Tagline: A warlock’s home is his castle…Forever!

Roger Corman, at the time famous for his Poe-based horror films, wanted to do something different with The Haunted Palace by doing a Lovecraft story. American International Pictures had the name changed, against Corman’s wishes, to keep in line with the popular Poe series. The only connection the film has with the poem is a brief quotation at the end of the film spoken by Vincent Price.

Francis Ford Coppola provided additional dialogue for the film.

The set for the village of Arkham was quite small, but was built in forced perspective so that it appeared on camera to cover more ground. Both the front of the palace and the underground dungeon appear in Corman’s The Terror, which at that time was being shot piecemeal on sets from other AIP movies.

A creature with green skin, two arms, and two more limbs in his upper body seems to inhabit the pit in the underground chamber of the palace since at least 1765 and is shown three times in the film. Mortals are sacrificed to this being. The creature has huge black eyes with no pupils and growls incoherently.

 Make Up Department
  Ted Coodley … makeup artist
  Verne Langdon … prosthetic supply
  Verne Langdon … special prosthetics creator
  Lorraine Roberson … hair stylist

Agalloch- Atmospheric Folk/Dark Metal

album-  Ashes Against the Grain (2006)

Lyrics:

The texture of the soul is a liquid that casts a vermillion flood
From a wound carved as an oath; it fills the river bank a sanguine fog
These arms were meant to be lost! Hacked, severed and forgotten
The texture of time is a whisper that echoes across the flood
It’s hymn resonates from tree to tree, through every sullen bough it sings
These boughs were said to be lost! Torn, unearthed and broken
Earth to flesh, flesh to wood, cast these limbs into the water
Flesh to wood, wood to stone, cast this stone into the water…