Here is an example of how one work of art can lead to a string of others.
The above is a stop motion video incorporating a cracking silhouette animation that is in turn inspired by a mind blowing song. And in turn that song has it’s own history of inspirations.
rarely, just rarely, does such a trail of creation result in something so downright marvelous.
Enjoy.
Bad Apple!!
Arrange= Masayoshi Minoshima Lyrics= Haruka Vocal= nomico
To celebrate 30 years of the Gundam manga phenomenon a life size model of one of the giant mechs has been built in Shiokaze Park in Tokyo.
It’s almost sixty feet high and a splendid testament to something uniquely Japanese.
Pity my home town doesn’t have something similar rather than the rather dull victorian statue it currently sports.
Anyway, see more images at Engadget, here.
Something rather above average from the J-Rock world. A trio of 20 something Japanese girls making some very fine music. Swirling vocals swept along by a tight bass and drums and contained by a wall of rhythm guitar decorated with strong guitar melodies.
Unfortunately the live show I originally linked to has been removed. But here is their excellent song Daidai.
A very very good discography can be found here.
Several projects are currently underway to create safe, sealed, portable nuclear reactors that can provide megawatts of electric power for decades without the need for refueling.
The Japanese Super Safe, Small and Simple, or 4S, is a sealed reactor designed by Toshiba that is slated to be used first in 2012 in Galena, a remote town on the Yukon river in Alaska. It will provide 10MW for 30 years. Here is a fairly detailed report on the project.
Another is the Small Secure Transportable Autonomous Reactor, or SSTAR designed by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California. It will provide 30MW for 30 years and be similarly sealed and require no refueling. It will also be contained in a tamper-proof “flask” that will use a secure satellite link to report any attempt at interference with its operation. Here is a very detailed staus report on this project.
Persoanlly I’m still waiting for the nuclear power sources Asimov wrote about in his Foundation Trilogy all those years ago that you could wear on your belt. One of those things like the flying car that never quite made it from the promises of 60s SF into real life.