The Japanese Pop Star of the Future

I heard about this from WWTDD, who read it on Joe Rogan's Twitter. This is the first I've heard, but apparently there's a 3-D hologram named Hatsune Miku that is now a huge star in Japan. The Japanese are so weird. It's so awesome. I lived there for 3 months in 2002 and it's like being on a different planet. I loved it, don't get me wrong, and people often experience "reverse culture shock" when they return to their home countries after a prolonged stay there. Upon returning to the U.S., I experienced a rather annoying phase during which I would say "you know, in Japan..." about how much better practically everything was over there.

Here is a video of one of "her" performances, along with an enthusiastic crowd. Her singing voice is created with a computer program. I suppose this isn't much different than loving a cartoon character, like Homer Simpson, for example. I have said many times that I wish he were a real person and I were friends with him.

The concert footage of Hatsune Miku sort of reminds me of the Floston, Paradise shows in The Fifth Element.

Halloween Is Awesome

So, so awesome. And it's less than three months away! I have many ideas, as usual, and this year, one of them was Voltron. That is, until I looked up Voltron costumes and stumbled upon this -

  If you'd like to see more photos of an impossibly perfect costume, check them out at Gizmodo. The only way I could compete with this would be to become a cartoon somehow.

Support Denmark! (Here We Go Again)

Well, 3 guys were just arrested after it was discovered they were plotting to kill the cartoonist who drew this little number -

The intended victim? Kurt Westergaard, a 73 year-old man. I guess I'm going to have go back to the store and by some havarti cheese and some Carlsberg beer. Be careful, Carlsberg is strong.

This is an email I sent to friends just over 2 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long. -

This whole thing is so outrageous that it is hard to put my thoughts in writing calmly. A brief synopsis for those who don’t know what happened:

-A Danish newspaper published some cartoons (back in September of 2005) depicting Mohammed - blasphemy in Islam

-The cartoons have been republished in various publications across Europe, most notably a Norwegian paper as a sign of solidarity and support of freedom of speech

-Saudi Arabia, et. al. are boycotting Danish products and pulling their representatives from their respective consulates, issuing inflammatory statements, etc.

-Beatings and threats of violence and death to nationals of involved European countries have occurred

These threats and claims of outrage come from a nation like Saudi Arabia, where, if caught attempting to spread Christianity, one can be put to death. It boggles the mind.

We can pitch in and make an effort to buy Danish products like Havarti cheese, Carlsberg beer, etc. to counter the boycott. Check out this link for further information:

http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/21097.html

I’ve attached the only funny Danish cartoon of the twelve that has inflamed such outrage in the Muslim world:

“Islam is a dynamite religion”

-Colin