The Daily Marmoset

Your Favorite Destination on the "Next Blog" Superhighway.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Hey kid, wanna buy a giant robot?

Thanks to the Marmoset for making a rare guest appearance on his own blog! Speaking of Japan, and of robots, I've been meaning to write about this for a while.

While others lament the lack of interest in science among today's kids, Japanese engineer Takayuki Furuta is doing something about it. Mr. Furuta, as director of the Future Robotics Technology Center, has come up with a master plan to build something guaranteed to get kids' attention: a Gundam.

For those who aren't anime fans (or who weren't living in my apartment circa 1999), a Gundam Mobile Suit is a type of robot, about 60 feet tall, capable of space flight, and equipped with an obscenely large array of weaponry. Gundams, for whatever reason, are typically piloted by teenage boys, which ties in nicely with Furuta's goals. They usually appear in oddly addictive tv shows that can best be described as "Days of our Lives with giant ass kicking robots".

Anyway, according to Mr. Furuta, a full-size Gundam could be built with existing technology (give or take) for about $742 million. Wired has a detailed plan of the machine and its costs. As of this writing, however, there is no word on if that estimate includes the money for sissy uniforms or endless melodrama.

ABOVE: This gently used Gundam, the "Shenlong", could
be yours for the low low price of $725,000,000.
(Laser spear and rocket-powered claws not included)

So, if any of you Third World tyrants out there have a little extra in the military budget, and are looking for something to impress the neighbors, consider investing in a Gundam. It's cheaper than an aircraft carrier and gets much better gas mileage.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Tuesday Tee Hee

I had to come up with some sort of response to the "WTF." Finally, sumo wrestling made entertaining!




NOTE: Only about the first minute is worth watching.

Okay. I'm leaving again.

Friday, April 25, 2008

When Nature Shows Attack (Friday WTF)

I'm a busy man, so let's get to it:



Happy friday!

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Monday, April 21, 2008

We, Robots

The always interesting BoingBoing recently posted about a new T shirt featuring (by my count) 52 celebrity sci-fi robots.

ABOVE: a virtual Who's Who of Frau's nightmares.

I am geekily proud (and yet, of course, just a tiny bit ashamed) to report that I recognize about half of them. The big thingy in the center is a Martian "Milking Stool" from War of the Worlds (which is not a real robot, if you want to be technical); and the 5 things within its legs are:
  • a Rock'em-Sock'em Robot
  • Mecha-Godzilla
  • R2D2
  • one of those flying Robo-squids from the Matrix movies
  • The mechanical owl from Clash of the Titans
In the upper left portion, there is
  • Astro-Boy
  • Marvin the Paranoid Android (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)
  • K-9 (Dr. Who's pet robo-dog)
  • Crow from Mystery Science Theater
  • Johnny 5 (from Short Circuit and the timeless Short Circuit 2)
  • Mega Man
At upper right:
  • the camera-headed robot from Pee Wee's Playhouse
  • Wall-e (can't wait for that movie)
  • Tom Servo of Mystery Science Theater (no Gypsy???)
  • the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz (technically a cyborg)
  • the annoying sidekick robot from Lost in Space.
  • Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still
Lower left:
  • a Terminator
  • Bender from Futurama
  • the evil robot from the first Robocop movie
  • C-3P0
  • Wallace's Techno Trousers (does that really count as a robot?)
and lower right:
  • the Iron Giant
  • the Jetsons' maid
  • Optimus Prime
  • a Cyberman, maybe? (technically a cyborg)
  • Voltron (technically a mecha)
  • a Dalek (technically a cyborg)
  • a Furby (technically a spawn of the lower reaches of Hell)
It's going to torture me that I can't recognize the 3-legged thing at lower right between Voltron and the Dalek, but even so that's 30 out of 52. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

I did not do so well with the corresponding Alien shirt, however:


I believe the big dude in the middle is a Sorn from CS Lewis's "Out of the Silent Planet", and I'm thrilled to see they included a Mooninite (upper left), Kang and/or Kodos, and best of all a Yip-Yip (upper right, with Tay-Lay-Fo-No). But apparently I'm way behind on my alien knowledge.

Here's hoping the great Robot Uprising comes before the aliens get here...

Friday, April 18, 2008

I got it from Agnes (Friday WTF)

This post doubles as both a Friday WTF video and a belated 80th birthday tribute to the great singer/songwriter/pianist/satirist/mathematician Tom Lehrer. The reclusive Lehrer only wrote 37 songs in his whole career - Weird Al Yankovic once described him as "the J.D. Salinger of demented music". But the songs he did write were, well, I'll let the following video speak for itself.



As a special bonus, and in light of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the USA this week, let me also include one of Lehrer's most famous songs, The Vatican Rag:



Yes, he made a rhyme with "Kyrie Eleison". That alone should be clear proof of Lehrer's genius.

If you'd like to hear more, and I know you do, Youtube is well stocked with Lehrer's work. It's all good , but here are a few specially recommended picks:

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

What ARE the Librarians up to?

I recently found these old Peanuts comic strips online, originally printed in April 1961. I was never that big of a Peanuts fan as a kid, but my appreciation for them has steadily grown with age.

(NOTE: Click on a stip for the full-sized version)
God bless the late Charles Schultz. He was a genius.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Who wants chowder (Saturday WTF)

I apologize for the slightly late WTF video. I was detained by, er, personal issues. Here you go:



Let us never speak of this again.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This thoroughly disturbing video was brought to you by Hulu, my new favorite website.

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Friday, April 04, 2008

Rock of Age (Friday WTF)

Today is the premiere of Martin Scorcese's newest film Shine a Light, documenting a 2006 live show by the Rolling Stones. It looks (and sounds) pretty sweet, and is getting good reviews. Not bad for a band that's been around since 1962, and which is collectively 254 years old.

But the Stones aren't the only senior citizens who know how to rock. Coming soon to a theater near you, the Daily Marmoset and Friday WTF proudly present...

Click on the above image to see the trailer.

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