#16 Otamatone (unfinished)

#15 USB (unfinished)

In the age of technology, everything is power by eletricity. How can we make an ordinary banana 'cool' and 'morden'? We can add a USB cable to it. Of course, everything is better with USB.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/cubegoodies/e771/

#14 Pale Blue Dot (unfinished)

I believe that this video is pretty much self explanatory.
Human put too much emphasize on 'I' over 'world'.

#13 Shirt Plate

When I first came across this shirt plate, I thought 'Ah, it's finally here.'

I'm sure everyone had experience a time where you want to go grab some food but yet your eyes won't leave the computer screen. Well, here is the best invention made for our generation of people - Shirt plate.

Many news recently are about young teens (as young as 13) becoming obsessive over computer. Last year, a mother collapsed near her 15 year old teenager, but he did not notice until 5 hour later because he was too focused on the computer. The mother died, and the son showed little remorse.  Recently, a 13 year old boy faked to be sick and stay home to play computer, and he committed suicide when his mother caught him.

When did playing computer became for important than eating, your mother or your life? I believe our generation of children/teenagers (or even adults) are overly spoiled and protected. We can hardly take care of ourselves, let alone surviving in the real world.

This shirt plate isn't really for you to eat when you are playing Wii, but to make fun of us and say 'what kind of fat, materialistic world have we become'.

http://likecool.com/The_Original_Shirt_Plate--Gadget--Gear.html
http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/looflirpa/e8c0/#tabs

#12 森の木琴 TOUCHWOOD

When I was watching this video, I thought it was a brilliant idea. Using natural material to create such beautiful sound that echo through the forest.

And then the phone and the tag ling appears.

I suddenly didn't know how to feel. Sure, a phone that promotes energy-saving, and recycled material is great. But did they just used a large amount of wood to make this commercial? Does this not go against the meaning behind the phone?

...Then I realized that it was only when I notice it was a commercial I began criticizing it.

'Because it is art, they can do whatever they want - as long as we enjoy it.' 'Because it is for art, we can overlook the resources it wasted.'

Perhaps some people do feel this way, and perhaps it is not entirely wrong. And there are many artist who speak for the environment. But you cannot deny that there many 'art' that are entirely waste of space and resources (physically and mentally). Yet many people still enjoy this art. How far are we going to allow these art take us? Do we know when to stop? This pose is becoming off-topic.

A comment on the video states that "The instrument and the frame of the phone are made from the woods that were cut down for thinning the forest to maintain healthy environment. Too many trees in the wet land block the sun and wind, and that could weaken the forest." According to the website of the phone, this seems to be the case. This company does seems to be genuinely care for the environment, and this phone is definitely a great idea. But I look forward to phones made with old battery and computers made with old metals to be released on the market. Or maybe company can just stop wasting extra resources making chips that stores your location data aka stalk-you-everywhere-you-go.

P.S. Touchwood, what a great name. (not sarcastic)

Website: http://answer.nttdocomo.co.jp/touchwood/

#11 Bloody Monday

Bloody Monday is a TV drama apotion of a manga of the same name. This drama's main character is Takagi Fujimaru (Miura Haruma), who is a student by day, and genius hacker 'Falcon' by night. A biological terrorist attack kills off the population of a Russian town overnight. The terrorist organization plans to unleash the same virus known as Bloody-X into Tokyo, and it can kill about 8 million people in no time. Fujimaru becomes involved when his father is wanted as a member of the terrorist group and his sister's life is on the line. Working with THIRD-i (Japan's special defense unit) and his best friend Kujou Otoya (Satou Takeru), Fujimaru begins to unravel the organization's sinister plot and find out the truth behind "Bloody Monday."

A scene from Japan Sinks

The apocalypse have became a huge topic though out the last decades, many Hollywood movies bases on different theories of the end of the world is made. Many people now talks about if 2012 will be the end of Earth, and what will happen at doomsday. But in Japan, their view of idea of doomsday is very different from ours, it is already part of their life.
Recently I read an article about Japan's view on disasters. Japan is an island country located right on seismic zone, with threats of volcano, typhoon and other natural disasters. Japan's culture, which is influenced by Buddhism, accepts the fact that people's life is very fragile, and continue to live a humble, meaningful life everyday. Japan's cultures are very fascinated by how the way Japan will end. From Japan Sinks
in the 1970s to the recent Bloody Monday, Japan have one of the largest disaster film collection in the world.
 

 

Season 2 of Bloody Monday. This time, it's a nuclear bomb.

This is part of Japan's unique culture, and speaks a lot about the Japanese teachings. As evident in the 3.11 Sendai Earthquake, Japanese people reacts completely different from other nation under the attack of natural disaster. They were calm, collected and were prepared (although not completely) for the worst. They do not 'add oil to the fire' but instead helped each other and conducted themselves in a manner that outsiders like us can only stand and admire.



P.S. SNOW IN TORONTO!

#10 Fashion with a conscience

Baseball Puffball Dress

My family have a a certain dislike towards second-hand shops. Actually, 'dislike' might be an understatement, 'fear' would be a better word choice. My only visits to a second-hand shop was to Goodwills to donate clothing, and when I asked my aunt to go to the shopping side of goodwills, she gave me the look. I never understood why some people look down on second-hand items. Sometimes you can find useful and interesting things that you can longer buy in a normal store. Thrift store is like heaven to vintage lovers. Yet many people associate it with being poor. Fashion designer Gary Harvey realizes this as decided to do something that will make people rethink their perception of second-hand clothing.

Military Dress

"I believe we can contribute to an ethical fashion revolution." he says in his website. "By sourcing fabrics and raw materials that have literally been thrown away, you can look good and be good too. Too many garments are deemed aesthetically redundant and discarded at the end of a season, when there are still many years of wear left."

Denim Dress

His first project is a dress made with 42 pairs of used Levi jeans. Soon his passion of creating eco-friendly cloths grew, and he created more ball-gowns using second-hand materials. Now, Harvey's dress collection have been in many exhibitions and even expanded to taking private commissions.

Newspaper Dress

I find this project absolutely fascinating. For the last decades everything are trying to be 'eco-friendly'. 'Eco-friendly power scoures', 'eco-friendly travling', 'eco-friendly living'... Yet many people buying a prom dress that they will probably wear once before it is tucked away, and people are throwing away perfectly fine jacket that are apparently 'out of season'. Ball-gowns are one of these 'wear-once-per-year' and 'easily-out-dated' but 'cost-more-then-my-yearly-salary' luxuries. And Harvey use material that have been thrown away to make glamorous, and perhaps awakening, dresses.

Wedding Dress

Visit Gary Harvey at http://www.garyharveycreative.com/

#9 How to Train Your Dragon

Last year January, I went to watch Alice in Wonderland ~in 3D~. The fact that it was directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp made me very excited for that film. But I went out the theater thinking to myself 'I did not just spend 16 dollar on this'. Perhaps I just don't understand it, but Alice in Wonderland disappointed me.

So when I was asked to go to the theater to watch How to Train Your Dragon later that month, I decided to not have any expectation before I watch the film, in case it leaves me in despair again. The reasons I decide to watch this movie was one: dragons, two: vikings.(Thankfully, I did not see the trailers beforehand, or else I wouldn't have went in the theater at all.)

And I came out the the theater crying. (In a good way)

I don't think I've ever left a movie theater like this. I can't really explain this feeling. Sure, I cried the entire way through Toy Story 3 and re-watched Nemo more than I should have, but How to Train Your Dragon somehow touched (if not stole) my heart without trying too hard. I wanted to go back in, I wanted to see it all over again. As or right now, I've watch HTTYD twice in theater, 5 times at home.

The premises of HTTYD is actually very simple. Hiccup is born and raised in Berk, a island occupied by Vikings . But that village always had some troubles - with dragons. These stereotypical dragons are the sworn enemy of the also stereotypical vikings of Berk. Hiccup, although being the chief's son, is actually the weakest viking of that village. And when he shot down the rarest dragon of all ,a Nightfury, he realize they might have had it all wrong...

At first, it might sound just like any other typical coming-of-age story, but How to Train Your Dragon isn't as shallow as it appears to be. This movie can be enjoyed by a adult as much a 5-year-old would. Vikings are usually stereotyped as a violent, dirty, horn helmet wearing brute who think with his fist. Hiccup, on the other hand, is a scrawny boy who prefer to think with his head. His small build, weak mindedness, and intelligence makes him an outcast. HTTYD speaks out against stereotypes, main stream and discrimination. In the film the characters learns to not judge people (or dragons) by their cover, but by who they really are. Another of HTTYD's moral is to 'be true to yourself, even if it means to be different, only then you will achieve true success and happiness.' Although this is what many people believe in, it is not necessary true in today's society. HTTYD show the viewer a realistic, dark side of this moral. *SPOILER* In the end, Hiccup loses his right leg saving the village (which also parallel with Toothless' missing right side of his tail), showing that there isn't always a perfect happy ending in life, sacrifice needs to be made.

HTTYD isn't just pretty animation and funny jokes. It's surprisingly deep and insightful story will speak to many people. I hope, like me, many people will find this movie taking them on a breathtaking and heart warming ride.