Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Japan Unveils Massive Solar Ring Plan for the Moon “Shimizu Corporation proposes the Luna Ring for the infinite coexistence of mankind and the Earth.” One of Japan’s biggest construction companies is perhaps the last source you’d expect to propose encircling the Moon with solar panels to provide us with unlimited energy. NASA, Japan’s JAXA, or the Russian Federal Space Agency? Sure. Still, Shimizu’s proposal, which currently has no established timeline, could in theory provide the Earth with 13,000 terawatts of free and clean solar power. Uh, after the 6,800 mile-long solar ring and the moon-based power transfer facility are built, that is. (The Mail Online – Solar Ring Plan for the Moon) Korean Chef’s Continental Mission “Korean cuisine has a much more complicated flavor profile than soy sauce and kimchi.” Korean celebrity chef Edward Kwon loves to play with kimchi. But he is also out to prove to the rest of us that elements of Korean cuisine are not only world-class, but can be happily incorporated into traditional continental cooking styles. (CNNGo – Chef Edward Kwon) U.S. 9th Circuit Is Not In Liu “He is withdrawing because there is little prospect that the Senate will ever vote on his nomination.” Berkeley law professor Gordon Liu withdraws his name from nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The liberal scholar had been appointed by President Obama, but GOP members of the Senate filibustered to block a vote which may have approved his nomination. (NPR – Professor Gordon Liu) Chinese Prisoners Farm Virtual Gold “Prison bosses made more money forcing inmates to play games than they do forcing people to do manual labor,” Imagine working 12 hours a day at hard prison labor, then being forced to play online games for the benefit of your jailers. Under penalty of physical abuse with, say, plastic pipes. A former prisoner of China’s Jixi Labor Camp tells the story of how prison bosses made him and his fellow inmates play online games (like World of Warcraft) for virtual currency. (Guardian UK – Online Gaming Prisoners) Lacrosse in Shanghai? “People look at you strangely when you mention lacrosse.” Lacrosse, a quintessentially American sport, didn’t exist in Shanghai three years ago. Now, thanks to the support of the Federation of International Lacrosse and an encouraging expatriate coach, a group of Chinese students have their eyes set on the Lacrosse World Championship in 2014. (CNNGo – Shanghai Lacrosse Players)
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[youtube]CuQRnTsQ55o[/youtube] Here’s a special video I cut about this artist duo. Kami and Sasu – known as Hitotzuki. I hope you like it. Special thanks to Goh Nakamura, folks at 72andSunny, and Ayako Fujitani.
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Tucked away at a full scale PR and Marketing company, 72andSunny near LAX is a workspace and gallery who are hosting, the partner – husband + wife team, Kami and Sasu, also known as Hitotzuki. Hailing from Nakameguro, Tokyo the duo have painted numerous murals in Japan and have worked nearly two weeks on a signature wall piece which will stay “permanently”. Both with a cheerful and happy worth ethic, they brought their three year old son who plays in the space while they’re work on individual paintings which will be hung on their mural. I’ve interviewed Kami in the past for the cover of Giant Robot #56 and also curated him in an exhibition into an exhibition at the Scion Art Space in Culver City. Insiders, Outsiders, and the Middle and it’s great that 72andSunny has picked up the “ball” and ran further with it by bringing his wife, Sasu to do a mural. I wanted to bring Sasu three years ago, but their son was a newborn at the time. The opening tonite is private, but maybe you can catch it down the road. To view the pieces Please email events@72andSunny.com The gallery will be open until June 26th M-F 10-5 We have some Kami goods left at the GR store. Not a lot, but hard to get.
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As seen in Deadline: “Meledandri told me he first started seeing the designs at the Giant Robot store near his home over a decade ago, and “I remember the immediate appeal and connection that the characters had for me. They are simple in design, expressive in personality, and once I got to know David and Sun-Min, I learned there was a mythology and a world behind this,” he said. Deadline. That’s Chris Meledandri above who was at the Uglydoll Photos from the Uglyverse exhibition. Yes, we had to keep it underwraps since then. How long ago was that? Here’s the photos from their exhibition. Congrats to David and Sun-min and the rest of the Uglydoll crew.
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Three Gorges Dam Problems “Some problems emerged at various stages of project planning and construction but could not be solved immediately.” Despite the huge amount of water it is designed to control, China’s Three Gorges Dam can do relatively little to alleviate severe drought conditions, and continues to cause harm downstream along the Yangtze River. (from CNN – Three Gorges Dam) Life in Hell ”If I were an avant-garde Japanese fashion designer, she’s who I’d want to be.” “Simpsons” creator Matt Groening collaborates with Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo to create fashion items based on the cartoonist’s Life in Hell comic strip. (from Style.com – Matt Groening) Burmese Buddhist Skating “We witnessed a different side to the Burma that you see in the news.” English filmmakers release their 2009 film Altered Focus: Burma, which features a dilapidated skate park, Burmese skaters, and young Buddhists trying skateboards for the first time. (from CNNGo – Skateboarding Buddhists) Refugees Help Tohoku “We’re refugees because of human-made disasters. In the case of the people in (the) Tohoku region, they are evacuees of natural disasters.” Refugees from Myanmar and Senegal volunteer in Japan’s Tohoku region to help the homeless and displaced. (from The Japan Times – Foreign refugees in Japan volunteer for disaster relief) 900 Million Cell Phone Users in China ”China added about 11 million mobile phone users in April.” On May 24th, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released a report stating that the country now has just over 900 million cell phone users. India, with 811 cell phone users, is not too far behind. (from PC World – 900 million China cell phone users) Corky Lee – 40 Years “I document the history because I need to leave it for another generation that I’ll never see or hear. If I don’t document it, who will?” says Lee. “So I’ve taken on this quest, kind of like a Don Quixote mission.” (from NY1 – Photographer Chronicles Four Decades Of City’s Asian-American Community)
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