This clockwork beauty actually writes on her canvas.

Articulated and Articulate

17th Century Robots

Karakuri is the art of clockwork automation, dating back to Japan’s Edo Period (17th and 18th Centuries). Once the spring powered clockwork mechanism hit Japan, in the 1600s, the Japanese put the spring’s stored energy to use with art, flair, and grace.

These automatons can perform incredibly intricate, and detailed, acts like writing calligraphy, notching and shooting a bow and arrow, and serving tea. Watch the video. It’s totally worth it.

These are nothing link the creepy, gonna get you, Japanese robots of today.

I found this video on Laughing Squid, so thanks to them for showing me the Coolest Thing Ever.

Karakuri from Matthew Allard on Vimeo.

Just Watch It. You Will Be Moved.

Unbelievably Powerful

Sand Animation

Ukranian artist (and polymath) Kseniya Simonova seems a little Bjorky, in a good way. By this I mean I think he creativity is off the chart tectonic, like a meteor of ball lightning. If you read her About Me, you’ll see she has a bunch of degrees in carious subjects. She’s a genius for sure. It’s nuts.

The level of performance over expectation may not be as great as Susan Boyle, but it is much higher than the Natalie Imbruglia Mime (and he was great!). This video features Kseniya Simonova’s appearance on Ukraine’s Got Talent, which I’ve never seen but assume is better than 90% of US programming.

“You are always nearby” is the name of this piece. It is about the Nazi invasion of the the Ukraine, and what it did to the people. It’s rough. The music is absolutely essential to the experience. The camera cuts to the audience, and the judges, a few times, and everyone is in tears. A comment from the actual YouTube page is enlightening. I know I have a Vimeo vid embedded. It’s because it’s better quality.

The whole animation reflects the events of the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1945 which devastated hundreds of cities and villages in Ukraine, Belarus and Western Russia and killed 20 million people . At 1:40 your can hear the voice of a radioman announcing German invasion of the USSR. Since there was practically no family in the Soviet Union who would not had lost at least one family member to that war, it’s still hurting. That’s why people crying. I hope this answers your question.

Watch it and tell me what you think. I think it’s the Coolest Thing Ever.

Война from simonova.tv on Vimeo.

Hurrah, Youdopia! The Germans have created a robot that can feel, and emote. Not only that, it can tell what emotions you’re feeling. German empathy has at last been synthesized. German emotions. Aggressions, obsession with perfection, and racial hatred Awesome. Maybe if we’re lucky it can learn to judge the worthy from the unworthy.

German Emotion Droids with interchangeable faceware (watch the video) is absolutely the Craziest Shit Ever. Thanks, Engadget.

Tomorrow we’ll have the Japanese Robot that makes and serves ice cream. I bet one of the flavors is urine.

The Penis Mightier

All Hail The FAIL

There’s not to say about this, Youdopia. This little doodle is hilarious, because it’s hilarious (unless you think it isn’t). It’s the Funniest Shit Ever. Sometimes all you need is a few minutes on Failblog. I hope you like.

Knock knock. Who’s There? Infinity. Infinity who? Infinity is pretty amazingly large. My dear Youdopia, one of the blogs I read daily, is The Daily Grail. This little video which is a zippity doo dah tour from Tibet to the edge of the cosmic horizon and back, was posted there. I just nicked it and reposted it here. Ta da. I’m an ahtist.

This video was made by the American Museum of Natural History, and it’s pretty cool. Is it the Coolest Shit Ever? Well, no, it’s not mind blowing. It is pretty cool, though.  Considering that we’re finding watery planets all over the place now, and even watery moons in our own solar system… we might want to bone up on the neighborhood.