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Move over Rover .. don't touch that grocery bag .. hotter?
Japanese fascinated by robots. Goes back to the days when we in the U.S. were afraid they were taking over. Since then, the 80s, adrift in deflation, that culture's interest in robots and gadgets has become a source of amusement. [Check out the outtakes of Lost in Translation - the Nippo-Americo encounter flick - the robot part was too funny to stay in the movie.] Yet today, Japan makes progress with pretty useful people-washer robots [though Filipinos are ready to come in on visas and take the part], while #1-We-Try-Harder-U.S. focuses on robots of the kind that remove bombs in our Iraqi Police Action. Not forgetting our robot on Mars, who has provided hours of amusement, and scientific insight, but no bath.
Related
Robots for Japans Aged -NYT [reg req], Mar 5, 2004
Robots for Amerca's Iraq police action -NYT [reg req], Mar 5, 2004
Mars today -Wash Post [UPI] Mar 5, 2004 |
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Saw transcendent music on the Tube this week
First, Allison Krause waltzed into the Oscars..
.. As if from a dream like Beatrice into the Wilderness. She sang with Sting [on hurdy-gurdy it appeared to me] and Elvis "We hardly miked ye" Costello. Music was from Cold Mountain soundtrack, one of our fave raves of late 03. Hadn't realized Costello was the author of Civil War paean- 'The Scarlet Tide.'
Second, discovered Joe Brown.
We are watching "Concert for George [Harrison]" on PBS. And couldn't pick out this person in the line of geriatric rock stars on stage. But film maker knows this, and explains that Joe Brown was a first-generation British rocknroller, that the Beatles opened for him and backed him on Northern tours back in the day, and now he seems on the order of an Irish pub rocker.
So, with a slew of stars available, who do they pick to close out the show but Joe? - who does "I'll See You in My Dreams" on ukulele with flower petals falling from the ceiling of the Royal Albert Hall and Ravi Shankhar's orchestra doo-wopping in orange saffron behind. Bliss in the deep.
Martha Stewart heading to stir
She strayed perhaps from the narrow and she'll be doing time, and her Omnimedia empire is headed to Goodwill but Martha is still my domestic mentor. To invent a company on par with Walt Disney from homemaking .. that takes more than melon balls.
Watching Martha cook, and sometimes watching her with the most absurd projects -making a pet rug, making a tire swing - was TV like I liked. Old TV, good tips, talking to you like they were humans, sharing information. Gretchen Colnick in a wide hat and lipstick smile and polka dot dress used to do it in Milwaukee when I was a boy. And it was the same kick. Martha just took it further, as you can do in this era. Of course you can take it up to a half-a billion and then bomb on your way to billionaireville.
Related
WTMJ TV schedule circa 1957
Also
Glenn bashes Bush space 'plan' -NYT, Mar 6, 2004
Gene meister Venter all at sea - Mar 5, 2004
How Catapults married sciene with politics -NYT Feb, 24, 2004
9:42:24 PM 
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