Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
“The North Korean survivors demanded that Tokyo apologize and pay compensation. Some in Tokyo worry that compensation would be diverted to the government in Pyongyang. North Korean survivors claim that more than 40,000 Koreans were killed in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Another 30,000 Koreans survived, and 2,000 returned to what became North Korea after the Korean peninsula was divided in 1948. Japan colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945.” I understand paying for being a colonizing jerk, or forcing Koreans to come to Japan and then get killed. But as I read this, it seemed to say, “pay for being bombed since Koreans died because of it.” Strange. Did Japan want to be atomic bombed? How about someone Else paying for it? A group of Japanese doctors have made their way to the North Korea to treat some survivors – 65+ years later! (Washington Post – Bombed)
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It’s not finalized yet, but it’s possible that you can apply and you can get a free ticket to Japan, supposedly the tourist board will ask for 150 million dollars in funding. This is the site in Japanese. “The objective is to have the 10,000 tourists discuss their experiences online, and allow word-of-mouth reports to propagate about safe and hassle-free travel in Japan. Visitors will also fill out a questionnaire about how they feel about visiting Japan after the earthquake and any proposals they might have to renew interest in tourism. The Ministry will request $150 million in funding for this program.” (Yahoo – 10,000) (Aya.shii.org – 10,000)
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Why did some survive and some not? This video explores that. It’s long form so relax and watch this one. It’s in a few parts. Watch the full episode. See more NOVA.
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It’s really not that bad as the headlines seems to read. This actually will put you on a boat that looks at the Pacific Ocean gyre. It’s the debris field that is circling the Pacific Ocean, but the new highlight? It’s the tsunami garbage. Bits of wood, plastic, houses, body parts, and destroyed lives. It’s an eco-tour that actually leaves from Hawaii… Sea sick lately? This tour sounds like barrels of fun. The high seas, a boat, and floating garbage. How much are they paying people to go on this, again? (Telegraph – Gyre Tour)
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The world is in mourning. The passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs is truly a tragedy on a personal level; yet, I can’t help but reflect what his life’s work represented on the international stage. “Innovative” is the recurrent description attached to Jobs by various news networks. However, if he were known for just that trait alone, then he wouldn’t have superseded America’s creative reputation. America is the land where technical innovators are born. Whether it’s Henry Ford, Thomas Eddison, or even Bill Gates, that’s what America is known for. It’s what made companies like Apple the envy of nations across the globe and continued to persist after the current Great Recession. In a Giant Robot interview with Shuji Iwai, the dirctor remarked over Japan’s economic and creative slump. He idly commented how few products turn the world the way Apple does. Even executives and employees of Sony boldly strove to compete with Apple’s products during Jobs’s renewed tenure. CEO of Chinese computer company Lenovo, Yang Yuanqing, voiced similar sentiments at the news of Jobs’s demise Creations aside, Jobs’s most recent achievement was a simple one. He preened and maintained America’s stature as innovators of tomorrow. Whether or not this belief of American exceptional is a myth or reality doesn’t matter. It’s the fact that people both abroad is what counts. Steve Jobs has died, but one can only hope that he didn’t take this perception to the grave.
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