You've got it, dancing origami!
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What happens when you combine paper and magnets?
You've got it, dancing origami! Click here to watch this amazing video.
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Who runs a sprinkler in winter? Why, someone wanting to make an amazing video! Although we don't have this kind of weather in Washington, this is what it's like most everywhere else. Click here for the video!
DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND,
here is the first segment in Paper Dragon's short story Copper. Sora pushed back his goggles and wiped his forehead with the back of his glove. “Uncle, we can stop here,” he said. “Nonsense, Sora! We’re nearly done with it!” Kunio Nakahara pounded the sheet of metal with a hammer again, so orange sparks flew off into the furnace below. “You said that a month ago,” Sora said bluntly. “Face it, this project is never going to be finished.” Kunio ignored Sora and stuck out a hand. “Show me the plans for the torso piece again,” he said. Sora sighed, rummaged around a pile of papers, and finally pulled out a large blueprint to give to his uncle. Kunio examined it, then checked the metal plate he had been shaping for the past hour. “Damn, it’s too heavy.” He crossed something out on the paper and put the metal away. “Sora, just because we haven’t quite figured it out now, doesn’t mean we won’t be able to build it in the end.” “Building a robot of that caliber is practically impossible!” Sora protested. “A walking, TALKING robot? I’ve gone along with your schemes for this long, but I’ve got half a mind to find work somewhere else.” “That’s a laugh! Who would take you on?” “Thank you, for your support, uncle,” Sora said, rolling his eyes and taking his gloves off. “I advise you stick to clockmaking.” Kunio shook his head and patted Sora on the shoulder before starting to take off his apron and goggles. Kunio Nakahara was Sora’s only living relative. Sora’s parents were both killed in a freak accident when he was two, and the job of babysitter was passed to Kunio. People said he was a brilliant clockmaker, one of the best who really understood each cog and gear. Sora had been Kunio’s apprentice ever since he could remember, helping his uncle particularly in metalworking. When he was eight, Kunio found a new project to work on; an iron man. This robot, he said, could move like a normal human, but would be indestructible in war. Ever since then, Kunio had been obsessed with the robot and Sora had gotten swept along in his schemes, and they had been working on the robot almost every minute after the clock store was closed. Someone knocked on the door unexpectedly. “Hello? Is anyone there?” “Akane,” Sora said immediately. He checked his reflection in the mirror, and, suddenly realizing his face was smeared with soot, started trying to clean himself before she came in. “Come in, Akane!” Kunio called. Sora tried to shush him, but it was too late. She walked in and smiled at them. “Hi.” “Sorry about the mess,” Sora said apologetically. Akane laughed. “That’s okay. Have you been working on that robot?” Before Kunio could say anything, Sora said, “trying and failing. We aren’t getting very far. Steam technology is a bit new for us.” “I could ask my father to help you,” Akane offered. Her father, the esteemed M. Kato, owned a train company. “No, we prefer to do our own work,” Kunio said, a bit snappishly. “Akane, I’ll be right out. I just have to get a bit cleaned up, then we can go out for something to eat,” Sora told her. “Wait outside in the shop.” She nodded and left. “What is wrong with you, uncle?” Sora suddenly burst out as soon as she had closed the door of the workshop. “You don’t have to be rude to her, she was just trying to help! I know your work is important to you, but some advice and tools from someone like Iwao Kato could really help you.” “I don’t have anything against her, or her father. I want to achieve this by myself” “Then you ought to be a bit politer,” Sora grumbled, turning back to the mirror to scrub the dirt off his face. “And I look like a bloody coal-shoveler,” he said irritably. Kunio pulled some of the plans for the robot closer and began pouring over them. A few minutes later, when Sora had sufficiently gotten most of the soot dust from the furnace off his face, he met Akane outside. They got tea from a street vendor and talked as they strolled down the street. Sora and Akane had known each other for two years now, both were at the marrying age, and both liked each other very much. Akane’s parents were pressuring her to get married soon, her being a lady of stature, but not to the clockmaker’s nephew. And Kunio was no help in giving Sora advice on wether or not he should propose soon, since he was so bent on his work and that robot. “So, your uncle is still working on that robot, right?” Akane inquired, almost reading his mind. “Yes, but I’ve told him to stop. He can be pretty stubborn.” “It sounds like fun though.” Sora raised his eyebrows at her, and she said, “really! What if you actually built it? Wouldn’t it be a revolutionary invention?” “That’s a nice dream, Akane, but I can guarantee that will never happen.” Just then, he heard someone running behind him. He turned to look, and suddenly came face to face with his uncle. “Sora! Come quick!” “What happened?” Sora asked in bewilderment. “Did something happen at the workshop?” “No. Well, kind of.” “An accident?” “Of sorts…” “Did you break something?” “Far from it! Sora, you need to come back with me!” “But- but what about Akane?” Sora stuttered. “The girl can do whatever the hell she wants! Just get back to the workshop!” Kunio started sprinting back in the opposite direction, to the shop. Sora and Akane watched him run for a few seconds. “I’m sorry,” Sora said, “I’ll come to your house later.” He sprinted down the cobblestone street after his uncle. The year of the sheep starts now!
But it is also the year of the goat... I mean, some people like goats more than sheep and vice versa. Anyhow, Chinese Feng Shui experts have predicted this for 2015... -the year will be calmer than last year, as far as accidents and disasters go -the year will see a resurgence of old diseases and births of new diseases -there will be more vegetarians this year -Jennifer Laurence will have a successful career (which is most important) Again, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, dear reader! Let's make it a great year! -Paper Dragon On February 26, the five members of the FCC (the Federal Communications Commission) will vote on internet neutrality. This net neutrality debate has been going on for more than a decade, since the internet has become a large part of people's lives. But what exactly is net neutrality? Imagine this: or maybe you don't have to, because you're doing this right now. You try to go to your favorite website, but it is blocked unless you pay a fee. In essence, this is what the net neutrality debate is all about. Net Neutrality is the principle that says broadband internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast and Verizon, should treat all internet traffic the same way. In other words, the same quality of internet should be available to everyone. However, ISPs want large companies like Netflix, Facebook and Youtube to pay them for "fast lanes", which means better faster access since these sites are so popular. Makes sense, right? However, smaller websites, like this blog you are on right now, would have very slow internet connection and may even be blocked. Plus, educators are worried about many educational sites being blocked to make way only for entertainment sites because the sites can pay. In 2010, the FCC decided that the ISPS could give more service to larger sites, but they would be monitored. Then in April 2014, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler decided to settle the debate once and for all, despite Verizon's attempt to sue the FCC for taking away the ISP's authority. Wheeler's proposal will be that ISPs will have to give equal internet service to everyone. Although, experts say that ISPs will challenge the proposal and perhaps take it to court. Click here for a video explaining net neutrality. Resources: billmoyers.com, arstechnica.com, washingtonexaminer.com, gizmondo.com, DOGOnews.com Lots and lots of flower petals were scattered around this town. No, there is no CGI; all the villagers volunteered to gather the colorful petals for this breathtaking commercial.
Click here to watch! Although Valentines Day is mostly a couple's holiday, it is a good excuse for the rest of the population to eat buttloads of chocolate, and for that we celebrate! Sorry I haven't been writing... been sick. But I am all better now, so expect more articles on network neutrality debates, jellyfish and more! Thanks for sticking with me this long, guys! Love ya!
What happens when skiers put on LED suits and ski down a mountain in the middle of the night? A beautiful hypnotic video with amazing colors! The background music is Silver Lining by First Aid Kit, which is one of my favorite groups, so check out some of their other music.
Click here to see the video. -Paper Dragon 27-year old Mason Wartman quit his job on Wall Street in 2013 and moved back to his home town in Philadelphia to start Rosa's Fresh Pizza. The plan was to make the pizza New-York style; only $1 each with tasty thin crust. Wartman had gotten the idea to give away slices of pizza for free to homeless people. But when a customer asked if they could donate money for pizza to be made specially for the people in need, which was when Wartman thought of a new idea. People who come into the restaurant are asked to donate an extra dollar for a slice of pizza for a homeless person. Then they are invited to write a message on a sticky note and put it on a board, so when people in need stop by, they can take a message and trade it for a piece of pizza. Not only does it save them money, but they don't have to steal for food. Wartman says he serves about 40 homeless people per day, and in all he had given 8,400 slices. Wartman is recognized nationally for his good deeds and Shutterfly gave him a $10,000 donation. Click here for an interview with Wartman and click here for a link to his website. -Paper Dragon Possibly you have heard of James Patterson, a thriller writer. To market his new book, he has done the impossible: created a book with a built-in clock set for 24 hours. When the 24 hours are up, the book blows up. Now, don't get too excited; the physical book costs $294,038. However it does include a two-night stay at a luxury hotel, a first-class plane ride to an unknown location, and a pair of 14-karat gold-plated binoculars to read the book from afar if your time is running short. 1000 interactive e-book codes were already released and used, which also had the clock ticking down but no actual bomb. Although the details of how the book will blow up are a little sketchy, a bomb disposal squad may be needed. The regular book was released to bookstores on Jan. 26. Simply, how does a cat react to the sound of tape?
Click here to watch it, but you'll need to watch with sound! -Paper Dragon Well, maybe not exactly out of a Tron movie, but they certainly look the part. These are the Glow Headphones, the "world's first" smart headphones that use laser lights to turn on and off according to what kind of music you are playing. The glow comes from Fibrance, a light-diffusing fiber embedded in the chord. The original idea was to use electroluminescent cables, but two years into the project they found Fibrance worked better and they had to almost start over. Along with the light pulsating to the beat of the music, you can talk on your phone using bluetooth, use voice command, and use it as a camera shutter button along with much more. It can give 8 continuous hours of music at a time with high-quality sound and is compatible with Android and iPhone. It is available in red, green or blue for $149. Hey, it's cheaper than a pair of Beats! And since it's a kickstart program, the company needs over $1 million. To see a pair in action, click right here! New Zealand Airlines created this airplane safety video prior to the final showing of the Hobbit in theaters. If you are a fan of LOTR, this video is for you! And even if you aren't, you will appreciate the brilliance of the amazing CGI effects and you will never look at an airline safety video the same again! Click here to watch it!
-Paper Dragon Public demonstrations are usually broadcast through television, but a new method of spreading the world has arisen. The solution? Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks! Here are the most famous protests of 2014 and why they are important to us. #Euromaidan (Ukraine) Viktor Yanukovych, the president of Ukraine in Nov. 2013, made a mistake when he decided to suspend trade talk with Europe. A small group was the first to demonstrate, in Ukraine's capital, Kiev. They gathered in Independence Square (or Maidan Nezalezhnosti) to demonstrate for their cause. This is when #Euromaidan was born. Through worldwide support through Twitter, it became a real revolt and Yanukovych was kicked out of office. In March 2014, Vladmir Putin claimed Crimea, which was a part of Ukraine since 1954. Ukraine supporters and Pro-Russian Separatists are still arguing about it. #SOSVenezuela Students protested in the street Feb. 2014 against Venezuela's new president, Nicolas Maduro. Maduro's new laws had brought goods shortages and growing crime rates to Venezuela for a while. On Feb. 12th, Leopoldo Lopez was the first to spread the word through #SOSVenezuela. Lopez, part of an activist group Un Mundo Sin Mordaza (A World Without Censorship), spoke of peaceful protesting instead of violence. As more and more people became aware of Venezuela's situation, more people joined and the protests got more violent. Finally, on Feb. 18th, Lopez was arrested and put in jail. Citizens are still furious about Lopez's arrest, but the protests have stopped for now. #BringBackOurGirls (Nigeria) You may have heard of this one. The Islamic group Boko Haram kidnapped 270 girls from a Chibok boarding school in northeastern Nigeria on April 14th, 2014. 57 of the girls escaped on the first night, but the others were not so lucky and have not been found. A group of locals were the ones who started #BringBackOurGirls to command the world's attention. As you can see from the picture, U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama has gotten involved in the campaign as well. There has been no progress in finding any of the kidnapped girls so far. #HandsUp, #HandsUpDontShoot, #BlackLivesMatter (USA)
This is one of the most well-known hashtags around here, because some of you may have seen demonstrations for this cause in Seattle too. It all started in Ferguson, Missouri on Aug. 9th, when an African-American teen named Michael Brown was fatally wounded by a white cop. An eyewitness said that Brown raised his hands in surrender before he was shot, sparking the #HandsUp hashtags. Many protests were started in the area, and there were many more when, on Nov. 24, the cop was cleared of all charges. A few days later in Staten Island, New York, 34-year old African-American Eric Garner was choked to death by- you guessed it- a white police officer. His final words, "I can't breathe," are as famous as #HandsUp. Thanks to the viral spread of these messages, many protests all over the USA have been happening. Without modern social media, the rest of the world may know about these important events too late. If you want to support any of these causes, you can click here for #Euromaidan, here for #SOSVenezuela, here for #BringBackOurGirls, and here for #HandsUp. Sources: huffingtonpost.com,philly.com,newyorker.com, DOGOnews.com Yes, admittedly, I might not write much about the Superbowl. HOWEVER, here is a link to an awesome page for all the facts about the Seahawks and the Patriots!
And just to warn you, if you support the patriots, you might get killed. :) Bao Bao the panda lives in WA DC. in the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. She is 16 months old and experiences her first snow with her mother, Mei Xiang.
When she is 5 years old, she will be moved to China to the Wolong Nature Reserve, which is dedicated to protecting pandas. Click here for the video! The Making of Adam is a famous picture painted by Michelangelo.
But have you seen the Baking of Adam? Follow Cake Angels on their way to making a cakey masterpiece in this awesome video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2Q2PNn0L2w -Paper Dragon From the ETH Zurich and Zurich Division of Disney Research, creators of the Touche "smart" doorknobs, wool 3D printers, and advanced CGI effects comes an adorable and mostly pointless robot. Its name? The BeachBot! (As you can tell from the very descriptive title). The BeachBot navigates with a laser scanner that can locate poles placed at the corners of a 10x10 m square, to know where it can work. Then a picture is programmed into its computer (complete with WiFi) and using the trajectory of the angles, the robot knows where to move. It "draws" on the sand by applying pressure with a rake and drags it in the sand. As seen from this video, it is fully functional at its job. Paul Beardsley, one of the creators, says "the dream is to create huge drawings like Nazca Lines." See the BeachBot in action by clicking here! I'm baaaack and I will be posting!
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEAHAWKS GIVING THE PANTHERS A SOUND BEATING! Another one of OK Go's amazing music videos that will leave you bamboozled!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m86ae_e_ptU What if there were thousands of jellybeans in a pile?
What if each jellybean represented a day in your life? What would you do with the jellybeans left over? Putting a new perspective on thinking about life and planning ahead. Ladies and gentlemen, your life in jellybeans. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VIDEO MUST BE WATCHED WITH SOUND OR IT WILL MAKE NO SENSE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOksW_NabEk |
About the staffPaper Dragon loves to write, her favorite color is grey, and she prefers pink guava gelato. She is best known for starting the Chocolate Bombay, and for her Marziale novel and debut short-story Copper. Email me if you want me to put a picture of your choice right here!
If you want, follow me on Instagram at paper_dragon14
Deviart pictures contributed by Platypus:
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