Sdtrk: ‘Rockaway beach’ by the Ramones

Far be it from ‘Shouting etc etc’ to go on about current events — unless it’s Synthetiks-based, suffice to say — but with US fuel prices reaching lunatic levels, we might well be seeing a upswing in sensible thinking regarding vehicles. Namely smaller, more sensible cars, such as the smart car.

No, I didn’t take this pic, I was too busy driving. Plus, it’s in Europe

They’ve been around in other parts of the country (namely the West coast) for a while, but they’re just now popping up in Michigan, which is lovely. Just the other day, I saw two of them, which is what inspired this post. But a mate of mine, Dave Z, has a bit of a problem with them, as there’s one at his workplace, and when he’s driving through the parking lot trying desperately to find a space, he’ll approach one he thinks is empty, but in actuality is already occupied by a smart car. They’re so tiny, you could probably cram like two and a half into a single parking spot!
I understand they get shitty gas mileage (40 mpg) for the prices they’re being sold for ($12,000 USD). Nevertheless, you have to start somewhere, I suppose… Also, maybe distributors in the States will follow the example of light-years-ahead Europe, and build these vertical dispenser buildings. Clever! You should thank me from not saying ‘smart’.

On the same day I witnessed those smartcars, however, I saw this beauty driving around, which made me squeal like a schoolgirl:

I didn’t take this one, either

Fiat has updated their iconic and sexy 500 model (not to be confused with Model 500) for the Twenty-first Century. The one I saw was headed towards me on the opposite side of the road, and from a distance I thought it was yet another smartcar. But then I recognised the curved front with the rounded headlamps, and that clinched it.
Any and all news of a new Fiat 500 slipped completely under my radar, so that was a pleasant surprise! Undoubtedly, the car will be bastard expensive, but… wow. Well done, Fiat!

Apparently, the most famous Fiat 500 enthusiast in anime, Lupin the Third, will be getting a new 500 as well, which killed me.

And when hanging out with Zip Gun and goshou later that day, ZG mentioned that he spotted a MINI Clubman, as BMW have gotten round to releasing the updated station wagon variation of the MINI.

Nor this one

As I’m subscribed to the MINI USA newsletter, I received an Email months and months ago, mentioning that the Clubman was slated to make its debut soon, but that was the only thing I’d heard, so I’d kinda forgotten about it. Upon seeing pictures of the 2008 model, it’s not as impressive as I thought it would be, mainly due to its lack of a crucial aesthetic element:

Don’t even ask

Where’s the wood body trim? It’s not a true station wagon if there’s no imitation wood somewhere on it! As we all know, Wood Panelling is Good Panelling, so BMW, you missed a trick there. However, the new Clubman has a suicide door on the passenger side, so that’s somewhat redeeming.

Tiny cars! The oversized vehicle backlash has begun! Patrick, looks like your wish might’ve come true after all

Technorati tags: smartcar, Fiat, Fiat 500, BMW MINI, MINI Clubman, Juan Atkins

Sdtrk: ‘Brazil’ by Foot village

Zip Gun managed to find this, coincidentally whilst watching some episodes of Gundam 00:

My Blast off in style in your new Gundam: is Silver Anguish.

Take Name Your Gundam! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey‘s Name Generator Generator.

Very appropriate, I’d say. And this merely confirms what I’d known all along:

TV Reviews

It’s true! Internet-based tests don’t lie!

Sdtrk: ‘Who’ll fall?’ by Coil

A crowd of Gynoids? Christmas in June??

‘Robotic Ladies of Film’ by Eduardo J.P.M

Now here we have another example where I had to work backwards; it started when I found this pic on one of those daffy imageboards I often plunder from. After firing up das Googlemaschine to find out any more info about it — is it by someone on deviantART? do they have any more Gynoid-based illustrations? — I learned it was an entry in a contest held on Ain’t it Cool News back in 2003. And that’s about it, really. It’s pretty easy to see why he was the winner, though!

You’ll definitely want the full-size version; there’s a link for it towards the bottom of the article. That’s a fab picture, wouldn’t you agree? It contains a number of my favourite Synthetik lasses, as indicated by my top ten sexiest Gynoids post (Cherry 2000, Call), as well as ones that for some reason didn’t occur to me when I wrote that (Galaxina, the automata lass from ‘Casanova’), and a few that I don’t recognise (that one with the big hair and shoulderpads, that blue lass). And having Maria from Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’ hold Tima from Osamu Tezuka’s ‘Metropolis’ is a nice touch…

D’ye think if enough of us request it, that maybe the artist will whip up one for Gynoids that have made appearances on tv shows? It’d undoubtedly be three times the size of the above illo, so he’d certainly have his work cut out for him

Sdtrk: ‘Walking in LA’ by Missing persons

That’s… almost body temperature. That can’t be good

Out of all the seasons we have foisted upon us, Summer has to be the worst, hands down. Autumn’s subtlety makes it superior; Spring’s never done me far wrong; Winter looks beautiful but it’s crap to be out in, but being chilly still beats basting in your own juices any day. The only redeeming thing about Summer is that it makes women reassess their choices in footwear, but that’s it, and that’s only a marginal reward, all told.

When I was younger and more willing to step out-of-doors, I remember developing a heat rash every Summer for three years running. Additional details are fuzzy, but I recall it was disgusting, as rashes tend to be. Then, of course, there’s the sweating, which, as far as I’m concerned, is a design flaw in Organik humans. Do you see cats sweating? No, no you don’t. Obviously they know something we don’t… And don’t forget tanning! Because making your flesh leathery and courting melanoma is always a worthwhile goal.

I’ll tell you: on the way to work Friday when I took the picture above, I saw a bloke geting his exercise in by running. Over the course of a mile, his body mass visibly shrank, as he was so overheated that he was rapidly losing weight. He went from probably about 185 lbs. to 40 just like that. Having stopped at an intersection, he was so weak and dehydrated that not only did he collapse, but the broiler heat of the tarmac reduced his frail form to a steaming paste within seconds, iPod and all.
Also, I saw a Pomeranian burst into blazing flames. It’s true.

In about a decade, when I am rightfully crowned First Grand Monarch of Earth, I resolve to put an end to this ‘summer’ ridiculousness; however, I’ve not decided how exactly. Either I’ll have enormous Bucky Fuller domes constructed over the major cities of the world, or I’ll have a fleet of gigantic air conditioning units flying in continuous formation around the globe, whichever’s more effective. Personally, I’m leaning toward the dome idea, cos if it worked for the society in ‘Logan’s Run‘, then there must be something to it, right?

Summertime. Clearly Nature’s biggest mistake

Sdtrk: ‘October language’ by Belong

This was located by the vigilant staffers at SpurtBOT: AI Robotics is a website where you can choose and order your very own Gynoid named Lisa. Whoa, whoa there, bunky! Don’t get your hopes up, and you can put your chequebook away, as unfortunately, the whole thing’s about as legitimate as Borghild, the legendary Nazi Doll. Yeah, I know, I was bummed out about it as well.

‘Sorry, I don’t actually exist! Keep saving up, though!’

It’s a reasonably convincing jape, though. There’s interviews with the creators, testimonials from happy customers, an online ordering page, etc. I do like this bit in the interview, however:

For whom did you design the perfect woman?
Etienne Fresse: Lisa is a substitute for a real woman. She has been designed for all men who have not found their soulmate, who would like to have company when they get home in the evening and who would like to have someone who cares for them.

Why did you decide to sell Lisa on the internet?
Yoichi Yamato: Most of all we wanted to “democratize” robots. We wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to benefit from cutting-edge technologies, to make their daily lives a little better.

Hoax or not, they’ve definitely got the right idea…

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With that in mind, have a look at the short film ‘Creative Director Doll‘. If you’ve seen Nick Holt’s ‘Guys and Dolls‘ — and who hasn’t?? — some of those shots and lines of dialogue will be awfully familiar. It got a hearty chuckle out of me, anyway!

We’re halfway through 2008, and once again, Phoenix Studios is maintaining their sexy silicone standards, with Miss June, out now. Shi-chan and I approve!

If it’s too warm in there, her thighs will stick to that bag when she stands up

I dunno; I believe I have a new favourite Boy Toy model… I think it’s that red hair of hers. Mmm, racy!

And have you read fellow iDollator PBShelley’s review of ‘Lars and the Real Girl’? I think you should.

A good example of how the dolls serve the observers’ imagination was shown when Karin begins talking to Bianca about her job, and how the townspeople used Bianca to provide them with what they wanted, a librarian, church member, even a mirror for their own beliefs as to how a woman should be treated. A doll (any doll) is a toy for the imagination; or, you might say, a tool. And a fertile imagination is a good thing

More iDollator-related news later! There’s another Doll Congress I must attend next week-end! I missed the last two, and if I don’t hit this one, they’ll revoke my status

Sdtrk: ‘International’ by OMD

It’s so simple! Take pics like this (lasses only):

This was from the lovely Gina of See Gina Blog. Ta very much! You are appealing to my prurient nature, and well done, I say!