7 of the most disturbing (yet kind of cool) Japanese inventions of -2011

Since we crank out so many stories each week some really good ones get lost in the cracks. And since so many new people visit Guyism every day (thank you), we thought we’d start taking some time on the weekends to share some classics that many of our newer readers may have missed.


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Dubbed the “Mother of Invention” by many, the Land of the Rising Sun has forever been a hotbed of technology, arts and science; without Japan, we wouldn’t have had some of our everyday dude essentials: instant Ramen, CDs, the Sony Walkman (see: the ability to rock out to Bat Out of Hell ANY time, ANY place), digital cameras, drunk karaoke or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. But the Japanese also win the prize for being some seriously sick puppies, and not just for their used panties vending machines and penchant for wayward tentacles.
While many other reports on inventions hailing from Japan have cited the weird, wacky and pointless (silly inventions termed chindogu, meaning “useless ideas”), I decided to take it a step further.
7 Placenta Drink (2008)
Because nothing quenches your thirst like animal fetus casing, Japanese beauty company Nihon Sofuken created the Qbit Placenta 10000 Jelly drink, made of 10% pig placenta. The placenta – the temporary organ connecting the mother to the fetus – is removed from pigs, stripped from any lingering birth matter and manufactured into a jelly, spiked with a refreshing peach flavor. Sure, it grosses us out that people have been eating this stuff since B.C. for the apparent health benefits, but something about a jelly drink just tips the scale.
6 Mind-Controlled Robots (2009)
As cool as this may sound, keep in mind that the disturbing part isn’t the robot – it’s that all we have to do is THINK something, and a robot will do it. Not to mention the contraption you have to strap to your head to make it work. The Japanese government and tech industry aim to make the most of our brain power, and, according to Agence France Press and PopSci.com, we can expect to see everything from mind-controlled smart phones to TVs within the next decade.
5 Crystal Meth (1893)
Developed from ephedrine by Japanese chemist Nagai Nagayoshi in 1893 and then synthesized as crystals 26 years later, crystal methamphetamine was supposed to be used to treat certain clinical disorders, but instead has become the naughty, brain-damaging candy of today’s Charlie Sheens and lesser-off club kids. Crystal meth bad. *sings gently* The More You Know ®.
4 Noodle Eater’s Hair Guard (1990s)
Haloing your face in all of its pink rubber glory, the Noodle Eater’s Hair Guard is exactly that – a contraption that fits neatly around your face to keep that pesky noodle-broth-splatter where it belongs. Also makes a great gift for the girlfriend who wants to keep her hair splooge-free in the bedroom. Yeah, I went there.

3 The Flea Bomb (1940)
Also known as “plague fleas,” these bombs were developed in Japan during by the notorious covert Japanese biological and chemical warfare unit of World War II (and other wars), Unit 731. As part of Japan’s germ warfare attacks against enemies, plague-infested fleas encased in bombs were dropped on targets, causing cholera and anthrax outbreaks and thousands of deaths.
2 Portable Bottom Washer (1997)
Put away that Super Soaker – thanks to Toto, you can clean out your backside in style with the “Travel Washlet”: a portable bottom-washer that’s small enough to fit in your man-purse, backpack, or your XL fanny pack. Like a bidet, this hand-held contraption features water jets to ensure a pristine anal region, and comes in pink and blue. Best 13113 yen ($150 USD) ever spent? Yes.
1 Sega Toy’s “Near Me” Cat (2004)
The first in their series of robotic cat toys, Sega Toy’s premiere life-sized “Near Me” Cat was a $400 nightmare on four legs. Now there’s a more affordable version of this battery-operated voice-and-touch-reactive abomination, which is fantastic news for folks with cat allergies, kiddies who love kitties, and incredibly lonely, lonely bloggers.

NEWS:Syria forces fire 'nail bombs' as masses protest

 

Hundreds of protesters demonstrate in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on December 30, 2011 against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his regime's bloody crackdown on dissent. Syrian forces have been accused of firing nail bombs to disperse protesters.

Photograph Published by:Syed RIyadh Mehfooz

DAMASCUS - Syrian forces were

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Syria+forces+fire+nail+bombs+masses+protest/5928820/story.html#ixzz1i2uW8urnaccused of firing nail bombs to disperse protesters on Friday as tens of thousands flooded the streets across the country in a bid to make their voices heard by Arab monitors.
The protesters called for the overthrow and prosecution of President Bashar al-Assad, whose autocratic regime has been blamed for the deaths of more than 5,000 people since pro-reform protests erupted in March.
Activists urged the Arab monitors, who this week started a mission to oversee an Arab League plan to end the bloodshed, to do more to protect civilians from regime forces which they said killed another 13 civilians on Friday.
"We urge you to make a clear distinction between the assassin and the victim," activists of the Syrian Revolution 2011 said on their Facebook page.
"Our revolution which was launched nine months ago is peaceful," they said.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, monitors visited Idlib, Hama, Daraa and the Homs neighbourhood of Baba Amro on Friday.
State television said they also went to Hama and spoke to wounded people in a government hospital.
The mission has been the focus of controversy, with some opposition members unhappy with the choice of veteran Sudanese military intelligence officer General Mohammed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi to head it.
Dabi this week ruffled feathers by saying Syrian authorities were so far cooperating with the mission and by describing his visit to Homs as "good."
"The observers must remain in the cities they visit to protect civilians," said prominent human rights lawyer Haytham Maleh, who is a member of the main opposition umbrella group, the Syrian National Council.
Speaking to Arab news channels, Maleh said the Arab League must increase the number of monitors to ensure they can verify Assad's regime is implementing all the terms of the bloc's plan to end the violence.
These include the withdrawal of troops from all towns and cities that have been the focus of disturbances, protecting civilians, and the release of detainees, as well as opening a dialogue with the opposition.
Around 66 monitors are currently in Syria but there are plans to deploy between 150 and 200 observers.
Reporters Without Borders said the mission must visit journalists and bloggers being held by the regime and, in a statement, provided a "non-exhaustive" list of some 15 journalists it believes are in detention.
The media rights group said it was relieved by the reported release of Jehad Jamal, a blogger also known as "Milan," who had been held since October 14, but said the observers must "interview those who have been freed after months in detention or else this mission will be just a sham."
Friday's dead included at least 11 civilians killed as security forces opened fire to disperse protesters, and two more killed along with two army deserters in an ambush by government troops, a watchdog said.
Huge demonstrations rocked northwestern Idlib province and Douma, a Damascus suburb where protesters clashed with security forces who fired "nail bombs" to disperse them, the Observatory said.
At least 24 protesters were hurt when security forces fired "nail bombs to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators in Douma," the Britain-based watchdog said, adding that protesters "hurled stones" in retaliation.
The report could not be independently verified.
Security forces also fired "stun grenades and tear gas" in Douma as 60,000-70,000 demonstrators headed to city hall, which the Arab observers visited on Thursday.
It was the "biggest" demonstration in the restive suburb since the uprising began in March, the Observatory said.
In Idlib province, which borders Turkey, more than 250,000 protesters took the streets, the watchdog reported.
In Daraa province, south of Damascus and cradle of the pro-democracy protests, five civilians were shot dead when security forces opened fire on crowds of protesters.
Five more were killed in Hama, in central Syria, "when the security forces opened fire in Al-Hamidiyeh and Al-Hader neighbourhoods," the Observatory added.
And a man was shot dead in Homs, another flashpoint central city which activists have dubbed the "martyr" city after hundreds were killed in a massive crackdown over the past few months.
Five members of the security forces were also killed in Homs region by army deserters, the watchdog said.
Internet activists had urged Syrians to "march to the squares of freedom, bare-chested" on Friday, saying they were ready to confront the regime"s "artillery and machinegun fire."
Syria's state SANA news agency reported that massive crowds rallied on Friday in several cities, including Damascus, to support Assad and reject the foreign-orchestrated "plot" that is "targeting Syria's stability and security."

Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Syria+forces+fire+nail+bombs+masses+protest/5928820/story.html#ixzz1i2uMUlCy