Laputa

Laputa is a flying island described in the 1726 book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is about 4.5 miles in diameter, with an adamantine base, which its inhabitants can maneuver in any direction using magnetic levitation.

Location

Laputa was located above the realm of Balnibarbi, which was ruled by its king from the flying island. Gulliver states the island flew by the “magnetick virtue” of certain minerals in the ground of Balnibarbi which did not extend more than four miles above, and six leagues beyond the extent of the kingdom. showing the limit of its range. The position of the island, and the realm below, is some 5 days journey south-south-east of from Gulliver's last known position, 46N, 183E (i.e. east of Japan, south of the Aleutian Islands) down a chain of small rocky islands.

Description

Laputa is described as being exactly circular and 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in diameter, giving an area of 10,000 acres (4,000 ha). It was 300 yards (270 m) thick, and comprised a bottom plate of adamant 200 yards thick, above which lay "the several minerals in their usual order", topped with "a coat of rich mould 10 or 12 ft deep".

Castle in the Sky

Laputa: Castle in the Sky (Japanese: 天空の城ラピュタ, Hepburn: Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta) is a 1986 Japanese animated adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and is also the first film produced and released by Studio Ghibli. The film was distributed by Toei Kabushiki Kaisha.Laputa: Castle in the Sky won the Animage Anime Grand Prix in 1986.

Plot

In the film's backstory, human civilizations built flying cities, which were later destroyed by an unspecified catastrophe, forcing the survivors to live on the ground. The only remaining flying city, Laputa, still floats in the sky, concealed by a permanent powerful thunderstorm that surrounds it.

In the story's opening, an airship carrying Sheeta, a girl who has been abducted by Muska, a secret agent working for the government, is attacked by Captain Dola and her air pirate sons who are in search of Sheeta's crystal amulet. In the resulting struggle, Sheeta falls from the airship but her descent is slowed by the amulet which starts glowing. She safely lands in a small mining town where she is discovered by a boy named Pazu, who takes her into his home to recover. On waking, Sheeta is surprised to find that Pazu is building a small aeroplane with the intention of finding the lost city of Laputa, which his father had taken a photograph of while flying some years previously. She tells him that her family lived in a small valley to the north named Gondoa, and that she lived alone once her mother, father, and grandmother died, until Muska and his agents abducted her. Later that day they are pursued by Dola's pirates, and later by Muska's soldiers. Eventually, the two fall into an abandoned mine, where they encounter the local eccentric 'Uncle Pomme', who informs them that Sheeta's amulet is made of 'volucite' crystal ('Aetherium' in the American release) a material used to keep Laputa and the other flying cities aloft.

Laputa (film)

Laputa is a 1986 West German drama film directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.

Cast

References

External links

Vertigo

Vertigo is when a person feels as if they or the objects around them are moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties walking. It is typically worsened when the head is moved. Vertigo is the most common type of dizziness.

The most common diseases that result in vertigo are benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Ménière's disease, and labyrinthitis. Less common causes include stroke, brain tumors, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and migraines. Physiologic vertigo may occur following being exposed to motion for a prolonged period such as when on a ship or simply following spinning with the eyes closed. Other causes may include toxin exposures such as to carbon monoxide, alcohol, or aspirin. Vertigo is a problem in a part of the vestibular system. Other causes of dizziness include presyncope, disequilibrium, and non-specific dizziness.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is more likely in someone who gets repeated episodes of vertigo with movement and are otherwise normal between these episodes. The episodes of vertigo should last less than one minute. The Dix-Hallpike test typically produces a period of rapid eye movements known as nystagmus in this condition. In Ménière's disease there is often ringing in the ears, hearing loss, and the attacks of vertigo last more than twenty minutes. In labyrinthitis the onset of vertigo is sudden and the nystagmus occurs without movement. In this condition vertigo can last for days. More severe causes should also be considered. This is especially true if other problems such as weakness, headache, double vision, or numbness occur.

Vértigo (La Ley album)

Vértigo is La Ley's fifth album. The album is separated from the band's other albums because of its electronic sound, machined-style rhythm, and particular cover. The album was completed with the same people as in Invisible, but just before the release, Rodrigo Aboitiz left the band due to a drug problem. The quartet then split with Luciano Rojas for good when he left in the middle of the tour.

Background and reception

Due to the success of Invisible, the band hardly found time to record what would be their next album. However, in 1997 they began recording and announced the album's release date for the middle of that summer, but it was later delayed until 1998. During this time, Rodrigo Aboitiz (the band's keyboardist) caused a series of troubles, missing the first weeks of recording. After the album was finished, he left the band.

One month before the release of the album, the first single, "Fotofobia", was released and slashed by critics. After that, the album "Vértigo" was released and brought the least success of all the band's albums. According to the band members, they had high expectations about it, but it was proven to be a failure in comparison to Invisible. The album was notorious for its electric and machine-style sounds that surprised and outraged most of the fans. Still, the album sold fairly well, as it sold 100,000 copies in Mexico.

Vertigo (Olivia Lewis song)

"Vertigo" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, performed in English by Olivia Lewis.

The song is a moderately up-tempo number. Lewis describes the difficulties she faces in her relationship, as her lover apparently spends much of his time doing exactly the opposite of what she expects him to. She likens this feeling to vertigo, and wonders if perhaps "solo is the way to go", suggesting that she may choose to end the relationship rather than deal with the problems.

Musically, the song features a tune described as "oriental" and containing elements both of Middle Eastern and Far Eastern music (most notably a gong, struck at various points during the song). Lewis herself performed in a costume made of silk and giving the appearance of being from China.

As Malta had not finished the previous Contest in the top ten, the song was performed in the semi-final. Here, it was performed twentieth (following Norway's Guri Schanke with "Ven a bailar conmigo" and preceding Andorra's Anonymous with "Salvem el món"). At the close of voting, it had received 15 points, placing 25th in a field of 28 and thus preventing Malta from qualifying for the final. The result represents Malta's first failure to appear in the final since the country relaunched itself at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991.