Partly Cloudy: August 2010

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Fushigi Yuugi and others

Read 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya', art is ok, but story too weird because I have only read 3 volumes. It's finally developing and now I can't read anymore... Crammed too much in, also weird bits with like Suzumiya being hard to actually sympathise with at all, her moods are too erratic, and her sort of sexual abuse of Asahina. Anime probably the same but I heard it was popular. Oh well. I think 'Lucky Star' would be better. Nothing like a bit of multi-coloured moe-moe overdose in the morning! I am gonna watch Lucky Star one day!!!! Argh!
Ok I don't know if I have actually reviewed Watase Yuu's 'Fushigi Yuugi' yet or not. So here goes.
I liked the anime, btw. I liked the omake the most... and the videos for their image songs (which may have been fan-made but you couldn't tell, man, look them up!)
I give the manga **** out of 7 stars because she makes Tamahome, Tasuki and Nakago have the same hairstyle, or too similar at least. Also the men in this manga are obsessed with rape! Everyone seems to want to rape either Yui or Miaka! It's creepy and surely men are not that bad! And Soi's power is too kinky. Other than those two glaring problems, its great, love the plotline although it is too melodramatic and so on. But loved her characters, (Chichiri!!! *sigh* Tasuki! *sigh sigh* and Tomo! YES, TOMO!!! SO WHAT??? I know he's extemely gay, so what???? I'm pretty sure he's not worried about being Bi. I know he's not real! Ok? *sobs quietly* Anyway, Ah, and Nakago... *sigh !!!* Ok, I'm done with sighing now) and her work on clothing and the flow of her art was very nice. It worked. Imho not all artists get the right look for their story. But Watase has. This is an old manga now, I suppose. She did a prequel, called 'Fushigi Yuugi Gaiden' (I think...) and I liked that too, but only read vol 1. Anyway, I liked the 4 gods and their seishi. The miko idea was ok too. Some of the seishi were so cool! Anyway, so because of Chichiri and Tasuki, and also Tamahome and Tasuki's fights, I will say you should read this. But it is a bit heavy-going, drama-wise. It can be wearying, for newbies to manga.
Sideline: Man, I think Yui is so cute! Wayyyy cuter than Miaka btw. Miaka is a sweetie but Yui is a LADY (only kinda mean). Those melting eyes... (although actually Yui and Miaka do look a lot alike if you ignore their hairstyles). Um, so... Tama-chan was real sweet, as the obligatory animal mascot/token cute beast. Yep. Love cats.
Well, that's it I guess, except to say also, I may have mentioned 'Kitchen Princess', um, it's real good but I hate how the writer kills one of the main boys (the one I liked!) halfway through and then replaces him with another guy who looks just like him but has a lousy personality. It seems pointless. I guess I have seen a similar plot like that before but this one was kinda brutal and because it had no subtlety, it was a waste of what could have been a real heart-wrenching plot point.
Art for Kitchen Princess: Shoujo, cute, good for fabrics and baked goods etc, real eye-candy.
Tends like many mangaka to not to develop the boy's looks enough (or token girls, in shonen manga it would be) because they are mostly either 'rival' or 'love interest' or both, and so not important.
However I really liked Akane's look. The heroine, Najika, was cute too. Interestingly though, Akane seems to have been developed more as a character both in personality and looks. I felt she outshone the main character a little.
This is the problem with many main manga characters. If the writer wants to make them likeable/identifiable with the target audience they are usually so passive and have one large flaw (which in girls is supposed to be 'cute' e.g. clumsy or a bad cook, in boys usually he's a lecherous type, but this is glossed over as him being 'a normal boy') and the writer tends to fail to let the main character develop much if they make supporting characters quite dynamic or weird. The audience will write and say, 'I like B-kun, he's my favourite', when it's A-kun's life story! So the writer must make sure B-kun gets lots of panels to keep audiences reading.
And I think that this is why the main character is kept devoid of many characteristics, so that the diverse audience can pretend they are like that person. It's the same as in games, the person you play as is quite generic so that anyone can feel they are that person.
I think perhaps I would like to see more manga make their main characters more defined. Like in Koukou Debut, the main character plays baseball, and does not seem to be losing interest yet, even past the first volume, which can be usual for some manga where the main character lists her interests or hobbies in the first chapter and then barely ever mentions them again. So I'm glad to see that.
Anyways, sorry I rambled on there (not sorry enough to delete it tho) and have a good day.
Btw do read 'Mink' (Cyber Idol Mink?) about a girl who can transform into a popstar, it's cute! But I can't get it here and don't know the original title, sorry, I will try to find out. I really enjoyed it and the art style was cute, it reminded me of 'St. Tail'.

Youtube User Alert!!!!

I just joined youtube and uploaded my first vid! The quality wasn't what I would like but hey. Here is the link, I think...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt4EhfRMi50

Try it and see. Oh, it's sealions swimming btm, in case you don't want to waste a couple of minutes of your life on aquatic mammals. I totally understand.

XD ttyl!

Monday, August 23, 2010

The List at last!

Well my manga exploits remind me of how I wanted to list my favourite villains.
I will make it top 10 otherwise I will take too long to decide.
Then I better put my top 10 heroes as well, I suppose.
1 is most fave, 10 is fave but least out of the 10. You get it. Actually a lot of them are tied, cause I can't choose but whatever. They are all fictional...*sigh* well, maybe that is safer for all of us. This list and the other may be subject to change.

Villains:
1. Darth Vader from Star Wars
2. Queen Nehelenia from BSSM
3. Zagato from MKR
4. The Goblin King Jareth from The Labrinth
5. Magneto from the X-Men universe
6. The Scarecrow from the Batman universe (scariest, not favourite really...)
7. Catwoman from the Batman universe (so cool!)
8. General Nakago from Fushigi Yuugi (tortured villains are always cool)
9. Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender (was a great villain, better than his crazy sister, that's for sure)
10. Edea Kramer from FFVIII (was a really good villainess until she became her normal harmless self again)

Heroes:
1. Batman (best detective ever!)
2. Sailor Moon (shut up! she's awesome!)and co
3. Obi-Wan Kenobi (and Yoda and Luke, Han and Leia etc but Obi-Wan is the coolest of them all)
4. Wolverine (ALWAYS cool)
5. Wesley from The Princess Bride (love that actor!)
6. Aragorn/Strider from LOTR (in the book he's cooler)
7. Hancock from the movie of the same name (so funny!)
8. Harry Potter (is cool, again, shut up!)
9. King Arthur and co
10. Robin Hood and co

Well, that was kinda lame. And there's lots of heroes who are cooler than villains so I could go on listing my fave heroes (usually in manga...) but this was meant to be about the villains.

Villains are only cool for me if they are not real. When they are real I cannot see their good points, only how despicable they are. Like dictators and despots, madmen who incite their country to genocide, greedy grasping fat-cats who live off of other's suffering. Cruel beautiful people, or cruel ugly people. Landlords and bosses who are unfair, warlords and bounty hunters who kill and steal and torture. None of them are worthy of any list of mine.
They should all be made to realise how they have made others suffer. They should pay back what they have taken. Maybe they never could even in their whole remaining lifetime.
Anyway! Let's not talk about the filth of reality in this world. The internet has evolved into a form of escapism from that, right? Let's escape into manga again. Stories are what make life interesting and bearable. I love stories, but I need them to have a happy ending precisely because real life stories barely ever do. I don't like sad stories.

Alice Manga

I just read Heart no Kuni de Ochakai (aka: Tea Party in the Kingdom of Hearts). It is a cute one-shot set in Wonderland (as a surprising amount of manga can be!) So Alice themes abound.
I have found other manga with an Alice theme in the past, including a somewhat dark one called 'Are You Alice?' I think. I didn't finish it.
There is one popular manga called 'Alice 19th'. It is still ongoing, I think. I like the art but it is also quite heavy going. Might not read much because I dislike the themes which are too strong for Alice, in my opinion. Artistic license is all very well, but often people go too far.

The Alice manga usually have: Alice (not always a girl), the Queen of Hearts (not always a woman), the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire cat (all usually cute boys or girls who like Alice). They often include other characters but hardly ever stay true to the real stories. I think CLAMP did an Alice manga called 'Miyuki-chan in Wonderland' but as far as I recall the review, it is quite yuri... Ouran High manga has an Alice story in it which was cute but confusing.
I think there are other manga out there who have had an Alice theme or story included in their main series.
'Alice in Wonderland' and the sequel, 'Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There', are two of my favourite stories. I have two copies and one is illustrated by Tove Jansson. I also have some Tove Jansson books. I am amazed that few people have heard of her, btw. Look her up sometime. Speaking of Tove Jansson, her character 'Snufkin' is apparently the inspiration for Kubo Tite's Bleach character Kisuke Urahara (aka: 'Getaboushi', the guy who gave Kon to Ichigo and owns that cool shop, and wears that hat over his eyes all the time). Incidentally I liked Urarhara immediately, when I saw him in the first Bleach movie. He is the one Bleach character I instantly liked and wanted to see more of. I do not know why. Another interesting thing, the next time I felt that was when I saw Yoruichi-san, his cousin. So COOOOLLLLL!!!! Ok ok no spoilers. YORUICHI IS NOT JUST A CAT!!!!! She's also - ok ok. Sorry, couldn't help it. Anyway everyone knows all about them by now for sure!

But back to Alice. I liked both Disney's older animated film and their new one directed by Tim Burton. I love the Cheshire Cat, especially in the newer movie... so CUTTTEEE!!!! I have a thing for cats, as you may have guessed.
I want to buy both Alice films. One day I will!
Well, have a good day.

Canadian Priest gives communion wafer to dog.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10774706

Canadian priest sorry for giving dog Holy Communion

(The dog took the biscuit but no wine was offered to the animal)
A priest in Canada has apologised after giving Holy Communion to a dog.

Reverend Marguerite Rea of St Peter's Anglican Church, in Toronto, received complaints from Christians all over Canada after she fed communion bread to a German Shepherd cross named Trapper.

Area Bishop Patrick Yu said the priest had contravened church policy with her "strange and shocking" actions.

Ms Rea said it had been a "simple church act of reaching out" to a new congregation member and his pet.

"If I have hurt, upset or embarrassed anyone, I apologise," she told her congregation on Sunday morning, the Toronto Star reports.

Bone of contention
The canine controversy began last month when four-year-old Trapper and his owner, Donald Keith, 56, attended the church in Toronto's downtown area for the first time.

"The minister welcomed me and said come up and take communion, and Trapper came up with me and the minister gave him communion as well," Mr Keith told the Toronto Star.

"I thought it was a nice way to welcome me into the church. I thought it was acceptable. There was an old lady in the front just beaming when she saw this."

But not all parishioners at the service were quite so charmed by the sight of the priest leaning down and placing a wafer on the wagging tongue of Trapper, a German Shepherd-Rhodesian ridgeback cross.

Communion bread is considered by Anglicans to represent the body of Jesus Christ.

One onlooker filed a complaint with the Anglican Diocese of Toronto about the incident and has since left the church.

When news spread of the canine communion, St Peter's Church began receiving e-mails from angry Christians all over the country.

"Communion is a symbol of the sacrifice of Jesus' body; he died for all of us. But I don't recall anything from the scripture about Jesus dying for the salvation of our pets," said Cheryl Chang, director of the Anglican Network in Canada, the National Post newspaper reports.

"I can see why people would be offended," said Bishop Yu.

"I have never heard of it happening before. I think the reverend was overcome by what I consider a misguided gesture of welcoming."

'Innocent'
Mr Keith has since been told that he and his dog are most welcome at the church, but Trapper can no longer receive communion.

"This has blown me away. The church is even getting e-mails from Catholics," said the truck driver.

"Ninety-nine-point-nine per cent of the people in the church love Trapper and the kids play with him. It was just one person who got his nose out of joint.

"Holy smokes. We are living in the downtown core. This is small stuff. I thought it was innocent and it made me think of the Blessing of the Animals."

To all of this I say, 'Ok, inappropriate, now GET OVER IT!!!!'
People are so tetchy. Dogs shouldn't take communion. The end!
All you dogs out there be sure and read this article to avoid future offenses of a religious nature.
Man...!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Good website.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Really good website with some thought-provoking articles.

I just found one about Christians and the poor, by Richard T. Hughes. Here is the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-t-hughes/a-riddle-of-life-and-deat_b_487476.html

Here is a quote from another of Hughes' essays:
'Even though we have no state church in the United States, there has emerged in the United States a Christian civilization that is deeply corrupted, a civilization that claims the label "Christian" only by virtue of its history, though if we would be honest, we must admit that America's history has never been Christian in any biblical sense.' Richard Hughes, Chapter Four: "Dare We Live in the World Imagined by the Sermon on the Mount?" from Preaching the Sermon on the Mount: The world it imagines. (St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice Press, 2007), p56.
Actually I think he is right. Other Western countries have a lot to answer for, but America has the most at this point in history.
Anyway, it really spoke to me, that book I listed above. I want to buy it.
Christians do not help others out enough. We talk about but we just don't have the time or the resources to do it, and we make excuses etc. Well, I want to do more.
I don't think we need to preach all the time at people either. We just need to help them out! In this cold world, getting anything for free is a miracle. So I would like to work more miracles like that. No strings attached.

Goma-kun says, 'YEAH! DO IT!'
Well, heck! Who can argue with that face? x3

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Brains and Technology = Unhealthy if overused.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/technology/16brain.html?_r=1&src=tptw
Quotes:
'...understanding how attention works could help in the treatment of a host of maladies, like attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and depression. And he says that on a day-to-day basis, too much digital stimulation can “take people who would be functioning O.K. and put them in a range where they’re not psychologically healthy.”'

It's funny, but people don't have to go out at all, they can sometimes work from home, and they can get goods and food delivered to their door. Other people go to and fro from work and home and that's it. They don't have to go anywhere else, they can watch movies online. They can buy anything online. You don't have to leave your property most of the time which scares me. You can talk to your friends online too. Some churches also have sermons online which you can stream, sometimes live.

'The believers are Mr. Strayer and Paul Atchley, 40, a professor at the University of Kansas who studies teenagers’ compulsive use of cellphones. They argue that heavy technology use can inhibit deep thought and cause anxiety, and that getting out into nature can help. They take pains in their own lives to regularly log off.'

'The study indicates that learning centers in the brain become taxed when asked to process information, even during the relatively passive experience of taking in an urban setting. By extension, some scientists believe heavy multitasking fatigues the brain, draining it of the ability to focus.'

I totally agree. It hurts my back and head and my brain feels tired and drawn after spending too much time on the computer or my gaming console. Also when I was studying for my degree, I couldn't sleep well if I worked too hard. I got a lot of A's but also felt really stressed. At one point couldn't think well and got stomach cramps. Once I got so confused and tired I had to actually take like a week off from study. I still went to class but I had to stop studying in my spare time.
I do feel oddly uneasy without my cellphone on me, despite the fact that I didn't get one till I was about 20. I'm only 29 now and yet those 9 years have seen me have my cell with me almost every day. I only text two or three times a day on average which is almost nothing at all. Yet I use my phone's clock and calculator and my calendar. Without my phone and computer, I would feel adrift and apart from others even though I can go through my day with only seeing or actually talking to my 3 flatmates (and even then, it's just 'Hi, how was your day.' and that's about it).

Well, this article was really good. Please read it.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Oh my gosh Ligers!

A private zoo in Taiwan has become the island's first to breed "ligers" - a hybrid of a lion and a tigress - but officials seized the cubs and said they may fine the owner.
The three liger cubs were born on Sunday at the World Snake King Education Farm, but one of them died almost immediately.
The zoo said the pregnancy of the tigress had come as a surprise as the pair had shared a cage for more than six years without incident.
Crosses between a lioness and male tiger, called a tiglon, can also occur.

So cute! I really like this Tiglon picture.

http://news.msn.co.nz/glance/7946249/zoo-fined-for-breeding-ligers

Japan and child abuse?

Japan's child abuse reaches record high
August 05, 2010|By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Writer

2010-08-05 02:48:00 PDT Tokyo, , Japan — (08-05) 02:48 PDT TOKYO, Japan (AP) --

Child abuse cases in Japan have risen to a record high, according to police data released Thursday, fanning concerns about safeguards in a society long known for strong family values.

Japan has boasted a reputation as a relatively crime-free nation, and has a culture that prides itself on pampering, even spoiling, children.

But recent high-profile cases of child abuse have shattered that image, and have unveiled communities that have grown impersonal and uncaring for the plight of children.

Drawing widespread attention were media reports last month of a woman who was arrested after abandoning her two children, age 3 and 1, in her apartment without food or water until they died.

Neighbors said they heard the children crying hysterically, but nobody did anything about it.

During the first six months of this year, there were reports of 187 children who were victims of abuse, mostly physical abuse but some sexual, the highest since such records began to be compiled in 2000, the National Police Agency said. The cases resulted in 18 deaths, and 199 people were arrested, it said.

In another disturbing sign, the police report also found child pornography on the rise, with cases surging 63 percent from a year earlier to 599 cases in the first half of the year. About half the cases involved the Internet.

Such data strike a contrast to the stereotype of traditional Japanese culture that values family ties and neighborhood networking.

Masami Kimura, a lawyer who has been working to prevent child abuse, said the main change is that more people are now reporting abuse. He believes beatings in the name of discipline and other abuse have been common in Japan for decades.

"We talk to parents who hit their children, and they tell us that was the way they were brought up," he said. "But the idea that children have human rights is now gradually gaining ground."

Kimura and other welfare officials say people trained to handle child abuse are scarce in Japan, facilities to shelter abused children are packed, and legal systems to monitor and counsel families need strengthening.

"Japan has long had the belief that the law should not intervene in family affairs," he said. "But children, the weakest people in the family, are getting abused."

http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-08-05/world/22206118_1_child-abuse-national-police-agency-japan

Manga

At the moment I'm watching season one of Pokemon (US) and also reading rather a lot of manga simultaneously.
Manga I have read recently: (CAUTION: SPOILERS!)

Ouran High School Host Club (unfinished) Rating: ****** out of 7 stars. Love the characters, don't like the short stories not connected to the Host Club. Otherwise, love it. I also liked how the main characters are slowly changing for the better. Some stories, the people never seem to change or worse, their quirks become exaggerated to the point of the ridiculous.
My faves are Haruhi and Suoh. But I like all of them, except I guess the twins are too abrasive for me at times.

Death Note (finished) Rating: **** out of 7 stars. Dull after a while. Not enough brilliance shown by Light despite great promise shown at first. Predictable ending. However L was delightful and his end was a shock.

Koukou Debut (not finished yet) Rating: *** so far. Cliques abound and the artwork is sometimes just not good enough. But still enjoyable for the minor characters e.g. Fumi-kun. Man, I would marry him...

XXXholic (unfinished) Rating: ***** out of 7 stars. Loved it but it scared the heck outta me at times. I am interested in Youkai so this manga intrigued me. I also love CLAMP. It is hard to predict what will happen although with the customers usually if you assume that the worst will happen, you're mostly right. I think I really like the minor characters in this one, the pipe fox spirit and the kitsune cart family and the usagi pipe cleaner merchant. I also liked the rain spirit girl. I didn't give this one a higher rating simply because I get scared or melancholy at some of the stories. Also, I do not understand the morality of some of the characters because I am not Japanese and I am a Christian. But on the other hand I am learning some things from this manga.

Bleach (unfinished) Rating: **** out of 7 stars. A bit dull, reminds me of DBZ. I wish they'd do more with the minor characters but to be fair, the writer is really good at bringing in new people as he goes along. So a minor character can become important later. Maybe he is over-reaching himself? I do like it despite it's fan service and bad language. I tell you what, I miss Kon. I have a toy of Kon, that my friend got me from Hong Kong. Kon is the best! Despite his stereotypical personality. I guess my faves are... you know what? I like most of the captains and most of Ichigo's friends, and his family. I like most of them but I will say I have a soft spot for Renji, Urahara, Yoruichi and also for Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Argh I love Orihime as well! Ok fine, I also like Uryuu. Enough listing of who is awesome from Bleach, since I like almost everyone.

Naruto (unfinished) Rating: ***** out of 7 stars. Really good art and character development. Not read enough of it to see if I like it but still v good. I have seen most of the anime and enjoyed it.

Kirakira Hikare (finished) Rating: ***** out of 7 stars. Liked it a lot, so much that I read it again. Too short and a bit clique but a really charming little one-shot. The art is also charming. I like the main character although she really is a clique.

Sketchbook (unfinished) Rating: **** out of 7 stars. I like it but it is hard to understand at times, being so random. Also I don't like their stereotype of the foreigner. It was going for a whimsical feel but came off more as pointless and odd at times. I will try to finish it but it still seems like there are too many volumes.
I dislike the main character. She is beyond spacey. I do like most of the other characters in the art club though.

Azumanga Daioh (unfinished) Rating: ****** out of 7 stars. Probably my highest rating yet! I loved the anime (I own it) and this manga is very good. I love all of the characters, even Kimura-sensei. Haha! And Tadakichi-san is still charming, even when I can't hear him woof.

School Rumble (unfinished) Do not really like, might not bother with. Rating: *** out of 7 simply for the clearly defined art style. Don't like anyone in it much, not endearing or original.

I can't remember the titles of the rest, will post some other time I suppose.
:)

Rain

Well today, I was walking in the rain and I decided that I hate rain. Yesterday I got soaked and cold. It is never romantic. Especially when the wind blows my flimsy umbrella inside out AGAIN (Or I stupidly give my umbrella to my friend and assure that person I will be fine...Chivalry! It's dangerous!).
Anyway, so I was walking in the rain and it was merrily pattering away on my umbrella driving me mad with the irritating sound and the cars were zooming past and hissing in the water on the road, and then - it all stopped. No cars went past at that moment (about 5 beats/seconds) and I was under a tree.
I realised I like rain when it is not accompanied by these annoying sounds. So rain is not too bad. I still prefer it to rain only when I am inside and don't want to go out, or to rain when the country is in drought. But rain ain't so bad! It quietly and relentlessly falls on the earth and if it wasn't for cars and plastic surfaces, rain would always sound nice.
And that is my rant for this minute.
I'd say my rant for today, but I think that I might post other stuff later.
Oh yeah also go here for some really good manga - mostly shoujo.
www.anymanga.com

Friday, August 13, 2010

Satan's Business Meeting - thanks to my sister -

Satan's Meeting

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep Christians from going to church.
We can't keep them from reading their Bibles
and knowing the truth.
We can't even keep them from
forming an intimate relationship with their saviour.
Once they gain that connection with Jesus,
our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches;
let them have their covered dish dinners,
but steal their time, so they don't have time
to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ."

"This is what I want you to do", said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour
and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life
and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours
and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week,
10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children.
As their families fragment, soon, their homes
will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds
so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.
Entice them to play the radio
or cassette player whenever they drive.
To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly
in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant
in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.
This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.
Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.
Invade their driving moments with billboards.
Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues,
sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional
offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV
so their husbands will believe that
outward beauty is what's important,
and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives.
Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.
Give them headaches too!
If they don't give their husbands the love
they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.
That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from
teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.
Give them an Easter bunny
so they won't talk about his resurrection
and power over sin and death."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.
Have them return from their recreation exhausted.
Keep them too busy to go out in nature
and reflect on God's creation.
Send them to amusement parks, sporting events,
plays, concerts, and movies instead.
Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship,
involve them in gossip and small talk so
that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes
they have no time to seek power from Jesus.
Soon they will be working in their own strength,
sacrificing their health and family
for the good of the cause.
It will work! It will work!"

It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments
causing Christians everywhere to get
more busy and more rushed,
going here and there.
Having little time for their God
or their families.
Having no time to tell others
about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is,
has the devil been successful at his scheme?

You be the judge! Does "busy" mean:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke?

A view of Heaven - thanks to my friend Diana -

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble... At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'

'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.. 'Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked.

Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up. 'The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked.

'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

'Excuse me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?'

'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.'

'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.

'There should be a bowl by the pump.'

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree..

'What do you call this place?' the traveler asked.

'This is Heaven,' he answered.

'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.'

'Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.'

'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'

'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.'

Musical Interlude...not really.

When I was younger, I made up a poem.
'Music flows through my veins,
and when I walk, it plays.'

BUT!
Even I was startled into discomfort when I heard an American girl say something like; 'Some people have religion, I have music. Some people pray, I turn on the radio.' And another person, a young man I think, said something like; 'If I didn't have music, I would die. I would just die.'
I think these were quotes on the end of a recent 30 Seconds to Mars music video (good band, a bit rebellious teenager-ish but still nice).
It creeped me out... and I felt sorry for them. But at the same time, I almost understand how they feel because I love music so much that I would have to say it is almost like food for me.
Not the same as food, but almost. Music is what I 'eat' when I am bored or lonely or just on the computer. It is good noise to fill space when I am alone at home or lonely.
Music affects my moods often strongly so I have to carefully monitor (and limit) what I listen to. Sometimes it seems to be too much as if it is clogging my ears with too much sound (I don't mean too loud, I just mean too much sound somehow, like a music overload) and sometimes I just don't want music. But usually, yes, I dance to it, listen, sing, and enjoy it very much.
Many songs bring back memories of my childhood or teen years or a person who introduced me to a particular band or song.
I think ever since music became more accessible for everyday people, it has fulfilled these roles for many, many people all over the world.
So yes, thank you for music, Lord. We love it. It was a good day when it was invented.
^_^

Monday, August 09, 2010

Misericordia

I just had to post this because it is so much in my field/s of interest.
A misericordia (latin) was a thin dagger used in the Middle Ages by knights (and presumably others) to deal a death or 'mercy' blow to fallen opponents. Misericordia means 'mercy'. The word is used to means other things besides this but I was interested in this meaning alone. All I see here is the word 'misery', not 'mercy' at all. However I am pleased with the idea of a mercy weapon.
I read of this dagger in my book on King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
So interesting! I would want one myself, if I were a knight. It would also be useful when out foraging for food in times of war or when hunting. Anyway, that is all.
Must insert cute picture...

Caption: 'I don't need misericordia!'
Haha double meaning... Anyway I'm very sorry for that lame caption. Please forgive me. I prefer to apologise rather than simply refrain from lameness, which would no doubt save trouble in the long run. But could I live with myself? Perhaps not.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Favourite book of the Bible.

Well, my friend posted on his blog what his favourite book of the Bible is. This reminded me that I may have done that already - but if so I will just do it again. I want to do it to!
So, my fave in the NT is Hebrews. Then I guess I like James. These two books really help clear up questions that I have.
In the OT my fave is Amos - and also Micah. I like Isaiah and Jeremiah too. Oh, and Ezekiel! You know what? All of the Prophets are great.
I love the (sometimes raw) imagery they use and their themes of justice and purity of worship.
But I suppose if I have to pick an actual, single favourite, then I choose Psalms. I enjoy Psalms because so many of them seem to be the outcry of my own heart, and yet they were written (aprox) 2000 years before I was born.
As for the Apocryphal books, I think so far I like Judith. It makes me feel as if justice can be done for women after all. I haven't read all of them yet though.

Inception and fave villains

I really liked the film Inception. I enjoy Christopher Nolan films. At least, I have only seen two that I know of, but yes, they both impressed me, especially the Dark Knight. It stayed with me for a long time after watching it.
I think I want to watch Inception once more to make sure I understand it. I like the actor who played the character having the idea planted in his head. He was also in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, playing the Scarecrow. Man, I tell you what, the Scarecrow has always frightened me and is my worst Batman or comic villain so far. The Joker comes a close second. I guess my third least favourite/most feared villain would be Apocalypse (sp?) from X Men. He is just too powerful and so vicious.
Speaking of villains, I would say my favourite villain ever would have to be Darth Vader. My second is Magneto. My third would be Catwoman, I suppose. But I do like villains who have been good but turn bad (face-heel turn) or bad guys who turn good (heel-face turn).
I shall have to think hard and make a list of my favourite top ten villains and heroes.
I'll get back to you.
I will have to make sure they are not all cartoon or anime characters, hehe.

Un-used Words

You may have to go ‘wurfing’ to find out the meaning of ‘polkadodge’ if a colleague casually dropped the wordf into a ‘nonversation’.
But this gobbledygook is an example of millions of ‘non words’ which failed to make the dictionary and lie unused in a secret vault owned by the Oxford University Press.
‘Wurfing’ means surfing the internet at work, while ‘polkadodge’ describes the strange little dance two passing people do when they try to avoid each other but move in the same direction, and ‘nonversation’ denotes a pointless chat.
These words were recently submitted for use in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) but will remain dormant unless they enter common parlance in the future.

Graphic designer Luke Ngakane, 22, uncovered hundreds of ‘non words’ as part of a project for Kingston University, London.
He said: ”I was fascinated when I read that the Oxford University Press has a vault where all their failed words, which didn’t make the dictionary, are kept.
”This storeroom contains millions of words and some of them date back hundreds of years.
”It’s a very hush, hush vault and I really struggled to find out information about it because it is so secretive.
”But when I spoke to them they were happy to confirm its existence and although I didn’t actually get to see the room they did send me some examples..."

All of these words have been submitted to the Oxford University Press for inclusion in the OED but were judged to be ”unsuitable”.
They now lie in a vault in Oxford alongside millions of other unused words which are written on 6in by 4in cards and stored alphabetically in 50 huge filing cabinets.
Some of these words date back to before 1918, when Lord of The Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien was editor of the OED, but newer ‘non words’ are digitised.
Fiona McPherson, senior editor of the OED’s new words group, denied the words are ”rejects” and said they have every chance of being printed in the future.
She said: ”They are words which we haven’t yet put in. I don’t like calling them reject words because we will revisit them at some point and they may well go in.
”They are not yet considered suitable for the dictionary because there’s not enough evidence that people are using them.
”If a word does come to our attention we can come to this room and check if it’s here. A lot of times people say these words but they are not written down or published.
”We read newspapers or novels and have readers who read through them looking for new examples of existing words or completely new ones.
”We also get people writing in telling us about new words, which is useful. The thing with the OED is anything that goes in never comes out.”

DICTIONARY OF NON WORDS;
Accordionated – being able to drive and refold a road map at the same time
Asphinxiation – being sick to death of unanswerable puzzles or riddles
Blogish – a variety of english that uses a large number of initialisms, frequently used on blogs
Dringle – the watermark left on wood caused by a glass of liquid.
Dunandunate – the overuse of a word or phrase that has recently been added to your own vocabulary
Earworm – a catchy tune that frequently gets stuck in your head
Espacular – something especially spectacular
Freegan – someone who rejects consumerism, usually by eating discarded food
Fumb – your large toe
Furgle – to feel in a pocket or bag for a small object such as a coin or key
Glocalization – running a business according to both local and global considerations
Griefer – someone who spends their online time harassing others
Headset jockey – a telephone call center worker
Lexpionage – the sleuthing of words and phrases
Locavor – a person who tries to eat only locally grown or produced food
Museum head – feeling mentally exhausted and no longer able to take in information; Usually following a trip to a museum
Nonversation – a worthless conversation, wherein nothing is explained or otherwise Elaborated upon
Nudenda – an unhidden agenda
Oninate – to overwhelm with post-dining breath
Optotoxical – a look that could kill, normally from a parent or spouse
Parrotise – a haven for exotic birds especially green ones
Peppier – a waiter whose sole job is to offer diners ground pepper, usually from a large pepper mill
Percuperate – to prepare for the possibility of being ill
Pharming – the practice of creating a dummy website for phishing data
Polkadodge – the dance that occurs when two people attempt to pass each other but move in the same direction
Pregreening – to creep forwards while waiting for a red light to change
Quackmire – the muddy edges of a duck pond
Scrax – the waxy coating that is scratched off an instant lottery ticket
Smushables – items that must be pack at the top of a bag to avoid being squashed
Spatulate – removing cake mixture from the side of a bowl with a spatula
Sprog – to go faster then a jog but slower then a sprint
Sprummer – when summer and spring time can’t decide which is to come first, usually hot one day then cold the next
Stealth-geek – someone who hides their nerdy interests while maintaining a normal outward appearance
Vidiot – someone who is inept at the act of programming video recording equipment
Whinese – a term for the language spoken by children on lengthy trips
Wibble – the trembling of the lower lip just shy of actually crying
Wurfing – the act of surfing the Internet while at work
Wikism – a piece of information that claims to be true but is wildly inaccurate
Xenolexica – a grave confusion when faced with with unusual words.
http://swns.com/millions-of-non-words-discovered-in-secret-vault-041432.html

Friday, August 06, 2010

Juan de la Cruz

Here is one of my favourite poems by St John of the Cross, a Carmelite discalced (barefoot, I think that means) monk who was a good friend of St Teresa of Avila. They were both given to visions and mystic experiences of God or angels.

La Noche Oscura Del Alma
San Juan De La Cruz

Cançiones del alma que se goça d’auer llegado al alto estado de la perfecçion, que es la union con Dios, por el camino de la negaçion espiritual

En una noche obscura,
con ansias en amores imflamada,
¡oh dichosa uentura!
sali sin ser notada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada.

A escuras y segura,
por la secreta escala disfraçada,
¡oh dichosa uentura!
a escuras y ençelada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada.

En la noche dichosa,
en secreto, que nadie me ueya,
ni yo miraua cosa,
sin otra luz ni guia
sino la que en el coraçon ardia.

Aquesta me guiaua
mas cierto que la luz del mediodia,
adonde me esperaua
quien yo bien me sabia,
en parte donde nadie parecia.

¡Oh noche que me guiaste!
¡oh noche amable mas que el aluorada!,
¡oh noche que juntaste
amado con amada,
amada en el amado transformada!

Y en mi pecho florido,
que entero para el solo se guardaua,
alli quedo dormido,
y yo le regalaua,
y el ventalle de cedros ayre daua.

El ayre de la almena,
cuando ya sus cabellos esparzia,
con su mano serena
en mi cuello heria,
y todos mis sentidos suspendia.

Quedeme y oluideme,
el rostro recline sobre el amado,
ceso todo, y dexeme,
dexando mi cuidado
entre las açucenas olvidado.

http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.com/2009/09/saint-john-of-cross-dark-night-of-soul.html

Stanzas Of The Soul

1. One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.

2. In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
- ah, the sheer grace! -
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.

3. On that glad night,
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything,
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.

4. This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
- him I knew so well -
there in a place where no one appeared.

5. O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.

6. Upon my flowering breast
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.

7. When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.

8. I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.

This is the translation I am most familiar with.
I love this poem. I'm reading his commentary on it, which is quite long, consisting of a book which he did not finish.
The first time I heard it, this poem seemed to fill my heart with the burning longings described in the first stanza. Now it does not, but I know that it still speaks to me. It tells me about my relationship with God. Non-Christians use this poem as well sometimes, to achieve inner peace.

The picture above is of a chapel in America somewhere I think. I can't remember where I got it from, an archive of public images from wikipedia, I think. It sure is beautiful.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Education bein' the way it is an' all...

Comment: The following speech was delivered by top of the class student Erica Goldson during the graduation ceremony at Coxsackie-Athens High School on June 25, 2010

'Here I stand

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ."  The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?"  Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."

This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.

Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.

I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system...

We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.

The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation...

For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.

For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth...'
See the rest here: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/212383-Valedictorian-Speaks-Out-Against-Schooling-in-Graduation-Speech
Thank you Erica. Education is not pointless but somehow the current system is not enough. I also feel that way.

Partly Cloudy