Every bone has been bought, packed, sold, repacked, promoted ... and consumed

Salil Shetty (48), Director of the Millennium Development Goals Campaign, is set to become the Secretary-General of Amnesty International. Salil Shetty will be the first Indian to head the international secular non-government organisation.

An alumnus of St Joseph’s Indian High School and St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bangalore, Shetty was President of the College Student Union in 1979. He did his Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and went on to earn a distinction in a Masters of Science in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.

He joined the United Nations in October 2003 as Director of the Millennium Campaign … Before joining the UN, Shetty was Chief Executive of ActionAid. (via B’lorean to head Amnesty).

Citius, altius, fortius

Amartya Sen wins the Nobel prize. For research on the Great Bengal Famine. And what does he do – he papers over the entire British policy in Bengal  during WW2 – which resulted in the Great Bengal Famine.

The Congress in India, the UMNO in Malaysia and the Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU, have actively white-washed colonial genocides, It took a Catherine Elkins to partially unmask the killings during the Mau Mau uprising. The genocide in 1857 Indo-British War has been estimated by Amaresh Mishra’s book. The killings in Malaysia have remained un-investigated and  unexposed.

According to the official figures, Mau Mau killed fewer than 100 whites and about 1,800 Kikuyu loyalists while some 11,000 Kikuyu were killed in return. Both Elkins and David Anderson regard these figures with derision — Anderson points out that the mass hanging of 1,090 Mau Mau had no parallel anywhere in Malaya, Indochina or even Algeria, while Elkins suggests that the real number of deaths may have run into hundreds of thousands. (From The Sunday Times, January 9, 2005, Britain’s Gulag by Caroline Elkins; Histories of The Hanged by David Anderson, REVIEWED BY R W JOHNSON).

Rajinder Pachauri, head of the IPCC, which won the Nobel Prize, now similarly promotes the ‘interests’ and the agenda of the climate change lobby. Promoting, protecting the climate change agenda, to the exclusion of Indian interests.

Arundhati Roy’s became a ‘force’ to reckon with – after getting the a large advance (media reports change from 500,000 to, 1 million) and winning the Booker Prize. No prize, for guessing which country gives out the prize. Her promotion of the ‘liberal-progressive’ agenda – for instance, her Kashmir ideas keep the debate in India from becoming rational or useful to India.

The most elite of Indians

Today, Amartya Sen returns the ‘favour’ of the Nobel Prize  by promoting Western agenda and ideas. In the climate control debate, he proposes that India should ‘welcome’ international, inspection, audit, intervention and dictation. Rajinder Pachauri defends the fraud of climate change. To cover up the climate change fraud, he indulges in mudslinging against the East Anglia hackers. Arundhati Roy thinks that consigning another 2 crore (twenty million) Kashmiris into the Pakistani hell is OK – based on terrorist activities of some 2000 jihadis. I am very happy for Salil Shetty, except for one thing. The question that springs to my ‘provincial‘ mind‘ (aka मोटी, देसी और मंद बुद्धि) is …

Is Salil Shetty joining this ‘elite’ club?

Long before my I used my computer for more constructive purposes such as writing this shit, I became dangerously entwined with football management simulator Championship Manager. To play it was to step onto the sort of temporal quicksands down which your very existence would be sucked away. The rope was only thrown in to fish me out when I started work (not as a bank clerk not a football manager) and began to interact with actual people I could see.

But I have fond memories of my stint in management and still look out for all the results of the teams I looked after. I’ve created a hall of fame in my head which includes my favourite teams, players and striking partnerships: Yorke and Kanu at Forest, Suker signed to join Shearer and Sutton at Blackburn to create a fearsome SASAS trio, Henry and Le Tissier at Middlesbrough. 

But the duo that inspired the deepest affection were Jermain Defoe and Dean Ashton at West Ham. I signed Ashton as an unknown from Crewe and he immediately struck up a rapport with the more established star. And while Defoe accepted all the caps and awards, Ashton got on with the day-to-day task of scoring goals: 40 or more for five consecutive seasons. But the England call-up never came.

And so a deep and elemental love affair with Ashton began, sparked further when he signed for West Ham in the real world. I pondered whether I’d somehow magically precipitated the move with my own sage mouse-clickings. And he repaid our faith in him by setting about his business like a meaty Teddy Sheringham. 

Ashton had a physique like prize bull: massive, muscular but with surprisingly dainty ankles. Which did for him in the end, aided in no small part by Shaun Wright-Phillips during a training session. On England duty. Poetic. He’d have been better off remaining in the international wilderness of my computer. 

Naturally I’d was crestfallen to hear the news of his retirement yesterday, even if it had been predicted for months. I’ll be wearing a black armband next time I play Champ Man.

Heyhey, look who’s back with another post! Halloween was just last weekend and a few of my friends and I planned to get together to order pizza at Friendie’s house and walk to my place to hang out. I decided to bring my camera and recently arrived Figma Kanu along. ^o^

Here, at Friendie’s house, Kanu first met some new buddies. Like Neuro(who could just barely reach her hand ^^; ) …..

…And Exia!

And this flying horse.

Looks like they were having a bit too much fun!

CHaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAARGE!!

Had to take a quick snap of the other boys as well! ^^ Anyways, we continued waiting for our ordered pizza for a little while. Papa Johns pizza, of course!

Dynames was having fun sniping clouds.

Not sure if he realises that there’s a window there, though ^^;

Soon after, AHH our pizza finally arrived….!! *A*

There was another photo of the pizza earlier in the post, but here’s another! Looks so delicious! B-but…we ordered Hawaiian pizza(ham & pineapple)!! Looks like the workers forgot our pineapples ^^;;;; Neuro seems to be pleased with the pizza still, however.

After eating and watching a bit of TV, we went outside to snap some photos of the pond nearby. It was a beautiful day outside, just a bit windy!

Very very pretty clouds~

I stood on a bridge that goes over the pond to take photos. Beary cute geese were on one side of the pond! These ones didn’t like people approaching them very much.

The ducks, however, swam over to us thinking we had food for them!

I’m sorry cute duckies, I have no food!

We then made our way to my place. These berries grow on the trees in my backyard. Managed to take a photo of them before they all fell off for the winter!

Pretty bush in the front yard ^^

More of Kanu! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed looking at my photos! It’s been a long while since my last post–mainly because of all of the school work I’ve been getting. ^^; I would’ve taken more photos, but I actually didn’t do anything more for halloween–twas too low on cash to get a costume and Trick-or-Treat!(yes I still trick-or-treat ^^; ) It was fun eating the candy that was left over after handing some out to the kids.

Anyone else do anything fun on Halloween? I’ve been meaning to ask this before! ^^

This has been in my drafts folder for ages. It was originally meant to be posted for Wenger’s 13th anniversary at Arsenal a few weeks ago. It was then meant to be put up on his birthday last week. As you can see neither happened but better late than never. It was Wenger’s 60th birthday and what better reason for a few lists? 15 great signings, 15 poor signings, 15 memorable games and 15 great goals (plus a few extra chucked in). Enjoy!

Arsene Who?

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15 Great Signings:

1. Patrick Vieira – A relatively unknown player before he joined from AC Milan, Wenger got Arsenal to sign him before he joined himself. A decade of midfield dominance, spats with Roy Keane and the Neviller and countless trophies followed. Managed to get £14 million from Juve once his knees were knackered too.

2. Thierry Henry – 369 games, 226 goals. Best player in the Premier League for about five years.

3. Freddie Ljungberg – His red hair, his run of form in the 2001/02 season after Pires got injured, his debut goal against Man Utd, those underwear ads. A great player until his hip injury.

It gave him his power.

4. Nicolas Anelka – He left on bad terms but the money received bought Henry and Pires. The first example of Wenger buying cheap and making ridiculous profit. £22.5million profit in this case.

5. Marc Overmars - He was almost too good for Arsenal while he was there and it was no surprise to see Barcelona snap him up for £25million. Scored the winner at Old Trafford in 1998 that helped overcome a 12 point deficit and was generally very, very quick.

6. Robert Pires – His form in 2001/02 earnt him Footballer of the Year honours and he was arguably just as good in 2003/04. Scored a silly amount of goals from the wing, ran oddly, had a cool goatee strip thing  and apparently knew the French for va va voom. Always felt he left too early as Wenger wouldn’t give him a two year deal. Still doing the business at Villarreal.

7. Cesc Fabregas – Pinched from Barcelona, and will probably head back there one day but for now has developed into one of the best midfielders in the world. Perhaps the prime example of Wenger buying a young player and making him world class. Club captain at 22, the best is yet to come.

8. Andrey Arshavin – Probably the first current world class player Wenger has bought. Has already made a significant impact in his short time at the Emirates, even if he can be a right lazy bugger sometimes.

9. Jens Lehmann – He was immense in 2005/06 when battling to be ahead of Kahn for Germany. Also provided much hilarity as well as the odd moment of madness in his five years at the club.

10. Emmanuel Petit – ‘He’s blond, he’s quick, his name’s a porno flick. Emmanuel, Emmanuel.’ Had one of the funnier chants of recent times. Signed as a centre back, made a midfielder – he formed a fearsome partnership with Patrick Vieira for three short seasons.

11. Sol Campbell - You can’t beat signing your local rival’s captain on a free transfer.

12. Lauren – Hard. As. Nails. An ice cool penalty taker too.

13. Kolo Toure - Bought for £150K. Sold after seven years for £16million. Was fantastic at centre back until he got malaria and developed a fat arse.

14. Kanu – Ridiculous skills. Could do things with a ball you never thought possible.

15. Robin van Persie – Absolutely loves to blast it. As a result has scored some brilliant goals in his time at Arsenal.

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15 Not So Great Signings:

1. Alberto Mendez – Bought from the mighty FC Feucht. I remember reading Wenger could have bought the whole club for the £250K he paid for Mendez. Made no impact.

2. Nelson Vivas – Cost Arsenal the title in 1999 with his mistake for Hasselbaink’s  winner vs Leeds late on in the season. Always got booked too.

3. Igors Stepanovs – Man Utd 6-1 Arsenal is all you need to know.

4. Francis Jeffers – The supposed fox in the box managed four league goals from 2001-04, a time when Arsenal scored by the bucketload. It would have helped if he’d played more than 22 times. £8million he cost!

5. Pascal Cygan – Wasn’t that bad but I remember how I used to shudder every time I saw his name on the team sheet. If you though Vidic had a slow turning circle…

6. Mickael Silvestre – Why? What purpose does he serve? He won’t even get a link.

Just retire already...

7. Tomas Danilevicius – A headbutt in a pre-season seems to ring a bell but that might have been after he left for Dunfermline. Played twice, didn’t score. The kind of random Wenger gamble where you wish we’d just saved the £1m.

8. Jeremie Aliadiere - Still only 26, he pissed about at Arsenal for eight long years, never learning from any of the amazing strikers at the club and scoring one league goal in his time. You always knew Wenger was basically giving away a game when Aliadiere started up front.

9. Jose Reyes – A bit dim, which meant he was the victim of many a prank. Involved in the Aragones ‘black shit’ saga too which meant his Arsenal career was over before it began given that Henry hated him. Scored a great debut goal against Chelsea though.

10. Amaury Bischoff – Normally Arsenal sign midfielders and then injure them. They tried the opposite and bought someone already injured. Needless to say he left after a year. He did play a game apparently.

11. Christopher Wreh – George Weah’s cousin. The family talent had obviously been diluted. Did score a couple of important goals in the 1997/98 season to be fair.

12. Kaba Diawara – All I remember was that he never scored, hit the post several times and was then still sold back to France for half a million profit.

13. Richard Wright – Big ears, crap goalkeeper.

14. Abou Diaby – There has to be someone current. Possibly the most frustrating player I’ve seen. could be excellent. Isn’t.

15. Rami Shaaban – Just where does he find these keepers from?!

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15 Memorable Games (not all good):

1. Arsenal 1-2 Man Utd 14/04/99 – The one with everything, but especially the Arsenal missed penalty that would give Man Utd the momentum for the treble.

A good but overrated goal. Also, I didn't want to inflict the Giggs rug on you.

2. Man Utd 0-0 Arsenal 21/09/03 - The one where Ruud missed a penalty and Arsenal started their 49 game unbeaten run.

Rarrrrr.

3. Barcelona 2-1 Arsenal 17/05/06 – The one where they were 14 minutes from being Champions of Europe.

4. Arsenal 2-1 Leicester 15/05/04 – The one where they went the season undefeated.

5. Real Madrid 0-1 Arsenal 21/02/06 – The one were they beat Real Madrid on their own patch.

6. Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal 08/04/08 – The one where they were robbed in the Champions League.

7. Arsenal 1-2 Chelsea 06/04/04 – The one where they dominated three of the four halves but still got knocked out.

8. Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea 04/05/02 – The one where they won their second double in four years.

9. Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal 08/05/02 – The one where they won the league in Manchester.

10. Inter 1-5 Arsenal 25/11/03 – The one where they produced the most unexpected scoreline I’d seen in years.

11. Leicester 3-3 Arsenal 27/08/97 – The one with the Bergkamp hat-trick.

12. Tottenham 4-5 Arsenal 13/11/04 – The one where we’ll score one more than you.

13. Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool 12/05/01 - The one where Michael Owen stole the FA Cup.

14. Arsenal 7-0 Everton 11/05/05 – The one with the biggest league win under Wenger.

15. Arsenal 0-0 Man Utd 21/05/05 – The one where Arsenal stole the FA Cup.

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15 Memorable Goals (in no particular order):

1. Thierry Henry vs Man Utd 30/09/00. Probably the first classic Henry Arsenal goal. He was just on the cusp of dominating the Premier League when he scored this.

2. Tony Adams vs Everton 03/05/98. Conclusive proof that Arsenal had shed their boring tag. Steve Bould chipped, yes chipped a through ball to Tony Adams who chested it before smashing a left foot volley home. The goal that sealed Wenger’s first title.

3. Dennis Bergkamp vs Newcastle 02/03/02. I remember people at the time saying he didn’t mean this. Fools.

4. Robert Pires vs Southampton 07/05/03. I think this gets underrated as it was a meaningless game before the 2003 Cup Final but few players could have done such a lob with three touches let alone one.

5. Ray Parlour vs Chelsea 04/05/02. Romford Pele scored few but when he did they were usually special. Tim Lovejoy gets slated to this day for saying ‘Oh, it’s only Ray Parlour’ just before he scored.

6. Dennis Bergkamp vs Sunderland 15/01/97. The non-flying Dutchman scored many an amazing goal for Arsenal but his trademark was opening up his body and curling one round the keeper into the top corner from about 25 yards. Like this.

7. Robert Pires vs Aston Villa 17/03/02. Any goal that makes Peter Schmeichel look silly gets the thumbs up from me. Pires was quite possibly the best player in Europe in the spring of 2002.

8. Freddie Ljungberg vs Juventus 04/12/01. I remember being at work during this match and trying to check my phone for text updates. Little did I know what a special goal I’d see when I got home. Just watch Bergkamp’s skill again and again and again…

9. Eduardo vs Burnley 08/03/09. Out for a year and he comes back with this. Quite recent but no less special for it.

10. Thierry Henry vs Spurs 16/11/02. Hmm how to wind up your rivals? I know, run 75 yards, dribbling past half the team before scoring, and then run all the way back and celebrate in front of the Spurs fans. Nice.

11. Dennis Bergkamp vs Leicester 27/08/97. One third of the greatest hat-trick in Premier League history.

12. Robin Van Persie vs Charlton 30/09/06. Trust me, he didn’t shin it. Well not on purpose anyway.

13. Ray Parlour vs Valencia 04/04/01. Back when Valencia and John Carew used to screw Arsenal over every couple of years there were many a disappointing night in Europe. This special from Ray Parlour however resulted in one of the most mental celebrations I’ve ever witnessed in pub.

14. Emmanuel Adebayor vs Villarreal 07/04/09. Yes he’s a prick but there’s no denying this was a great goal. The last good thing he did in an Arsenal shirt.

15. Thierry Henry vs Liverpool 09/04/04. Dumped out of the FA Cup and Champions League in consecutive games to Man Utd and Chelsea of all teams, Arsenal were 2-1 down at half-time at home to Liverpool with an unbeaten record to protect. Pires quickly equalised, before Henry gave Carragher the runaround for an amazing third. He’d complete his hat-trick later on and Arsenal went on to win the league unbeaten.

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Want a few more? Ok then. Pires vs Liverpool, Henry vs Inter, Fabregas vs Spurs, Henry vs Real Madrid, Kanu vs Chelsea & Henry vs Charlton.

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T.

Kanu Wine Estate, Polkadraai Road
Write-up by Woman of Wines, Mariska du Preez

Home of the “Killer Chenin Blanc”

The name Kanu is derived from a veteran farm hand on Goedgeloof, who told of the legend of a mythical bird of promise. The story tells that when the bird appeared, all those who fell under its shadow would be blessed with a bountiful harvest.

Kanu is known for its Chenin Blanc, a cultivar which has gained popularity over the last few years because of wine farms like Kanu who make a very delicious Chenin.

The tasting room is geared for huge numbers of people, and the adjoining shop indicates that Kanu can with pride focus on the international market.

We tasted their three Chenins: Chenin 2008, KCB 2006 and the Noble Late Harvest, as well as the 2005 Shiraz.

Wines
Chenin 2008 A fresh, fruity, tropical wine, perfect for drinking on its own or with a salad Nicoise. The winemaker added 5% Chenin which was matured in second fill old barrels – just to add a little “ribcage to build around the wine”.

KCB 2006 The Kanu Chenin Blanc (or “Killer Chenin Blanc” as it is referred to in the industry) is definitely one of the best bottles of wines I’ve had this year. It’s got the perfect characteristics of a well-made wooded Chenin, caramel (or tamalêtjie, as my mom would say), and hints of roasted pineapple. The perfect balance between acidity and sweetness exists integrated with a fantastic fruity character. This wine would pair perfectly with a mild curry, spicy foods, and my favourite, sushi!

Kanu Shiraz 2005 It is always dangerous to drink red wines when you know the farm is actually well-known for its whites. But Kanu doesn’t disappoint with its Shiraz – a spicy, red meat nose and gorgeous vanilla, mocha and white spice on the palate.

Noble Late Harvest 2005 (Kia-Ora) This wine reminds me of those white honey flowers and malva pudding. A superb, sweet, dessert wine with a perfect marriage of high acidity and high sugar. This wine reminded Simon of home-made apricot jam and has a surprising hint of nougat on the nose when the glass is empty. The perfect dessert wine: Think strong blue cheese or crème brulée.

Kanu | Polkadraai Road | 021 881 8140
www.kanu.co.za

Ort: Darwin, Kakadu NP, Kathrine, Litchfield NP (AUS)
Zeitunterschied: +7,5 Std. MEZ
Wetter: Kind, setzt einen Hut auf und nimm mindestens LSF 30!

Ende September im nördlichen zentralen Zipfel Australiens heißt Ende der Trockenzeit. Es ist alles verdorrt, das Gras gelb und viele Flußläufe ausgetrocknet, die Waldbrandgefahr hoch. Die nasse Monsunsaison steht vor der Tür und zu den ohnehin schon heißen Temperaturen kommt dann eine Luftfeuchtigkeit von 100%.

Darwin, die größte Stadt im Northern Territory oder auch Top End genannt, empfang uns mit der Cartagena-Faust. Was für eine Hitze. Tagsüber 38 Grad, nachts zarte 25. Wirklich toll, 24/7 schwitzen. Wir ächzten unter den Temperaturen, Aktivitäten wurden auf ein Minimum beschränkt. Doch Pflichtprogramm war der Besuch des Mindil Beach Sunset Marktes, der zur Trockenzeit jeden Donnerstag und Sonntag stattfindet. Auf dem wohl besten Markt Australiens gab es neben einer sensationellen Auswahl an kulinarischen Leckerbissen (vornehmlich aus Asien), auch eine interessante Auswahl an Kunsthandwerk und Live-Performances. Wer kennt nicht die Didgeridoo-Hippies aus der Fußgängerzone, die mit einschläfernden, brummenden Tönen ein bißchen Australien nach Bottrop bringen wollen. Die Performance von Em Dee war erfreulicherweise anders. Contemporary Didgeridoo nennen die zwei Künstler ihren Stil und mit 140 BPM blasen einem die Bässe aus dem Rohr und dem Schlagzeug die Sweet-Chili-Soße von den Tintenfischringen. Hauruckdiewaschfraumitjuchhe, das ging schon ganz gut ab. So ließ es sich dann aushalten mit lecker Essen, guter Musik und der untergehenden Sonne.

Ein überraschendes Wiedersehen gab es dann mit Dina’s Mama und Jürgen sowie Michaela und Ulrich. Wir kamen gerade mit den frischen Känguruh-Steaks unterm Arm an einem Irish Pub vorbei, als unter großem Hallo die erneute Zusammenkunft gefeiert wurde. Und weil es so schön war, ging es am nächsten Abend erneut zum Mindil Beach, der dieses Mal fast komplett leer war und wir wieder einmal die öffentliche Grillstation nutzen konnten.

Darwin selber ist so interessant wie Wolfsburg bei 2 Grad und Schneeregen und hat ebengleich nicht mal einen Stadtkern. Einziges Highlight neben dem Sunset Market war das Museum bzw. die Art Gallery des Northern Territory, ansonsten Unattraktivität pur. Der eigentliche Grund warum man nach Darwin kommt, ist ein Ausflug in den nahe gelegenen Kakadu Nationalpark.

Wir hatten dieses Mal nach eingehender Recherche eine geführte Camping-Tour mit Wilderness 4WD Adventures gebucht. Fünf Tage im Allradfahrzeug unterwegs, davon drei im Kakadu, einen Tag in der Kathrine Gorge und einen im Litchfield Nationalpark. Unsere Gruppe bestand aus zwei deutschen Mädels, zwei älteren Damen aus der Gegend um Sydney, einer fünfköpfigen Familie aus Melbourne und einem irischen Paar. Der 29-jährigen Guide Adam war ein richtiger australischer Typ, der in seiner freien Zeit gern mal einen trinken geht und dazu schön auf Barramundi angelt. Ein richtiges Draußenkind, dass von diesem neumodischen Kram wie iPod und Co. keine Ahnung haben wollte.

Wie gesagt, es war Trockenzeit im Kakadu NP, dessen Name sich nicht vom gleichnamigen Vogel ableitet, sondern wohl vom deutschen Entdeckungsreisenden Ludwig Leichhardt stammt, der den Namen des lokalen Aborigine-Volkes Gagadju verhohnepiepelte. Die Eukalyptuswälder und die Paperbarkbäume warteten auf den bald kommenden Monsun, der in vier Monaten etwa 1,5 Meter Wasser bringen wird. Es sah eigentlich überall ähnlich aus, obwohl der Nationalpark riesige Ausmaße hat. Die Landschaft erinnerte stark an den afrikanischen Busch, außer dass eben keine großen Säugetiere zu sehen waren. Vögel und Reptilien bestimmen die Fauna, je nach Saison verändert sich aber auch das Tieraufkommen. Kein Wunder, dass die Ureinwohner keine festen Behausungen hatten und wie Nomaden umhergezogen sind, wenn sich die Landschaft unter dem Einfluß des Monsunklimas so drastisch verändern kann.

Zuerst ging es zu einem Billabong namens Corroborree. Ein Billabong ist ein Wasserloch, dass zur Trockenzeit an einen See erinnert, in der grünen Saison mit viel Regen an ein Flußlaufsystem angeschlossen ist. Auf diesem Wege verbreiten sich dann auch Krokodile. Sowohl die kleinen Süßwasser- als auch die massigen Salzwasserkrokodile lassen diese Wasserlöcher dann meist ganzjährig zu einer Nichtschwimmerzone werden. Auf unserem Cruise auf dem Billabong konnten wir dann auch Crocs am Ufer und im Wasser beobachten, der große Zeh blieb schön im Trockenen.

Danach ging es nach Ubirr einem der 15.000 Felsen mit Jahrtausende alten Malereien der Aborigine-Völker. Genau lassen sich diese stummen Zeugen der Geschichten nicht datieren aber anhand der Motive lassen sich Rückschlüsse ziehen. So war einer der gezeichneten Schildkröten seit 20.000 Jahren ausgestorben und auch Tasmanische Tiger gibt es schon seit mehreren Hunderten Jahren nicht mehr auf der australischen Hauptinsel.

Irgendwann vor etwa 40.000 Jahren kamen die ersten Ureinwohner (Aborigines, aus dem lateinischen ab origine, ungefähr: jemand der zuerst da war, Anm. d. Red.) nach Australien und sind damit die längste noch existierende Kultur auf diesem Planeten. Aus dem Loose Travel Handbuch zitiert: “Sie waren seminomadisierende Jäger und Sammler, deren materiall-technologische Kultur auf das Nötigste beschränkt war. Sie hatten jedoch ein äußerst komplexes soziales und spirituell-religiöses System entwickelt, das den Menschen als einen natürlichen Bestandteil der Welt betrachtet.” Jeder Stein, jeder Baum, jedes Tier hatte eine konkrete Bedeutung und bildeten zusammen mit ihren menschlichen Bewohnern ein organisches Ganzes. Die Aborigines hatten kein eigenes Schriftsystem entwickelt und so wurde anhand von Felsmalereien für die nachkommenden Generationen alles Wichtige weitergegeben, in etwa wie auf einer Tafel in der Schule.

Eine Geschichte aus dem nördlichen Australien besagt z.B. folgendes: Wenn eine werdende Mutter den ersten Tritt ihres Kindes verspürt, geht sie zu einem Ältesten, der für das Kind ein Totem bestimmt. Das Totem war zumeist ein Tier oder ein anderes Objekt aus der Natur. Sein Leben lang durfte man dann sein Totem nicht töten oder verspeisen. Eine Zeichnung in Ubirr zeigte, wie ein Mädchen sein Totem, einen Barramundi, verspeist hatte und dabei erwischt wurde. Darauhin wurde sie von den Ältesten bestraft, was einen Krieg zur Folge hatte, weil einige meinten die Strafe wäre zu hart gewesen. Und die Moral von der Geschicht, esse dein Totem nicht. Das ist nur eins von vielen Lehrbeispielen, welche Kindern erzählt werden, um die Traditionen und ungeschriebenen Gesetze zu vermitteln.

Überraschend für uns war aber auch, dass die Idee von dem Totem für die australische Familie vollkommen neu war. Die hatten wirklich keine Ahnung. In der Schule wird auch heute noch kaum etwas über die Aborigine-Kultur gelehrt. Man hat den Eindruck, dass die kollektive Schuld über die Verbrechen an Australiens Ureinwohnern noch im Unterbewusstein festsitz und bewußt totgeschwiegen oder verdrängt wird. Das Thema Aboriginie scheint noch nicht gesellschaftsfähig zu sein. Viele sehen auch heute noch die verschiedenen Aboriginie-Clans als Nachfahren primitiver Wilder.

Bis 1964 hatten die Ureinwohner noch nicht einmal vollwertigen Status als australische Staatsbürger. Doch mit der Erlangung dieses Rechtes ging auch der uneingeschränkten Zugang zu Alkohol einher, der wie in Nordamerika verheerende Folgen auf die entwurzelte Bevölkerung hatte. Schwerer Alkoholismus führte zu noch schwerer Gewalt, Kindesmißbrauch und Tod. Die Region Cape York wurde zur Region mit der höchsten Gewaltrate außerhalb eines Kriegsgebietes. Heute heißt es in der Stadt Kathrine, südlich des Kakadu NPs, nicht “Kein Bier vor 4″, sondern aufgrund des Mißbrauchs “No grog before 2 o’clock” und dann auch nur unter Registrierung der Identität des Käufers, damit man nicht auf die Idee kommt Alkohol an die Aborigines zu verkaufen. Ein wirklich trauriges Kapitel im “Gute-Laune-no-worries” Land. Und auch die Zukunft verspricht nicht viel Rosiges, der Punkt der Umunkehrbarkeit scheint überschritten. Ein Leben, wie es viele Jahrtausende gegeben hat, wird es so nicht mehr geben können. Viele zeigen sich desillusioniert, was das Fortbestehen dieser alten Kultur angeht…

Eine kleine Einführung in den Aborigine-Alltag gab es für uns Besucher dann aber im Kakadu Culture Camp und wir lernten mit Speeren zu werfen, auf dem Didgeridoo zu versagen und wie man einer Seeschlange mit den Zähnen das Genick bricht. Letzteres glücklicherweise nur in der Theorie.

Ansonsten bewegten wir uns von einer Badestelle zur anderen. Die Sonne prügelte unentwegt auf uns ein, doch die größte Plage waren die Fliegen. Und wir reden hier nicht über die langweilige Hausfliege, die sich am Grillabend mal hier und da auf Mutti’s Kartoffelsalat setzt, nein, diese Art verfolgt einen auf Schritt und Tritt und versucht mit Vorliebe in Augen, Nase, Mund oder Ohren zu fliegen. Der pure Hass! Man schlug ständig um sich, hatte tagsüber keine Ruhe, der reinste Psychoterror. Die einzige Methode ihnen zu entkommen, hieß ins kühle Nass zu springen. Dann doch lieber einen Arm von einem Süßwasserkrokodil abbeißen lassen.

Die angesteuerten Wasserfälle machten ihren Namen zwar kaum alle Ehre, doch eigentlich war jede natürliche Badestelle ein optischer Augenschmaus, der zum verweilen einlud. Und so planschten wir dann auch vergnügt in der Barramundi Gorge, im Moline Rockhole oder auch im Gonlum Top Rockhole, dass direkt in einen Wasserfall mündete und einen sensationellen Blick über das Tal eröffnete. Im Kathrine-Gorge-Flußsystem durften wir dann eine schöne Kanutour in der ersten der 13 Gorges machen, vorbei an Felsmalereien und Krokodil-Nistgebieten. Am letzten Tag ging es dann in den Litchfield NP. Zuerst zu den riesigen Hügeln der Kathedralen- und Magnetentermiten, dann zu weiteren Badestellen mit Wasserfall und vielen Menschen, denn die Frühlingsferein hatten gerade angefangen.

Alles in allem eine gelungene Tour, obwohl es die bisher kostenintensivste Aktivität in den letzten acht Monaten war. Australien ist kein günstiges Reiseland. Spenden von großzügigen Gönnern mit einem Spendenbetrag von mindestens 1 Million Euro werden mit einer exotischen Postkarte belohnt. Spendenquittungen für die Steuer können nur gegen eine unverschämt hohe Portogebühr erteilt werden.

Und bevor hier der schwüle Wahnsinn losgeht, verschwinden wir nach Melbourne, was ca. 25 Grad Temperaturunterschied bedeuten wird. Herbstlich. Wir freuen uns.

Auch in diesem Jahr wurden den Kanuten wieder Muskelkraft und Konzentration abverlangt, beim Herbst-Kanu-Slalom im Salinental in Bad Kreuznach. Der Kanuslalom ist ein Wettkampf, bei dem eine durch Tore vorgeschriebene Strecke auf bewegtem, recht schnell fließendem Wasser in kürzester Zeit möglichst fehlerfrei zu befahren ist. Die Galerie zur Herbst-Regatta startete mit 49 Bildern, weitere Fotos folgen noch.

Allen Blog-Besucherinnen und Blog-Besuchern wünsche ich bereits heute ein schönes Wochenende. Bis Montag!

(Siehe auch Blog-Artikel vom 28.09.2009  “Sag niemals ‘Rudern’ “)

Nach langer Suche – fast ein Jahr – ist es endlich gelungen wieder kanadische 50 Cent  Silbermünzen zu beschaffen. Die seltenen Silbermünzen aus dem Jahr 1967 werden  in größeren Mengen  weltweit nur sehr selten angeboten.

Vor ca. 3 Wochen sind nun 4 Rollen uncirkulierte , also “brandneue”  42 Jahre alte Exemplare bei mir eingetroffen.

Heute bin ich nun endlich dazu gekommen einige Wolfsmünzen auszusägen, und bin sehr froh dieses überaus beliebte Motiv in 2 Varianten wieder anbieten zu können:

Beim einsortieren in die Kanada Schublade fiehlen mir aber auch gleich ein paar 1967 Goose-Silber-Dollar in die Hände, welche sofort gesägt werden wollten:

Ausserdem , wo ich schon mal dabei war, der Klassiker der Kanadischen Silberdollar, der Fellhändler, Trapper und Indianer im Kanu, mit ausgesägter Schrift, das musste noch sein:

Das wars erst mal aus Kanada, weiteren Kanadischen Münzschmuck findet Ihr auf meiner Heimatseite.

What you missed while discovering that “Master Baiters” isn’t a good name for your women’s netball team…

• Fernando Torres will likely play in Spain’s next World Cup qualifier; this is notwithstanding the fact that Spain has already qualified and in spite of the fact that he’s suffered a groin injury in training. But, hey, yeah…go Spain!
• Remember how Alberto Aquilani was compaining about Roma’s medical staff yesterday? Yeah, that was “mistranslated”.
• Final Liverpool note: George Gillett has booked a trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss selling his 50% stake in the club to F6 chairman Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud.
• Arsenal are interested in signing…Carles Puyol?
• Glenn Hoddle claims that the English bench was the target of a bomb threat during the 1998 World Cup.
• Former Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards is concerned about the club’s debt level.
• Kanu, Kolo Toure, Roque Santa Cruz, and Gianfranco Zola are all backing England’s World Cup bid.
• FIFA has authorized Paul Pogba’s contested transfer to Manchester United.
• Czech striker Vaclav Sverkos has pulled out of the Czech national side with a knee injury.

Halli Hallo!

Nun lege ich mal ein Päuschen vom Lernen des Assistenzprinzip für Menschen mit einer Behinderung ein… Morgen Klausur.

Den Vormittag des vergangenen Sonntag habe ich in der ev. Kirche in Viersen verbracht… Eigentlich hatte ich mich richtig gefreut, aber der Gottesdienst wirkte auf mich Langweilig, verstaubt, dogmatisch und von gestern. Danach habe ich mich noch müder und kraftloser gefühlt als vorher… Schade!
Und dann gings auch noch zur Arbeit… Das war dann noch echt schön und hat den Tag aufgerwertet.
Diese Woche stand und steht noch eine erlebnispädagogische Sequenz an.
Wir waren gestern Nachmittag im ströhmenden Regen Kanufahren. Ekelhaft auch auch lustig! Ich im grünen Militärregenponcho. Hat aber auf jeden Fall gehalten, die Jacke war trocken, die Hose eher nicht. Es war zwar nicht wirklich das optimale Wetter, aber es hat trootzdem Spaß gemacht mit den Jugendlichen. Am Freitag nochmal dasselbe, dann bitte ohne Regen! Muss ich morgen Abend dann noch bestellen das gute Wetter.

Heute in der Schule wurde 2 Stunden vertreten, sodass wir dann ein Fach ganze 3 Stunden hattten…
Als der Lehrkörper dann in unsere lustlosen Augen sah kam nur noch: “Och, liebe Studierende! Sie sehen alle so müde und niedergeschlagen aus, wir gehen mal ne Runde um Block!”

So wurden dann die drei Stunden mit einer Stunde Spaziergang durchs “schöne” Mönchengladbach etwas erträglicher gemacht…

Hannes

Route 1: The Tourist Route

(CT -> N2 -> R310 -> M12 -> R310 -> R44 -> R310)

The Tourist Route mapped out

So you’ve got friends and relatives in town who want to do some wine tasting but aren’t quite true winos. Of course they’ll still want great wine, great scenery, some variety, a bit of history and probably a long stop at lunch too. But with so many farms meeting these criteria, it makes the choosing of it quite difficult. Assuming they’ll only manage five or six tastings, it’s not worth your time otherwise, it’s probably best to consider ending the route at the farthest point and letting everyone wind down a little on the way back into Town.

They really don’t want to be in the car too long out of the city before whetting the palate. It has to be Meerlust. History. Iconography. Beautiful Cape Dutch Architecture. The Rubicon. In fact, all of their wine is great. Most of it still needs time and probably has some of the best potential for aging of all South African wines. Not the cheapest though, but if they aren’t in it for the purchase, R20 will buy them some perspective and a full tasting, which hasn’t been possible until the last few years.

Most tour buses would probably have taken the same turnoff but ignored Meerlust, skipping past the prostitutes lurking outside the upcoming Cape Town Film Studios. After all, they wouldn’t want to be seen taking business away from the real pimp daddy of the R310: Spier, who, rumour has it, may actually be installing a rollercoaster and possibly even a wave pool to compliment their numerous other non-wine related extravagancies. And if it’s not a Sunday when almost everywhere else is closed you’ll happily cruise by them with your own wave on the road to Kanu.

Kanu is great for tourists and small groups because you can taste two big labels at one place (Mulderbosch being the other). There are plenty of good wines of different varietals to choose, and there should be something to please everyone, even the children mistakenly brought along can get started in the right direction with a Kia Ora Noble Late. It may be a bit on the commercial side, but it’s the wine that counts. Especially good are the Kanu KCB Chenin and the Mulderbosch Barrel Fermented Chard, a South African classic in our opinion, although a pricy one at that. But who cares as long as you, and they, can taste it anyway, which is another great thing about tasting at Kanu; they have all the good stuff open, and lots of it.

Back on the road towards Stellies again, it’s worth taking a left up to Jordan, who stood out in the lacklustre ‘04 vintage with their Cab and Merlot. It’s a scenic drive along the vines, and another reliable list of wines, of which they do well in each varietal, and consistently. Their top of the range wines are pricy and not often open but it’s always worth the try. Of course, on the same road, if they’re in the mood for some big reds rather, you could switch and give Overgaauw a shot for their tasty Bordeaux blend, the Tria Corda, and a restrained elegant interior, abound with antiquities, for those who are by now “avoiding this one, I’ll hit up the next one I promise.”

Fridjhon in the vineyards?

How many have we done now? Three? Four? Not enough, but if the complaints of hunger are coming in, you could detour down the R44 to Terroir, the fabulous restaurant at Kleine Zalze, where, luckily for you, you took your time machine back a year and managed to get a reservation. You may also be tempted to try their (KZ’s) Family Reserve Range, and you may as well. KZ have been doing very well recently, taking both best Cab and best Shiraz at the Old Mutual awards this year with the Shiraz picking up several more awards since then. However, we generally find their wine lacking somewhat and usually save our visit there till after five when everywhere else is closed and we’ve got an hour to contemplate the differences between our tongues and Michael Fridjhon’s.

It’s time to head to Rustenburg, but be warned they close at 13.30 on a Saturday, so in those circumstances, skip a sit-down lunch and just grab some pies at the 7-11 on your way through Stellies. The happy-snappers will love the old farm house and well kept lawns, and somehow even the modern tasting room blends well with it. However, Rustenburg may have an exceptional range of wines, but it is not often that they have the top stuff open. It might be a good idea to head there on a Saturday afternoon when the eager assistants are all too happy to open up the Peter Barlow ten minutes before closing – so that they’ll have something to drink on Sunday morning with their Aromat on toast. Or, you could try putting on your most distinguished foreign accent; an air of money uncorks a bottle faster than does getting on your knees and hammering with your fists. But, if you timed it all wrong and your thespian years have long expired, the Brampton whites are pretty good value. Although I have a sneaky suspicion they decant the Peter Barlow into their Brampton Cab at the tasting, because it’s never the same wine unscrewed at home.

By now, if your aunt hasn’t locked herself in the bathroom and fallen asleep, and the others are still behaving, it’s time to head up the hill and round the corner, through the boom and along one of the most beautiful driveways in the country, to Thelema. Well known worldwide this farm is a treat if you hit it at the right time of year and everything hasn’t sold out. They are the Kings of Merlot, the Reserve being one of the most famous in the country and a delicious keeper, albeit a pricy one at over R200. The tasting is free and if it includes their diverse Chardonnays and the cult Mint Cab, it’ll be a great example to showcase the diversity of terroir in this region – if anyone is still listening to you.

To end with there are two choices. Both have splendid views but one in particular, Tokara, boasts a healthy list of wines that still show well after, how many now, five or six farms. Tokara’s got a lot of cash behind it and has recently produced one of the best Bordeaux whites in the country – The Tokara White 2007. The Red itself is also showing to be up there with all the great reds in the country and definitely a keeper, and so it should at over R200 a bottle. Even their second label, the Zondernaam range, contains some of the best quaffers around – Cab, Chard and Chenin especially. Just try everything, including their calamata olives, and gaze out over Stellenbosch and have the folks reflect on the distance traversed and the good times had thus far.

And finally if they’re still up for it, you can head over to recently reopened Delaire Graff, which has four wines, all of interest, all at good value, especially the Sauv and Shiraz. And if your crew are still standing, if they’ve proved themselves worthy and they’ve made you proud, you can let them buy you dinner at the restaurant. Stand on the terrace, soaking up one of the most spectacular views, looking out towards the mountains guarding the tiny hamlet of Franschoek, and let them plot and plan and dream up the route for tomorrow’s trip, which you will of course then change.

Ein kleiner, recht junger Kanuverein in Bremen. Vor Kurzem wurde das 5 jährige Vereinsjubiläum gefeiert und wir zählen momentan ca. 45 Mitglieder. Schwerpunkt liegt auf Wanderfahrten, Kanupolo, Paddelkursen und Paddel-Ausflügen. Vom Bootshaus aus erreicht man über die kleine Wümme den Kuhgraben und kann bis Kuhsiel paddeln. Dort kann man durch die Schleuse auf die Wümme und demnach auch die Lesum und die Weser erreichen. Tolle Rundtouren über die Semkenfahrt oder die kleine Wümme in Dammsiel bieten sich somit förmlich an. Weiterhin hat man die Möglichkeit von der kleinen Wümme aus zum Unisee überzusetzen, dieser liegt nur lediglich 10 Minuten entfernt und wird von vielen unserer Mitglieder und Gäste regelmäßig zum Kanupolo spielen genutzt. Bei unseren wöchentlichen Feierabendtouren stehen weiterhin der Torfhafen in Findorff als schönes Ziel auf dem Programm.

Unser Bootspark setzt sich aus Wanderkajaks, Wildwasserbooten und Kanadiern zusammen. Insgesamt stehen zur Zeit ca. 40 Boote zur Verfügung, Tendenz steigend . Durch einen Bootstrailer sind wir mobil genug um mit jeder Menge Leuten neue Paddelreviere zu erkunden. Regelmäßig angebotene Kurse durch ausgebildete Kanulehrer bieten für jeden Einsteiger eine gute Basis um das Paddeln zu erlernen. Neben Anfägerkursen im Sommerhalbjahr besteht die Möglichkeit im Winterhalbjahr im Unibad die Eskimorolle zu erlernen.

Bei Interesse seid ihr herzlich eingeladen einfach mal reinzuschauen und mitzupaddeln. Die Termine für Fahrten und Kurse sowie die Anschrift unseres Vereins findet Ihr auf der Hompage vom NSB www.natursportbremen.de.

Viel Action auf dem Wasser am vergangenen Wochenende im Salinental bei Bad Kreuznach, dem Schauplatz des Herbst-Kanu-Slalom: Bei wunderbarem Sonnenschein waren die Kanuten unterwegs. Hier einige Vorab-Impressionen:

Circa 2004, there was a Brazilian U-17 youth international named Lula who looked as good as any player I have seen at his age. I remember how amazing Nwanko Kanu was when I saw him play for Nigeria in the 1993 U-17 FIFA Youth World Cup – phenomenal!

Lula had a similar effect on me.

He played as an attacking midfielder and ran through defences like the proverbial hot knife cutting butter. He was full of flair, speed, strength, imagination, determination, vision, and all the other attributes that made me feel that the kid was the real deal. Of course there could be thousands more Lulas in Brazil at any given point in time – some make it some don’t. I’ve lost track of Lula. I suppose he would have made headlines by now if he had made it as a senior pro.

Such is the uncertainty of youth.

Kanu has had a marvelous career. He’s won the following titles/medals at least once:

o Nigerian Premier League
o FIFA U-17 World Cup
o Olympic Gold
o Dutch Eredivisie
o UEFA Cup
o UEFA Champions League
o UEFA Super Cup
o Intercontinental Cup
o FA Cup
o English Premier League

A heart valve defect slowed but did not stop his career. There aren’t too many players (dead or alive) who can match Kanu’s list of accomplishments. And he wasn’t just a passenger on those teams. He was a superb footballer.

The 2009 edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup kicks off tomorrow in Alexandria, Egypt. In previous tournaments, we’ve seen stars like Maradona and van Basten emerge. I can forgive you for not having noticed that the tournament is already upon us. The groups are as follows:

Group A: Egypt, Italy, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago
Group B: Nigeria, Spain, Tahiti, Venezuela
Group C: Cameroon, Germany, South Korea, United States
Group D: England, Ghana, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
Group E: Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Czech Republic
Group F: Honduras, Hungary, South Africa, United Arab Emirates

Will the star players of the next generation emerge? Will there be any Kanus or Messis? Will there be any Lulas?

Kanufahren ist eine Sportart mit vielen Facetten. Während bei der bevorstehenden Herbst-Regatta des RKV Bad Kreuznach, die am Wochenende im Salinental stattfindet, Slalom gefahren wird, gibt’s die Boote natürlich auch im rasanten Wettrennen auf flacherem Wasser. Schauen wir heute ein wenig beim Kanu-Rennsport zu (Video bei YouTube gefunden).

La empresa Kotobukiya acaba de anunciar que hay 2 nuevas figuras disponibles para reservación.

Kanu -Aisha- de la novela para adultos Koihime Muso

Kaho de la serie Sister Princess

Kanu saldra en escala de 1/8 (190 mm) con un precio sugerido de 6800 yens

Kanu aparece usando su hermosos vestido tradicional, mientras en su mano sujeta su lanza y alegremente posa luego de algún entrenamiento.

La siguiente figura es la dulce Kaho en versión de uniforme escolar en una sencilla pero bella pose de pie de la que deducimos esta al aire libre porque con su mano esta levantada como tapando el sol y el viento juega con su falda ^^.

Kaho es una figura tambien de 1/7 (180 mm) su precio es de 5500 yens y tambien saldra en Diciembre del 2009

Las figuras pueden ser reservadas desde ya en las tiendas recomendadas por ImperioMoe

In zwei Wochen ist es wieder soweit: Dann treten die Kanuten im Salinental bei Bad Kreuznach zum Herbstslalom an. Hoffentlich ist das Wetter gut. Die Galerie aus 2005: hier klicken.

Shop: Koihime Muso KANU Aisha Kotobukiya ver. 1/8 PVC Figure

ETA: December.

1/8 PVC Figure
19cm Tall
Ready Painted
Ready to Display

This will probably be my last dollfie shoot for a little while. My partner in crime is away on business for indeterminate amount of time and the dollfie shoots only work if someone is running defense against the Godzilla baby, otherwise she asserts her dominance over the dollfies.

I had really wanted to take all six of my DDs out but I was convinced that would just too much time and effort and I didn’t have much time to work with so I grabbed the dollfie dream dynamites as a compromise (in retrospect I have less photos of the other three so I probably should have taken them instead >_<) I also decided to change all of their clothes before taking them out. Yoko put on Ryomou’s school uniform, Ryomou went into her gothic outfit set and Kanu went in Yoko’s outfit.

I actually had a few people tell me that they didn’t recognize Yoko with clothes on lol.

I cheated on the outfit and used Kanu’s floppy socks, I have a great fondness for floppy socks ^^;

Kanu’s knees are extraordinarily bad so posing her can be a bit tricky unfortunately.


Kanu’s skintone does seem to nicely compliment Yoko’s outfit though.

and finally my darling Ryomou.. I think she will always be my favorite.

Now for the update, I have a blank head on the way as we speak. I plan to have a custom Mahoro of Mahoromatic made as she is one of my favorite anime characters and I think she would make a good DD plus I think her and Yoko would be epic when photographed together especially given Mahoro’s dislike ecchi though inducing outfits like Yoko’s.

This will probably be my last dollfie shoot for a little while. My partner in crime is away on business for indeterminate amount of time and the dollfie shoots only work if someone is running defense against the Godzilla baby, otherwise she asserts her dominance over the dollfies.

I had really wanted to take all six of my DDs out but I was convinced that would just too much time and effort and I didn’t have much time to work with so I grabbed the dollfie dream dynamites as a compromise (in retrospect I have less photos of the other three so I probably should have taken them instead >_<) I also decided to change all of their clothes before taking them out. Yoko put on Ryomou’s school uniform, Ryomou went into her gothic outfit set and Kanu went in Yoko’s outfit.

I actually had a few people tell me that they didn’t recognize Yoko with clothes on lol.

I cheated on the outfit and used Kanu’s floppy socks, I have a great fondness for floppy socks ^^;

Kanu’s knees are extraordinarily bad so posing her can be a bit tricky unfortunately.


Kanu’s skintone does seem to nicely compliment Yoko’s outfit though.

and finally my darling Ryomou.. I think she will always be my favorite.

Now for the update, I have a blank head on the way as we speak. I plan to have a custom Mahoro of Mahoromatic made as she is one of my favorite anime characters and I think she would make a good DD plus I think her and Yoko would be epic when photographed together especially given Mahoro’s dislike ecchi though inducing outfits like Yoko’s.

Dunno how many random posts covering a variety of topics I’ve done, so this one has been labeled version epsilon for no reason.  Quick Japanese vocab lesson: 色々＝＝いろいろ＝＝iroiro == various.  As a na-adjective you’d say iroirona [something] to say “various [something]“.  In casual speech this is often contracted to 色んな＝＝いろんな==ironna.

Anyhow, today it’s figures, anime, and touhou again.

Preorders &  Orders

I’m sure you’ve seen the movie version nanoha & k-on’s yui go up for preorder.  I’ll give you one guess as for what that meant for my wallet

Pics from hobby search. Click links above for product listings.

Actually I was taken aback by nanoha’s price but that only delayed me a minute before placing my order for the both of ‘em ^^;  Guess I’ve just kinda resigned to letting Alter bleed me dry…

From the already ordered department – not one, or two but three figures are actually in the mail now.  narika & kanu i may have mentioned before but volks fate I had totally forgotten about ^^;  Now actually I’m a bit worried about fate… mostly after seeing these pics of volks’ hayate release.

narika/kanu pics from hobby search and fate from official site. see above links for source

Granted… rein is really tiny so I’m willing to overlook the hack job there… but still it just felt like i was noticing sloppy painting on hayate in a few too many places. (also a dedicated hayate review on that blog).  Guess we’ll see how fate turned out next week…

I’ve been trying to be (slightly) more financially responsible lately, so I consolidate my shipments from hobby search now.  This ends up translating to 1 or 2 shipments a month, unlike the insane flurry of packages I used to indulge in.  So if you’re wondering why I’ve lightened up my figure posts of late, that’s partly why (the other part being touhou (could you tell? )).  Oh, and the months I get 2 packages… that’s because of the not-really-ideal system at hobby search where you can only combine orders if they have the same release month.  So when something is released at the very end of the month… it usually gets bumped off the original month’s shipment and made separate -_-

かなめも ~ kanamemo

I forget if I’ve actually done a formal post on it yet, but kanamemo is a manga I picked up (#27) last time I was in akiba.  Soooo many piles of it at practically every store I walked into so I had to get volume 1 to try it out.  If you haven’t tried it out yet, it’s, as far as I can tell, an all-female-cast slice of life taking place in a little newspaper delivery company.

yuri, loli, oppai… you’ll probably find a character to your liking in the varied cast. Not to mention a buncha of big name seiyuu!  Well, not big name necessarily, but seiyuu for a lotta characters I’m familiar with ^^

toyosaki aki – yui, koyoi, yoshino
mizuhara kaoru – isayama yomi
endou aya – miyuki, sheryl
horie yui – naru, ayu, makie, eri, suzu, minorin
kitamura eri – kokonoe rin, kawashima ami, sakihata rimi
kugimiya rie – shana, louise, nagi, taiga, tacos(yuuki)

Maybe I just haven’t read far enough but one difference I noticed is that the anime added a heavy dose of loli groping.  (one of the oppai gals is, for all intents and purposes, a drunk lolicon).  Really could have done without it in my opinion… I like to enjoy my slice of life comedies without feeling morally corrupt ^^;;

At any rate, it’s a pretty lite comedy so far with kawaii characters so it fits my bill for “light hearted show I don’t have to give my undivided attention to”.

東方紅魔郷 ~ eosd

Finally a 1cc on normal with the default 3 lives!!!  Not sure I actually got any better… just bombed more conservatively ^^;  On the other hand, I did set a personal score record with this run – 100,457,380 – somehow placing me at number 4 on the normal reimuB scoreboards at shrinemaiden.org.  I assume that’s just for lack of players posting there/lack of interest in doing a high score attempt on normal difficulty.

Uploaded my replay to gensokyo.org in case you’re interested (need the game to view it).  I’ll probably capture a video for  youtube later.

Finally figured out an easy way to get past those 6 faeries right before stage 6 sakuya that spray the radiating circles of bullets.  I think their aim is adjusted based on your character position, so if you position yourself in the same place every time (before they come on screen!), the pattern is exactly the same.  Given that… stay in the lower left corner before they appear on screen… then all you have to do is move slightly to the right to dodge everything.  Basically move right until you’re just to the left of the bullets that are aimed straight down (the 3 from the 3 circles above you should pretty much all line up).  Not conducive to high scoring since you’re not picking up all the point items, but perfect if you’re just trying to save lives & bombs (like me ^^;).  Though do be on the look out for a stray faerie retreating off screen.  Might be headin’ right for ya

Anyhow, with this accomplishment under my belt I think I’m going to focus on the eosd extra stage and a 1cc for normal 東方妖々夢 (pcb).  Is it just me or are all the game terms like cherry points and cherry max… … … nevermind. ^^;;;

Praying that my package gets out of customs tomorrow (well, technically today, just past midnight here…) so that I can pick it up on Saturday… otherwise I won’t be able to do any reviews until probably mid next week.  Not to mention I’m itching for another figure infusion

以上！