Friday, April 25, 2014

More Fairy Tail

Back to the guild after a gap with Collection Five covering episodes 49 through 60 of this sword and magic centred anime.
To begin with, the first few episodes on the disc are just  the conclusion of the Fighting Festival and the arrival of a reporter from Sorcery Weekly magazine.
We also see more about Lucy worrying about her love life, learn about about her father and Juvius attempting to use a potion supplied by a dodgy dealer.

The main theme running trough Series Two is the the uniting with Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale and Cait Shelter to take on the powerful Dark Guild that marks the commencement Oración Seis arc where they are looking for a powerful weapon to spread darkness and this where more characters to the series are introduced.
The series remains gripping and very funny in parts.

Timed perfectly for this has been the demise of my five year old  Philips  multi-regional dvd player which wouldn't step up the disc to play anymore because the motor that did it died.


So coming soon will be this, a Toshiba SD1015 dvd player that is also multi-regional as I have a number of discs from North America that won't play on European (region two) specific players although my television like most over here can handle NTSC colour.
It also features a co-axial  digital output for better quality sound through a outboard digital to analogue convertor to my stereo unit.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Having an Eggsellent time

Well spring continues onward toward Bunny Time which brings back strong memories of childhood so it's no surprise in my world what matters outside of the Spiritual side of Easter.
England's finest chocolate people strike again with this pretty decorated Egg which you might of thought was it except this also came:
Yes it's that cat again in her own exclusive design so you can tell I love Hello Kitty although I really really wasn't expecting it so thank you to the person who knows who they are for it as it's mooch appreciated.
I don't eat loads of chocolate but i just adore Easter Eggs and I feel small doing so.
Happy Easter folks!

Friday, April 11, 2014

Welcome

This post isn't the scheduled edition (with a k) but really a welcome for new readers to this blog as I've been blogging for a long time and also to three new people at GT, Sophie, Nikki and Dee.
It's been a long time since I started it being an unashamedly littles blog even if bits may have come from other accounts elsewhere talking very much about what interests me as well as my life as one and part of the reason for this was to help explain what it's about and to encourage others in accepting this part of them.
When you can, you feel more at ease being who you really are regardless of what gender background (if any) you may have because the funny thing is every adult (a groan up) has a childhood base that the other areas of your life are built on so if you don't feel at ease with your younger side to the point perhaps of denying it, then quite often it trips you up. 
If you are transgendered, the whole identification issue can lead to a situation where your past childhood gender is effectively discarded as if you land as the man or woman you are without those bonds that those assigned at birth have and importantly drawn from.

It is common place in today's society for example for woman to hold on to the interests and passions of their girlhood without any question to their abilities in the world of work. Is that a bad thing?
Many of best creative ideas it seems to me come from that childlike state of mind (is it no accident so many in the creative industries are like that), prepared to think out of the box, drawing inspiration from their pasts?
What you may do with this childlike side is very much your own affair but it may involve wearing more girlish  styles of clothes (and what options we have!), possibly some kind of play or the rediscovery of pastimes you really enjoyed such as sports or arts/craft work.
The one thing I have learned thinking last night while together with a group of littles was the sense of personal  innerpeace I've found since, the feeling free to express my real feeling and emotions by simply being me rather than a reduced down 'groan up' version that simply left me sad. And to be with others, contributing and sharing in that fun.

Hugs, Jo
x

Teanbeat XII - Rocket Man Pt II

The last time I looked at this topic was December last and since then I have acquired a few more "new to me discs" originally issued in the late 80's, early 90's by specialty label Mobile Fidelity (MFSL).
We'll kick off with 1971's Madman Across The Water recorded at Trident studios, London which I never previously owned on cd, the home of Levon (a track on the MCA version of Greatest Hits Vol:2) and Tiny Dancer both which good examples of the longer, more laid back style he had then.  It was the first album Elton only played piano on and not another keyboard instruments.

This, very much Elton's first attempt at a Wild West feel concept album recorded at Trident, doesn't possess a single record hit but features such songs as "Talking Old Soldiers" which does get close to capturing the sense of comradeship people who fought in the forces have and the haunting Where To Now St. Peter.  Country Comfort was lifted off as a 45 release but failed to chart.
Issued on October 1970 it's album I've always had a lot of time for and this sound much smoother than my older MCA cd from the late 80's.
This one 1972's Honky Cháteau named after 18th century French chateau it was recorded in , is more well known being the home of Rocket Man and Honky Cat as well as I Think  Going To Kill Myself which I remember him sing at the Rossayna Hall  (sp?) in the then USSR around the late 70's as well as Hercules, the album closer.
This sounds much better than the 80's MCA cd.
Much to my pleasant surprise, actually these gold discs weren't as expensive as I had expected something no doubt to with the state of the economy and some sellers preparedness to price to sell rather than the three figure madness previously seen on Ebay.
Finally back to regular issues that just happen to sound great and this, the 1985 West German DJM cd version of the 1973 album Don't Shoot Me... , home of so many fine songs  such as as Crocodile Rock, Elderberry Wine and Daniel which while not quite making up to the standard of a specialty gold remaster, nevertheless is very close sound much smoother on Daniel than either the MCA U.S. edition and much less processed compared to the 1995 "The Classic years" remaster.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Spring edition 2014

Spring has sprung here not that I exactly appreciate resetting all the clocks in the house as well as the one on the 13 year old S-Vhs video recorder by hand as  ever since they turned off  the old analogue tv, it no longer automatically resets itself.
However one thing I love is walking through the woods nearby where the birds have formed their nests, raising their young, seeing them flying calling out to each other from one end of the wood to the other. Then there's the squirrels climbing up the trees, traversing the branches before moving along to another and repeating the cycle which in a way the Seasons are all a part of.
One thing you find certainly here both along the highways, parks and some folks private gardens are daffodils, usually commercially cultivated  ones out in full bloom and there was a reason why I selected that commercial image apart from its' technical quality.
Spring is a time of renewal, of rebirth which you see when the bulbs having been planted previous years germinate, throwing out the flowers in all their glory which is well depicted.
There's a girl in that picture, maybe one whose thrown off the more austere winter attire to something that feels so much more fresh and vibrant as she engages with new life being herself.
Coming down the stairs last night the symbolism just struck me.