Cardcaptor Sakura

I am currently enjoying this anime first show in a heavily westernized from as Cardcaptors on Children's ITV in 2002.

Sakura Kinomoto was an ordinary 4th grader until the day she opened a strange book and let dozens of powerful magic cards loose on the world. Keroberos, the Guardian of the Clow Cards, informs Sakura that it is now her responsibility to find and capture the freed cards. However, much to the reluctant Sakura's dismay, things aren't going to be easy for her; simply saying magic words and waving her wand around isn't good enough. Each card is a living, thinking, extremely powerful being. She'll have to learn to cope with her new responsibilities, as well as ordinary troubles like love, school, family, and friends. With the support of her friend Tomoyo and a young boy with powers of his own, she must learn how to use her newly awakened magical abilities to collect each card and prevent the disaster that will befall the world if she doesn't.

 

I was able to get this pack of two DVD's from Taiwan that has all 70 episodes on a total of 8 discs packaged in a fold out book manner with protective slip case. Although it has 8 or 9 episodes per disc the coding quality is actually very good - a par with many digital TV services - and has a excellent menu structure.

This is from the anime Cardcaptor Sakura a fantastic magical girl series from the early part of the this decade.

Knee high socks for the short skirted look

One unavoidable fact of life for me in my 'Little Girl' side is the fascination in maintaining the look I adored as a a child, that of the just above the knee skirt with long socks that are often either colour or striking in design.In many respects it's fortunate for me that at least a part of this aspect has become more mainstream so not only can I buy these cute girlish over the knee socks fairly easily but others are doing so to so there's less eye batting or outright ridicule as there used to be.




I just love these Grey and dusty Pink over the knee socks as they're so cute.
Available from the Sexy Minx ebay store and good local stockists.

Beatles in mono

Twenty-two years ago in 1987, the world finally got the Beatles on compact disc after  the issuing of the 60's Rolling Stones catalogue and it was that that in eyes of many marked the compact disc had come of age.
Although people who are more interested in how recordings sound have over  period criticized the sound of a good number of these, they've remained in print as the authorized Beatles selling well so rather like the originals while the Rolling Stones had their 70's albums reissued in much improved sound belatedly  Apple and EMI did the same for these in stereo and in Mono as a single box set.
I bought that Beatles in Mono box pictured above - the best part of GBP 199.98 - because it seemed to the only box of the two (there was a Stereo Box) that offered anything really essential and not otherwise available.

To start with the cds are all mono - the way many in the 1960's first heard them - and also the priority for mixing the separate tracks together by the record studios as most people bought mono records back then. Often the stereo versions had much less time spent on them so bits of the original mono mix just didn't make it into the stereo.
Most of these have been unavailable since the early 1980's (and then for a very limited time).

Then there's the packaging.
These cds have all been made in Japan with what is called a 'mini lp' form. That's to say they are made to resemble a miniature lp record sleeve using high quality card reproducing exactly the front and rear covers of the originals. There are replica inner sleeves with the designs used for each lp with the actual cd in a mylar wallet to keep it from getting scratched.
The individual cds have original period Parlophone, Capitol and Apple label designs featured for the centre labels of the lps.
The whole cd is then packed in archive quality acid free resealable see through envelope to protect it.

 The box has been carefully designed to store the discs with a slide in disc storage compartment to make getting them out to play easy.

The Discs:
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help! *
Rubber Soul *
Revolver
Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles (Also known as the "White Album" )
Mono Masters - a compilation of singles and EP tracks issued in mono that were not on any UK studio album which includes the prepared but unissued mono mixes of the Yellow Submarine film songs which one album I have no need to get.

* = These have the original stereo versions also on the same disc NOT the remixes done for the (stereo) cd.
The transfer to cd is extremely good - something that was a problem with the original cds issued in 1987.

I topped the set with the stereo only remastered Abbey Road and Let It Be which more open than the previous issue although the tri-fold unlined card cover isn't as attractive.

Get The Knack!

There was a time in the late 70's when bursting on to the scene they really were  'IT'.
Brash with catchy Power Pop possessed of the catchy but sexist lyric where would we be without Good Girls Don't, Frustrated, It's You, Baby Talks Dirty and My Sharona?
Well I fell under their spell in 79/80 as I was looking for guitar based pop muisc at the time loving much of the 60's music, so bought the 45's have the albums on cassette, 8 track and vinyl but this a UK cd on BGO - catalogue number BGOCD 248 - is the best of the lot sounding like you're in the studio with them.

"Growing up" IS optional

Sometimes people argue about how children today are turning out.
One school of thought thinks they are getting all cossetted trapped in perpetual childhood unable to basic things for themselves whilst others still say they're too advanced and so fail to see the dangers coming lacking the experience  older peers had.

However is our model right?

 There are expectations put on children to perform to ever more difficult targets, especially in the school environment when you look at  the way  western societies mentor and tutor them.
I'd guess we all can sure remember hearing these phrases from parents and teachers:
"You're a big girl now, not a baby"
"Act your age"
"Grow Up!"

In order to stay in favour with our mentors and peers as children we are put under pressure to change; to "grow up". This is mostly because the duties of parents in maintaining a stable home are at odds with the basic needs of free play and casual living as a child.

Can anyone think of child who never said  "I hate school"? It's not an environment conducive to natural and happy growth for the most part. There are tears and tantrums on those initial separations from parents, problems with large group integration especially at high school, and there's always an undertone of not meeting the expectations of a teacher, or fitting in with peers, none of whom would give the same level of emotional support as a close family member. When you need support, most your parents that you look to for support are simply not there, you don't get that contact again till the last school bell of the day.The system we have currently  is one that evolved following the destruction of older co-operative ways communities lived prior to the industrial revolution.
From such an alienating environment  we go into defensive mode (mood) putting up barriers, instead of letting our uninhibited joy flow out to touch others with happiness and playfulness.
This becomes especially so in the financially driven world of commerce, and by extension formal employment.
Essentially, the model we have is not ideal although it may be the best we have right now for the absolute numbers it needs to serve but if one was to issue a report on it you'd say "can do better". You have to recognize the fact that schools are not there for the benefit of the individual child, but to mould societies into pliable employable tax paying citizens for those with the power.


Now you might say what has this to do with our heading "Growing up IS optional"?
Simply that is encourages the attitudes deemed desirable for those who rise to the top which for the most part are ruthless. aggressive, self centred, and only focused on that which pays. Caring, accepting responsibility for others well-being and behaving in co-operative ways are viewed with cynicism at best and outright ridicule.
If the so-called lessons of growing up are indeed ruthlessness, aggression  and only being concerned with your needs, then while we're getting older (chronological speaking) this being Grown Up is one we can opt out of because it doesn't fulfill our needs.
Is it not surprising therefore it's  that's one of many reasons free thinkers like those of us who are LG are persecuted for having the courage to be different and to think differently?

Clannad with Clamp Collective

The best way of describing this series is it's a semi-fantasy romantic comedy drama. It is lovely show and it'll make you cry like nobodies business.The story is about the attempt to revive the Drama Club at Tomoya and Nagisa's high school. The anime is based on the popular game visual novel.
The main female characters have their own arcs, Fuuko, Kotomi, Ryou/Kyou, Tomoyo and of course, Nagisa. Its a bitter sweet story in that since only one girl can get the guy, and they all (bar Fuuko) like Tomoya.
As the year goes by the two leading characters begin to realize that real life is more complex than any stage play as new friends and rivals make everything more complicated.A strange visitor with a unexpected message enters to change Kotomi's life forever.

The second half afterstory outlining the 20 years in the life of Nagisa and Tomoya after graduation is available on DVD.

Added 10/30/11

I bought Afterstory but discovered my edition wasn't properly licensed as well as squeezing 12 episodes onto a single layer dvd which resulted in poor picture quality. I have replaced both the Clannad Collection and the Clannad After story with the UK region 2 issues.

Clamp in Wonderland.

Various characters from the Clamp collectives manga and anime series gathered together

Down at the waters edge.

One of the things I loved to do as a child as to look at boats seeing the different shapes, colours and functions of things and chatting with the owners. Luckily I never had an accident and fell in which is what happened to my brother!

Well that's the other kind of playing at the waters edge I liked either near lakes, ponds or at the seaside on the beach. That pastel pink skirt is so me too.