Looking forward to the new year

Among many things I had for Christmas there were some anime sets as athough I talk more about this on my regular blog, I do love anime, which is put simply the style of of animated films and the associated print form, Manga, that is prevalent in Japan.
While I have no problem with say the animation of Disney and love their Princess movies, I find Anime speaks to me more and some of topics covered are of more interest.
This next year will see a person I encountered a few months ago try too help me deal with some of crippling issues I have around body image and self loathing by having me try things I normally wouldn't go anywhere near.  I may not be easy but I think it's worth a shot.

Christmas is a time for...caring

I usually enjoy Christmas but since losing a close family member a short while ago have found it hard to get into the Christmas spirit this year. No I'm not whining here for me - that would be selfish - but I would like to encourage people to have some consideration of how this time of year feels to us.
Some are lonely and Christmas sadly can make it feel more so, some perhaps facing unemployment or on reduced income may feel they can't take part looking their neighbours in the eye even and still others like me are dealing with loss and you're reminded of every time you write or receive cards.
Perhaps a offer of Christmas cheer, hospitality, a donation to one of the many charities operating in your district or even a hug may go someway toward helping those struggling at this time of year and you may enjoy the warm glow of trying to make things better.

Happy Christmas,

Seasonal reminders

 

It may be coming up to Christmas but I'm not too old for a spanking and the threat or no presents if I don't buck my ideas up.

Outdoor play and the middle

For me being in little or middle space as about the magic, the innocence of letting your Inner Child out in a natural way that involves play which be indoors or it may take an outdoor type exploring nearby woodland, switching off adult distractions taking in the wonder of what's there and its potential.
Often there are things that you may play with such as tree barks, dead branches, you may blow the seeds on an dandelion, watching them disperse in the wind. You may bring things with you such as a kite to fly or have a run about having fun with each other.
Grown ups may be with you, may have a overseeing role but that role is just about keeping you safe as that 'child' just as it always was in actual childhood, nothing more.

I'm just a girl trying to find her way

You saw that direction pole in the public park near the side walkwith loads of arrows on it, well I'm the girl it just confused cos it seemed to have so many different directions each going off at a tangent.
And that's how my life's kinda been from early childhood seeing the signs following them but never really ending up with any clear cut ideas about who I was and more to the point which direction I was headed.
I'd think I had a plan and then find something would throw me off track like wanting to go to University but fluffing up on my qualifications because I had a nervous breakdown and then being told you'll just have to be factory worker instead as if that would interest me.
Cos the thing is I'm so interested things I want to know all about them and that whole turn out 500 of the same thing day in day out wasn't gonna do it for me OR the possibilities would be so large I couldn't make my mind up and end up all paralyzed mentally from it so nothing happened.
I'm getting better in my years at making things happen but I'm no natural.

A Winter Wonderland

This time of year is always associated to me  with sledging, snowball fights and making snow men which is what I did when I was younger.
I actually damaged my right shoulder and upper arm in my teens when after coming in from a recess snowball fight I came into the classroom near a radiator  that melted the snow on my shoes. This lead to me slipping!
I still have the irresistible urge to throw snowballs at people and to help kids making their snowmen.

No!

Natural infant defiance is normal but when like for me it persists into adulthood you could help but avoid the conclusion it should of been nipped in the bud rather than distracted away.
A single smack to my bottom and being taken their would in time had gotten the message through that (a) I have to go so I'm not taken short,(b) not going has consequences and finally (c) as the grown up you have the final say.

Ponyo

Yes at last here is my post about this much anticipated Studio Ghilbi movie Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea.

Unfortunately for those of us living in the UK Optimum Asia the UK distributor, isn't showing the theatrical release until February 12 2010 so the DVD/Blue Ray won't be out before then at least.

Of course as we're in 2009 not 1989 this doesn't mean we can't get to see it as having been shown in the Spring in Japan followed by Summer for North America - with Disney 'English' dub - the DVD and Blue Rays are out in East Asia already.

From Hong Kong you can get the R3 DVD in NTSC and I got to see it.

Buying Asian means we lose the English dub but unless you've very young children it's really no loss and frankly I prefer to hear the original Japanese cast dialog with their intonations intact.

Pictured above is the two dvd edition issued June 7th 2010 in the UK which I own.

Let me start by saying it's very much a children's story with a good heart about acceptance of people for who and what they are are.

The animation is well up to Hayao Mayazaki's excellent standards being well drawn not being upon effects adding to the spoken narration.

I'd give this 9 out 10 as really enjoyed it.

Plot outline:

The plot centres on a fish-girl who lives in an aquarium in her father's underwater castle with numerous smaller sisters. When her father takes her and her siblings on an outing in his four-flippered submarine, she is driven by a desire to see even more of the world and swims away. She ends up stranded on the shore of a small fishing town, and is rescued by a boy named Sosuke. After taking a great liking to her, Sosuke names her Ponyo and promises to protect her forever.

Meanwhile, her father, Fujimoto, is looking for his daughter, upset that she ran away and believes the humans kidnapped her. He calls his wave spirits to return Ponyo to him. Sosuke is heartbroken by this, and goes home with his mother, Lisa (or "Risa" in some translations), who tries to cheer him up, but to no avail. Ponyo and her father have a confrontation, where Ponyo refuses to let her father call her "Brunhilda". She declares her name to be Ponyo, and voices her desire to become human because she has started to fall in love with Sosuke. Her father silences her with difficulty and goes to summon Ponyo's mother.

Meanwhile, Ponyo, with the help of her sisters, breaks away from her father, and uses his magic to make herself human. This causes an imbalance in the world, which in turn results in a huge storm. Riding on the waves of the storm, Ponyo goes back to visit Sosuke. Lisa, Sosuke, and Ponyo stay the night at Sosuke's house, hoping the storm will be over, whereupon Lisa leaves the house to check up on the residents of the nursing home where she works.

Granmamare, Ponyo's mother, arrives at Fujimoto's submarine. Fujimoto notices the moon has come out of its orbit and the satellites are falling like shooting stars. Granmamare declares that if Sosuke can pass a test, Ponyo can live as a human and the world order will be restored. If he fails, Ponyo will turn into sea foam.

Sosuke and Ponyo wake up to find that most of the land around where the house has been covered by the ocean.

Lisa has not retured home yet, so with the help of Ponyo's magic, they make Sosuke's toy boat life-size and set out to find Lisa. While travelling they see ancient extinct fish swimming, such as the Gogonasus and Licosus. After landing and finding Lisa's empty car, Ponyo and Sosuke go through a tunnel. There Ponyo loses her human form and resumes the form of a fish. Sosuke and Ponyo are taken by Fujimoto into the ocean and down to the protected nursing home where they're reunited with Lisa and meet Granmamare, both of whom had just had a long private conversation.

Granmamare asks Sosuke if he can love Ponyo even if she is a fish or human. Sosuke replies that he "loves all the Ponyos".

Granmamare then allows Ponyo to become human once Ponyo kisses Sosuke on the surface. The film ends with Ponyo jumping up and kissing Sosuke, turning while still in the air into a little girl.

Aww. That was cute!
The UK DVD comes out July 8th 2010 and I hope to get a copy.

An American Tale

Following on from the last entry, I replaced my VHS tapes of Steve Spielberg's An American Tale series with the double pack 2 DVD sets. I have felt for along while this series starting from the mid 80's was well animated with a good storyline running through it

Mid teen regression

One indication of just how far the gap between myself and my peers had gotten by my mid to late teens was we were discussing one morning before registration a number of things such as what schools, not least our early schools were and what today we felt like doing  together where near enough all my friends were thinking more about parties and or maybe going to the movies and all I wanted to do was have a teddy bears picnic with them.
They thought that was a bit sweet but you know a bit odd too given they were all acting more like mini young ladies and well, I was still a Junior they looked after and they had more that older sibling authority over me although we were the same age seeing them as parental substitutes.
That's the strange reality with me and why 'ageplay' as term doesn't really describe what I do because it's just who I am 24/7. A Junior.
That was something I forgot in my attempt after leaving school to get bye and what backfired a few years back so badly.

Pencil Skirt

An older teen side of my inner child is the memory of the fashion of office workers mostly female back then and to which a 'good girl' aspired and even looked up to as you started thinking a bit more about such concerns as getting a job or going to college.


A staple of my more formal wear is the Pencil Skirt of which this from Top Shop is good example.
It is a knee length pencil skirt with back zip fastening.






- 75% Polyester,23% Viscose,2% Elastane.Machine washable.
Worn with a classic plain blouse, belt and tights, it has that business like feel but at the same time approachable.
£35
Link: 27P10VGRY

Intergrity: It's what we need

You know something don't you? Many people will do practically anything to avoid admitting they were wrong even sometimes to the extent of getting into very serious trouble with partners, employers and even the law through either misrepresenting something or even telling blatant lies.
Now we all know society functions on 'little white lies' but that works okay cos most people know what a little white lies is and don't large it up any further.
Now one way to avoid getting in big whopping lies is to tell the truth of which the easiest thing is to ADMIT you're wrong at the time!
Wrong can be a case of a decision that resulted in errors such as taking short cut thru town that wasn't really or coding up an item wrongly on a invoice making extra work for somebody. It could be you messed up a sales presentation so your potential client didn't sign up or just when you commented on something in the news to a friend and it turns out what you said wasn't right.
It's okay not to BS through this stuff and actually you'll be respected more by your peers if you do as I do and hold your hand up to your mistakes.

Alice

If I think of summer as a child one thing that sure comes into my head is lightweight summer dresses that girls often wear at primary and increasingly at some middle/secondary schools  that are made material such as gingham.You might put a sweater in blue or red over the top if it was a bit chilly.
These are often in green, red or like this blue which is very close to to the sort of dress that Dorothy wore in The Wizzard of Oz.

There is a part of me that would love to wear such a dress although most I've seen here seem to be quite expensive looking at the material for what is charged. I wonder if they see us a niche market they can exploit?

The Magic of the Fall, 2009.

As a Little Girl I always looked forward to the fall being that magical period  of transition from the late summer through to the onset of winter with it's bright crisp colours, leaves making pretty carpet like paths in the woods and forests.

It was time like most others where the seasons dictated what we would be doing
 in school in terms of lessons and games played in PE and also our own childhood playground games of which conkers was one of mine.My inner child feels all warm inside thinking of the fun we had and actually as you'll see some later in the chronological years love it still.
Conkers is an age old playground favourite, so if you harbour nostalgic memories of fast and furious conker competitions from your youth, then get yourself down to the conker championships and see whether you can beat the best. There are often different age categories to compete in, from the under fives to adults, and the winner of each receives a prize.

Here the berries are out ready for the birds and Mr Nutkins when he comes on over from the woodlands nearby

It's that time of your and I just adore those colours!

The science of spanking

Given the generally negative press from people who feel they're the experts on anything to do with bringing up children or teaching people including adults even right from wrong so they conduct themselves appropriately this entry belongs.

Some people have a major objection but when you take into account all the other ways of trying to with this kind of behaviour that similar people have objections also, all you are left with is distraction techniques that fail to teach you the exact behaviour you are required to have and you can't expect society to be in permanent state of negotiated boundaries with each individual.
We do have fixed expectations and standard of behaviour that you are expected automatically to conform to and being properly socialized either in childhood or later means you must learn to just meet them. We may have rights but we also have responsibilities and obligations too
Of course we should explain why it is we need to certain things, that they are the accepted way and why it matters to conform but consequences need to be delivered to help you  stop those actions.
Spanking is a perfectly good way of disciplining a developmentally disabled adult like me who doesn't learn well from words or reads 'between the lines' because it helps form connections in us between what we did and how people see it so we change when backed by guidance.
Postscript: It has been done and is working very well transforming my attitudes and behaviour.

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.

Ms Jo VI

Another story but from high school this time around.
There was a rather stuck up boy who came from a well heeled family at our school who it had to be said was the bane of everybodys jokes because somehow he couldn't shake off a sense of superiority, talking incessantly about his fathers Steel plant.
This went down like a lead ballon when many of us were not so well off, indeed some had their fathers out of work at the time.
Anyway it was near Christmas one year and I was starting to go through one of my itching to be a brat phases so decided one day just play rehearsals to plant push pins on his padded senior chair.
He just plumped down on to it with his fat bottom which was followed by several Ow's and a glaring look toward me. They'd gone through his trousers!!!
Fortunately at the time as was often the case I missed being reported with the probability of slipper spanking from the Headmaster.

Fun at the fair

Cotton candy at the fair as we leave vacation period and I'll bet she's behaved herself that day too!

Are you ready for it Jo?

In my actual childhood I was caned with good reason although in my experience at least some of the stories and a good many photos taken for various publications depart from how we experienced it, not least in most times at school it was at least over over your underwear if not your skirt or trousers not least with being co-ed and having male and female staff.

That being said there are things to be said for the approach depicted here.

 
First off having shown me the cane you are to use on me, you  have my dressed pulled up and me bent over the desk. You hold your hand over the small of my back where my knicker elastic is, pressing, reminding me of my vulnerability and your control over the situation unfolding.

Grabbing hold at the sides, with me still bend over the desk you roll my knickers down, lecturing me as my bottom is now completely exposed adding to my feeling small and powerless.

Holding me down by the side, you begin applying the stinging strokes across my cheeks as it makes it impact with red welts in complete control, making sure I never forget this unpleasant experience.

I go 180 degrees opposite

Some used to swear blind I was deliberately contrary but I never got up and said to myself "let's play awkward" but somehow it would start.
If one member of the group would propose some activity then I just have this urge to do the opposite even if I'd later be feeling "Well I try that now" when they're not around.  Thing was I never knew why I ever did this.
If all my friends bought one thing I'd end up with something else.
Just me I guess!

"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

Hold it!

There are times when I feel waves of emotions often negative ones just for want of a better expression travelling through me like a tidal wave and while they are not helped by frustrations when some sequenced action just fails in a unexpected way.
Sometimes I don't notice I feel that way toward something or more typically someone until I've let out that emotion usually in the forms of words that at best jar with people and sometimes are stronger than I really wanted to say which unless you may know me, you may form a less than good impression of me than how I really am faults and all.
I sometimes wish people would help me more with this.

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.

Shugo Chara!

Recently I was able to get the Malaysian DVD's of Shugo Chara! which has yet to be issued in the UK or US. The series centres around Amu Hinamori, a Elementary School pupil clash between her popular cool, spicy exterior loved by fellow students and her internal introverted personality. Amu's wish for a character re-birth as would be self leads to the discovery of three colourful eggs that hatch into her guardian characters, Ran, Miki, and Su.

 
The first discs (above) house all 51 episodes of series 1.
This story started off life as a manga following successful serialization in Japan and is currently being aired by TV Tokyo series one having aired from October 2007 and a second series Shugo Chara!! Doki— in October 2008.
The DVD of Series two Part one has the first 15 episodes from that series.

In essence the Guardian Characters aid Amu in discovering who she truly is and help fulfil Amu's dreams. Amu's life becomes much more complex as she struggles to deal with her "would-be" selves and the Seiyo Elementary's Guardians, who recruit Amu as the Joker to search for X Eggs and X Characters, which are the corrupted forms of peoples' dreams. Amu 'restores the eggs' to their original form neutralizing the harm the X Egg cause to all around them. Meanwhile, the Easter Company is extracting people's eggs in search of a special egg called the Embryo. The Embryo is believed to grant any wish to the one who possesses it. However, the process they use creates X Eggs and X Characters. What I like about the story is the way in which it shows how peoples self image can be effected by these 'bad' eggs that started off life as pure but have become corrupted in their pursuit of self interest harming others that get in their way. Equally the story shows how through positive encouragement people can change becoming more pure in thought - practically spiritual in a away, putting others well being first. The first image is that of the series 1 DVD, second the inner disc carrier with the picture at the footprint being that of Series 2 Part 1. 

Hold on to your hats and save those precious eggs from Easter but at last the last 26 episodes of Season two of this much loved anime has finally come out on DVD this week!

This is Amu as a 'Punk' from the Shugo Chara manga

Fun, fun,fun

There is stuff that is serious as adults we can't walk away from however as that that old saying suggested all work and no fun made Jack dull.
When I'm not dealing the serious stuff, I sure like to goof about with people, chat away about anything read comics or gag Manga and so on.
It helps to keep the Soul battery charged!
I just so love to have fun

Every girls friend

It's a basic truism, that a child and it's teddy bear cannot be separated no matter what and if anything happens to  it it is like a death in the family.
My own Little Girl side is very much alive and kicking having a strong bond with my own teddy bears that I treasure. This image means a lot to me because it illustrates something quite important, the notion of the teddy bear as your 'real' friend and the girl is showing him the stars in the night-time sky because she loves him so much, she wants to share this magical event.
I like many name my teddy bears in age-old  ceremony that binds us together and still frequently hug them, telling them all my secrets - the good as well as the bad in the knowledge they're safe.
Don't ever lose the magic!

What Spanking Do You Deserve?

My Result: Hard Spanking(80%)
Ok, thats it, bend over, your getting five with the leather strap then twenty with the hairbrush all on your bare bottom, that should teach you not to break the rules.
Additional Results:
Hard Spanking (80%)
Super Hard Spanking (69%)
Soft Spanking (50%)
Visit: What Spanking Do You Deserve?

And they'll be no more of that!

Sometimes it takes a bit of a going over to really get the message through
 

Kiki's Delivery Service

At the instigation of a online friend from a forum I recently bought this title in the acclaimed Studio Ghibi collection.

Adapted by Hayao Miyazaki from the Japanese childrens book by Eiko Kadono, it is about Kiki - a thirteen-year-old witch, and daughter of a witch - who is eager to leave home and spend a year working away from home. Her only talent is flying on her broomstick, but she sets off with her black cat JiJi) and finds a big city by the sea that she decides to live in.

She makes a deal with the bread store owner to work for her board in store that soon transforms into a courier service delivering anything from pies to pets. In this activity she -a polite, cheerful if naive child - encounters the rudeness and spoilt behaviour of others especially of a girl of her own age.

She encounters a boy on a bicycle who becomes her friend but undergoes a crisis of confidence losing her ability to fly. Only by looking into herself can she regains her abilities saving the boy from a Zeppelin flight that goes disastrously wrong.

What I liked about was the attention to detail in the drawings coupled with the message of triumph over adversity it presents.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Well this was going to happen sooner but I got waylaid so here goes...

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

I wanted this so much when it came out around November time last year but if ya hadn't noticed there's a recession on and one consequence of this was threat Beez's UK distributor went into receivership but I managed to get this reissue.

The story revolves around Haruhi Suzumiya, a high school girl obsessed with finding all forms of the extraordinary and supernatural, and Kyon, a cynical classmate who proclaims his non-belief in such matters and narrates the series. After being displeased with the mundane happenings at school and the lack of interesting after-school clubs, she forms her own, the SOS Brigade, to investigate any mysterious happenings, with Kyon forcibly drafted as its second member.

She drafts in additional members into the SOS club and in time they are revealed to be the extraordinary characters she is seeking (Yuki, an artificial human created by the extraterrestrial Integrated Data Entity; Mikuru, Time Traveller; and Itsuki, esper), sent by their various organizations to observe Haruhi. All see Haruhi as possessing a superhuman control over the universe, capable even of recreating the entire universe in a state of dissatisfaction and attempt to prevent this by keeping her entertained, holding her powers in check, and maintaining the illusion of a normal life.

The series became an Internet phenomenon and in the absence had to make do with a subbed import with so-so quality but have now gotten the UK R2 Re-issue 4 dvd set

Ms Jo V

One year, might of been 1973, at our school a girl I loved kept not arriving for weeks on end and amongst our year group it was said the girl had been going through a rough patch with her folks as they were having difficulties.
It was the era when separation and divorced were just coming into their own having gone through a long period were people said they'd stayed together "for the sake of the children" so to some us this was a whole other world.
But anyway, each Assembly during this period we were instructed to look out for this girl during school time and report anything to our teacher or Headteacher as we'd been informed her parents had dropped her off but she wasn't making it into school.
For a long while nothing had happened and I felt genuinely worried something bad was happening with her (at the time next to no child knew about abductions, never mind adults using kids sexually as we didn't even know what sex was).
One day out of the blue she turned up having been walked into our classroom but within ten minutes, the Headmaster walked in and told her she was coming with him, returning later, appearing to struggle to sit comfortable in her grey skirt and obviously tearful.
When she came around to talking with me, it transpired she'd received one of most severest spankings across her knickers any girl there ever had.
At the time my thoughts around this were confused because to me at least it seemed we should of grateful she'd returned, was in one piece and was in need of love.
With the passing years however I understood though that in a sense she had to be spanked because she'd done something very silly putting herself at risk (not that she'd of know exactly what it was), she shown great disrespect to her parents, trying to keep her safe and that she'd broken the agreement to attend school, all of which had clear cut consequences.
I'm sure it was a lesson she learnt well.

Sports day

One essential ritual of my school life was the annual Summer school Sports day where like it or not you were entered into the various sporting competitions for your school year group and house (cos we had operated a 'House' system).
There were  a number of them that stick in my mind and this is one of them.

That's the Egg and Spoon race that every junior school I went to always had  with the point being to fast walk with the egg balanced on a spoon not dropping or breaking, a feat that require much co-ordination the likes of which I never had!

Often there would be running races along a predetermined distance  with the first to reach the winning post getting a prize. Okay I could kinda run but staying in lane was hard going!
The other  common race was the Sack Race where you'd stand up wearing a sack over your PE kit holding the edges and have to run with the itchy material not tripping up over yourself which usually happened.
Usually some teacher or helper had the first aid kit at hand!
Although I was rubbish at it, I enjoyed taking part although we'd have to walk to the local park where it was held and was the 'Mascot' for our House.

Age play and study

Studying requires discipline not just as in say corporal punishment but the mental and attitudinal where you have to focus on one specific  thing without being distracted, day dreaming, working at your very best putting in real effort even if you find it hard going sometimes in groups and also on your own in your time as in homework you are set.
That's what I think I'm lacking and would benefit from in a age play setting.

Debbie

My 'Little Girl' side has always had a mania for dolls, initially as objects of play or as a means of experimenting with images of how I could look and later on into the field of collecting as objects.

This side of my Little Girl nature has never gone away.

This is a picture of a porcelain doll I've had since my teens called Debbie who has long pantaloons.

She was bought for me from a doll fair near Macclesfield and she's been with me no matter where I've been living ever since. I like the blouse and dress she's wearing.

Moon Phase and Anime Round up

This anime about the relationship between Kouhei Morioka a freelace photgrapher and Hazuki, a teenager who descends from a royal vampire lineage.

We learn at the start of the story that Kouhei travels to a castle in Germany to take photographs of all sorted Paranormal phenomenon for his friend Hiromi, the editor of an occult magazine. At the castle, Kouhei meets Hazuki, who feeds on Kouhei's blood and claims him as her unwilling servant. She is a 14 years old vampire - selfish but adorable - who was separated from her mother and restrained in a castle in Germany.

Although this "blood pact" is supposed to bind Kouhei to Hazuki as her obedient slave, her act has no effect on Kouhei. Following an action packed sorcerers battle, in which Kouhei and his cousin manage to free Hazuki from her captivity in the dreary castle, Hazuki travels to Tokyo, and takes up residence with Kouhei in his grandfather's house in Japan. Hazuki reveals this is what her mother wanted her to do when she disappeared.

Hazuki claims that, because she fed on his blood, Kouhei is now her servant, but Kouhei continually refuses to obey her, especially when he thinks her requests are unreasonable. Despite their fighting, the relationship between the duo progresses over time - even in the face of repeated attacks by opposing vampires - until Kouhei becomes determined to protect Hazuki from the vampire servants of her family, who themselves are determined to retrieve her by whatever means necessary.We learn later on in the anime he possesses great spiritual powers which were sealed by his family in order to allow him to live a normal life, as they were too strong for him to control. In the anime, he once again seals away his Jyougan so that it doesn't affect his relationship with Hazuki.

Other characters include Ryuuhei is Kouhei's grandfather who took in Hazuki and is a powerful spiritualist and exorcist.

A word about Revelation's DVD packaging. It is beautiful with pop up disc holders and a set of guide notes to further explain things as well as points to look for in later viewings.

Below is a picture of it in exploded form:

Tales I read from the past

This was an original paperback book from my childhood which being in the early 70's as a bit gaudy from an aesthetic point of view and probably more  with a nod and a wink to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and rather like that it has a more tale.
More accurately it has moral tales because it is a series of 30 short tales of children being naughty though I venture to suggest in 2009 someone has given them a condition or syndrome rather than using the other 'n' word.

The original hard back illustration by Eileen Soper.
In it children see character acting up, just as a child you would with the consequences unfolding and some sort of punishment being metered  at the end because it was written for more six to eight year olds to help show what was and was not acceptable behaviour.
It can be seen as a replacement for the old stodgy Victorian morality tales for being funny and engaging more with a child's imagination.  
A key feature is that the a strong sense of just punishment is included that children strongly identify with.
The fact I've kept it so long is an indication of the extent to which I feel it is relevant to me and the failure to learn to behave in a mature way.

Glimmers of the past

There is much in here that resonates such as  the playfulness of the child in trying to wake up the man who one assumes is a Minister of religion with no hint of malice or being mean in their whole demeanor and the playing out of doors in a cultivate garden which was a part of my childhood.
The other thing is personal which is that child is outside in a traditional girls school dress being carefree in the presence of a powerful male character although they in terms of physical build look more 'boy' and I suspect was 'assigned' as such even if they may of been transgendered before that term came into vogue.
I so wish that child could of been me at that age as it was all I really wanted.

Ms Jo IV

I'd like to recall an adventure from my past this month.
When I was a child, we went to a old Victorian school, the sort with gender segregated entrances and playgrounds on the outer limit of our village.
Being a country area, we were surrounded by farms and what not but right next to the school as this Apple Orchard, just to the right of the rear path out of the school  to a cluster of similar aged terrace properties.
This if you were an ace tree climber was an irresistible temptation not just for the the ability to see just how high you could climb but also for that yummy fruit, that is out this time of year.
Thing is many a boy and girl had indeed done this before so the owner had gotten wise to it and equally the Headmaster had received numerous reports, so in each school Assembly a stern warning was always issued not to Trespass and Steal from it otherwise you'd be in serious trouble.
So we'd figure out a way of getting in each year and fail being sent to the Headmaster for a spanking with the Slipper with our classmates fully aware of what was  about to happen.
It may not of stopped all of us but kept most of us in line during that period.

Bring you into alignment

School Uniform is preferred wear indoors and with subtle adjustments outdoors too not least because the act of wearing it implies an acceptance of rules and power over your own feelings to the point what you wear and how you present is determined by your Caregiver in a adult little/Caregiver setting.
It is hardly surprising then that it is often linked in with the use and for some of the return to regular unscripted corporal punishment for breaches of rules around attitudes and behaviour although it doesn't have to be and you may have other more casual play clothes too.

Ouran High School Host Club

Recently following its arrival I've been watching Ouran High School Host Club which has proven very popular over here.

This part- Series 1 Part 1 (Episodes 1 through 13) - came out Late April in the UK with Part two  set to come out early June so I really must remember to pre-order!

It is set in the institution of the same, a place of extravagance and prestige where learning is secondary to luxury. Bookish Haruhi can't afford to slack, being on a scholarship and out of place among the moneyed.

The Host Club is open - a Japanese notion of a place where for a fee people of the opposite gender are entertained and this school has one!Each Host club's job consists of entertaining and accompanying the female guests, whether it be a tea party, a costume dress up or an afternoon tea

A group of handsome boys dedicated to selling their charms to their bored female classmates, Haruhi is suddenly in debt to the club after breaking an expensive vase in their lair.

Naturally Haruhi has to pay for this damage but how?

By become a Host!!!!

Now this would be fine but we'd be forgetting something important -Haruhi is a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!

Between the wildly inflated ego of the expert escorts and the potential calamities of constant cross dressing, Haruhi's freshman year sure looks like it will be one to remember.

This is witty shojuo anime at its funniest with constant near misses for Haruhi like the School Medical with the Special Boy area screened off, a attempt to have enrolled in an All Girls School so she can their club and bathing suit scenes.

The constant themes include as you'd expect in this type of anime friendship and romance although the more observant will notice the mild sexual references (it is rated 15).

The animation in Ouran is simply gorgeous with some nice delicate shoujo style artwork, coupled with lovely bright and vibrant colours, making Ouran a series you wont want to take your eyes off.

I'd strongly recommended it.