Credits:
Skin:  Tuli - Elizabeth Fair - Darling Freckled
Hair:  Analog Dog - Fleur in Brown Sugar
Skirt:  PixelDolls - High Button MiniSkirt (Group Gift)
Tank: Iki - Short Tank in Black
Shrug: PixelDolls - Sculpted  Rumple Shrug in Charcoal
Shoes: Redgrave - Black Leather Sculptie Boots
Jewelry: Zaara - Kaya Onyx Fat Pack
Ring: EMJ - Gold Eternal Love Wedding Set; PC - Black Pearl Ring
Gloves: Fleur - Short Black Leather Gloves
Stockings: Blaze - Pantyhose 13 Color Bundle in Black
Poses: Torridwear - From the Curves Pose Set

  This is like THE most important post (at least to me) that I'll I've posted so far. OK I'm a huge converse fan, particularly Chuck Taylors. I'm also a huge blue fan, it's my favorite color right next to black. I own a pair of all black chucks and a pair of originals BUT I have yet to buy a pair of blue chucks. Around June or July 2008(don't know the exact date) Converse released a new Chuck Taylor. Unfortunately I don't know the name so you'll have to go off the description. They are blue and have a pocket on the outside of each shoe, and in each pocket there's a little blue flag (OMG!) I almost dies when I saw this shoe. Well of course I was broke at the time and could purchase but I kept saying (I'm gonna get them) So here it is August 29th and I had made plans to head of to journey's next week and get them. I went in the store today you know just to check them out, and they were no where to be found. I thought back to the black and white plaid (also not released too long ago) and thought "I guess there sold out like the others" So I thought "alright guess I'll just have to buy them offline, no bi deal just takes a little longer". Went up to one of the workers and ask "What happened to the blue chucks w/ the flag?" I got the worst news like EVER (in regards to shoes) the words slipped out like venom "OH they were recalled"....RECALLED!!!!! and do you know WHY they were recalled?!?!?! GANG VIOLENCE WTF (CHILDREN PLEASE STOP RUNNING AROUND WITH FLAGS AND GUNS AND RUINING MY DREAM OF OWNING THE BEST PAIR OF CHUCKIES I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO SEE IN MY LIFE!) Why is the world against me???

Anyway the real point of this is to say ANYONE WHO EITHER:

• Know's the name of the shoe

• Know's of somewhere I can find the shoe

• Has a picture of the shoe

• Is willing to give up a pair of the shoes (for a price of course)

• Or just ANYTHING related to the shoe PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE contact me

I'm going to OVERLOAD this post with keywords because I HAVE to OWN those shoes (not really but it's make my year :) ) So yeah come on ppl do your community service and get those shoes to me

pEaCe

Wanting to look good without trying hard using guns that exude casual sophistication? With buds stylish selection from the manufacturers’ collection, you will be able to feel free to make your own move. There timeless guns have been translated for your grip to its newest update. Crafted to the latest materials of iconic guns today will give another modern twist to a traditional style. Together with their wide array of handguns, shotguns, muzzle loaders and rifles that is readily available and accessible for everyone, you won’t be left behind! So be glorious free being able to buy guns for sale, with it you will exude casual sophistication from other competitors.

Dicho de dos o más cosas: Ocurrir a un mismo tiempo, convenir en el modo, ocasión u otras circunstancias.

Dicho de una cosa: Ajustarse con otra, confundirse con ella, ya por superposición, ya por otro medio cualquiera.

Superposición, ocurrir al mismo tiempo, confundirse entre ellas… ¡Precioso paralelismo entre la etimología y el principio de la superposición cuántica! Electrones potenciales que se dan al mismo tiempo, pero que mediante la conciencia e intervención del observador se dará en “x” estado.

Vivimos en un Universo de posibilidades superpuestas, es decir, un cosmos de innumerables momentos que se dan al mismo tiempo, en el que nuestra conciencia se actualiza incesantemente para crear lo que podemos denominar realidad.

Todo esto parece muy enrevesado, pero en el fondo lo podemos entender si lo contrastamos con el dato de que millones de estímulos que recibimos no llegan a ser procesados por el cerebro. Cuando estamos en silencio, empezamos no solo a escuchar más atentamente los estímulos de nuestro alrededor, sino aquellos estímulos, hasta entonces mudos, procedentes de nuestro interior. Si además somos capaces de acallar nuestra mente, seremos entonces co-creadores –creadores de co-incidencias— en armonía con el flujo del Universo. Esto ocurre porque nuestra mente es capaz de “ver” aquellas cosas que antes no podía, así el Universo reestructura su entrelazada maya y tu cerebro es capaz de procesar lo que antes ni era capaz de imaginar. Podemos llamarlo “cambiar el enfoque”, “ver las cosas desde otro punto de vista”… Una forma de transformar el Universo a nuestro antojo a través de la profundidad de nuestro pensamiento.

Poesía, pero no por ello deja de ser ciencia – Coomaraswamy.

da bin ich wieder. Nach knapp einwöchiger Wartezeit erreichte mich heute das Paket mit meinem neuen Schnuckelchen. Die Dual-Core-Prozessoren schnurren ruhig vor sich hin, Windows installierte sich in knapp 15 Minuten (vom Formatieren dieser gigantischen Festplatte mal abgesehen...) und dank Firewall, AntiVir und Spyware fühle ich mich wieder halbwegs sicher unterwegs. Zeit also, endlich mal wieder etwas Content auf die Seite zu bringen!

Wie hier üblich soll es vorab wieder einen Beweis meines hervorragenden (hüstel) Musikgeschmacks geben, welcher wiederum zur Untermalung des weiteren Textes dienen soll:

Heute schon ein Klassiker: Hypocrisy

Ich habe zwar einige Aspekte für den blog in der Pipeline, doch die müssen heute mal warten. Das ist das Schöne daran, der Herr der "eigenen" Homepage zu sein. Es gibt Neuigkeiten rund um Magic und davon will ich natürlich berichten.

Zunächst einmal wäre da die augescheinliste Neuerung: Die Seite der Wizards! Der Auftritt ist zumindestens eines: Aufwändig. Ob er so gelungen ist, kann ich noch nicht hundertprozentig beurteilen, er passt aber auf jeden Fall zum neuen "Wurzeln schlagen"-Programm von Hasbro. Noch nie war es für Einsteiger einfacher und schöner, sich die Informationen um das Spiel zusammenzusuchen. Für den geneigten Spieler wiederum ist es ungleich nerviger, sich bis zu den "Daily Articles" durchzuklicken... dafür sind ein paar schöne neue Features wie "Deck of the Day" dabei - das gefällt mir wiederum. Was denkt Ihr?

So, schauen wir uns auf den deutschsprachigen Seiten um. Kurz vor den Nationals also meine persönliche Meinung zur Lage der Nation. Der regelmäßige Content auf GerMagic respektive MTGBlogs läßt in meinen Augen sehr zu wünschen übrig. Ich denke, das irgendwie immer weniger der "alten Hasen" dort regelmäßig posten. Sogar ich habe mich ja da zurückgezogen ;-). Aber im Ernst, außer Teardrop (den ich gerne lese) ist eigentlich niemand der ersten Stunde übrig. Mario Haßler, der Frisör, Bobonator, FlynnT... Kenshin bemüht sich ernsthaft und seine Beiträge sind auch meistens nicht schlecht, aber von Regelmäßigkeit kann auf GerMagic einfach keine Rede mehr sein. Zeitgleich einher geht der relative Schreibstopp beim Lieblingsadministrator EvilBernd. Auch wenn sein letzter Blogeintrag wieder als Beispiel seines gnadenlosen Humors gewertet werden kann - sowas hat er früher einfach alle drei Tage produziert. Sommerloch?

Wer sich vom Sommerloch auf jeden Fall NICHT stören läßt, um weiter seine eigene Meinung als heiliges Manifest in die Welt hinauszublasen ist Hr. Pischner. Im Großen und Ganzen habe ich mich ja nach einem knappen Jahr daran gewöhnt, aber das Verhalten in der letzten Woche schießt echt den Vogel ab!
Sicherlich ist dieser Artikel hier vom MU-Team-Mitglied Pogi nicht der glücklichste. Wenn ich schon die Nats derart versaue, weil ich am Abend vorher was Besseres als meditatives Joga-Training zu tun hatte, dann sollte ich vielleicht besser nicht darüber schreiben. Geschenkt. Aber - warum fordert AP resolut den Rauswurf des jungen Mannes aus dem MU-Team? Wenn es den Sponsor wirklich jucken würde, ob der gute die Nats wegwirft oder nicht - warum hätte MU den Artikel denn dann überhaupt veröffentlichen sollen? Dann hätte man einfach nie wieder was von Pogi gehört und niemandem wär's wirklich aufgefallen. Hier jetzt einen derartigen Skandal produzieren zu wollen passt ausschließlich zum selbsternannten Leitwolf der Community und kann nur eine Retourkutsche für sein eigenes Versagen als MU-Teamleiter sein.

In seinen Kommentaren werden auf jeden Fall einige Dinge durcheinandergebracht. Keineswegs ist Pogi auf ein völlig "ungetestes Deck von dem er keine Ahnung hat" (sinngemäß zitiert) umgeschwenkt. Tatsächlich veröffentlichte Pogi bereits im Mai eine Deckanalyse. Lange genug, um sich mit dem Deck auseinanderzusetzen. Und ständig darauf hinzuweisen, das Hugo de Jong das Wheel of Sun and Moon nicht für schlimm hält (hat er übrigens HIER gesagt...) bringt auch nicht so viel, wenn man nicht gleichzeitig auf die Unterschiede zwischen Pogis und Hugos Deckliste eingeht - unabhängig davon, welche denn jetzt besser wäre. Denn Hugos Deckliste bietet noch mehr Schadensquellen durch Kreaturen (spätestens nach dem Boarden) als Pogis. Im Übrigen hat Hugo das eine Spiel mit Wheel of Sun and Moon gegen ihn dann auch noch verloren...

Am Schlimmsten stößt es dann noch auf, wenn seine Meinung als Wahrheit dann in Artikeln weiterverbreitet wird. Jaja, so ein "berüchtigter ÖM-Artikel" aber auch. Im Anschluß dann auch noch in der Wochenschau im Blog der Hinweis auf das arg dünne Artikelprogramm auf MU... naja, wenn man lieber die schreibenden Autoren von der Website verbannen möchte, sollte man hinterher nicht meckern. Versteht mich nicht falsch - Kritik muß und darf erlaubt sein. Aber das Heraufbeschwören von Skandalen und ständige Denunzieren anderer Autoren gehört nicht in die Kategorie "Kritik" sondern vielmehr "Selbstdarstellung" - und ob das so hilfreich ist, mag dahingestellt sein.

Naja, das ist allerdings nur meine bescheidene Meinung. Solange er weiterhin so hervorragende Artikel verfasst (die, die nicht von Selbstdarstellung so durchsetzt) wie seine Metagame-Analysen oder die Casual-Artikel auf MU, wird er wohl ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Internet-Community bleiben. Ich wünschte mir manchmal nur, er würde einsehen das sein Wort ein gewisses Gewicht hat und sich nicht ständig wie ein Elefant im Porzelanladen aufführen!

Ansonsten ist DM. TobiH hat schon einiges zusammengetragen, und das ganze wird sicherlich spannend. Ich selbst werde das Wochenende mit meinem anderen Hobby - der Musik - verbringen und endlich meine Dirigentenausbildung an der Landesmusikakademie beginnen. Wenn ich den Rechner das nächste Mal hochfahre, steht der neue Deutsche Meister wahrscheinlich bereits fest. Viel Glück allen Angereisten!

Bis demnächst
Seanchui

RADAR PALEMBANG, DISKON-Hammer kembali memberikan kejutan istimewa di bulan kemerdekaan dengan mengelar diskon besar-besaran yang berlaku hingga 31 Agustus nanti. Pakaian casual stylish dengan gaya modern khusus untuk anda yang memiliki segudang aktivitas. Promo diskon hingga 70 persen bisa anda dapatkan di outlet Hammer lantai satu Palembang Square (PS) Mal. “Hammer adalah brand yang selalu menggunakan bahan pilihan berkualitas. Anda bisa merasakan bedanya dengan hanya menyentuhnya saja,”kata Dwi, karyawan Hammer PS Mal.

Untuk atasan tersedia berbagai pilihan T-shirt, cardigan, jaket yang menarik dengan potongan modern dan dipadupadankan penggunaan aksesori membuat anda tampil lebih percaya diri. Sedangkan bawahan terdiri dari pilihan celana dan rok dengan penampilan casual dan semi formal yang bisa digunakan untuk aktivitas berusana sehari-hari.

Harga yang ditawarkan cukup bervariasi, misalnya T-shirt Polo bergaris horizontal dan blus cewek berdesain modern degan kerah V seharga Rp 59.950 dari harga normal Rp 109.900. Sedangkan bawahan berupa celana jeans dapat dimiliki seharga Rp 114.950, kemeja cowok formal Rp 99.950 dari harga normal Rp 399.900 dan bagi para ladies yang ingin mencari atasan formal tersedia pilihan blus cantik dengan harga berkisar Rp 69.950 hingga Rp 74.950.(kai)

]]> http://dinergames.wordpress.com/?p=120 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:19:28 +0000 lisadrem http://dinergames.wordpress.com/?p=120 Ice Cream Tycoon (13 MB download)

Own and operate your own ice cream business and become the hottest mogul in ice cream! Choose which tasty flavors to sell and which neighborhoods to sell in. Make good business decisions based on varying factors such as weather, bandits and advertising. Earn money and upgrade your fleet of ice cream vehicles. The next best thing to eating ice cream is selling it for a profit!

Worn :

Tshirt . 'Wild horses' by Fiertze & .Co.

Pants . Dark wash/straight leg classic jeans by Fiertze & .Co.

Gloves . Cobalt half gloves by Fiertze & .Co.

Other details:

shoes . 'chloe sculpted flats' by L&E.

Hair accessory . sushi plate headpiece by Bebe.

Headphones . 'plain headphones' (color change) by *booN.

Belt . Part of 'Francia woven coat' by {Gisaci} (tinted in a 'electric pink' and modded)

skin . 'Ma peau' (pink metallic) by Mijn Boa (not for sale).

The colorful print and faceted jeweled neckline on this tunic will have them talking. Scoopneck. 3/4 length sleeves. Embellishment at neckline. Banded hem. Knit. Stretch. The tunic matches this classic black pants.
 

Cute coin pocket adds some fun to these polished straight leg pants. Classic fit-designed to sit at your natural waist. Single button and zip closure. Front slant pockets. Back welt pockets. Buttoned coin pocket detail. Woven stretch

alcohol: 40%, originally uploaded by u.linder.

another one from the studio session with martin and another double pic... ;)

---

model: martin
make up/styling: manuela/martin
music: monster magnet
guitar: not mine

© all rights reserved, copyright 2008,

It's funny. I went to school earlier to run some cognitive tests on the 101 Psych batch for my research. It's really weird how so many in the course of more than a year, have called me "Prof" so deferentially. On one hand, I want to go, "I'm not your prof! I'm a student", on the other hand, I get some sadistic kicks out of that. After school, The Bimbo kept cajoling us to take photos. She always has that delightful smile. Then, The Freudian met The Conniver. I know I'm disgusting, the names I give them. This guy Jordi became Whore-di since I am P for Pimp and we pronounced J as 'h' as per Spanish-style. .(long story, but on another note, I used to trail pimps as a private eye). My friend whom I call Lulu is now LuLunatic. And then you don't really want to hear the other obscene names I've given them, which they happily adopt. So they happily talked on the train. . it's funny how the three girls close in my life are Virgos. The Best Friend's birthday's on the 18th of September, The Freudian's on the 16th and The Conniver's on the 14th. The Freudian and I were hunting down The Conniver at the train station. "She's a girl with long long long legs. Skinny, and very pretty", I said. And then, voila, TF found her. TC says, "What kind of description and introduction is that? Long legs!?". The things I say.

As always, The Conniver was fascinated with how I poured vinegar over the raw ginger and began eating them just like that. So she just had to snap a shot. Like all people who dine with me, they have some weird kicks out of the stuff I do. Like play with candle wax and the candle flame. Or stuffIshaltnotspeakabout. I blame it on ADHD. I am terribly hyperactive. Oh, and meet my new peeptoe cutout booties. The vow of frugality was temporarily broken for my cousin's wedding. I have to be in white and accompany her everywhere, as well as read her mass readings. Which means I don't want to look like I'm going for a baptism or a confirmation. Therefore. .the booties give such an edge. What's more is that I do research on zebras. How apt. What I am most ashamed of is how I was complaining that I only have three inappropriate white dresses. The first makes me look like a schoolgirl. The second, a dirrty nurse. The third-- my cousin's fiancé saw me in it (it seriously looks bloody decent, this white silk dress somewhere in my posts), and looked at me as though I came out of the asylum. And then halfway in Nine West, The Best Friend suddenly declared, 'P!! This would look damn good with your white shirtdress!" Delighted, I went, "Oh yes, my Marciano one". Which I completely forgot about. But anyway, I borrowed a dress already. So, nevermind.

dress Mango; tube Future State; bangles Mango and Aldo; shoes Nine West; bag Chloé; earrings vintage; necklace Diva

*******

This was another day. I love the lace puffed-up sleeves. It's large so I have to pin it up in case the neckline becomes obscenely low (it's my mother's). And I love the short skirt. With pale yellow and white swirly prints. Unironed, though. The silver accessories came out for once. Like the Tinkerbell necklace and the ballerina stud earrings.

top Mango; skirt Osmose; necklace Flowers in the Attic; earrings Wish You Were Here; hairband some tiny shoplet; belt vintage; booties some shop in Haji Lane

*******

I love shots like these that make me delusionally think I look like a cat. That's my first cat. With that big fluffy tail and those robber-like eyes, she has to be the perfectest creation ever. I always marvel at how perfectly symmetrical her face is. It's eerily perfect. I had no idea she was so beautiful, all I knew is that she gripped me no bounds. So for an entire thirteen months since the first day I volunteered at the pound, I'd always pray she'd never get adopted. My father dislikes cats, you see. So many animals came and went, but this one. Oh well, I did tell people she is a gangster cat who picks fights with others (it's true!). But it was only once a week. Finally, I smuggled her home. My father was shocked. But we have five cats now. I asked him, "If you knew so many years ago that your daughter would one day lead to you having lived with more than five hundred hamsters, a rabbit and five cats, you wouldn't have me, right?" He laughed and said, "Of course". Needless to say, the cats strangely adore him. And he adores them too. Ho ho ho.

Top left photo was the ruffled top I tried on, desperately looking for white clothes for the wedding. It's next Thursday. I have to look decent. My uncle would kill me. Actually, I'm quite scared of him, that's why. But in the end I decided I'd spend on shoes instead. The next photo is the clothes I wore after going back home for a strong cup of English Breakfast Tea (heaven!) and puff pastries. Initially, I had visualized a white, butterfly-sleeved, flowy short dress in vintage lace with fierce black shoes. I drew many sketches, but obviously I only could find them in my mind and on my papers. I walked around everywhere. And couldn't find any white dresses. It was a huge huge huge mall, mind you, with all the brands you can think of. Devastated, I started to sulk idiotically (happens sometimes) because I needed something urgently. And why is it that there are so many pretty clothes that I love but should not buy-- everything but what I need. Wants may overlap with needs at times, but need is in a more practical sense here. I realized I looked pretty insane in my short dress. A no-no to teach. So I tucked it into a skirt. And you know those wrap-around beads. You can just loop them around your neck and clasp them in another way so they look longer. Voila. Extra mileage. Prior to that, the changing room photos were my school clothes. With the yellow coat, of course. I love the socks. So adorable, aren't they. Because I have no black pumps, I slipped them into ribboned peep toes to fake a pair of boots.

dress BySi; coat Cotton On; socks Cavalli; earrings Accessorize; shoes Charles & Keith; ring Aldo

]]> http://dollyspeaks.wordpress.com/?p=423 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:35:28 +0000 dollyann http://dollyspeaks.wordpress.com/?p=423 So, not too long ago, I got into a discussion with Eloriane at Gender Goggles about her feminist interpretation of "Howl's Moving Castle." As a result, I was inspired to go back and watch another Miyazaki film, "Kiki's Delivery Service." While I would probably say "Spirited Away" is my favorite of Miyazaki's films, KDS is a close second.

So, because I'm not willing to put in the effort to organize all this and make it concise or coherent (after all, I'm not doing this for class!), I'm just going to list off the 8 main things I noticed in the film. If you're interested in details, I elaborate more below my bullets. Carry on!

1. Kiki is a witch, but instead of being condemned as most "witches"  historically/traditionally have been, she is admired and readily accepted.

While Kiki's "witch" status probably didn't stir up much controversy in Japan, had this film been mass-publicized in America, I'm sure it would have caused a scream similar to the evangelical Harry Potter witch hunt. After all, American history (Salem Witch Trials, anyone?) speaks to our puritanical/Calvinist bias when it comes to our understanding of witches. They are the sinners, the women that do not obey their husbands, the shrews that have betrayed the one true God (who, obviously, is the omnipotent male superior). They stand in the way of salvation, and therefore must be condemned. Our European fairytales chime to a similar tune. They are the cackling green hags boiling children for dinner, the broom riding harpies of the night, the jealous spell-casting vagina dentatas feasting on newt-eyes and frog legs. They are dark, mysterious, cackling, and conniving. And even if these stereotypes don't stand as firmly today as they did several centuries ago, the hype over Harry Potter (as I mentioned above) would not have been so extreme had these stereotypes ceased to exist and influence in our present lives.

So the fact that Miyazaki takes a traditionally scathed  woman (and, being the Anglophile that he is, I'm sure he is aware of European witches' reputations) and turns Kiki into a character both admirable and likeable, is something I find to be undeniably feminist. Kiki's bright, opinionated, eager, intrepid, and always optimistic. And while it's true she doesn't contradict all the stereotypes about witches... after all, she is outspoken, flies on a broomstick, and magically talks to a cat.. these stereotypes are all depicted positively in the film, often endearing other characters to Kiki.

Kiki's witchhood also serves as the basis of the storyline, the reason she leaves home and sets out to find her identity... which brings me to my next point...

2. Kiki's growth as a witch is an example of a woman's rite of passage

Typically in film (or other kinds of media/literature), we do not see women grow or mature in the way their male counterparts do. The glass coffin traps them into being young, pretty, and passive for an expected eternity (i.e. Disney princesses), or else a woman's value is lost as she ages. Stories about guys, on the other hand, often focus on their heroic adventures, with American superheroes reflecting desires of guys to be invincible and showing them battling with villains for the love of beautiful women. These women remain passive, their climax occuring only once they find love (or, otherwise, they do something cool and then are killed off).  I've found this to be also true of many Japanese stories featuring male protagonists, as Dragonball Z's Son Goku and Legend of Zelda's Link spring to mind. There is an eagerness it seems to teach boys that they can aspire to be all they can be, that the sky's the limit, and nothing can stop them. Yet Disney princesses teach girls that marrying a handsome man is their rite to adulthood, and that once they've married they've received all life has to give.

So the fact that Kiki has a rite of passage in the film teaches us that women do have the ability to overcome obstacles to greater growth and understanding of identity. I actually prefer Kiki's rite of passage to other stories oriented around men's growth (such as the Legend of Zelda) as hers requires more introspection (and less bloodshed). Many would consider this "feminine," of course, as it requires evaluating and analyzing personal feelings, but I think it is a universal necessity for all of us, men and women, when it comes to growing up. Kiki thinks and reflects, she must "find her own inspiration," she must learn to be who she really is. Getting a boyfriend won't help her do that. She explicitly states this at the beginning of the film. She claims that she can't stay at home any longer, because if she finds a boy she likes, he'll only hold her back.

Of course, it has been argued that because women have a physical sign of adulthood (menstruation/blood), that is why men must create one for themselves in life and stories (which, I find interestingly, also includes blood). Yet, I think women need social rites of progression to reflect changes in their lives just as men. Kiki's journey toward being a witch/adult woman shows us there's a lot more to growing up for girls than getting the guy.

3. Kiki has strong relationships with other women

Part of growing up, of course, is interacting with those who have already gone through the "rites." Kiki, throughout the film, develops relationships with several strong, mature women. Early on, we see that Kiki's mother is a talented potion-maker and has a compassionate relationship with her daughter. While Kiki makes her own broom to fly off on, she listens to both the sage advice of her mother and a local elderly woman to take another, better-made one. While Kiki is reluctant, she respects the opinions of the women and takes their advice. Older women thus create foundation for younger women's successful growth.

When Kiki travels to her new home, she is taken in by a warm and amiable woman named Osono. Osono is loud, with a booming laugh, and a generous heart. She recognizes Kiki's good-nature and willingness to help others the second she meets her, and helps Kiki by allowing her to sleep in her extra room. Osono provides the foundation Kiki needs for a new life, encourages her when she is in low moods, and pushes her in the right directions (i.e. setting her up with Tombo, helping her with her delivery service, etc) Once again, an older woman is Kiki's foundational support.

Kiki also forms a relationship with a client, an older woman living with a middle-aged servant. While both Kiki and the older woman are more traditional in their manners, there is a mutual respect between them. The older woman encourages Kiki to continue being kind, compassionate, and hard working. Both the old woman and her servant act as, ONCE AGAIN, support legs for Kiki. It may seem redundant, but the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" really is true. All these women reinforce to Kiki the idea that kindness, compassion, willingness to help others, and politeness are important values.

My favorite of all these women, however, is Ursula. Ursula is an artist living in the woods outside of Kiki's village. Kiki stumbles upon her cottage when flying over with a delivery. While Ursula appears a bit rough around the edges at first, we later discover that she is just as kind as the other women Kiki knows. She ends up acting as a big sister to Kiki and providing more of the spunk n' sass feminists like to see in their female characters. For example, as Kiki and Ursula try to hitchike, a guy yells at them for standing in the road. Ursula slyly remarks, "What's the matter with him? Must've been blinded by two pretty girls?" In doing this, she reassures Kiki of their importance and also shows her that talking back (even to guys) isn't a bad thing.

Urusla also makes some of the most profound statements in the film. When Kiki loses her powers (specifically her ability to fly), she turns to Ursula for advice. This is what Ursula tells her: "Painting and magical powers are the same. Sometimes I can't paint a thing... [Just] don't think about flying. Then you'll be doing it again. You have to discover your own style. We all have to rely on what's inside of us. Trust in your spirit. We all have to find our own inspiration... that's not easy, Kiki."

Kiki later takes this advice when she must save Tombo. She tunes out everything around her and whispers to herself determinedly, "Fly." She learns at this critical moment that her good heart is her inspiration and her ability to fly comes from her willingness to help others. Because it is Ursula who leads her to this epiphany, Ursula ends up being the most critical character in the film to helping Kiki achieve her status as a true witch. The fact that she's a strong, independent woman doesn't hurt either.

4. Size and image acceptance are promoted

For the most part, I would say size/fat and image acceptance are promoted throughout this film. While most Japanese anime feature impossibly thin women (who typically are equipped with impossibly large, erm, *assets*), Miyazaki does a fair job of representing a variety of body types. Both Kiki's mother and Osono are larger women (even after Osono's had her baby, she's still no stick), and neither of them are depicted as lazy, stupid, or ugly. Ursula is a younger and thinner woman, but proportioned reasonably...and, emphasis is on Ursula's wit and wisdom as opposed to her body. Ursula also plays a role in reassuring Kiki that she's very pretty, as Kiki struggles (like most girls) with her looks.

On the other hand, there is a scene in the film in which Kiki cries to Gigi that she doesn't want to eat pancakes for the rest of her life in fear of getting, "Fat, FAT, FAT!" Kiki's so goodhearted, it's difficult to believe that she would reserve kindness or politeness if she did meet a fat, fat, fat person, but we see how standards for women's beauty affect Kiki. She knows thinness is an ideal, and so she doesn't want to gain weight. Frequently during the film, she also expresses feelings of plainness and a need for bright red shoes or pretty dresses. She sees city girls who are "dolled up" and sighs sadly.

Yet Miyazaki puts the spotlight where it needs to be--on Kiki's good heart. He does this through Tombo, who actually dispels quite a few myths about guys' standards of attractiveness as well. Tombo is stereotypically nerdy... he wears horizontal stripes and glasses with huge black frames. He has dishevelled red hair and freckles (which are considered quite unattractive in Asian culture). He's skinny and a little foolish-looking.

But what we learn about Tombo is that, like Kiki, he has a desire to fly, to explore, and to reach his full potential. While Kiki is dismissive of Tombo, we see in him persistence and determination. He is eager and optimistic the way Kiki is, if sometimes a little ignorant of her feelings. He, like Kiki, has a good heart, and because of that he sees Kiki's ability to fly as something more beautiful and magical than the fringe on any girls' dress or the way she bats her eyes.

What Miyazaki teaches us is that what's on the inside is more important than what's on the outside.

5. Self-liberation is important to both men and women

Which is why liberation and self-exploration are such key themes in many of Miyazaki's films. Self-liberation, in particular, is critical to understanding Buddhist, Taoist, and other Eastern philsophies. In Buddhism, for example, there are Four Noble Truths--1) life is suffering, 2) there is a cause to suffering, 3) there is an end to suffering, and 4) the Eightfold Noble Path is the way to end suffering. What that means basically is that to be happy in life we must set aside our desires and achieve enlightenment (a perfected state of happiness/content).

Miyazaki characters strive for this enlightenment. Through Kiki, we see plenty of suffering. The way she struggles to come to terms with herself and understand who she is are examples of suffering. Kiki's ability to fly allows her to think, reflect, and free herself. When Kiki loses her ability to fly, she must return to the 8fold Noble Path and look deep within herself to remember where that spirit/magic resides. Paradoxically, this means also forgetting/not thinking about how to fly. It is only when Tombo is in danger, that Kiki finds that part of herself that remembers helping others and being kind is what gives her power. The obliteration of her own desires gives her flight.

And like Tombo, we as the viewers are encouraged to admire Kiki. We see how she soars and yearn to be in the sky with her. And like Tombo, we are encouraged to construct our own methods towards liberation and enlightenment. To start, all we need is the will to liberate ourselves and a good heart.

6. Masculine stereotypes are addressed through character Tombo

As mentioned above, Tombo addresses many stereotypes about masculinity. While Kiki serves as a positive role model and inspiration to young female viewers, Tombo is good for male ones. Guys who watch KDS see  Tombo as a boy who is unafraid to admire a girl for her talent, a boy who is adventurous and eager to learn, a boy who is friendly and polite towards others, and a boy who is persistent, determined, and willing to be who he is. And if guys need a film with more focus on a male protagonist, Miyazaki's Laputa: Castle in the Sky is a good film to check out. But considering how often girls must sit through films where they are completely unrepresented (or misrepresented), I would still say this film is guy-positive.

7. Girl saves guy

It's not unusual to find films where the knight in shining armor saves the damsel in distress. But in KDS, Kiki must save Tombo from falling to his death off the dirigible. What's interesting about this scene is that the focus is not on Tombo's helplessness or the likely hook-up between Tombo and Kiki if she saves him. The focus, instead, is on Kiki's ability to regain her powers. While there are sirens and loud rabbling in the background initially, as Kiki steals the broom, everything goes silent. We zone in completely to Kiki's world as she reaches a kind of transcendence. She tunes everything else out, and thinks only to herself that she must fly. When she lifts off the ground, she does struggle, crashing into a few buildings and she is not immediately successful when she does reach Tombo, but ultimately she reaches past her limitations. She flies yet again.

And what do little girls see? There are ups and downs to every journey, but success is possible. Kiki did what she needed to do to become a great witch. She discovered her inspiration was in helping other people and used it to guide her.

8. Some gender stereotypes persist

Unfortunately, no film is perfect and even Kiki's Delivery Service has its flaws. While Kiki and Tombo are both androgynous in some of their best qualities, they do hold to some gendered traits. While Tombo can't magically fly like Kiki can, he is very interested in science and mechanics. When he shows Kiki his flying machines, she merely stands off to the side looking half-interestedly at them. While she does get on the bike with Tombo, she doesn't have the interest in how everything works and breaks apart that he does. This reinforces the idea that only guys can really be interested in the subjects of math and science. (If you wanted to refute this, you could suggest that Kiki's mother, a potions maker, compensates for women's interest in chemistry).

Also, Kiki has strong views about the way boys should treat girls. While Tombo eagerly approaches her early in the film, she chastises him for not learning her name first. The reasoning behind this is that a boy must learn a girl's name before he can speak to her. Not entirely progressive, in my opinion. And when Kiki wakes up one morning, she is careful to avoid Osono's husband, likely because she does not want to be seen in her nightgown (which covers from neck to toe). This may also be due to Kiki's limited experience with boys and men, but her indoctrinations are important to acknowledge and address. While Kiki's old-fashioned manners may be appealing to her audience, we should be wary of some of the stifling and repressive Victorian chastity she seems to esopuse as well.

Overall, this was a fantastic film. In contrast to Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki gets stronger and learns more over the course of the film. And instead of Howl saving Sophie, Kiki saves Tombo. Miyazaki addresses a variety of gender issues, particularly ones of beauty and self-esteem that affect young girls (and, especially for never having been a girl, Miyazaki addresses them fantastically).

So, if you've decided that Disney princesses falling in love are not the role models for your daughter, I've got to recommend Kiki's Delivery Service. 5/5 stars, two thumbs up, and, um, worthy of popcorn and fizzy drinks. :)

Sometimes i think fashion is a form of expression, which means visualisation. Which also mean, fashion are meant to be appreciated and enjoyed being in fashion. So, i bring to you the different types of styles that you might be interesting in.

As i have mentioned, its a form of expression. So, i left you all to view the pictures. Just click on the pictures to view it(tip: right click and open in a new tab). The zebra picture would be our online shop's upcoming collection(just a example).

Enjoy the pictures ;)

Details of the pictures, counting from left to right(tip: hover your mouse over the picture and you will get the number).

1. Sheer, Social, Road-tripping
2. Sleek, Summer, Fabulous
3. Adventures, Celebrity, Silk
4. Absolute, Pleated, California
5. Safari, Chiffon, Mellow
6. A dash, Sporty, Urban
7. Tribal, Nautical, Floral
8. A splash, Floral, Boho
9. Blooming, The little, Exotic
10. Urban, Fabulous, Wild

Don't forget to bookmark this site and visit it occasionally!

Till then,

mucho love

Yang lebih menarik lagi, kedua tokoh ini betul-betul berbeda, dalam berbagai hal. Latar belakang, pendekatan untuk memecahkan masalah, temperamen, sampai kebijakan-kebijakan di berbagai Isu. Hal ini berbeda dengan pemilihan di Indonesia, dimana acapkali figur tokoh saja yang diandalkan untuk menarik suara (sampai banyak partai menempatkan artis sebagai calegnya).

Obama, melambangkan perubahan. Dengan slogan "A Change We Can Believe In", Obama berhasil mengalahkan kandidat yang lebih diunggulkan, Hillary Clinton, dengan selisih yang tipis. Obama berkulit hitam, dan juga tidak "murni amerika", ayahnya berasal dari Kenya, beliau pernah tinggal di Indonesia, dan juga mengaku pernah menggunakan drugs semasa muda.

Latar belakang Obama ini betul-betul mencitrakan Obama sebagai sebuah tokoh yang berbeda, kalau biasanya capres berkulit putih, dia berkulit hitam, kalau biasanya capres asli orang Amerika, dia memiliki heritage Kenya, dia juga capres pertama yang pernah tinggal di Indonesia semasa kecil, dan juga ,(sepanjang pengetahuan saya) capres pertama yang mengakui kalau pernah menggunakan drugs semasa muda. Hal ini diperkuat agi ketika dia menyatakan bahwa kebijakan-kebijakan yang dia ambil sangat bertolakbelakang dengan presiden George W Bush, rakyat amerika yang sudah bosan dengan keadaan negara yang tidak kunjung membaikpun, akhirnya tertarik dan mendukung Obama.

Obama juga terkenal sebagai pembicara yang retoris dan mampu membangkitkan motivasi. Kebijakan-kebijakan yang diambil oleh Obama juga adalah kebijakan yang sangat manis, penarikan pasukan dari Irak adalah salah satu andalannya. Obama juga seorang pemimpin yang hendak merangkul semua kalangan, sebagai sebuah kesatuan Amerika Serikat.

Sayangnya, Obama juga memiliki kelemahan. Obama dinilai tidak tegas dan ambigu dalam menyatakan posisinya (misalnya terkait dengan masalah aborsi), Obama juga dinilai kurang berpengalaman dan berpotensi hanya menjadi pemimpin dengan janji-janji manis tanpa tindakan yang nyata.

Obama berpotensi membawa perubahan dan menjadi pemimpin yang mendengarkan semua pihak, tapi dia juga berpotensi menjadi pemimpin yang tidak tegas.

McCain, melambangkan ketegasan. Dengan slogan "A Leader We Can Believe In", yang digunakan dengan sangat cermat untuk menangkal slogan utama Obama diatas. McCain berhasil mencitrakan diri sebagai pemimpin yang tegas, straightforward, dan tanpa tedeng aling-aling. Beliau juga berani mengambil sebuah stance yang tegas, dalam kasus aborsi misalnya, McCain dengan tegas menyatakan posisinya sebagai seorang yang menentang, meskipun itu akan mengurangi jumlah pendukungnya dari kelompok yang mendukung aborsi (pro-choice).

Ketegasan itu menjadi kelebihan McCain, hal ini wajar saja, mengingat McCain memang seorang berlatarbelakang militer.

Tentu saja McCain memiliki banyak kelemahan. Kebijakannya kurang populer, salah satunya adalah sikapnya yang setuju dengan perang Irak. Sangat bisa dipastikan kalau rakyat Indonesia boleh ikut memilih dalam pemilu Amerika, kemenangan McCain is next to impossible :)

McCain berpotensi menjadi pemimpin yang tegas dengan keputusan yang jelas, tapi dia juga berpotensi menjadi pemimpin yang tidak mau mendengar.

Jadi, siapakah yang akan terpilih? Obama? McCain? Saatnya Amerika memilih, saat postingan ini ditulis, terlepas dari preferensi penulis, penulis memprediksikan kalau John McCain akan memenangkan pemilu presiden, but I could be wrong ;) just wait and see.

Here are some quick tips to help you pick and choose casual clothing for women during sales and closeouts:-

Examine the casual clothing before you buy

Before you pick it up, remember, the casual clothing that you’re looking at has been probably tested a few hundred times before this. So, a little bit of wear and tear on the casual clothing is to be expected. If they’re not worn out or at least a little bit stretched, the casual clothing store probably won’t be putting it up for sale, don’t you think?

Check the seams and edges to see if they are OK. And if you want value for money, check for holes and detached labels and discoloration too. Yeah, we know, it’s on sale and we should expect TOP QUALITY casual clothing for that kind of pricing, but STILL, you want value attached to the casual clothing. You’re still PAYING for it, not getting it for free, surely.

Testing the casual clothing out before you take it to the cashier

I know, this sounds so logical and yet so important. Never buy casual clothing or any other types of clothing without testing them out first. The sizing and cutting is very, very important. What looks good on the shelves or mannequin may not look as good on you. The shape and size of your body is very different from the mannequin, so, take it to the fitting room and try the casual clothing out for shape and size. If you have fussy kids with you, come back another day (maybe tomorrow) for it. A time when you can test the casual clothing out.

Is the casual clothing REALLY on sale?

I don’t know about you, but I think this is when window shopping actually makes sense. Let’s say if I see a casual clothing that I like, I’ll go in and take a look and note the pricing. When they hold a sale or discount, I’ll know if they’re cheating or not. Some casual clothing stores DO actually cheat and they say their normal pricing is $49 when it’s only $35. I know, I know. it sounds petty and calculative, but hey, you want to get value casual clothing or what? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be one of those easily excitable casual clothing enthusiast (erm…which, I think I am).

Check out other casual clothing stores before you decide

This lesson, I learnt one time when I bought a fabulous and chic looking casual clothing blouse to the counter, paid for it, and walked out to see a similar casual clothing on sale in the store opposite the store I bought it from! Boy, was I fuming. So, what I do now is to note the casual clothing that I like and the store, look around other casual clothing store and then if I can’t find something similar for a cheaper price or something better, I’ll go back to the casual clothing store and GRAB IT!!

source:http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_10873.shtml

- Your aim is to elongate your body. The most frequent mistake petite women making in terms of clothing is cutting their bodies by using pieces of clothes as jackets and belts in the wrong proportions. Wearing large belts on top of pants or skirts together with blouses of different color is not the best choice as it cuts the body in two parts, drawing attention to the shortness of the figure.

- You should also avoid wearing extra fabric around the waist. You already possess a good amount of volume in this area and the last thing you need adding some more.

- A false myth is the idea that very long skirts make your legs look long. Very long, baggy skirts make your legs look shorter. Long skirts may make you look taller if they go down to the ankle level and if they are straight.

- A good trick to elongate your legs is to wear straight pants that cover your shoes. This will definitely add some extra inches to your legs.

- Mixing colors is permitted for petite women but remember that it is the monochromatic clothing that makes you look taller and slimmer.

- Avoid wearing thick fabric clothing as it adds extra weight to your figure.

- The best trick to elongate your body is to wear vertical lines patterned clothing. But keep in mind not to exaggerate as you will end up looking like a zebra. It is enough to wear a pair of jeans that have a vertical line in the seams and you will create the illusion of a taller person. Just one or two lines are enough to create this illusion. Try to avoid wearing clothing items with multiple vertical lines or mixing two garments with lines pattern.

- If you also have some extra pounds, the best way to hide them is to fit properly the clothing items. Remember that oversize t-shirts don't hide extra pounds, they make people look baggy, without any shape. - Too tight means too bad. However very tight clothes are risky too.Properly fitted clothes help you show the best of your body. Never wear clothes that show an open view of your tummy. It will only call attention to this wrong part of your figure.

- And the 'must do' rule for petite women is to always wear high heels. Matching stilettos to long, straight pants is the combination that will make you look taller and slimmer in any situation. And keep in mind: any figure fault can be covered by using the right piece of clothing.

source:http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_10793.shtml

The outfit basically originated from the knitted cardigan from Veschi. I used it as a base. Then I selected my undershirt, a dark-washed striped shirt. I embroidered the outfit with a trendy and chic Armidi scarf that everyone loves ;) I finally chose a blackish-grey system skirt from the Nora outfit made by June Dion of Barerose. The new "Chloe" hair from Maitreya's booth at the hair fair was a must and I just love it to bits! The beanie is scripted with a color-changing option as well! I rummaged through my inventory and discovered the Barcelona Slingbacks from Armidi, a perfect accent to showcase the entire outfit. Here's the pic!:

Credits:
Body:
Hair: Chloe from Maitreya in Chocolate
Skin: MMSZero in Sunkiss, makeup 4a from MMS
Eyes: Avatar Eyes from Pixeldolls in Midnight
Lashes: Photoshoot Lashes from MMS
Clothing:
Sweater: Cozily Cardigan from Veschi in Brown (made the jacket a bit shorter to show the shirt underneath)
Shirt: Conundrum shirt from Bijou in Red (tinted a bit to a darker shade)
Skirt: Nora Skirt (part of Nora outfit) from Barerose in Black (tinted)
Accessories:
Scarf: Sandbrook Scarf from Armidi in Pink (tinted tons lol, I’m tinting everything today)
Shoes: Barcelona Slingbacks from Armidi in Bole
Cigarette: Cigarette w/ holder from ANIMAH