Beautiful Dreams Emerging in a Tide of Song

I’ve been on a bit of a Sailor Moon kick lately, because I am writing a prequel to the comic Mom and I did. Someone also made a Poser outfit meant to look like the senshi uniform. I‘ve also had fun with that. I’m going to try making a skirt that looks more like the one in the anime to go with the rest of it, as well as the jewelry to go with it. I’m also trying to make Usagi’s hair. If I can make it work in Poser, I’ll make it available for download, ditto for the skirt and the jewelry.

Yes, I know I have a form of the hair to work with. However, I’d like a somewhat more realistic version to go with my style and figured that someone else might also like this option. They’re actually coming out reasonably well. If nothing prevents me, I may try making Naru’s hair too. I like Naru and wouldn‘t mind doing a picture of her sometime. She’s a sweet character.

I’ve even got an image done of ChibiUsa’s (for want of a better word) buddy Pegasus done! I’ve wanted to portray him for awhile now. I am especially happy with how his mane came out. To see a larger version, click on the thumbnail.

"Beautiful Dream Emerging"

His pose and the lighting are partially inspired by Eighties fantasy calendars. Mom had kept some especially beautiful ones of unicorns and pegasii that she also enjoys looking at. :)

This time, I painted his mane and tail. It wasn’t as tough to do as I had thought it would be. The main thing is making sure that the hair is flowing where you want it to. Imagining that the hair is water pouring over the character’s scalp helps with envisioning how it should behave.
I worked on this while listening to songs from the Eighties. "Glory of Love", "Kyrie", "Mad About You", "That’s What It Takes", and others seemed appropriate.

One set of lyrics in particular evoked some musings on the nature of love and why people admire the knights in old legends and fairytales.
The chorus from Peter Cetera‘s “Glory of Love” echoes two beautiful dreams. It embodies many maidens' dreams of true love and it evokes many a man’s desire to be heroic.

“I am a man who will fight for your honour.
I’ll be the hero that you’re dreaming of.
We’ll live forever, knowing together that we did it all for the glory of love.”

What’s even better about these dreams is that, with God, they can come true.

Another theme that comes to mind is this: Do lovers love each other enough to stand beside each other in spite of opposition?
It’s a reoccurring theme in classic literature as well as Sailor Moon. It keeps you wondering if the story will end well, doesn‘t it?
They are similar in that they are both born from choices. You decide to whom and what you will be faithful to.
You make this choice every time you have the chance to be kind or to be cruel.
You are not born with the knight’s creed inscribed in your heart and mind. You decide if you are a knight or not.
I know real knights like this exist and that they‘re every bit as inspiring as their written counter-parts. I’ve met a few. :)

As Dawn comes, Memories of the Night Fade into the Morning Light

In other news, I read the Twilight series, because they had been recommended to me in several places I like to visit and had been told that this series of books was a great romantic tale. I wasn’t impressed with Twilight. It isn’t my thing at all. I felt they were too much like someone’s messed-up romantic fantasies and not enough real story. I had been told these books get better as the go along. I have read books that weren’t wonderful at first but got a lot smoother, more intelligent, and more enjoyable as they went along. Not so with Twilight. The writing itself got a bit better towards the end, but the story just got less and less family friendly as it went along.
Mom says her literary forums think they are very poorly written too, so it’s not just my opinion.
The characterizations especially left much to be desired.

Take the vampire Edward for example.

His selfishness was being explained away in ways that, as we often say around here, wouldn’t hold water.

He was very rude to Bella when he met her. Officially, this is because he is close to attacking her in the classroom. Later he goes on (several times!) about how Bella seeks him out when it’s the other way around. He only protects her when he has no excuse not to, he is going to gain something from it, or when her father and the local Native American tribe will come after him if he doesn’t. He didn’t bother to research what would happen to her when they had a kid before actually fathering said child, even though he knew that she could easily die.
Edward kept getting angry every time she didn’t do whatever he wanted or even if she merely spoke to another guy about neutral topics like school assignments, the weather, and how gym class went, even early in the relationship when he was still being rude to her.

He led her on, dumped her, and then expected her to get back up with him when he finally waltzes back into town. He claimed he was letting her go, but he obviously still thinks he owns her. He doesn’t seem to think he should be starting over, or mending his ways.

Edward’s behavior stemmed from selfishness.

That is not love.

He wanted to be with her but he didn’t respect her or truly love her. If he had really loved her, he would have wanted to take much better care of her. He would have been a lot more concerned about her feelings and safety.
Please consider 1 Corinthians chapter 13 which outlines the nature of love. I feel that it is relevant, since love builds you up, not tear you down.
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1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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Edward's behavior is not loving.

Love means caring about others. Love is wanting the best for the other person. Love means that you will look out for the other person’s interests. It also means being willing to let someone go if that person seeks to break ties, because by letting him go you are respecting his decisions.

I REALLY can’t condone his behavior. I don’t get why this mess is being held up as a romantic ideal. He’s an abusive jerk!
At least the actor who played Edward said he didn’t like the role. I was surprised the guy signed up for it at all, considering that the last role I saw him in he was playing a really nice guy. It may have been another case of the actor didn’t do his homework beforehand.

In real life, a relationship like Edward and Bella’s generally ends badly. I ended up witnessing one. Ultimately, the guy betrayed the girl. She wasn’t a nice person, but we did feel kinda sorry for her.

Whoof, needed to say that! It’s been awhile since I last read such an atrocious book. Even most of the fan fiction I’ve come across over the years hasn’t been this bad!

Another Round of Enthusiast Art Finds

This time, I felt like representing a few different stories as well as the usual. :)
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On the Road Again by *Wen-JR
I love what this gentleman has done with his lighting and texturing. The angle of the composition is dynamic. It looks as about as good as the movie did. :)
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Sailor Mercury by ~k-BOSE
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Sailor Jupiter by ~Lokklyn

Lokklyn's rendition of Sailor Jupiter is both cute and kinda unusual. She looks like a opaque glass figurine.
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::.Going Fishing.:: by =brigette
Even Link and Zelda like their down time. :)
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Indiana Jones card 239 by *icarus126
I really like this guy's character.
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mother by *EatToast
My little list just wouldn't be complete without a comic somewhere! So here's EatToast's take on the infamous confrontation scene. lol
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Sailor Moon II by =Giname


Sailor Saturn by *Giname
Giname did a great job with Hotaru's expression! She looks both formidable and gentle, not any easy balance to achieve. His watercolour technique is lovely.
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Sailor Soldiers by *soichiru-alan

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Muppet Music by *RobbVision

This is just CRAZY!

Not in the good way either.

"For those of you who haven’t heard the news yet, on February 10, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act comes into effect. One of the major changes that this program will bring into play is a mandate that everything sold for children 12 and younger will have to be tested for lead and phthalates, and anything that isn’t tested (or that fails) will be considered hazardous and cannot be sold. Read more about the CPSIA at the L.A. Times and some interesting blog commentary from the fashion industry.

For new products, this isn’t an issue at all and is in fact a good thing. Many products are already being screened with such tests, and those that are not will be required to begin such testing shortly or will be pulled from the market. In terms of safety for my children, I’m quite happy with the effects of this law on new products.

Where things get interesting is with used products. Consider your local resale and thrift shop. Currently, all of their secondhand children’s clothes will have to be tested for lead and phthalates. Given that many such stores aren’t high-income operations - many are nonprofits - these shops simply cannot afford to do the testing on the children’s clothes on their shelves.

So what happens? Most thrift shops are currently not accepting any children’s clothing at all. Sometime in the next month or so, all thrift shops will have to clear all of their children’s clothing from the shelves … and send them to the landfill.
"

from Bookroom blog on the same issue

"If changes are not made to CPSIA immediately, then we will see millions of items of children’s clothing, toys, and books destroyed because they can no longer be sold in the United States. Our already burdened budgets will be pushed to the extreme as soon as we are faced with a steep rise in the cost of children’s products, due both to the extreme costs of testing and the disappearance of thousands of products from the market. CPSIA doesn’t affect only toys. It also includes clothing and shoes, the very necessities of life.

Retailers will not be able to do their own testing. We are not permitted to buy equipment or test kits to evaluate our own products. Instead, we at Jacobsen Books would need to purchase testing for every copy of every children’s book in our inventory. Since lead testing costs $100-$400 per product, it’s obvious that we’ll no longer be able to carry $2 to $5 children’s books. Unless action is taken soon, our favorite corner in our little store will no longer invite children to come, look, read, and enjoy.

Back in 2007, we all read with horror about the lead contamination of products purchased from China by the biggest toy retailers in the country. Normally, we like to see the punishment fit the crime, but in this case it looks like the biggest offenders will be rewarded by the progressive elimination of their smaller competitors."

Whoever wrote this law clearly has not had to live the way a number of folks have had to. Sure it isn't a huge problem if you're rich and your kids like what is on the racks at the retailers. Never mind that many families have to budget their funds or might want to dress their sons and daughters more traditionally. Never mind the current depression! Never mind that many little girls like pretty dresses better than jeans and that boys also like to spruce up occasionally. Your average corporate run store just doesn't sell those kinds of clothes very often.

I am sorry for ranting, but this is going way too far.
This law really cuts down on choices people have. Being able to sell your own stuff or trade it is a right that folks have needed for as long as civilisation has existed.

If you want to make kids healthier, then get the corporations to quit putting out so much pollution!
On that topic, the new reusable bags that places like Farm Fresh have helped with this problem. It is good that folks can do that again.