Today marks exactly sixty two years since the Japanese surrendered, ending world war two.  What is most striking about the war is not the outcome of the battles themselves, but of the world that arose from the ashes.  Unique in history the US has sought to treat its defeated enemies not with punishment and vengenace but with magnamity and compassion.  If one had to describe the US attitiude toward victory I would state it as thus:  "Having defeated our enemies let us treat them not as the conquered and submited foe but rather as those now freed from opression and privation.  Let them be reborn, not as enemies but as allies, friends not foes.  We seek to help create a more equitable and just world.  We extended now the hand of help and aid having laid aside the might of sword and shield.  Let us working together build now a free, just and democratic world, and may history judge that we left the world a better, safer, freer and more prosperous place than we first found.  And barring that may posterity record that we tried with all our might to make it so."

VJ Day crowd in Times Square, New York City.

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    More photos of the progress of the Japanese 16DDH as her launching approaches.  Her launching and naming ceremony haas been anounced for the 23 of the month.  My money is on either Hosho or Akagi* for her name, we shall see.

Here we can see that her navigation and other mast mounted radars have been installed and that it would seem progress has been made on her phased arrays, given that where we could once see through the tarps or nets covering the openings they now appear opauqe.

Not much visible change can be seen from this angle, however the construction behind her is now identifiable as the bridge for the third of four Atago class destroyers DDG 179.  This is easy because only 16DDH and Atago class ships in the JMSDF have closed masts as oposed to the more common open frame masts.

This picture gives us an idea of the ships length and the level appearence of the deck would seem to imply that her elevators have been mated to their wells and lifting gear.

*Hosho was the worlds first from the keel up aircraft carrier and Japan's first CV.  Akagi was the flagship of the first air fleet in WW2 and perhaps the best remembered Japanese CV of WW2.

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From First Multi National Force Iraq

Operation Hoplite clears Had Maksar.

Joint Iraqi Police, Army operation nets seven near Kirkuk.

Puppets help U.S. troops reach out to children in Baqubah.

Iraqi Scouts, U.S. Special Operations Forces detain suspected extortionist in Rawah.

Two weapons caches discovered in Jamia.

CF, IA lend support to Iraqi farmers.

Coalition forces target al-Qaeda leaders around Baghdad.

Bringing care to Quarghulli.

25th CAB exploits technology to defeat terrorists.

Al-Qaeda terrorist captured during Marne Avalanche.

Coalition Forces Kill 30 Special Groups Cell Terrorists, detain 12.

Six suspected terrorists detained, one terrorist killed in Coalition raids.

Golden Dragons provide healthcare to residents.

Cache seized, suspect detained.

It was true then, and it remains true today.

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[Rant]  What the hell is with people reading manga in bookstores grabbing a volume and flopping down in front of the shelves right then and their to read through it?  I mean the book stores I frequent Borders and Barnes & Noble provide a more than adequate number of chairs through out their stores and in their adjoining cafes wher one can sit and read to your hearts content.  Did it ever possibly occur to you that some one might one to see the titles your obscuring?  I guess not.  All I ask is that you show a little common courtesy, dont block the shelves and the aisles, ok? [/Rant]

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1 You have two copies of Colorful?

Posted by: Pixy Misa at August 15, 2007 08:35 PM (PiXy!)

2 Yep, about a year after I bought it the first time I wasn't thinking and bought it a second time when I was at Best Buy.  I was fooled by that old devil of alternate packaging, which included a new ADV item number and ISBN so I thought that it was a follow up to the first DVD.  I was mistaken but I was out all of like 14 bucks so it was no big deal.  One of these days I might do something with it, either give it to my brother or maybe using it as prize for something around here, who knows.  It remains the greatest celebration of unrepentent fan service ever I think, at least in terms of building a show around nothing but fanservice.

Posted by: Raging Tachikoma at August 15, 2007 10:57 PM (3R0Hs)

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Posted by: machen at July 29, 2010 08:38 PM (0XRIj)

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     In my piece talking about Nerima Daikon Brothers I mentioned that Nabshin was the man behind two other shows, the anime adaptation of Excel Saga, which is just awesome and its related spinoff, Puni Puni Poemy.  Today I am taking an in depth look at this masterwork of over the top humor, gratuitous fan service and wacky writing that seems like it shouldn't work but somehow works wonderfully.

     Following the adventures of Poemi, who when armed with a dead fish wand becomes Poemy the defender of the earth seeks to right wrongs and avenge the deaths of her parents, Nabeshin and Kumi-Kumi.  After the murder of her partents by Nabelien #1 she moves in with the seven Aasu sisters, generating a shot at every concievable anime woman/harem cliche along with the next to youngest Aasu, Poemi's classmate Futaba's continual and disturbing atempts to bed Poemi. (Remember these are ten year old grade schoolers we're talking about.) Poemi, who refers to herself as Kobayashi, and her life's ambition is to be a voice actress.  Kobyashi is of course the name Poemi's voice actress Yumiko Kobayashi.  The ultimate in self referential humor, especially because she refers to her father (Nabeshin) as director.  The humor is low brow, the pacing breakneck and the story largely an after thought, and I absolutely love it.

     It is a show that you will either love or hate with little room in between, the whole show is a spinoff of  a throw away joke in an epsiode of Excel Saga.  Given that the basic concept is as old as the hills this show is probably the best ever send up of the magical girl genre.  As the preview special on one of the Excel Saga DVD's noted "our next project is the magical girl show Puni Puni Poemy! , While the rest of the industry has moved on to robotic maid shows."  Oh yeah there are hentai jokes, flying squid aliens and a lot more wierdness.  Also I must nominate this DVD as vying with colorful for the best cover tagline with "If this anime doesn't offend you somehow, WE HAVEN"T DONE OUR JOB!"

Review Scoring

1. Image and Transfer Quality = 10 (of 10)

2. Art and Continuity Quality = 10 (of 10)

3. Sound Quality = 9 (of 10) (English Dolby 5.1 & 2.0, Japanese 2.0)

4. Story and Writing = 9 (of 10)

5. Sub Quality = 5 (of 5)

6. Dub Quality = 5 (of 5)

7. Pacing = 8 (of 10) ( a little fast at times, but understandable when they lost the money for eps. 3 and 4)

8. Other= 3 (of 5) (for being just Bizarre)

9. Freebies = 8 (of 10) (Poster, Reversible Cover Art, Poemy Patch)

10. DVD Extras = 10 (of 10) (Clean open,Clean close, English cast & crew commentary in 5.1, Behind the Scenes, Art gallery, Production sketches)

11. Fanservice = 10 (of 10) (Possibly some of the funniest and most disturbing ever comitted to film)

12. Price/Value = 4 (of 5) (typically around $30.00 US, but still it is only two episodes)

Total Score = 91

Scale

95-100 Unadulterated brilliance, everyone should check this out.

90-95 Pretty damn good, I think you will like this one too.

80-89 Entertaining but not a standout, catch it on TV or Grab the Thin Pack box set.

70-79 OK, it will do when nothing better is on.

55-69 Bleh, its anime at least.

25-54 At least it makes a good coaster.

0-24  Excuse me, I am going to scrub my eyes now.

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From Fox News:

     A Michigan man scrubbed a monument to U.S. troops with a toothbrush Tuesday while wearing a T-shirt that read "I Stole From Veterans" as part of a punishment for a scam to solicit scrap yards for metal, the Saginaw News reports.

Full Story Here.

     Sometimes creativity in a judge can be such a heartwarming and uplifting trait.

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      Barry Bonds is now the home run champion, the only real question left is how many will he finish the year with?  And will he be back next year?  who knows, but for now congratulations to Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants your place in baseball history is now even more storried than it already was.

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     Fan service is one of those anime staples that can help to really make a show when done well, or if done badly bring down an otherwise good series and provide the finishing blow for a bad one.  The most common form of fan service is probably either the panty shot or the send the cast to an onsen* so we can see them naked episode.  Both are classics and do their job well, but the really stand out when you can incorparate them into an actual advancing of the plot, which is where so many shows fall flat on their faces.  I appreciate fan service as much as the next guy, and maybe a little more .  The biggest problem with fan service is that tends to become an end to itself in certain shows, destroying all plot movement and carachter development.  Thats not to say you can't build a show a around fanservice, you can, it just takes careful planning and a deft hand.  You can get a way with a hell of a lot without annoiying people if it drives the plot.  One of the funniest anime I own is built entirely around fan service, by using humor and an irreverent attitude Colorful provides a lot of laughs that in the hands of a less talented staff wouldn't be nearly as funny.

Here are four shows that bring on plenty of fanservice while still giving you a decent helping of plot and story.

1.  Najica Blitz Tactics- Panty Shots extrodinare, plus lots of firepower and suggestive outfits.

2.  Colorful- As the cover says 'Roses are red, violets are blue. This show is about panties.'  Short adventures of various people and the dumb and desperate thing they do to see panties while largely ignoring the women in them.

3.  Plastic Little: The Adventures of Captain Tita-  Old School at its best, an entertaining if not brilliant story and lots and lots of BOOBIES! Plus the infamous ADV jiggle counter.

4.  Godannar-A real fanservice all you can eat buffet, Girls, Guns, Giant Robots, Monsters, impossibly tiny and clingy battle suits. (for the ladies at least)  The story is good, the art great and the action occurs often, all served up with a bit of tongue firmly in cheek. 

*For those that might not know and Onsen is a traditional Japanese hot spring, and for maximum humor you sen your characters to one that features mixed bathing.**

**Mixed Bathing-Men and women bathing together with no dividers etc, let the nosebleeds begin.***

***And yes upon further review these notes are insanely obvious and perhaps unneeded in this case, oh and they were written by a moose.

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From First Multinational Force Iraq (like you didn't know that already )

Luncheon given to Coalition Forces by Iraqis.

Suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist captured during Marne Avalanche.

Soldiers team with Iraqis at checkpoint.

Top General pays visit to Strike Force.

3rd HBCT medics hold free health clinic.

Citizens oust terrorists from mosque, help uncover weapons cache.

Rogue JAM company commander detained during Marne Avalanche.

Your weapon will only fail you when you fail your weapon.

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     Mission STS-118 will be the first for Mission Specialist Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut whose association with NASA began more than 20 years ago. First Lady Laura Bush called Morgan Tuesday morning to offer congratulations "one schoolteacher to another," and to thank her for her commitment to the space program and to education.

Full STS-118 mission information here.

The Crew of STS-118, from left to right, Mission Specialist Richard A. Mastracchio, Mision Specialist Barbara R. Morgan, Mission Commander Scott J. Kelly, Mision Specialist Benjamin Alvin Drew Jr., Mission Pilot Charles O. Hobaugh, Mision Specialist Dr. Dafydd (Dave) R. Williams, and Mission Specialist Tracy E. Caldwell.

     Dedication comes in many different forms but sweating it out for twenty one years is not something that a lot of people could manage.  For me though it is easy enough to understand, the opportunity to go into space is definitely something worth waiting for.  STS-118 will pave the way for STS-120 in December, which will open the way for the instalation of the Japanese Kibo Labratory and the ESA's Columbus Lab modules.

    A series of recent shuttle missions have added to the International Space Station's exterior with new elements for its main truss. Now, Discovery will take into orbit a connecting module that will increase the orbiting laboratory's interior space.

     October's STS-120 mission will bring the Harmony module, christened after a school contest, that will provide attachment points for European and Japanese laboratory modules. Known in technical circles as Node 2, it is similar to the six-sided Unity module that links the U.S. and Russian sections of the station.

Full info on STS-120 is here.

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Today we take a look at the beautiful and enticing Fuka Ayase of Yotsuba&!

You know where to find the good stuff.   Of course the stuff below the fold is a 100% not work safe.

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     I know that I have tended to focus mainly on issues directly concerning the war and the far east when talking about broader security issues.  This piece is meant to correct that far eastern focus and I hope to correct for that particular bit of target fixation.  For great background and EU related news check out Richard North's definitive blog EU Referendum, he does a much better job at covering this subject than I could ever hope to do.

     The European Union has since its very beginning sought to create a single United States of Europe, and knowing that this could not be accomplished overtly they have relied upon the covert salami method of slowly but surely usurping power from the National governments that make up the EU.  One of the key areas of usurpation that has failed to succeed is in the area of defence, having to contend with selfish national interests and the established allience of NATO.  This doesn't mean that the EU has been inactive on the defence front, the opposite is true.  Having thus far focused on creating a 'European Rapid Reaction Force" (ERRF) which is hardly rapid and distinctly lacking in force.  The current EU 'Reform Treaty' (aka EU Constitution Mk 2) would if passed pave the way for a single European army.  For Britian this would turn a bad situation to into a distarous one.  British equipment procurement and development is largely hamstrung due to comitment to the ERRF that leads to either buying the wrong things or going with inferior, and often more expensive european gear when cheaper US, Canadian or Australian gear is readily available.

     This effects other European nations as well, and it is interesting to note that two of the heaviest lifting NATO countries are not EU members, Norway and Turkey respectively.  As some nations pay more attention to EU directives than NATO agreements the allience suffers, and as a result all of NATO's members pay the price.  This can already be seen in Afghanistan where some countries have limited interoperability with US, Canadian and South Korean forces. While not at the tipping point for the UK yet the very real possibility of being forced to choose between the US and hte 'special relationship' or europe and its improbable dreams of glory is soon approaching.  When the moment comes one hopes that Britian will see the light and protect one of the oldest* and closest alliences on God's green earth.  Until then one can only watch and wait.

British Snipers in Basra Iraq circa spring 2004, from the Royal Irish Regiment.

*The formal allience between the UK and USA was sealed with the treaty of Yorktown in May of 1880.

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From First Multinational Force Iraq.

Operation Gratitude mails 250,000th package, Soldier receives keys to new car.

Iraqi Security Forces complete security sweep in Samarra.

Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Operations Forces, detain suspected insurgents near Taji.

Soldiers learn methods to save trapped troops.

Rashid clearing continues: multiple caches uncovered by MND-B Soldiers.

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces Detain Three, Disrupt Samarra al-Qaeda Cell.

Army engineers near 4,000 complete Iraqi projects.

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     Saw the Bourne Ultimatum yeaterday, and it is just as good as the first two and provides a nice and satisfying tie up to the series.  It is nice to see a movie that involves the CIA where the agency is portrayed rather realisticly.  The operations of Bourne and his whole bacstory are not the macinations of the big bad CIA but rather the result of a handful of rouge agents in position to carry out operations beyond the pale.  The action is amazing, with realistic fight scenes and car chases that impress without engendering disbelief.  A real winner, rating 4 and 1/2 Tachikomas out of 5.

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    Tomorrow, August sixth will mark sixty two years since the droping of the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima Japan.  I know that to many Japanese it is difficult, if not imposssible to understand  why the US used such weapons.  But I also am aware that many Japanese use the dropping of the two atomic bombs as a way to paint Japan as the victim of a war of her own creation, somehow this seemingly absolves her of all blame.  Perhaps the most oft repeated utterence is that the bombs were inhumane.  They were, but war is in itself the most inhumane of acts, nothing can ever change that.  Nothing can make right or acceptable the taking of human life from a moral perspective, it is a wrong, but at times a sadly necessary thing.  Nothing is as inhumane as war, where nations seek to bring each other to their knees.  In my heart I know that the dropping of the bombs saved many times the lives it took, many more of those lives Japanese than American or allied soldiers. 

     The devastation wrought by further atomic attacks, the use of chemical weapons and finally an invasion would have taken twenty to thirty million Japanese lives and perhaps as many as one million American and perhaps five hundred thousand allied lives.  The aftermath of an Invasion of Japan one must wonder if ther would even be a nation known as Japan today, much less a wealthy and prosperous one.  Yes the bombs were terrible and viscous weapons, but so are all weapons when used on our fellow man.  If the killing of perhaps 200,000 people in two attacks is inhumane then what is the Tokyo fire bombing of the night of 9 March 1945?  This attack took more lives than the bombing of Hiroshima, yet is often lost admist the clatter of how terrible and unjustified the atomic bombings were.

     The nature of war does not allow for sentimentality, one must go forward with what will bring about victory.  And if defeated one must accept and deal with the consequences of defeat.  The only change brought about by the atomic bombings is that what once required hundreds or thousands of planes could now be done by one.  In the end this is little more than an argument of the modality of death versus the inhumanity and cruelty of death in war itself from whatever cause and whatever reason.  A murder comitted with a knife is just as terrible and devastating as one comitted with a gun, or bare hands or a car.  Death and inhumanity are what in the end bring about victory in wars like world war two.  Victory is achieved when the enemy comes to realize that carrying on is more harmful and devastating than surrender and the temporary shame and frustration that occupation will bring.  If only Japan had seen that was the case much sooner, then many tens of thousands of lives could have been spared.

More below the fold.

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     Barry is now at 755 and A-Rod (traitor  ) is now at 500.  More impressive is that A-Rod is the youngest to 500 and that Barry is nowed tied for the most homers after turning 40, with 72 over the hill bombs.  So congratulations to Barry and A-Rod.  Also congrats to the Padres fans for being classy and giving Barry a good hand for his accomplishment, you are all class all the way.

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From First Multinational Force Iraq

Paratrooper awarded Silver Star for actions in Samarra.

Airpower plays significant role in Iraq, Afghanistan.

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces battle terrorists near Doura.

3-1 Cavalry tests water at new well in al Nijadat.

Troops provide dental, medical assistance.

Local tip leads to cache discovery.

Freedom Radio News.

IA, Stryker leaders assess progress in Baqouba.

Coalition Forces reclaim Jamea'a during Operation Rogue Thunder.

Technology can help to win wars, but only the grit and determination of the individual soldier can secure victory.

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From Chizumatic, or more specifically SDB's future series list.

Desert Punk -- NO -- Grim and gritty
Gunslinger Girl -- NO -- Grim and gritty, dead girls, blood and gore
Ghost in the Shell Standalone Complex -- NO -- Grim and gritty, lousy art
Full Metal Alchemist -- NO -- Grim and gritty

      I must disagree with all of these but one in particular sticks in my craw.  That would be Desert Punk, it is emphatically not grim and gritty.   Desert Punk is actually a send up of all the various grim and gritty post apocalitic distopia stories out there, and a damn funny one with a fair bit of fan service.(Paging Junko, you have a call on the blue curtesy phone.) Those that have seen this series know what I am talking about when I say Kanta in the air vent it draws both laugther and a shudder.   As one might gather from the name of this site I like GITS-SAC*, I didn't think the art was lousy, it didn't leave me mouth agape but it didn't leave me scrubbing my eyes either.  I would say that it had average to above average art.  But My other main points of contention are with Full Metal Alchemist and Gunslinger Girl.  FMA is grim and gritty and has angst yes, but it also has a great story, an even better cast and an ending that is perhaps the most uplifting of any anime series or movie I have ever seen.  My quibble with Gunslinger Girl is a technical point, they aren't dead, they were all near dead/terminally ill and were chosen for the program as a result.  So what am trying to say here?  Namely that it can be hard to decide check a series based upon the often thin and less than informative plot synapsis that are on offer in cyberspace.  I respect Steven's opinions but I disagree with him about the shows, but namely I am trying correct what I believe to be a judgement based on less than the whole truth.  So to correct that misconception I am offering to send, on my dime a copy of the prview DVD from Newtype USA's May 2006 issues which has the first episode of Desert Punk on it, if Steven still doesn't like it that is fine.  If he changes his mind, then great, I helped clear up a misunderstanding.  Either way all I ask is that if you (and assuming you ever read this) are interested drop me a line (at ragingtachikoma@sbcglobal.net )so I can fire this baby off to you.  Until then I shall continue to enjoy your blog, after all because of you I was turned on to Kaliedo Star and that show is absolutely top notch.

*GITS-SAC=Ghost In The Shell Stand Alone Complex

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Delivering as promised.

    So here it is RapidShare Bypass, and ironically enough it is hosted on rapidshares's own website.  Go here and decompress and follow the instructions in the readme file.  Once your done you can download files to your heart's or hard drive's content.

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