The Cat Returns

Directed by Hiroyuki Morita, This anime recently bought, is a fantasy adventure ideal for feline fans and younger audiences.

The story revolves around Haru, who is a free spirited young girl, who along the way home from school spots a cat trying to cross and busy street, rushes out to save it using her racket just as it was about to be crushed by a large truck.

She discovers the cat she rescued is the Cat Kings son, Prince Lune and soon she receives an invitation to visit the Kingdom of Cats from the King himself as thanks.

It is not before long that she realizes there is a catch in accepting the offer, namely the King wishes her to marry Lune and so she has to decide if it is she wishes to stay within the Kingdom of Cats, being a Nekimimi (catgirl) or return to her own world.

She is helped by the Baron, first seen in Whisper of the heart, and his friends in making the decisions she wishes.

The animation is first class holding your attention as you are dragged into the story while delivering an important message about being true to yourself.

Pix and tag edit 2017 for blu ray edition

Time in the park

Parks and Garden's were part of the backdrop of my childhood from being taken to some on my Hols by daddy and spending time in my Grandad's garden which may of been modest but he made the most use of it.

Sometimes we'd sit on the benches at school engrossed in a book during midday recess, merrily getting through a few chapters at a time and talking about how we found the book so far.

That was always fun back then.

When old cd's can be better than new

Ever been out to the record store, checking out cds by your favourite artists and met fresh copies with 'New: digitally re-mastered" on them and were curious about how they sounded?

 Many music fans are beginning to realize that these newer issues don't sound the same as the earlier editions and more to the point, are inferior in terms of sound quality. 

A while back members of the Steve Hoffman Forums were discussing the catalogue of Duran Duran, one of England's leading New Romantic groups of the 80's. 

A number of people noticed that the recent 2001/3 re-masters were noticeable poor sounding compared to their original issues which came out in the early years of the Compact Disc. 

For instance, throughout the first album there is considerable clipping evident on cymbals, compression and heavy handed noise reduction employed on the current re-master that has no parallel with the original 1985 issue. 

Similar issues affect Rio, Seven and The Ragged Tiger and Arena albums in that 2003 re-issue series.

Nor would it appear Duran Duran are the only artists whose current CD's are so afflicted.

I recently compared other albums tackled by the re-mastering team at EMI's prestigious Abbey Road studio team and found similar artefacts in the Pet Shop Boys 2 CD Now listen to this series adding rarities to the original albums, the Talk Talk re-masters and the Paul McCartney collection. 

On Band On The Run the combination of compression and bass 'bloat' takes away the impact of the song when you compare this to either the original 1986 UK release or the versions of this track on the All The Best! and the original Wings Greatest compilations. 

You really would be better off holding on to your earlier CD's or tracking them down on Ebay instead. 

Another group whose work has suffered is the heavy rock group Rainbow. On the album Rainbow Rising, famed for track Stargazer, the mastering engineer has added a false gloss to the high frequencies that makes listening to this album tiresome. 

Arguably the best way to hear most of the tracks from this album is from the 2 CD compilation Catch The Rainbow, whose mastering is first class. 

I find it ironic that many of us are buying up the older CD issues of these titles at the same time the record companies are reporting lower sales. Could it be we're fed up with the standard of recordings we are presented with? 

Panther Pink Panther

 

That's pretty much the size of it as I'm resting as my paws hurt (left is badly swollen) and I'm thinking about the stuff I liked as a kid to help deal with the pain.

He had a Saturday TV show "The Pink Panther Show" that featured animated shorts of his pinkness as well as another segment usually something like the Aardvark or the Inspector produced by the same studio,

It was so funny it it had me almost needing to go to the rest room! 

The confidence barrier

 There are many issues you struggle with as a sissy and your body image is often your biggest.

Somehow that reflection of us we see in the mirror always triggers off that "but I still look boyish" alarm bell so you either chicken out of going out as you or you think you'll never really be seen as you truly are as a sissy gurl.

Many of us I feel would benefit from a total make over so we see ourselves for who we truly are.

The more overly feminine the outfit, sometimes the more uncomfortable you feel thinking the whole world will judge you and even laugh at you.

I longed to dress like this when I was younger and there have been periods where men as well as women wore satin and  silk but would I of done so given a free run or in effect I shut that down out fear of ridicule?

On the face of it there's no reason any of us should have an issue with hoodie over tennis outfit making our way back from the courts.

The more adult little gurl thing is a part of me but this may not be the best option in cafe or motorway service station but a modest dress or skirt with tights may well work.

Getting the confidence to be the real you out there is the issue and a woman who'll help us with it may well be the best thing to help take us forward on the quest to be the sissy gurls we are.