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Q: Getting # back when calling a scheme function I have the following code in Scheme:
(define (processExpression lst)
     (define operand (car lst))
     (define operator1 (cadr lst))
     (define operator2 (caddr lst))

     (if (list? operand)
          (begin
             (display "Invalid syntax! Erroring out!")
             (quit)
         )
      )

      (if (and (number? operator1) (number? operator2))
          ;The list was of the form (operand c1 c2)
          (simplePrefix lst)
      )

     (if (and (list? operator1) (number? operator2))
          (begin
             (list operand operator2 (processExpression operator1))
         )
     )
   )

  (define (simplePrefix lst)

       (let (
         (operand (car lst))
         (operator1 (cadr lst))
         (operator2 (caddr lst)))

         (list operator1 operand operator2)
     )

  )

 (display "Please enter a valid s-expression")
 (let ((input (read)))
     (display (simplePrefix input))
 )

This code takes and s-expression and converts it based on some rules. One rule should be that the expression (+ (+ 1 2) 2) should return (+ 2 (1 + 2)).
Currently when I call this code with that expression I get back the result "#undef>" but I have no idea why. The code should call the simplePrefix function on the (+ 1 2) part of the expression and return (1 + 2) but it does not. Does anyone understand why?

A: The value of
(if condition
   something)

is undefined if condition is false, because there's no else part in the if form.  In the R5RS version of Scheme, this is stated (emphasis added):

4.1.5  Conditionals
syntax: (if <test> <consequent> <alternate>)
  syntax: (if <test> <consequent>)
  Syntax: <Test>, <consequent>, and <alternate> may be arbitrary expressions.
Semantics: An if expression is evaluated as follows: first, <test> is evaluated. If it yields a true value (see section
  6.3.1), then <consequent> is evaluated and its value(s) is(are) returned. Otherwise <alternate> is evaluated and its value(s)
  is(are) returned. If <test> yields a false value and no
  <alternate> is specified, then the result of the expression is
  unspecified.
(if (> 3 2) 'yes 'no)                   ===>  yes
(if (> 2 3) 'yes 'no)                   ===>  no
(if (> 3 2)
    (- 3 2)
    (+ 3 2))                            ===>  1

Some Scheme-like languages (e.g., Racket) will actually warn you if you try this:
Welcome to Racket v6.1.
> (if #t
    (display "hello"))
stdin::1: if: missing an "else" expression
  in: (if #t (display "hello"))
  context...:

In Common Lisp, the else part is optional, and defined to be nil if not provided:
This is SBCL 1.2.4.58-96f645d, an implementation of ANSI Common Lisp.
More information about SBCL is available at <http://www.sbcl.org/>.
* (if t
    (print 'hello))

HELLO
HELLO
* (if nil
    (print 'hello))

NIL

A: The expression
(if condition result)

is not equivalent to
if condition
   return result

in other languages.
It doesn't return a value, it has a value.
If the condition is false, that value is undefined.
If it is followed by other expressions in a sequence, the value is ignored and the following expressions are evaluated.
The result of evaluating a function application is the value of the last expression in the function's body
(define (foo)
  (if (= 1 1)
      "one is one")
  "I am still here")

> (foo)
"I am still here"

These two added together lead to the error you're experiencing.


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Press Lives Matter: TK Kimbro, LA Music Scene Tastemaker
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Race 12: Sportwheel Drive (Sportwheel Drive (Heat 2/2)) Apr 11, 2021 at 5:40pm
Race 10: The Truth (The Truth (Heat 2/2)) Apr 11, 2021 at 5:27pm
Race 9: The Truth (The Truth (Heat 1/2)) Apr 11, 2021 at 5:20pm
Race 8: Pro2 (Pro2 (Heat 1/1)) Apr 11, 2021 at 5:13pm
Race 7: Expert 2wd (Expert 2wd (Heat 2/2)) Apr 11, 2021 at 5:05pm
Race 5: Ocrc Rookie (Ocrc Rookie (Heat 2/2)) Apr 11, 2021 at 4:52pm
Race 3: Team Hitman's Buggy (Team Hitman's Buggy (Heat 3/3)) Apr 11, 2021 at 4:39pm
Race 13: Team Hitman's Buggy (Team Hitman's Buggy A-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 8:08pm
Race 12: The Truth (The Truth A-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 7:58pm
Race 11: Sportwheel Drive (Sportwheel Drive A-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 7:47pm
Race 10: Ocrc Rookie (Ocrc Rookie A-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 7:36pm
Race 9: Expert 2wd (Expert 2wd A-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 7:25pm
Race 8: Team Hitman's Buggy (Team Hitman's Buggy B-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 7:15pm
Race 7: Pro2 (Pro2 A-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 7:05pm
Race 6: The Truth (The Truth B-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 6:53pm
Race 5: Sportwheel Drive (Sportwheel Drive B-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 6:42pm
Race 4: Team Hitman's Buggy (Team Hitman's Buggy C-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 6:32pm
Race 3: Ocrc Rookie (Ocrc Rookie B-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 6:21pm
Race 2: Expert 2wd (Expert 2wd B-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 6:12pm
Race 1: Team Hitman's Buggy (Team Hitman's Buggy D-Main) Apr 11, 2021 at 6:02pm
26 hours, 52 seconds


Conjuror of nocturnal scenarios, of sun-filled holidays, of stolen, complicit glances. A meeting of fruity notes and fresh mint with a heady, voluptuous heart. An invitation to experience the splendid allure of irony.


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Yeol Eum Son (손열음, født 2. maj 1986 i Wonju, Sydkorea) er en sydkoreansk klassisk pianist. Hun fik først international opmærksomhed, da hun optrådte som solist med New York Philharmonic Orchestra dirigeret af Lorin Maazel i 2004. Hendes hæderspriser inkluderer sølvmedalje ved den internationale Tchaikovsky-konkurrence 2011, hvor hun også modtog priserne for bedste fremførelse af kammerkoncert og bedste fremførelse af et bestillingsarbejde.

Barndom
Hun fik sin første klaverundervisning i en alder af 3½ år. Hun debuterede med en solokoncert ved Kumho Prodigy Concert Series i juli 1998. I en alder af 12 år begyndte hun at studere med pianisten Kim Dae-jin. 16 år gammel gik hun ind på Korea National University of Arts (한국예술종합학교) for at fortsætte sine klaverstudier. I en alder af 18 indspillede hun den komplette række af Chopin etuder (Op. 10 og Op. 25) på en CD på Universal Music Label.

Karriere
Hun har spillet sammen med New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, NHK Symphony Orchestra, State Academic Symphony Orchestra of the Russian Federation, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra og mange andre under dirigenterne Yuri Bashmet, Karel Mark Chichon, Myung-whun Chung, Roberto Carnevale, James Conlon, Lawrence Foster, Valery Gergiev, Dmitri Kitayenko, Lorin Maazel, Ludovic Morlot. Fra 2006 har hun studeret hos Arie Vardi ved Hochschule für Musik und Theatre i Hannover i Tyskland.

Karriere som skribent

Siden maj 2010 har hun skrevet en månedlig spalte for JoongAng søndag, en søndagsudgave af JoongAng Ilbo, en af Koreas mest læste aviser.

Hæderspriser
 1997: 2. pris, International Tchaikovsky-konkurrence for unge musikere
 1999: 1. præmie, Oberlin internationale klaverkonkurrence
 2001: 1. præmie, den 7. Ettlingen klaverkonkurrence
 2002: 1. præmie, 53. Viotti International Music Competition
 2005: 3. pris, Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition
 2008: 1. pris, klaverkonkurrence Kissinger Klavierolymp, relateret til festivalen Kissinger Sommer
 2009: Sølvmedalje og Steven De Groote Memorial Award for bedste udførelse af kammermusik (delt med Evgeni Bozhanov), 13. Van Cliburn internationale klaverkonkurrence
 2011: 2. præmie, bedste kammerkoncert (Mozart-koncert), bedste opførelse af et bestilt arbejde (af Rodion Shchedrin) XIV International Tchaikovsky-konkurrence

Diskografi
 2004: Chopin "24 Etudes" (Universal Music)
 2008: Chopin "Nocturnes" for klaver og orkester (Universal Music)
 2009: 13. Van Cliburn-konkurrence: Yeol Eum Son, sølvmedalist (Harmonia Mundi)
 2012: Yeol Eum Son, klaver (O'new World Music)
 2016: Schumann & Brahms
 2018: Mozart "Piano Concerto 21, Piano works" med Sir Neville Marriner og Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (Onyx Classics)

Noter

Eksterne henvisninger

Pianister
Musikere fra Sydkorea

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home Content Index Sin Essentials about Sin Christian leader renounces faith
What should be our response when a Christian leader renounces the faith?
The choice of a Christian leader to renounce his or her faith is tragic. We grieve at such an event, and the sorrow we feel is compounded by the fact that the falling away is usually accompanied by other heart-breaking news: a divorce, the revelation of secret sins, the embrace of worldly moral standards, etc. The wide-ranging effects of a Christian leader renouncing the faith extend to him, his family, his former church, and the church at large. Most apostates are unseen, but those with a high-profile (some would say "celebrity") position within the church make headlines when they depart the faith.
The problem of having false believers within the church, even in positions of leadership, is nothing new. Jesus warned us about false prophets (Matthew 7:15; 24:11). Paul warned the Ephesian elders about apostates arising from among their own company (Acts 20:29–31). He warned Timothy of spiritual peril and gave examples: "Fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme" (1 Timothy 1:18–20). John provided insight into the spiritual condition of apostates: "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1 John 2:19). In other words, apostates are not people who "lost" their salvation; rather, they are people who were never saved in the first place. False believers ultimately show their true colors. Tares are eventually distinguishable from wheat.
How should we respond when people whom we trusted as good leaders in the church fall away? Here are some tips for the Christian:
1. Examine yourself. We are called to humility, not pride. "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12). Peter deemed his own commitment to Christ to be stronger than that of the other disciples, and he told Jesus as much: "Even if all fall away, I will not" (Mark 14:29). But Peter had another think coming; he was not as strong as he thought he was (verse 30). Each of us bears a responsibility to be serious about the state of his relationship with God: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5). Are we truly in the faith, or are we only paying lip service to Christ and pretending to follow Him?
2. Pray for the apostate. The decision of someone to "fall away" from the faith should break our hearts. Pray for restoration and that he or she would come to know the Lord in truth. Pray for everyone in the apostate's sphere of influence: family members, church members, and others close to the apostate who are sure to be devastated by the news.
3. Look to Jesus. He alone is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Right now, it may be a certain pastor or best-selling author who holds the headlines. Tomorrow, it may be someone else. But our focus should be Jesus. He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). His love, His purity, and His truthfulness are constant. The headlines of our hearts should always feature Christ and His perfect work.
4. Remember that the gospel is not affected by the actions of fallible men. The decision of an apostate to leave the faith says exactly nothing about who Jesus is or the truth of the Bible. It does say much about the apostate, though. Drawing a window shade does not cause the sun to go away, and the choice of someone to reject the truth does not change the truth. The gospel remains unsullied: repentance and faith in the death and resurrection of Christ will result in the Holy Spirit's supernatural transformation of a person from a child of the devil into a child of God.
5. Look for the good that true followers of Christ are doing every day. It's easy to dwell on negative stories about Christian leaders in the news. But the church is doing wonderful things every single day around the world. To quote GARBC national representative Mike Hess, "Consider how God has used His church over the past week. All around the world faithful pastors have stood and unashamedly proclaimed the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faithful servants have sacrificially served children in churches during Vacation Bible School. Others have patiently listened and prayed with those going through unspeakable suffering and pain. Neighbors have been invited into homes where the love of Christ has been exemplified by Christians demonstrating generous hospitality. Orphans have been adopted. Loving and restorative church discipline has resulted in sweet repentance and reconciliation. Local churches have sent out teams on short-term missions trips around the world. New hope has been injected into struggling marriages through compassionate Biblical counseling that seeks to help instead of harshly condemn. Prodigals have come home. New believers have made their faith public and identified with the gospel in believer's baptism. And perhaps most importantly, many have come to saving faith in Christ" (from a GARBC website commentary, accessed 8/1/2019). None of these things grab the national attention. Maybe they should.
6. Put on the whole armor of God. This spiritual battle we are in is real. Our enemy is active and seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). But God has given us protection (Ephesians 6:10–18) that we would be wise to wear.
7. Stay connected to the believers in your church. We have a great asset in fellow believers who can exhort, encourage, and edify us. We can hold each other accountable and help guard against the subtle encroachment of sin. "See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today,' so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:12–13). Encouragement is a medicine that helps counter sin poisoning and spiritual hardening. A dose of it is prescribed daily.
Doctrine is important, as is a daily, honest walk with God. May the Lord preserve us all from falling away and dishonoring His name.
The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation by Bruce Demarest
What is an exvangelical?
How can I detect a false conversion?
What does it mean to backslide?
Why are there so many fake Christians?
Is a backsliding Christian still saved?
What should be our response when a Christian leader renounces the faith and falls away?


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Company formation in London, Business in London, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom - Company Formation
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Senhime from Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls (Queen's Gate Version) (NSFW)
Numerous figures of the Queen's Gate characters have been released, offering different takes on the characters depending on the artist that illustrated the respective game book. The Queen's Gate version of Senhime, however is rather unusual in that she has no game book; her appearance is based off of a single illustration by the artist Yoshikazu Miwa. Perhaps better known by his doujin circle name Synthetic Garden, I've been a fan of his art for a long time, particularly because his work encompasses themes like tentacle hentai, girls in bondage, and girls with big breasts. He seems an unlikely choice to provide a Queen's Gate illustration, particularly one of a character like Sen Tokugawa, and the resulting figure is one that comprises an unusual synthesis that is much more about his style and much less about the anime character.
Several different manufacturers have made Queen's Gate products, but this one comes from MegaHouse, the most prolific maker of Queen's Blade and Queen's Gate figures. Sculpted in 1/8 scale, she's about 14 centimeters tall. Proportionally, I would say she's about in line with most of Alter's 1/8 scale figures, perhaps even a bit larger. She comes with a purple-painted plastic base – which obviously isn't necessary to keep her upright – and an unusual segmented weapon rather than her more familiar Japanese-style spear.
I hesitated when I ordered this figure, and not solely because she was a Hobby Japan exclusive and thus necessitated going through a proxy to purchase. Rather, my trepidation spawned from the first impression she delivered, in which her head appeared to be melting. Her suspiciously leprotic appearance was discouraging, to say the least – and yet, I still felt compelled to buy her, even without knowing whether the initial sample was just a hastily-assembled prototype. This compulsion – chiefly guided by my enthusiasm for Miwa's artwork – was at odds with my usual buying practice. With almost every other purchase I make, I perform a huge amount of research, sometimes weeks of it. I seldom buy a book or movie or video game without first consulting multiple reviews. I don't buy computer or camera equipment without checking the tech forums I follow for user experiences. But when it comes to figures, I have no problem at all plonking out the skrills despite having no idea whether I'll actually like the figure. I have to imagine that anyone uninvested in this hobby would be utterly appalled at the ease with which I – and numerous other collectors – shell out $100 or $150 a pop with no certainty that it's going to be any good.
Happily, Senhime's face is much improved, at least in a technical sense. The sculptor has done a fine job of translating Miwa's style, and she has the somewhat blank, vaguely sad expression common to much of his work. This look is also visible in Solid Theater's String Swimsuit Girl figure, which came out back in 2008 and I think was the first figure based off of his art.
While the faces he draws are easily identifiable, he's also known for drawing pictures of girls with humongous breasts, and this version of Senhime does not disappoint in that respect, as suffice to say, she has a big-ass rack. Her breasts look larger than they actually are, since her top is removable and her breasts appear very large but not significantly larger than the chests of many other anime characters. But for anyone wanting to display her clothed, her chest is gargantuan and I could see that being a turn-off amongst some collectors.
The original version of Senhime wore an outfit comprising a blend of a traditional kimono and a Japanese schoolgirl uniform, but this version wears a crop top with some kind of corset. Taken together, her outfit resembles a short-sleeved leotard or bodysuit. She also has a beltskirt to provide some backside modesty and another rope belt which is strictly ornamental, being that she has no pants that need holding up.
Like many of MegaHouse's Queen's Blade and Queen's Gate figures, Sen's clothing can be removed by disassembling the figure. Taking her apart and putting her back together isn't too difficult, though getting her upper and lower torso reattached does take a good bit of force to pop the pieces together. Pegs are provided on the back of her shirt to hold it together, but I couldn't fit them together – indeed, they weren't attached when I took her out of her box – and in the end I decided not to stress over it. I'm not going to be displaying her with her back turned to the front, anyway.
Without her top, her breasts aren't quite as intimidating. They're still big, but not as unrealistic as they appear while she is clothed.
The bottom of her suit has this curious circular cutout. It looks like she had some sort of wardrobe malfunction where the seat of her clothes got torn, but a closer look reveals that the cutout is actually part of its design. Quite odd.
A close-up look reveals a few manufacturing flaws, including a black speck on the inside of her right arm, a seam line under her breast and some odd gunk near her groin, in the fold of her right leg. It also shows the loving detail of her crotch. Nice touch.
Instead of a long spear, Queen's Gate Sen gets a segmented bladed weapon. The core is made of flexible metal wire, allowing the weapon to be bent into any desired position. I'm not sure how durable the wire is, though, and I'm not planning on testing how much bending it can take before fracturing.
The blade of her weapon, which is nicely detailed.
As is her suit, which is reminiscent of the floral patterns on the original Senhime's robe.
This version of Sen Tokugawa is a strange one, one that is doubly divorced from the anime character's design. Her clothing, weapon, and even hair color have been changed from Niθ's original concept, and the basic design is much more reflective of Yoshikazu Miwa's artwork, so much so that this figure almost represents a whole new character. Placed side by side with Alter's figure, they look almost nothing alike.
However, as much as I like Sen Tokugawa's original design, I think I like this version better. A large part of that is my fondness for Synthetic Garden's doujinshi, of which I own a few, but I think the combination of Miwa's style, Senhime's revealing clothing, her unusual weapon – and okay, her humongous tits – give the character a very unique look. I wasn't confident at all that this figure was going to be any good, but now that I've taken her out of her box, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.
Here's Alter's Sen with MegaHouse's Sen, showing the major differences between them.
And here's Queen's Gate Senhime with Queen's Gate Yagyu Jubei. Same manufacturer, same series, same listed scale size, but very different body shapes. Although the characters had similar heights and body builds in the anime, Queen's Gate Jubei looks like a waif next to Synthetic Garden Sen.
Doujinshi time! Here's a few of the Synthetic Garden books I own. Miwa often collaborates with another artist named Blade, whose circle is named Galaxist. They're sort of an odd couple in doujinshi – Miwa often draws full-figured, big-breasted girls and Blade almost always draws very young-looking, flat-chested girls. Nonetheless, they do share a fondness for drawing tentacle hentai, a suggestion that a love of tentacles can overcome all differences.
Here's an indication that I ought to check which doujinshi I already own before ordering books.
This entry was posted in Figure Review and tagged 1/8 scale, Figures, hentai, hyakka ryouran samurai girls, leotard, queen's gate, Review, senhime, spear.
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31 Responses to Senhime from Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls (Queen's Gate Version) (NSFW)
Asa says:
Hm, quite different to the anime version indeed. I'm also not a fan of mutant breasts as I have stated before; massive breasts in anime (and Japanese art in general) make me a sad panda. Not to say I like DFC (well, I do, but not as any specific preference) — I just prefer… realistic sizes, from flat to a decent D, and absolutely no bigger.
The thing that strikes me the most odd about this figure, though, are her pantsu. Big cutout in the back, so tentacles can enter from behind unhindered, or… what. That's really strange. I'm as much of a fan of anal as the next person (well probably moreso than most women, as it seems unpopular whereas I don't mind it at all) but wearing something like that is probably still in the no realm. Though it could tie in to cosplay/bondage fetish type play I suppose.
As usual, I like the shoot. Recycled bg is fine because those panels suit this sort of figure, though the floor is perhaps a tad lacking; needs tatami mats. Or much finer (scale) floorboards. I do like the lighting on this, your lighting always impresses me. And depresses me because I struggle so much with it, even now I have my lamps (and a flex arm). It really makes or breaks a shoot, and in my case generally utterly destroys it.
But all is well, I can still appreciate other people's shoots, such as your own.
Tier says:
It's definitely a very intrusion-friendly undergarment, no doubt. That's one of the great things about anime characters designs; when a Western comic book or video game maker designs a character, they're often looking to make them realistic or believable, when a Japanese artist designs a character, the motivating imperative seems to be, "Why not?"
This was definitely a shoot where I was thinking that I wanted to play more Fallout 3, but I really needed to get a review done over the weekend. The floor is actually the same wall I used for Amane Shiratori; I'd meant to re-paint it more of a yellow, straw-like color, but clearing the Pitt expansion seemed more attractive to me.
Steve Chen says:
You also have this one as a photo subject? Talk about impeccable taste. I ordered mine from Toyslogic, but that got delayed by two months from her (IIRC) July/August release. 🙁
This figure draws the same mixed feelings too. I know she looks good, but it takes some time getting used to. For appearances sake, the Alpha bikini version looks closest to her (anime wise that is). Nice backgrounder on the original artist, he is no NiO but more than makes up for it with his/her style.(So that rope girl figure was also based on his art?)
Again, presentation………..presentation. Tier, hands down with the Japanese motif (wouldn't expect any less from you)
One weird thing though………….Yukimura Sanada has her own QG book yet no figure while Sen, a figure with no QG book. What the…….?
Yeah, I've actually had this figure for a few months; I think it came out back in September but Tokyo Hunter had some supply issues and I didn't get it until October, and it had been sitting unopened with a few other figures.
I forgot to mention that Yoshikazu Miwa also provided the character illustrations for the H-game Guilty: The Sin, which I bought from MangaGamer mostly because of his work. And because it has tentacles. Supposedly; there's not actually much H content in it; in fact, the first sex scene in the game involves the (male) player character getting raped, which I wasn't expecting at all.
Yeah, I'm surprised that we haven't seen a Sanada figure; she seems to be one of the more popular characters in the show but as far as I can remember, she's only gotten a couple figures from Alter – both basically the same figure – and one from someone else … Amiami, maybe? Whereas Senhime's got this one, the Alter one, the Alphamax swimsuit one, another swimsuit one, and a giant-sized Azone doll … but no Queen's Gate book. Weird.
Sanada's figures are the Alter ver. 1 and 2, and the Amiami Zero swimsuit. Don't recall any neandoroids. Again, was there a mix up in Hobby Japans' priority list? lol Sorry for changing the subject.
Break says:
hmm, sorry, but this is the first figure youve reviwed that i absolutely dislike. i only liek her weapon, though i doubt this mixture of the original chinese verion of nunchuks (that thing had a different name but i forgot it) and a naginata/spear would actually work in real combat, so its only point it looking good… im not sure abut taht of course, but i doubt i'd work. other than that, there is not a single point of this figure that i like, and the manufacturing flaws are another down…good thing i didnt get her.
Cantan says:
Was a bit surprised it took you so long to review this figure as you must have received this months ago.
I tend to display all my figures fully clothed which brings me to one of my main complaints about many of MegaHouse's figures: those bloody poppers and tight fitting outfits!
Seriously they are such a pain – at least this figure only has one for her top… their original Siggy had an insane number of those damn things – think I resorted to the tip of a kitchen knife to enlarge the holes in the end.
I think the flaws you observed on yours are probably unique to each to each figure. Mine does not have the lumpiness around her groin nor the spot on her arm, but does have a black spot on the tip of her nose which is a bit annoying.
Personally I liked this figure from the start and had no reservations about pre-ordering her… right up until the moment you linked to that crappy Moeyo photoshoot in one of your Preorder Outlooks – cheers for that by the way – you had me worried for a while there!
Have to say that I do like a lot of MegaHouse QG & QB figures and have a fair few of them now :
¬Risty (2p doesn't look as much like a blowup doll as yours!)
¬Senhime
¬Siggy
¬Echidna (one of the variants)
¬Liliana who is particularly nice
and Branka on order
Ironically I have a lot of other QG & QB figures too:
¬Daiki's Leina 2p (still a favourite)
¬Toranoana's Alleyne (another one I think was well worth getting)
¬Alter's Irma
¬GSC's Junko Hattori
despite never watching the anime or reading the manga.
OK the third one down was a lie but I couldn't resist it!
I groan inwardly every time I get a MegaHouse Queen's Blade/Gate figure because I know I'm going to have to spend a ton of time figuring out how to remove all the parts to get all the protective plastic sheeting off after unboxing the figure. Thankfully Senhime was pretty straightforward but I remember that it was such a pain taking Aldra apart that I literally never put her back together; I put her on a shelf with all her clothing parts in a pile, and over time I've lost most of them so that now she's always naked.
I felt the same way about this figure; I was all excited because the figure looked like it was designed by Yoshikazu Miwa, which made me happy, and then I saw that Moeyo preview and I was like WTF. I've never seen a figure sample look like that; most of them look just like the production figures. That got me pretty anxious for a long time.
I've said before that I haven't lost hope in seeing an Irma figure but I think now I've moved past hoping to plain apathy. I'm not even sure how happy I'd be if someone does make an Irma figure; my first reaction might be something like, "Took them long enough." (It's kinda like the recent San Francisco 49er loss in the NFC Championship Game; they've been bad for so long that I was happy that they just got into the playoffs, and even though they lost in heartbreaking fashion, I was just kinda like, "Ahh well, that's the way it goes.")
BioToxic says:
Thank god they fixed her melting face. I'm quite surprised you decided to go ahead with your order after seeing those monstrous previews. A risk that has certainly paid off since she now looks quite nice.
I really like the look of her face now. It's just a shame she's looking downwards which causes her fringe to cover those beautiful eyes. She's got a beautifully serene facial expression.
The weapon looks neat. Plus the fact you can choose it's shape by bending the wire is cool. Sounds awfully risky though, like a paper clip you never quite know when it's about to fracture.
The change of outfit from "standard" Sen is also welcome. The colours seem to flow more naturally whereas her standard outfit looks like a mishmash of anything lying around. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just the matching colours look better in this case.
Your first picture of her cast-off at a distance I was like "eww no, nipples look bad". But the very next picture up close I was "actually, those are really quite nice". I would have liked to see some belly button cast-off action, but for a Queen's Gate figure that's perhaps asking for too much.
It's unfortunate she still has some manufacturing defects. At least they're not as bad as they could have been :P.
Completely unrelated remark: Mmm I'm still loving Queen's Gate Jubei, she's so tempting.
Yeah, I was pretty worried about preordering, but I figured that MegaHouse would have fixed the problems before releasing the figure. I'd have been much more cautious if someone like BEAT or something were the one doing the figure.
I really like her face as well, I think it might be my favorite aspect of this figure, along with her outfit design. It's very faithful to Miwa's art style, which is something I like a lot.
Yeah, her nipples are a bit strange looking under harder lighting; her areolae are very circular and sharply-defined, which looks a bit odd at first glance. That's actually a contributing reason why I put her top back on.
Chag says:
Mmmmm, those be some big titties indeed. Not a fan of comically large breasts myself, but I think they look nice on Senhime even with the clothes on. She's got a nice and healthy frame to support that frontal baggage, and as long as she doesn't give off the appearance of chronic backpain, she's alright by me.
I do like the pose of this figure — arched back + knees on the ground? Hell, that's a great stripper pose. In fact, the only thing that bugs be about the figure is that weapon. As interesting as it is, I don't think Senhime's pose passes off very well as a fighting stance. It doesn't seem like she knows what to do with the thing. If you ask me, she should just trade that pointy stick for a stripper pole.
It's funny that you bring that up, because I ordered Alphamax's swimsuit Senhime almost entirely because I had wanted to photograph her with a stripper pole. I mean, she looks like a stripper, right? Funky belt, high heels, ass hanging out of her swimsuit. But after seeing BioToxic's review I was kinda like, maybe I'll keep her in her box and try to pawn the figure off on eBay down the line instead. It's weird how two very different versions of the same character inspire the exact same idea in two different people … maybe that says something about Senhime.
To me her breasts look larger sans clothes. I like the clothed version slightly more because she reminds me of Taki.
On an off note…Does E2046 do a good job with their pre-painted recasts? There is one that interests me, but based off what limited knowledge I have about them (all from your reviews), I am concerned about the casting quality and paint quality.
I'd say they generally do a good job, but their paintjobs generally incorporate a shiny skin tone which can be a bit off-putting. It's generally a lot more noticeable when photographing the figures, though; it's less conspicuous under normal room lighting. Casting quality is pretty good; I haven't noticed any major molding issues as far as casting goes. I did get a couple of Sengoku Rance figures from them (the first two reviews on this site) that are missing a couple of hair parts; Senhime is supposed to have a couple of antennae-like sprigs of hair sprouting from the top of her head, and Ran has an ahoge; the Volks pre-painted figures have them but I don't think the E2046 recasts do. Though, hmm … looking at E2046's pictures, the show Senhime as having those hair sprigs, but not in the one photo of the actual figure in the box. I wonder if they came detached in a plastic bag.
Tier, though I've been around concerning anime pop culture references ( bouncy boobies, schoolgirl uniforms and band aid to cover the modesty), I've noticed recent Queen's blade: Rebellion figures and most recently the QG Jubei, and Sen having this extra white paint apps on their cheeks near their eyes.(a new fashion style?)
Well, on Megahouse's anyway. Is it like an in game joke or weird cultural reference I'm missing? Iirc, all the "Rebellion" babes have that white thingie on ther faces. (With the exception of Ymir and Annelotte)
I am not sure; I'm guessing it's supposed to be something like cheek reflections or something. I haven't noticed it specifically on the Queen's Gate characters since it's a bit subtle, but Alter's Fate Testarossa swimsuit figure has big white ovals near the corners of her eyes.
ZeroFour Gundam says:
Finally, an awesome review for this figure. Thank you very much for expounding on her good points! I've been searching for a good and decent review for quite some time now since I own one but you saved the day!
Thanks! I haven't seen too many people review this figure, apart from a few Japanese (and one Chinese, I think) websites, which is a bit of a shame, since it's definitely a unique take on a somewhat derivative character.
Visual Fanfare says:
I finally got my Sen from Hobby Fan a couple of weeks ago and she's been out for months. Blah! >_<' They usually come through, but recent orders have been delayed a lot from my experience. That said, I really like your lighting here, the yellow-ish lighting is a perfect match with the purple. I like the "floor" material you used as well, it matches the background. Who cares if you've used that background a number of times, if I could find a decent backdrop, I'd abuse it as much as I can. LOL
Her breast size seems okay to me, or perhaps I'm desensitized; but compared to the upcoming Selvaria Bles by Alter, I think Sen looks okay. I like Selvaria's character, but for some reason I saw the size of that swimsuit figure's breasts and got really turned off. It just strayed too far away from her character – there's a line drawn (for me anyway) and I think they crossed it on the new figure. =(
I need to get back to doing some reviews – too much Battlefield 3 and League of Legends lately. And it doesn't help with Final Fantsy XIII-2 being released tonight at midnight. ^_^'
Waiting for stuff sucks >.< I ordered a couple things from Hobby Search via SAL a few months back and each box took two months to arrive. Admittedly, one of the orders was just for the Rider Figma, for which my testicles weren't shaking in anticipation, but I dunno if having to wait two months is worth saving ten or fifteen bucks. I think I'd be even more annoyed if I ordered something from a domestic retailer and they weren't able to fulfill my order for months. I'm gonna be re-using the floor a lot, I think XD I'll probably just re-paint it as needed. I want to finish Fallout 3 so I'm really not trying to custom-make sets for each individual figure, and it'd probably be a bit surprising if people knew how many parts I recycle for shoots. I think Selvaria's stretched-out body shape is bothering me the most, and that's the main reason I'm still waffling on the figure. Her breasts are really big - but I went to another website and people were complaining about her boobs being too big, and I figure any time other people are bitching about breasts, that means they're the right size. You should! Though I can understand not having enough time, I want to play New Vegas after I beat Fallout 3, and then there's Skyrim, and Mass Effect 3 soon. Heck, I haven't even beaten the first Mass Effect.
Oh SNAP, each Mass Effect can take 100+ hrs. And Skyrim, don't even get me started on how much time that takes. LOL
Good luck! XD
Yeah, I'm thinking these are going to take a while to get through XD I just got into the Diablo 3 beta the other day too, so that's another game I'm gonna have to find time for. If updates on this site slow down a bit, it won't be hard for everyone to guess the cause XD
Wieselhead says:
She looks rather like a sexy Senhime cosplayer girl than the character herself which isn't a bad thing, since Im no big fan of Senhime ;D
The face turned out very pretty with the eyes and the small mouth, it looks better than I remember from the promo shots. Too bad it is tilted down like that.
I prefer the figure without the top to be honest, with the top the boobs look really ovesized, maybe its also the position of them which let them appear so big, they seem to be placed a little bit too high for boobs of that size.
Its actually funny how the top changes the appearance of her boobs from well endowed to gigantic :p
The purple corsage with the white pattern looks really pretty, I also like the high cut style of it, its quite sexy how her hips and the beginning of her thighs are revealed. Stockings and boots are also cool design elements. Overall the design of the figure is very appealing, purple clothes and skincolor are a nice combination. Thx for the nice review about her.
picture number 10 is my favorite, a really alluring one ^-^
Haha, yeah, neither am I. In fact, I'd say she was one of the two big reasons I stopped watching the show. Yukimura was the other. That might be one of the reasons I like this figure a lot, since it takes a character I don't particularly like and gives her such a dramatically different appearance that it's not hard to imagine that her personality ought to be different, too.
Without her top, her breasts aren't that much larger than, say, Sonico's, which is about the size I like the most in anime characters, I think. Even though I'd probably prefer them a bit smaller, I have to admit that her gigantic bust makes this figure look very different from the majority of anime figures out there.
Nightmare says:
I remember seeing this figure when it was up for pre-order and I really liked the color setup and pose, and still do. The clothes are nicely detailed, just like that belly button. It all makes for a rather interesting expression when you look at her face and left hand, then you notice her right arm in full swing. I prefer her in full attire but she doesn't look too bad while being semi-nude either. I've yet to see a cast-off figure with weaponry that outshines the dressed up version. And yeah, that cutout around back looks a bit out of place.
I'm with Visual Fanfare on the scenery topic. There's nothing wrong with recycling backdrops, especially when it looks this good. Considering the amount of figures you review, it's already impressive seeing this much variety in your work. Excellent falling light on those shoji screens as well.
I like her fully clothed as well, I think, which is somewhat unusual for me with respect to a Queen's Blade figure, but the purple metallic sheen of her outfit is too attractive to leave it off of her. Plus I'm not too bothered by her breasts; they're a bit larger than I typically like but I've been a fan of Miwa's artwork long enough that it doesn't bug me too much.
I need to start working on the backdrop for the next figure I want to do, and there's a couple more that I've got reasonably well-defined ideas for but haven't yet started on. I'm probably going to re-use that floor when I review one of the Tamaki figures I've got laying around here, though; I really built it to be sized for 1/4 scale figures.
Luth says:
Wow, although I prefer the Alter ver of her, this one isn't so bad. Except for the ginormous breasts when she's clothed. I'm a fan of big boobies and all but when the breasts start becoming larger than their head, a line has been crossed. She looks fantastic topless though and her face and hair are very nice.
It's a shame that the thickness and limitations of plastic make her clothes so bulky like that. I wonder what it'd be like if they incorporated some vinyl/rubber for their clothes instead of PVC? It might be more expensive but it'd be awesome novel, the way that fishnet stockings in Freeings 1/4 stuff are one of their major selling points.
It'd be nice if they could make a plastic that is thin and elastic enough to stretch but is strong enough to not tear when handled. An actual fabric would probably look a bit out of place, the way doll clothes can look kinda bulky sometimes on 1/6 scale dolls and smaller. I think the best solution would've been to just provide two torso pieces, one clothed and one not. She already separates into a ton of parts, and such a move isn't without precedent; Daiki's Leina figure included two upper torsos even though she didn't actually have a castoff option.
AH, I remembered the actual name of the vinyl/rubber material I was thinking about. Latex. Which I thought is what Alphamax Swimsuit Jubei was supposed to have but then got jipped on.
But 2 torsos is an even better idea. No fiddling around with silly pegs and worrying about paint transfer is always a good thing.
Wolfheinrich says:
An interesting character I must say, the design looks appealing to me but the face is also very important factor for me. Judging from your review though, this Senhime certainly has good design elements, but I wish it was better executed.
Definitely a different – and rather odd – look for her. I like her face – and Miwa's style – but he's surely more known for the content and themes of his artwork rather than the expressiveness of his faces.
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Unsung Hero
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Making Media Work for HIV Justice: An introduction to media engagement for advocates opposing HIV criminalisation
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nBPqa90C5DQjKSpwE-cp9nU5qEDxyXRJ/view?usp=sharing
The purpose of this critical media toolkit is to inform and equip global grassroots advocates who are engaged in media response to HIV criminalisation–and to demystify the practice of working with, and through, media to change the conversation around criminalisation. The toolkit provides an introduction to the topic of HIV criminalisation and the importance of engagement with media to change narratives around this unjust practice. It also features a number of case studies providing examples of how media played a significant role in the outcome, or the impetus, of HIV criminalisation advocacy. In addition, the toolkit includes reporting tips for journalists, designed to educate writers and media makers around the nuances of HIV criminalisation, and the harms of inaccurate and stigmatising coverage.
Positive Women's Network-USA on behalf of HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE
The HIV Media Guide
http://www.hivmediaguide.org.au/
Provide journalists with tools to ensure that media reports on HIV are accurate and sensitive. With tips for best practice, links to useful resources and a section on HIV criminalisation.
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
Change the world: A toolkit for citizen journalists
https://www.aidsalliance.org/assets/000/000/773/Change_the_world_original.pdf?1406815602
This training manual helps lay the foundation for civil society advocates to become citizen journalists. It brings together journalism skills and advocacy goals to help Key Correspondents share their perspectives and experience with decision makers and wider audiences to influence the discourse around HIV and related issues. The manual introduces the basic components of journalism; so correspondents can write their stories with accuracy and using a journalistic approach to improve the potential of being published in mainstream media. It is a 'how to' guide for individual study.
International AIDS Alliance
Decision of the Complaints Committee 03351-16 – A Man v The Argus (Brighton)
https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=03351-16
Press complaints ruling about whether or not The Argus newspaper in the UK was right publishing the name of man arrested "on suspicion of putting sexual partners at risk of HIV" before he was charged. The complaint was not upheld.
Independent Press Standards Organisation - 03351-16 - A Man v The Argus (Brighton)
Constructing an "HIV-Killer": HIV Non-Disclosure and the Techniques of Vilification
http://toolkit.hivjusticeworldwide.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Constructing-an-HIV-Killer-HIV-Non-Disclosure-and-the-Techniques-of-Vilification.pdf
An analysis of the notorious Canadian criminal case of Johnson Aziga. The article outlines five key ways that people living with HIV who do not disclose their status to a sexual partner are characterised as dangerous by both the criminal justice system and the media.
Erica R. Speakman (2017)
38:4, 392-405, DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2016.1197010
Start the Press: How African communities in the UK can work with the media to confront HIV stigma
http://www.panos.org.uk/?lid=293
Argues that by speaking out, people with HIV and leaders among African communities can raise awareness of the discrimination they experience. Suggests HIV advocates can get to know the media and work with journalists to tell their stories on their own terms, spotlighting inaccurate and misleading coverage and targeting stigma. Includes language guide.
Uganda Takes a Giant Leap Backwards in the Global Struggle Against HIV and AIDS
http://www.icwea.org/2014/05/uganda-takes-a-giant-leap-backwards-in-the-global-struggle-against-hiv-aids/
Condemns the passage of the HIV Prevention and AIDS Control Bill 2010, arguing it endangers the lives of Ugandan women living with HIV and undermines Uganda's already backsliding response to HIV.
International Community of Women Living with HIV East Africa
To learn about the global movement to end HIV criminalisation and how you can be part of it, visit HIV Justice Worldwide
http://www.hivjusticeworldwide.org
To read the latest news about HIV criminalisation laws, prosecutions and advocacy against them, visit the HIV Justice Network
http://www.hivjustice.net
For the full text of HIV-related laws and a snapshot of HIV criminalisation in each country, visit the Global Criminalisation Scan
http://criminalisation.gnpplus.net/


text:
Powerful Pandemic Perspective
On January 5, 2021 September 11, 2021 By naomimgruerIn Contemplation, Published, Writing2 Comments
Cecile, left, the matriarch of our family.
Grandma with her youngest granddaughter.
I was intensely moved by Toby Levy's January 3, 2021 Op Ed article in The New York Times. Apparently, so were 621 people who commented on her piece. Coincidentally, me and my niece Talia left also comments. Ms. Levy's article reminded us of our own family's matriarch, Cecile. My husband's mom survived the Holocaust, as did his dad, by being shipped to Siberia with their families. Hunted every step of their journeys across Europe, their childhoods were harrowing and horrific. According to Cecile, dealing with the pandemic is isolating, lonely, worrisome, and inconvenient. But terrifying? No. Cecile is in better spirits than a lot of my contemporaries. I listen to her for perspective and wisdom, just like Ms. Levy.
The Holocaust Stole My Youth. Covid-19 Is Stealing My Last Years.
A Holocaust survivor reflects on what it means to survive the pandemic.
By Toby Levy, a retired accountant and a volunteer docent for the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Jan. 3, 2021
These days, I'm a little bored.
The boardwalk is my lifesaver. I'm two blocks from the boardwalk. I can walk to Coney Island if I want to. I go alone. I have some friends here. We used to play canasta once a week. But when Covid arrived, my daughter insisted, "You can't sit in one room!" So I talk on the phone. I read. The grandkids call in by Zoom. I also do a little bit of Zoom lecturing for the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
I keep very busy, and it helps me a lot. I am trying not to give up. But what is getting me down is that I am losing a year. And this bothers me terribly. I'm 87 years old, and I lost almost a full year.
I'm doing everything I can to stay connected, to make an impact. So even now, amid Covid, I tell my story to schools and to audiences the museum organizes for me, by Zoom.
Here's what I say: I was born in 1933 in a small town called Chodorow, now Khodoriv, about 30 minutes by car from Lvov, now Lviv, in what was then Poland and is now Ukraine. We lived in the center of town in my grandfather's house. The Russians occupied the town from 1939 to 1941, then the Germans from 1941 to 1944. My father was well liked in town by Jews and non-Jews. One day in early 1942, one of the guys came to him and said, "Moshe, it's going to be a big killing. Better find a hiding place." So my father built a place to hide in the cellar. My grandfather didn't want to go. He was shot in the kitchen; we heard it.
Not long after that, the Germans said they were going to relocate the remaining Jews to the ghetto in Lvov, so my father and my aunt searched for someone to hide them more permanently. They found Stephanie, who had a house on the main street with a garden and a barn. She had known my parents their whole life. My father built a wall inside the barn and a hiding place for nine people, where we slept like herrings. It was just four feet by five feet. Pigs and chickens were on one side, and we were on the other: my parents, my aunt and uncle, my maternal grandmother and four children, ages 4, 6, 8 and 12.
Eventually, with the help of Stephanie's 16-year-old son, they expanded the space a bit and added a way for the kids to look out. That is where I spent the next two years. I always think of the son when I get down, because when Stephanie was scared to keep hiding us, he insisted we stay.
We had lice. We had rats. But every day in the barn was a miracle. I'm not a regular person. I'm a miracle child. Most of the Jews of Chodorow never returned.
So when the coronavirus came, I thought, "I'm a miracle. I will make it. I have to make it."
During the war, we didn't know if we would make a day. I didn't have any freedom. I couldn't speak loudly, I couldn't laugh, I couldn't cry.
But now, I can feel freedom. I stay by the window and look out. The first thing I do in the morning is look out and see the world. I am alive. I have food, I go out, I go for walks, I do some shopping. And I remember: No one wants to kill me. So, still, I read. I cook a little bit. I shop a little bit. I learned the computer. I do puzzles.
I still sometimes feel that I am missing out. A full year is gone. I lost my childhood, I never had my teenage years. And now, in my old age, this is shortening my life by a year. I don't have that many years left. The way we have lived this year means I have lost many opportunities to lecture, to tell more people my story, to let them see me and know the Holocaust happened to a real person, who stands in front of them today. It's important.
I am scared that I am not going to be in the shape I was a year ago. When this started in March, one of my grandchildren, who lives in New Jersey, went to Maine with his wife; they never came back. They have a baby boy now, and I have only seen him on Zoom. This child will never know me. That's a loss.
Some of what I'm missing is so simple. I have a male friend I know from synagogue. We would take a trip, if we could, by car. To anyplace! I would go to Florida. Maybe even go to Israel for a couple of weeks. But not now. So, again, this has shortened my life. That is my biggest complaint.
I understand the fear people have, and I understand you have to take care.
But there is no comparison of anxiety, of the coronavirus, to the terror I felt when I was a child. That was a fear with no boundary. This is going to end, and I am already thinking, planning where I am going first, what I will do first, when this ends.
Toby Levy for The New York Times
The War I Finally Won, Book Review
On August 25, 2020 By naomimgruerIn Book Reviews, Kid Lit, Kids, Published, Quotes, Reviews, Writing3 Comments
I'm currently reading the insightful, researched, and devastating book Caste, The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson, and realize how much caste and hierarchy is present in The War I Finally Won, the 2017 sequel to The War That Saved My Life. Author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley doesn't sugarcoat how people were seen and treated in WWII England, whether they were poor or wealthy, children or adults, single or married, Jews or Nazis, and soldiers or spies. One of the most refreshing things about the stories is that the target audience of 8-12 year olds isn't patronized. Cruelty, physical and emotional pain, disability, sickness, war, and death, and grief are faced head on. So are understanding, acceptance, loyalty, friendship and love.
What's the story about?
Ada and her younger brother, Jamie, now have a permanent home with their loving legal guardian, Susan Smith. Although Jamie adapts more easily, Ada still struggles with the aftermath of her old life, and how to fit into her new life.
World War II continues, and forces the small community to come together and rely on one another. Ada has never been interested in getting to know her friend's family—especially Maggie's mother, the formidable Lady Thorton. However, circumstances bring them in close proximity along with other unexpected characters.
Ada comes face to face with another German! This time she isn't sure what she should do. How can she help the ones she loves and keep them safe?
Ada's first story, The War that Saved My Life, won a Newbery Honor, the Schneider Family Book Award, and the Josette Frank Award, in addition to appearing on multiple best-of-the-year lists. This second, marvelous volume continues Ada's powerful, uplifting story. Goodreads
Quotes from The War I Finally Won
"Love isn't as rare as you think it is…You can love all sorts of people, in all sorts of ways. Nor is love in any way dangerous."
"People used to draw dragons on the edges of old maps. When the world hadn't been fully explored, mapmakers imagined dragons living at the far ends."
"Fear and what you did with it were two separate things."
"I don't want to have to feel grateful," I said. Susan smiled. "I understand," she said. "Do it anyhow."
"I stored this information in my head in the bulging file titled "Things I Wished I Didn't Know." It included what it felt like to walk on a clubfoot for ten years, and what it sounded like to have your mother say she never wanted to see you again."
"That's your map of the past. What's in the map of your future?" I stared at her. "What do you want?" she persisted. I had no idea. When I'd first been evacuated I'd wanted to be like the girl riding the pony, racing the train. Now I was. Parts of me were still jumbled—but maybe that girl had been jumbled too. I'd only seen her from the outside." Goodreads
The War That Saved My Life, Book Review
On August 24, 2020 August 25, 2020 By naomimgruerIn Book Reviews, Kid Lit, Kids, Published, Reviews, Writing1 Comment
My family talks about books. My friends talk about books. And my SCBWI critique group writes, edits, dissects, revises, and recommends books. Shout out to Kathy who suggested the Newbery Honor and multi-award winning middle grade historical fiction by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, The War That Saved My Life.
I found it interesting to read about efforts in England during WWII to Make Do and Mend while we were quarantining and making do and mending ourselves. At the same time I read about re-purposing fabric, my daughter and I were turning sheets into masks. While characters in the story found meat hard to come by, my butcher rationed his inventory. Fictional and real dinners were invented by using what was in the pantry.
War and quarantine efforts aside, it's the main character's struggle and strength in the face of cruelty and uncertainty that makes this story compelling and relatable on so many levels.
What the story about?
This #1 New York Times bestseller is an exceptionally moving story of triumph against all odds set during World War II. For fans of Counting by 7s and Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn't waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
So begins a new adventure for Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother? Amazon
Quotes from The War That Saved My Life
"There," she said, smiling, her eyes soft and warm. "It's perfect. Ada. You're beautiful." She was lying. She was lying, and I couldn't bear it. I heard Mam's voice shrieking in my head. "You ugly piece of rubbish! Filth and trash! No one wants you, with that ugly foot!" My hands started to shake. Rubbish. Filth. Trash. I could wear Maggie's discards, or plain clothes from the shops, but not this, not this beautiful dress.
"All the words in the world are made up of just twenty-six letters," she said. "There's a big and a little version of each." She wrote the letters out on the paper, and named them all. Then she went through them again. Then she told me to copy them onto another piece of paper, and then she went back to her chair. I stared at the paper. I said, "This isn't reading. This is drawing." "Writing," she corrected. "It's like buttons and hems. You've got to learn those before you can sew on the machine. You've got to know your letters before you can read."
I knew ponies from the lane but had only seen them pull carts. I hadn't known you could ride them. I hadn't known they could go so fast. The girl leaned forward against the pony's flying mane. I saw a stone wall ahead of them. I gasped. They were going to hit it. They were going to be hurt. Why didn't she stop the pony? They jumped it. They jumped the stone wall, and kept running, while the train tracks turned away from their field. Suddenly I could feel it, the running, the jump. The smoothness, the flying—I recognized it with my whole body, as though it was something I'd done a hundred times before. Something I loved to do. I tapped the window. "I'm going to do that," I said."
"It had been awful, but I hadn't quit. I had persisted. In battle I had won."
Sequel: The War I Finally Won
Spies and Intrigue, Red Joan, Movie Review
On May 6, 2019 By naomimgruerIn Movie Reviews, Reviews5 Comments
You know when a story sits with you? I saw the movie Red Joan, starring Judi Dench and Sophie Cookson, and can't stop thinking about the central dilemma, which revolves around allies and enemies, intelligence and ignorance, and war and peace. "Red Joan is based on a novel of the same name written by Jennie Rooney, which was itself inspired by the life of Melita Norwood."
Guess what, hon? Now I want to read the book!
Excerpts of the movie's review on Roger Ebert.com:
A based-on-a-true-story spy thriller, Trevor Nunn's conventional yet sneakily absorbing "Red Joan" toggles between two separate eras. Nunn's period piece frames its story by introducing us to the 80-something Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) first. She lives a quiet life in a British suburb and tends to the cookie-cutter demands of her uneventful days in the early 2000s. Except, this simple old woman (whose story is based on the real-life case of Southeast London's Melita Norwood) doesn't seem to be all that ordinary—soon enough, the British Secret Service pulls her out of her quiet retirement and arrests her on the grounds of treason. But did she really commit those crimes and give away Britain's secrets to the Russians as a KGB spy in the 1930s?
As the old Joan settles into an interrogation session in a drab room (and repeatedly denies every accusation), the film's lengthy flashbacks chart Joan's opinionated past in thoughtful increments. Nunn swiftly takes us back in time to 1938, when Joan (Sophie Cookson) was a green but genius physics student at Cambridge, grabbing onto new inspirations and expanding her political horizon while growing into her sexuality.
Allured by friends' Sonia and Leo's world of ideas around societal justice—and equally swept away by the noisemaker Leo—Joan joins in their meetings and rallies against Hitler. The advancing timeline gently pushes Leo out of the picture and introduces a new partner-in-crime/love-interest for Joan, the gentlemanly professor Max Davis. Working out of a government laboratory and eventually becoming lovers during a perilous cross-Atlantic trip, the duo shares a joint view of the world but differs in their respective implementations.
We halfway understand the basis of Joan's unlawful actions when she finally admits them to both her son and the stone-faced interrogators. Turns out, Joan didn't just pass on her country's nuclear secrets in the innocent name of devotion—in reality, she took up an ideological agenda entirely of her own after seeing the catastrophic atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She had thought it was only with access to equal information could the superpowers be on balance with each other, and stopped from such disastrous actions in the future. While this reasoning doesn't seem to hold much historical accuracy, it makes sense within the context of a film that leaves a lasting impression mostly with its flashback scenes and emanates a memorable essence. Tomris Laffly for Roger Ebert.com
Have you seen Red Joan? What did you think?


I'm just like any modern woman trying to have it all.
A loving man, two careers, two bunnies, three social media sites, and an endless array of extra hobbies. I'd like to think I'm not asking a lot of my time but frankly, with all that I like to think I have going on time tends to slip away and something gets lost in the ether. It seems that one of the many things that got lost for quite some time would be this little blog of mine!
So with my recent efforts of spending my time more focused on what I feel is important, and the general reorganization of my life, including my art studio (new to me table yay!), I thought I would give this another go.
My current goal will be to post monthly, if not biweekly about whatever it is I'm currently working on or going through. Which let me tell you, is a whole hell of a lot in both departments as of late.
The prime fruits of July!
July has been a whirlwind of a month. Between waiting eight weeks to finally start treatment of my recently diagnosed Crohn's Disease (yuck), a call for art for one of the galleries that I've been dreaming of (Arch Enemy Arts), and a general desire/obsession of just doing more art in general, I'm not sure how I survived in one piece!
In a good month I average about one large painting (or almost one), and a few sketches in my sketchbook or mini paintings. This July I completed three larger works, three smaller works, four plein air paintings, and double the sketchbook pages I normally fill! While I still feel as though I never produce enough, all things considered I had a fantastic month in my artwork.
I think a lot the motivation has been coming from my desire to not be sickly which has been nagging at me for the last two months. I realized that I spend a great deal of time doing nothing, highly unfocused and a little lost, and I decided that it was a complete waste of time. I almost felt like I was just letting my life and precious time just drift by unnoticed like a ghost in the wind. So A little at a time, I've been trying to reform my habits and ween out the nasty mindless internet and tv time, and replace it with focused-ish time on the internet and trying to have a pencil or knitting needle in my hand whilist binge watching American Gods.
Also, there's this Arnold Schwarzenegger motivational speech that really got me. Clearly my biggest problem is that I just need to sleep faster!
Here's to hoping August proves as bountiful as July. I will be planning on another three larger pieces finished with some more plein air practice peppered in for September, as I will be a part of a local plein air paint in! I also hope to be making the trek to New York City this weekend to kick it all off by seeing JAW Cooper's inaugural showing at Spoke Art. She has been a super source of inspiration as of late, and I'm dying to see some of her delicious paint work in person.
Also here's to hoping I'm not as rusty as I feel I am at this blogging thing. It's been two years that dust has been collecting, and even then I was never quite the wordsmith.


Published: April 8, 2014 at 06:31 p.m.
Maybe Bill Belichick is just trying to throw us all off with so many visits with prospective quarterback prospects. Maybe the 2014 NFL Draft is finally the time the New England Patriots look ahead at life without Tom Brady by drafting his backup.
We'll find out what the team's thinking really is soon enough, but you can add another quarterback the Patriots might be considering in the draft based on their interest in LSU's Zach Mettenberger.
According to NFL Media insider Albert Breer, Mettenberger visited with New England on Tuesday in Baton Rouge ahead of his pro day Wednesday. The meeting was believed to be one of at least six Mettenberger will have with teams in the days immediately surrounding his pro day.
At 6-foot-5, 224 pounds, Mettenberger is a prototypical pro-style quarterback who rose up draft boards during his final season at LSU under the tutelage offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, a former NFL coach. Mettenberger suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the year, however, and is still recovering from ACL surgery, but he appears to be well ahead of schedule in his rehab. Wednesday's pro day will offer a chance for clubs to see just how far along he is.
Oakland, Minnesota and Tennessee are other teams that have shown interest in Mettenberger during the pre-draft process, but the Patriots remain the most intriguing fit for him. NFL Media analyst Charles Davis knows the team could be looking to draft somebody to sit behind Brady and is one of several who think Mettenberger would be an ideal fit with the club.
"With reports that Brady's backup, Ryan Mallett, is on the trade block, it's not a surprise that New England is doing its due diligence on some of the draft's top quarterback prospects," Davis wrote. "Mettenberger would be a very nice fit with the Patriots. He's a big, strong-armed pocket passer that could develop while Brady continues to shine."
Brady does turn 37 before the season starts, so it's understandable if the front office would like a little insurance policy against injury in addition to finding someone who could one day take the reins from him.
Mettenberger, even if fully healthy, is unlikely to go in the first round but could be a second-day pick for the right team. New England might be in position to take him late in the second round if he were to fall, but given the teams looking for quarterbacks picking before them, that's no sure thing.


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Leading lamp experts Crompton Lamps have introduced a variety of new light sources that are perfect for a wide range of indoor applications and ideal for retrofit into existing fittings.
The latest additions include the LED G4 Capsules, and the addition of a 4000K cool white option to the existing and very popular LED Thermal Plastic range, which includes LED GLS in Non-Dimmable and Dimmable options, and Non-Dimmable Candles & Rounds. All offering the very latest in LED technology plus Crompton's guarantee, as you would expect from the UK's oldest and most established lamp supplier.
The 12V LED G4 capsule lamp is ideal for display and accent lighting fixtures and features a silicon design that closely resembles the shape and size of a Halogen G4, making it perfect for direct retrofit into existing fittings. With its A++ rating, the G4 Capsule 2W lamp (equivalent to 10W Halogen) offers 6,000 hours life and is available in 2700K warm white or 4000K cool white.
The LED Candle and Round Thermal Plastic lamps are a true retrofit replacement for incandescent lamps, with an exact equivalent brightness to a 40W incandescent. Incorporated in a lightweight thermal plastic heat dissipating body with opal lens, both the candle and round style lamps offer 15,000 hours life. The new 4000K cool white additions include a 5.5W candle and round in BC, ES and SES cap types.
The LED GLS Thermal Plastic Non-Dimmable and Dimmable lamps are a perfect energy saving alternative to 75W and 100W incandescents. With a long life of 15,000 hours, the dimmable option features DuoDIM™ Technology and are compatible with a variety of popular dimmers (full information available on compatibility from Crompton Lamps). The 4000K cool white 13.5W & 17.5W non-dimmable and the 14W & 17.5W GLS dimmable are the latest addition to the range and come in BC and ES caps.
Crompton Lamps holds more stock than any other UK lamp company, offering a one-stop-shop for anyone specifying light sources.


text:
For Obama, this time, it is 'grind it out' mode
Published on Thursday, 11 October 2012 18:57
Written by BEN FELLER
By BEN FELLER Associated Press
The last campaign got the glory. This one is the grind.
For all the many ways that President Barack Obama's bid for a second term is different from his first, the one that stands out now is the feel at the finish.
The crowds are behind him, but this is not the 2008 "Fired Up, Ready To Go!"
Obama's admonition to supporters might as well be turned around — be ready to go, or I may get fired.
"There are times where you just have to grind it out, because it's hard," Obama told wealthy donors at a softly lit dinner in Los Angeles, speaking almost quietly even with a microphone in his hand. "It's hard work bringing about change."
On Obama's trail, the current narrative is about his strangely listless appearance in last week's debate. Yes, it left a major impression on the race, and given the enormous TV audience that saw it, Obama chose a bad day to have a bad day.
Yet Obama has also turned in upbeat appearances since then, revving up one late-night concert-hall crowd in San Francisco to the point of screams. He has found peace in the company of longtime friends traveling with him on Air Force One, energy from teenagers just waiting to shake his hand and glee in improvising ways to mock Republican rival Mitt Romney for targeting Big Bird.
There is no singular feel to Obama events as he fights for his job.
Despite his trademark steadiness, Obama tends to turn in campaign performances that mirror the crowd and the setting. He soaks up enthusiasm and shares it back when the audience is rocking, yet he can seem flat if his listeners are. He drew 15,000 students at Ohio State University on Tuesday but appeared in a hurry to finish.
The more representative feel of life around Obama is the determined, difficult lift of everything he wants to do.
It was telling that his convention speech was remarkably short on inspiration, emphasizing instead that he offered voters a hard path, but one that would lead the country to a better place.
His message in rallies and fundraisers is no different.
"I always said that change takes time," he said. "We always said that it would take more than one term. ... And by the way, no, it doesn't just take me. That's not the deal. The deal is it takes all of us."
At times Obama almost sounds like voters inked a contract with him, and they need to renew it. Not exactly the stuff of tingles for Obama supporters who show up looking for that.
But it does reflect a campaign that recognizes this is no 2008, when Obama was the fresh voice, and helped by the anti-incumbency mood of voters who saw Republican Sen. John McCain as a version of President George W. Bush.
It was this time back then, during October's chill, when Obama's campaign took on the anticipatory feel of victory. Obama recalls it as a period when "things just kind of converged" in his favor.
Yet even on that feel-good front, Obama offers tough lessons for voters.
"Back in 2008, everybody always remembers the victory. Things always look good in retrospect," he said. "But in the middle of it, we made all kinds of mistakes. We goofed up. I goofed up. But the American people carried us forward."
Such is the period Obama is in now.
It's been one of the hardest of the campaign. His aides are still dealing with questions about the last debate and eager to get to the next one, but insistent that Obama never loses perspective.
He spoke about it often during a reflective campaign swing that took him from the donor-rich events of California on Sunday and Monday to the student rally in Ohio.
When a classmate from his Hawaii school days, Pam Hamamoto, welcomed him to a fundraiser in San Francisco, Obama turned to her and said: "That was the sweetest introduction I've had since I've been president."
It didn't take, long, though for him to get down to business again.
Sure, some hope. But mostly hard work.
"I very much intend to win this election," he said, "but we're only going to do it if everybody is almost obsessive."