Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Splendid lights at the Cabopino Beach, in Málaga.

The watter was quite cold but it was worthy.

Natural Light with reflectors.

Models: Eva and Alex

Just Announced - Expected Body Only Delivery, December 2008!

High Performance for High Expectation - EOS 5D Mark II Digital SLR with 21.1 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor and Full HD Movie Recording

Canon's update to the wildly popular full frame EOS 5D is here, and it's better than ever. The EOS 5D Mark II has a stunning 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 4 Image Processor, a vast ISO Range of 100-6400 (expandable to ISO L: 50, H1: 12800 and H2: 25600), plus EOS technologies like Auto Lighting Optimizer and Peripheral Illumination Correction. It supports Live View shooting, Live View HD videos, and more. It can shoot up to 3.9 fps, has 9 AF points plus 6 AF assist points, a new 98% coverage viewfinder, a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) and a rugged build. Full-frame shooters rejoice!

Highest ISO Range to Date

21.1 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS sensor, 14-bit A/D conversion (16,384 colors/each of 3 primary color), wide range ISO setting of 100-6400 (expandable L: 50, H1: 12800 and H2: 25600).

The EOS 5D Mark II features a huge, full-frame sensor. A 21.1-megapixel CMOS sensor delivers images of up to 5616 x 3744 pixels. And since it is full-frame, all lenses will deliver the angle of view they would on a 35mm camera without a conversion factor. This comes in handy especially when shooting with wide-angle lenses. For the flexibility to shoot in even the most dimly lit situations, the EOS 5D Mark II offers Canon's highest ISO sensitivity to date, ranging from 100-6400 (expandable to ISO L: 50, H1: 12800 and H2: 25600). Thanks to improved noise reduction technologies, images shot even at highest sensitivity will be remarkably smooth.

HD Video Shooting with Live View Function

Full HD Video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution for up to 4GB per clip with HDMI output for HD viewing of stills and video.

The EOS 5D Mark II is the first digital EOS to offer recording of Full HD video in Live View Mode. Capable of shooting clips almost half an hour long at full 1080 resolution, the EOS 5D Mark II does amazing double duty, making it possible to shoot broadcast quality video on your camera by simply changing settings. The advantages move way beyond the ability to shoot on your SLR - the wealth of high-speed lenses and shooting accessories that make EOS photography so remarkable can be used in shooting video. Where interchangeable lens video cameras cost thousands of dollars, with the EOS 5D Mark II their operation, including HDMI output, is simply an added bonus to a remarkable camera.

State-of-the-Art Image Processing with Power and Speed

Next generation DIGIC 4 Image Processor for faster processing of fine detail and color reproduction as well as reduced image noise.

The EOS 5D Mark II's sensor is backed up by Canon's DIGIC 4 Image Processor, which speeds up all operations making a number of new features possible. Processor intensive operations like Face Detection Live mode, HD video recording and lighting and lens peripheral optimization are all possible thanks to the DIGIC 4 Image Processor. The EOS 5D Mark II also offers full 14-bit A/D conversion. The analog output from the image sensor is converted into a digital signal via 14-bit conversion instead of the previously used 12-bit conversion, resulting in significantly finer tonal gradation for better prints.

DIGIC 4 Image Processor

Developed to maximize performance between capturing and recording stages of digital photography, Canon's DIGIC 4 chips use advanced signal processing technologies to enhance captures from Canon's CMOS sensors. Sophisticated processing algorithms help to speed up all operations, including write times to UDMA cards.

Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction

Canon's exclusive Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction takes into account any light falloff in the corners of the frame and corrects it, making for a perfectly exposed image. Correction data are detected automatically on a number of Canon lenses and can be entered manually through included Canon EOS Utility software.

Cutting-Edge Autofocus

High performance with 3.9 fps continuous shooting, new shutter with a durability of 150,000 cycles and improved weather-resistant body.

The EOS 5D Mark II has a sophisticated AF system consisting of 9 user-selectable AF points, along with a total of 6 additional vertical and horizontal AF assist points. The central AF point is cross-type, and is sensitive to vertical lines at an aperture of f/2.8, horizontal lines at f/5.6. The AF system is also sensitive to its light source, and can compensate for focus errors that can occur when multiple sources illuminate a scene. AF points can be chosen by the photographer using the 5D's multi-controller or preferred control dial. Plus, the EOS 5D features a dedicated AF ON button.

More Features in Live View Mode

Live View Function for stills (Quick, Live and Face Detection AF modes) and video.

With Live View Function on the EOS 5D Mark II, you can zoom in and navigate the composition 5x or 10x normal size. There's even a grid overlay. Live View focusing modes include Quick mode, Live mode and Face Detection Live mode. The EOS 5D Mark II's Live View Function also makes videos in Full High-Definition. Shooting is at a frame rate of 30 fps. Sound is recorded either through the camera's built-in microphone or through an external microphone connected to the camera's microphone input terminal. Playback modes are available in the camera, and all Live View AF features can be used in shooting video.

Huge, High Resolution Screen

3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) monitor with anti-reflective and scratch-resistant coatings for improved viewing and smudge protection.

The EOS 5D Mark II has an all-new 3.0-inch Clear View LCD that features high-resolution 920,000 dots/VGA for far more detail than any previous EOS Digital LCD. A number of new features enhance usability: a new anti-reflection and water-repellant coating provides a clearer and more smudge-resistant surface and a light sensor mounted below the screen enables automatic brightness adjustment in accordance with ambient light.

Full-Frame, Dust-Free Images

Updated EOS Integrated Cleaning System specifically designed to work with a full-frame sensor.

Canon's Integrated Cleaning system includes a cleaning unit designed specifically for the EOS 5D Mark II's full-frame CMOS sensor. The camera's low-pass filter even has a new fluorine coating upon its surface to help repel dust. Dust that makes it past the EOS 5D Mark II's sensor cleaning system is easily removed in post processing using DPP software's Dust Detection Delete function, which can remove dust spots automatically from single or multiple image files.

Self Cleaning Sensor Unit

A key element of minimizing dust is preventing it from clinging to the front surface of the imaging sensor. To combat against this, the EOS 5D Mark II features a Canon-designed Self Cleaning Sensor Unit. The low-pass filter at the front of the sensor shakes off dust automatically with ultrasonic vibrations. The EOS 5D Mark II also has a coating on the front surface of the low-pass filter to increase its resistance to dust sticking to the sensor.

Dust Delete Data Detection

Dust that may still remain on the front of the sensor can also be erased with software included in Digital Photo Professional (DPP) Version 3.3 or later software. A simple test shot of a plain, white object can be taken, using a menu setting. This Dust Delete Data image is analyzed in-camera, and the location and size of any remaining dust is subtracted from any subsequent pictures taken. This data is transmitted along with the image, whether JPEG or RAW, and can be either manually or automatically erased in Canon's DPP software. This added software option ensures the cleanest possible image, perfect for printing or archiving.

Shooting and Sharing Made Easy

Compatible with over 60 Canon EF/EF-S lenses and most EOS System accessories.

EF & EF-S Lenses

The EOS 5D Mark II is compatible with all Canon lenses in the EF lineup, ranging from ultra-wide angle to super telephoto lenses. Canon lenses employ advanced optical expertise and micron-precision engineering to deliver unprecedented performance in all facets of the photographic process. Special optical technologies, such as Aspherical, ultra-low dispersion, or fluorite elements are featured in the universally acclaimed L-series lenses. And Canon's Optical Image Stabilizer technology is featured in select lenses to minimize the effect of camera shake. Through Canon lenses, photographers can truly maximize the quality and liberating performance of the EOS 5D Mark II.

prices on ritz for pre-order: Body only: $2699.99, with 24-105mm f/4l Lens: $3499.99

thanks ritz camera

35mm tri-x Cropped

Last week's hike along the ridge above the Secret Canyon trail was very pleasant and far surpassed my expectation. No sooner was I home than I was thinking about the rock dome I'd seen from that ridge. After consulting my map, I discovered that the ravine above the dome is the eponymous Secret Canyon, possibly even the source of an earlier Secret Canyon trail. I checked the surrounding landscape on google earth. The southern facing slope of the Secret Canyon ravine looked hikeable and I so I'd hike it.

Thursday I arrived at an empty parking lot. It was about 9 am. I got my things together and headed down Espinosa trail with a feeling of exuberance. It had been months and months since I'd hiked something entirely new, and not just new - intriguing, mysterious.

Pine Creek was all mine; not another soul anywhere. I'd just gotten on the Secret Canyon trail when I met my first snake - practically tripped over it stretched out across the trail. My eye darted to its tail; no rattle. So what snake was this? Its small, shiny scales were grey and patternless, its body was thick and it had a rather narrow head. It was clearly aware of me and, tongue darting, double around and languidly slid up and around a rock beside the trail. I stepped to the other side and went on. The next three miles passed quickly and soon I was eying the slope of the Secret Canyon ravine, looking for a route up. My first thought was to go further along the trail, since it rose to meet the ridge, to see if there were any user trails. As I hiked along, though, I could see that the brush on the foot of the ridge was getting denser the farther north I went. I turned around and went back to where the trail crossed the dry creek. There was still no sign of an obvious way so I shambled into the undergrowth. It turned out not to be too bad and within a few minutes I'd gotten out of the creek bed and was up onto the southern slope where the chaparral became lower and thinner. Rather than follow the creek I headed up, assuming that I'd find some sort of track along the spine of the ridge. The first outcrop of boulders, not more than 20 yards from the trail below, showed signs of having been used by migrants as a camp area. In fact, when I got around to the east side of the rocks I found a sort of cave affair. I was tempted to climb in, since there was a little ledge at the back that I was curious about, but I noticed there were rocks at the top of the crevice and I was concerned they might tumble in, so I just took a picture. I surmounted the outcrop and started my hike up the ridge. The southern facing slope below me was dry and rocky but along the crest there was a mix of laurel sumac, manzanitas, many of which had been chopped back, and chaparral. Though there was no trail, it was obvious that the ridge had always been a natural connector between the highlands above and Pine Creek below. I kept weaving my way up, sometimes dropping down a bit on along the slope, sometimes meandering among the manzanitas. All along the way there were rock spines and I kept my eyes peeled and ears perked. I was about half way up the ridge, and had just cleared a set of boulders and was about to go around another when I heard a sound like a muffled drill. I stopped and looked around my feet. I was standing on a small slab of rock about two foot square. No snakes visible. Then I saw some movement under a low rock overhang three feet away. I stood quietly and the rattling stopped. I could see three or four inches of the rattlesnake's back moving like a brown disk spinning beneath the rock. I turned and found a different way to go.

On my right, across the ravine, the rock dome was getting closer. I decided the best access to the dome would be from above rather than from below in the ravine where there thick brush and trees crowded around its base. As the ridge rose it got steeper and the ravine below deeper. I was about to climb through another spine of cracked boulders the color of dark chocolate when I noticed something unexpected. In the dirt at the foot of these rocks was a rusted, well-worn horse shoe. A nail poked from it like a single tooth. The find seemed to confirm that at some time there had been a trail along this ridge. I climbed up through the rocks. The ridge was now rising to meet the peak above. To my right a ledge of white rock cut laterally across the face of the looming hill. I made my over to the ledge and started hiking along it. This brought me above and around the backside of the dome. Unfortunately, up close the ledge turned out to be more weathered and eroded than it looked from a distance and I was forced to hike up above it. I was not along in this choice. A robust deer trail rose from the ledge and made its way across to the southern corner of the hill, just below a scarp mid-way up the slope. From here I could now see upper Secret Canyon, which lay hidden behind the hill. In fact there were two ravines that converged just below the scarp. One came straight down while the other curved around the eastern side of the hill and continued on to drain two further peaks to the north. I decided to stick with my original plan and go as far as I could along the ridge, now heading north. I climbed to the top of the hill and then hiked along another couple of hundred yards. From there, the ridge line dipped down again and then climbed up to another somewhat higher peak. However in the intervening dip the brush was fairly dense and green. I was sure I could make it out to the next peak but it would be a lot of work. Instead I decided to go back to where the upper ravines met and explore the dome.

Soon I was back at the scarp. From here looking east I could see the back side of Corte Madera. On the far side of the first ravine, the one that came straight down from above, there were several open grassy areas and I suspected these could be Indian camping spots. I scanned the ravine, looking for a reasonable way to cross but couldn't see one. I then turned my gaze to the dome just below me. The approach looked straight forward although there was a formidable manzanita grove at the near end. In a couple of minutes I was standing at the edge of the grove. There was no obvious path skirting the grove so I had to just jump in. The manzanitas were well over my head and once in the bushes I made pretty good headway. At times it was a bit like climbing through a jungle-jim, but there was very little undergrowth and the manzanitas were reasonably spread out. It might have taken me 15 minutes to cross beneath the 20 yards of canopy. When I finally pushed through the last branches, I was a couple feet from a ring of rocks, possibly left there by hunters. I wandered around the dome, whose surface was crisscrossed by large cracks. There were many interesting things there. I was getting ready to leave and had just come around the far side of a large oak bush growing from one of the cracks when I noticed something poking out of the pile of leaves beneath it. I crawled to it; a large pestle protruded from the duff. I cleared away the leaves and uncovered a deep mortar. Finding the pestle propped in the mortar, as if its user was called away and never returned, gave me an eerie, melancholy feeling.

I elbowed my way through the mazanita braches and back under the grove's canopy. I took a little more time now as I climbed through the bushes, looking around and enjoying the grove. Though I hadn't planned it, I emerged at virtually the same spot I'd first entered. I headed for the slope of the hill and then for the white ledge. I undershot it and had to scramble up twenty yards; it was gratifying when I found the deer trail I'd followed earlier. Soon I was descending the ridge, often stepping in my own foot prints. After an hour or so I was back down to the Secret Canyon trail and started heading south. Now that I was down in the canyon I realized how low the sun was. When I got on a fairly even part of the trail I started, for lack of a better term, loping or trotting - a kind of walk/run with my knees bent, my shoulders squared, and my arms kept down at my sides. This gliding stride was much faster than walking and I could do it without breathing hard. Keeping my arms down and shoulders squared prevented the pack from bouncing back and forth. I was able to keep this up for nearly half the five miles back. When I arrived at the car the sun had already descended behind the Alpine hills. It was 7 pm; a ten hour hike.

My biggest expectation of Myanmar was that it would be a bit under developed, with very little Western influence. How wrong I was! Whilst out from the city centres, and in some places in the cities remain needing running water, electricity etc, there are signs that the country is not as under developed as you might think. Round the corner from our hotel in Yangon (Rangoon) was a supermarket called "Ruby Market". This was pretty much the first place we ate, and has 2 cafe's one on the ground floor one on the top floor. Whilst we ate there we listened to the very latest chart music being played, surrounded by people talking on mobile phones (not internationally networked) drinking latte's, eating croissants along with local fare.

The title of this shot is a nod to one of my favourite programs, "The Mentalist" whose nemesis is "Red John" who draws smileys in blood - This wasn't blood!!

expectation :: i find it's easy for me to expect too much some days... from myself, from my children... paying attention to how i feel in those moments where expectations don't match reality, taking time to get at why, taking time to breathe deep and long...

Again thinking of spring, we'd like to share the artwork of our Oribana "Expectation of Dew" from "Oribana Beauty" collection. Starring models are Sanguinaria and Short Tapered Vase. Everything folded from paper, no glue or cutting. Used Japanese and Swedish paper for the plants and the vase.

The diagrams are published in our ORIBANA BEAUTY

www.oriland.com/store/collections/oribana_beauty/main.php

Last week's hike along the ridge above the Secret Canyon trail was very pleasant and far surpassed my expectation. No sooner was I home than I was thinking about the rock dome I'd seen from that ridge. After consulting my map, I discovered that the ravine above the dome is the eponymous Secret Canyon, possibly even the source of an earlier Secret Canyon trail. I checked the surrounding landscape on google earth. The southern facing slope of the Secret Canyon ravine looked hikeable and I so I'd hike it.

Thursday I arrived at an empty parking lot. It was about 9 am. I got my things together and headed down Espinosa trail with a feeling of exuberance. It had been months and months since I'd hiked something entirely new, and not just new - intriguing, mysterious.

Pine Creek was all mine; not another soul anywhere. I'd just gotten on the Secret Canyon trail when I met my first snake - practically tripped over it stretched out across the trail. My eye darted to its tail; no rattle. So what snake was this? Its small, shiny scales were grey and patternless, its body was thick and it had a rather narrow head. It was clearly aware of me and, tongue darting, double around and languidly slid up and around a rock beside the trail. I stepped to the other side and went on. The next three miles passed quickly and soon I was eying the slope of the Secret Canyon ravine, looking for a route up. My first thought was to go further along the trail, since it rose to meet the ridge, to see if there were any user trails. As I hiked along, though, I could see that the brush on the foot of the ridge was getting denser the farther north I went. I turned around and went back to where the trail crossed the dry creek. There was still no sign of an obvious way so I shambled into the undergrowth. It turned out not to be too bad and within a few minutes I'd gotten out of the creek bed and was up onto the southern slope where the chaparral became lower and thinner. Rather than follow the creek I headed up, assuming that I'd find some sort of track along the spine of the ridge. The first outcrop of boulders, not more than 20 yards from the trail below, showed signs of having been used by migrants as a camp area. In fact, when I got around to the east side of the rocks I found a sort of cave affair. I was tempted to climb in, since there was a little ledge at the back that I was curious about, but I noticed there were rocks at the top of the crevice and I was concerned they might tumble in, so I just took a picture. I surmounted the outcrop and started my hike up the ridge. The southern facing slope below me was dry and rocky but along the crest there was a mix of laurel sumac, manzanitas, many of which had been chopped back, and chaparral. Though there was no trail, it was obvious that the ridge had always been a natural connector between the highlands above and Pine Creek below. I kept weaving my way up, sometimes dropping down a bit on along the slope, sometimes meandering among the manzanitas. All along the way there were rock spines and I kept my eyes peeled and ears perked. I was about half way up the ridge, and had just cleared a set of boulders and was about to go around another when I heard a sound like a muffled drill. I stopped and looked around my feet. I was standing on a small slab of rock about two foot square. No snakes visible. Then I saw some movement under a low rock overhang three feet away. I stood quietly and the rattling stopped. I could see three or four inches of the rattlesnake's back moving like a brown disk spinning beneath the rock. I turned and found a different way to go.

On my right, across the ravine, the rock dome was getting closer. I decided the best access to the dome would be from above rather than from below in the ravine where there thick brush and trees crowded around its base. As the ridge rose it got steeper and the ravine below deeper. I was about to climb through another spine of cracked boulders the color of dark chocolate when I noticed something unexpected. In the dirt at the foot of these rocks was a rusted, well-worn horse shoe. A nail poked from it like a single tooth. The find seemed to confirm that at some time there had been a trail along this ridge. I climbed up through the rocks. The ridge was now rising to meet the peak above. To my right a ledge of white rock cut laterally across the face of the looming hill. I made my over to the ledge and started hiking along it. This brought me above and around the backside of the dome. Unfortunately, up close the ledge turned out to be more weathered and eroded than it looked from a distance and I was forced to hike up above it. I was not along in this choice. A robust deer trail rose from the ledge and made its way across to the southern corner of the hill, just below a scarp mid-way up the slope. From here I could now see upper Secret Canyon, which lay hidden behind the hill. In fact there were two ravines that converged just below the scarp. One came straight down while the other curved around the eastern side of the hill and continued on to drain two further peaks to the north. I decided to stick with my original plan and go as far as I could along the ridge, now heading north. I climbed to the top of the hill and then hiked along another couple of hundred yards. From there, the ridge line dipped down again and then climbed up to another somewhat higher peak. However in the intervening dip the brush was fairly dense and green. I was sure I could make it out to the next peak but it would be a lot of work. Instead I decided to go back to where the upper ravines met and explore the dome.

Soon I was back at the scarp. From here looking east I could see the back side of Corte Madera. On the far side of the first ravine, the one that came straight down from above, there were several open grassy areas and I suspected these could be Indian camping spots. I scanned the ravine, looking for a reasonable way to cross but couldn't see one. I then turned my gaze to the dome just below me. The approach looked straight forward although there was a formidable manzanita grove at the near end. In a couple of minutes I was standing at the edge of the grove. There was no obvious path skirting the grove so I had to just jump in. The manzanitas were well over my head and once in the bushes I made pretty good headway. At times it was a bit like climbing through a jungle-jim, but there was very little undergrowth and the manzanitas were reasonably spread out. It might have taken me 15 minutes to cross beneath the 20 yards of canopy. When I finally pushed through the last branches, I was a couple feet from a ring of rocks, possibly left there by hunters. I wandered around the dome, whose surface was crisscrossed by large cracks. There were many interesting things there. I was getting ready to leave and had just come around the far side of a large oak bush growing from one of the cracks when I noticed something poking out of the pile of leaves beneath it. I crawled to it; a large pestle protruded from the duff. I cleared away the leaves and uncovered a deep mortar. Finding the pestle propped in the mortar, as if its user was called away and never returned, gave me an eerie, melancholy feeling.

I elbowed my way through the mazanita braches and back under the grove's canopy. I took a little more time now as I climbed through the bushes, looking around and enjoying the grove. Though I hadn't planned it, I emerged at virtually the same spot I'd first entered. I headed for the slope of the hill and then for the white ledge. I undershot it and had to scramble up twenty yards; it was gratifying when I found the deer trail I'd followed earlier. Soon I was descending the ridge, often stepping in my own foot prints. After an hour or so I was back down to the Secret Canyon trail and started heading south. Now that I was down in the canyon I realized how low the sun was. When I got on a fairly even part of the trail I started, for lack of a better term, loping or trotting - a kind of walk/run with my knees bent, my shoulders squared, and my arms kept down at my sides. This gliding stride was much faster than walking and I could do it without breathing hard. Keeping my arms down and shoulders squared prevented the pack from bouncing back and forth. I was able to keep this up for nearly half the five miles back. When I arrived at the car the sun had already descended behind the Alpine hills. It was 7 pm; a ten hour hike.

Well, we're just over half way through December, with a bit over a week left before Santa starts dropping packages. Finally officially on break, and looking forward to some expectation free time so I'm able to finish up a few outstanding things, including some toy write ups. We start with a figure I've been eluding for a while - SH Figuarts Dragonball Z - Majin Vegeta.

If you've been paying attention to the Dragonball line, you're probably aware that at some point, they are literally going to make every character possible because lets face it, SOMEONE will buy it. So it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations has gone ahead and produced a pretty much every Vegeta that I can think of, including Majin Vegeta, a corrupted version of Vegeta that shows up in the last Dragonball Z arc, the Majin Buu saga, where he "accepts help" from Babadi, an evil wizard with, what else, aspirations of universal domination. A bit of a disclaimer: this is actually the second version of Vegeta I wanted from the Z line, with gold old Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga being my top want list, but hey, when an opportunity shows up for a relatively cheap version of Majin Vegeta, I generally jump on it. Majin Vegeta is visually distinct from all other iterations with the slight addition of more mascara, and of course, that giant "M" on his forehead. Oh, and generally having more veins popping all over his body.

I don't think the armourless/sleeveless look is specific to Majin Vegeta.

Majn Vegeta comes with a surprising number of face plates, 5 in total, ranging from neutral to full on raging. There are only 5 additional hands, which will get you through most poses, but my most desired piece, the crossed arm, was not a part of this, which is unfortunate given that Vegeta and Picolo basically own that pose throughout the entire Dragonball Z series. Otherwise, yep, once again no flight stand and no energy effects.

Officially this is my first time picking up any Vegeta 2.0, but I do own the originally much sought after Premium Colour version of Vegeta. Even for back in the day, the likeness to Vegeta was always iffy at best, and sucked compared. The newer Vegetas feature wider faces, larger eyes, and a fuller set of hair (even on the non Super Saiyan scouter Vegeta version. It goes without saying that the overall silhouette is vastly improved and more resembles the on screen model, with better proportions and much better muscle definition on the body itself. Yes, the diaper on the newer figures are more visually distracting, but the trade off is a vastly improved posing game.

Speaking of posing, the joints gang is back in what is probably these most articulated body produced by Tamashi Nations. You have toe, ankles, double jointed knees, hips which are located such that you have a greater range of motion with additional plastic parts to fill in the gap, waist, mid toros, full motion shoulders with dedicated chest collapse joint, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Overall, an impressive array of options, much like the recently looked at Joseph Joestar and the Medicos body, and very much like the vast majority of the Dragonball line in the 2.0 era. Combined with a flight stand and some energy effects, you should be able to do a great variety of battle actions and replicate your favourite scenes from the series or, if you're bored like, given Hentai Woody a hard time.

Paint wise, the amount of paint on the figure doesn't look particularly like a lot, but I suspect that's not actually the case. Looks to me like the fleshtones are painted as is most of the faces, the hair, the blue of the abdomen and pant legs, as well as the various white cuffs and the hands themselves. Not sure why the upper part of the torso blue is unpainted, and I suspect due to wear issues they didn't bother painting the pelvic area. In general, paint is pretty crisp and clean, with the exception of the eye sore that is the masking for the upper shirt area and the chest. Masking on the hair and eyes, thankfully, is on point because flaws there would be very apparent. Decal work is also sharp and crisp, and the facial expressions themselves are very Majin Vegeta and convey the character quite well.

No complaints from a build quality perspective, as expected. Joints are solid and will hold whatever pose you decide to put them in. No issues with poor tolerance on gaps, uneven limb length, or other things that make you cringe at the fact you just dropped $60 on an action figure. You're gonna find your typical assembly seams, though they are generally hidden from view and more importantly, look like they've had some sanding work done as to not stick out like a giant scar.

The Dragonball line of SH Figuarts is pretty much their flagship product offering, and it's good to see that unlike some other companies with a monopoly on their licenses, Tamashi Nations doesn't screw around. They've consistently delivered amazing figures that invoke memories of their on screen appearances which are able to look and act like their "real life counterparts". As always, my only real complaint is that I wish they came with more, specifically an energy effect and a flight stand. Otherwise, if the price is right, I never have qualms about blindly picking up one of these releases. I know some people are gonna have their reservations about joints and what not but considering what the figures can do, visible joints are well worth it.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

2011/11/6 〇师父开示

Messages from 〇sifu

Don’t make nests in Triloka

November 6th, 2011

世事无常呀！

How inconstant the world affairs are!前日昨日都未听到邻家的鸡鸣报晓。

I didn't hear cock crowing at the daybreak yesterday and the day before yesterday.昨日下午才知晓，那只鸡是专门买的“土鸡”，前日周末已经成为合家聚餐的锅中肉碗里羹了。真是无常迅速呀！

I didn't know that the chicken is a local breeding chicken, which is especially bought and killed for family dinner in the last weekend until yesterday afternoon. How soon the impermanence comes!

看来，并不是万物生灵每天都能看到太阳。

It seems that not all creatures can see the sun every day.有的人说最大的心愿就是能看到明天的太阳。你不觉得这是一个奢望吗？

Someone said his biggest wish was to see tomorrow’s sunlight.

Don't you find it's an extravagant hope?太多的人无法看到明天的太阳。因为无常大鬼不期而至呀！

Too many people couldn’t see the sun tomorrow, because the ghosts of impermanence come without expectation.师父住的这个地方是一个风水宝地。

The place Master lives is a valuable land with good geomantic omens.楼下所有的门面房一条街都是酒馆饭店；

All front rooms downstairs of the whole street are pubs and restaurants.楼西北是十字路口；

On the northwestern of this building is a crossroad.楼西南还是十字路口；

On the southwestern of this building is a crossroad, too.楼东是农贸市场。

On the east of this building is a farm production market.师父在这个风水宝地真是修道的绝佳道场。

This geomantic treasure land is the best site of cultivation for enlightenment.十字路口每天清晨都能听到出殡的放炮竹的声音，告诉师父又有人死了。让师父时时“死字当头”，怎敢不勇猛精进呀。

Every morning, Master often hears the sound of bursting firecrackers for funeral on crossroad. It tells Master that someone died again and death is at hand. How couldn't I be heroic and diligent?饭馆酒店让师父不必到荒郊野岭一到傍晚就能看到烟鬼、酒鬼、色鬼、赌鬼和食客亲密融洽得一起享受人间美味。

Master is not necessary to go to desolate places, because at nightfall, Master can see smoking ghosts, drunken ghosts, lustful ghosts and gambling ghosts were enjoying delicious food on earth in those pubs and restaurants.目睹饿鬼道和人道的阵阵阴风、种种可怖，怎敢不精勤不息呀。

Master witnessed bursts of chilly wind from hungry ghosts and various terrible events from human beings. How couldn't I be diligent constantly?农贸市场让师父不必到尸林、地狱就能看到尸横遍地、开肠破肚、血流遍地的惨烈场景。

Master is not necessary to go to cemetery and hell, because I can see tragic scenes of corpses littering on the field, disemboweling and blood flowing throughout the land in farm production market.目睹屠宰场的的死苦难耐、惨痛难耐，怎敢不觉而力行呀。

Master witnessed suffering of death and agony in slaughterhouse. How couldn't I be enlightened and practice whole-heartedly?在师父眼里，无处不道场。

Anywhere can be turned into the sites for enlightenment in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不佛堂。

Anywhere can be turned into the Buddhist prayer room in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不佛法。

Anywhere can manifest Buddha Dharma in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不妙谛。

Anywhere can express wonderful truth in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不般若。

Anywhere can find supreme wisdom in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不法身。

Anywhere can be Dharmakaya in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不表法。

Anywhere can indicate dharma in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不演道。

Anywhere can show the Way in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不师父。

Anything can be teacher in Master's perspective.

在师父眼里，无处不〇妙。

Anywhere can be wonderful 〇 in Master's perspective.

师父常说：一切皆在表法，就看你悟不悟。

Master often tells you: Everything is manifesting dharma. It depends on whether you realize it or not.师父常说：一切皆在演道，就看你觉不觉。

Master often tells you: Everything is performing the Law. It depends on whether you comprehend it or not.师父自幼观星空，用心体悟宇宙之浩瀚、宇宙之奥妙、宇宙之神秘。

Master observed starry sky as a child, and realized the expansion, profoundness and mystery of universe by heart.师父童年观淮水，用心体悟天之青、云之幻、水之柔。

Master observed the Huai River during my childhood, and realized the blueness of sky, the fantasy of clouds and the smoothness of water by heart.师父少年观无常，用心体悟病之苦、死之痛、世态炎凉。

Master observed impermanence as a youngster, and realized the suffering of illness, pain of death and the fickleness of human relationships by heart.师父青年学圣哲，用心体悟本体论、辩证法、主义学说。

Master learned from sages as a youth, and realized ontology, dialectic method of analysis and ism theories by heart.师父遍览内外、广学多闻、探索参悟惟求破迷。

Master overviewed both home and abroad, learned widely, well-informed, explored, and comprehended, just expected to breakthrough delusion.师父挥汗如雨、伏案辛劳、磨志炼身惟求开悟。

Master dripped with sweat, bended over desk drudgingly, chastened body and mind, just expected to uncover enlightenment.古圣先哲留下的书籍是师父最好的老师。

The books left by sages passed are Master's best teacher.

师父从15岁时就如饥似渴的博览群书，强大的内驱力推动师父去看书专研。因为15岁前在农村上学能看到的书只有教科书和小人书，呵呵。

Master has read widely with great eagerness from 15 years old and the powerful motivation inside drove him to grind and explore those books assiduously, because there were only textbooks and picture-story books available in his village school.师父有逛旧书摊的习惯，主要是因为旧书摊书便宜，九几年一本书只有几毛钱，师父勒勒裤腰带还是买得起的。呵呵

Master has the habit of patronizing secondhand bookstores mainly for secondhand books are cheap. One book valued a few cents in 1990s, which Master was able to afford with belt tightened.还有一个原因就是旧书摊书杂，什么书都有。涉及面广，对什么感兴趣买什么。

The other reason is that the books in secondhand bookstores are various and involve a wide range of knowledge. Master bought what Master was interested in. 学校图书馆局限性太大、知识面窄，满足不了需求。

Books in school library were of great limitation and cover a narrow range of knowledge, which couldn't satisfy Master’s needs.是偶尔逛书店，基本都是只看不买。主要驻足在社科类和古典类。师父对先秦文化情有独钟。

Master went to bookstore occasionally, usually for window-shopping, and mainly stopped at social and classical sciences section. Master was fond of culture of Pre-Qin period. 对诸子百家的著作都有所涉猎，但谈不上深入研究。

Selected readings of Confucian and other ancient Chinese classics were dabbled in as well, but were far from being researched deeply.印象最深刻的是儒家、法家、道家。对于兵法也做了学习。对讲究“攻心为上”的仁义军事家很喜欢。

What impressed me most is Confucianism, legalism and Taoism，at the same time the art of war was studied as well. Master preferred humane and righteous militarists who paid attention to "Psychological offense is the best of tactics ".看了这些总觉得不解渴、解决不了心中的问题--生从何处来？死向何处去？

But Master still felt dissatisfactory because the questions in mind were still unsolved----Where is life from? Where will one go after his death?大概在1993年一次周末，回家的途中路过礼节路的旧书摊，第一次结缘了佛法，当时买了一本书《佛理通书》，封面是地藏王菩萨。

Probably at a weekend of 1993, Master got acquaintance with Buddhism for the first time on a secondhand bookstall on my way back home. Master bought a book named "The General Theory of Buddhism”, with a cover image of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

从那时开始走进了佛菩萨的圣殿，开始佛学研究，当时还不是学佛。

From then on, Master stepped into holy palace of Buddha and Bodhisattva, and began researching Buddhism. At that time, Master didn't study Buddhism Dharma yet.

还是闲言少叙吧！

Well, without more ado.师父过去的那点儿佛学往事不值一提。

Those past events of study Buddhism are not worth mentioning.师父真正学佛是一个对佛由了解到理解，由理解到敬佩，由敬佩到神交，由神交到融入，由融入到同步，由同步到同频同心的过程。

Master learned to Buddha by heart is a process from understanding to realization, from realization to esteem, from esteem to spiritual action, from spiritual action to integrating, from integrating to synchronization, from synchronization to co-frequence and co-heart.通过大量的多年的实修亲证师父悟到：

Through plenty of actual cultivation and realization for many years, Master has realized that:如佛所说：因缘果报真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Karma and retribution is utmost true.

如佛所说：六道轮回真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Transmigration of six destinies is utmost true.如佛所说：三界九有真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Three realms and nine abodes of sentient being are utmost true.如佛所说：佛菩萨护法神真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Buddha, Bodhisattva and Dharma-Pala is utmost true.如佛所说：极乐世界真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Pure land is utmost true.如佛所说：十方佛刹真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Buddha lands of ten positions are utmost true.

如佛所说：五浊恶世真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Five turbidites evil world is utmost true.如佛所说：慈悲救度真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Merciful salvation is utmost true.如佛所说：一真法界真实不虚！

As Buddha said: One Dharma realm is utmost true.如佛所说：究竟解脱真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Ultimate liberation is utmost true.如佛所说：六度万行真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Six perfections and activities are utmost true.如佛所说：佛心性海真实不虚！

As Buddha said: Buddha mind and the Ocean of Original Nature is utmost true.师父知道了，要让更多的人知道。

Master realized it, and let more people realize it.师父心灯亮了，要让更多的人心灯亮。

Master's lamp of heart is lighting, and to light up more lamps of hearts.师父的十大愿久远劫已有。

The ten great vows of Master have been there for numerous eons.师父的十大愿多劫后永在。

The ten great vows of Master will be there forever.师父开始践行十大愿

Master began to practice the ten great vows.就这样，历经风风雨雨一路走过来，直到今天。

So, winds and rains have been experienced through the whole journey till today.就这样，历经披荆斩棘一路走过来，直到今天。

So, ripping all the thorns has been experienced through the whole journey till today.就这样，历经涛疾浪恶一路走过来，直到今天。

So, crime waves and confused sea has been experienced through the whole journey till today.师父的心早已沧桑

Master's heart has already been suffered a lot.师父的心早已无语

Master's heart has already been wordless.师父的心早已清凉

Master's heart has already been cool and refreshing.师父的心早已阅尽天河风浪

Master's heart has already reviewed wind and waves in Milky Way.师父的心早已看尽昆仑莽莽

Master's heart has already seen vastness of Kunlun.师父的心早已观尽大千茫茫

Master's heart has already observed the boundless universe.师父的心早已听尽哀嚎断肠

Master's heart has already heard howls and heartbreak.

不说了，再说有些像絮絮叨叨的老人免得你们心烦

It's like a garrulous old man if I go on saying. I say no more so that you wouldn't feel boring.写篇偈子送给你们吧

Give you a verse as a gift.天河风浪几度波，

亿灵流转断魂歌。

唤醒家亲莫蹉跎，

三界火宅莫做窝。

How many waves in Milky Way and storm tossed sea?Millions of beings have being transmigrated grievously.Awaken family members not to waste time.Don't make nests in Triloka as homes.就以此偈《莫做窝》作为今日开示的结语吧！

Let's use this verse "Don't make nests" as the tag of messages today.阿弥陀佛！

Amitabha!

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Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Expectation...

The doll was shipped only 2 weeks after placing the order, which is unbelievable!

‘Here lyeth in hope and expectation of that joyful day of the resurrection, when the Saviour of the whole World shall appear in power and judgment, to awake all those who have slept in him, to be pertakers of the everlasting blessedness of his eternal kingdom, Sir Wymond Carye of Snettesham in the county of Norfolk Kt. sometime of Thremhall Priory in Essex, first branch of that family of the Carys which is descended from Edmund Beanford, duke of Somerset, and so from John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster, erected by his only brother, Sir Edward Carye of Aldenham in Hertfordshire, master and treasurer of his majesties jewels and plate, and of Sir Henry Carye of C — in Bucks, son and heir of the said Sir Edward Carye joynt executor of the last will of Sir Wymond Carye, who lived about 75 years, & in peace and happiness and in the comfortable testimony of a good conscience and stedfast faith in Christ, died April 3, 1612.’

Lying on a huge monument flic.kr/p/tWipyH in the Emmanual chapel of the north transept which he had reduced c1597 along with the demolition of the chancel, is Sir Wymond Carye 1612.

Born in 1537, he was the eldest son of Vice Admiral Sir John Cary 1552 of Hunsdon & Cockington & Joyce daughter of Sir Edmund Denny of Cheshunt and 2nd wife Mary daughter and coheir of Robert Troutbeck of Bridge Trafford, Chester. Well connected, Joyce was the widow of William Walsingham and mother of Sir Francis Walsingham spymaster for Queen Elizabeth . She was also the sister of Anthony Denny, groom of the stool to Henry Vlll who m Joan Champernowne, cousin to Katherine Ashley née Champernowne, the governess of the future Queen Elizabeth

Through his father Wymond was the nephew of William Carey 1st husband of Mary Boleyn sister of Queen Anne Boleyn

Sir Wymond who was knighted at Whitehall in 1604, had rented the lordship of the manor from the Crown under Queen Elizabeth and James I, it was later acquired outright by his nephew Sir Henry Carye in 1614.

Aged at least 50, he m Catherine Jernegan coheiress daughter of John Jernegan of Somerleyton who was the widow of Henry Crane 1586 of Chilton, Suffolk with a son Robert Crane 1643 flic.kr/p/nD5wiM

Wymond & Catherine had no children

HOWEVER a Sir Wymond Carye styled " Lord Warden of ye Stanneries, Master of ye First Fruits Office, & Knight of ye Bath" fathered a child Jayne Davys who was the mother of Mary wife of Sir Gilbert Prynne 1627 of Chippenham flic.kr/p/61UL8F

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carey_(courtier) - Church of St. Mary Snettisham Norfolk

David Moyes on the touchline at Old Trafford during Rio Ferdinand's Testimonial.

The Alex Ferguson stand looming over him.

First home game didn't go quite to plan with Manchester United getting beat 1-3 by Sevilla. Was a great family occasion however earning plenty of funds for worthwhile causes.

1. Meadow Dreams, 2. Je t'aime, 3. A winter's tale, 4. Untitled, 5. 365: doing it my way, 6. Hasn't started to make sense of the world yet but thinks it's beautiful all the same., 7. Alguien ahí, 8. little expectation in black and white - Explored Jan. 2, 2010, 9. Vintage Flight

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Oh how you all inspire me!! Big thanks!!

Well, we're just over half way through December, with a bit over a week left before Santa starts dropping packages. Finally officially on break, and looking forward to some expectation free time so I'm able to finish up a few outstanding things, including some toy write ups. We start with a figure I've been eluding for a while - SH Figuarts Dragonball Z - Majin Vegeta.

If you've been paying attention to the Dragonball line, you're probably aware that at some point, they are literally going to make every character possible because lets face it, SOMEONE will buy it. So it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations has gone ahead and produced a pretty much every Vegeta that I can think of, including Majin Vegeta, a corrupted version of Vegeta that shows up in the last Dragonball Z arc, the Majin Buu saga, where he "accepts help" from Babadi, an evil wizard with, what else, aspirations of universal domination. A bit of a disclaimer: this is actually the second version of Vegeta I wanted from the Z line, with gold old Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga being my top want list, but hey, when an opportunity shows up for a relatively cheap version of Majin Vegeta, I generally jump on it. Majin Vegeta is visually distinct from all other iterations with the slight addition of more mascara, and of course, that giant "M" on his forehead. Oh, and generally having more veins popping all over his body.

I don't think the armourless/sleeveless look is specific to Majin Vegeta.

Majn Vegeta comes with a surprising number of face plates, 5 in total, ranging from neutral to full on raging. There are only 5 additional hands, which will get you through most poses, but my most desired piece, the crossed arm, was not a part of this, which is unfortunate given that Vegeta and Picolo basically own that pose throughout the entire Dragonball Z series. Otherwise, yep, once again no flight stand and no energy effects.

Officially this is my first time picking up any Vegeta 2.0, but I do own the originally much sought after Premium Colour version of Vegeta. Even for back in the day, the likeness to Vegeta was always iffy at best, and sucked compared. The newer Vegetas feature wider faces, larger eyes, and a fuller set of hair (even on the non Super Saiyan scouter Vegeta version. It goes without saying that the overall silhouette is vastly improved and more resembles the on screen model, with better proportions and much better muscle definition on the body itself. Yes, the diaper on the newer figures are more visually distracting, but the trade off is a vastly improved posing game.

Speaking of posing, the joints gang is back in what is probably these most articulated body produced by Tamashi Nations. You have toe, ankles, double jointed knees, hips which are located such that you have a greater range of motion with additional plastic parts to fill in the gap, waist, mid toros, full motion shoulders with dedicated chest collapse joint, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Overall, an impressive array of options, much like the recently looked at Joseph Joestar and the Medicos body, and very much like the vast majority of the Dragonball line in the 2.0 era. Combined with a flight stand and some energy effects, you should be able to do a great variety of battle actions and replicate your favourite scenes from the series or, if you're bored like, given Hentai Woody a hard time.

Paint wise, the amount of paint on the figure doesn't look particularly like a lot, but I suspect that's not actually the case. Looks to me like the fleshtones are painted as is most of the faces, the hair, the blue of the abdomen and pant legs, as well as the various white cuffs and the hands themselves. Not sure why the upper part of the torso blue is unpainted, and I suspect due to wear issues they didn't bother painting the pelvic area. In general, paint is pretty crisp and clean, with the exception of the eye sore that is the masking for the upper shirt area and the chest. Masking on the hair and eyes, thankfully, is on point because flaws there would be very apparent. Decal work is also sharp and crisp, and the facial expressions themselves are very Majin Vegeta and convey the character quite well.

No complaints from a build quality perspective, as expected. Joints are solid and will hold whatever pose you decide to put them in. No issues with poor tolerance on gaps, uneven limb length, or other things that make you cringe at the fact you just dropped $60 on an action figure. You're gonna find your typical assembly seams, though they are generally hidden from view and more importantly, look like they've had some sanding work done as to not stick out like a giant scar.

The Dragonball line of SH Figuarts is pretty much their flagship product offering, and it's good to see that unlike some other companies with a monopoly on their licenses, Tamashi Nations doesn't screw around. They've consistently delivered amazing figures that invoke memories of their on screen appearances which are able to look and act like their "real life counterparts". As always, my only real complaint is that I wish they came with more, specifically an energy effect and a flight stand. Otherwise, if the price is right, I never have qualms about blindly picking up one of these releases. I know some people are gonna have their reservations about joints and what not but considering what the figures can do, visible joints are well worth it.

Well, we're just over half way through December, with a bit over a week left before Santa starts dropping packages. Finally officially on break, and looking forward to some expectation free time so I'm able to finish up a few outstanding things, including some toy write ups. We start with a figure I've been eluding for a while - SH Figuarts Dragonball Z - Majin Vegeta.

If you've been paying attention to the Dragonball line, you're probably aware that at some point, they are literally going to make every character possible because lets face it, SOMEONE will buy it. So it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations has gone ahead and produced a pretty much every Vegeta that I can think of, including Majin Vegeta, a corrupted version of Vegeta that shows up in the last Dragonball Z arc, the Majin Buu saga, where he "accepts help" from Babadi, an evil wizard with, what else, aspirations of universal domination. A bit of a disclaimer: this is actually the second version of Vegeta I wanted from the Z line, with gold old Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga being my top want list, but hey, when an opportunity shows up for a relatively cheap version of Majin Vegeta, I generally jump on it. Majin Vegeta is visually distinct from all other iterations with the slight addition of more mascara, and of course, that giant "M" on his forehead. Oh, and generally having more veins popping all over his body.

I don't think the armourless/sleeveless look is specific to Majin Vegeta.

Majn Vegeta comes with a surprising number of face plates, 5 in total, ranging from neutral to full on raging. There are only 5 additional hands, which will get you through most poses, but my most desired piece, the crossed arm, was not a part of this, which is unfortunate given that Vegeta and Picolo basically own that pose throughout the entire Dragonball Z series. Otherwise, yep, once again no flight stand and no energy effects.

Officially this is my first time picking up any Vegeta 2.0, but I do own the originally much sought after Premium Colour version of Vegeta. Even for back in the day, the likeness to Vegeta was always iffy at best, and sucked compared. The newer Vegetas feature wider faces, larger eyes, and a fuller set of hair (even on the non Super Saiyan scouter Vegeta version. It goes without saying that the overall silhouette is vastly improved and more resembles the on screen model, with better proportions and much better muscle definition on the body itself. Yes, the diaper on the newer figures are more visually distracting, but the trade off is a vastly improved posing game.

Speaking of posing, the joints gang is back in what is probably these most articulated body produced by Tamashi Nations. You have toe, ankles, double jointed knees, hips which are located such that you have a greater range of motion with additional plastic parts to fill in the gap, waist, mid toros, full motion shoulders with dedicated chest collapse joint, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Overall, an impressive array of options, much like the recently looked at Joseph Joestar and the Medicos body, and very much like the vast majority of the Dragonball line in the 2.0 era. Combined with a flight stand and some energy effects, you should be able to do a great variety of battle actions and replicate your favourite scenes from the series or, if you're bored like, given Hentai Woody a hard time.

Paint wise, the amount of paint on the figure doesn't look particularly like a lot, but I suspect that's not actually the case. Looks to me like the fleshtones are painted as is most of the faces, the hair, the blue of the abdomen and pant legs, as well as the various white cuffs and the hands themselves. Not sure why the upper part of the torso blue is unpainted, and I suspect due to wear issues they didn't bother painting the pelvic area. In general, paint is pretty crisp and clean, with the exception of the eye sore that is the masking for the upper shirt area and the chest. Masking on the hair and eyes, thankfully, is on point because flaws there would be very apparent. Decal work is also sharp and crisp, and the facial expressions themselves are very Majin Vegeta and convey the character quite well.

No complaints from a build quality perspective, as expected. Joints are solid and will hold whatever pose you decide to put them in. No issues with poor tolerance on gaps, uneven limb length, or other things that make you cringe at the fact you just dropped $60 on an action figure. You're gonna find your typical assembly seams, though they are generally hidden from view and more importantly, look like they've had some sanding work done as to not stick out like a giant scar.

The Dragonball line of SH Figuarts is pretty much their flagship product offering, and it's good to see that unlike some other companies with a monopoly on their licenses, Tamashi Nations doesn't screw around. They've consistently delivered amazing figures that invoke memories of their on screen appearances which are able to look and act like their "real life counterparts". As always, my only real complaint is that I wish they came with more, specifically an energy effect and a flight stand. Otherwise, if the price is right, I never have qualms about blindly picking up one of these releases. I know some people are gonna have their reservations about joints and what not but considering what the figures can do, visible joints are well worth it.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Everyone loves to hate Hong Kong Disneyland. The media reviles the park and serves it up as tabloid fodder, reveling in an orgy of cruel delight with every single hiring misstep and every missed attendance goal. Local citizens, with whom my conversations have yielded much anecdotal evidence, also have voiced their displeasure, mostly over the park's size - too small - and its demographics - too many mainlanders. So it was with these pejorative impressions, this cacophony of complaints simmering in my imagination, that I passed warily through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, in cautious expectation of unfulfilled promises and inexorable bores. What I got, however, to my pleasant surprise and veritable enjoyment, was an afternoon and evening spent in the company of great friends amidst all sorts of amusements, an outing that easily summited any acclivity of entertainment previously established in my mind.

There were rides, lots of them, on which my friends and I spent much time frolicking like little children in whose hands are new toys. We actually spent more time on the rides than on the lines to board them, which surprised me, and added to the allure of the place. Every attraction, whether it was Space Mountain or Small World, whether it was the crazy tea cups or Pooh's dyslexic, whole-language reading adventure, was accessible without having to spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, and that's a good thing. We spent about one-minute in line for my favorite ride, Buzz Light Year's space voyage - a real-life first-person shooter. In general, I think can queue for ten minutes in order to go on a two-minute ride, any day, no problem.

Not only were the rides, and their queues impressive; the shows, too, were of such outstanding quality that our merry band contrived meticulously to attend them, twice even. Our friend lady B, whose initial plan we had followed to come to Disney and by whose handiwork we were granted free admittance, performed marvelously at the Golden Mickeys, a captivating drama involving physical feats of daring, risky dancing, plenty of singing and of course many of Walt's freaky, life-sized animals. From the audience, we cheered lustily for our friend and her fellow performers who went through a medley of Disney's greatest soundtracks and scenes. Other seated-performances that we attended, including the Stitch game and the 4D symphony orchestra, moreover delivered hilarity and sensory thrills. The High School Musical outdoor rally, my favorite, was an engrossing confluence of infectious beats, rhythmic dancing and filipino goodwill. Indeed, there was not a single misfire in all of the super live-action and animated spectacles we viewed. Engrossed audiences laughed, clapped and cheered wildly.

Who can forget the evening's main events, the night parade and the fireworks? So desperately did we desire prime seating that we scouted and camped our positions as though settlers rushing through a frontier, assiduously scanning and then demarcating our territory. We would not be denied a gorgeous view of the evening's entertainment. And when it came time for the performances, that the shows did touch the ethereal heights of our lofty expectations only added to ecstasy of being like a child, in awe and wonder, of the world around us. The Disney magic verily cast its spell on us, suspending our maturity for the welcomed digestion of a deep palette of colors set to slick choreography. Neither the Halloween parade (and the accompanying ghoulish, nighttime frights in Adventureland) nor the fireworks extravaganza should be missed.

Finally, as much as firsthand experience has proven its worth in debunking deplorable myths and conjectures about Hong Kong Disneyland (e.g. the park is too small; there are too many mainlanders), much of the myth-shattering and debunkment in my own received opinion came from eloquent discourse with past and present Disney cast members, from whom I learned about the pricing structure of Disney merchandise and foods - and why both seem to be presumptuously expensive - and whose words, combined with my own experience in the park, confirm the notion that Disney works hard to adjust its brand for cultural differences, though in the case of Hong Kong, the company still has much to demonstrate before a critical local audience.

Well, we're just over half way through December, with a bit over a week left before Santa starts dropping packages. Finally officially on break, and looking forward to some expectation free time so I'm able to finish up a few outstanding things, including some toy write ups. We start with a figure I've been eluding for a while - SH Figuarts Dragonball Z - Majin Vegeta.

If you've been paying attention to the Dragonball line, you're probably aware that at some point, they are literally going to make every character possible because lets face it, SOMEONE will buy it. So it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations has gone ahead and produced a pretty much every Vegeta that I can think of, including Majin Vegeta, a corrupted version of Vegeta that shows up in the last Dragonball Z arc, the Majin Buu saga, where he "accepts help" from Babadi, an evil wizard with, what else, aspirations of universal domination. A bit of a disclaimer: this is actually the second version of Vegeta I wanted from the Z line, with gold old Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga being my top want list, but hey, when an opportunity shows up for a relatively cheap version of Majin Vegeta, I generally jump on it. Majin Vegeta is visually distinct from all other iterations with the slight addition of more mascara, and of course, that giant "M" on his forehead. Oh, and generally having more veins popping all over his body.

I don't think the armourless/sleeveless look is specific to Majin Vegeta.

Majn Vegeta comes with a surprising number of face plates, 5 in total, ranging from neutral to full on raging. There are only 5 additional hands, which will get you through most poses, but my most desired piece, the crossed arm, was not a part of this, which is unfortunate given that Vegeta and Picolo basically own that pose throughout the entire Dragonball Z series. Otherwise, yep, once again no flight stand and no energy effects.

Officially this is my first time picking up any Vegeta 2.0, but I do own the originally much sought after Premium Colour version of Vegeta. Even for back in the day, the likeness to Vegeta was always iffy at best, and sucked compared. The newer Vegetas feature wider faces, larger eyes, and a fuller set of hair (even on the non Super Saiyan scouter Vegeta version. It goes without saying that the overall silhouette is vastly improved and more resembles the on screen model, with better proportions and much better muscle definition on the body itself. Yes, the diaper on the newer figures are more visually distracting, but the trade off is a vastly improved posing game.

Speaking of posing, the joints gang is back in what is probably these most articulated body produced by Tamashi Nations. You have toe, ankles, double jointed knees, hips which are located such that you have a greater range of motion with additional plastic parts to fill in the gap, waist, mid toros, full motion shoulders with dedicated chest collapse joint, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Overall, an impressive array of options, much like the recently looked at Joseph Joestar and the Medicos body, and very much like the vast majority of the Dragonball line in the 2.0 era. Combined with a flight stand and some energy effects, you should be able to do a great variety of battle actions and replicate your favourite scenes from the series or, if you're bored like, given Hentai Woody a hard time.

Paint wise, the amount of paint on the figure doesn't look particularly like a lot, but I suspect that's not actually the case. Looks to me like the fleshtones are painted as is most of the faces, the hair, the blue of the abdomen and pant legs, as well as the various white cuffs and the hands themselves. Not sure why the upper part of the torso blue is unpainted, and I suspect due to wear issues they didn't bother painting the pelvic area. In general, paint is pretty crisp and clean, with the exception of the eye sore that is the masking for the upper shirt area and the chest. Masking on the hair and eyes, thankfully, is on point because flaws there would be very apparent. Decal work is also sharp and crisp, and the facial expressions themselves are very Majin Vegeta and convey the character quite well.

No complaints from a build quality perspective, as expected. Joints are solid and will hold whatever pose you decide to put them in. No issues with poor tolerance on gaps, uneven limb length, or other things that make you cringe at the fact you just dropped $60 on an action figure. You're gonna find your typical assembly seams, though they are generally hidden from view and more importantly, look like they've had some sanding work done as to not stick out like a giant scar.

The Dragonball line of SH Figuarts is pretty much their flagship product offering, and it's good to see that unlike some other companies with a monopoly on their licenses, Tamashi Nations doesn't screw around. They've consistently delivered amazing figures that invoke memories of their on screen appearances which are able to look and act like their "real life counterparts". As always, my only real complaint is that I wish they came with more, specifically an energy effect and a flight stand. Otherwise, if the price is right, I never have qualms about blindly picking up one of these releases. I know some people are gonna have their reservations about joints and what not but considering what the figures can do, visible joints are well worth it.

The kit and its assembly:

This build is the combination of ingredients that had already been stashed away for a long time, and the “Red Lights” Group Build at whatifmodellers.com in early 2021 was a good motivator and occasion to finally put everything together.

The basis is an ARII 1:72 Cessna T337 model kit – I had purchased it long ago with the expectation to create a military Skymaster from it, but I was confused by a fixed landing gear which would make it a 336? Well, without a further concrete plan the kit preliminarily landed in The Stash™…

However, the ARII model features the optional observation windows in the doors on the starboard side, in the form of a complete(!) fuselage half, so that it lends itself to a police or firefighter aircraft of some sort. This idea was furthermore fueled by a decal sheet that I had been given from a friend, left over from a 1:72 Italeri JetRanger, with three optional police helicopter markings.

The final creative element was the real-world “Pelican” conversion of six O-2As for the US Navy, as mentioned in the background above: the front engine was replaced with a longer nose and the engine configuration changed to a pusher-only aircraft with a single powerful turboprop engine. This looked so odd that I wanted to modify the ARII Cessna in a similar fashion, too, and all these factors came together in this model.

My Arii Cessna 337 kit is a re-boxing from 2009, but its origins date back to Eidai in 1972 and that’s just what you get: a vintage thing with some flash and sinkholes, raised (but fine) surface details and pretty crude seams with bulges and gaps. Some PSR is direly necessary, esp. the fit of the fuselage halves is cringeworthy. The clear parts were no source of joy, either; especially the windscreen turned out to be thick, very streaky (to a degree that I’d almost call it opaque!) and even not fully molded! The side glazing was also not very clear. I tried to improve the situation through polishing, but if the basis is already poor, there’s little you can do about it. Hrmpf.

However, the kit was built mostly OOB, including the extra O-2 glazing in the lower doors, but with some mods. One is a (barely visible) extra tank in the cabin’s rear, plus a pilot and an observer figure placed into the tight front seats. The extended “Pelican” nose was a lucky find – I was afraid that I had had to sculpt a nose from scratch with 2C putty. But I found a radome from a Hasegawa RA-5C, left over from a model I built in the Eighties and that has since long fallen apart. However, this nose fitted almost perfectly in size and shape, I just “blunted” the tip a little. Additionally, both the hull in front of the dashboard and the Vigilante radome were filled with as many lead beads as possible to keep the nose down.

The kit’s OOB spatted, fixed landing gear was retained – even though it is dubious for a Cessna 337, because this type had a fully retractable landing gear, and the model has the landing gear covers actually molded into the lower fuselage. On the other side, the Cessna 336’s fixed landing gear looks quite different, too! However, this is a what-if model, and a fixed landing gear might have been a measure to reduce maintenance costs?

The propeller was replaced with a resin four-blade aftermarket piece (from CMK, probably the best-fitting thing on this build!) on my standard metal axis/styrene tube adapter arrangement. The propeller belongs to a Shorts Tucano, but I think that it works well on the converted Cessna and its powerful pusher engine, even though in the real world, the SA-550 is AFAIK driven by a three-blade prop. For the different engine I also enlarged the dorsal air intake with a 1.5 mm piece of styrene sheet added on top of the molded original air scoop and added a pair of ventral exhaust stubs (scratched from sprue material).

Another addition is a pair of winglets, made from 0.5 mm styrene sheet – an upgrade which I found on several late Cessna 337s in various versions. They just add to the modernized look of the aircraft. For the intended observation role, a hemispherical fairing under the nose hides a 180° camera, and I added some antennae around the hull.

However, a final word concerning the model kit itself: nothing fits, be warned! While the kit is a simple affair and looks quite good in the box, assembling it turned out to be a nightmare, with flash, sinkholes, a brittle styrene and gaps everywhere. This includes the clear parts, which are pretty thick and blurry. The worst thing is the windscreen, which is not only EXTRA thick and EXTRA blurry, it was also not completely molded, with gaps on both sides. I tried to get it clearer through manual polishing, but the streaky blurs are integral – no hope for improvement unless you completely replace the parts! If I ever build a Cessna 337/O-2 again, I will give the Airfix kit a try, it can only be better…

Well, we're just over half way through December, with a bit over a week left before Santa starts dropping packages. Finally officially on break, and looking forward to some expectation free time so I'm able to finish up a few outstanding things, including some toy write ups. We start with a figure I've been eluding for a while - SH Figuarts Dragonball Z - Majin Vegeta.

If you've been paying attention to the Dragonball line, you're probably aware that at some point, they are literally going to make every character possible because lets face it, SOMEONE will buy it. So it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations has gone ahead and produced a pretty much every Vegeta that I can think of, including Majin Vegeta, a corrupted version of Vegeta that shows up in the last Dragonball Z arc, the Majin Buu saga, where he "accepts help" from Babadi, an evil wizard with, what else, aspirations of universal domination. A bit of a disclaimer: this is actually the second version of Vegeta I wanted from the Z line, with gold old Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga being my top want list, but hey, when an opportunity shows up for a relatively cheap version of Majin Vegeta, I generally jump on it. Majin Vegeta is visually distinct from all other iterations with the slight addition of more mascara, and of course, that giant "M" on his forehead. Oh, and generally having more veins popping all over his body.

I don't think the armourless/sleeveless look is specific to Majin Vegeta.

Majn Vegeta comes with a surprising number of face plates, 5 in total, ranging from neutral to full on raging. There are only 5 additional hands, which will get you through most poses, but my most desired piece, the crossed arm, was not a part of this, which is unfortunate given that Vegeta and Picolo basically own that pose throughout the entire Dragonball Z series. Otherwise, yep, once again no flight stand and no energy effects.

Officially this is my first time picking up any Vegeta 2.0, but I do own the originally much sought after Premium Colour version of Vegeta. Even for back in the day, the likeness to Vegeta was always iffy at best, and sucked compared. The newer Vegetas feature wider faces, larger eyes, and a fuller set of hair (even on the non Super Saiyan scouter Vegeta version. It goes without saying that the overall silhouette is vastly improved and more resembles the on screen model, with better proportions and much better muscle definition on the body itself. Yes, the diaper on the newer figures are more visually distracting, but the trade off is a vastly improved posing game.

Speaking of posing, the joints gang is back in what is probably these most articulated body produced by Tamashi Nations. You have toe, ankles, double jointed knees, hips which are located such that you have a greater range of motion with additional plastic parts to fill in the gap, waist, mid toros, full motion shoulders with dedicated chest collapse joint, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Overall, an impressive array of options, much like the recently looked at Joseph Joestar and the Medicos body, and very much like the vast majority of the Dragonball line in the 2.0 era. Combined with a flight stand and some energy effects, you should be able to do a great variety of battle actions and replicate your favourite scenes from the series or, if you're bored like, given Hentai Woody a hard time.

Paint wise, the amount of paint on the figure doesn't look particularly like a lot, but I suspect that's not actually the case. Looks to me like the fleshtones are painted as is most of the faces, the hair, the blue of the abdomen and pant legs, as well as the various white cuffs and the hands themselves. Not sure why the upper part of the torso blue is unpainted, and I suspect due to wear issues they didn't bother painting the pelvic area. In general, paint is pretty crisp and clean, with the exception of the eye sore that is the masking for the upper shirt area and the chest. Masking on the hair and eyes, thankfully, is on point because flaws there would be very apparent. Decal work is also sharp and crisp, and the facial expressions themselves are very Majin Vegeta and convey the character quite well.

No complaints from a build quality perspective, as expected. Joints are solid and will hold whatever pose you decide to put them in. No issues with poor tolerance on gaps, uneven limb length, or other things that make you cringe at the fact you just dropped $60 on an action figure. You're gonna find your typical assembly seams, though they are generally hidden from view and more importantly, look like they've had some sanding work done as to not stick out like a giant scar.

The Dragonball line of SH Figuarts is pretty much their flagship product offering, and it's good to see that unlike some other companies with a monopoly on their licenses, Tamashi Nations doesn't screw around. They've consistently delivered amazing figures that invoke memories of their on screen appearances which are able to look and act like their "real life counterparts". As always, my only real complaint is that I wish they came with more, specifically an energy effect and a flight stand. Otherwise, if the price is right, I never have qualms about blindly picking up one of these releases. I know some people are gonna have their reservations about joints and what not but considering what the figures can do, visible joints are well worth it.

Well, we're just over half way through December, with a bit over a week left before Santa starts dropping packages. Finally officially on break, and looking forward to some expectation free time so I'm able to finish up a few outstanding things, including some toy write ups. We start with a figure I've been eluding for a while - SH Figuarts Dragonball Z - Majin Vegeta.

If you've been paying attention to the Dragonball line, you're probably aware that at some point, they are literally going to make every character possible because lets face it, SOMEONE will buy it. So it's no surprise that Tamashi Nations has gone ahead and produced a pretty much every Vegeta that I can think of, including Majin Vegeta, a corrupted version of Vegeta that shows up in the last Dragonball Z arc, the Majin Buu saga, where he "accepts help" from Babadi, an evil wizard with, what else, aspirations of universal domination. A bit of a disclaimer: this is actually the second version of Vegeta I wanted from the Z line, with gold old Super Saiyan 2 from the Cell Saga being my top want list, but hey, when an opportunity shows up for a relatively cheap version of Majin Vegeta, I generally jump on it. Majin Vegeta is visually distinct from all other iterations with the slight addition of more mascara, and of course, that giant "M" on his forehead. Oh, and generally having more veins popping all over his body.

I don't think the armourless/sleeveless look is specific to Majin Vegeta.

Majn Vegeta comes with a surprising number of face plates, 5 in total, ranging from neutral to full on raging. There are only 5 additional hands, which will get you through most poses, but my most desired piece, the crossed arm, was not a part of this, which is unfortunate given that Vegeta and Picolo basically own that pose throughout the entire Dragonball Z series. Otherwise, yep, once again no flight stand and no energy effects.

Officially this is my first time picking up any Vegeta 2.0, but I do own the originally much sought after Premium Colour version of Vegeta. Even for back in the day, the likeness to Vegeta was always iffy at best, and sucked compared. The newer Vegetas feature wider faces, larger eyes, and a fuller set of hair (even on the non Super Saiyan scouter Vegeta version. It goes without saying that the overall silhouette is vastly improved and more resembles the on screen model, with better proportions and much better muscle definition on the body itself. Yes, the diaper on the newer figures are more visually distracting, but the trade off is a vastly improved posing game.

Speaking of posing, the joints gang is back in what is probably these most articulated body produced by Tamashi Nations. You have toe, ankles, double jointed knees, hips which are located such that you have a greater range of motion with additional plastic parts to fill in the gap, waist, mid toros, full motion shoulders with dedicated chest collapse joint, bicep swivel, double jointed elbows, wrists, neck, and head. Overall, an impressive array of options, much like the recently looked at Joseph Joestar and the Medicos body, and very much like the vast majority of the Dragonball line in the 2.0 era. Combined with a flight stand and some energy effects, you should be able to do a great variety of battle actions and replicate your favourite scenes from the series or, if you're bored like, given Hentai Woody a hard time.

Paint wise, the amount of paint on the figure doesn't look particularly like a lot, but I suspect that's not actually the case. Looks to me like the fleshtones are painted as is most of the faces, the hair, the blue of the abdomen and pant legs, as well as the various white cuffs and the hands themselves. Not sure why the upper part of the torso blue is unpainted, and I suspect due to wear issues they didn't bother painting the pelvic area. In general, paint is pretty crisp and clean, with the exception of the eye sore that is the masking for the upper shirt area and the chest. Masking on the hair and eyes, thankfully, is on point because flaws there would be very apparent. Decal work is also sharp and crisp, and the facial expressions themselves are very Majin Vegeta and convey the character quite well.

No complaints from a build quality perspective, as expected. Joints are solid and will hold whatever pose you decide to put them in. No issues with poor tolerance on gaps, uneven limb length, or other things that make you cringe at the fact you just dropped $60 on an action figure. You're gonna find your typical assembly seams, though they are generally hidden from view and more importantly, look like they've had some sanding work done as to not stick out like a giant scar.

The Dragonball line of SH Figuarts is pretty much their flagship product offering, and it's good to see that unlike some other companies with a monopoly on their licenses, Tamashi Nations doesn't screw around. They've consistently delivered amazing figures that invoke memories of their on screen appearances which are able to look and act like their "real life counterparts". As always, my only real complaint is that I wish they came with more, specifically an energy effect and a flight stand. Otherwise, if the price is right, I never have qualms about blindly picking up one of these releases. I know some people are gonna have their reservations about joints and what not but considering what the figures can do, visible joints are well worth it.

Still inside. Still eight days to go.

Had a quick shoot with a friend's STi tonight. Always had a soft spot for the STi's.

More to come tomorrow!

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"In Expectation: These Vietnamese youngsters listen to loudspeakers after being relocated to a holding center during Operation Bold Mariner, conducted by elements of the 26th Marine Regiment. The villagers were moved to safety before the Leathernecks began hunting the Viet Cong infrastructure on the Batangan Peninsula in Quang Ngai province (official USMC photo by Gunnery Sergeant R. L. Moore)."

From the Jonathan F. Abel Collection (COLL/3611), Marine Corps Archives & Special Collections

OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH

Expectation.

"Il buio e l'attesa hanno lo stesso colore."(Giorgio Faletti)

"The Brave and the expectation of the same color." (Giorgio Faletti)

Ferruccio Lamborghini had the expectation to build a four-seater supercar. As such, he announced the Espada at the 1968 Geneva Motor Show, fulfilling his absolute desire.

Marcello Gandini gave to Espada a style which represented the merge of two futuristic Bertone cars: of ‘Marzel’ based on ‘Miura’, bearing the glass transparent doors that allowed the view of Mrs. Lamborghini’s attractive legs and of ‘Pirana’, based on an experimental model for Jaguar E-Type.

This specific car was acquired by the Museum through auction in Great Britain.

3.929 cc

V12

350 bhp @ 7.700 rpm

Vmax : 256 km/h

575 ex.

Hellenic Motor Museum

Athens - Greece

Oktober 2014

Another Place

by Antony Gormley

These spectacular sculptures are on Crosby beach. All of them look out to sea and stare at the horizon in silent expectation.

The work of art consists of 100 cast-iron life-size figures, spread out along three kilometres of the foreshore, and stretching almost one kilometre out to sea.

Each one weighs 650 kilos and is made from casts of the artist's own body. Contractors spent three weeks lifting the figures into place and driving them into the beach on metre-high foundation piles.

Since arriving in 2005, Another Place has attracted a huge amount of interest in the area with large numbers of people visiting the beach to see the statues.

They have become known locally as The Iron Men and sometimes The Gormleys.

Having previously been seen in Cuxhaven in Germany, Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium, Another Place is now a permanent feature at Crosby Beach.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_Place

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosby,_Merseyside

Antony Gormley

(b.1950)

A British sculptor. Best known for the Angel of the North, a public sculpture in Gateshead.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Gormley

Police officers spend their professional lives trying to play down the public order implications of demonstrations - it's in their interests to keep things calm

But the enormous logistical challenges of providing the world's leaders with security, amid widespread expectation of substantial protests, has led the capital's top officers to issue exceptional warnings about this week's G20 meeting in London.

Last week, Commander Simon O'Brien, one of the senior officers involved in planning the events, said the capital was about to see an "almost unprecedented level of activity" with seven officially notified demonstrations - and potentially many more they don't know about.

It's little wonder that Scotland Yard is describing the G20 policing plan as one of the largest, most challenging and complicated public order operations it has ever devised.

If anyone wants to come to London to engage in crime or disorder, they will be met with a swift and efficient policing response

Commander Simon O'Brien

Metropolitan Police

Events begin on Monday with the three-day state visit to the UK by the President of Mexico.

At the same time, thousands of officials from the other G20 delegations will be arriving in London.

On Wednesday, large "direct action" events are predicted in the Square Mile (although by no means guaranteed) in the shape of the over-lapping "Fossil and Financial Fools Day" protests and the "G20 Meltdown".

At the same time the seemingly well-resourced Climate Camp group says its supporters will try to build a tent city in the middle of one of London's busiest roads to protest against the carbon trading market.

Meanwhile, a couple of miles away, the Stop the War coalition will march from the US Embassy to Trafalgar Square.

And then as evening approaches, there's the small matter of Wembley turning on the floodlights for England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

As for Thursday, the day of the G20 itself, all police can honestly say at the moment is that the picture is "still emerging".

And did we mention that London is a city where there might be a few people trying to get to work and back?

So when officers describe this coming week as a "fluid and dynamic situation", that's something of an understatement.

Click here for a map of expected protests

The security strategy for all of this boils down to something that resembles a three-dimensional ever-changing puzzle. The Met needs to be prepared for a virtually unlimited number of scenarios.

Some 84,000 police man-hours have been allocated to the entirety of Operation Glencoe, the G20 security strategy. All police leave has been cancelled in London for Wednesday and Thursday.

OFFICIAL ADVICE TO CITY FIRMS

Cancel meetings

No entry without ID

Check ID outside buildings first

Minimise entry and exits

Review external smoking areas

Check CCTV equipment

Don't antagonise protesters

Source: City of London Police

Six police forces are part of the £7.5m security plan. The Metropolitan Police is naturally leading - but also calling in colleagues from the City of London and British Transport Police.

Outside of the M25 motorway, officers from Bedfordshire, Essex and Sussex will have critical roles in securing the arrival and transfer of delegations to their virtual bunkers in embassies and hotels.

Don't expect to see President Barack Obama waving from his bomb-proof limousine; he'll walk down the steps of Airforce One at Stansted Airport and board his presidential helicopter for the short hop to the West End.

Inside the capital, police will co-ordinate the movement of these entourages and create a sterile environment at the Excel centre, base for the talks in East London's Canning Town.

The security arrangements at Excel are so rigorous that Newham Council is warning some residents will find it difficult to get into their own homes.

Three Docklands Light Railway stations will close, along with the roads nearest the centre. Pedestrian access will be severely limited and residents will need to carry two forms of identification.

Old faces

Police intelligence suggests the return of "some old faces" to the protest scene - although officers will not be drawn publicly on what that means.

G20 Meltdown poster

Police want "dialogue" with groups planning demonstrations

The level of activity on the net, and its style, suggests a re-emergence of groups which share the aims and tactics of some of the anti-globalisation protesters who turned to violence in 2000 and 2001.

While the Met has tried-and-tested tactics to deal with violence, its strategy for the street occupation promised by the Climate Camp is more difficult to call.

Scotland Yard will not be drawn on how it will respond if the camp turns into something significant, other than its commanders have "flexible plans".

It admits that its overall plans are being informed by the wealth of information now being posted online by the protest organisers.

This internet activity is also helping City firms decide how to prepare. Firms spoken to by the BBC were reluctant to go on the record about any of their specific plans.

Many have turned to private security consultants, who, in turn, are keeping a watchful eye on any specific threats that emerge online. At present, City of London Police are telling firms to cancel unnecessary meetings and deliveries, beef up building security and keep a low profile.

Unpredictable

Each year the Met deals with about 4,500 events requiring visible public order policing. They range from innocuous Boy Scout marches through to the recent angry scenes outside Israel's embassy.

The Genoa 2001 protests

Officials hope to avoid the violence of the 2001 G8 in Genoa

Police believe that if there is a big turn-out on Wednesday and Thursday, the vast majority of people will peacefully make their voices heard.

Past experience suggests unorthodox and imaginative street events can be inconvenient - but also benign.

The unknowable factor is the demonstrator bent on violence.

The police will be determined to avoid the internationally embarrassing scenes of the 2001 G8 in Genoa in which one protester was killed and hundreds more injured.

So with three days to go, the police say their message to protesters is clear.

"Come forward and make contact with us so we can make sure that your [legitimate] aims are achieved," says Commander O'Brien.

"But there are groups that by their very ethos won't talk to us. The groups which enter dialogue with us, we will facilitate [their events].

"We will not tolerate anyone breaking the law, be it by attacking buildings, people or our officers.

"We are looking to police peaceful protest. We don't talk in terms of riots. If anyone wants to come to London to engage in crime or disorder, they will be met with a swift and efficient policing response."

..and expectation.

Tibetan girl waits for parents to arrive..

Yancy and HY

Police officers spend their professional lives trying to play down the public order implications of demonstrations - it's in their interests to keep things calm

But the enormous logistical challenges of providing the world's leaders with security, amid widespread expectation of substantial protests, has led the capital's top officers to issue exceptional warnings about this week's G20 meeting in London.

Last week, Commander Simon O'Brien, one of the senior officers involved in planning the events, said the capital was about to see an "almost unprecedented level of activity" with seven officially notified demonstrations - and potentially many more they don't know about.

It's little wonder that Scotland Yard is describing the G20 policing plan as one of the largest, most challenging and complicated public order operations it has ever devised.

If anyone wants to come to London to engage in crime or disorder, they will be met with a swift and efficient policing response

Commander Simon O'Brien

Metropolitan Police

Events begin on Monday with the three-day state visit to the UK by the President of Mexico.

At the same time, thousands of officials from the other G20 delegations will be arriving in London.

On Wednesday, large "direct action" events are predicted in the Square Mile (although by no means guaranteed) in the shape of the over-lapping "Fossil and Financial Fools Day" protests and the "G20 Meltdown".

At the same time the seemingly well-resourced Climate Camp group says its supporters will try to build a tent city in the middle of one of London's busiest roads to protest against the carbon trading market.

Meanwhile, a couple of miles away, the Stop the War coalition will march from the US Embassy to Trafalgar Square.

And then as evening approaches, there's the small matter of Wembley turning on the floodlights for England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

As for Thursday, the day of the G20 itself, all police can honestly say at the moment is that the picture is "still emerging".

And did we mention that London is a city where there might be a few people trying to get to work and back?

So when officers describe this coming week as a "fluid and dynamic situation", that's something of an understatement.

Click here for a map of expected protests

The security strategy for all of this boils down to something that resembles a three-dimensional ever-changing puzzle. The Met needs to be prepared for a virtually unlimited number of scenarios.

Some 84,000 police man-hours have been allocated to the entirety of Operation Glencoe, the G20 security strategy. All police leave has been cancelled in London for Wednesday and Thursday.

OFFICIAL ADVICE TO CITY FIRMS

Cancel meetings

No entry without ID

Check ID outside buildings first

Minimise entry and exits

Review external smoking areas

Check CCTV equipment

Don't antagonise protesters

Source: City of London Police

Six police forces are part of the £7.5m security plan. The Metropolitan Police is naturally leading - but also calling in colleagues from the City of London and British Transport Police.

Outside of the M25 motorway, officers from Bedfordshire, Essex and Sussex will have critical roles in securing the arrival and transfer of delegations to their virtual bunkers in embassies and hotels.

Don't expect to see President Barack Obama waving from his bomb-proof limousine; he'll walk down the steps of Airforce One at Stansted Airport and board his presidential helicopter for the short hop to the West End.

Inside the capital, police will co-ordinate the movement of these entourages and create a sterile environment at the Excel centre, base for the talks in East London's Canning Town.

The security arrangements at Excel are so rigorous that Newham Council is warning some residents will find it difficult to get into their own homes.

Three Docklands Light Railway stations will close, along with the roads nearest the centre. Pedestrian access will be severely limited and residents will need to carry two forms of identification.

Old faces

Police intelligence suggests the return of "some old faces" to the protest scene - although officers will not be drawn publicly on what that means.

G20 Meltdown poster

Police want "dialogue" with groups planning demonstrations

The level of activity on the net, and its style, suggests a re-emergence of groups which share the aims and tactics of some of the anti-globalisation protesters who turned to violence in 2000 and 2001.

While the Met has tried-and-tested tactics to deal with violence, its strategy for the street occupation promised by the Climate Camp is more difficult to call.

Scotland Yard will not be drawn on how it will respond if the camp turns into something significant, other than its commanders have "flexible plans".

It admits that its overall plans are being informed by the wealth of information now being posted online by the protest organisers.

This internet activity is also helping City firms decide how to prepare. Firms spoken to by the BBC were reluctant to go on the record about any of their specific plans.

Many have turned to private security consultants, who, in turn, are keeping a watchful eye on any specific threats that emerge online. At present, City of London Police are telling firms to cancel unnecessary meetings and deliveries, beef up building security and keep a low profile.

Unpredictable

Each year the Met deals with about 4,500 events requiring visible public order policing. They range from innocuous Boy Scout marches through to the recent angry scenes outside Israel's embassy.

The Genoa 2001 protests

Officials hope to avoid the violence of the 2001 G8 in Genoa

Police believe that if there is a big turn-out on Wednesday and Thursday, the vast majority of people will peacefully make their voices heard.

Past experience suggests unorthodox and imaginative street events can be inconvenient - but also benign.

The unknowable factor is the demonstrator bent on violence.

The police will be determined to avoid the internationally embarrassing scenes of the 2001 G8 in Genoa in which one protester was killed and hundreds more injured.

So with three days to go, the police say their message to protesters is clear.

"Come forward and make contact with us so we can make sure that your [legitimate] aims are achieved," says Commander O'Brien.

"But there are groups that by their very ethos won't talk to us. The groups which enter dialogue with us, we will facilitate [their events].

"We will not tolerate anyone breaking the law, be it by attacking buildings, people or our officers.

"We are looking to police peaceful protest. We don't talk in terms of riots. If anyone wants to come to London to engage in crime or disorder, they will be met with a swift and efficient policing response."

Less than meets the eye.

You'd think disappointed expectation and resentment at having been imposed upon would dissuade people from buying this product more than once. Certainly it has that effect on me. Yet countless products which use the same ruse to give us less than we think we're getting, seem to generate repeat orders and enjoy healthy sales. So perhaps we've only ourselves to blame, for allowing ourselves to be made fools of.

The main selling tool here is exploitation of neurosis. The "organic" aspect of the product preys upon anxieties about health, or, properly understood, about fear of death ...this during an age in which almost everyone lives to advanced years in good health. The "fairtrade" business exploits guilt about exploitation of fashionably "ethnic" peoples. It's the oldest trick in the book; first get people worried, then sell them the means of allaying their fear.

It could be argued ...and is indeed argued here and now by me... that the modern "healthy living" fetish was deliberately promoted as a means of selling things to impressionable people. I once worked in a warehouse where hundreds of yards of shelving contained "lite", "lo-cal" and "diet" drinks, not to mention ...this'll make you laugh... bottled water which is less pure than the stuff that comes out of the tap virtually free. None of these products had existed twenty years before ...it was all additional consumption.

Advertising and marketing are the Devil's work. In our age they attract some of the very best, most intelligent people. Those who are most successful at their diabolical craft, that is to say those who deceive us most effectively, are admired for their creativity, innovativeness &c. Makes me glad to live in the 21st century.

Police officers spend their professional lives trying to play down the public order implications of demonstrations - it's in their interests to keep things calm

But the enormous logistical challenges of providing the world's leaders with security, amid widespread expectation of substantial protests, has led the capital's top officers to issue exceptional warnings about this week's G20 meeting in London.

Last week, Commander Simon O'Brien, one of the senior officers involved in planning the events, said the capital was about to see an "almost unprecedented level of activity" with seven officially notified demonstrations - and potentially many more they don't know about.

It's little wonder that Scotland Yard is describing the G20 policing plan as one of the largest, most challenging and complicated public order operations it has ever devised.

If anyone wants to come to London to engage in crime or disorder, they will be met with a swift and efficient policing response

Commander Simon O'Brien

Metropolitan Police

Events begin on Monday with the three-day state visit to the UK by the President of Mexico.

At the same time, thousands of officials from the other G20 delegations will be arriving in London.

On Wednesday, large "direct action" events are predicted in the Square Mile (although by no means guaranteed) in the shape of the over-lapping "Fossil and Financial Fools Day" protests and the "G20 Meltdown".

At the same time the seemingly well-resourced Climate Camp group says its supporters will try to build a tent city in the middle of one of London's busiest roads to protest against the carbon trading market.

Meanwhile, a couple of miles away, the Stop the War coalition will march from the US Embassy to Trafalgar Square.

And then as evening approaches, there's the small matter of Wembley turning on the floodlights for England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

As for Thursday, the day of the G20 itself, all police can honestly say at the moment is that the picture is "still emerging".

And did we mention that London is a city where there might be a few people trying to get to work and back?

So when officers describe this coming week as a "fluid and dynamic situation", that's something of an understatement.

Click here for a map of expected protests

The security strategy for all of this boils down to something that resembles a three-dimensional ever-changing puzzle. The Met needs to be prepared for a virtually unlimited number of scenarios.

Some 84,000 police man-hours have been allocated to the entirety of Operation Glencoe, the G20 security strategy. All police leave has been cancelled in London for Wednesday and Thursday.

OFFICIAL ADVICE TO CITY FIRMS

Cancel meetings

No entry without ID

Check ID outside buildings first

Minimise entry and exits

Review external smoking areas

Check CCTV equipment

Don't antagonise protesters

Source: City of London Police

Six police forces are part of the £7.5m security plan. The Metropolitan Police is naturally leading - but also calling in colleagues from the City of London and British Transport Police.

Outside of the M25 motorway, officers from Bedfordshire, Essex and Sussex will have critical roles in securing the arrival and transfer of delegations to their virtual bunkers in embassies and hotels.

Don't expect to see President Barack Obama waving from his bomb-proof limousine; he'll walk down the steps of Airforce One at Stansted Airport and board his presidential helicopter for the short hop to the West End.

Inside the capital, police will co-ordinate the movement of these entourages and create a sterile environment at the Excel centre, base for the talks in East London's Canning Town.

The security arrangements at Excel are so rigorous that Newham Council is warning some residents will find it difficult to get into their own homes.

Three Docklands Light Railway stations will close, along with the roads nearest the centre. Pedestrian access will be severely limited and residents will need to carry two forms of identification.

Old faces

Police intelligence suggests the return of "some old faces" to the protest scene - although officers will not be drawn publicly on what that means.

G20 Meltdown poster

Police want "dialogue" with groups planning demonstrations

The level of activity on the net, and its style, suggests a re-emergence of groups which share the aims and tactics of some of the anti-globalisation protesters who turned to violence in 2000 and 2001.

While the Met has tried-and-tested tactics to deal with violence, its strategy for the street occupation promised by the Climate Camp is more difficult to call.

Scotland Yard will not be drawn on how it will respond if the camp turns into something significant, other than its commanders have "flexible plans".

It admits that its overall plans are being informed by the wealth of information now being posted online by the protest organisers.

This internet activity is also helping City firms decide how to prepare. Firms spoken to by the BBC were reluctant to go on the record about any of their specific plans.

Many have turned to private security consultants, who, in turn, are keeping a watchful eye on any specific threats that emerge online. At present, City of London Police are telling firms to cancel unnecessary meetings and deliveries, beef up building security and keep a low profile.

Unpredictable

Each year the Met deals with about 4,500 events requiring visible public order policing. They range from innocuous Boy Scout marches through to the recent angry scenes outside Israel's embassy.

The Genoa 2001 protests

Officials hope to avoid the violence of the 2001 G8 in Genoa

Police believe that if there is a big turn-out on Wednesday and Thursday, the vast majority of people will peacefully make their voices heard.

Past experience suggests unorthodox and imaginative street events can be inconvenient - but also benign.

The unknowable factor is the demonstrator bent on violence.

The police will be determined to avoid the internationally embarrassing scenes of the 2001 G8 in Genoa in which one protester was killed and hundreds more injured.

So with three days to go, the police say their message to protesters is clear.

"Come forward and make contact with us so we can make sure that your [legitimate] aims are achieved," says Commander O'Brien.

"But there are groups that by their very ethos won't talk to us. The groups which enter dialogue with us, we will facilitate [their events].

"We will not tolerate anyone breaking the law, be it by attacking buildings, people or our officers.

"We are looking to police peaceful protest. We don't talk in terms of riots. If anyone wants to come to London to engage in crime or disorder, they will be met with a swift and efficient policing response."