Queen Silvia of Sweden met with Director Hayao Miyazaki, more information available here.  This is quite unusual for Miyazaki to have a public appearance for really anything…apparently she saw a short clip of Ponyo on a Cliff….that’s enviable!

Is giving up internet or myspace or facebook truly a sacrifice?

In this recent CNN article it was discussed how students give up social networking sites during Lent as a form of sacrifice so they gain spiritually, normally people fast during this time of year. Because it is so addicting, it can be considered a “true sacrifice”.

Maybe I am not completely addicted to the Internet as they are, but is that truly a sacrifice that will bring you closer to your religion worthy of the term “sacrifice” ?

Somehow, I don’t think this is true. Should a smoker be given praise for sacrificing smoking during Lent as a form of sacrifice only to return to this later on?

Fasting is a need, perhaps Internet is a need to, but would you consider not talking to anyone over your phone a sacrifice that is more meaningful, or fasting or doing community work as a larger (and more meaningful) sacrifice?

How about I stop playing World of Warcraft for the period of Lent as my form of sacrifice (if I were Christian) ? I don’t know about you, but I think this is a pretty lame sacrifice.

How very kewl! I just enabled a brand new skin available with the blog….am playing around with it now! I can choose from skins that are Hello Kitty, My Melody and Kuririn.

Where’s BADTZ?!

Ghibliworld reported on some interest although unsubstantiated rumours. It talks of Miyazaki copying works from former collaborator Yasuhiro Nakuro.

 Apparently there were other rumours about the story being based on a Chinese book, I suppose everyone is trying to get a piece of 5 second fame now with the Movie not even with a detailed story outline it’s impossible to accuse it of anything!

The cute factor is UNBEARABLE! OMG!!

So my more exhibitionist weirdo side of me is coming out when I do it in the Avatar world! Check out my Meez.

Recently Japan’s foreign minister was quoted as saying “yellow faces” are better for diplomacy.

 This particular minister had also said things such as building Japan for “rich jews” to live in, he was also one that tried to justify Japan’s war actions in Korea.

More radical are the comments from the Mayor of Tokyo Mr. Ishihara, widely recognized as racist, who called Chinese as living like animals, called women who have lost their reproductive function as useless and also said that Chinese have criminality in their genes.

This type of thing simply promotes xenophobia and isolates Japan.

My Japanese friends don’t agree with them, the interest in Japanese culture is there and pervasive so why are these people in power? Why are they allowed to be in power?

Trying to build some kind of “rating” into my blog….

Hello Kitty Indian Look…

Only very little information is available but it’s official, animation grandmaster Hayao Miyazaki will be making a new Movie slated for a release in 2008 called Ponyo on a Cliff.
The basic outline is about a goldfish princess who wishes to become Human and a five year old boy, Sosuke is involved with the goldfish princess Ponyo.

The setting is in Seto ( 瀬戸内海 ) which is the setting of the scenery, no doubt awe inspiring if it can inspire Miyazaki himself!

It is widely discussed that Miyazaki used his own Son as the outline for Sosuke, where he felt that he did not spend enough time trying to understand him. His son Goro directed another feature film by Studio Ghible called Tales from the Eathsea which was apparently poorly received by Hayao Miyazaki himself for a variety of reasons, causing friction within the family. Could this be a form of self reflection and redemption?