Happy Birthday Scharon!!!! ^_^
And look at that! Its Sharon's birthday. Yay!
Its time to bring in the presents and cake and presents and presents and .....
you get the idea. ^_^
So, without furthur ado.....the prezzies. ~_^ (pradon me, but I think I'm going to get really cheesy. :)
*Yohji walks in, in a police uniform*
*Schuldig walks in, in a fireman's uniform*
*Yohji holds up a pair of handcuffs dangling from one finger*
*Schuldig eyes the cuffs thoughtfully (lustfully and sadistically at that)*
*Sharon's grin (which cannot get any bigger) gets bigger*
*Alex and D cran their necks to peer into the room, drool buckets in hand*
*Schuldig sets down a CD player and presses play*
*a slow grinding song begins to play as Yohji advances on Sharon and Schuldig confinscates Yohji's coat*
*Yohji and Schuldig strip themselves and each other, all for Sharon's immense pleasure*
*Yohji and Shuldig grind against each other and give Sharon lap dances*
*Alex and D bring in cake just for the excuse of seeing Yohji and Schu sans clothing*
*Sharon gets to enjoy Schuldig's proud display of the Kleine Pinkeschortes and Yohji's attempt at stealing them*
*As the finale, Schu flings the Kleine Pinkeschortes at Sharon*
*Sharon has the Kleine Pinkeschortes framed*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! ^_^
I totally went bonkers at my anime store with my birthday money, oh god. I got two Korean films (that I have no idea what they are about because I don't read Korean, but they look really really cool!), Saiyuki Reload Gunlock (cause it appears to have Kami-sama on the back!!! ^_^) and an anime called Better Man that just sounds amazing. ^_^
I also got three books for my bday, one is on Japanese culture and literature, another is Japanese Death Poems and the last is about the life, battles and death of Saigo Takamori. I read some of the last book today, and found some interesting info out. Like really interesting. I'll quote it here, because I thought you might get a kick out of it, and it is very interesting how the Japanese view homosexuality (at least back during the Tokugawa shougunate).
"In a genpuku ceremony boys recieved adult clothing appropriate to their station; chose a new, adult name; and shaved the front of their heads, the forelocks. They grew the rest of their hair long and dressed it in a variety of ponytails, commonly known as topknots. In Saigo's day, this hairstyle, originally developed to conform to warrior helmets, was a sign of adulthood for both samurai and commoners. A man's hair immediately marked his sexual status. Shaved forelocks marked an adult man who could initiate sexual activity, either with his wife, a concubine, a prostitute, or a young boy. Forelocks, by contrast, marked either asexual youth, or the more passive, junior partner in a homosexual liaison." -- p. 31
"'Homosexuality,' as a label for people did not exist in Saigo's day: sex with men was a practive rather than an identity. Like drinking or fishing, one could enjoy homosexuality regularly, occasionally, or never, according to personal preference. Lacking a biblical story of Sodom, Tokugawa-era Japanese had no concepty of sodomy, and Tokugawa-era laws did not criminalize homosexual conduct itself. Legal injunctions against male-male sexuality focused largely on the result of 'outrageous' or 'provacative' sexual conduct. Like consorting with geisha or drinking, male-male intercourse became a vice rather than a diversion only when taken to extremes. When Yonezawa domain issued regulations on homosexual activity in 1775, for example, it mentioned violence rather than perversion. Any conflict among a handsome young samurai, his father and his lover could easily lead to drawn swords and mayhem. Homosexuality was a problem only because male lovers' quarrels tended to grow violent and threaten public order." -- p. 33
Both quotes taken from "The Last Samurai: the Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori" by Mark Ravina.
Also, what was of particular interest, was the concept of goju. Essentially, goju is a school system. From 6am to 6pm, all of the boys would meet in one place and learn. From 6pm to 6am, the boys were under curfew and could not leave the house. The boys would memorize Chinese classics, parochial literature, learn to read and write, learn to swordfight, learn about battles, do excersises and be drilled in knowledge as well as manners. As one got older, they could teach younger students, get internships, do excersise and martial training and the older students had a sort of council thing they sat on, on top of learning more interpretive literature, instead of memorizing, understanding the Chinese classics.
I also found out that there were two lines of divine Emperors. The Northern Court (which the current Emperor is descendant from) and the Southern Court (which eventually died out). The fall of the first shogunate was initiated by a Southern Court Emperor by the name of Go-Daigo. He didn't want to share ruling with the Northern Court Emperor or the Shogun and volleyed for power. (By the way, this is first read at work understanding, so I am being vague and might be slightly off, but this is what I remember). After a failed coup, in which the last Shogun of the first shogunate exiled the Emperor, Go-Daigo gained the sympathy of many daimyo who decided that an injustice was being dealt to the Emperor and they ended up fighting against the shogunate and the shogunate fell. Go-Daigo was instated as Emperor, but treated the very samurai and daimyo who had supported him and put him in power very badly and named his own son Shogun instead of one of the samurai, thereby dishonoring and distancing his allies.
A dude named Ashikaga decided to chase off Go-Daigo and instate the Northern Court Emperor for a few years before he declared himself as Shogun and the second shogunate was born. The Northern Court and Southern Court decided to alternate power once more, but actions speak louder than words and the Northern Court never gave up their power.
Isn't that fascinating? ^_^ The Tokugawa shogunate was the longest lasting and the strongest dynasty of the three. The Meiji Restoration came out of the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. And the rest is history.
I'll relay more interesting info as I come across it. ^_^
Have a good night!
D
Its time to bring in the presents and cake and presents and presents and .....
you get the idea. ^_^
So, without furthur ado.....the prezzies. ~_^ (pradon me, but I think I'm going to get really cheesy. :)
*Yohji walks in, in a police uniform*
*Schuldig walks in, in a fireman's uniform*
*Yohji holds up a pair of handcuffs dangling from one finger*
*Schuldig eyes the cuffs thoughtfully (lustfully and sadistically at that)*
*Sharon's grin (which cannot get any bigger) gets bigger*
*Alex and D cran their necks to peer into the room, drool buckets in hand*
*Schuldig sets down a CD player and presses play*
*a slow grinding song begins to play as Yohji advances on Sharon and Schuldig confinscates Yohji's coat*
*Yohji and Schuldig strip themselves and each other, all for Sharon's immense pleasure*
*Yohji and Shuldig grind against each other and give Sharon lap dances*
*Alex and D bring in cake just for the excuse of seeing Yohji and Schu sans clothing*
*Sharon gets to enjoy Schuldig's proud display of the Kleine Pinkeschortes and Yohji's attempt at stealing them*
*As the finale, Schu flings the Kleine Pinkeschortes at Sharon*
*Sharon has the Kleine Pinkeschortes framed*
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! ^_^
I totally went bonkers at my anime store with my birthday money, oh god. I got two Korean films (that I have no idea what they are about because I don't read Korean, but they look really really cool!), Saiyuki Reload Gunlock (cause it appears to have Kami-sama on the back!!! ^_^) and an anime called Better Man that just sounds amazing. ^_^
I also got three books for my bday, one is on Japanese culture and literature, another is Japanese Death Poems and the last is about the life, battles and death of Saigo Takamori. I read some of the last book today, and found some interesting info out. Like really interesting. I'll quote it here, because I thought you might get a kick out of it, and it is very interesting how the Japanese view homosexuality (at least back during the Tokugawa shougunate).
"In a genpuku ceremony boys recieved adult clothing appropriate to their station; chose a new, adult name; and shaved the front of their heads, the forelocks. They grew the rest of their hair long and dressed it in a variety of ponytails, commonly known as topknots. In Saigo's day, this hairstyle, originally developed to conform to warrior helmets, was a sign of adulthood for both samurai and commoners. A man's hair immediately marked his sexual status. Shaved forelocks marked an adult man who could initiate sexual activity, either with his wife, a concubine, a prostitute, or a young boy. Forelocks, by contrast, marked either asexual youth, or the more passive, junior partner in a homosexual liaison." -- p. 31
"'Homosexuality,' as a label for people did not exist in Saigo's day: sex with men was a practive rather than an identity. Like drinking or fishing, one could enjoy homosexuality regularly, occasionally, or never, according to personal preference. Lacking a biblical story of Sodom, Tokugawa-era Japanese had no concepty of sodomy, and Tokugawa-era laws did not criminalize homosexual conduct itself. Legal injunctions against male-male sexuality focused largely on the result of 'outrageous' or 'provacative' sexual conduct. Like consorting with geisha or drinking, male-male intercourse became a vice rather than a diversion only when taken to extremes. When Yonezawa domain issued regulations on homosexual activity in 1775, for example, it mentioned violence rather than perversion. Any conflict among a handsome young samurai, his father and his lover could easily lead to drawn swords and mayhem. Homosexuality was a problem only because male lovers' quarrels tended to grow violent and threaten public order." -- p. 33
Both quotes taken from "The Last Samurai: the Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori" by Mark Ravina.
Also, what was of particular interest, was the concept of goju. Essentially, goju is a school system. From 6am to 6pm, all of the boys would meet in one place and learn. From 6pm to 6am, the boys were under curfew and could not leave the house. The boys would memorize Chinese classics, parochial literature, learn to read and write, learn to swordfight, learn about battles, do excersises and be drilled in knowledge as well as manners. As one got older, they could teach younger students, get internships, do excersise and martial training and the older students had a sort of council thing they sat on, on top of learning more interpretive literature, instead of memorizing, understanding the Chinese classics.
I also found out that there were two lines of divine Emperors. The Northern Court (which the current Emperor is descendant from) and the Southern Court (which eventually died out). The fall of the first shogunate was initiated by a Southern Court Emperor by the name of Go-Daigo. He didn't want to share ruling with the Northern Court Emperor or the Shogun and volleyed for power. (By the way, this is first read at work understanding, so I am being vague and might be slightly off, but this is what I remember). After a failed coup, in which the last Shogun of the first shogunate exiled the Emperor, Go-Daigo gained the sympathy of many daimyo who decided that an injustice was being dealt to the Emperor and they ended up fighting against the shogunate and the shogunate fell. Go-Daigo was instated as Emperor, but treated the very samurai and daimyo who had supported him and put him in power very badly and named his own son Shogun instead of one of the samurai, thereby dishonoring and distancing his allies.
A dude named Ashikaga decided to chase off Go-Daigo and instate the Northern Court Emperor for a few years before he declared himself as Shogun and the second shogunate was born. The Northern Court and Southern Court decided to alternate power once more, but actions speak louder than words and the Northern Court never gave up their power.
Isn't that fascinating? ^_^ The Tokugawa shogunate was the longest lasting and the strongest dynasty of the three. The Meiji Restoration came out of the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. And the rest is history.
I'll relay more interesting info as I come across it. ^_^
Have a good night!
D