Making of Black Bird ▪Two▪ by Sakurakoji

"I thought of doing this story when I happened to see *karasu tengu mechanical doll. I thought it looked really cool, and couple of days later, I had the general outline of the story and characters written down and handed in. I have no idea why it turned into a story like this.

"After Kyo transforms he wears a beak because the doll I saw had one."

*Karasu tengu are a type of tengu. The name literally means "crow tengu," and they tend to look half human and half crow.

Kanoko Sakurakoji

(From the book.)

This is the brush of our favorite and very talented manga author, Kanoko Sakurakoji. She's been using this brush 8 years as a cartoonist. She said, "This brush is pretty small and short. And it feels great. New brush pattern is excessively long, and breaks easily from my bother. So, this one is really important to me."

Black Winged SHINee

It may be a little bit strange, but Korean famous boy band "SHINee" has become BLACK WINGED hot dudes! They released a music video, which is dark, fantasy, and super cool, for their new hit song "Ring Ding Dong".


I really love their so fantastic, so elastic MV! Am I attracted to them?!

Well, they remind me of Black Bird tengu. Maybe I'm falling in love with black winged guys. LOL!

He's the hottest, I think. Guess what?! He's only 16!!

"Ring Ding Dong" music video was ranked number one in "most viewed" throughout the month of October on YouTube Korea. Here is the big hit Music Video and hope you guys also enjoy it!

Black Bird Demons

Today is Halloween, but I don't have to create Black Bird characters to look like goths or Twilight vampires using Photoshop since Black Bird itself is already "Halloween manga." Therefore, I'm going to introduce traditional animals, which are actually mythical monsters in Black Bird.

 

Demons

In the Japanese version, they are called ayakashi and yokai. The terms essentially mean the same thing, although yokai adds the kanji for "suspicious." Both terms can also be translated as monsters, goblins, or spirits.



Tengu

Tengu are a type of yokai and often appear as half human and half bird.

Shirohebi

This literally means "white snake."

Kitsune

Kitsune is a Japanese for fox, but in this case it means "fox demon." Traditionally, kitsune are intelligent and possess magical powers, including the ability to shape shift.

(To be continued soon...)

Naruto 469 - Sakura's Confession !

Title: Sakura's Confession

Manga: NARUTO

Chapter: Naruto Chapter 469

Tags Cloud:

naruto 469, naruto chapter 469, naruto chapter 469 download, naruto 469 download, naruto 469 ebook, naruto english, naruto manga download, naruto last update, naruto episode, naruto comics, Sakura's Confession





Download Link:

naruto chapter 469.zip

Alternate Link: Naruto 469 Ebook

NOTE:
- Next Update: Naruto 470
- Download WinZix and install it before you can extracting the file
- Enjoy reading with FoxIt Reader or PDF Reader
- Thanks to: Masashi Kishimoto, mangastream.com, binktopia.org for the fastest scanlation.

Healthy choices for school meals

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) at the National Academies on October 20 published new guidelines, which may lead to more healthy meals in federal school nutrition programs.

The recommendations, if implemented by USDA, will bring school meals standards in line with the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In light of current concerns about overweight and obesity, the IOM report suggests food energy maximum levels as well as the current minimum levels. It also suggests upper bounds on salt and saturated fat.

The report, titled School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children, seems astutely focused and un-fussy. It recommends a drastic simplification in the way nutrition standards are used in meal planning and determining a meal's eligibility for federal reimbursement. It suggests nutrient benchmarks for developing federal standards, but it recommends that actual meal planning and reimbursements be based primarily on foods instead of nutrients. Rather than pursue a long list of distracting micronutrient benchmarks, the report promotes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

In a special child nutrition issue of Choices Magazine from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), published today, Iowa State University economist Helen Jensen comments: "the recommendations are consistent with a growing body of research, as well as encouragement from stakeholder groups to change the school meals to be consistent with the dietary needs of school children today." Jensen is editor of the special issue and also a member of the IOM committee that produced the new report.

Today's special issue of Choices also contains gently contrasting views about measures that school food services might take to improve school meals, while remaining financially viable. Cornell economists David Just and Brian Wansink use principles of behavior science to suggest nudges in the direction of healthier meals:

Thus, the object of using behavioral economics in school lunch rooms is to guide choices in a way that is subtle enough that children are unaware of the mechanism. These subtle changes often have the advantage of being relatively cheap and easy to implement. This is a clear advantage given the financial climate. However, behavioral economic instruments cannot achieve 100% compliance. For example, the only way to eliminate soda consumption in a school is to eliminate the soda. If we instead approach the problem by allowing choice but place the soda at some disadvantage in the marketplace, we can reduce soda consumption substantially but not eliminate it. To preserve choice, we will necessarily have to allow some individuals to purchase items that are less nutritious. But we can make these choices less convenient or less visible, by moving the soda machines into more distant, less visited parts of the school.

(Wansink was interviewed at U.S. Food Policy in 2007).

On the other hand, I have an article in Choices, with Friedman School graduate student Mary Kennedy, discussing the economic environment in which school food services must operate. Because of interactions between student demand for more and less healthy options, we suggest that reining in less healthy competitive foods may give school food authorities more room to maneuver in providing better choices.

The Just and Wansink article in this theme warns against unintentionally increasing the appeal of unhealthy products by banning them outright. Nevertheless, placing some reasonable limits on competitive food is not really economic heresy.

For centuries, economists have admired markets as a coordinating tool for economic decisions in communities composed of households, but economists have always acknowledged beneficent non-market decision-making within households. Schools are not marketplaces but educational institutions responsible for the welfare of their charges.

If schools are expected to respond to the current epidemic of childhood obesity by improving the school food environment, and taxpayers are reluctant simply to provide more resources, then there is some merit in considering measures to enhance the relative competitive position of healthy meals served through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

Snails with Bacon and Mushrooms. A Fall's tapa!

Can you imagine these special fall flavours all combined in a Tapa? Mmmmm, Snails are absolutely delicious cooked this way. Eating snails also has a special Bonus... you can eat them with your fingers! It's one of those special foods where using the fingers doesn't mean bad manners. Although, Julia Roberts' character at Pretty Woman had a little problem with a snail (escargot)... remember that scene?

Hunting Snails and mushrooms is an extended activity here in Catalonia. When Fall starts showing its nose, hundreds of Mushrooms hunters head to the woods and try to fill their baskets with as many mushrooms as they can. We are lucky enough to have many many different kinds of mushrooms; if you are curious, here you can see the ones we have in Catalonia. (sorry, only in Catalan, but with pictures for every kind).

One of my favourite mushrooms is Cep (Boletus Edulis) a supertasty and flavourful one. If you have the chance,  try it. You can find them at the markets now, but also frozen, dehydrated and in cans. My recommendation is that if you find it fresh... go ahead and buy it!

Ingredients for the Tapa: 250 grs of snails, 50 grs of Boletus Edulis, 80 grs. of fresh panceta, 1 big onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 branches of fresh thyme, salt, olive oil and black ground pepper.

• First clean, wash and boil the snails as said in this post.
• Now, cover the surface of a pan with olive oil, when hot, add the panceta in dices. When golden, add the boiled snails (only the snails, not the water you used) and stir for 8 minutes at medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and black ground pepper. 
• Take the snails and panceta out of the pan and reserve in a plate.
• In the same oil, cook the onion (chopped) until it gets transparent. Add a branch of thyme. Stir and pull it out after 3 minutes.
• Add the Boletus cut in dices to the pan with the onion. Stir for 3 more minutes at medium heat.
• Pour the snails and panceta back to the pan and cook for 20 minutes aprox at medium/low heat. Stir now and then.
• Mince the garlic, add to the snails and turn the heat off when fragant.

Get a good loaf of bread ready and eat warm/hot!
If you are a snail addict like me, then click at the snails picture at the right column. Buen provecho :D

Kitchen Gardeners International

The non-profit group Kitchen Gardeners International has a video celebrating the success this year of the campaign to establish a White House garden, and looking forward to new projects promoting kitchen and yard gardening around the world.



Roger Doiron, a Tufts alum and founder of Kitchen Gardeners International, spoke at the Friedman School this past week.

How To Open Downloaded Files

Some people told me they couldn't open the downloaded files, so couldn't read the manga. Downloaded files are in .rar format, so you need to download WinRar to open it. (Download WinRar from HERE.)


After you install WinRar, open the file. Then you will see something like this ↓




(Right click -> Extract to the specified folder -> Choose where you want to extract; for example, My Document)

Colpaart earns award from American Dietetic Association

U.S. Food Policy contributor Ashley Colpaart this week received the 2009 Award of Excellence in Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, a dietetic practice group award from the American Dietetic Association.

Ashley’s work and commitment to the field of hunger and environmental nutrition is broad and diverse. She serves as the Nutrition Services Coordinator for the Meals for Kids Intervention where she brought healthful meals to lowincome, at-risk populations in East and South Austin (Texas). As the Legislation & Public Policy Chair for the HEN dietetic practice group, she has worked tirelessly to educate HEN members on a variety of important public policy issues, such as: farm and food policy, the food system’s connection with nutritional health, Child Nutrition Reauthorization, the effect of industrial farming on the environment and food safety, conflicts of interest, country of origin labeling (COOL), and genetically engineered (GE) foods and crops.

To disseminate her message to a wide audience, Ashley has used a variety of venues including the HEN-listserv, the HEN DPG newsletter, her personal blog, and a joint blog with professor Parke Wilde, PhD at Tufts University.

“I’ve no doubt that the contributions that Ashley has already made in academia and in the field will gain her notoriety in the world of dietetics. I’m equally certain that down the road, Ashley will be leaving her mark on the future – one that will be a whole lot brighter for us all, because of her effort and devotion.”
-- Loretta Jaus, an Organic Valley Family of Farms dairy farmer

East Arlington Livable Streets (EALS), November 4 at the Capitol Theatre

Of interest to local readers in the Boston area. . .

The East Arlington Livable Streets (EALS) Coalition will host a fun and educational event to promote:

• traffic calming throughout the neighborhood,
• a safer environment for everyone (walkers, motorists, cyclists, children and the elderly), and
  
• an enhanced quality of life throughout East Arlington.

The featured speaker for the evening will be Jackie Douglas, Advocacy Director for the Cambridge-based LivableStreets Alliance, whose moniker is "Rethinking Urban Transportation." Ms. Douglas will present a 30-minute presentation about the need for sustainable transportation policies and street design throughout the Boston region. Following Ms. Douglas' presentation, the EALS Coalition will facilitate a short discussion about our advocacy work, including our support for the current plan to enhance Mass Ave.

If you are interested in promoting a more walkable, bikeable neighborhood free of speeding traffic, or if you want to know more about the work of the EALS Coalition, this is the event for you!

Wednesday, November 4 at the Capitol Theatre

7:00 - meet and greet, refreshments and raffle tickets
7:30 - Rethinking Urban Transportation presentation

The event is FREE and open to the public, though seating is limited so arrive early.

Black Wings + Download Wings Brushes (GIMP)

Where are the winged characters from? How did they come to the stories? Were there really winged people or something? Did they really ever exist? Why some demons are described that they have black wings?

I don't know anything about that, but I think I finally got the answer: "There were many winged characters in Greek Myths and lore. Most of the winged characters were carryovers from Asia minor before Greece grew, Winged Characters and monsters are quite common in folklore throughout the world."
Hmm, that's pretty interesting. Kyo, the hero of Black Bird, is a winged demon and also known as a tengu, which are supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore. He looks so gorgeous when his large black wings show..., but there are also other winged characters from other stories. Let's see some of them! ^^

For me, Kyo is the best hero of all time. If he existed in real life ... !!

Kurou Tenma from Love Monster

Setsuna Mudo from Tenshi Kinryouku

Van fanel from Escaflowne

Azmaria from Chrono Crusade

Kamui from X

Dark from DNAngel

Sephiroth from Final Fantasy

Vergil


Akemi's oldest brother

21 More Gimp Wings Brushes

One Fallen Angel Regains Her Wings!


The sample image above was created using a new set of wings brushes. This new collection has 21 more Gimp wings brushes for you to download!

DOWNLOAD

Inflation-adjusted food spending fell, and food insecurity worsened, for low-income households in 2000-2007

A USDA report this week suggested that U.S. families spent less on food as their housing costs increased from 2000 to 2007, leading to increased risk of food insecurity.

The report by USDA's Economic Research Service said that inflation-adjusted median food spending fell by 6 percent from 2000 to 2007. Meanwhile, ERS said, the national prevalence of very low food security (the condition formerly called "household food insecurity with hunger") increased from 3.1 percent of households in 2000 to 4.1 percent of households in 2007.

In other words, people were spending less in real inflation-adjusted terms, and they were experiencing higher rates of food-related hardship.

When I first read this study, I wondered if ERS was correct to imply a connection between these two trends. The report's author, Mark Nord, strengthens the argument by disaggregating the data according to income strata. It turns out that the second-poorest fifth of households experienced both the greatest fall in food spending and the greatest increase in food-related hardship.

Moreover, the food spending and food insecurity trends were connected in a plausible way to overall spending trends: "The declines in food spending by middle- and low-income households were accompanied by increases in spending for housing and, in the two lowest income quintiles, by declines in income and total spending."

Still, one should resist the temptation to think of food insecurity as primarily a problem of low average food spending. The food security survey that is used for classification asks households about their experience of particular hardship events, such as skipping meals or going a whole day without food, in the preceding 12 months. If a family runs out of food occasionally, it can seem to have adequate average food spending, but still experience food insecurity. Participation in the SNAP (food stamp) program seems to be associated with higher food spending, holding other factors constant, but associated also with higher rates of food insecurity (presumably because people with greater needs for food are more likely to take the trouble to participate). It is not clear whether increased average food spending is itself a cure for food insecurity.

Smart Choices suspends operations

In an effort to better coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration, the Smart Choices front-of-pack labeling program today announced that it would suspend operations for the present time.

The labeling program had been criticized for giving a stamp of approval to marginal products, such as a somewhat reformulated version of Froot Loops. This blog had previously covered both this criticism and the response from the program's supporters, including leading nutrition experts at the Friedman School and elsewhere.

In today's announcement, Mike Hughes, chair of the Smart Choices Program and vice president for science and public policy at the Keystone Center, stood by the actual nutrition criteria used in the program. "Our nutrition criteria are based on sound, consensus science," said Hughes.

We suggested in the previous post, "the program could have considered stricter criteria in some areas, such as sweetened cereals. More importantly, it could have achieved a different emphasis even with the program's current criteria. It could have more strongly highlighted fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while giving a lower profile to products that have been slightly reformulated and artificially enriched to just barely meet the nutrient criteria."

In either case, the FDA may be in a better position than the manufacturer-led Smart Choices Program to referee this question. In today's announcement, Hughes said, "[W]ith the FDA's announcement this week that they will be addressing both on front-of-package and on-shelf systems, and that uniform criteria may follow, it is more appropriate to postpone active operations and channel our information and learnings to the agency to support their initiative."

Black Bird 9 Will Be Released on November 26!

If you have stayed with the manga series this long, then I have a great news for you! Black Bird is proceeding to the next volume! Yay!! The volume 9 is expected to be released around November 26 in Japan! Can't wait for the next issue!

Photo by Kanoko Sakurakoji

Kanoko Sakurakoji drew an illustration to be used in a calendar supplemented to a certain issue of the Betsucomi magazine. Apparently it was a bi-monthly calendar, and this illustration of hers was used on the fourth page (July and August).

Working Process - Volume 4 Cover

Introducing Kanoko Sakurakoji's working process of the 4th volume's cover. She is really amazing! I love her drawings.

She said, "The bottom of the first picture (A5 size) is the best!

Use the original copy and expand it."

"I traced the previous copy on the image board and made a new one adding pen. I usually stick to water resistant color ink pens; however, I slacked off this time around.

There wasn't much difference between the usual pens and the ones I used this time, but it just doesn't feel right.

The light gray is hard to see, isn't it? My apologies."

"Cardinal outlined with watercolor pencils and colored in light colors.

I put a shadow on the skins and clothes."

"Next is Misao's brown hair. As well as filling in the face's skin clor and eyes in one shot."

"I would usually paint Kyo's hair here, but this time, I decided to do the the flower and the collar the same color as the sash."

"Here is Kyo.

Wisteria leaves and feathers are painted the same color as Kyo's hair and eyes.."

For the background, I utlized suitable pastels and a beta black.
At this point, it's almost starting to take complete form, isn't it?"

"The finishing touches are completed in pencil and white!"

"I thought I forgot to draw the blood.

(Required private).

Even the scars are not drawn.

I wonder if I get a bloody nose or not..

The artwork is done."

"See? Hope there was no disappointment... ?"

Making of Black Bird ▪One▪ by Sakurakoji

"The heroine can see things that other people can't see, but this writer has no extrasensory perception at all. Although I happily draw manga that tend to have excessive bleeding. I have never had the nerve to step into the horror movie section of video rental shops."

Kanoko Sakurakoji

(From the book.)

Thank you for all readers!
Kanoko Sakurakoji ♡

Pumpkin puree with Sugar and Beer's Spider Web reduction

If you are looking for trouble... you came to the right place! Here you have the most scary Pumpkin Puree. Dare to try it at night and you will have the most horrible nightmares. Dare to try it for lunch and maybe you don't get to see the sunset.

Only if you eat it during Halloween, nothing will harm you. So, get your pumpkin ready and be careful with real spiders!

Did I sound too frightening? He, he, just getting into the mood! This is my entry for this month's Royal Foodie Joust at the LeftoverQueen :D. I really didn't know what to do with the 3 ingredients: Pumpkin, beer and sugar, but finally inspiration came :D.

The Royal Foodie Joust is one of my favourite Events, it's lots of fun, it makes you think and improve your cooking skills and if you are lucky enough... you get a prize/prizes!!!! Join us and get into the Halloween mood too!

Ingredients for 4 servings: For the puree --1 Pumpkin (aprox 1 kilo), 4 carrots, 1 green fresh onion, olive oil, chicken stock, salt and black ground pepper. For the Spider Web: 200 grs of brown sugar and 4 tablespoons of black beer.

• Peel the pumpkin: seeds off and peel too. Cut in dices and reserve.
• Peel the carrots and cut in slices. reserve.
• Peel the onion and chop in small pieces. Reserve.
• Get some chicken stock in the heat (aprox. half a liter).
• Pour 4 to 5 tablespoons inside a medium pot and heat. Place the pumpkin, carrots and onion inside. Stir while it cooks until onion gets transparent, then add enough chicken stock to let it all simmer. Once the pumpin and carrot are tender. Use a food blender to get the puree texture. If you need more chicken stock add it then. 
• Taste and add salt if necessary. Pour some black ground pepper. Reserve.
• Prepare some oven's paper on the clean kitchen counter.
• Pour the sugar in another pot and turn heat on. When the sugar starts melting add the beer and stir all the time until it all melts and reduces a bit. I had it for 3 to 5 minutes aprox.
• While you are still stirring, take a spoon and pour the reduction over the oven's paper drawing a spider web. Let it cool. Place in the freezer if you are in a hurry.
• Prepare the plates with the puree in the bottom and the web over them.
• Hope you like the idea!

But if you don't like pumpkins, nor purees, nor sugar and beer reductions... then take a look at these Catalan treats. They are delicious :D

    

Follow this link to get the recipe for Panellets!