Rocky as Pocky!

Today is "Pocky Day" in Japan. (In case you hadn't noticed, Pocky are long and could be used as a 1.)

Ages ago, I scored an inflatable Pocky and use it annually to bonk students on the head when they get an answer wrong. (And I'm still getting away with it!)

Once at Sendai station, they had a giant Pockage (Pocky Package) and I became a best selling snack, "Rocky Pocky"!

It is also of course "Poppy Day" and I read the poem "In Flanders Fields" to one class that feigned interest and the other that didn't give a hoot. At least this year, I discovered a Japanese translation so maybe they'll learn something. My Poppy ha seen better days, I've lost the pin.

I also handed out some freebies that were appreciated and a few gals returned the favour and gave me snacks.

The Pretz were for those who don't like chocolate.

 I saved this one for myself.

I took the weekend off from blogging, but not from Govembering. I watched 2/3 of the Mothra trilogy and a cool documentary. Here is part 1, I'm sure you can find the other parts as well.

I'm nearing the end of another mini-marathon of truncated 60/70s movies that excise most of the talky bits and only show the action. Check out Toho Champion Festival for details and a few trailers. The fine folks at DaiKaiju TeeVee are showing most of the movies.

To wrap up, here is a Chibi-Godzilla that I won at UFO Catcher today. Adorbs!*

* I promise to never use the term "adorbs" again!

Happy Remembrance Day!

I Remember Mothra.

11/11 has a couple of meanings today. For starters, it's Day 11 of Govember.

It's also Pocky Day! because a 1 looks like a Pocky stick. See:

 

I look forward to bonking people with my long rubber Pocky. Alas, I didn't have any lessons today and it's considered rude to bonk strangers on the noggin.

It's Dog Day! In Japan, because of 11/11. One One One One (or Wan wan Wan wan, the sound a dog makes here.)

It's the Day my Twitch channel decided to show 3 Mothra movies. HERE is a short video featuring Mothra and here are several Mothra to flit around your lit candle.

Yet, most importantly, it's Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day for the US) and I sported my poppy for the occasion.

I never paid much attention to my family’s history so that necessitated an inquiry to my brother. He learned by digging through my father’s papers that dad had an older brother who was killed in Italy in WW2. Further inquiries to my aunt years ago brought the revelation that Uncle Charles had a young family in England that died in a bomb attack late in the war.
Pretty grim. So now that I know that story, Remembrance Day has even more meaning to me.

Finally, a trivial pun for you. Can anyone decipher the title of today's post? Hint: It's Dunne.

Happy Poppy Day!

In Flanders Fields












In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

—John McCrae

I don't need to add to the above, except to mention that when I was listening to the Leafs/Rangers and the Oilers/Flames games, they read the above accompanied by bagpipes. Too bad the Leafs lost in a Shootout, but the Oilers kicked the Flames collective butts.

"Just give me the aspirin. I already got a Purple Heart."
Bill Mauldin, Stars and Stripes (1944)


For Canada's southern neighbours who celebrate a Vet Day (veteran not veterinarian) as well, I recommend you check out Blogger-Bully's entry on the cartoonist, Bill Maudlin. To check out more info on Snoopy's Root Beer quaffing pal, check out Bill Maudlin.










By the way, in Japan, the Poppy is known as the けし (keshi) and there are several different colours and varieties, other than the red ones that the Royal Canadian Legion sells today.


I actually had a few uncles who died in WWII, but darned if I can remember their names. I'm not very good at paying tribute, am I?