Horton Deakins's Blog, page 16
July 26, 2012
I grow more fond of this quote every time I read it.
— Katherine Hepburn
July 25, 2012
A little photography fun
At least this time I didn’t do the skin-head wig with the samurai top-knot like I did for a costume in my late twenties (don’t ask me how long ago that was!). I’m surprised how well this came out, since I was holding my katana (samurai sword) in one hand and my cell phone in the other. I could see the pose in the bathroom mirror, and the hunter-green shower curtain came out almost pitch black with the camera flash. Perfect. I’ve even been out walking in the sun, so my skin is becoming bronzed enough to be convincing. I am now using this shot for my facebook profile.
If I were going to re-do this, I would try to make my eyes a little less round, but it was hard enough to do by myself that I don’t think I will even try. You undoubtedly can’t tell it from the photo, but the kimono I’m wearing came from the Nebuta Festival in Aomori, Japan. If you ever go there, be wary of vendors selling yaki-tori. That’s usually grilled chicken kabobs, but after they let me taste their wares, they packaged me up a box of nothing but chicken skins on long toothpicks. All that for 500 yen (about $4.50, in 1989 dollars). When I got back to the bus, I was starving and my mouth was watering. When I opened my parcel, however, I was fit to be tied. I really could have used that sword back then!
I’m not really as mean as I look… or am I? Bwa-ha-ha-ha!
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Self portrait, with “Rei” (respect) headband
July 22, 2012
Japanese Victory Dance in Nanjing
As amazing as this is from an artistic, cultural point of view, I can’t watch it without getting a pit in my stomach and getting nauseous. I lived with the Japanese for 15 months, and I’m convinced I know more about the unspeakable atrocities they did to Nanking than anyone there who was, at least, younger than myself. They are in complete denial, they are complete history revisionists. The young people have no clue what happened in the 30′s and 40′s. The worst things that our military has ever done are like fraternity hazing in comparison to what the Japanese soldiers did, with full knowlege and approval of their superiors.
Nanking was just one of the many victims of the Empire of Japan. I will not give you examples here of what they did–it would literally make you sick. Evidently, this movie was made (I haven’t seen the whole thing) to tell the story of The Rape of Nanking. There is a lot of information out there about Nanking–even on YouTube, if you like–so I’ll let you do your own research.
July 21, 2012
July 20, 2012
16th-century Samurai Battle March
This music contains only percussion instruments. It is over 500 years old, but it sounds very modern, lots of “soul.”
Soran Bushi Dance
Think, fishermen pulling in their nets. The intro only lasts 12 seconds so wait for it. This is a modern version of a traditional Japanese song, and it is a rather exciting dance number. You probably wouldn’t like the original song–it’s pretty melancholy, baby.
July 16, 2012
The farm is now but a distant memory …
… like a drifting puff of smoke that dissipates in the summer breeze.
Farm house, original barn, and pole barn
In this shot you can see the house, barn, and pole barn shortly before the new owner began to demolish them. Two of the workers are visible on the right. My dad and two of his siblings, all long dead now, grew up here, and my grandparents died here a number of years before I was born.
Worker and cellar
Here, one of the workers is trying to clean up the cellar, which the new owner decided to keep. It’s not the original cellar, though, which was situated just to the left of this one. It was an earthen root cellar, and it was intentionally collapsed long, long ago. In the background is the barn and pole barn, and on the far right is what’s left of a metal shed.
Closer look at the barn
Better view of the house
Even though you can see more of the house in this view, you can’t see either of the two entrances. The actual “front” door was on the south end, and here we see the east and north sides. No one ever entered by the front door, however. The usual entrance was via the back door, which was on the west side and faced the barn. I get melancholy every time I look at these pictures, mostly because of the family history wrapped up in this place, but also for too many other reasons to relate here. It was like losing a part of me when they tore down these structures.
July 10, 2012
Review of Empyreal Fate, by Rachel Hunter
Her style has been likened to that of Tolkien, and I cannot disagree, but it is a style and a chronicle all its own. Another comparison comes to mind, however. Before personal computers, before complex graphics, there existed a computer game known simply as “Cave,” sometimes called “Adventure” or “The Colossal Cave Adventure Game.” In this game, the player entered commands by typing only a few short words, and the computer then responded only with text. This required the player to have a vivid imagination, yes, but the game both fed the imagination and drew imagination out of the player; thus it pulled the player deeper and deeper into the game. After a time, the world of the game and the world of the player seemed to meld into one, and the distinction became insignificant. This is what I experienced. I stayed late at work for hours playing the game, but at home, everything I did was still “the game.” This was decades ago, and that sensation has long since been lost to me—lost until, that is, I read Empyreal Fate. Once again, the possibility of transitioning into another, magical realm has returned, enabling escape from this mundane world we mortals share.
Ms. Hunter has an unbelievable command of the English language for one so young, and if your vocabulary is not tested by her book, then by the Fates you are reading too fast. The story never relents, it spares you no mercy; it seizes your psyche and holds you firm until it has its way with you, and then it leaves you, a quivering mass upon the floor, begging for more. I scarcely can breathe in anticipation of the second volume, so I implore the author and publisher to make haste in its release before I require the attention of an herbalist.
Ms. Hunter has a long, illustrious career as a writer ahead of her, of that I am quite certain. One of such amazing talent and skill will not be made to wait long before being “discovered.” She is definitely one to watch!
Please, someone—start the screenplay. This has got to be made into a movie.
July 9, 2012
Rachel Hunter’s blog tour
Check out Rachel Hunter’s blog tour this week, July 9-13, 2012.
http://atomrbookblogtours.com/2012/04/21/empyreal-fate/
Empyreal Fate, by Rachel Hunter
