WELL, HERE WE GO, AGAIN. JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE RIGHT ON TOP OF HILLARY CLINTON OVER ON CNN GO, THE ASIAN VERSION OF THAT BIG TED TURNER NETWORK.
WE SLID BACK A FEW PAGES SINCE THEN. THERE'S PLENTY OF NEWS GOING ON AROUND THE WORLD, I GUESS. SO, I'LL JUST HAVE TO SCHEME AND PLOT, CRAWL AROUND WITH MY TRUSTY CAMERAS AND FIND A NEW ANGLE TO GET BACK IN PRINT SOMEDAY.
BEING IT WAS MY FIRST TIME GETTING PUBLISHED IN ANYTHING AS BIG AS CNN, I KEPT QUIET WHEN I SAW SOME OF THE CONTROVERSY TAKING PLACE IN THE COMMENTS.
SOME FOLKS COMPLAINED ABOUT ANIMALS BEING ABUSED FOR PLEASURE OR ENTERTAINMENT.
PROBABLY BEST FOR ME TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.
I SPENT A FEW MONTHS AROUND THESE FIGHTING BULLS AND KNOW THEY'RE JUST REALLY BIG PAMPERED PETS.
ONE GUY COMMENTED IT WAS EVIL 17TH CENTURY STUFF AND AS BAD AS DOG FIGHTING AND COCKFIGHTING.
I'M NO FAN OF EITHER OF THOSE SPORTS, MYSELF AND IF I WAS I'D BE DAMNED IF I'D TAKE MY KIDS TO POSE ON A FIGHTING DOG OR CHICKEN'S BACK AFTER THE FIGHTS.
WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE PROTESTING OKINAWAN BULLFIGHTS:
WHO GIVES YOU THE AUTHORITY TO DENOUNCE BULLFIGHTING?
TELL ME YOU'E NEVER EATEN BABY CARROTS.
INNOCENT LITTLE VEGETABLES RIPPED AWAY FROM THEIR ROOTS BEFORE THEY EVEN REACHED MATURITY JUST FOR YOUR PERSONAL SATISFACTION.
SEE THE BLOODLESS BULLFIGHTING ARTICLE AND COMMENT IF YOU'D LIKE. I'VE GOT OTHER THINGS I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING !
Here's that Shisa again in a different style. I composed this shot vertically just because I know some magazines prefer them that way and by golly that's the way this one got published along with another half dozen, or so, horizontal shots that are getting some exposure on the World Wide Web, right now. This guy already hit my Front Page, once, when he first got published but, I figure he ought to get some Back Page coverage, too.
For awhile, I was posting a Photo of the Day here, on this blog and another Photo of the Day on my homepage. Well, I got busy and kinda forgot about this blog for over a week.
Followers started complaining I wasn't posting, the analytics people sent me my weekly analytics update and told me "Nobody's reading your blog because you haven't put anything new on there".
Well, no kidding; I've been busy writing for other people, some that even pay me to write. Next week, I'll be hitting my two-dozenth publication (Is that a word, two dozenth?). My Spellchek is turned off and if it was on, I'd ignore it anyway. People who read my rantings know I'm not really a dummy but they ezpect something different when they come here to read. So, that's what I try and give them. Everywhere else I write I have to be more formal because I'm writing for someone else. Here, this blog is my playground and I can do whatever I want. so, that's what I do.
Right now, I'm experimenting with POCKET CULTURES LOGO I borrowed off their website. I hope they don't fire me. They are some really nice people who were nice enough to make me a Regional Contributor for Japan. Pocket Cultures is like a worldwide outfit made up of people living all around the globe. They're not your typical traveler, somebody who just visits a country for a vacation and writes about it like they suddenly became an expert. These are people who live in the country they're writing about. Probably, none of them live in a five star hotel but, if they do, it's probably because they work there not because they're on vacation. My kinda people.
If you get a chance, check it out and tell me what you think. I know, I have a blast reading what everybody else writes and learning about places I've never even heard of, when I visit there. Visit my FIRST POST and leave a comment and I'll see what else I can cook-up for you. Meanwhile, be patient with me and my BACK PAGE, I'm a busy man!
To be continued...
Another shot taken on the 22d of August 2009, the longest camera shoot, I think I've ever done in my whole life, is this one.
Hopefully, one of these days, when I'm all caught up, I'm either going to the post office to mail a framed print of this to the gal or I'm going to hand deliver it.
Procrastination should have been my middle name or I should get paid for it, because I do it better than anyone I've ever met. That's a fact. I'll probably be the oldest man in Japan, someday because I'll just keep putting-off dying.
I've got this gal's name and address somewhere in my emails, a permission to have the photo published, her niece and niece's husbands emails, directions to everyone's houses and the framed photo stuffed in an envelope ready to go. Just never have the time to put it all together and gitterdun, as they say back in redneck country.
What I really need isn't a kick in the butt or push in the right direction; I need a secretary. Someone who could do all that kinda stuff like, my typing, taxes, translating, driving, shopping, Xmas cards, birthday cards delivering photos and all the other stuff that keeps me too busy to remember what I'm supposed to be doing everyday. I need, like an intern. Someone who does the stuff for free and is happy for all the practical experience they gain by hanging around with me.
They wouldn't have to worry about me going presidential on them or anything, either. I don't play golf so, I put running for president on the back burner for so long, I'm probably not qualified anymore, if ya know what I mean.
Anyway, I did keep one promise I made to the gal dancing around the fires. I got it published and emailed a link to her family. HERE.
EVERYBODY MUST BE TOO BUSY TO COMMENT ON MY CAMERA TALK BLOG...
.....SO, I DECIDED TO GIVE THIS A TRY !
Maybe, there's something I forgot to hook-up over there at In The Know Traveler so, nobody knows I did a post the other day. I've been so busy with trying to get magazine articles done, fighting a wicked cold, taking who-knows-what-kinda Japanese medicines to knock me out, hoping I'll sweat it out in the three or four hours the dogs let me sleep every night. Maybe I'm halucinating but, when I looked at the comments over there the only comment was a Tweet from some guy with the same name as me ! So, if anyone wamts to know why I titled this photo "Squeeky Grandkids", they'll just have to CLICK on the title and go over there to see what I'm talkin' about and when I get notified, I'll jump over there and respond !
The real story behind this photo is pretty interesting, to me, anyway. I'll never forget the day I took it. It was August 22, 2009 and one of the longest camera days I've spent shooting in my whole life.
That morning, I was up at 4AM drinking my iced-coffee as fast as I could. I knew I had to pack up my cameras for an overnight trip and had to give my mutts a really long walk because they wouldn't see me again for awhile. Nobody can walk those critters but me; they're shoulder- dislocating, rib-cracking, skull-splitting, nose-breaking, strong if you don't know how to handle Huskies. I know, they taught me everything, through on the job training. Now, I know how to handle them, better than anybody, 'cuz they did all that stuff to me. It's not intentional. Once they see you laying unconscious bleeding from yer cracked noggin, they stop pullin' and come back and lick you until you wake up. Cool dogs !
Anyway, back to the rainbow photo. Rachel Sensei, the translator, driver, friend of family and her two sons and I, were heading up to the northern hills of Okinawa to do a story on the Shinugu Matsuri, an event that happens only once, every two years. I'd suggested we leave my house at 6AM because it's a long drive and in August it gets hot early in the morning. So, I figured, taking into consideration, Okinawa Time (anywhere within two hours of when you promise to be somewhere) she'd show up between 6 and 7AM.
They got to my house closer to 7AM and the sun was already up and bright.
Then, I suggested we drive up the West Coast of the island so the mountain would block the sun from blinding us. Well halfway across the island it started raining. That's Okinawa for ya; don't like the weather, just drive to the other side. Or, you can stay where you're at, and just wait five minutes; it's all the same.
Well, I was thinking, "This is gonna be a real blast, gettin' rained on at this once, every two years festival. Lucka the Irish." Even Rachel was groaning, and she's from the UK.
I told her not to worry, somehow Okinawans always manage to have their events, even on rainy days, they make the rain stop. I've seen it a hundred times. I don't know how they do it. Karma ain't from here, is it?
We were headed north on the west side of the island when all of a sudden, the rain stopped and a rainbow appeared. By the time we could safely pull off the highway and run across to get some pictures, black skies started rolling-in again. There was no sense trying to get a tripod set up. I just used a guardrail to steady the camera an fired away.
Rain came again as we got back in the car and continued our trip to the Village of Ada for the festival. The rain stopped before we got there. We had a nice sunny August day and I got to shoot pictures in town, up on the mountains, down at the beach and got photos of the night dances around the bonfires and shots of everyone drinking sake at the end of the event. Had a few shots of the kerosene-tasting stuff, myself.
Around midnight, I woke up the last two boozed-up, passed-out local men and told them they should go home. Then, I laid down on a concrete slab under the stars and passed out.
Well, it's been awhile, I know. Busy, Busy, Busy but I'll squeeze this in quick.
This week I have alot of deadlines to meet. Some of them real important, others, I just make-up myself. I like to get stuff done early so, when a magazine editor says it's due the 15th of the month, I want it sent-in a week early. That way, if it's all done and no changes are required, I get to goof off; that's what I do best.
For me goofing off means throwing on a backpack full of cameras and hanging out in the wild.
It's been quite a long time since I've loaded up the pack and harnessed the dogs to go out for an eleven or twelve hour day. That's not work to me, it's relaxation. The work starts when you get home and download the cameras.
It's Golden Week in Japan, right now so, tomorrow's not a good day for me to goof off.
Everybody's off and a frazillion Grandkids will probably drag me to some beach for a party; happens every year. I need to go to a beach party like I need another hole in my head. Fighting a cold for the past week and think it's almost whipped. The oldest Granddaughter started talking about the beach party today and I told her, "Grandpa's got a cold and can't go." She understood. She knows exactly what to do. She'll send her three year old sister to get Grandpa to go to the beach tomorrow. All she has to do is look in my eyes, smile and say, "Grandpa, let's go". Then, I can't refuse. They know that. It's a thing girls have.
Witchcraft, I tell you, it's Witchcraft and they're born with it !
If you want to know more about the bird photo, CLICK on CRITTER OF THE DAY up above. I have to get outa here and see if I can find my swimsuit.
WELL, HERE WE GO, AGAIN. JUST A FEW DAYS AGO I WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE RIGHT ON TOP OF HILLARY CLINTON OVER ON CNN GO, THE ASIAN VERSION OF THAT BIG TED TURNER NETWORK.
