![[title of show]](http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b285/ShephardSummers/titleofshowsm.jpg)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Promises of Posts to Come
It's been a fruitful nose-to-the-creative-grindstone week.
And also a crazy week full of distractions from the Cable Company (don't even get me started on how badly the Cable Company needs a sound thrashing), and also from The Mouse.
The Mouse is a demanding mistress. It was a BIG week for B. There are screenings every 10 to 12 weeks that kinda update The Brass as to the film's progress, followed by 2 six-hour notes-sessions, after which there is a tearing down and then rebuilding, and sometimes a return what they had in the first place, with many many cooks in the kitchen. This is the way their films get made (you can see some beautiful concept art if you go to D*sn*yAn*mati*n dot com, and click on PROJECTS, then R*P*NZEL then the yellow flower, lower right...gorgeous paintings).
So while B has been working late, I've been focusing on the deadline with my editor. Even though I have a post ready to go here on the blog, I've had to apply myself to this deadline. It's been inspiring and encouraging for me. And I need that, after the last month. :)
So, next week, at least two more Japan posts for sure; I'll have turned in 50+ pages and have some free time while awaiting my own notes session.
~Shephard :)
Labels: Cats: Golly
posted by Shephard @ 
Monday, July 27, 2009
Careful Not to Get Your Pluck Stuck in the Muck
I'm a magnetic personality. So are you.
Maybe we don't always remember how powerful these magnets are. Devil's advocate: let's pretend just for a moment that I don't believe thoughts are magnetic things that draw matching experiences. We'll just say that I have these negative beliefs about the world that don't actually draw to me confirmation of the same. Even so, why carry them around and let them squash my joy? How is this helping me?
If you read me at all, you know I don't choose to believe it's that random. But on the other side of a two week doldrum, I actually had the nerve to be surprised that my negative belief brought someone into my life to confirm that belief exactly! Magnets work. I'd love to be specific in a very *pointed* way, but I can't share the details... in the same way that you can't really blame a person whose life is surrounded and reinforced by what they believe. That person has all the proof they need that the world is flat. They're just repeating exactly what they hear day after day. We all do that at varying times in our lives. Gandhi reminds me: "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
Oh what I wouldn't give for an Auntie Mame to waltz into my life (she would always waltz into my life) when I needed it most, and grab me affectionately by the bootstraps (must always remember to wear bootstraps so she has something to grab) and lift me up high above the muck and mire (of accepted conformacy) so I have an unobstructed view. She'd also bring me pink & turquoise cupcakes and have a cat named Zanzibar, and she'd smell like cocoa-vanilla-orange-surprise and wear hats and use words like "hoopla" and "poppycock."
I don't have an Auntie Mame. But what I do have is a set of personal guidelines (those things I tend to go on and on about on this blog) that usually lift me up out of the doldrums.
"Those who really want a thing, work at it until they get it. Pluck makes luck."
"Those who really want a thing, work at it until they get it. Pluck makes luck."
"We all see what we want to see. Coffey looks and he sees Russians. He sees hate and fear. You have to look with better eyes than that." ~ from the movie The Abyss
"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself." ~Harvey Fierstein
"Whatever you want in life, other people are going to want it too. Believe in yourself enough to accept the idea that you have an equal right to it." ~ Diane Sawyer
"You have to pick up the mantle. Whatever your mantle is in life, whatever you've been dealt, you have to pick it up and wear it well. Be your authentic self; that's the toughest thing to do." ~Jim Carrey
"The foolish person seeks happiness in the distance, the wise person grows it under his feet." --James Oppenheim
And if all else fails, how about....
"What if we just acted like everything was easy?"
~Mary Anne Radmacher
~Mary Anne Radmacher
I bought a magnet that said that this week. So, I'm going with that for now. That and the margarita I plan to drink tonight.
~Shephard :)
Labels: Life Skills
Monday, July 20, 2009
We Interrupt This Blog . . .
We of the Fur Contingency would like to reassure the readers of this blog that there will be another post very soon, likely Tuesday, but our humans are currently having too much fun showing some out-of-towners a good time. Stay tuned for the Kitties of Kyoto and more.
~Oboe & Golly
Labels: Cats: Golly, Cats: Oboe
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
El*ctrictown & Plastic Fantastic Food
During day two of the press junket in Tokyo, I went on a small shopping adventure with our friend Clark.
The city was a bit cloudy and overcast, but it didn't dampen our spirits at all. 
I couldn't wait to get down there into the streets! See some day-to-day Japanese life and do some shopping!
I couldn't believe my eyes how picturesque this was. Little kids in their school uniforms, being led like little yellow duckies to class.
Apparently it is very common for temples (which we were visiting) to have day-care or kindegarden type facilities as part of their services (if I understood our driver correctly). Zoom in, look at the faces. ADORABLE.
Zoom zoom... :)
The legendary plastic food! It's in every restaurant window, letting you know exactly what to expect on the table. When my friend Jessica said, " Bring me back some sushi, ha ha," I snickered to myself. OOOkaaay! 
There were stores in the kitchen supply area of Tokyo (can't remember the name of the area, but it wasn't too far from Asakusa) that sold plastic food. Clark humored me as we bounced from one back to the other for the best artistry and prices. 
Time for Sushi?
I wanted a cake. How cool would that be on a cake pedestal in the kitchen?
Imagine my surprise when I learned that the artistry and craftsmanship of the hand-painted food had prices to match.
These glasses of beer for example... not that tall really... $50 American. (and yes, I did get Jessica some sushi, hee hee).
Actual restaurant window example
These two pics of ice cream were actually taken in Kyoto.. I wanted to show you the level of artistry in some of the window display food... the price you see... is not for the plastic food, but for the REAL food if you want to order it!!!Good freakin' lord!!
Just move the decimal two places from the right to convert to American dollars. But you get the idea. I shudder to think what it cost this restaurant to have these food sculptures special-made for their windows. Hundreds of dollars, at least.
Next it was off to the famed Electric Town... Akih*bara !!
I liken it to the Times Square of Geekdom. Imagine buildings, 5 or more stories, filled with shops selling nothing but anime (Japanese animation), manga (comics), action figures, DVD's, and toys!
We had a tight schedule... I had a choice... shopping... or going to one of the many many cafes where all the waitresses were dressed in colorful cutesy maid costumes... I chose shopping of course, but did manage to snap ONE (blurry) maid costume on the street.
Some of the toys in the shops. I was too busy shopping to take that many photos. I knew B would not get to see this area on this trip (he had to work), so I tried to take enough to give him the feel of it, but was also shopping for him and for gifts for friends.
Um... Clothes-Pin Nun? Sure. Why not!
Oh, I wanted it. Really. It's a very famous character from a beloved Japanese anime film called Kiki's D*livery S*rvice. It was 2 feet tall and $189 American. I didn't buy it. I have a few smaller versions tho. So well done. All their toys are spot on... no wonky looking faces or bodies... the toys look exactly like the characters, exactly the way they're supposed to (unlike cheap half-a**ed American toys). This guy could have easily sat next to me on the airplane in 1st class. There was room.
Honestly, after 2 hours or so and climbing from floor to floor in these maze-like buildings full of toys, my eyes glazed over, and it all began to look the same.
We're due to go back (tho this can change any time) in 2011 for the press junket for the next movie B is directing. We'll spend a proper amount of time here then, maybe. 
I think the next post I do should contrast this splashy plastic colorful one... so I may do one of the beautiful serene temples or shrines from Kyoto! :) ~Shephard :)
Labels: Japan
Monday, July 13, 2009
White Cloud List
In the quiet of a Sunday evening, we sat there, TV muted, and we counted our happy and made plans for the future. And after a good hour of talking, the dullness evaporated, and we felt pretty good.
Just the day before, we went to a beautiful public garden to be with the wind and the trees and the roses. And we made a list of the things that lift our moods while we sat there on a park bench watching the white clouds. Sometimes we just can't see through the sameness. Now we have a list of things we can do when the dullness sets in, when goals and life-changes are too far off.
Not that we were particularly down, mind you. It's more like inertia. Sometimes, the sameness of it all makes us think we're not moving forward (an illusion). I'm not only grateful for the boredom, but I embrace it gladly, because I don't need drama or adrenaline to feel alive. I'll take the events of this last week any day (overlfowing washing machines, misunderstandings, disappointing news etc) over the kinds of news that turn our lives upside-down.
What feels more clean than a single white cloud floating in a blue sky? Some days, I just want to be that cloud, surrounded by a big blue sky, simple, peaceful, lighter than air. So here's my White Cloud List, just in case it inspires someone else out there. And anyone who wants to toss me more ideas for my list, I'm all ears.
Searching for new music
Walking outside
Try a new restaurant
Browsing in a Bookstore
Blog sprucing/new art
Study French
Shutterfly projects
Movies & Buttered Popcorn
Make a CD
Nachos & Movie Night
Video games
Spontaneously call friends
Plan a fun dinner event
Museums/exhibits
Go to a park/feed ducks
Handmade Galleries (a favorite shop)
Studio City/Long Beach (fave shopping streets)
Art supply/Office Supply store
Listen to Christmas Music
Salmon Nicoise Salad (fave healthy meal)
Plan theatre tickets
Throw Stuff Out/Organize (a fave way to feel better)
Watch a favorite movie on DVD
Plan/talk about a vacation (even if we don't go)
Turkey Burgers
Crate & Barrel
Contemplate the hardships we do not have
Be grateful and remember nothing stays the same!
I'm a white cloud, surrounded by a world of blue sky... it may not look like I'm making progress through the giant expanse of sameness, but I am. I'll get there. But right now, I'm going to enjoy the view from the sameness.
~Shephard :)
Just the day before, we went to a beautiful public garden to be with the wind and the trees and the roses. And we made a list of the things that lift our moods while we sat there on a park bench watching the white clouds. Sometimes we just can't see through the sameness. Now we have a list of things we can do when the dullness sets in, when goals and life-changes are too far off.
Not that we were particularly down, mind you. It's more like inertia. Sometimes, the sameness of it all makes us think we're not moving forward (an illusion). I'm not only grateful for the boredom, but I embrace it gladly, because I don't need drama or adrenaline to feel alive. I'll take the events of this last week any day (overlfowing washing machines, misunderstandings, disappointing news etc) over the kinds of news that turn our lives upside-down.
What feels more clean than a single white cloud floating in a blue sky? Some days, I just want to be that cloud, surrounded by a big blue sky, simple, peaceful, lighter than air. So here's my White Cloud List, just in case it inspires someone else out there. And anyone who wants to toss me more ideas for my list, I'm all ears.
Searching for new music
Walking outside
Try a new restaurant
Browsing in a Bookstore
Blog sprucing/new art
Study French
Shutterfly projects
Movies & Buttered Popcorn
Make a CD
Nachos & Movie Night
Video games
Spontaneously call friends
Plan a fun dinner event
Museums/exhibits
Go to a park/feed ducks
Handmade Galleries (a favorite shop)
Studio City/Long Beach (fave shopping streets)
Art supply/Office Supply store
Listen to Christmas Music
Salmon Nicoise Salad (fave healthy meal)
Plan theatre tickets
Throw Stuff Out/Organize (a fave way to feel better)
Watch a favorite movie on DVD
Plan/talk about a vacation (even if we don't go)
Turkey Burgers
Crate & Barrel
Contemplate the hardships we do not have
Be grateful and remember nothing stays the same!
I'm a white cloud, surrounded by a world of blue sky... it may not look like I'm making progress through the giant expanse of sameness, but I am. I'll get there. But right now, I'm going to enjoy the view from the sameness.
~Shephard :)
Labels: Of Mice and Mondays
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Asak*sa District
On one of the busier press days, I needed to fill some time, so our friend Clark joined me for a day at Asakusa (aw-SOCK-saw). Above is the Outer Gate (entrance) to Sensoji Temple and Asakusa Shrine. Little did I know it was not only an historical site full of great architecture (bombed, rebuilt I think in the 50's), but also a shopping mecca. The guy in front... no clue, but I thought he was 
No, that's not a Japanese boyband... it's just four kids in their school uniforms. You can also see the gauntlet of retail shops that you walk before getting to the Inner (bigger) Gate of Sensoji Buddhist Temple. What was in the shops? You'll see later!
Closer to the Inner Gate....
View looking left of Inner Gate... the day was so harshly overcast that it really messed with my photos and my barely adequate camera. But it's still pretty.
The Inner Gate.
Close up. Can you imagine the wattage on the lightbulb for that lantern?
From the side, I believe.
The actual shrine inside the temple. Very hard to get a photo, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take them... I saw no signs, but was trying to be brief, flashless and respectful.
This adorable art (behind glass) was some sort of sign... perhaps a history, perhaps even an ad or some sort... I have no idea. But I loved all the little archetypal characters on it. Zoom to see details.
What's luckier than one Buddha statue?
Two Buddha statues...
Details of the nearby Asakusa Shrine (I think it's a Shinto Shrine... I might be wrong)
But the colors were stunning. Wish I could have photographed it in sunshine. (Maybe in 2011 if we return with the follically-gifted girl)
Foo Dog/Lion. Not sure which.
Okay! Lion!!
(dog?)
Here I used a very special lens to push the image to white hot with a high contrast of color (yeah right... )
You're still seeing the Inner Gate, by the way. Because the exterior of the actual Temple, a VERY large building, was completely covered in scraffolding in the midst of an extensive restoration.
There were also other side streets with tons of shopping! I did take a few photos of items. Some I bought, some I didn't.
Didn't buy.
Didn't buy.
Bought (for B)
Didn't buy. What are they? Chocolate billiard balls?
Bought!!
(at the cutest shop full of handmade crafts)
Didn't buy.
(but they made me smile)
Love this shot of an adjacent shopping street. See the Rikshaw? :) If you look closely, you can also see the bunny door-hanging that I bought.
There were Rikshaw drivers all around Asakusa, offering rides.
Rikshaw shoes. Oddly appealing.
Looking back toward the Outer Gate down the Shopping Gauntlet. I didn't escape the gauntlet. Found really cute gifts. There was some cheap stuff, but mostly it was fun and worth looking. It must look very carnivalesque at night.
You can see the actual temple behind the Inner Gate in this shot --covered in scaffold and tarps. I bet it's beautiful.
Stay tuned for more Tokyo!!
From the side, I believe.
The actual shrine inside the temple. Very hard to get a photo, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take them... I saw no signs, but was trying to be brief, flashless and respectful.
This adorable art (behind glass) was some sort of sign... perhaps a history, perhaps even an ad or some sort... I have no idea. But I loved all the little archetypal characters on it. Zoom to see details.
What's luckier than one Buddha statue?
Two Buddha statues...
Details of the nearby Asakusa Shrine (I think it's a Shinto Shrine... I might be wrong)
But the colors were stunning. Wish I could have photographed it in sunshine. (Maybe in 2011 if we return with the follically-gifted girl)
Foo Dog/Lion. Not sure which.
Okay! Lion!!(dog?)
Here I used a very special lens to push the image to white hot with a high contrast of color (yeah right... )
You're still seeing the Inner Gate, by the way. Because the exterior of the actual Temple, a VERY large building, was completely covered in scraffolding in the midst of an extensive restoration.
There were also other side streets with tons of shopping! I did take a few photos of items. Some I bought, some I didn't.
Didn't buy.
Didn't buy.
Bought (for B)
Didn't buy. What are they? Chocolate billiard balls?
Bought!!(at the cutest shop full of handmade crafts)
Didn't buy.(but they made me smile)
Love this shot of an adjacent shopping street. See the Rikshaw? :) If you look closely, you can also see the bunny door-hanging that I bought.
There were Rikshaw drivers all around Asakusa, offering rides.
Rikshaw shoes. Oddly appealing.
Looking back toward the Outer Gate down the Shopping Gauntlet. I didn't escape the gauntlet. Found really cute gifts. There was some cheap stuff, but mostly it was fun and worth looking. It must look very carnivalesque at night.
You can see the actual temple behind the Inner Gate in this shot --covered in scaffold and tarps. I bet it's beautiful.
Stay tuned for more Tokyo!!
~Shephard :)
Labels: Japan