We Do Miss Fiji

One of the most beautiful videos I've seen in a long while - underwater sites in Fiji and Tonga. It goes by fast, so just pause it as you please to take in the scenes.

Full screen is a must for this one:


We will return one day.

Turning to final approach, Matei airport, Taveuni, Fiji

A B C D Goldfish?

L M N O Goldfish!


O S A R Goldfish! C M?


O I C D Goldfish!


Or do you?


(full screen highly recommended)

Painting a cross section of goldfish between each layer of resin, artist Riusuke Fukahori creates three dimensional images, much in the way 3D printers work. The result, as you can see, is a stunning illusion.

Power Play

Stop SOPA

Censorship

Stop SOPA

It Is To Laugh

According to ancient mythology, Japan's Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami, went into hiding in a cave after an argument with her brother that had resulted in the death of one of her attendants. As a result of her entering the cave, the world was plunged into darkness. What to do?

Eventually, she was coaxed out by the prayers and dancing of Ame-no-Koyane-no Mikoto, Hiraoka shrine's main diety along with the laughter of the other gods.

Nowadays, there is an annual Laugh Festival held at Hiraoka Shrine in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture. Priests and followers give it their all to laugh out loud, long and hard.



Other countries and cultures have laugh festivals as well. And laughter can lighten one's burdens even if one has to "fake it" at first. Our minds and bodies are so intertwined that the physical act of laughing or smiling will trigger happy feelings in the mind. Like yawning, laughter is contagious.

So have a good laugh. Even the gods will enjoy it.


Daffy and Porky in Robin Hood Daffy (1958)

Momo Rocks-in the New Year

Momo likes to drum. When she sits on "her" bench on our front porch and wags her tail, she hits the storage box of the storm shutters which sounds like a drum. Of course, off camera she can really get into it at times and make sound like a "taiko" drum.


2012 is of course the Year of the Dragon. Our friend Arkonbey, who draws comic books and graphic novels (among other talents), recently got the idea for a comic about an all girl puppy band called the "Glitter Dragons". To read about how he came up with the idea and the name, check out this post on his website Obscurum.


Arkonbey emailed and asked if he could model the drummer after Momo and of course we said that would be a great honor. So now Momo is drumming for the "Glitter Dragons".

Here is the band on stage:

Drawing by Arkonbey, over-painting by his significant other, Sweet Enemy


And now the Glitter Dragons have their own blog. Click on the logo above to check it out!

Momo, you rock! You never cease to amaze us. Thank you Arkonbey and Sweet Enemy. Happy New Year of the Glitter Dragons!