Kiyoshi Martinez

Handpainted sumi-e card

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:16:18 -0600

“Koboku meikakuzu” or “Kingfisher Perched on a Withered Branch”...

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:37:35 -0600

“Koboku meikakuzu” or “Kingfisher Perched on a Withered Branch” by Miyamoto Musashi

My love for the samurai

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:36:00 -0600

If I had absurd amounts of money, probably one of the first completely unnecessary purchases I would make would be a set of authentic samurai armor dating as far back as possible and with the most ornate detail. I’d want it all. The chestplate, the facemask, the headdress, the gauntlets, the sword and spears and flags. All of it.

Around my sophomore year in college I went through a “samurai” phase where I rented nearly every Akira Kurosawa samurai movie at the local video store and bought a few others. I’ve seen two versions of the 47 ronin story. I actually read up on Macbeth and King Lear to understand Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” and “Ran” better. I grin when people talk about how great Westerns were, when Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” influenced Sergio Leone’s “A Fistful of Dollars” and his “Seven Samurai” influenced John Ford’s “Magnificent Seven.” And watching George Lucas’ roots for “Star Wars” from “The Hidden Fortress” is a complete joy that makes you appreciate the science-fiction story at a new level.

It’s fair to say I have a romantic view of the samurai tradition, heavily influenced by Kurosawa’s films. While lots of people like ninjas for their Hollywood kitsch value, I think there’s something to be admired about the nobility and prestige of the samurai class.

While traditionally viewed as a warrior class, the samurai also embraced the arts. Many were painters, writers, poets and philosophers. There’s a sense of intellectualism in the samurais alongside a steadfast loyalty that went to death.

Perhaps my favorite samurai that I can name is Miyamoto Musashi. Besides being a complete badass when it came to duels, the guy wrote a book and did some phenomenally beautiful sumi-e ink paintings.

Perhaps Musashi’s best-known work is “Koboku meikakuzu” or “Kingfisher Perched on a Withered Branch” that features a bird waiting patiently balanced on a small branch, above a body of water among the shoreline of reeds. At first glance, it appears to be merely a bird on a stick, but closer observation shows you why the bird has landed there. In fact, the bird’s been there quite a long time. It’s been there, waiting, as a small caterpillar crawls up the branch where the kingfisher waits for an easy meal.

The point of the painting, I believe, is to show resourcefulness. While the bird could easily fly off the branch and go for the kill, it chooses to let the meal come to him. The bird is confident in its position of power and knowledge of the fate to come. It feels no sense to rush and has a sense of serene patience as it glances to take in the surroundings. The painting has a sense of peace, but really is a precursor to violence in nature.

Musashi’s “Book of Five Rings” or “Go Rin No Sho” identifies the ideas that I believe he portrays in this painting. While I think the “Water Book” emphasizes a lot of elements of the kingfisher and the samurai way, Musashi mentions this earlier in the book:

There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice.

Indeed, the kingfisher is a master of timing and knows enough to wait. Knowing this, we can see this is an older bird, one that’s wise enough to have the experience of how to best catch his prey, no matter how small.

One other element to look at in the painting is the distinct shape of the branch. It appears to be done in one stroke, or made to look like the shape of a samurai’s sword. Both creatures here are along the edge of the branch, meaning they are along the edge of the weapon. While the caterpillar crawls along the edge, obviously closer to death, the kingfisher also sits on the blade. Why does the bird also find itself on the edge of death?

I believe it sits there because its own life depends on the death of the caterpillar and it killing its prey. If it doesn’t succeed, then it could die also. In a way, this shows the reality of combat. Even if one is in a position of power, he holds the possibility of death in his own hands despite all the advantages. A worthwhile lesson.

Musashi’s tale would end up as a trilogy of films, starring legendary actor Toshiro Mifune as the samurai, the first of which won an Academy Award. I’d obviously recommend viewing them if you have a chance, as they’re often called the “Gone of the Wind” of Japanese cinema.

So, yes, my obsession of the samurai does run rather deep. I admire this particular part of my culture greatly, despite not being well-educated on the rich history of it. Still, a part of me holds an extreme reverence toward this part of my ancestry and influences me to a degree.

Samurai Jack - Probably one of the best cartoons ever made. A...

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:36:11 -0600

Samurai Jack - Probably one of the best cartoons ever made. A damned shame it got canned by Cartoon Network. But the rumor is that a full-length movie is in production now, with J.J. Abrams producing!

“All black everything.”

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:16:03 -0600

“All black everything.”

Marvel/DC “New Moon” parody - So, the guy that does...

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:09:00 -0600

Marvel/DC “New Moon” parody - So, the guy that does “I’m a Marvel and I’m a DC” did a “Twilight” parody. Mildly funny, but man alive is it full of nerd/geek/dork references.

175 calories? Per bottle? Dammit.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:56:40 -0600

175 calories? Per bottle? Dammit.

Weezer feat. Sara Bareilles - “(If you’re wondering...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:52:33 -0600

Weezer feat. Sara Bareilles - “(If you’re wondering if I want you to) I want you to”

So, the AOL Sessions songs are pretty fantastic. Kind of wondering why Weezer didn’t put this version of the song on the album, because it’s infinitely better.

Random facts about Samuel Adams (via WikiPedia)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:42:43 -0600

Random facts about Samuel Adams (via WikiPedia):

He hated taxation without representation.
A letter he wrote to get the colonies to unite and protest taxes led to the Boston Massacre.
He was the leader of the original Tea Party movement. But don’t call him a tea bagger. Seriously. They didn’t have tea bags back then. Strainers FTW!
He was a master of propaganda and tried to start mobs. Sounds kind of like my job, but he was obviously better at it.
He really didn’t care much about money. That’s something the two of us DON’T have in common.
He wasn’t really a brewer, more of maltster, technically.
He was one of two people not offered a chance of a general pardon from British General Gage, because he was that notorious and hunted. The other guy? Fellow Declaration of Independence signer John Hancock.
He was a Jeffersonian Republican. HECK YEAH!
He spent the last decade of his life unable to write because of an essential tremor.
He’s known as the “Father of the Revolution.”

What Samuel Adams says about their White Ale

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:22:00 -0600

Spicy, yet smooth. Brewed with ten exotic spices!

This beer’s roots are in Belgium, and the classic Wit biers produced by Belgium’s brewers.

The style gets its name from the white, milky appearance of this unfiltered wheat ale. The brewers of Samuel Adams beer, taking inspiration from the Belgians, have created a classic of their own.

On the malt side, we use malted two row Pale barley, malted wheat, and Munich malt to give this beer a crisp, malty, cereal finish and smooth mouth feel. The hops used are Noble Tettnang Tettnanger hops.

At the end of the kettle boil, we add a proprietary spice blend to give Samuel Adams White Ale a unique and complex flavor, without being overpowering or cloying.

The spice blend includes orange and lemon peel, dried plum, grains of paradise, coriander, anise, hibiscus, rose hips, tamarind, and vanilla. It is this special blend of spices that gives Samuel Adams White Ale its unique character, complexity and refreshing drinkability.

The beer is coarse filtered, leaving a white haze from the malt proteins. Our proprietary top fermenting ale yeast ferments the beer, imparting its signature character - bright and slightly fruity.

Samuel Adams White Ale Brewery Tour - In the words of Liz Lemon:...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:16:32 -0600

Samuel Adams White Ale Brewery Tour - In the words of Liz Lemon: “I want to go to there.”

Tonight’s sponsor! Samuel Adams White Ale is delicious and...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:37 -0600

Tonight’s sponsor! Samuel Adams White Ale is delicious and probably my favorite seasonal. Almost makes it worth the winter weather. Almost.

shynessisnice: prettyproblematic: I did not know he wrote for...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:01:52 -0600

shynessisnice:

prettyproblematic:

I did not know he wrote for 30 Rock for three seasons.

I had no idea…

Uh, did we all just watch him on Comedy Central about 2 minutes ago?

The sapeurs of Congo - Go here for a great gallery of fantastic...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:23:51 -0600

The sapeurs of Congo - Go here for a great gallery of fantastic fashion. Via Put This On, which you should follow on Tumblr.

Adidas Star Wars collection preview - I’m not typically...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:11:35 -0600

Adidas Star Wars collection preview - I’m not typically crazy over sneakers (don’t really fit in at the office), but these are geeky enough for me to like. Click through to see the Vader shoes.

Loaded Santa on Twitter

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:06:35 -0600

Loaded Santa on Twitter:

St. Nick is drunk again.

The unauthorized, uncollected stories of J.D. Salinger

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:04:00 -0600

The unauthorized, uncollected stories of J.D. Salinger:

Odds are pretty good you weren’t alive from 1945 to 1965, so you probably didn’t have an opportunity to read these 22 short stories by the famous author of “Catcher in the Rye.”

Don’t fret. The full text of these stories are available for you to read at this site, which has conveniently collected them without the reclusive Mr. Salinger’s approval.

How good are they? I’m not entirely sure, but you might be interested to know that several stories are tangentially related to Holden Caulfield’s story. So, if you’re a fan of the novel, these in particular would be worth your time.

I should also note that if you intend to print all the stories out, it’ll be about a ream of paper thick. (And, yes, this is how I’m spending the evening.)

Via Kottke.

"I care so much about social media that it’s kind of dorky and it really pains me sometimes to..."

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:35:33 -0600

“I care so much about social media that it’s kind of dorky and it really pains me sometimes to see it used in ways that are pretty close to urinating in a public well, because I have to drink from that later.”

- Merlin Mann

You should watch the entire hour-long speech. By the end, it should change the way you use and look at social media.

Sparklines: theory and practice

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:39:25 -0600

Sparklines: theory and practice:

What an amazing concept. Via Kottke.

anniehinton: Jon Hamm’s John Ham. For Christian and...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:01:40 -0600

anniehinton:

Jon Hamm’s John Ham.

For Christian and Dan.

“Feel like a dummy yet?”