Whatcha Got Cookin'?

 

For someone who doesn't like to cook, I seem to enjoy collecting cookbooks. I'm fortunate now that my mother-in-law does most of the cooking for me and Yoko. She'll cook for herself and my father-in-law, often fish and other healthy meals. They eat around 6Pm almost on the dot every night. Because of our work schedules, Yoko and I eat much later. I usually wait until Yoko gets home so her and I can eat together. Because my mother-in-law knows that we like meat and such, she'll usually cook a different main dish for us, but whatever she made as side dishes for herself and my father-in-law, we will eat as well. Because of all of this, I rarely have to cook.   q    

Let's All NOT Go to the Movies

 I no longer want to go to the movies. And I'm okay with that.

When it was announced HBO Max and Disney+ would be releasing movies on their streaming services the same day they were hitting theaters, it caused quite an uproar. Filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan lambasted the studios, citing how movies are meant to be a big-screen experience.

I use to go to the cinema quite a lot, both in America and here in Japan (and I must say I prefer the Japanese experience better, although I prefer American concession stands). Then the pandemic came and I was forced to stay away. Only recently have I gotten streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. And when it was announced that some studios were releasing movies streaming and theatrically at the same time, I was intrigued.

And now I prefer it. I view that the cinema-going experience is dying, although it won't go away completely, in much the same way as drive-ins have not entirely disappeared.

Going to the movies is just too much of a hassle. You have to plan the days, drive there (which in my case takes more than an hour), you're in a noisy place with people talking during the movie...It's such a bother. And many of the same experiences you have at a theater can now be done at home. Technology is improving, with TVs getting more hi-def and cheaper every year. Physical and streaming media is becoming more higher resolution and a good speaker set up is not as difficult or expensive as it was years before. Technology-wise, some homes can rival a cinema. And even if your home equipment isn't the latest, it's still not that different than what's used at the cinema.

But what about gathering with your friends, you might ask. Watch parties. Whether because of different schedules, work, or whatever, getting all your friends physically together in the same is tough. But now, your friends don't have to be in the same building, state, or even the same country. You can plan a watch party when it suits you best. Tweet as you watch if you want, and there's no theater employee to tell you to turn off your cell phone. Concessions are now cheaper and can be whatever you want to eat.

And I must admit, I prefer watching movies by myself. I like to be fully immersed in the film, with no one talking or making a MST3K-style running commentary the whole time. 

Will cinemas go away completely? I don't think so. But I think the cinema going experience is dying, and I hope studios and filmmakers realize that a new style of watching movies is emerging. I prefer the streaming model. I'd even be willing to pay a reasonable sum (sorry Disney but $30 is not a reasonable sum) to watch movies at home on their release day. The pandemic has changed many ways in which we do things and shown us new ways to enjoy things. I hope the change continues.

In A Kitchen Far Far Away...

Lately I've been on a cooking kick. Normally I hate cooking; I'm not a foodie at all. But we have a lot of pot lucks at work. The food court next door to work will be closed for two years for remodeling and in August I will take a lot of time off work, so I will be home a lot.

So I bought five cookbooks after doing some research. The Geeky Chef, The Geeky Chef Strikes Back, The Geeky Bartender, An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Cookbook of Hobbit Cookery, and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook.

It's pretty clear why I bought these. The first three books don't just cover science fiction and fantasy moves. Properties like Pulp Fiction, World of Warcraft, 1984, Archer, and much more all have recipes. There's quite a bit of selections to choose from and to keep me busy for quite a while.

Flipping through the books there are not many recipes that call for hard to find ingredients. The most difficult ingredients are either used in such small quantities I can probably omit them or find a substitute. Like most cooking, the problem is that most ingredients come in big amounts but the amount in the recipe is very small. I'll have quite a bit of ingredients left over, which means I need to make a lot of food.

So far I have made Elvish Lembas bread and Bantha blue milk. The bread from Lord of the Rings turned out delicious but a bit too greasy, as I think I used too much olive oil. The Star Wars drink was delicious.

As always, thanks for reading.

Last Political Post

With Trump's presidency now behind us, I'm hoping this will be the last political post I make. I wasn't political until lately, and what few views I had I tended to keep to myself. Politics was a hot topic that seemed to only end in arguments was my view of it. Then Trump came and I found myself disagreeing more and more with the people I knew and grew up with. And that bothered me. Once 2020 hit, I kept hearing online and in real life how friends and family members were becoming disconnected over political views. I found that happening to myself as well. 

I found myself becoming a bit of an online troll, posting comments on friends' and family members' FB posts just to see what their reaction would be. Some were people I hadn't interacted with for years. Others were ones I called friends and had worked together with and often hung out. I found more and more of my comments were being seen as inflammatory. They didn't like what I was saying. And it wasn't even in a mild "I disagree with your viewpoint"-style. I ended up unfollowing or unfriending some friends and family, and I'll admit I felt guilty about it.

I wanted to the the bigger person. I wanted to believe in IDIC, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, and say that although I disagreed with their viewpoint, we could still be friends. But I found as these people continued to support Trump and decided to join the nearly 70 million other idiots to vote for him again in 2020, I couldn't bring myself to be the better person. I kept asking myself why they believed Trump and why it was so important to me that they did.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was less about political views and more about personality and belief. More than any other president I could think of, Trump's presidency was based on personality, mostly his. His political actions were not something people debated. There wasn't very many concrete actions in which to say "he should have done this" and "I disagree, he should have done that." Instead, it came down to how Trump treated people. And Trump treated them like shit. Under his presidency, things that we as a nation were trying to put behind us, like racism and sexism, were being given a green light to be the norm. With his bickering against fake news, threats against governors trying to get medical equipment for coronavirus patients, and so much more, the endless negativity and flat out nastiness he espoused was being encouraged. 

Never before had it became so apparent how much of a cue the public takes from the president on how to act. And with the way Trump acted, that terrified me. I was so discouraged and ashamed to see fellow Americans cheering for a man who was a proven liar and racist. Who would use political pressure against others to make then that him like a king and be damned any civilians who got caught in between. And that got me thinking: if you're attending Trump's coronavirus superspreader rallies, if you're wearing a MAGA hat, if you're posting posts that support his actions and ideologies, what does that say about you? And in turn, what's it say about me? Do I want to still associate with someone I've known for fifteen years but now realize would be okay with Christian nationalism, that thinks a democratic process should be overturned by armed force?

No, I don't.

These past few years have seemed to bring out the worst in people, and I'm sad to see that many people don't seem to regret that. It's shocked me to see friends so readily support policies and ideas so different from mine that just seem so wrong and unjust. It's because these differences isn't about foreign policy or the economy or any number of political actions. The differences are about human dignity and human rights. To see friends that oppose basic things like universal healthcare, it just shows they don't care about other people. That they are okay with more mass shootings. I feel living abroad has given me a different perspective than many of my conservative friends. I see that there are different ways to do things, and that so many of the awful things that happen in America are not the norm.

I will miss talking with some of these people. But part of me wonders if I ever knew them as well as I thought I did. Maybe I've simply moved on.

Cautiously Optimistic For 2021

Here we are a week into 2021 and Covid-19 is still around and Trump's fascist supporters have stormed into the Capitol Building in protest of a legitimate election.

Great start so far, huh?

Many seemed to think that at the chime at midnight, things would magically get better. Obviously they haven't and we are in for another tumultuous year. But I am, as the title of this post says, cautiously optimistic about the future. With the dumpster fire of a president Trump out of the White House, Joe Biden will have his hands full working to get America back on track. I believe he won't fully succeed, as I think no one fully can and that things have gone too far. But I also feel that America won't return to it's full pre-Trump status because him and Covid have shown us the darker parts of American society and it isn't pretty.

There is a lot wrong with America, and it wasn't until these last four years that we didn't know how much was wrong. We've been shown how corrupt our elected officials can become, we have seen how little self-accountability and responsibility many Americans have. In a global catastrophe that should have brought fellow citizens together, we were torn apart. Americans would literally rather kill each other than be inconvenienced or had their so-called "freedoms" tampered with. Most Americans seem to think the liberties and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution meant they had the freedom to do whatever they want. That is absolutely not true.

But I've already ranted and raved about my thoughts on 2020. If you want to hear them, check out my article "Wild In the Streets" in the anthology The Phantom Games. I feel without the narcissist Trump egging on his supports and feeding them outright lies and propaganda, things will begin to calm down. With a new president and hopefully people having a new respect and focus on listening to science, things will get better. Several Covid vaccines are making their way across the world, and while not completely dispelling all fears of the deadly virus, perhaps calming those fears a little. Our post-Trump/post-Covid world isn't a return to normal, but the darkness can't last forever.

As always, thank you for reading.

Blog Updates

I added a Page about my second novel Zero Sum game. I also updated the Freelance Writing Page to remove the outdated link and to say that I may take on short story commissions.

Back To (Fun) Work

I'm running a monthly writing group at the base library as part of of our library programs. We had our first meeting last month and I relly enjoyed it. I hope the other participants did too. Maybe it will force me to write on a more regular basis.

Plans For 2018

Hello readers. I hope everyone had a happy new year and a merry Christmas. I thought I had done a post about my New Year's resolutions but it seems I hadn't, so this will be about this years resolutions for 2018.

My first resolution was to study Japanese more. I have gotten out of the habit of studying and I need to study a little bit at least every day. I have been in Japan quite a while but my Japanese skills are still low. I have no one to blame but myself for that. I'm hoping the combination of my Genki textbooks and the DuoLingo app will help me.

Another resolution was to study Klingon. I'm hoping that by studying another language I want to learn, the excitement will help me also study Japanese as well. I'm not sure how many Klingon speakers are in Japan but I'll give it a try.

I have a resolution to publish my Adventure Hunters sequel book, titled Time Judged All, this year. I have finished the first draft and I'm aiming for a fall or winter publish date. I feel this book will be much better than Similitude and I am looking forward to you reading it.

The other resolution is to join the 501st Legion as a TIE fighter special forces pilot from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. I had originally planned to join as Kylo Ren but the costume was much more complicated and intricate than I had expected. Because most of that is cloth, it would mean a lot of sewing. Plus I had originally wanted an armored costume for the 501st but I didn't want to be a stormtrooper because there are so many stormtroopers in the 501st.

Those are my plans for 2018. As always thanks for reading.

Four Regrets

I have a pretty good life. I'm not bragging or trying to compare myself with others. Overall, I can't complain about the course my life has taken and where I have ended up.

I do have some regrets though, just like most people. These four items are...I wouldn't say my biggest regrets...but a few I keep coming back to when I see the success of others.


1. Investing/money matters - I am terrible at financial matters and really wish I had invested in something when I was younger. If a major event would to hit me, I most likely would be ruined financially. I don't have much of a nest egg built up. I feel bad occasionally asking for help from others to help get my feet back on the ground. By no means do I wish I was rich but I would like to be more financially secure.


2. Learning a sport - In school I hated P.E. class and was often the last or second to last to be picked for team sports. I admire people who can play sports and even those who are passionate about a sport. There are a few athletes I admire. But I could never get myself to actively go out and get involved. It seems to me that I was often tired, why make myself more worn out by playing sports or engaging in strenuous activities? Later, I now wish I had chosen a sport as a hobby, just something else to give me something to do and relax. I would never consider entering competitions or such but playing a sport to pass the time and have fun is something I wish I had done. If I could choose a sport, it would be archery. It's solitary but still requires skill. Although, I sometimes wonder at modern archery equipment with all the scopes and stabilizers and such. Whatever happened to old fashioned Robin Hood-style shooting? I think I'd prefer the simple approach.


3. Playing an instrument - My father played the alto sax and my wife plays the piano. I once tried to learn the guitar but gave up on it. I even tried the Irish tin whistle. I never took any professional classes and now it seems a lot of people around me are musically inclined. If I were to pick up an instrument now it would be the violin. I've listened to more violin music lately and enjoy it. I don't have the stamina for wind instruments and tons of people play the guitar. A violin is pleasant, small, and portable.


4. Writing at an earlier age - You probably saw this one coming but I wish I had started writing earlier. Over the course of my life it seems my dream jobs––wanting to be a comic book artist, film director, screenplay writer––all involved telling stories. After learning of the self-publishing boom that was already well underway, I finally realized how much I enjoy writing. I simply wished I had realized this earlier.


There you have it folks; here are 4 items I wish I could tell my younger self to do. As always, thanks for reading.

Cabin In The Woods

I've always liked and disliked the whole "if you were stuck on a deserted island..." scenario. I thought it was interesting in that it made you think about your favorite books and movies and talking about them with the people who asked that question. On the other hand, it always bothered me that I would either have my favorite stuff on me when I accidentally crashed onto an island or that I would knowingly go to a deserted island in the first place.

After seeing several memes that did a variation on that scenario, I present you with the "cabin in the woods." It's the same basic game of having you think of your favorite things. Here is the situation: you're invited to spend a year in a secluded cabin. There is no wifi or internet and the TV doesn't receive any outside signal. Your news comes from a newspaper delivered once a week. All the food and necessities you need are provided for. You're allowed to bring the following:

1 music album
1 movie
1 book
1 TV show on disc

Which do you choose to bring for a whole year?

This is what I would have in my cabin in the woods.

Music - Platinum 9 Disc by Morning Musume. It contains my all time favorite song Resonant Blue. I could live with that.
Movie - Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. I love this movie despite what critics say. There is so much going on to make it rewatchable.
Book - The Shining. This was a tough one. But a family trapped in the mountains in a haunted hotel? Appropriate.
TV show - The Big Bang Theory. Again, another tough call. But I'd want something funny to help me through.

How about you, readers? Could you live Internet free for a year if you had your favorites? Comment below about what you would take to your cabin in the woods.

A Reboot Of An Adaptation Of A Remake?

There's been a lot of talk of Hollywood running out of ideas and building franchises and redoing older movies, many that don't seem necessary. One that is coming out is IT, based on the novel from Stephen King. There was a TV-movie made in 1990. A lot of sites have called the upcoming movie a remake and that bothers me. Lately, remake, adaptation, and reboot have been used somewhat interchangeably.

The new version of IT, is not a remake. It's an adaptation. An adaptation is taking the story and characters from one medium, like a novel, and bringing it into a different medium, like film. Many great films are adaptations: The Shawshank Redemption, Jaws, Schindler's List, The Silence Of the Lambs, and a host of others. The new IT is simply another adaption of the same book. Quite a few novels and short stories have been adapted several times over. How many different versions of Romeo and Juliet have there been. It's not limited to books to film. It can go the other way too. The movie novelizations that are tie-ins for the films are adaptations and when they make a video game based on a move, that's an adaption as well.

A remake is different. It's taking the story and characters from one medium and retelling it in thew same medium. Again, film is the most common version. 2010's A Nightmare On Elm Street was a remake because Wes Craven's original work was a film. It wasn't a novel or play or comic book. The key, at least to me, is that both versions must be in the same medium; whether that's film or print or music.

A reboot is a little harder for me to define. It seems one of the characteristics, though, is that most of them are starting a series. Reboot sounds less harsh than remake. The latter sounds like you are discarding everything and starting from scratch. Reboot sounds a bit nicer, and conjures up the images of computers, which is probably where it came from. A rebooted film, to me at least, sounds like all the previous parts are there but they weren't working well together, so the filmmakers are trying to find what did work and give it another go. Most reboots aren't direct adaptations but they don't seem to be flat-out remakes. Reboots seem to have previous films but the new film ignores the previous continuity. Casino Royale with Daniel Craig is a reboot (and quite a bit of an adaption of Ian Flemming's novel). 2009's Star Trek is a reboot. The goal of reboots, as opposed to remakes, seems to be restarting a series or franchise.

There you have it. My definition of these terms, which, of course, you are very welcome to disagree with.

As always, thanks for reading!

Has It Been That Long?

I can't believe I have been away from this blog for almost a year. A lot has been happening over the last (almost) year and I won't bog you down with the details. The highlights are that I moved to a new town, Yanai, which is famous for its Edo-period whitewall buildings and goldfish. Yoko and I are living with her parents. Living with the in-laws has been a never-ending adjustment.

I have a new job at the Marine base in Iwakuni. I have been there since August 2014. It's not a bad job and I get American food, which I really miss.

I AM still writing, although at a glacier pace. The Super School Uniform has a title change to Zero Sum Game. The biggest holdup on this novel has been finding the right cover art to match it. I decided to go with a light novel/manga-style cover. It hasn't been the problem of finding an artist, it's that there are too many artists out there. Wading through them has been a chore. I am still hoping to publish it by the end of the year but it is looking less and less likely. But when I finally do publish it, I hope you agree the wait will be worth it.

After eight years in Japan, I finally have a car. I got it last week and am slowly adjusting to driving.

That's about all that has been going on. I know it doesn't sound like much but to be honest this blog has sort of slipped my mind. I will endeavor to have more regular updates.

Retro Street in Yanai

Five Items, One Million Dollars

This week’s prompt is: 5 Items you would buy with a million dollars. This one is fairly simple.

The first four things I’d buy are houses: one for me and my wife, one for her parents, one for my mom, and one for my dad.

Don’t ask me style or anything, that is too much planning and detail I can’t think about at the moment. Yoko and I currently live in a condo. It’s nice but somewhat small. I do know that whatever floor plan we would come up with, my house MUST have a man cave. Yoko had never heard of this term until a couple of years ago. Being the geek that I am, I need my own little space to hang my Morning Musume poster (which I’d get framed) and put up my figures. My cave would double as my writing space with a nice desk and chair. FYI, I currently sit on the floor to do most of my writing, just like I am now as I am writing this blog.

My in-laws’s house is over 30 years old and I know they love to renovate it. I’d like to get them the house they want.

My mom currently lives in a mobile home, so a nice house would be good. Especially one with a basement since Alabama is prone to tornados.

My dad lives in Florida and I’d love to get him a nice house to call his own.

What’s my fifth item to spend my million dollars on? A custom fit, screen accurate Star Trek: First Contact Captain Picard uniform. Because I’m a Trekkie.

As always, thanks for reading.

So I Married A Geek

I'm a geek.

And a recent purchase that my wife disagreed with got me thinking: how much should you change when you get married?

The romanticized answer is: "Nothing. You and your partner should love each for all that you are." That's all fine and good, but I think rarely works in the real-world. I purchased this Star Trek Archer flight jacket. I was sure my wife wouldn't like it; and sure enough, when I showed her the pictures, her face got her half disbelief/half disapproval expression.

This was a jacket I really wanted. I am tired of the same colors and style I have been wearing for years. I wanted a change, and if I did, I might as wear something I really wanted to. I wanted something that appealed to me. I had a limited time to get it at a discount before it went up to full price. I had to act fast or never get it at all. I got it.

Before I bought it, Yoko had asked me if I would buy it anyway, even if she didn't like it. I said 'yes.' But a part of me felt guilty. I wasn't doing this to spite her, it was a jacket I really liked and wanted. But Yoko hates geeky stuff. Figures, posters, merchandise with logos aren't her thing. 

Yoko knew I was a geek before we got married. While I often tease her with my gekkiness, I don't do anything to openly embarrass her. There are plenty of figures and posters I'd like to hang up that I don't out of respect for her. Our apartment is pretty geek-free.

Which begs the question: if you're a Trekkie, Nascar fan, or collect Hummel figurines, should you change that if your spouse doesn't like it? My answer is yes and no. I think the best result comes from understanding and compromise on both partners's parts. Don't try to change your spouse. If she is an Oreo fanatic, don't try to stop her from collecting Oreo merchandise and refuse to let her display it in the house. You should, in the nicest way possible, try to explain that you don't like it. But as the Oreo collector, you have to respect your partner's wishes. There is nothing to gain by parading something your spouse hates. But they need to understand it is a part of you. It's your likes and interests and make you who you are. But you may need to reel in your passion a bit if it openly clashes with your partner.

Until Yoko met me, she had never heard of a "man cave" and I think this is a great solution (for women too). A small out-of-the-way place for you to really be you. But, if you're like me, and can't have your own cave, try to balance your passions. Find tiny unobtrusive ways to showcase your interests without pushing it in your spouse's face. You may have to keep your life-sized T.A.R.D.I.S. replica in storage, but that doesn't mean you can't have a Doctor Who fridge magnet or something similar.

How about it, readers? Do your interests clash with your spouse's? How do you handle it? Any tips or advice? Comment below, and as always, thanks for reading.

Christmas In Translation

Last year, I wrote a Christmas post for another author's blog. It got a few good comments so I'm deciding to repost it here on Resonant Blue.

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Flashing Christmas lights decorate the store windows. Malls and restaurants are playing Christmas music and snow will soon be falling in the northern climes. Presents are wrapped and greeting cards signed, and the KFC dinner is on the table for the big feast. (Insert screeching record sound here). Kentucky Fried Chicken? For Christmas dinner?! What's going on? Turkey and pumpkin pie may be staples of Christmas dinner in America, but it's KFC and Christmas cake in Japan.

I'm an expatriate living in Japan. I've been here just over five years, and I tell you, living overseas can be tough. Even when things are similar, like McDonald's, supermarkets, and Christmas, sometimes the little differences between what you’re use to and what the custom is, are the hardest to deal with.

Christmas in Japan is not a religious holiday. While Christianity is present in Japan, Buddhism and Shinto are the two dominant religions. Christmas came to Japan in the 1800s by missionaries and the first recorded Christmas was celebrated in my home prefecture of Yamaguchi, at the southern end of the big island. That being said, Christmas is looked on as a romantic holiday, more akin to America’s Valentine’s Day.

Couples often have romantic dinners, take walks to enjoy the light displays, and give each other a gift of affection. Romance is in the cold winter air, there’s a reason WHAM’s Last Christmas and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You are among the most popular Christmas songs. Christmas is somewhat romantic in America also. It’s a time for friends and family, visiting each other’s relatives, maybe even popping the question on that perfect sleigh ride. I spent my first Christmas in Japan alone, with my two feet tall fake tree and some DVDs. But it didn’t get me down. I decorated the tree just like I use to in America, listening to Amy Grant Christmas music and putting the presents mom had mailed me under the tree. Sure, I was alone. But by doing the same holiday traditions in Japan I had done in America, I brought a little piece of home with me. Was it a bad Christmas? No. Just different.

Presents are another staple of Christmas and here in Japan, even this is different. There is no Black Friday or Cyber Monday here; in fact, my wife (who is Japanese) had never heard of these terms before. There are Christmas sales at the store but there is no loud push for you to buy, buy, buy and get that last-minute shopping done. Most people, even children, get one or two presents. That’s it. Sure, some get more, but the norm seems to be one or two. And Santa (whom Japanese kids think lives in Finland or Norway, maybe Greenland) doesn’t put their presents under the tree, which is typically three feet high; he puts them beside their pillow or on the floor at the head of their bed.

When it comes to food, that may be the biggest difference. Turkey is almost non-existent in Japan, and even if they did live here, there is no way they would fit in an average sized oven. Most Japanese people I have met have never eaten turkey in their life; for them, chicken is close enough. KFC runs specials on absolutely gorgeous Christmas dinners for the family and eating KFC on Christmas is usual. But if an American can’t live without turkey or pumpkin pie on Christmas, the Japanese can’t live without their Christmas cake. Often white with strawberries on top (sometimes chocolate or buttercream flavored as well) these are a holiday staple everyone eats every year. Every store, food shop, and convenience store sells these cakes and most of the time you have to order them.

But what is truly missing from Christmas in Japan is the rush: the madness to shop, shop, shop, the stress of getting every family member a gift, driving from store to store looking for the best deal. Christmas is just another holiday here, slightly more important that others, but not the biggest. It’s for the couples, for the romantics, for the parents to show some love to their kids.

That’s what I love most about Christmas: love. Christmas is more about love than Valentine’s Day. It’s the love of Christians for Jesus Christ. It’s the love Santa has for children, wanting to make boys and girls happy. It’s the love of humanity helping each other. It’s a season to love and be loved. And the slowness the Japanese have about the season, the emphasis on romance, is what made me like Christmas even more.

Teaching junior high students about Christmas and discussing differing customs with Japanese people made me realize I can make my own Christmas. Here in Japan, I got to introduce Christmas the way I wanted it to be. I don’t look at my waist high tree as puny, I look at it as the tree my wife and I bought together. She enjoys American music and I was able to introduce my tradition of listening to Amy Grant while we decorate. Her parents are delighted that I give them gifts for Christmas. I’ve eaten Japanese Christmas cake and looked at the Christmas lights while holding hands with my wife. I’ve made my own Christmas here. And when you’re living apart from everything familiar and comforting to you, that’s what you have to do. Make it your own. No matter where you are, Christmas is where you make it.

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As always, thanks for reading and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my followers who celebrate this holiday, Happy Thanksgiving.

This holiday doesn't exist in Japan. Every year my wife and I have a small Thanksgiving party with different friends. Most of them are Japanese who have never experienced this holiday.

Along with that, most of them have never had traditional thanksgiving food. That's right; I've met people in their 40s who have never eaten turkey. That meat hardly exists in Japan. Specialty stores and Costco are the only places I've seen it. Even cold cuts for sandwiches are pretty much non-existent here.

For our traditional food, we either order it online or get it sent from America. We spend the morning cooking, then eat in the afternoon. I explain what the holiday is for. For the most part, I and Yoko's holiday is a lot like it is in America: good food and good times with good friends.
Happy holidays, everyone.

Craft Fair

On Nov. 16, Yoko and I went to the Craft and Information Fair at the Marine base here in Iwakuni. It was the first time I had ever been there. It was nice, with about 20 booths selling handmade crafts such as jewelry, bags, photography services, and more. We went there primarily for two reasons: to buy our annual Christmas ornament, and to support a fellow author.

Jessica Guthrie has a home-based business in which she makes and sells crafts and scrapbooks. Yoko and I always buy a special ornament every year for our Christmas tree, usually in America. We couldn't go to America this year but I saw Jessica had some beautiful ornaments for sale so we bought one from her.

Nikki Bennett is an author on base and has written several YA books. She is the head of our writing group here in Iwakuni, I bought two books from her and she was kind enough to sign them and have her husband Steve illustrate the front page.

We had a great time and may attend the next fair.

Here is one of Jessica's websites: http://tenaciouslyremembered.blogspot.jp

Nikki Bennett: http://www.firedrakebooks.com

Favorite Comic Book Artists

Like most kids, I got into comic books. At the beginning of my college life, I even wanted to be a comic book artist and was drawing quite a bit. I guess that was a way of telling myself I wanted to be a storyteller. Now I'm a writer but have recently been wanting to get back into reading comics. They have changed so much since the nineties, when I was really into them. But like most kids, a few artists have stuck with me. Below are some of the ones I loved as a kid and still do today.

Dan Jurgens
Working primarily for DC most of his career, Dan Jurgens created the heroes Booster Gold and Waverider, the iconic villain Doomsday (who killed Superman in the Death Of Superman storyline), as well as the Cyborg Superman. I was and still am a fan of Superman. He had four monthly titles going for him: Superman, Superman: Man Of Steel, The Adventures of Superman, and Action Comics. Superman artist Dan Jurgens was the first artist I remembering taking notice of. I liked his art more than the other three Superman artists, it was more heroic and well-drawn. He is the definitive Superman artist for me. You can follow him on Twitter.

Greg Capullo
On the complete flip side of Superman was Spawn. It took me a while to like Greg Capullo's work but it grew on me. His human characters seemed a bit cartoony but his angels and demons were realistic and dark, creating a nice contrast. His level of detail added to the grittiness of the title. Besides comic books, his art has adorned the covers of Korn's album Follow The Leader and Disturbed's Ten Thousand Fists. He has his own Facebook Page.

J. Scott Campbell
When Campbell said he wanted readers to experience the motion and thrill of a movie car chase on the printed page, he succeeded with Danger Girl. He is best known for Gen-13 and the unrealistic, oversexualized portrayals of female characters but his style was fun. He has the same detail and exciting energy of Brett Booth and Jim Lee but his art had a manga-esque whimsy to it. He has his own DeviantArt page

Brett Booth
Most of my favorite artists came from Image Comics, the company founded by six high profile artists  (Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, and Jim Valentino) who left the Big Two (DC and Marvel) to found their own independent company. Brett Booth was an artist hired by Image and I was blown away by his level of detail and line work. His pieces were dynamic and rich. He also works as a paleoartist, drawing dinosaurs for various publications and websites. Check out his blog.

Rob Liefeld
Only recently have I gotten interested in Liefeld and I wish I had done so sooner. The creator of Deadpool and Cable, he is a love-him-or-hate-him guy. He has had rocky relationships with his Image partners and his self-taught art style is often ridiculed for its over-the-top anatomical proportions, large guns, and tiny misshapen feet. But he is fun. His stories and art are just like what a young kid wants to read and there is nothing wrong with that. He is the Michael Bay of the comic book world and he is entertaining, pure and simple. Rob Liefeld Creations is his website.

Jim Lee
If I had to pick one artist to admire, it would be Jim Lee. He penciled and co-wrote (with Chris Claremont) the series X-Men, whose first issue is the number one selling comic book of all time. He studied to be a doctor but became an artist and his art reflects his knowledge of human anatomy. His work is dynamic and detailed and he is a good storyteller as well. He created or co-created many of my favorite comic characters. The character in the picture is Fairchild. I managed to get this picture signed by him at DragonCon several years ago. One of my favorite characters signed by my favorite artist. Here is his fan page.

There you go everyone. I hope you enjoyed it. Who were some of your favorite characters and artists? As always, please comment below and thanks for reading.

Japan: Summer Break Isn't Really A Break

Summer vacation. The phrase means three months of freedom from the rigors of school. Long car trips, camping out, and s'mores. Almost 12 weeks of "No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers's dirty looks", as the Alice Cooper song goes. If possible, you avoided the school building like a swamp and that final month of summer was agonizing, counting down the days until a whole new year started and the grind began again. It's not quite the same in Japan.

Keep in mind, I have only worked in junior high schools. Elementary and high schools are run slightly different but there are many similarities. And also, when talking about different cultures, not everything is the same across the board. Just the same way there are small differences from school distrct to school district in America, it is the same in Japan. But a lot of the following seems to be pretty standard.

The school year starts in April in Japan and ends in March. There is only a two week break between the two. Summer vacation, starting in July, lasts about six weeks. Yep, barely a month and a half. If you are in a school club; mostly sports like basketball, tennis, baseball, and volleyball, you'll be expected to come to the school every day for club practice. This includes weekends. Most of the practices last about five hours, either outside or in the gym. Keep in mind, schools and school gyms have no central heat and air. That's right, no a/c in the gym during the day in August.

What happened to school books and pencils during summer break in America? Mostly tossed into closets and pushed under beds, never to be seen again until they are covered with dust bunnies when resurrected three months later. Again, it's different in Japan because the students are assigned summer homework. Given out on the last day of school, they are expected to be turned in when classes start back up.

While this may seem somewhat draconian for the students, it isn't much better for the teachers. Almost every teacher is involved in a club; if their students practice during the summer they have to be there as well. Also, many of the teachers take turns being at the school for security. Every day, at least one teacher is there for about eight hours to make sure it isn't vandalized or being improperly used. This includes weekends as well. Also, it is not allowed for teachers to get a part-time, second job. No chance of earning extra income during the year.

This isn't all doom and gloom. Some students and teachers don't have summer clubs. The prime traveling season is during Obon week in August, when most families go on trips and to festivals. Fireworks and festivals are in abundance during the summer, with most activities in the afternoons and evenings, giving students a chance to relax.

Questions or comments? Leave them below. As always, thanks for reading.

To Boldly Go… Gene Roddenberry Tribute

During the month of August To Boldly Go… hosted a tribute to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. I asked several author friends to contribute a post talking about what Star Trek meant to them. I was very grateful for the response I had received. I'd like to thank the authors and I'm reposting the links to each week of the tribute in case anyone missed it or you'd like to read the entire work.

Week 1: Cody L. Martin, Elizabeth Delana Rosa
A Tribute to Gene Roddenberry

Week 2: Valerie Douglas, Karen A. Wyle, Dayton Ward
A Tribute To Gene Roddenberry Week 2

Week 3: Jaqueline Driggers, L. Anne Wooley, Dan Peyton
A Tribute To Gene Roddenberry Week 3

Week 4: Cassidy Frazee, R.K. Wigal, David Mack
A Tribute To Gene Roddenberry Week 4