I've begun production ion a new audiobook, Indian Whispers, by Sumandip Jolly. I can't wait to see what happens in this story - it's about two brothers from the UK who travel to India to learn about their heritage, and each other.
I've been quietly obsessed with all things Samurai lately, and have been generating a lot of images on this theme.
The samurai class in feudal Japan, also known as bushi, were members of the military nobility in pre-industrial Japan. They were the elite warrior class that served the daimyos (feudal lords) and the shogun (military dictator) during the period of Japanese history known as the Feudal Era (1185-1868). The samurai were known for their strict code of conduct, known as bushido, which emphasized loyalty, courage, and honor.
The samurai were well-educated and were expected to be proficient in both martial arts and literary arts. They were also expected to be knowledgeable in the Chinese classics and Confucianism, which were considered the foundation of their education. Samurai were not only warriors but also administrators, they were responsible for governing the territories they were given by their daimyos or shogun.
Samurai were considered members of the upper class and were granted privileges such as the right to bear arms and to own land. They were also given stipends by their lords and were expected to provide military service in times of war. In return for these privileges, the samurai were expected to be loyal to their lords and to defend their territories.
The samurai class was abolished in 1868 after the Meiji Restoration, which marked the end of the Feudal Era in Japan and the beginning of a new period of modernization and westernization. However, the legacy of the samurai lives on in modern Japanese culture, where the ideals of bushido and the samurai code of conduct are still revered and admired.
I'm experimenting with combining zombies and samurai warriors. I'm using an AI art generator, called MidJourney. AI art refers to artwork created by algorithms and artificial intelligence systems, either through direct manipulation by a human or through autonomous processes. This can include everything from generative visuals and music to AI-generated paintings and sculptures. AI art is often created using machine learning algorithms and neural networks that are trained on existing art and design data, allowing them to create new works based on that training. The results can range from stylistically similar to human-created art to completely unique and unprecedented forms of expression.
Midjourney is an AI art project that utilizes machine learning algorithms to generate abstract images. The project is created by a team of artists and programmers who use a variety of techniques, such as neural networks and generative algorithms, to produce the artworks. These images are said to be inspired by natural phenomena such as landscapes, clouds and oceans, and can be seen as a visual representation of the workings of the mind. The art produced by the project is meant to be contemplative and thought-provoking, encouraging the viewer to consider the relationship between technology and nature.
The everyday Samurai is a series of images featuring a samurai warrior going about his life in the modern world. It's just for amusement!
let's learn a bit about the Samurai warrior of old first though, back in the feudal days of Japan. Samurai warriors were a social class in feudal Japan, serving as military nobility and the personal retainers of the country's rulers. They were trained in martial arts and were expected to follow a strict code of ethics known as bushido. Their duties included:
Protecting their lords and serving as their personal guards.
Maintaining order in their local areas, serving as law enforcement.
Participating in military campaigns and battles.
Representing their lords in negotiations and other diplomatic affairs.
Maintaining a sense of discipline and moral behavior to uphold the honor of their lord and themselves.
In addition to their military duties, samurai were also expected to be cultured and well-educated, with a strong emphasis placed on literary and artistic pursuits.
This is my latest experiment, creating a video-graphic novel.... it's been a fun experiment, I've been using a variety of tools. I created the images based from photographs and images that I fed into an AI tool. The editing was done in Davinci Resolve, and the audio effects were taken from my library.
Graphic novels have their roots in several historical and cultural traditions, including comic strips, illustrated books, and manga. The term "graphic novel" was first used in 1964 to describe Will Eisner's "A Contract with God," which is widely considered to be the first true graphic novel.
Graphic novels typically use sequential art and text to tell a story in a book-length format. They often blend elements of literature, comics, and illustration to create a unique form of visual storytelling.
The form gained widespread popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, with seminal works such as Art Spiegelman's "Maus," Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' "Watchmen," and Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns." Since then, graphic novels have become a mainstream medium for storytelling, covering a wide range of genres and subjects, from memoirs and fiction to historical events and social issues.
Shipmates!
Enjoy this latest chapter from Moby Dick!
Just after signing the papers, Ishmael and Queequeg run into a scarred and deformed man named Elijah, a prophet or perhaps merely a frightening stranger, who hints to them about the peril of signing aboard Ahab’s ship. He drops references to several frightening incidents involving Ahab, but Ishmael and Queequeg disregard the man’s warnings.
I thought it would be interesting to learn a little about whaling in the 1800's ...Whaling in the 1800s was a major industry, driven by the demand for whale oil as a source of fuel for lighting and industry. During this time, whaling ships would embark on long voyages to hunt various species of whales, including sperm, humpback, and bowhead whales.
Method: Whaling was a dangerous and physically demanding pursuit, with crews using hand-thrown harpoons and ropes to bring the whale alongside the ship.
Expansion: As demand for whale oil grew, the industry expanded to include many countries, including the United States, Britain, Norway, and Japan. Whaling ships would often sail for months or even years at a time, traveling to remote oceans in search of whales.
Impacts: The extensive hunting of whales during this time had a significant impact on whale populations, leading to declines in many species. The industry also had a significant impact on the economies of coastal communities, which relied on whaling for jobs and economic stability.
Decline: By the late 1800s, the decline in whale populations and the development of alternative sources of fuel, such as petroleum, led to a decline in the whaling industry. International conservation efforts also began to emerge, leading to the creation of the International Whaling Commission in 1946 and the eventual ban on commercial whaling in 1986.
Chapter 18: His Mark
Though the owners object at first to his paganism, Queequeg impresses them with his skill by hitting a tiny spot of tar on the water with a harpoon. They give him the ninetieth lay, “more than ever was given a harpooneer yet out of Nantucket.” Bildad tries to convert Queequeg to Christianity, but Peleg tells him to give up: “Pious harpooneers never make good voyagers—it takes the shark out of ’em; no harpooneer is worth a straw who ain’t pretty sharkish.” Peleg reminds Bildad that, at sea, practical concerns shove religious matters aside.
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| A huge white whale in the depths of the ocean. |
Charged by Yojo, Queequeg’s wooden idol, to seek a ship for the two men, Ishmael lights upon the Pequod, a ship “with an old fashioned claw-footed look about her” and “apparelled like any barbaric Ethiopian emperor, his neck heavy with pendants of polished ivory.” Ishmael also calls the Pequod a “cannibal of a craft” because it is bejeweled with whale parts. On board, he makes a deal with Peleg and Bildad, the ship’s Quaker owners, who are characterized as conniving cheapskates and bitter taskmasters. Although Quakers are generally pacifists, these two have dedicated their life to the bloody slaughter of whales. Evaluating what lay Ishmael should receive (his portion of the ship’s profits and his only wages), Peleg finally gives him the 300th lay. At this time, Ishmael also learns that the ship’s captain is the mysterious Ahab, named after a wicked biblical king. Although Ahab has been moody and secretive since losing his leg in an encounter with the great white whale Moby Dick, Bildad and Peleg believe in his competence and they believe him harmless, since he has a young wife and an infant child waiting for him at home.
Ishmael and Queequeg settle at the Try-Pots for the night, an inn owned by the cousin of the Spouter-Inn’s owner. Ishmael is disturbed by an old topmast above the inn that looks ominously like a gallows. Everything on Nantucket is touched by the sea: the milk tastes of fish, and the innkeeper’s wife wears a necklace of fish vertebrae. The two friends have a supper of hearty chowder.
OK so that was a slightly childish title. This is in fact the 14th chapter of Moby Dick - Nantucket. Please give it a listen and enjoy the heck out of it.
