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    Anjin.sama


    Location:
    Wichita, Kansas
    Home or favorite faire Great Plains Renaissance Festival
    About Me Trained as a graphic designer and photographer (BFA 2004), I currently work as a substitute teacher for the local school district.
    Music The Birthday Massacre; The Cure; The Cruxshadows; Voltaire; Steve Vai; Joe Satriani; Rush; Blue Oyster Cult; Nightwish; Etc.
    Movies Blade Runner; Bram Stoker's Dracula; Fright Night; Grindhouse; The Howling;
    TV Carnivale; The Dresden Files; Supernatural; Heroes; 24; The Twilight Zone; Star Trek (all); Boston Legal; Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip; Shogun
    Books Essence of The Heart Sutra by The Dalai Lama; Shogun by James Clavell; The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher; Hell House and I Am Legend by Richard Matheson; The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura; In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki; Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Inazo Nitobe; The Sano Ichiro mysteries by Laura Joh Rowland;
    Likes Halloween; Horror movies; Buddhism; Japanese food; Chinese food; nature trails; thunderstorms; autumn; comic books; illustration; Simon Marsden photographs;
    Hobbies Photography; Dungeons & Dragons
    Heroes William Adams; The Dalai Lama; Christopher Lee; Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio); Ralph Nader;
    AIM ID Ask Me!

Blog

    I have a rule. . . .

    Monday, June 2, 2008, 12:37 AM CST [General]

    When it comes to social networking sites, whether it is MySpace, Facebook, or whatever, I have a rule:  I only accept friend requests from people I have met personally.  Unlike a lot of folks, I don't find any value in collecting "virtual friends." For me, a list of virtual friends is just that -- a list of people on a flickering screen.  If I haven't met them in real life, they just might as well be characters on a TV program.

    Other than this rule, I'm pretty laid-back.  If you want to add me as a friend, I don't require that we be long-lost college pals or old army buddies.  I just prefer that I have met you in person and have spent enough time with you to be able to like you.

    How long is that ? It depends.  Sometimes, especially if you're an attractive woman, all it takes is a smile and a good joke.  Most of the time, though, a brief chat during faire or a conversation during the after-faire dinner will be enough. A handshake and a "Hi, I'm Baldric of Schmeng" during the last huzzah won't cut it. 

    Sometimes, since I'm an inconsistent little hobgoblin, I'll make a rare exception. For example, if you're a ren faire stage performer who plans on playing my home faire, sure, I'll accept your friend request. But make sure you add me only if you intend to make the effort to meet me in person and chat a while.

    Finally, if we have met and you do add me as a friend, please send me a message and let me know where and when we met. I'd hate to ignore your request because I don't recognize you in your profile photo.

    In short, I want friends. . . not names on a list. Thanks for keeping this in mind.

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    GPRF Spring 2008 Pics

    Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 11:57 PM CST [Renaissance Faires]

    Well, there are a few pics of this past spring's Great Plains Renaissance Festival here in Wichita, KS.  I'd like to say my pics were brilliant but I wasn't up to form this time.  To be sure, I've got some really good shots.  However, there aren't as many of them as I would've have liked or am used to.

    So far, I've only uploaded 21 images out of the 118 usable pics out of the 200+ images shot overall.  Why ?  Because RenSpace only allows you to post 7 images at a time. (Sheesh. RenSpace needs a bulk picture uploader like Facebook.)  I haven't decided whether I'm going to upload the remainder of my images.  To do so would take about an hour, maybe more, and that's an hour that could be better spent.

    If you're looking for specific images by me, feel free to drop me a message and let me know what you're looking for.  If I have them in my "good enough for public release" pile, I'll upload them here.

    Anyway, I hope you enjoy what's there at the moment.

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    Great Plains Renaissance Festival - Spring 2008

    Thursday, April 17, 2008, 11:23 PM CST [Renaissance Faires]

    Well, it's been six months since our last faire and this weekend we do it all once again.  I stepped out last faire.  I needed a break.

    This faire, I'm back in the saddle and I'm not only doing my usual thing as Royal Court photog, I'm also premiering "Anjin-sama" as part of Chivalry For Children.  I'm kinda nervous about it because, although I researched and wrote the Anjin-sama presentation, it's been six months since I've looked at what I wrote.  Time to do a hasty review !

    This weekend, we'll also see how fast I can do a costume change . . . because after the C4C presentation, I have to skip the following parade and be back into my western garb so I can photograph High Court.

    We set up royal court tomorrow afternoon.  See everyone this weekend.

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    Spirit of The Season: Hallowe'en In A Suburb

    Saturday, October 27, 2007, 05:24 PM CST [General]

    Hallowe'en in a Suburb
    by H.P. Lovecraft

    The steeples are white in the wild moonlight,
       And the trees have a silver glare;
    Past the chimneys high see the vampires fly,
       And the harpies of upper air,
       That flutter and laugh and stare.
    For the village dead to the moon outspread
       Never shone in the sunset's gleam,
    But grew out of the deep that the dead years keep
       Where the rivers of madness stream
       Down the gulfs to a pit of dream.
    A chill wind weaves through the rows of sheaves
       In the meadows that shimmer pale,
    And comes to twine where the headstones shine
       And the ghouls of the churchyard wail
       For harvests that fly and fail.
    Not a breath of the strange grey gods of change
       That tore from the past its own
    Can quicken this hour, when a spectral power
       Spreads sleep o'er the cosmic throne,
       And looses the vast unknown.
    So here again stretch the vale and plain
       That moons long-forgotten saw,
    And the dead leap gay in the pallid ray,
       Sprung out of the tomb's black maw
       To shake all the world with awe.
    And all that the morn shall greet forlorn,
       The ugliness and the pest
    Of rows where thick rise the stones and brick,
       Shall some day be with the rest,
       And brood with the shades unblest.
    Then wild in the dark let the lemurs bark,
       And the leprous spires ascend;
    For new and old alike in the fold
       Of horror and death are penned,
       For the hounds of Time to rend.
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    Great Plains Renaissance Festival - Fall 2007

    Monday, September 17, 2007, 09:27 PM CST [Renaissance Faires]

    My home faire, the Great Plains Renaissance Festival, is coming up soon (Sept 29 & 30) and I want everyone to know where I'll be if you don't see me.

    For this faire, I was starting to feel a little "crispy" around the edges after being a ren faire extra for over ten years and a royal court photographer for about three years.  So, I'm taking a faire off as a faire performer and photog.

    Oh, I'll still be around.  I'm still volunteering to set-up the royal court area Friday and break-down Sunday.  But, I won't be following the royal court around with my camera as per my usual modus operandi.

    You might still see me.  I've been wanting to test-drive my Japanese garb for a while. And I need to add a katana to my gear.  So, you may see me shopping a bit.  But, I won't be around the whole faire.  You'll just see me here and there.

    However, if you don't see me, just wait 'til the Spring faire and you'll see me back at my old post once again.

    See ya soon.

     

    -R 

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