madshutterbug | Here We Go Again (Reply)

The So-Called Rules:
1. Reply to this post with 'Icons!', and I will pick five of your icons.
2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.

I thought about posting direct to the responses, since I'd posted this once already, and opted not to because, well, Fun!

So aineotter wanted to know about these icons:

Tsuji-Kanji: Crossroads
Several folds for me. Back in the days when I played in the 'Current Middle Ages" also known as the Society for Creative Anachronism, I played a bloke from the late 1500's Japan. Now, the SCA rules are to create a 'persona' that could of lived in the time period one chooses, give them a name only it can't be anyone truly historical, nor from historical or fantastical fiction of the era. So I needed a name. So happens I knew a Japanese family name because one of my best friends married into one. Also, where I lived and played, the name of the SCA group, was (still is, the group is still active) An Crosaire which is Gaelic for Crossroads.

So is my friends family name, Tsuji using this particular kanji. Thus my SCA name became both a pun and place-name (which is one of the means by which our various family names come to be). Plus, all our life we are at a Crossroads. Which choice to make, which direction to travel.

I made this icon by photographing the kanji in the Japnaese-English Character Dictionary in macro mode, then manipulating the image to higher contrast to eliminate any bleed-through from the page.

Clan Honu: the Sea Turtle is an important animal to many Polynesian cultures as well as others. This icon is made by my friend wedschilde, for those of us who are human, yet perhaps not quite, or certainly not stereotypical, Human. For those of us who feel the call of different Paths and Quests. Who listen to that beat of the Different Drummer.

I am a fan of Firefly, as are a number of other people I know on-line, off-line, and both on- and off-line. One of those friends found the precursor to this icon, and uses it for - oh, many things, yet often fan wankery. This specific variation was tweaked for her during one of the wank sessions about Live Journal doing things that folks with free journals didn't like. Hello? While any on-line journal space, blog site, becomes quite the community it remains that providing that space is a Business, requires Financial Resources. So... go ahead. Pray for such things as gifts. Who knows? Maybe the horse will learn to sing.

You see, there is this Otterz Mob...
No, Srsly, there is! Wow, you thought earlier explanations could get long. Well, this is one of the images selected by both individuals, so maybe I should split the explanation into two parts. Let's see. OK, short version first, think Puppet Theatre, think Photo Graphic Book (comic book), think Otterz. In 2006 a very good friend (more later) handed me this stuffed toy otter designed by Lou Rankin and made by Dakin, and said, "Make photos at monuments" because my Nursing Association held our annual meeting that year in my nations capitol. So I did, and the stories I told were not exactly which my friend thought she was asking. Here we have Mini-Fred Otterz at the National Zoo, protesting the unjust incarceration of his relative Otters.

You1st No, I insist, you first...
Actually, I should think this one could be self-explanatory. Here's someone armed with a sword and telling you (the viewer) that you really should proceed 1st... um, where-ever you are going. Since this is another one which was selected by both parties, more of the explanation follows.

And

dianavilliers wanted to know about these icons... and yes, there's some overlap here. *G*:

Got Oxygen? This is a t-shirt I photographed in the rest-stop/gift store/food service (I hesitate to call it a restaurant) located at the top of Pikes Peak Mountain in Colorado, USA, altitude 4300 metres / 14,110 feet. In July 2004 while visiting my sister and brother-in-law just outside of Colorado Springs (where is located the afore mentioned Pikes Peak), we discussed different places we'd like to go take a look at. I mentioned Pikes Peak, and received some very fun, friendly chuckles. They'd intended to see the Peak whether or not I wanted. I wasn't surprised, because there is a bit of family history for my sister and I with this mountain and an annual event held there. Our grandfather took part in the first half-dozen or so of the Pikes Peak Hill-climb Races in the early days of automobiles, when the debate ran which was the greater challenge, climbing the mountain, or getting there in the first place.

Now, that elevation? That is quite close to the altitude at which the Federal Aviation Administration here in the States (and their correlary agencies elsewhere) require pilots operating aircraft to be wearing oxygen or in pressurised cabins. And it is very noticable, particularly if one drives up and when one first steps out of the vehicle. You are no longer at sea level, Toto.

You 1st, continued. So. One of the subjects I photograph is the Human Figure. Sort of a polite way of saying, I makes peechers of nekkid people. This one is from one of my Studio 318 sessions, working out that the physical space will serve as a photography studio, with the lighting, and with someone who wants to learn more about fine art figure modeling and doesn't have a lot of experience with it. (She's doing quite well, if you are wondering.) And it appeals to my evil, twisted sense of humour to provide an image of a nude woman, armed, and telling everyone, You Go First. Go where? Do what? Um... that doesn't matter so much. You going to argue with someone who appears to know how to use that sword?

Free da Ot-tarz, continued. OK, so the Otterz Mob. First of all, the term Mob is used in the Down Under sense, of a group of ... whatever. People. Horses. Otterz. Second, as mentioned my friend got me started. She found the first of the Otterz, the Uber-Otter, Fat Fred. Fat Fred became, at a crucial change of life for her, a safe outlet to express a lot of things, as people would talk to this rather large Otter and... Fat Fred answered. Ribald. Irreverent. Off the wall. It grew into a bit of puppet theatre in my mind (I love Theatre, and Puppets, and so this worked for me), and when she asked for photos at monuments, the story-telling potential seemed to take off. Pictures are posted on the 'net in several places. Fat Fred and Mini-Fred are not the only two, there are Otterz in at least a half-dozen of the States, and in Tasmania. Otterz have now traveled to quite a few countries and been photographed in their adventures.

Mini-Fred we posed in front of the Otter Display at the National Zoo. Another artist friend came up with the materials to make his protest sign, and we lucked into one of the live otters swimming laps in the enclosure. So a series of photos of that otter combined with Mini-Fred in place served to create the animated gif. Usually, when the Otterz pictured in the icon is seen in the blog, it's the Otterz speaking in the entry.

Tsuji: Now, I'm not sure (because the links provided are subltly different from each participant) if this is the kanji again, or the photograph of the individual to whom the kanji refers. I'm answering with the premise it is the photograph, something of a self-portrait of myself while portraying the individual, Tsuji Ryuuzo, that late 1500's bloke I mentioned above.

Pertinent to this discussion, my interests in Japan and Japanese Culture, Language, and Philosophies are what led to my choosing to play a Japanese in the S.C.A. Quite a bit of creative expression outlet as well. One does not find 16th Century Japanese clothing on the racks in most clothing stores. I learned to make reproductions thereof, so much of what is visible in the picture is something I made, except the setting. Another very good friend introduced me to the study of Chanoyu (Boiling Water for Tea, Tea Ceremony). The setting for the self portrait is the corner of his home set aside for that study and the properties are his.