So if you had your druthers, kids, who would you choose to be North Korea’s next Leader Supremo?

Who will be the man who leads DPRK’s “victorious” folk into the next glorious decade of bliss over in Paradise On Earth? Who will carry the nation into the hostile rapids of the world’s rushing torrents, into the mighty planetary wind of dissent? A world that wishes nothing more than to destroy and subjugate the Korean people for all time (or so goes the thinking)?

Would you choose the “Young General” and former heir presumptive, Kim Jong-nam?

(Kim Jong-nam, the “Young General” — are we really supposed to be afraid of this guy?)

Or perhaps the Youth Captain and current heir apparent, Kim Jong-un (eun)?

(Is this Kim Jong-un?)

Tough choice, ain’t it? Yeah, we thought so too…

Read the rest of this entry »

(the Dear Leader demonstrating his most sultry, open-mouthed ingénue pose – are you turned on?)

The time is soon upon us when Bam Bam will pass onto the next world. Yes, that “other” supernatural Paradise, but this one high in the sky, and not his beloved North Korean “Paradise On Earth.”

His possessions will be inherited by the North Korean state for posterity and rumors will eventually fly about the true nature and secret life of the leader of one of the most cloistered, inward-looking punchy statelets in the world. Speculation will brew as news of the Dear Leader’s private life becomes the sole obsession of Koreans of all stripes, on the net, on the news, and in the private conversations of bar- and cafe-frequenting Koreans, both north and south of the DMZ.

I got to thinking about the more popular items in the Dear Leader’s personal collection which scholars may wish to study and analyze for clues as to Kim’s personality. Items which will provide insight into the North Korean despot’s foibles, mannerisms, and affect, providing hints and clues about his leadership style or manner of governance. Items we’ll be writing about in books about the Dear Leader’s life in due time, the sorts of doodads and other tschotschkes which’ll fill the pages of books well into the next decade.

So which sorts of items, exactly?

Read the rest of this entry »

Shirakawa-Go is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was recently showcased in this slick 4m38s-vidclip shot by Tokyo-based Japanese cinematographer/videographer @egawauemon.

I’ve since become a huge fan of the man’s work over the past pair of weeks, going to the extent of using Google Translate to clumsily convey (via Twitter) my deep admiration to @egawauemon for his shooting and presentation prowess.

So far, I’ve favorited at least a quorum of his clips and my evenings have never been the same since.

Here’s why:

• clips feature nothing but ambient audio, with unadorned (and mostly) exteriors and interiors. @egawauemon conducts zero dialogue with subjects in front of the camera, save for any discussions they themselves may be having when @egawauemon captures during his filming.
• all frames are rock steady, with minimal Aliasing and Moiré effects (thanks @kfirpravda). @egawauemon succeeds in doing this with a Merlin Steadicam. When I watch these “CRUISEs” I feel as though I’m a floating avatar in Second Life (for the record, I do not spend any time over at Second Life).

• the action flits between the numerous sites @egawauemon visits throughout the course of an entire day & night, from the very early morning, when the streets are almost entirely deserted in preparation for the day to come, to the busiest of nights when the salarymen and working ladies mill about in search of leisure.

(Tokyo – Cruise – 10m of pure visual stimulation)

• @egawauemon revisits the same locations over the course of at least two seasons, giving us a sense of time’s passage. He seems to be having a blast, to boot. It would be fun to tag along with him as he goes about his meanderings, though this would likely kill his buzz and crush his Zen. @egawauemon’s editing technique, clip fonts, and footers are all familiar and spartan, giving us that instant brand recognition and helping to spot his material from competing vidclips.
• these are better than travel videos, since there’s none of that cheesy elevator music and business-y promotional blather which normally accompanies clips of this sort. And this artist will indeed get gigs from these showcase clips, mark my words!
• @egawauemon really seems to be enjoying himself. It really feels like he’s doing it for love, and that sentiment shines through very clearly. Something he wrote to me once was just precious: “Group work is bad for the artist. Sometimes it’s better to do your own thing.” (I’m paraphrasing as I can’t find the original tweet he’d sent).
• the true taste of Japan I’ve always been looking for. Without even moving a muscle, I’ve floated through various Japanese streetscapes, gaining a sense of what’s happening there without actually setting foot in the place. What better way to sample what’s on offer before making the large expenditures in plane and hotel fare, or from potential disappointments and hassles? @egawauemon – unwittingly – is offering us huge value for his art. Thank him.

Well, I don’t want to steal away any more of the fun. So gone on and have a look at @egawauemon’s YouTube channel and prepare to be smitten.

Sorry, but I absolutely love these Japanese kids from Osaka!

I spent the better part of my evening yesterday going through Maciej Janiec’s Japanese photo sets on Flickr with a fine-toothed comb. I’m still reeling from the experience. What a truly lovely way to devote a night as the hours just blew past…

Read the rest of this entry »