I have, over time, posted many images of old religious activities in Japan, several with captions somehow having the Japanese putting "God in a Box", or being "Basket Heads from Mars". To some Westerners who are sensitive (and defensive of) the religious and cultural aspects of Japan, such blunt captioning or phrasing (with overtones of belittling another's religion) sounds a bit mocking. Further, it makes me come across as arrogant, smacks of condescension, implies a nationalistic aloofness, hints at undercurrents of racial prejudice, and perhaps, comes across as a disrespectful diluting of a long and deep cultural heritage of Japanese faith. For those that feel that way about my descriptions of Japanese religion (and my equally ridiculous and sarcastic comments about my own native Christianity), please go suck on a lemon, and get over it. Thank you ! This is not about race or religion. It's about CULTURE. Just ask the Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos --- and those of other nations scattered throughout Asia --- about the deep and abiding "Religious Faith" of the Japanese. These long-time observers of the "Superior Race" and the old "Co-Prosperity Sphere of East Asia" will be happy to bring you up to speed on the subject of what happens when Government and Religion start sleeping together...to the detriment of all. Asia is currently breathing a collective sigh of relief since the "Land of the Setting Sun" was de-fanged (de-militarized) as a result of WW2. Now, Japan is everybody's good buddy, and America's best friend in the Far East. Sometimes, it's good to stick your little gods in a box --- and keep them there (for your own personal amusement. of course) ! Fortunately, Japanese ZEN Buddhists agree with me completely, knowing that what I think and say are only the thoughts and words of a grasshopper sitting on a rock that isn't really there....etc etc. Someday, I'll tell you about the time I was invited to speak to a group of Soka Gakkai believers gathered in one of their "Culture Halls". I completely flamed the entire organization. So, did they tar and feather me, and run me out of town ? Heck NO ! They put me on their lecture circuit, and I wound up doing a "Friar's Roast" of their leader --- Daisaku Ikeda --- at many more "Culture Halls" ! Now that we've got that out of the way, check out the guy in the picture. He's got............ GOD IN A BOX !!! Starting tomorrow, I'm going to read Dale Carnegie's book, "HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE" ....and then burn it. PLEASE SEE COMMENT #5 BELOW. IT SUMS THINGS UP VERY WELL. For more about the photographer of this great old image (and NO comments about religion) please see : www.t-enami.org/ ******************************************* For the MOTHER LODE of T. Enami photographs here on the Web --- all CC rated for your creative use --- see this Flickr collection : www.flickr.com/photos/24443965@N08/collections/7215761388... RANDOM SOBA : www.flickriver.com/photos/24443965@N08/random/
Editor's Note: Sasha Rabin is someone with enviable skills in natural building. She has been building, and teaching others to build, with natural materials since co-founding Seven Generations Natural
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Curious about tiny houses and tiny home living? Welcome to The Tiny Life, your one-stop for tiny house tips, tiny house plans, and all the information you need to set up your small space.
One of the 10 most special buildings in the world.
After an amazing week of driving around Iceland's Ring Road with Iceland Unlimited I was admittedly a little sad for it to come to an end.
On the western coast of Islay, Saligo Bay showcases turbidites of the Neoproterozoic Colonsay Group. The Smaull Graywacke shows Caledonian (late Ordovician) folding and cleavage superimposed on world-class graded bedding. There's also a nice dolerite dike to examine.
Welcome to our brand new series, Tiny Housing, Grand Living. Herein Mirabelle explores compact living habitat under all its guises, spanning climates, cultures and timelines. I am starting off with a bang and a WOW! of wonder, with the integration of tafoni (honeycombed rock surfaces) into the built environment, with whimsical faerical results! Just follow me down the southern part of the Mediterranean island of Corsica. Those under-rock troglodyte shelters are called Orii in Corsican (Oriu, singular). They look like they might have - either directly or coincidentally - influenced fantasy authors (and graphic artists!), and one would be forgiven for thinking Tolkien and The Smurfs Village as they tread the smooth rockfaces and climb the sea-salt-polished boulders surrounding those enchanted mushroom-shaped dwellings. The shelters are perfect examples of a harmonious integration of nature into human habitat. Originally used as shelters in prehistoric times (as far back as 7,000-10,000 BC), those peculiar ground-level caves were later rendered more habitable by nomadic shepherds who erected dry-stone walls to close off openings. The shelters were also used as granaries. Oriu di Grossetto (pict 1-2) depicts this fascinating contrast between the smooth mushroom-like cap and its weathered, hollowed basis. Meanwhile Oriu di Canni (pict 4-6), with its pointed spire-like structure, resembles a chapel. This article being only a synopsis, many more Orii of note are to be contemplated at Ma Corse! Sources: (1) Double Oriu di Grossettu and (2) Arche du Chaos de Grussettu (Grossetto Tafoni Arch), photography by Corse Sauvage, via Flickr (18-Jan-2012). Further details (in French) from their informative website, Blog Corse Sauvage. (3) Oriu de Caldarello, photography by Ma Corse (Jean-Marie Vergès). Further details (in French) from their comprehensive Orii section. (4) Oriu di Canni, photography by Christian Comiti, via Flickr. (5) Oriu di Canni, photography via Perierga (article in Greek). (6) Oriu di Canni, photography by Loïc Colonna. (7) A tafoni close-up (for reference only): Tafoni Sandstone Rock, from El Corte de Madera Park, San Mateo County, California, photography by randomtruth, via Flickr. "Tafoni are small cave-like features found in granular rock such as sandstone, granite, and sandy-limestone with rounded entrances and smooth concave walls, often connected, adjacent, and/or networked. They often occur in groups that can riddle a hillside, cliff, or other rock formation. They can be found in all climate types, but are most abundant in intertidal areas and semi-arid and arid deserts. Currently favored explanations controlling their formation include salt weathering, differential cementation, structural variation in permeability, wetting-drying, and freezing-thawing cycles, variability in lithology, case hardening and core softening, and/or micro-climate changes and variation (i.e. moisture availability). Tafoni have also been called fretting, stonelace, stone lattice, honeycomb weathering, and alveolar weathering." (source: Wikipedia).
Caroline Costello's travel accomplishments include surviving a 2 a.m. whitewater rafting excursion in the Canadian wilderness, successfully biking from Dusseldorf to Cologne without a map, and gaining access to a covert pizza speakeasy in New Orleans. Caroline is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Her work has appeared on USA Today, the Boston Globe, AOL.com, MSNBC.com, ABC News, TODAY Travel, and CruiseCritic.com, among other publications.
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