Jay Gould Photography Blog

Perhaps not officially, but Todd Deutsch, being the badass that he is, did come close enough.  I had not realized that this blogging "chain letter" was making its way around.  Normally I ignore these things, but since I was quite entertained by everyone else's it's only fair that I share 5 things you might not know about me.  Enjoy.

1. When I am stressed out I become a very "active" sleeper.  I thought that this had went away some years ago, but it turns out that I have just been sharing my room with heavy sleepers.  The special lady-friend witnessed me at my finest recently as I announced an upcoming exhibition by my students, attacked a ghost, very carefully arranged the blankets over her, and pushed myself out of bed in a crouch ready to run away for some reason (not all in one night.)         *note: apparently this runs in the family.  My father, while in medical school worked for UPS and would often be caught stacking imaginary boxes during the night.
2. I am probably one of the most avid former 4-H members you have known.  I may have been the only non-farmer in my club, but that did not stop me from reaching the oh-so sought after position of Club Presidente'.  Impressive, I know.  I have been wood working since I was young and 4-H lead me to spend much time exhibiting my work at the Minnesota State fair, where I still can navigate to any specific food booth or exhibit purely by instinct.
3. My father was a former 4-H'er and it lead him into the unique hobby of beekeeping.  I helped out for many years, learning the gentle art of honey theft while building up my immunity to the venom.  After a while I stopped wearing anything but the gloves (which my father always did without.)  I can still close my eyes and recall the smell of the honey shed and it gives me happy goosebumps.
4. Bees weren't the only animals I liked.  I had lots of strange pets over the years.  The most unique would have to be Smokey, my parrot, who enjoyed nothing more that exercising to the 1989 Batman Soundtrack (he loved Prince.)  I also had a hamster that hated to be handled so much that he would pop one eye partly out of his socket to frighten us.  I would say this plan is destined to backfire when dealing with 13 year-old boys.
5. During my teenage punk-rock years I had a hairstyle that my friends still enjoy bringing up.  For some reason I buzzed my head except for the hair by my ears.  I would say they were like sideburns, except that I didn't have facial hair, so they really were much more like sidelocks.  They got pretty long and hornlike (with the help of wood-glue).  After visiting a friend's house, his father, a native Russian, kept referring to me as his son's Hasidic friend… finally I put it together… he was thinking of the beautifully aweful locks as Peyot.  Afterwards I wondered how I went so long without thinking of that myself.

Now you all know so much about me… I feel so much closer to you anonymous readers…sigh…  Now for the tagging.  I'll branch out.  Jeremias Paul, Greg Davis, Steve Aishman, and Bjorn Hagstrom.

There is no solitude greater than the samurai's, unless perhaps it be that of a tiger in the jungle.

-Book of Bushido

Action is the enemy of suspense. Action releases tension, instead of building it. Better to wait for a whole movie for something to happen (assuming we really care whether it happens) than to sit through a film where things we don't care about are happening constantly.

Costello faces a mortal decision of conflicting honor.  On one hand there is a woman who saved him from incrimination, therefore, in the case of a murder conviction, likely owes a life debt.  On the other hand is an employer who has hired him to kill her.  This decision is a little blurry to the audience who does not know exactly who he must kill, we only sense that he is deeply troubled and see many reasons to be so.  Costello settles on a solution (unbeknownst to the viewers) that leads him up to the point where he could have certainly completed his mission, but also would be killed by the police.  By doing so, he keeps his honor and pride with everyone certain he could have finished, but dies before he can be dishonored by pulling the trigger.  Again, the tragic samurai is doomed, as he often is, by his own hand.  Whether it is the blade in the stomach of seppuku or calmly walking into the line of your enemies, a samurai will always choose honor over life.