I Surrender

 I have been anti Social Media for some time, but find myself being slowly sucked in.  First it my cousin Grace to view her photos posting, then it was Instagram to follow the grandkids.  This week it was because of Covid 19.  The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival went virtual on Facebook.  I had to catch up on the ins and outs of Facebook in order to share the info.  Of course that didn't work without our live in tech support after he woke up.  Had to supply him with my precious supply of Philz coffee.

Well, I finally gave in as I open my Facebook bookmark multiple times a day.  Yes, at least two the three times a day.  My downfall?  I joined a Facebook group on the Far Side.  People post their favorite Far Side cartoons and cartoons from other artists with the same bent sense of humor.  This is one of my favorites.

Aging Scars

Nine years since bypass surgery.  Quadruple bypass (4 out of 5)

I still haven't gotten use to the scar down my chest. 

 

From Johns Hopkins Medicine

"Your doctor uses coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) to treat a blockage or narrowing of one or more of the coronary arteries to restore the blood supply to your heart muscle.

Symptoms of coronary artery disease may include:

• Chest pain (check)

• Fatigue (severe tiredness) (check)

• Palpitations

• Abnormal heart rhythms

• Shortness of breath

• Swelling in the hands and feet

• Indigestion

  
  

  I remember tubes connected everywhere, machines beeping, nurses (the best!!), Sam Miyamoto's legs,  the rumble of the portable XRAY machine coming down the hall, cold XRAY plates, and constant blood draws.  You learn to just go with the flow, and let them do anything to your body, poke, cut, stitch, shave, insert, poke again.  The right leg ankle is still stiff from the artery removal.  

  
  

9 years

 Im not sure what this day is.  It is 9 years to the day that I had my heart attack.  I remember it being on a Thursday night at a West High Entertainment Board meeting.  The sharp pain on my left side below the collar bone.  A sharp, deep pain, that went away after awhile.  Then it came back about this time of the night.  It becomes a blur after that.

Is this a celebration? Anniversary? Im not sure.  Im still here, with scars too many to count both physical and mental.  Then I saw a picture the other day that put it in perspective.

Finished

 

"Japanese American National War Memorial" will be shown at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival on Sept. 26th.  

You can now view at:  https://vimeo.com/manage/472060471/general.  Judge Okamoto passed the day after the showing.  

Annual Ritual

 Every year I vow that I will finish my Digital Histories film on time, and for the fourth year in a row, I am late.  I even got a early start on my interviews.  But in looking at my notes, my initial concept was nowhere close to my final version.  The most frustrating part? sound.  I messed up the audio on my critical interview.  Even with all the technology of today, if you mess up on the sound, it is very difficult if not impossible to fix.

Which brings me to the usual hardware issues.  It always occurs after midnight.  This year it was a memory card that failed to read.  I had to take it apart and reassemble it in a different card.  Then I found my go to camera wouldn't load and my go to microphone is the reason for my audio problems.  I won't even get into my computer issues.  I keep saying, the 4 years of private college was worth it as I have a permanent tech support that is indentured by blood.  

My subject this year is the Japanese American National War Memorial.  The memorial honors all JA that have died in wars from WWII to Korea to Vietnam to the Middle East Conflicts.  This came about last year when I did my film on a group of the first Sanseis that meet once a month.  Quite a few were Vietnam war veterans, all were affected by the war.  The more I researched the subject, the more I found guys I know who served in Vietnam.  It is not something that comes up in normal conversation.  It hits close to home for me as I was fortunate to miss the draft.  I remember as I approached my 18th birthday, tracking the draft lottery.  President Nixon ended the draft two months before I turned 18.  I did register and was classified as 1H.  I have memories of seeing off a family friend's son off to basic training and being told by my Judo sensei that if I was drafted, to head directly to the Air Force recruiting office. This is from a man who served in the 442 in WWII.  There is something to be said about the toughness of Japanese Americans of that generation combined with the discipline of Japanese Culture.  I see it in the Korean War vets I meet and the Vietnam War vets.  But as generations become more Americanized, that toughness somehow changes.  I still haven't been able to describe it or understand it, it is more of a feeling.  

 

Those Old Guys

 Im sitting here watching a PBS channel, one of those shows where they get the old groups from a certain era.  You watch these older, overweight singers singing the songs of someone's youth.  Well, tonight was the 70's.  Tony Orlando and Dawn to be specific as the hosts.  The usual format is the camera pans the audience every so often.  You get a glimpse into those targeted audiences.  Most look like they came off of buses from the retirement village. 

So im listening to the songs of the 70's that are my youth, high school and college (the wife claims it was jr. high).  They pan to the audience and I see these old folks awkwardly moving to the music.  Then It hit me, hey, those folks are me!!!  I now see how my kids view me.  Im one of those old guys.