in response to Johnny's tweets of prayer support for Japan
and based on a photo by Tatiana Edrenkina.
Ayumi writes: "Johnny it is a feeling of ARIGATO to you.
I don't know a tradition, but I think whispering a prayer
in any place will be gentle in the same way."
Beautifully drawn; beautifully said.
See more of Ayumi's art here.
Dear Japanese Angels,
and all those affected by Friday's horrific earthquake
and tsunami, and the ongoing aftermath:
and tsunami, and the ongoing aftermath:
~ Our thoughts, our prayers, our hearts are with you ~
Please consider donating, if you are able,
to help the people of Japan.
Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation
that will appear on your phone bill.
Or support Lady Gaga's donation efforts
by purchasing her special "We Pray for Japan" bracelet
for just $5. You may include an additional amount
with your bracelet purchase if you wish;
all proceeds go directly to Japan relief efforts.
For more ways to help, please see this article.
Note: The ISU announced today
that the World Figure Skating Championships
scheduled for March 21-27 in Tokyo
have been postponed.
Note: The ISU announced today
that the World Figure Skating Championships
scheduled for March 21-27 in Tokyo
have been postponed.
So this is not exactly the blog I was going to write at about 3 a.m. last Friday before I checked Twitter.
Since then, amidst the stunning images and feelings of horror, there also have been moments of relief as more and more fans / friends in Japan checked in to say that they were all right.
For many, though, it's not all right, and won't be for a long time. My heart breaks for them.
I was especially thankful to hear from my dear friend Akiko Nakata, who has spent countless hours translating interviews for this blog and also just being fabulous to me.
After I learned that she was OK, I told her I was trying to put together a blog for today, but that I was having trouble with it because it's hard to think about anything else with so much suffering going on right now.
I also asked her an off-topic question, about the Japanese proverb, "Nanakorobi Yaoki, " to make sure I understood it correctly. Akiko confirmed for me that it means, "Fall down seven times, get up eight."
She explained: "This proverb originally described the movements of a daruma doll." [Like the "Weebles" from back in the 1970s. Yes, I'm old. (And in this photo, posing with her 1970s collectibles including bits of green shag carpeting and random Playskool toys, is Binky, seen here aging....)].
"Not off-topic, I think," Akiko wrote. "A lot of earthquakes occur in Japan, but every time, people rise up from the debris, like darumas."
As Johnny has said, "It's not a matter of how I fall. It's a matter of how I pick myself back up."
May every prayer, every thought, every kind wish and gesture, every donation help our fellow citizens of the world in Japan do just that.
Akiko also said she could really use "a little light Johnnyness" right about now. So for you, dear Akiko, and anyone else who might need it, here's some silly randomness to brighten the day a bit, if only briefly.
The Week(end)(ish)(or something)(plus upcoming stuff)(yeah I'm not really organized today) in Review --- Johnny Photojournalism Headlines:
Johnny Is Kidnapped! Oh Wait ...
Johnny Escapes His Kidnappers.
His First Words: "Buy My DVD!"
His First Words: "Buy My DVD!"
Johnny Uses the Word "Piddle" in a Tweet. #WINNING
Johnny Explores Exciting New Career Options.
Actually, Tara tweeted that he did a great job.
She also called him a "nice young lad."
(Breaking: New Concerns Over the Effects of Highlight Chemicals
on Perception and Brain Function Are Raised
After New Jersey Incident.)
She also called him a "nice young lad."
(Breaking: New Concerns Over the Effects of Highlight Chemicals
on Perception and Brain Function Are Raised
After New Jersey Incident.)
Johnny Gets Bored, Cleans Eric's Salon.
(Disclaimer: No Piddle Was Harmed Or Otherwise Involved
in the Making of This Photograph. We Hope.)
Johnny Has New Hair! Four-Part Series.
Fans Descend Into Chaos Over Existential Discussions About the Street Cred of Sneetches With Stars Versus Sneetches With None Upon Thars. Conclusion: It's Just Hair.
(Hair That Rocks, BTW. Love.)
Thank you, Tara and Eric, for the twitpics!
Thank you, Tara and Eric, for the twitpics!
Russian Fans Post Countless Amazing Photo Galleries and Awesome Fan Meeting Videos.
Time-Space Continuum Disrupted As U.S. Fans Spend Hours Lost
in the Johnnyness of It All.
Time-Space Continuum Disrupted As U.S. Fans Spend Hours Lost
in the Johnnyness of It All.
Galleries Not to Be Missed Include These Among So Many
That I Gave Up Keeping Track of Them All for Lent:
That I Gave Up Keeping Track of Them All for Lent:
The Entire Russian Fan Meeting Is Captured on Video
and Can Be Found in Twelve (TWELVE!) Parts Including a Timely Discussion of Counterclockwise Vs. Clockwise Now That We're on Daylight Savings Which Thus Far Has Not Saved Me Any Daylight That I Can See But Has Robbed Me of an Hourof Sleep That Could Have Been Spent Watching These Videos on JWAlice's YouTube Channel. (Channel also includes Johnny's performance to Dima Bilan's "Safety" at the Jubilee.)
and Can Be Found in Twelve (TWELVE!) Parts Including a Timely Discussion of Counterclockwise Vs. Clockwise Now That We're on Daylight Savings Which Thus Far Has Not Saved Me Any Daylight That I Can See But Has Robbed Me of an Hour
#WINNING Part Two. My Fav Photo from His Trip to Russia:
Click for larger view. Dear Russian fans, I love you so hard.
Original photo from Irina. :)
BREAKING: Johnny Will Be Live-Tweeting Tonight During His Episode of RuPaul's Drag Race!!!! Don't miss it! Johnny joins Cheryl Tiegs as a guest judge at 10 pm EDT / 9 pm CDT on Logo-TV. See the preview clip on Logo!
Ice Dreams Tix Go on Sale, Revive U.S. Economy!
BREAKING: Update from Agentress Tara:
VIP tix include on-ice seating and post-show meet-n-greet,
but quantities are limited and they're selling fast
(by which I mean even faster than the Russian fans
can post pics and vids ... )
can post pics and vids ... )
Blog Has Some Work Done.
Looks Lighter! Fresher! More Radiant!
Looks Lighter! Fresher! More Radiant!
Related: Reports Indicate Author Continues to Age.
And finally: Yes, this space has undergone a subtle bloglift to more accurately reflect who / where I am in my life, which is a much lighter place than previously. (Those who read the blog via email probably won't see any difference. "Really? It looks so natural. I can't even tell!")
I love roses. Especially pale pink ones. In the language of flowers, they signify gratitude, admiration, happiness, elegance, gentleness, joy, grace, and love.
Yes. This.
And also: Someone as pretty / handsome / beautiful as Johnny really deserves less drab surroundings to showcase photos like this:
Heartbroken.
Johnny, St. Petersburg, Russia, March 2011.
Yes, Ice Dreams is happening again
in Bensenville, IL, on April 30!
in Bensenville, IL, on April 30!
Young skaters: Sign up here to audition!
of raising $10,000 for breast cancer research
by visiting his donor page! Any amount
you can give will help Skate for Hope
in the fight against cancer.
(Same weekend as the Annually Awesome
Columbus Gay Pride Parade--win-win!)
"Buy my single,'Dirty Love' via iTunes.
Tell all your friends to as well. The more copies sold
takes me one step closer to making a video! №1!"
THE WORLD NEEDS THIS VIDEO
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.
IN THE SAME WAY THAT IT NEEDS AIR.
You know what to do.
or just click the "Buy" button on the player
at the top of the blog!
Hey, Welcome to My World also is available
as an eBook! More info on Johnny's website!
9 comments:
STARS UPON THARS omgosh, you make me thud with happiness (I thudded 7 times but I got up 8 to finish reading). I, too love the hair, and you for being so Binkalicious at 4AM when only us weirdos are up. <3 OH! And Johnny.
Ah, such beautiful sweetness to start my day:-)
Love your 'toon of Johnny helping with Tara's hair!
Heartfelt prayers and a couple of donations flowing toward the people of Japan.
Love the changes, Binky - enough the lighten the 'mood,' not so much that we feel like we're missing home! Enjoyed the blog today, as usual. Thanks!
Love the new look! So Pretty in (pale) Pink! ♥
Such a tender drawing of Johnny and so powerful in its simplicity.
Wish I could do more to help the people of Japan. As for now I will pray for miracles, donate, and pray some more.
Love the pinky roses, Binky. (Looks a lot like the New Dawn variety, which has gorgeous smell, tough as nails, blooms its heart out just once in June.)
Thank you for a compilation that takes our minds for a brief time off the heart-rending crisis in Japan.
Yesterday on Facebook fan Rachel Machinton asked about finding a Japanese organization to give to. Akiko Nikata replied with this: "Thank you, Rachel! How about these? They are founded in Japan.
http://www.kyoto-nicco.org/english/index.html
http://www.peace-winds.org/en/ "
Very impressed by how thoughtful Johnny's fans are. And with Robin Fosdick saying that at Ice Dreams Johnny will get flowers and also a donation in his name to a relief organization working in Japan.
OMG, OMG, Binky, I can't say anything. My heart is too full and I can't stop crying. Let me just say this now. Thank you!!!
Just read about Tara Modlin's tweet: "ICE DREAMS 2011 will benefit the JAPANESE RED CROSS.... more details to follow ... we are finalizing the plan..."
So kind and timely....
Thanks for the wonderful and touching blog, MM! I was so glad to hear from our friends in Japan! I am so sad for those who have suffered loss, but there was/is at least some relief knowing many of our friends are okay!
Thanks for the wonderful pics as well, though I'm not sure exactly what a couple people at FB are seeing in that style that the rest of us are not. Not saying anyone has to like or not like it in particular, but it's just hair...
Love the new look of the blog also! thanks for the exclusive twitpics and love your captions as always!
Binky, what a beautiful surprise!! Thank you very much. I knew you were preparing a new blog for angels and people in Japan, and I was deeply grateful for your kind thoughts, but I didn't expect you would mention me like this in this beautiful blog.
For my friends here: I don't use twitter except when I vote for Johnny, and I didn't tweet even when the biggest earthquake occurred. Then I received both email and FB mail from Binky asking if I was safe. Far from the northern area where the seismic center was, I was little affected by the earthquake. Only I felt long-lasting, scary movings of the ground that I had never experienced. Trains stopped in my place, too, but they resumed in a few hours. I was worrying about my mother, brother and his children in the northern area (later I found them safe, too). Since then, Binky has been doing many things for people in Japan, as her prince Johnny, together with a lot of angels and kittens worldwide, in and out of FB, Twitter, etc.
Binky and friends, I can't express how I feel grateful for all your concerns, thoughts, prayers, vibes, and I wish I could convey them all to all the people who have lost their loved ones, home, belongings, and hope. I wish they could see those lovely pale pink roses and smell the delicate scent. I wish they could read about "Nanakorobi Yaoki," and remember they could get up eight times, as our ancestors did. I wish they could know there are so many people outside of Japan who are praying for them. And if they love Johnny, I wish they, as I did, could see Ayumi's heartful drawing and enjoy "a little light Johnnyness" which soothes them even for a while.
Love and gratitude from Japan
Akiko
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