Thoughts For Japan...

Brian Joseph Johns

I've been recoving from a bad case of the flu for about a week and I've been mostly bed ridden during that time. I just happened to be watching some movies on Netflix today as well. I started with National Treasure (a great action mystery film) and followed up with the Ken Watanabe/Elizabeth Olsen/Aaron Taylor Johnson Godzilla at around 3 O'clock not knowing about what had happened in Japan around that time on the other side of the world.

I actually found out at 9:35 PM EST what had happened and about the quake. Perhaps my choice of movie was out of an intuitive connection between myself and that part of the world. Regardless my thoughts and feelings are with Japan and the survived and the lost. During the Tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 I actually donated half of all my earning to the relief fund for three months. So Tonight and for the future my thoughts are with Japan and its people.

One of the most important symbols of my book The Butterfly Dragon originates from Eastern culture and specifically with regard to the Butterfly itself, and the Dragon. Not to mention the origins of my real life love interest are from the Far East of Asia.

The Butterfly in the Far East is symbolic of spirit, the life force essence or Chi that comprises our being without the need for a body. It is us and the body is merely the hardware that embodies the Butterfly's will.

The Dragon in the Far East has many different origins and takes on many archetypes, for instance in China most Dragons are considered to be harbingers of good fortune and wisdom where they are revered for such qualities. In Japan much of the folklore related to the Dragon is related to it being the harsh force, the ego and sense of self versus the Butterfly. In Korea the Dragon symbolizes a virtuous protector often associated with the turtle.

In any case the relationship between the Butterfly and the Dragon is about achieving balance through wisdom  and good deeds and having on foot in each side of the diametrically opposed paradigms of life (in China), about the conflict between the spirit (the Butterfly) and the body and ego (the Dragon) as found in Japan and through virtue and protection of the body, soul and the people in Korea beliefs and folklore.

I hope that the lost are found alive and well and that this turmoil is followed by a long time of peace without peril in Japan and the nations of the Far East of Asia.

Brian Joseph Johns

Something For A Lady's Prerogative, Something for Butterfly Dragon...

Brian Joseph Johns

Well I managed to get something done for both blogs for a change. In case you missed the post, there's a new chapter for A Lady's Prerogative: The Game called The World, The Sanctum And Japanese Mortgage Brokers. This hand of Feylashar's card game finds Mila and the gang trying to help a young friend and his Mother from the past.

I've been very busy working on the latest CG character for The Butterfly Dragon and it has proven a challenge as I've built the character from the ground up. I'm just about to start rigging as soon as I've got the surfaces correct. So I've posted a new header for the site featuring the first release image for the character which is the new site banner for The Butterfly Dragon. Not to mention that I've added Warai Jeong-Min Tokama to the banner as she is a very important character introduced in the second book Dragon Butterfly.

If you want some info about The Butterfly Dragon, first off it includes a great cast of characters and a folklore built on the Eastern philosophies of many countries from the east and Western philosophy and modern sensibility. Heylyn's company West Meet East International is headquartered in Toronto, Canada with small satellite offices in New York, Paris, London, Berlin, Mumbai, Singapore, Osaka, Beijing and Seoul. Tynan and Associates has an international presence with branches in a hundred countries around the world. Many of the companies that West Meet East International deal with are big name fashion giants in our world (though I refrain from bringing them up by name in the books for trademark reasons). Much of the influence for Heylyn Yates comes from a few real life love interest (she's Oriental and one of the inspirations for the character). Being 48 years of age I intend to retire one day with her or someone like her and maybe visit some of the real life locations from my books or write another series with her as co-author or editor.

So I submit for your peruse, the new site banner introducing the Weltherwithsp...

I hope you enjoy the new chapter for A Lady's Prerogative: The Game. Look forward to much new content for The Butterfly Dragon (some short stories) and a much needed update to Dragon Butterfly.

Thanks for your readership, thanks to my family and friends too and people in the community who support my efforts (without robbing me blind),

You're awesome!

Brian Joseph Johns

Another Lifetime Ago...

Thanks to the wonders of the internet I recently was able to reconnect with some people from my past. You see, another lifetime ago my friends and I were rising rock stars. That's right.
From left to right we're Peter (bassist), Chris (lead vocalist, acoustic guitar), myself (piano and keyboards with my Korg M1 in hand), Blaine (drummer) and Tom (guitar). At that time we were known as The Act, though we'd gigged together for about two years as Standing Room Only or SRO for short.
They were a great bunch to work with and we have some pretty funny stories from those times though we took our work as musicians very seriously. We'd written and produced many songs together which we'd perform live of course. We often worked under the name SRO which would often feed the band's expenses while The Act was promoted for its originals. It was very much run like any business and it was done professionally.

Most of our recordings are lost to time or possibly buried on tapes somewhere in somebody's basement. Recently, local radio personality and music supporter Al Joynes posted this video of us opening for Lee Aaron at the Purple Onion in Oshawa in 1992 alongside our billing.

Lee Aaron by the way has just released a new album and appears to be aging backwards. Time has been kind to her. All the best Lee, Judy and Sue (from the Purple Onion management).

Thank you to Peter, Al and the Purple Onion management for these preserved memories.

I've since moved on and become a Buddhist (with an edge) since 2008.

Brian Joseph Johns