Well, look what who came to my rescue in my hour of need! Today in the mail I received the Shinto goddess, Otafuku. She is the goddess of mirth who, wearing a mask, drives out darkness and demons. Here she is smiling, waving a pot of sake, and tossing beans in the air. If you turn her over, you would see she is sitting on a big scary demon. Thank you Jeff and Maureen for my new treasure, my talisman. No mask, ever! So the scary demons say, but Otafuku just tosses the beans at them and, I suspect, "passes gas" (to put it decorously) as she sits on the demonic faces, holding fear at bay, and passing the sake in a congenial circle among friends. So it goes in all the best moral traditions the world over. Serio ludere.
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Are you sure that demon isn't a Pekinese? Sure looks like one, and it would be just like a goddess to pass gas and blame it on her dog. Also, if she's appearing here masked, shouldn't she link her image to her GiftHub profile so that we may know her?
Posted by: Alan Kligerman | January 08, 2008 at 10:56 PM
Good points all, Alan. That may be a Pekinese, it is indeed her dog. That tray she is sitting in, or tub, or dumpster like thing, can be turned upwards. When you do that, it turns out that underneath is a very scary demon face. Those legs on her dumpster are actually the demon's fangs. She does indeed deserve a bio. Maybe she should be our mascot or logo or tutelary goddess. Who else could ward off our generous patron, Candidia Cruikshanks? Maybe she could write our FAQ and help people find their footing here? "Demons Welcome" could be the comment policy?
Posted by: phil | January 08, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Do you go as the Tutor, or Senator Minim?
Posted by: Gerry | January 09, 2008 at 05:07 AM
I go in my best Dick Minim (Senator D MA) imitation, but mindful that as a Democrat I should be deferential around Conservative Thought Leaders like William Schambra.
Posted by: phil | January 09, 2008 at 01:42 PM
We are otafuku-men, ol' None and I. But we'll settle for a little azz.
Posted by: Slim | January 09, 2008 at 02:38 PM
Fo shizzle my nizzle.
Posted by: None | January 09, 2008 at 02:39 PM
Thank you, large breasts, the monkey dance, the inspiration from the gods, mirth, drink, the ritualization in noh dramas. The themese are so familiar, as in Rabelais, reaching back to Aristophanes, but now those themes articulated from within an entirely different tradition. Human nature and power relations - some thngs don't change. Art and congeniality, drink, and humor, masquerade, profane physicality, rude impersonations, and monkeyshines, how else do we cast out demons?
Posted by: phil | January 09, 2008 at 03:09 PM