"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." - President Ronald Reagan.

Buy The Amazon Kindle Store Ebook Edition

Buy The Amazon Kindle Store Ebook Edition
Get the ebook edition here! (Click image.)

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Free "Entertainment" At Japanese Train Stations

While waiting for a subway or commuter train in Japan, one can check out the myriad of advertisements posted at some train stations. Japanese advertisements are interesting and some are quite humorous, even if one doesn't even speak or read the language.

Nothing like free entertainment while waiting for a train.

Here's some I saw at a commuter train station in Tokyo:




Firefighter Resuscitates Mama Cat As Her Kitten Watches

Firefighter with a respirator resuscitates a mama cat while her kitten looks on. The mama cat survived.

Photo courtesy of Planet Earth.

Latest From Tokyo Tower (Roughly Translated)



Above, Tokyo Tower.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

" Tokyo Tower goods shop Mail News "

30 days delivery November 2013 No. 9★ Tokyo Tower official HP ↓http://www.tokyotower.co.jp★ Tokyo Tower official online shop ↓http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/index.cgi★ Tokyo Tower in direct management shop" Goods Shop " 9:00 to 21:30 2nd floor large observatory" Tower Shops " 10:00 ~ 21:00 ※ last admission 20:30 3rd floor foot Town

« Topics of this issue »▼ To ♪ to that person a delicious ♪ Tower souvenir of homecoming▼ goods of Staff recommended▼ for resale of Tokyo Tower stuffed"Tokyo Tower doll baked "♪ to become a captive of the friendly plump sweetness everyone smile ♪ cute in form900 yen ( tax included )http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/detail.cgi?t_no=2238
"Tokyo Tower caramel "Record mega-hit ! ! ! !Good old dice caramel appeared in the tower only! ! ! !
 
210 yen ( tax included )http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/detail.cgi?t_no=2387
"Tokyo Tower Junmai Ginjo "Along with the pan , delicious liquor ♪ on a cold day1,890 yenhttp://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/detail.cgi?t_no=2359

You notice are you?
Product of this place seems out that drama! (Staff story)

nano block Tokyo Tower
  1,550 yen (tax included)
http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/detail.cgi?t_no=2364

TOKYOTOWER mineral water
300 yen (tax included)
http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/detail.cgi?t_no=2293

Tower Magnet
480 yen (tax included)
http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/tt_r/shop/detail.cgi?t_no=2304

News.nom.co Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide News

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

News.nom.co has picked up the news on the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

This is another site that is not familiar to me. They appear to be a news aggregator based out of Columbia.

To view the site, go here.




Friday, November 29, 2013

Monster Japan Travel Guide Ad At Facebook



While perusing Facebook this morning, an ad for the Amazon Kindle Store ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan popped up.

This is the first time I've seen an ad at Facebook for the travel guide.

Good News For Travelers To Japan, Dollar At ¥102



The dollar is firmly trading at ¥102, which is good news for Japan-bound travelers.

According to the Japan Times:
The dollar traded on a firm note above ¥102.10 on Thursday in Tokyo after passing that threshold in overseas trading overnight on the back of rosy U.S. economic data. 
At 5 p.m., the dollar was at ¥102.17-18, up from ¥101.67-71 at the same time Wednesday. 
To read more, go here.


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Jonathan Bellés and "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan"



On November 24, Jonathan Bellés, producer/director of the upcoming documentary, Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga, spoke at the 2nd Cultural Cycle Japan in Valencia, Spain at the La Petxina Cultural Center.

Jonathan Bellés gave a lecture on his documentary Godzilla & HiroshimaThe Dawn of Kaiju Eiga. During his lecture, he also discussed The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.


The accompanying photos show Bellés with the travel guide.

Happy Thanksgiving!


Fun Facts About Japanese Coins



Ever wonder why Japanese coins look the way they do and why two of them (the 5-yen and 50-yen) have holes? What coin is considered the "good luck" coin?

RocketNews24 has an article that will give you the answers.

They start it with:
A fun way to get a perspective on another country’s history and culture is by looking at the currency used. The materials and design that go into making them can say a lot about what a country holds dear. 
So, why don’t we take a quick look through the modern coins used in Japan and learn a little about why they look the way they do and some other tidbits along the way such as what happens when you microwave a one-yen coin and why you shouldn’t do it.
To read the full article, go here

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Jonathan Bellés Discusses Godzilla Documentary At 2nd Cultural Cycle Japan In Spain

On November 24, producer/director Jonathan Bellés gave a presentation on "Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga" in Valencia, Spain. Posted below, is the video of his presentation.

Here is the description of the video in Spanish:
Dentro de las actividades del 2º Ciclo Cultural de Japón en Valencia, en el Centro Cultural La Petxina, Jonathan Bellés ofrece una conferencia sobre su documental "Godzilla & Hiroshima: Los Albores del Kaiju Eiga", además de responder a las preguntas del público asistente.
And, a rough translation:
Among the activities of the 2nd Cultural Cycle Japan in Valencia, at La Petxina Cultural Center, Jonathan Bellés gives a lecture on his documentary "Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga" plus answer questions from the audience. 



Note: Jonathan Bellés discusses a "certain travel guide" 42 minutes into the video.

Here's a still from the presentation:

Above, Jonathan Bellés discusses his upcoming documentary.  Photo courtesy of Jonathan Bellés.

Jonathan Bellés Discusses Godzilla and Hiroshima Documentary on Spanish Television

Producer/director Jonathan Bellés discusses his documentary on Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga on Spanish television.


Entrevista a Jonathan Bellés en TV CS from Producciones 451 on Vimeo.

Coff.es Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide News Release

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Coff.es (must be from Spain, eh?) picked up the news release on the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

What's Coff?  (This is the first I've heard of them.) Here's what they say:
Coff is a Digital Magazine with direct link for the best selected news in real time. 
The last news about Foundations, Economy, Enterprises, Entertainment, Business, Travel... Interviews and interesting articles. 
You can contact with us in the contact page.
To view them, go here

Today In History...

Amazing! It was 12 years ago today when this full page ad appeared in The Hollywood Reporter:


According to Jim Nolt of The Adventures Continue website:
November 27, 2001: A full-page ad commemorating the 50th anniversary of the "Adventures of Superman" was published in a special "Leadership in Hollywood" issue of The Hollywood Reporter dated December, 2001. The ad was paid for by donations from the readers of "The Adventures Continue". Additional funds were donated to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation and the 911 relief efforts.

"Godzilla" (1984) DVD From Far East Flix



Thanks to the fine folks at Far East Flix, I've started to fill in some gaps in my Godzilla and other Japanese sci-fi flicks DVD collection.

Not recalling buying anything from them before (if I had, it must've have been ages ago and completely forgot about it), I decided to try them out with Godzilla (1984) (also known as Return of Godzilla and its U.S. counterpart, Godzilla 1985). The DVD arrived in the mail yesterday.

I have this movie and Godzilla 1985 in VHS format (I have all Godzilla movies in VHS), but haven't bought either in DVD until now.

This DVD is just the Japanese version with subtitles. It is a good 2-disc set with the first disc being just the movie and the second disc contains the extras (that includes a gallery, trailers and a behind-the-scenes feature shot during the making of the movie with a lot of  producer Tomoyuki Tanaka in it).

Tonight was a not-too-interesting television night and my roomie conked out on the couch, so I decided to pop in the disc. It played quite well in my Blu-ray player with great picture and sound quality. As it happened, she woke up while I was watching. After grumbling a bit, she actually enjoyed the movie as well as the extras. She was impressed with the miniature work as well as special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano's pyrotechnics. We both agreed that this was far more enjoyable than the CGI crud (although much improved) that is now being put out by Hollywood today.

Far East Flix passed the test, so I will be buying more DVDs from them. Their website is http://www.fareastflix.com/kaijucollection.html#.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Al Plastino, R.I.P.

Above, Al Plastino.


One of the few remaining Golden Age and Silver Age comic book artists, Al Plastino, passed away yesterday at age 91 of prostate cancer.

Recently, Plastino has been involved in litigation over artwork he drew for "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy" that was intended to be donated to the John F. Kennedy Library.

Above, a Facebook message to me on the Superman-JFK artwork matter from Al Plastino from a few weeks ago.

Somehow, those pages of art never made it to the Kennedy Library and were to be up for auction last week. When the controversy erupted last month, Heritage Auctions pulled the artwork pending investigation.

While Curt Swan was my favorite Superman artist, Al Plastino was a good illustrator in his own right and I felt his work actually got better as the years went on.

For more, go here.

R.I.P., Al.

Digital Media Net Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide News

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Digital Media Net picked up the news release on the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.


They are one of the biggest Internet news and features aggregators.

To view the site, go here.

The Japan Daily Picks Up Mexico Travel Blog Story

Above, Ai with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan Daily has picked up my blog post on Mexico Travel's pickup of the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

The article is in yesterday's (November 25) edition.

To view it, go here.

Monday, November 25, 2013

New Tokyo Starbucks Now Sells Booze!

Above, the Shibuya Crossing Starbucks. Will they eventually sell booze too?  Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Getting away from politics (I'm referring to my last two blog posts), I noticed an item in RocketNews24 that reports a new Starbucks is selling wine and beer.

According to RocketNews24's article:
Normally known for a spot to get a sugar-fueled caffeine fix, Starbucks recently opened a new outlet in Tokyo that is serving alcohol. The new coffee shop is part of a concept line of cafés the company is establishing in Japan to offer customers something a little different from the usual Starbucks experience. In addition to serving upscale coffee drinks and homemade desserts, this shop will be selling wine and beer after noon in the fashionable Shimokitazawa neighborhood. 
The about 138-square meter store has room for 42 people, including four seats on an outside terrace.  
Customers will be able to choose their coffee brew from six different beans. Aside from the typical café fare of cappuccinos, lattes and drip coffee, this shop also has specialty drinks like the “Shakealato,” a shaken coffee drink served in a martini glass for 500 yen (US$5). Another speciality drink is the “Gold Foam Mocha,” a three-layer drink of coffee, milk foam and chocolate sauce for 650 yen. 
And since not everyone likes coffee, this Starbucks is selling wine and beer!
Down the hatch!

To read the full article, go here.

Support Nebraska's Ben Sasse For U.S. Senate!


My second contribution of today to a Republican conservative primary candidate went to Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who is running for the U.S. Senate for that state.

Sasse recently ran afoul of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (see this article). This confirms to me that McConnell has got to go! Earlier today, I contributed to McConnell's primary challenger in Kentucky, Matt Bevin.

This time, my contribution goes a little closer to home as Sasse is running to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate. I have farm property in Nebraska, that's why this contribution means a lot to me.

If you can, kindly submit your contribution to Ben Sasse for U.S. Senate by going here.

Donate To Matt Bevin's Campaign And Dump Mitch McConnell!

Above, Matt Bevin.  Photo by Bevin for Senate.

Tired of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky?  I sure am and I did something about it!

Thanks to the ineffective "leadership" of McConnell, "Dingy" Harry Reid has taken away the one weapon the GOP had to block leftist/socialist judicial appointments of Barack Obama. Reid's "nuclear option." Now the Democrats can appoint whomever they choose to the federal courts. They will appoint judges who will take away our freedoms and destroy the Constitution.

We can thank Mitch McConnell for letting this happen.

Unfortunately, I don't live in Kentucky, so I can't vote for Matt Bevin, the conservative Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Kentucky. I did the next best thing. I sent a contribution to Matt Bevin for U.S. Senate Committee. He is running in the GOP primary against McConnell. In fact, Bevin recently took 80% in a Kentucky straw poll! (See http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/25/Matt-Bevin-Takes-over-80-of-Vote-in-Kentucky-Straw-Poll?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

If you agree with me, I urge you to go to Matt Bevin's campaign website and contribute to his campaign!

To go to Matt Bevin's campaign website, to here.


Monster Japan Travel Guide News Picked Up By Mexico Travel

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.


Mexico is an hour or two further away from Japan than Los Angeles, but that didn't stop Mexico Travel from posting a link to the news release on the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Here's what they posted:


All I can say is, "gracias"!

To view the site, go here.

50 Things To Do In Harajuku

Above, Harajuku Station.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Time Out Tokyo has posted a list of "50 Things To Do In Harajuku."

They begin with:
It's the neighbourhood that gave us Lolita girls, decora and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Harajuku has been the epicentre of Tokyo teen fashion for decades, and it's still nurturing unorthodox, garish styles even as big-name international retailers like H&M, Forever21 and American Eagle Outfitters muscle in on the area. Join us on a trip around Harajuku's best restaurants, cafés, gift shops and fashion boutiques – lots of fashion boutiques. And while you're in the 'hood, keep your eyes peeled for the print edition of 50 things to do in Harajuku, which comes with a pocket-friendly, AR-enhanced map of the area.
Most visitors to Harajuku begin their visit by taking the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku Station, which was first opened in 1906.

To see the list, go here

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Superman-JFK Cover Art Sold For $112,015


Fox News is reporting that cover art drawn by Curt Swan featuring President John F. Kennedy disguised as Clark Kent was sold for $112,015.
They reported:
Cover art from a 50-year-old comic book featuring Superman's alter-ego, Clark Kent, as President John F. Kennedy in disguise was sold at an auction for $112,015. 
Curt Swan's original cover drawing for Action Comics #309 sold at auction last week in York County, the York Daily Record reports. 
On the cover is Superman shaking hands with Clark Kent and a word arrow asks the reader, "Who is the mystery masquerader?"
To read the full story, go here

Tensions Between Japan and China Heat Up



The office of Secretary of State John Kerry issued the following statement yesterday on the territorial dispute between China and Japan:
The United States is deeply concerned about China's announcement that they've established an "East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone." This unilateral action constitutes an attempt to change the status quo in the East China Sea. Escalatory action will only increase tensions in the region and create risks of an incident. 
Freedom of overflight and other internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace are essential to prosperity, stability, and security in the Pacific. We don't support efforts by any State to apply its ADIZ procedures to foreign aircraft not intending to enter its national airspace. The United States does not apply its ADIZ procedures to foreign aircraft not intending to enter U.S. national airspace. We urge China not to implement its threat to take action against aircraft that do not identify themselves or obey orders from Beijing. 
We have urged China to exercise caution and restraint, and we are consulting with Japan and other affected parties, throughout the region. We remain steadfastly committed to our allies and partners, and hope to see a more collaborative and less confrontational future in the Pacific.
 In a related article in Japan Today:
GENEVA — The United States said Sunday it was “deeply concerned” and committed to defending Japan after China announced an air zone in the East China Sea that includes disputed islands.

In a move that U.S. ally Japan branded as “very dangerous,” China said it was setting up the “air defense identification zone” over the islands administered by Tokyo to “guard against potential air threats.”

[Defense Secretary Chuck] Hagel reiterated that the Japanese-administered Senkaku islands—which the Chinese claim and call the Diaoyu—fell under the U.S.-Japan security treaty, meaning that Washington would defend its ally Tokyo if the area is attacked. 
“We are in close consultation with our allies and partners in the region, including Japan. We remain steadfast in our commitments to our allies and partners,” Hagel said. 
The defense chief made clear that the United States, which stations more than 70,000 troops in Japan and South Korea, would not respect China’s declaration of control over the zone. 
“This announcement by the People’s Republic of China will not in any way change how the United States conducts military operations in the region,” Hagel said. 
The outline of the zone, which is shown on the Chinese defense ministry website and a state media Twitter account (pic.twitter.com/4a2vC6PH8O), covers a wide area of the East China Sea between South Korea and Taiwan that includes airspace above the disputed islands.
Note: China's newly established air defense zone overlaps S. Korea's, according to a News Advisory from Kyodo News.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

This Cartoon Sums It Up


Hollywood Industry Posts News on "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan"

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If a website picks up and posts news on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, I feel obligated to at least reciprocate and put out a notice that will help promote their site. This is my way of showing my appreciation.

The latest is Hollywood Industry, A Digital Media Net Community.

To view the site, go here.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" News In Docstoc

Above, Yuu Asakura with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The news on the holiday sale on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is going viral as other sites are picking up the news.

Docstoc is one of the latest sites to post the news.

About Docstoc:
Docstoc is the premier online destination to start and grow small businesses. It hosts the best quality and widest selection of professional documents (over 20 million) and resources including expert videos, articles and productivity tools to make every small business better. Docstoc is among the top 500 most visited websites (quantcast) and has over 25 million registered users. It offers a vast collection of free resources and provides a monthly membership which unlocks its widest selection of premium content. Docstoc also provides the technology to help facilitate the sharing and promotion of documents across the web and has popularized the use of embedding documents throughout the blogosphere and mainstream media (http://docstoc.com/embed-documents
Docstoc Inc. was founded by Jason Nazar and Alon Shwartz and launched to the in Octover 2007. The company is located in Santa Monica, CA. 
To view it, go here

Monster Japan Travel Guide Holiday Sale News Picked Up By Movie Balla

Above, Ai with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Movie Balla picked up the news on the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

What is Movie Balla?  Here's what they say:

Balla Networks sites curate and highlight Trending News from the entire web and feature commentary on the hottest stories of the day. Stay up to date with the latest news, tweets and Youtube videos about all trending news in real-time. 
Read more at http://www.movieballa.com/about/about-us#3ts5L1r3zdDqmuIj.99

To go to Movie Balla, go here.

Japan Daily Picked Up Monster Japan Travel Guide News



The Japan Daily has picked up the blog about the Amazon Kindle ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan's rankings.

The blog article was posted last night when the ebook was ranked #20 and #58 in two categories.

To view The Japan Daily, go here.


Friday, November 22, 2013

Al Plastino Sues Heritage Auctions Over Superman-JFK Artwork

Above, the caption stating that the artwork would be donated to the Kennedy Library
 is missing from the image that was supplied by Heritage Auctions. It was a glue-on
 overlay that was removed. Note the residue from the glue on the panel at right. 

The next step in the ongoing controversy over the original artwork comic book artist Al Plastino drew 50 years ago has been taken.

Plastino filed suit with the New York State Supreme Court in New York County against Heritage Auctions over the artwork (10 pages) of the story, "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy." The suit demands that Heritage name the person putting up the disputed artwork up for auction.

For 50 years, Plastino believed the artwork was donated to the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, but they mysteriously turned up at a New York comic book convention last month.

According to the Dallas News:
Oak Lawn-based Heritage Auctions is holding a comic-art auction in Beverly Hills today. And that sale was scheduled to include 10 pages from Superman No. 170, which includes the story “Superman’s Mission for President Kennedy,” a rather unremarkable public-service announcement in which the Man of Steel encourages the nation’s youth to “close the muscle gap” by enlisting in the president’s Physical Fitness Program. 
But the lot has been pulled over a dispute over who owns — and who should own — the artwork. 
Heritage says it belongs to a private collector who bought it in 1993. But the man who drew it, 91-year-old Al Plastino, says it belongs to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. And he has filed suit to have it returned to its allegedly rightful owner. Plastino, who found out just last month it never made it to Boston, wants Heritage to name names.
Some have speculated that it was Curt Swan's original art that was to be donated, not Plastino's:
Some comic-book scholars speculate that the original artwork to which Weisinger was referring was done by Curt Swan, among the most famous Superman artists, and not Plastino.
The above was referring to then-Superman editor Mort Weisinger. Plastino told me a few weeks ago that Swan only drew a splash page, not a full story and that the Kennedy Library has no record of receiving any Swan artwork either.


Above, the published version.  Note the caption on the panel stating that it would go to the Kennedy Library.
This is looking more like the art was stolen. Why would the caption stating the artwork's planned donation be removed?

To read the full story, go here

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Now Available At Australia Amazon Kindle Store


There's more Amazon Kindle Store news for the ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan!

It is now available at the new Australia Amazon Kindle Store! Australian kaiju fans who want to see the landmarks and locations featured in their favorite kaiju movies now have access to getting the travel guide ebook at their own Kindle Store.

The Australian Kindle Store was recently launched by Amazon.

To go to The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan ebook listing, go here.

Welcome aboard, Australia!

Monster Japan Travel Guide In Top 100 Best Sellers In 2 Categories

Amazon.com's Kindle Store has the ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan in the top 100 in two categories tonight.

The first is no. 20 in the "Best Sellers In Japanese Travel."



The other is no. 58 in "Best Sellers In General Japan Travel Guides."


News Release Is Now Out

Above, Ai with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The press release on the holiday sale of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has been released (about and hour and a half ago) by PR.com.

The sale is on through Tuesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve).

To view it, go to "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Holiday Sale.

1984 Dealey Plaza Visit

In 1984, I was an Alternate Delegate of the California Reagan Delegation to the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas. The convention was held in the city in August 1984.

Above, the former Texas School Book
Depository and Dal-Tex Buildings from
Elm Street in Dealey Plaza.  Photo by
Armand Vaquer.

While there, most of my time was taken up in attending the convention sessions, state delegation caucus meetings, social functions (one was at the estate of Mrs. H. L. Hunt, widow of oil billionaire) and tours set up by the host committee (one was to Southfork Ranch, used in the prime-time soap Dallas).

During my stay in Dallas, I elected to go on my own to Dealey Plaza, the site of the assassination of President Kennedy, that occurred fifty years ago today.

I took a taxi over to Dealey Plaza and once I arrived, I proceeded to take photographs of the area from different angles.

Dealey Plaza looked almost as it did in November 1963 with some changes. The Stemmons Freeway sign (that partially obscured the presidential limousine in the Abraham Zapruder film) was gone. The street lamps that were located next to the curbs were moved several feet away into the grassy areas. The Hertz Rent-A-Car clock sign, that was atop the former Texas School Book Depository, was removed in 1979. It is currently in storage. Some overhead signs on Elm Street were added since 1963.

The former Texas School Book Depository building, where Lee Oswald had his sniper's nest, was then owned and operated by the county. The Sixth Floor Museum was still in its planning stages in 1984, but the main lobby of the building was open and had a free publication on the assassination available that also contained an article on the planned museum.

A suspicious fire was started with two separate points of origin in the basement of the Book Depository Building during the time I was there for the convention. Fortunately, the damage amounted to about $250,000 and the Hertz sign, in storage in the basement at the time, was undamaged.

The above photo also includes the Dal-Tex Building where Abraham Zapruder's Jennifer Juniors dress company was located.

While I was in Dealey Plaza, I did get an eerie feeling. I have heard that a lot of visitors to the area get the same feeling.

After the convention was over and after my return home to Hawthorne, California, I had my film developed and began putting the photographs into a photo album devoted to my week in Dallas.

As I was doing so, my mother suggested that I mount several photographs in a montage. Those photos were taken when I stood on the concrete pedestal off of Elm Street where Abraham Zapruder stood and filmed the assassination.

When I completed my photography of Dealey Plaza, I took a cab back to my hotel. I got into the cab at Elm and Houston Streets and rode down Elm Street in the same lane as Kennedy's limousine when the shots were fired.

The distance between the street and the sixth floor window was not that great. Photographs of the scene really don't convey how close the street was to the window. It was a relatively easy shot for Oswald to carry off. He might have been able to do it without a scope, in my opinion.

How did I learn the news of Kennedy's assassination? I wrote this three years ago.

Here are some of the photographs I took in Dealey Plaza:

Above, part of the photo montage from my photo album.  I stood on
the pedestal used by Abraham Zapruder. Photos by Armand Vaquer.


Above, a frame from the Nix film at about the time of the fatal shot.
Above, a view similar to the Nix frame. The photo was taken from Main Street.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the motorcade turns onto Elm St. from Houston St. The image
 was taken from the intersection of Main St. and Houston St.
Above, a similar view from Main and Houston Streets. The Dal-Tex Building is on the right. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the open window marks the Oswald's sniper's next.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.
Above, Armand on Elm Street with the triple underpass in the background.
Above, a view of Elm Street.  The white area on the sidewalk marks a streetlight's former location.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Holiday Sale



The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is now available at a holiday discount of 20% off the cover price. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is the world's first and only Japan travel guide tailored to fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy films.

This holiday special offer is being offered directly from author Armand Vaquer.

"To get into the "Santa spirit" and to even make your holiday dollars go even further, the $12.00 price also includes shipping & handling," said Vaquer.

Orders postmarked now through Tuesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) are entitled to the discount.

Vaquer added, "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan makes the perfect stocking stuffer for that Japanese monster fan in your life or for yourself!"

For the order form, go here.

Foreign Visitors To Japan Spending Record Amounts

Above, a gift shop at Nakamise Street in Asakusa, Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Foreign visitors to Japan are on a pace to exceed $10 billion in spending for 2013, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

According to News On Japan:
The agency says foreigners spent nearly 9 billion dollars in the period between January and September. That's the highest figure since the government began keeping records 3 years ago. It's also 1.7 billion dollars higher than the same period last year. 
To read more and see a video, go here

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