A little while ago, I cast my ballot vote at the Whispering Cedars Fire House polling place.
I was voter number 40.
Here is this year's sticker:
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Harris Victory = Gun Sale Surge
Today is Election Day.
This will be a watershed day in the nation.
Much has been said and written about what a Harris victory means. There is one thing that is sure to happen if she does win (pray to God she doesn't and get your behind out and vote for Trump): a surge in gun sales and ammunition.
The Washington Examiner posted the following:
Sales of guns took a temporary pause last month as the public headed into an Election Day that could determine the future of the Second Amendment.
The FBI said background checks fell, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms industry group that parses those reports for sales numbers, said they were down about 5%.
Still, NSSF said the market remains strong and recorded the 63rd consecutive month of sales over 1 million.
“These figures tell elected officials where America stands on support for the Second Amendment,” NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva said.
In 2016, when it appeared that Hillary Clinton was headed to a solid victory over Donald Trump, gun sales surged at the end of the campaign.
This year, the race appears tied, though each side believes it is ahead.
As a result, said some gun sellers, many have paused purchases, especially those who are concerned that Harris will revert to her preelection positions of pushing for gun control and possibly gun confiscation.
Should she win, they anticipate a flood of customers, new and old.
“With the polls razor close, a lot of buyers are taking a wait-and-see approach. However, given the history of social unrest and rioting following election days, we expect a spike in sales no matter who wins. Fear sells firearms, and when people’s timelines and news feeds are filled with people committing violence, they naturally seek comfort by buying guns,” said Justin Anderson, the marketing director for Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, North Carolina, one of the nation’s largest gun stores.
To read more, go here.
Kamala Weaponizing Banks Against American Gun Owners
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| Above, yours truly picking up my Winchester Model 12 shotgun after purchasing it last year. |
Democrats have been hell-bent on attacking our Second Amendment rights. That has been no secret.
They are trying to weaponize banks and other financial institutions to track firearm purchases when people buy them with credit and debit cards. That's why my last two gun purchases were with cash.
Newsweek posted an opinion piece by Representatives Elise Stefanik & Andy Barr on their legislative fight over this weaponization.
It begins with:
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, there has been an unconstitutional and relentless attack on the Second Amendment rights and privacies of American citizens. In September 2023, gun-grabbing organizations and far Left politicians including New York Attorney General Letitia James cheered on the creation of a new Merchant Category Code (MCC) for firearms retailers within the payment processing system.
MCCs, seemingly introduced for regulatory or monitoring purposes, carry significant implications for the privacy of consumers and equitable treatment of lawful transactions.
The creation of MCCs specifically for firearms retailers is weaponizing the financial system against lawful gun owners by seeking to label and track transactions on firearms and ammunition. To counteract this infringement on our rights, we introduced the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act.
Our bill aims to ensure that firearms retailers are not unjustly targeted by payment card networks or other financial entities, and purchases by law-abiding citizens are protected from monitoring and denial by the government. Specifically, our bill ensures that firearms retailers are not considered differently than general or sporting goods merchants.
This protection preserves the privacy of Americans making lawful purchases, prevents the creation of a backdoor registry of gun owners, and guarantees that legal commerce is not unfairly surveilled or impeded based on the nature of the goods sold.
To read more, go here.
RV Snow Removal 101
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| Above, the motorhome during the first winter in New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It snows where I live in New Mexico. Before moving to New Mexico almost seven years ago, I didn't have to worry about winter snows as I lived in the San Fernando Valley in California.
The first winter in New Mexico, my motorhome was outside parked in my driveway. Snow during that winter wasn't too bad and it didn't accumulate on its roof. But, sooner or later, a heavy snow storm may hit and I needed to protect my RV. So I had a RV barn built, the GOCO Beast Barn. It was ready to use during the second winter.
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| Above, the RV barn during the second winter in New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Others may not be so fortunate to have a shelter for their RV to protect its roof from winter snows. Do It Yourself RV has posted an article on how to defend your RV's roof from winter snows.
It begins with:
Winter is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to start thinking about how you will care for your RV through the cold months. Winterizing your rig is an important first step, but it isn’t the only thing you’ll need to do to make sure the winter weather doesn’t cause any damage to your trailer or motorhome. You’ll also have to stay on top of RV snow removal.
While some snow on top of your RV roof is probably fine, too much weight from snow and ice can cause damage to the structure of your roof, and once it’s built up, it’s much more difficult to remove. On top of that, as the snow and ice melt, the water that gathers on the roof is likely to find its way into nooks and crannies, causing water damage.
The good news is you can prevent these problems by going through the RV snow removal process throughout the winter season to prevent build-up.
To read more, go here.
Megyn Kelly's Speech At Last Trump PA Rally
Megyn Kelly knocked a grand slam out of the ballpark last night in Pittsburgh at Trump's last rally in Pennsylvania.
Here's the video of it:
Watch @MegynKelly's full speech at Donald Trump's final Pennsylvania rally of the 2024 election: pic.twitter.com/RGrtpq9bxE
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) November 5, 2024
Monday, November 4, 2024
Election: View From Australia
Here's what Sky News Australia sees in the polling and what to expect tomorrow:
Snow Day
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| Above, this morning's snow (so far). Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
This morning, we (Greg, Larry and I) were to go into Albuquerque to pick up Larry's bus from the repair shop. It was in for repairs to the bus's wheelchair lift.
However, we have received a dusting of snow this morning with likely more to come. We decided that it would not be a good idea to make the trek to Albuquerque today due to the snow and possible black ice on Interstate 40.
Even though we're (supposedly) in autumn, a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued.
So, we're putting the trek off until next week.
Election 2024: THIS IS IT!
This morning, I received an email from the New Mexico Shooting Sports Association.
It reads in part:
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Increase In Fake Numismatic Coins
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| Above, the two fake coins I bought two years ago. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Fake coins are still being foisted upon the unwary public. Many of them originate from China. The old tried and true magnet test isn't as reliable as it once was. That was how I found that coins I bought through an ad in Facebook two years ago were fakes. Counterfeiters are starting to use non-magnetic metals for their fakes.
Since then, I now only buy from reputable coin dealers.
Greenfield Recorder posted an article on how to get your money's worth when buying coins.
It begins with:
GREENFIELD — Coin experts across the region are sounding the alarm about an influx of fakes manufactured in China and infiltrating the U.S. market.
Chinese-made counterfeits of collector and circulating coins are more rampant than ever, according to the American Numismatic Association, having greatly improved in their deceptive quality since the 1970s. Still, many are relatively easy for a trained eye to detect and having a piece evaluated by an knowledgeable businessperson or graded by a professional company is the best way to avoid getting shortchanged.
To read more, go here.
Classic Rock Music Monday
The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.
To start off the first week of November, we have The Sandpipers with their 1966 hit, "Guantanamera". They were active from 1966 to 1975.
From Wikipedia:
The Sandpipers were an American easy listening trio who carved a niche in 1960s folk rock with their vocals and innovative arrangements of international ballads and pop standards. They are best remembered for their cover version of "Guantanamera", which became a transatlantic top 10 hit in 1966, and their top 20 hit "Come Saturday Morning" from the soundtrack of the film The Sterile Cuckoo in 1970.
Singing in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, and Tagalog, the Sandpipers had seven album entries in the Billboard 200 from 1966 to 1970, and over a dozen charted singles.
Sunday, November 3, 2024
RV Snowbird Season Is Here
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| Above, camping at Lake Havasu in autumn. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Now that fall is here (one could've fooled me, as we had snow this morning), many people are headed south from their northern homes to escape cold wintry temperatures and snow. These folks are called snowbirds.
RV Life has posted an article on "RV Snowbirds: Who Are They and Where Do They Go?"
The article begins with:
Fall is here. This is a big time of year for RV snowbirds, as they are all getting ready to make a major move.
Not sure what exactly I mean by that? Well you’re in the right place, because I’m an RV snowbird of sorts myself, and I’m here to explain exactly what it is that makes us snowbirds and why we do what we do. I’ll even include some tips on how to join our flock in case the idea sounds appealing to you!
What is a Snowbird?
First, let’s discuss what exactly an RV snowbird is. These are people who typically spend the summers in the northern part of the country to avoid the worst of the heat, and then use an RV to migrate south for the winter season just like birds do. They chase good weather and avoid ice and snow.
Some snowbirds have a house up north and only spend winters in their RV down south. Others are in their RV all year long. Some leave their RVs in storage in the south for summer; others take them home with them.
Many RV snowbirds head south beginning in October and November. Others wait until after they’ve spent the holidays with family. Some meander south slowly, stopping to see things along the way, while others rush south, their only goal being to get away from the cold.
There aren’t really many rules surrounding how to be an RV snowbird. The only real requirements to fit into this category are that you live in an RV in the south during the cold months.
They seem to head to Arizona, California and Texas for the winter. Oddly, southern New Mexico doesn't seem to be a destination for snowbirds. At least, that's according to the article.
To read more, go here.
Trump National Press Secretary Socks It To Media
Karoline Leavitt exposes media for pushing political violence against Trump.
Cruise Companies Pouring Money Into Private Resorts
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| Above, Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Last August, I took a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line to the Bahamas. It was on the Norwegian Sky.
Part of the cruise's itinerary was a stop at Great Stirrup Cay, a private island resort owned operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. While there, a friend and I went jet skiing.
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| Above, at the Great Stirrup Cay jet ski docks. |
This was the first I've heard of any cruise line owning and operating private resorts. Other cruise lines have done the same. It is a lucrative business and the cruise lines are pouring money into them.
It appear there's a backlash against overtourism and the cruise lines are using these resorts as a destination for their customers.
Financial Times has posted an article on these private resorts.
They begin it with:
The world’s biggest cruise groups are pouring money into private destinations for their customers as booming demand rubs up against a backlash against overtourism in many popular spots.
The biggest operator, Carnival, is in the midst of developing the $600mn Celebration Key on the island of Grand Bahama. The “first-ever exclusive destination to be purpose-built” for the company will open next year.
Meanwhile, rival Royal Caribbean is planning to spend a similar amount building the 200-acre Perfect Day Mexico resort on Mexico’s Caribbean coast in Mahahual. It will have beaches, water parks and other entertainments and is scheduled to open in 2027.
Another major operator, Norwegian Cruise Line, is building a two-ship pier to its own private island Great Stirrup Cay to allow it to double visitor numbers to 700,000 from 2026.
By 2025 passenger capacity at cruise company-owned private islands in the Caribbean will have more than doubled from 2019, according to Christian Savelli, cruise analytics director at Tourism Economics.
To read the full article, go here.
Trump Gains Ground In New Mexico
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| Above, Donald Trump in Albuquerque. |
It looks like former President Donald Trump's rally in Albuquerque last week may have done some good as the polling numbers in New Mexico have narrowed.
The visit could also help Nella Domenici's and Yvette Harrell's campaigns as well.
According to Piñon Post:
With less than a week until Election Day, 45th President Donald Trump is within striking distance of Kamala Harris in New Mexico, according to a new survey by Rasmussen Reports and American Thinker.
While Harris maintains a meager five-point lead in New Mexico with 49% of likely voters compared to Trump’s 44%, the gap is significantly smaller than her predecessor Joe Biden’s double-digit margin in 2020. Trump’s recent visit to New Mexico has reinvigorated his supporters, with many believing he could flip the state for the first time in 20 years.
During Trump’s Albuquerque rally, he addressed key issues resonating with New Mexico voters, including the economy and border security, both of which remain top priorities for New Mexicans. According to the survey, 27% of New Mexico voters identified the economy as their most pressing concern, followed by 18% who cited border security. These issues, where Trump has historically polled strongly, may help him make further inroads in the state.
To read more, go here.
Raped 5-Year-Old and Squirrel Killed In NY
If you want a country where rescued pet squirrels are welcomed, and illegal immigrant rapists are not, vote Republican.https://t.co/WSYpDY7sym pic.twitter.com/oJklgBSZu0
— Anthony P. D'Esposito (@ANTHONYDESPO) November 2, 2024
Happy 70th Birthday, Godzilla!
Happy 70th Birthday, Godzilla!
Today is Godzilla Day in Japan and around the world. It was on November 3, 1954 that the King of the Monsters's first movie, Godzilla, premiered in Japan.
From Godzilla.com:
Godzilla is 70! Seven decades after director Ishirō Honda and special effects master Eiji Tsuburaya revealed Godzilla to Japanese audiences on November 3, 1954, the King of the Monsters has only become more captivating and resonant to its growing global fanbase.
Along with that, it has been announced that a new Godzilla movie (possibly a sequel to Godzilla Minus One) has been greenlighted by Toho Co., Ltd.
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| Above, the Godzilla filming suit from Godzilla x Megaguirus (2000) with yours truly at Toho Studios in Setagaya, Japan in 2001. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri. |
To read more, go here.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Election Week Weather
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| Above, Tee Pee Trading Post in Lupton, Arizona in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Election week will bring snow showers to Jamestown, New Mexico.
Funny thing, when I looked at this week's forecast of the National Weather Service, it stated that snow showers may begin tonight through Monday. But on Election Day (Tuesday), it will be sunny with a 50° temperature. Then, possible snow showers (40% chance) will hit on Wednesday and the rest of the week.
Today, I did manage to drive the Jeep down to the Flying J and around the community. It was the first time in days I did so.
Right now, the area is socked in with clouds, so maybe we will get snow showers tonight (40% chance).
The forecast:
Wisconsin Trump Sign Thief
Make him famous, share this post!
MAKE HIM FAMOUS 🔈
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) November 2, 2024
Democrat in Swing State Wisconsin CAUGHT ON CAMERA with a carload of Donald Trump signs and caught in the act removing another Trump sign
🚨 Notice the Kamala Harris / Tim Walz campaign sticker on the back of his car? pic.twitter.com/Ux6iATOidN
Facebook Is Still At It
Facebook is still (not that they ever quit) out censoring/removing posts.
I posted my latest blog post on lever guns and they removed it as they claim it violates their community standards on spam. Of course, I requested a review.
This is what they sent me:
"Larry Case: The Lever Gun Rides Again"
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| Above, yours truly with the Winchester 94. Photo by Larry Lucier. |
Not until 2019, I had not owned a lever-action rifle. I had wanted to get one for some time, preferably a Winchester 94 in .30-30.
As luck would have it, I found a pre-1964 Winchester 94 in .30-30 made in 1962 for sale at an Albuquerque gun store. I put it on layaway as I was about to take a cruise. I picked it up when I got back to Albuquerque after the cruise.
Since then, it seems like everyone else is wanting to buy a lever gun. Old favorites and newly introduced models are being snatched up.
That's where an article in The Register-Herald by Larry Case comes in. It is titled, "Larry Case: The Lever Gun Rides Again".
It starts with:
Maybe you remember Lucas McCain. He was the lead character (played by actor Chuck Connors) on the popular western TV show “The Rifleman” which aired from 1958 to 1963. The Rifleman portrayed Lucas and his son Mark and their adventures on a ranch near the small town of North Fork, New Mexico, Territory in the 1880s. Besides solving all the problems around him in each 30-minute episode weekly, Mr. McCain was also an incredible hand with a lever action rifle (hence the name of the program). Perhaps you remember the opening of the show which showed Lucas McCain firing his lever gun lighting fast as he walked down the street in town (more on this later).
We sat and watched this, kids and adults alike, and fell more in love with the lever action rifle. The fast-handling lever action rifle has held the imagination of American shooters and hunters for over a hundred years now, primarily for two reasons in my not-so-humble opinion.
One is the western motion picture industry almost always portrayed the cowboys blazing away with a lever action rifle (usually a Winchester). The actors, both good guys and bad, had a sixgun on their side, usually a Colt Single Action Army model, and for a rifle it was a lever gun.
The next reason they became so popular is for many years before deer hunters thought all rifles had to be topped with a telescopic sight, the lever action rifle, usually a Winchester model 1894, reigned supreme as the nation’s deer rifle.
To read the full article, go here.
Mt. Fuji Light Rail Line To Transport 3 Million Hikers Annually
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| Above, a Shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
The big symbol of Japan, Mount Fuji, may be getting a new rail line to the Fifth Station on the mountain.
Yamanashi Prefecture is proposing a double-track rail system to bring hikers to the mountain.
Kyodo News reported:
A proposed light rail transit service connecting the foot of Mt. Fuji to its 5th station would be capable of transporting 3.36 million passengers annually, a recent report by a local government showed.
Yamanashi Prefecture is proposing a double-track line operating two-car trains every six minutes for 10 hours per day to disperse the summer influx of tourists while reducing vehicle emissions, according to its interim report.
The line would run along the Fuji Subaru Line, the toll road to the 5th station that serves as the starting point to one of the mountain's most popular hiking trails.
The prefecture projects capital investment would total 148.6 billion yen ($970 million), deeming it optimal for the prefectural government to construct the tracks while a private company operates the trains.
Assuming 3 million passengers per year at 10,000 yen per person, the transit system is expected to yield a profit of 184.8 billion yen for the prefecture and 420.7 billion yen for the operator over a 40-year period, according to the report.
To read more, go here.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Libertarian Party Suing Over Voting Machine Leaked Passwords
Oh-oh, some sh*t is going down in the state of Colorado over voting machine leaked passwords. The Libertarian Party is suing.
Colorado: Leaked Passwords = Lawsuit https://t.co/4LKXmUE9FM
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) November 1, 2024
Democrat Campaign Getting "Uglier"
The only honest reporting on this election campaign seems to be coming from the foreign media and very few U.S. media outlets.
Here's the latest from Sky News Australia:
Drug Cartels Ravaging Arizona, Montana Indian Reservations
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| Above, Window Rock Tribal Park and Veteran's Memorial. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Last week, Gov. Tim Walz, Kamala Harris's running mate, appeared at a rally in Window Rock, Arizona. Window Rock is the capital of the Navajo Nation.
For some odd reason, Native Americans tend to vote Democrat. But in doing so, they are cutting their own throats as the open border policies of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are allowing the drug cartels target tribal reservations.
The Daily Signal reported:
The Biden-Harris administration’s border crisis has had negative implications for all Americans, but one group that has suffered more than most—but received less attention than others—are American Indians living on reservations along the border.
As part of their efforts to smuggle drugs and traffic human beings across the southern border, Mexican cartels have specifically targeted and devastated these reservations.
Jurisdictional issues, insufficient law enforcement, and the open border all allow cartels to exploit tribal land and proliferate deadly substances like fentanyl on American Indian land.
Hopefully, former President Trump's rally in Albuquerque yesterday will do some good in swaying tribes to vote more Republican than in the past.
To read more, go here.
Norwegian Cruise Line's Great Stirrup Cay Pier Buildout
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| Above, the Norwegian Sky and tender boat. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Back in August, a friend and I took a cruise to the Bahamas with Norwegian Cruise Line. One of the cruise's stops was at Great Stirrup Cay, an island owned by the cruise company.
When we arrived, our ship, Norwegian Sky, anchored offshore and we were transported by tender boats. During our visit to Great Stirrup Cay, we did some jet skiing.
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| Above, the tender boat docked at the Norwegian Sky. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO says the plan is to have a pier built that can service two ships by late 2025. That would be more efficient that the current use of tender boats.
According to an article in Travel Weekly:
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Harry Sommer said he feels "really comfortable" the company can unveil the new pier at Great Stirrup Cay in late 2025, which will be key to better utilization of the company's original private island.
And he said he expects to nearly double the number of visitors to Great Stirrup Cay in 2026.
The company expects to host around 700,000 guests at the Bahamian island in 2026 due to increased deployment.
That's a slightly more ambitious increase than Sommer's original projection in April of welcoming around 600,000 guests. This year, 400,000 guests will have visited the island.
To read more, go here.
RV Laws You Should Know
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| Above, camping at Fort Massac State Park in Metropolis, Illinois. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Over the past few years, I have traveled in my motorhome into several states. During these inter-state travels, I have not encountered any problems concerning RV-specific laws. That doesn't mean they don't exist.
RV Life has posted an article on 11 RV laws that we RVers should be aware of.
They begin it with:
When it comes to the law, what you don’t know can get you into a heap trouble. Ignorance is no excuse. With that being said, RV-related laws tend to vary greatly from state to state. So much so that it can be hard to keep up with exactly what the law is sometimes, especially as we travel through multiple states. It’s pretty safe to say that no RV traveler wants to unwittingly attract the attention of police or highway patrol officers. But not to worry, we’ve compiled a list of state road laws that are commonly broken by RVers.
To read what those laws are, go here.
RINO Schwarzenegger Endorses Harris
This morning, I took note of an article in The Federalist blog that former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Of all people, he should know how bad Harris was to San Francisco and California as a whole. He was a disaster as governor and he was instrumental in the near-destruction of the Republican Party in California. The state is now essentially a one-party state thanks, to a great extent, to him. That's why the state, known now as Commiefornia, has a mass exodus of people fleeing it.
I then went to the source on the story, The Gateway Pundit, who wrote:
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the self-proclaimed former “Republican” governor who famously barked at Americans opposing draconian COVID restrictions with a blunt “Screw your freedom!” during the COVID-19 pandemic, has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, once the iconic “Terminator,” has now rebranded himself as a “capitulator.”
Ignoring the Constitution and principles of conservative Americans, Arnold now parrots the media’s anti-Trump narrative and bashes the party he supposedly represented.
Birds of a feather flock together, right?
To read more, go here.
Japanese Yen At ¥152.56
Now that we're in November (where has this year flown?), it is time to take a peek at how the U.S. dollar is faring against the Japanese yen.
Currently, Godzilla fans are in Japan for G-TOUR 4. They are there from October 25th through November 5th, 2024. So they are taking advantage of the dollar's current strength against the yen. If the tour were of shorter duration, I would have joined them.
According to Jiji Press:
As of 5:00 p.m. on the 1st, the yen was trading at 152.56 to 57 yen per dollar on the Tokyo foreign exchange market, down 34 sen from the previous day (152.22 to 22 sen).
To read more, go here.