Black Hawk Helicopter Appears and Damages Supplies With Rotor Wash

 

Another angle of the Blackhawk rotor wash of the supply area in western North Carolina pic.twitter.com/zUSJgWe43D

— Washingtons ghost (@hartgoat) October 7, 2024

From the Western Journal:

Video from a North Carolina disaster relief station appears to show a Black Hawk helicopter damaging the site with its rotor wash.

According to one report, the incident came only 40 minutes after the civilian aid site was allegedly “slow rolled” by a pair of suspicious black SUVs.

The situation unfolded Sunday as people gathered supplies to help Hurricane Helene victims at a Burnsville parking lot.

A video of the encounter showed the helicopter arriving over the parking lot where volunteers and aid were being staged.

To read more, go here. 

Watchdog Found $7 Billion In Untapped FEMA Funds

 

Watchdog found $7B in untapped FEMA funds — even though DHS Secretary Mayorkas said none available for future disasters https://t.co/sKOahimGfp pic.twitter.com/8Nwi67kuHW

— New York Post (@nypost) October 7, 2024

Haruo Nakajima's Passing, 6th Anniversary

Above, Haruo Nakajima taking a break during the filming of Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964). Toho Co., Ltd. photo.

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the passing of the original Godzilla, Haruo Nakajima.

It is hard to believe that six years have flown by since his passing. We are fortunate that he still lives through his work on film. 

Above, Haruo Nakajima and yours truly at the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina
 in 2013 as we were filmed for Gfantis DEATHGAME. This was likely his last bit of acting.
 

Happy Birthday, Haruo Nakajima!

Above, Haruo Nakajima getting fitted into a Godzilla suit. Toho Co., Ltd. photo.

Today would have been Haruo Nakajima's 94th birthday. 

He was six months younger than my father, who passed away in December 1999. I find it incredible that my dad would now also be 94 as well, had he lived. 

Above, Haruo Nakajima and yours truly doing some acting
at the 2013 Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.

So raise a glass today for a toast to the memory of Haruo Nakajima on his birthday.

Ronald Reagan's March 31, 1976 Televised Address

Above, Ronald and Nancy Reagan during the 1976 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in the 1976 presidential primary campaign, former Governor Ronald Reagan challenged President Gerald Ford for the Republican nomination for president.

During the campaign, the Reagan campaign floundered as it had not won a single primary until the North Carolina primary in March.

Following that win, Citizens for Reagan purchased a half hour of airtime for Reagan to address the American people on March 31, 1976. The North Carolina primary win and the address of March 31 gave the Reagan campaign a much-needed shot-in-the-arm and he went on to win most of the state primaries thereafter.

At the 1976 Republican National Convention at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, I was a California Reagan delegate. During the balloting,  Ford won with 1187 votes to 1070 votes for Reagan. He later lost to Jimmy Carter during the general election. 

Above, Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This morning, I came upon Reagan's March 31 televised address on YouTube. This was the first time I watched it since 1976, even though I did make an audio recording during the broadcast.

The address by Reagan in many respects applies today with what we're going through with Biden and the Democrats, especially with current problems with Russia, energy and the economy.

Here is the video of that address:

NASCAR Staying Close To Home During Reopening

Above, NASCAR Headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One thing I discovered when I attended the 2013 Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina with Haruo Nakajima was that the city is the headquarters for NASCAR.

As the country slowly moves our of lockdown and stay-at-home mode, so is NASCAR by staying "close to home".

According to Racer.com:

NASCAR officials are looking to keep races close to home for the foreseeable future. 

“Outside the first four Cup events, the goal for us is the next, I’d say three events, we’d like to be within driveable conditions,” said NASCAR vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell. “Once you get beyond that, we do have states that have said, ‘Hey, we’re good to go,’ and ‘We’re good to go racing.’ But our goal was to get at least seven or so events under our belt, driveable, learn where we go, and not have to put people on planes if we could avoid that.” 

“Once we get beyond those seven events, we feel like we’ll be ready to continue to look at races where we may be able to travel.” 

NASCAR announced a May schedule on Thursday with racing resuming May 17 at Darlington Raceway. The NASCAR Cup Series will run two races at both Darlington and Charlotte Motor Speedway, with the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series also returning to action.

To read more, go here. 

Camping World Fights For Its Huge Flag In North Carolina

Above, the flag at Camping World in Valencia, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A big battle is brewing between Camping World in North Carolina and the city of Statesville over Camping World's enormous U.S. flag.

Camping World, an RV dealer and supplier, flies enormous flags at their stores to honor veterans and military members.

Statesville has filed a lawsuit and is fining Camping World over the flag.

According to The Daily Caller:

A North Carolina company is fighting fines and a lawsuit reportedly from the city over flying a huge American flag. 

Camping World flies a 40-by-80-foot flag outside of its Gander RV location in Statesville, North Carolina, as a way to honor military members and veterans. The city, however, believes Camping World is violating codes that say a flag cannot be more than 25-by-40 feet if it is flown 100 feet from a highway, WSOC reported Monday. 

Camping World, an outdoor supply and RV company, said it faces a $50 per day fine retroactive to Oct. 15, 2018. 

“I don’t care if it goes to $500 a day,” Marcus Lemonis, CEO and chairman of Camping World and Gander RV, said according to WSOC. “It’s not coming down.” 

A Statesville spokesperson said the city began fining the company after asking it to take down the flag several times, WSOC reported. City officials failed 3-5 to vote in an ordinance that would allow Camping World to fly a flag of its size.

Many RV enthusiasts, including me, have issues with some of Camping World's business practices. But in this matter, I am fully in Camping World's corner.

To read more, go here. 

With Haruo Nakajima Six Years Ago This Week

Above, Haruo Nakajima autographing a fan's movie poster. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Incredible as it may seem, but it was six years ago this week that I was in Charlotte, North Carolina serving as Haruo Nakajima's "wrangler" for the Mad Monster Party convention at the Blake Hotel.

Above, the Haruo Nakjima discussion panel. Photo by Jeff Blanken.

I also was the moderator for a panel featuring Nakajima. I have a lot more respect for others who have served in this capacity at conventions. It was hard to get more questions & answers in as he loved to talk to his fans. Once he received a question, he ran with it! Luckily, we went a little overtime and managed to get more questions in.

He was a joy to hang out with. I am looking forward to seeing his daughter Sonoe this summer at G-FEST.

UFO Over Lake Norman In North Carolina

A man shot a video of a UFO over Lake Norman near Mooresville, North Carolina.

The video is shaky but the UFO is hovering over the lake for about two minutes.

Condé Nast's "18 Things Hotels Could Do to Be Truly Brilliant"

Above, the Blake Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hotels, motels, motor lodges and national park lodges. I've stayed at all of them. Some were great and some were just terrible.

Last year, I stayed at Charlotte, North Carolina's Blake Hotel for the Mad Monster Party convention. It was generally a nice place, but I had to wonder about the seven-foot mirror that stood on the floor propped up against the wall instead of being mounted on the wall. I heard this was the case in every room. Hope Charlotte isn't prone to earthquakes.

Another time, we (my family) checked into a hotel late at night only to find people sleeping in the room we were assigned to. This happened another time in Sacramento. When we told the woman (who looked a lot like Beulah Ballbreaker from Porky's) at the front desk, she grabbed a machete and ran up to the room. I pitied the poor man who was sound asleep in the room over his rather rude awakening.

Condé Nast Traveler has an article with 18 suggestions for the hotel industry that would make peoples' stays much more satisfying. And they are only "the basics" at that. As an example: hotels have been acting like the airlines (or is it vice-versa?) in charging fees for every little thing. This is covered in number two on the list. I have found that Japanese hotels are not "fee-prone" as U.S. hotels.

There is one item that I am surprised isn't on the list: the overpriced food at hotel restaurants.

To view the list of 18 suggestions, go here.

Farewell, Bill Chancellor

Above, yours truly with Bill Chancellor at the Blake Hotel last year. 

Shocking news was posted at the Classic Horror Film Board six days ago while I was in Japan. I just read the news a little while ago.

Artist Bill Chancellor passed away at his home in El Paso, Texas on February 10.

I had the privilege of meeting Bill at last year's Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina and we had a good time in the Blake Hotel's bar. The photo above was taken after we had downed a few. We had kept in touch ever since.

Above, one of my photos of Haruo Nakajima received the "Chancellor Treatment".

He was a very talented artist and he has left this mortal coil much too soon.

To read his obituary in the El Paso Times, go here.

Jonathan Bellés Heading To Germany To Interview Haruo Nakajima This Weekend

Above, Haruo Nakajima and Armand at the Mad Monster Party earlier this year in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

This coming weekend, Haruo Nakajima is appearing at the Weekend of Horrors Convention in Germany and producer/director Jonathan Bellés is heading over to interview him for the documentary, Godzilla and Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga.

Above, Jonathan Bellés.

Bellés plans to conduct the interview during Mr. Nakajima's free time, so not to cut into his convention-related activities.

Japan Airlines In-Flight Internet Via Gogo

It looks like more airlines are jumping into in-flight Internet service game.  Japan Airlines is the latest to do so.

According to News On Japan:

Gogo Inc said on Monday it had agreed to provide Japan Airlines Co Ltd with in-flight Internet service on the airline's domestic fleet of 77 aircraft, marking Gogo's first significant international contract, according to the company's chief executive. 

Shares of Gogo were up 10.6 percent at $17.94 in afternoon trade in New York on Monday. 

The in-flight Internet provider, based in Itasca, Illinois, said the JAL service would use Gogo's satellite technology and begin operating by mid-2014. 

This all sounds well and good, but I wonder how much the airline is going to charge passengers for using the service.

Back in March, while flying home from Charlotte, North Carolina aboard American Airlines, in-flight Wi-Fi service was offered and very expensive. It was somewhere around $30.00 for an hour or two, as I recall. I thought this was an outrage, considering that the hotel I stayed at was somewhere around $15.00.day. I took a pass on it.

To read the full article, go here.

Perfect Timing! Godzilla Documentary Producer/Director To Go To Germany

Above, Haruo Nakajima discussion panel at this year's Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Talk about perfect timing!

Haruo Nakajima will be a guest at the Weekend of Horrors convention in Germany November 8 -10. Since Germany is practically in Spain's backyard (or vice-versa), arrangements are being made for Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Dawn of the Kaiju Eiga documentary director/producer Jonathan Bellés to interview Haruo Nakajima at the convention.

Just hope there's a good translator available.

DeLoreans Getting Outfitted To Celebrate "Back To The Future" 30th Anniversary

Above, a DeLorean "Back To The Future" car on display at the Mad Monster Party.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Can it really be 30 years since the first Back To The Future movie starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly was released?

Well, it will be in 2015 and many DeLorean owners are having their cars outfitted to look like the one in the 1985 movie.

According to The Japan News:

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP)—It may not time travel, but the DeLorean sports car is finding its way into the future. 

People are spending thousands of dollars to have DeLoreans outfitted to resemble the one that starred in the 1985 movie “Back to the Future” starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd.
About 9,000 DeLorean DMC-12 cars were produced from 1981-82 before the original company went bust. About 6,500 are believed to still exist, easily recognizable with their boxy, stainless steel bodies and gullwing doors. 

The current brand owner, DeLorean Motor Co. of Huntington Beach, handles everything from oil changes to full reconstructions. But as the 30th anniversary of “Back to the Future” approaches in 2015, there’s been an increase in requests to re-create the movie’s iconic car, according to the Orange County Register.

Above, Haruo Nakajima with Lea Thompson, who played Lorraine Baines McFly in
 1985's "Back To The Future" at the Mad Monster Party.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last March, a DeLorean outfitted to look like the time-travel car from the movie was displayed at the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina. The original Godzilla, Haruo Nakajima, posed for photos in it and with actress Lea Thompson, who played Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty's mother.

To read the full article, go here.

Annoying Travel Fees

Above, Tokyo's Hotel Asia Center of Japan.  Some hotels
have jumped on the fee bandwagon.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's a subject that's currently near and dear to our hearts: travel fees.

In the "days of old," a meal used to come with the price of a plane ticket for cross-country flights (such as from Los Angeles to Kansas City, etc.).  Now, the airlines charge fees for just about everything (some even charge for a formerly-free soft drinks, besides meals).

Hotels and resorts have now gotten on the fee bandwagon.  Some have been kept financially afloat because of them.

Travel + Leisure's website has an article on travel fees that should help you in avoiding ones that might crop up.

They start with:

Whether it’s a $20 daily charge for a resort gym you didn’t use, or the new $200 penalty for altering your flight reservation, travel fees have an irritating way of surprising us on vacation. 

It should be easier than ever to shop based on price given the explosion of online booking sites—at least in theory. That cheap rate on the screen rarely includes all fees. Without the help of a knowledgeable travel agent or a resource like NerdWallet that compares fees for a given route, it’s challenging to calculate your total cost.

I tried out NerdWallet and it is amazing to see the fees different airlines charge.  I would recommend bookmarking NerdWallet!

My "favorite" travel fee?  The fee for heavy baggage.  I had to confront that during my recent trip to North Carolina. Luckily, I had a friendly ticket counter clerk who helped me minimize that.

To read the article, go here.

Taxi Fare Ranking

Above, passengers heading to a taxi at the JR Nagasaki Station.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On occasion, while in Japan or in other cities in the United States, I've had to make use of the taxi cab to get to different places.

Most recently, I had to take a taxi cab to and from the Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina as the Blake Hotel in Charlotte did not have shuttle service.

In Japan, the main mode of transportation I use is the subway or train systems.  Once in a while I will take a taxi somewhere.  I had to take a taxi to the Tsukiji Fish Market at 4:00 AM as the subways weren't in service at that time.

RocketNews24 has an interesting article on the world's taxi cabs.  The article delves into which taxis give you more miles for the fares charged.

The article starts with:

Countries of the world have a lot of different features and services that make them unique to each other, but one of the things you can always find from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe is the humble taxi cab. 

Of course not all taxis are equal; the cars used and more importantly the fares charged can vary greatly. If you’re interested in where your country stands or if you’re planning a trip abroad, Trip Advisor Japan has whipped up a quick and handy infographic ranking 25 places around the world by the rates of their taxis. 

The taxis in these major cities are all ranked according to how far of a distance 1,000 yen (US$9.75) would get you.

Unfortunately, Japanese passengers are "getting hosed," and it is going to get worse next year, according to the article.  They are ranked 24 out of 25.

To read the article, go here.

Some More Mad Monster Party Photos

Some photos surfaced that were taken at last month's Mad Monster Party that was held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

They are courtesy of fellow "Team Nakajima" member Jeff Blanken:

Above and below, Haruo Nakajima discussing his career as a stuntman.

Above, a "Team Nakajima" group shot near the end of the convention.

Haruo Nakajima Mad Monster Party Panel Highlights

Above, Haruo Nakajima discusses his career as a monster suit-actor.
Photo by Jeff Blanken.

It has been a week since I got back to Los Angeles from the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina.  It was a big show with plenty of people attending and having a grand time.  Fortunately, the venue that held the convention, the Blake Hotel, was more than adequate to handle the hordes of monster fans.

On Sunday, March 24, the last day of the show, the panel discussion with Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima was held with yours truly moderating.  The ballroom was huge and the panel was well-attended with about 75% of the seats occupied.

Along with Haruo Nakajima and myself, we also had daughter Sonoe Nakajima and translator Yoko Connelly.  Sonoe assisted Yoko whenever she needed help in some of the kaiju names and other aspects of the movies she was unfamiliar with.

Prior to the panel, we went over the general points of the panel that I planned to cover.  Naturally, once the panel started, with very little prodding, Mr. Nakajima ran with the discussion.

Earlier in the morning, we tested the audio and video equipment in the ballroom.  The audio equipment worked fine (with Akira Ifukube's Godzilla tracks playing) as did the video equipment (at least during the test it did) to project stills.  When we had the panel discussion, the video equipment became uncooperative at times.

Above, the Haruo Nakajima panel.  From left, Armand Vaquer, Haruo Nakajima,
Yoko Connelly and Sonoe Nakajima.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Some of the highlights of the discussion were:

• Katsumi Tezuka and he were both chosen to play Godzilla in the 1954 original.  But Nakajima (age 25 at the time) had better endurance than Tezuka.  Tezuka could only last for about five meters in the suit before collapsing.  Nakajijma could go on to ten meters.  He said, "Strong is better than weak."

• Katsumi Tezuka went on to play Anguirus in the first sequel to Godzilla, Godzilla's Counter-Attack (or Godzilla Raids Again or Gigantis, The Fire Monster) in 1955, according to Nakajima.

• Fighting King Ghidorah was difficult as the heads and wings were all manipulated by wires (with a man inside the suit) making it seem to Nakajima that he was fighting a machine.  He would run at Ghidorah and bounce off as if hitting a wall.

• Nagoya Castle was accidentally demolished by a crew member and had to be rebuilt at a cost of $5,000 and a month's delay while filming Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964).

• Nakajima also said that the Godzilla suit did not get its head damaged during filming of Mothra vs. Godzilla (even though the upper jaw was jiggly during filming).  He said that was just a rumor originating from Godzilla fandom.

• He confirmed that he fell eight feet in the Rodan suit during filming of Rodan in 1956 when wires holding him snapped.  Fortunately, he was unhurt.

• He was so skillful in his suit performances that Toho had him choreograph the monster fights.  He pretty much had free reign while doing so.

• Before Toho went with smaller, mechanized Mothra caterpillars, he and several others were inside the caterpillar suit in Mothra (1961).  He was the lead person inside (at the head).  

• He was invited to act in Hollywood but had to turn down the offer as he was needed to make the next feature, King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

Nakajima took some questions from the audience (we were scheduled for an hour in the room, but we went a little beyond that to take a few audience questions).  Here's a couple:

• One of the questioners asked his opinion on Hollywood's Godzilla efforts.  He said he hoped that the Legendary Pictures Godzilla (now filming in Vancouver, British Columbia) looks and acts like Godzilla.

• He was also asked what was it like to work for director Akira Kurosawa.  Nakajima said that whether one was a movie's star or just an extra, if Kurosawa didn't like his performance or felt that person didn't take the role seriously, he would tell him to "go home, I don't need you."  Then he would re-cast the role.

At the end of the panel, Nakajima received an appreciative standing-ovation by the attendees.

Fox Charlotte has a cool photo gallery.  To see it, go here.

The Nakajima Panel Pics

Well, I finally made it home from the Mad Monster Party in Charlotte, North Carolina this evening.

The Flyaway bus ride from the airport to the San Fernando Valley was more tiring than the flights as we were in rush-hour traffic.  I'm glad I wasn't driving.

Thanks to our volunteer "stiff" Jeff Blanken, more photos of the panel session with Haruo Nakajima are available for viewing:

Above, Haruo Nakajima discusses his career as a suit actor with Yoko
Connolly translating with assistance from Sonoe Nakajima.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Above, Haruo Nakajima regales the audience with stories of his career.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Above, the Mothra portion of the discussion.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

Above, following the panel discussion, Haruo Nakajima and I pose for audience photos.  Photo by Jeff Blanken.

For some more photos by Jeff Blanken, go here.