Buc-ee’s Sues A Tiny Ohio store Over Its Beaver

Above, the Buc-ee's travel center near Galveston, Texas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following may be considered another "David and Goliath" kind of battle.

Buc-ee's is suing a small business for trademark infringement. 

Here's the story according to an article in RV Travel and it begins with:

Buc-ee’s is known to road-tripping RVers for enormous travel centers, rows of gas pumps and one of the most recognizable beavers in America. Now that beaver is at the center of a federal trademark fight with a much smaller beaver in Ohio.

Buc-ee’s filed suit July 28 against Beaver’s Mini Mart, a neighborhood convenience store in Beavercreek, Ohio. The Texas-based travel center chain says the store’s cartoon beaver logo and branding infringe on Buc-ee’s trademarks and could lead customers to believe the businesses are connected.

At first, the dispute looked like a classic David-and-Goliath story. Buc-ee’s operates massive travel centers across a growing portion of the country. Beaver’s Mini Mart is a small local store in a city where beaver imagery isn’t exactly unusual.

But Buc-ee’s co-founder Arch “Beaver” Aplin III says there’s more to the story.

To read more to the story, go here. 

Willys Spring Reunion 2026

The Willys Spring Reunion was held last weekend in North Canton, Ohio. This is an annual car show of Willys Jeeps. People from around the country bring their Jeeps to show them off and have a lot of fun.

If it were closer, or if I had a trailer (it would have to be enclosed as the wind during a tow would probably shred my Jeep's vinyl top), I wouldn't mind attending. Their Fall 2025 show was held in Fulton, Missouri. 

Here's a video produced by Kaiser Willys Jeep. They are one of the vintage Jeep vendors that I buy my Jeep parts from.

For more information on the Willys Reunion, go here.

Superman Statue Unveiled At Siegel and Shuster Plaza

Above, the unveiling of the Superman statue. Screen capture by Armand Vaquer.

It has been a long time in coming, but Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster have been honored with a new plaza in Cleveland.

A new statue of the Man of Steel was unveiled yesterday in the plaza.

According to News 5 Cleveland:

In the city that brought him to life, Superman now stands tall in the center of Cleveland after months of anticipation.

On Saturday, community members, comic book fans, county leaders and members of the Siegel & Shuster Society gathered downtown to celebrate the unveiling of the new Superman statue and the newly named Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza, according to a spokesperson with Cuyahoga County.

The Man of Steel, quite literally made from stainless steel, sits in the plaza on an 18-foot pillar alongside bronze statues of Siegel, Shuster, and Joanne Siegel, who was the original model for Lois Lane, the county said.

To read more, go here.

Sierra For Trump

While watching last night's Trump rally in Las Vegas, Nevada last night and awaiting his arrival, I decided to have some fun with my cat Sierra.

I got out a 2020 Trump campaign button and put it on her and took some photos. They are in reference to alleged pet-eating migrants in Springfield, Ohio that have raised havoc in the town.

Here's one of the photos I took:

By the way, it's Caturday today!

Superman Statue Press Conference

Above, artist's conception of the Siegel & Shuster Tribute Plaza. 

A press conference will be held Thursday, June 20 on the Superman Statue to be erected at the Siegel & Shuster Tribute Plaza. It will be the kick-off for the fundraising campaign.

THE SUPERMAN STATUE IS COMING!!!

What: Superman Statue Press Conference

When: Thursday, June 20, Noon

Where: Cleveland History Center,

10825 East Blvd., Cleveland

Superman Comes Home!

After years of effort, nationally renowned sculptor David Deming’s vision of a triumphant Man of Steel will soon fly in his hometown.

Deming, working with the Siegel and Shuster Society and Cuyahoga County Council, has created a statue of Superman that will be one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city.

Thursday is the kick-off of a $2.5 million fundraiser for the stainless steel statue of Superman in flight on an 18-foot pylon. Superman will measure almost 10 feet from finger to boot tip and will be the centerpiece of the Siegel and Shuster Tribute Plaza at the newly expanded Huntington Convention Center at St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street, appropriately across from the Cleveland Justice Center.

Life-size bronze statues of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and Jerry’s wife (and inspiration for Lois Lane), Joanne Siegel, will gaze up at the Superman statue. Nearby will be a phone booth with a suspicious pile of clothing inside, completing the tableau.

Deming, along with Siegel and Shuster Society President (and Jerry Siegel cousin) Gary Kaplan, Leigh Goldie (Joe Shuster’s cousin) and society founding member Michael Sangiacomo will offer brief remarks and answer questions Thursday.

The Society has provided substantial funds and plan to make additional donations. No taxpayer money is being used for this project. We seek donations from ordinary citizens from all walks of life who believe that a man can fly -- at least one man.

Want to be part of Cleveland and comic book history? Tax deductible donations of any size can be made to the Siegel and Shuster Society, an all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity organization through its website which goes live at noon Tuesday, June 18.

Donations can also be mailed to the Siegel and Shuster Society c/o Leigh Goldie, 23500 Mercantile Road, Suite D, Beachwood, OH, 44122.

Further information is available through Gary Kaplan at garysteven1188@gmail.com  (216-409-1722) or Michael Sangiacomo at mikesang@aol.com 216-870-0014.

 

Siegel & Shuster Tribute Plaza

Above, the proposed Superman statue. Photo by the Siegel & Shuster Society.

Facebook friend Jaime Reigle passed along something interesting.

Fundraising is currently underway to erect a Superman statue along with a statue of Jerome Siegle, Joe Shuster and Joanne Siegel at the proposed Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza at the Convention Center in downtown Cleveland, Ohio (photo below).

For those who are wondering who Siegel and Shuster were, they were the creators of Superman. Joanne Siegel was the model for Lois Lane. They were high school students in Cleveland when they created Superman.

According to the official website:

In 2007, the Siegel & Shuster Society was established with the mission to honor the creators of Superman. Their nonprofit organization aims to commemorate the duo's achievement with a significant project: the construction of a stainless steel Superman statue 18 feet up, alongside bronze statues of Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Joanne Siegel, the original model for Lois Lane. Collaborating with nationally renowned sculptor David Deming, Cuyahoga County Council and The Siegel & Shuster Tribute Plaza Committee, the society is dedicated to bringing this vision to life, preserving the creators' legacy for future generations.

The Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza, set to be located in front of the expanded Convention Center in the heart of downtown Cleveland, will serve as a lasting homage to the creators of Superman. The dynamic composition of the statues, with Superman seemingly in flight above Jerry and Joanne, while Joe is depicted sketching Action Comics No. 1, captures the essence of their creative process and the iconic imagery of the superhero. This plaza will not only celebrate the origins of Superman but also enrich Cleveland's cultural landscape.

For more information on the plaza and to help with fundraising, go here. 

Cleveland Indians, The Real Story

In a move that reeks of sheer stupidity, the owners of the Cleveland Indians renamed the team, erasing over 100 years of history.

According to Breitbart (some snippets):

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland’s Major League Baseball team announced Friday it is doing away with its moniker, Cleveland Indians, and renaming itself the Cleveland Guardians — a move that erases a 106-year-old name said to be in honor of Louis Sockalexis, who played major league baseball for the Cleveland Spiders in the late 1800s and is credited as the first Native American to play professional baseball.

The Cleveland baseball team went through several name changes from the 1870s to early 1900s before ultimately deciding on the Cleveland Indians — a moniker that would last for more than a century before eventually being canceled.

In January 1915, team owner Charles Somers decided to revive the local nickname — which had previously defined the city’s National League club — and officially named the team the Cleveland Indians, says SABR.

While some historians claim Somers chose a Native American-esque name, in part, to mimic the Atlanta Braves — due to being inspired by the team winning the World Series a year earlier — the name “Cleveland Indians” is nonetheless the stark revival of the team’s old byname.

But 106 years later, in the wake of political correctness, cancel culture, and the woke mob running rampant, the Cleveland Indians — a name presumably derived from Somers reminiscing about the period of excitement that Sockalexis brought to Cleveland in 1897 — is no more.

I am done with Major League Baseball. The sport is now run by idiots.

To read the full article, go here. 

2016 Republican National Convention

Above, the 1980 GOP National
Convention in Detroit, Michigan.

One of the things I've been considering for next year is to possibly attend the 2016 Republican National Convention.

The last convention I went to, but didn't actually go inside the arena, was in 1996 in San Diego. Amber and I just drove down to San Diego to see about buying some campaign souvenirs.

The 2016 GOP National Convention will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18–21, 2016. It would be nice to attend as a delegate or alternate delegate (the last convention I attended while on the California Delegation was in 1984 in Dallas, Texas), but it would be fun to take The Beast to Cleveland and see attractions on the way and back. (I'll need to check on RV parks in the the Cleveland area.) I haven't decided on a candidate to back as yet.

We'll see how things develop between now and then.

George Reeves Superman Costume Going On Display

A color-era Superman costume worn by George Reeves in the 1950s Adventures of Superman that had been on display at the Smithsonian Institution will be displayed in the Ohio History Center.

According to Cleveland.com:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Superman -- his suit, anyway -- and it's headed to Columbus. 

George Reeves' iconic red, blue and yellow outfit goes on display Saturday at the Ohio History Center, part of the museum's ongoing exhibit on the 1950s. 

The super suit was worn by Reeves, an Iowa native, during the TV series "Adventures of Superman," which aired nationally from 1952 to 1958. 

The suit has been at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History for the past 30 years, but hasn't been on display since 2006. Its appearance in Columbus is the costume's first public showing in nearly a decade.

To read more, go here. 

The Neverending Battle For Superman

Above, the very first published Superman story appeared in the first issue of Action Comics.

Just about everyone knows that the character of Superman/Clark Kent was created by two Cleveland, Ohio boys, Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster.

Siegel did the writing and Shuster did the illustrating.

Above, Laura Siegel Larson at the Superman Celebration luncheon last August. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After receiving no success in having Superman picked up by a publisher, the Superman character was picked up by a publisher (now known as DC Comics) and the rest is history.

But there's much more to the history.

Sedgwick Law has posted a history of the legal battles between Siegel & Shuster (and their heirs) and DC Comics.

Here's a snippet:

By now, the story behind Superman’s origins is well-known.  Created by teenagers Joseph Shuster and Jerry Siegel in the 1930s, Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 in 1938.  Shortly thereafter, Shuster and Siegel reportedly sold to what is now DC Comics their rights to the Action Comics storyline, including the Superman character as he then existed, for $130.00 and additional, annual “work for hire” payments for supplying material to DC Comics.  Superman would, of course, then go on to become one of the most well-recognized and financially successful characters in comic book history, generating millions of dollars in subsequent sales, spin-offs, movies and merchandise.  In the years that followed, both Shuster and Siegel would attempt to regain ownership of Superman and a more appropriate share in DC’s profits from the booming franchise.  Ultimately, various lawsuits, settlements and copyright extensions restored their names to the Superman comics’ credit pages, and deals were made to provide pensions and other compensation for the co-creators’ heirs.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster have both passed on. The battle has been taken up by their heirs, most notably Jerry Siegel's daughter, Laura Siegel Larson.

To read "the rest of the story" (as the late Paul Harvey used to say), go here. 

Goodyear Unveils Newest Generation Blimp and Contest to Name It

Above, the Spirit of America at its base in Carson, California is one of the blimps to be retired. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company unveiled its newest generation of blimps Friday.

According to the Mercury News:

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- The next generation of the well-known Goodyear blimp is getting ready to take flight as the company moves toward replacing its old fleet of airships with a new trio. 

The helium-filled airship, assembled at an Akron-area hangar and unveiled there Friday, is bigger, quicker and more maneuverable than earlier models, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said. 

The 246-foot airship fits 12 passengers and has a semi-rigid internal skeleton, a feature that wasn't present in earlier models and raises questions about whether it is truly a blimp, though the company still refers to it as such. The structure is covered by a silver, balloon-like body emblazoned with Goodyear's yellow logo on a blue background.  

It can travel at up to 73 mph and has custom computer-controlled avionics, an upgrade from the manual flight system used by the blimp pilots since the 1920s, the company said. It plans to build two more.

Also, Goodyear announced that the public is invited to join in on a contest to name the new blimp. The winner will be awarded "personal use" of the blimp for a day. For contest details, go here.

To read more and to see the new blimp, go here. 

How Taxes and Fees Impact Airfares

Above, a commuter jet being readied at Cleveland International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The government is making moves about increasing taxes on increasing taxes and fees. They are already high, but they doesn't seem to satiate the government's apppetite to get more money out of travelers.

Peter Greenberg, known as the "travel detective", has posted an article on what the government is already charging in taxes and fees on the traveler.

He begins with:

We all talk a lot about airlines charging extra for services, but do you know how much of your ticket price goes toward airline tax and fees? The answer might surprise you. Right now, when you buy a plane ticket, you’re also paying government taxes and fees, airport charges, and surcharges imposed by the carriers themselves.

Earlier this month, I posted a blog about the taxes and fees I was charged on my round-trip airfare to Japan. What began as a $160 ticket price, ended up over $800. We can thank Uncle Sam for this. Greenberg's article focuses on domestic airfare taxes and fees.

To read the article, go here.

Ohio Superman License Plates

Source: Fox 8 News.

Ohio Superman fans will soon be able to purchase Superman license plates.

For $20 over the normal car registration fee, car owners will be able to have a Superman-themed license plate on their cars. The plates will be available beginning on the first week in October according to Fox 8 television station in Cleveland.

Superman creators Jerome Siegel and Joseph Shuster were from Cleveland.

To read the article from Fox 8, go here.

5 Freebies To See In Tokyo

Ohio's The Press-News has an article on five things to see in Tokyo that are free.

They start it with:

TOKYO (AP) -- Finding free things in one of the world's most expensive cities may sound impossible. Surprisingly, Tokyo offers a wide range of museums, parks, historical sites and cultural activities for free -- good news for budget travelers who want to see a lot and still enjoy expensive sushi.

The free attractions include:

Above, the National Diet Building.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Tsukiji Fish Market.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

'

Above, Odaiba.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read the full article and find out the other two freebies in Tokyo, go here.

Superman's 75th Anniversary

Above, Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1.

Superman's 75th Anniversary is being celebrated by fans worldwide.

In Superman's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio:

CLEVELAND, April 18 (UPI) -- Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson declared Thursday "Superman Day" in honor of the 75th anniversary of the character's debut in the first issue of "Action Comics." 

Jackson issued the proclamation Monday, with Laura Siegel Larson, daughter of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, on hand -- along with members of the Siegel and Shuster Society, based in Cleveland, to accept the proclamation, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Thursday. 

Superman was created in 1938 by then-teenagers and Cleveland residents Siegel and Joe Shuster. 

The city said a Superman flag would be flown Thursday and birthday cupcakes will be distributed near the Superman display at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport as part of the festivities.

Superman began in comic books, but has also been featured in radio programs, animated cartoons, books, movie serials, motion pictures and television shows.

My introduction to the character was through the Adventures of Superman television show starring George Reeves.

The oldest Superman comic book in my collection is an issue of Superman with cover date of October 1959, issue number 132 (pictured above).

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/04/18/Cleveland-mayor-declares-Superman-Day-for-75th-anniversary/UPI-24901366310175/#ixzz2QriHwmK9

In NASCAR Country!

Above, the view of the Charlotte skyline from my hotel room balcony.

After a whole day's worth of flying, I made it to Charlotte, North Carolina this evening.

The Blake Hotel is a great convention facility.  The ballrooms are enormous!  Vendors are now hard at work setting up their displays.

Above, yours truly on the balcony.

I haven't yet seen the Nakajimas.  They went out on a spending spree today with the translator and were out to dinner at the time I got in.  I heard they've been having a great time since they got in yesterday.

I left Los Angeles at around 6:35 a.m and arrived in Cleveland, Ohio to catch my connector flight to Charlotte.  My first reaction to seeing the plane that would be taking me to Charlotte was, "A lear jet?"  It was actually an EMB-145, a Brazilian commuter jet.

Light snow was falling during the time I was at the Cleveland Airport.  I had enough time to get a very good bacon cheeseburger at the airport.  The wings of the plane had to be de-iced before we took off.

Charlotte is home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (I can see it from my hotel room balcony).  It isn't snowing in Charlotte, but it is pretty darn cold here at night.  The temperatures are into the 20s.

Above, I joined artist Bill Chancellor in the hotel bar.

So far, I've seen Joe Moe, Bill Chancellor, Eben McGarr and Ron Chaney (grandson of Lon Chaney Jr.) along with a few others.

Above, the United Express EMB-145 that would take me to Charlotte at the Cleveland Airport.

The Mad Monster Party officially kicks off tomorrow.

Above, the Charlotte skyline at night.

Congratulations, Andrew & Julie Kerr!

My old friend Arleigh Kerr emailed some photos of his son Andrew's wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio with a little narrative on the proceedings.

Here's his description of the rehearsal:

Back to reality after a wonderful long weekend in Cincinnati. Really nice wedding. The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome. After the rehearsal, while the rest of the wedding party went directly to the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner Julie’s father, Brian, and I drove to the Templeton house, changed into our kilts and then went on to the restaurant. Everyone was surprised. Both fathers looked great in our kilts. I gave a very nice toast – without screwing up. Dinner went well. 

It was cold outside, temperature hovered right around freezing all four days. Snow flurries every day. And I might add, that 50 feet or so I had to walk from the car into the restaurant – in my kilt – was the longest, coldest 50 feet I’ve ever had to walk. I gained a lot respect for those kilt-wearing Scotsmen of old.

Well, yes.  One would have to respect Scotsmen of old as they wore nothing under their kilts (I guess you can say they "went commando").  Did the two dads also go "commando"?

Here's a photo of the two dads in their kilts with my friend Arleigh on the left, his son Andrew (the groom) in the center, and Brian, the bride's father on the right:

On the wedding, Arleigh wrote:

Following day at the wedding, the 150 guests were piped into the reception by a bagpiper. Rather than one humongous stacked wedding cake with Thomas Dewey on top, they had 5 medium-large sized cakes for the 140-150 people. Each one different. One was “Julie’s cake” with flowers similar to those on her wedding dress. Another was “Andrew’s cake” with the Kerr tartan printed around the edge. Yeah, a perfect copy of the Kerr tartan printed in red and green (with edible ink on fondant). Absolutely amazing.  

Of course, everyone wants to see the bride, so here she is being escorted by her father:

Glad to see everything went off without a hitch (well, one hitch, but that was planned).  It is kind of weird that Arleigh's son is now married.  I remember being in Arleigh's wedding party back in the 1980s.  Seems almost like yesterday.

Congratulations!

Romney Takes Lead In Ohio!

The American Research Group, Inc. has posted their latest poll of likely voters in Ohio and it shows that former Governor Mitt Romney has taken the lead.

Here's the results:

Rasmussen's daily tracking poll also shows Romney leading in 11 swing states.

Obama Campaign Sues To Block Military Voting In Ohio

The Looney Left Report

President Obama may have kissed Ohio's electoral votes in November goodbye.

FoxNews is reporting:

In a move that puts new meaning to the term battleground, President Obama's re-election campaign and members of some military groups are on a collision course over voting rights in the critical state of Ohio.

The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have filed a lawsuit to block a new state law allowing men and women in uniform to vote up until the Monday right before an election, while the cutoff on early voting for the rest of the public is three days earlier.

Top Obama campaign officials told Fox News in interviews that the lawsuit in no way tries to restrict the voting rights of military members. All they are trying to do is even the playing field for all voters in Ohio by allowing early voting up until Monday for everyone, including members of the military, because they believe a two-tiered, early-voting process is unfair.

"Along with the DNC and Ohio Democratic Party, this campaign filed a lawsuit to reinstate equal, early-voting rights for all Ohioans -- rights the Republican-controlled legislature arbitrarily stripped away this past year," Jim Messina, Obama's campaign manager, told supporters in an email.

However, the National Guard Association and other military groups have fired back, saying it's "offensive" for Democrats to suggest in the lawsuit it's arbitrary for service members to get special consideration.

Men and women in uniform typically get more time than other voters to send in absentee ballots since they may be serving in an overseas or domestic location that is not close to their home polling station.

The real reason for the lawsuit is that members of the military typically vote predominantly Republican. The Democrats have tried to impede military votes in the past. The 2000 election fight in Florida is a prime example. It was a public relations disaster for the Democrats.

Here we go again.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/04/obama-campaign-sues-ohio-over-early-voting-law-for-military/#ixzz22hAirlfn

Comic Book Yard Sale: A Smashing Success!

There's roughly an hour and a half left to go for today's Comic Book Yard sale and already it is a smashing success!

Although I did quite well during last weekend's sale, more people came by and bought more books.

A big thank-you to all of my customers!

I'll be holding another sale next Saturday (August 11) - same time (9:00 to 1:00) and same place (18618 Collins Street in Tarzana, California).

If you happen to be in Medina, Ohio, be sure to stop by Tony Isabella's Garage Sale of Comic Books!