John Wayne On John Ford Directing Him In STAGECOACH

John Wayne On John Ford Directing Him In STAGECOACH video from the American Film Institute.

Summary:

In this clip from the documentary DIRECTED BY JOHN FORD (by Peter Bogdanovich) John Wayne talks about John Ford directing him in STAGECOACH.

Russell Azbill On "Over The Rainbow" Radio Show On UFOs

Here is a YouTube video featuring "Over The Rainbow" with host Bob Brown with guest Russell Azbill. The interview took place on 11/15/23.

In case you missed my October 11 blog post, Russell Azbill passed away on October 10 at this home in Jamestown, New Mexico.

The topic of the video is Unidentified Flying Objects, ghosts and other paranormal items.

Another video featuring Russell Azbill is this one on the subject of the Phoenix lights.

RFK Jr. On President Trump

 This is an interesting interview of Robert Kennedy Jr. by Tucker Carlson.

RFK Jr. tells Tucker Carlson that before getting to know Trump he bought into the media narrative that Trump was a narcissist, when actually he understands now that Trump is one of the most empathetic people he's ever known.
pic.twitter.com/PmzhdEHn9R

— Mila Joy (@MilaLovesJoe) August 1, 2025

Trump On Gutfeld: Walz Story

 

Trump tells a hilarious story about how Tim Walz called him terrified during the 2020 riots when protesters came to his house

“He said ‘I think they’re going to attack me.’ He said ‘could you put out a word that I’m your friend?’ I don’t even know him” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/xi0gUM6MO9

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 19, 2024

Tucker Carlson Interviews Larry Elder and RFK Jr.

Here is a video of an interview by Tucker Carlson of commentator Larry Elder and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

I watched it last night and it is well-worth a viewing. I highly recommend it!

Tucker Carlson Interviews Tulsi Gabbard

 Great interview! Pass this on!

Hiding Harris

Former President Donald Trump (and many others) have been slamming Kamala Harris for her lack of holding press conferences and dodging interviews since she became (by anointment) the Democrat Party presidential nominee.

It is well known that she has a history of blubbering nonsense in such forums in the past. Which is probably why her handlers are hiding her.

Fox News posted on X:

HIDING HARRIS: Trump slams his Democratic rival in the 2024 race for dodging interviews and press conferences since being named the DNC's presumptive nominee over three weeks ago.

They have also posted an article that begins with:

Former President Donald Trump spoke with tech billionaire Elon Musk in an overarching, lengthy interview Monday evening on X as Vice President Kamala Harris continues avoiding the media since landing on the top of the Democratic ticket for the White House. 

"It's pretty sad when you think that somebody that does this for a living can't answer a question or is afraid to do an interview, and in her case, with a very friendly interview. She's got all friendly interviewers," Trump said of Harris Monday evening during his roughly two-hour interview with Musk on X Space. 

Trump's comments come as Harris has avoided the media for 22 days. She has snubbed formal press conferences or sit-down interviews, including for a Time magazine cover story, since she emerged as the DNC's nominee for the White House after President Biden dropped out of the race last month. 

To read the full article, go here. 

G-FEST Day 2

Above, Jessica Tseang, Toshio Miike and interpreter Mariko Horikawa. Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

Right now, I am taking a breather from walking around G-FEST and attending this morning's sessions on the 60th anniversary Mothra vs. Godzilla (also known as Godzilla vs, The Thing), an interview with production designer Toshio Miike and an interview with Rie Ota, who played Baragon in Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. 

While attending the Toshio Miike interview session, J. D. Lees and I caught up on the latest happenings in the world of kaiju and other stuff.

Naturally, I took some photos of the various proceedings, most of which are for G-FAN.

Above, the Mothra vs. Godzilla session attendees. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Jessica Tseang and Rie Ota. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Dr. Phil Interviews President Trump

 

Stock Strategist Recommends Gold, Silver and Treasurys To Weather Recession

"We're in a recession now."

That is what one investing company CEO is saying. He sees that the Federal Reserve and the Biden Administration are ushering in an economic downturn and recommends investing in precious metals (gold, silver), U.S. Treasury bonds and stock market sectors that focus on people's needs, not wants.

He discusses the current state of the economy in an interview in MarketWatch. 

The article and interview (the first question is provided below) begins with:

The Federal Reserve keeps telling the financial markets to take its tough talk seriously. Yet many investors and even Wall Street professionals are pricing stocks as if a return to the good old days of easy money and low interest rates is just around the corner. They’re convinced that the U.S. central bank is about to end its rate hikes and then pivot — lowering rates and bringing the U.S. economy to a soft landing that ushers in a new bull market for stocks.

Keith McCullough isn’t having it. The CEO of investment service Hedgeye Risk Management expects the Fed’s restrictive actions will squeeze the U.S. economy too tightly. McCullough is keeping client portfolios geared to his view that in its zeal to curb inflation, the Fed ends up driving the economy into a recession — crushing consumer demand and the ability and flexibility of businesses to borrow, finance debt, cover expenses and meet payroll.

“Unfortunately the country is going to have to deal with that,” McCullough says.

Until the economic cycle shows signs of turning, McCullough is steering investors to precious metals, U.S. Treasury bonds and stock-market sectors that focus on what people need, rather than what they want. Think health care and utilities.

In this recent interview, which has been edited for length and clarity, McCullough outlines his current outlook for the U.S. economy and the financial markets in the second half of the year, and recommends investments you’ll want in your portfolio to weather the challenges McCullough expects investors will face.

Here's the first question and answer:

MarketWatch: When we last spoke at the end of January, you were adamant about holding secure assets including gold, silver and defensive stocks to weather a coming recession. Has your outlook changed?

McCullough: No. The recession will be deeper and potentially more protracted than even I think. What happened with SVB and the other banks is not inconsequential. The credit line of America is impaired. In a bear market these things appear quickly and then all at once. It’s why it’s really hard to see a recovery in the back half of 2023. Commercial real estate is at the core of American leverage. You have massive supply, vacancy rates skyrocketing, and $1.5 trillion in commercial real estate debt maturities is coming due.  

To read more, go here. 

Mark Ronchetti Interview With Sean Hannity

Fox News Sean Hannity interviewed Mark Ronchetti on the New Mexico gubernatorial campaign the other night.

Caroline Munro In Her Own Words

Actress Caroline Munro discusses her experiences as Naomi in 1977's James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me.

Above, Caroline Munro with yours truly at Monsterpalooza, April 2012.

Forbes Interviews Jessica Tseang On Her Pop Culture Career

Above, a Godzilla panel at the 2013 Comikaze Expo at the Los Angeles
Convention Center headed by Jessica Tseang, the second I participated in.

A dozen years ago, I was contacted by Jessica Tseang with an invitation to participate in a panel discussion on Godzilla at Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles.

I accepted and met with her beforehand at a Starbucks in Studio City to talk about the panel. I found her to be very knowledgeable on Godzilla and, best of all, very easy to talk to and work with. 

Since then, I have noticed her involvement in many different conventions and her vast knowledge on comic books and pop culture in general. Her knowledge is quite impressive, to say the least.

Forbes has also taken notice of Jessica's pop culture knowledge and how she turned her interests into a career. Recently, they posted a question & answer article with Jessica.

They begin it with:

Jessica Tseang is an international comics historian and public speaker on pop culture. Tseang is currently an Eisner judge (one of the top peer-based awards in the comic book industry) for 2022 and has appeared on AMC’s Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics, and Nerdist’s award-winning documentary The Impact of Black Panther. She is a moderator, panel discussion producer and PR representative for over 500 panels at pop culture and comic conventions around the world. Tseang’s work has been built on many partnerships and projects with preeminent figures in the pop culture community including launching The Haruo Nakajima Scholarship based on the original Godzilla actor and moderating panels such as the 25th anniversary of Twin Peaks and the 10th anniversary of Parks and Recreation.

Tseang’s notable pop culture convention panels include The Forgotten Trio: Colorists, Inkers, and Letterers, The 75th Anniversary of Moomin, and Native American Representation in Comics and Pop Culture with Taboo (Marvel Comics writer and member of the multi-Grammy award-winning Black Eyed Peas). Her panels have been covered by CNN, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, New York Times and other international outlets. Tseang’s career journey has been deeply varied and she breaks down how she has build a very memorable speaking, producing and PR-based brand.

It is an interesting read, one that many can learn from.

Above, Jessica Tseang and yours truly at G-FEST XXVI in Chicago three years ago. Photo by Steve Ryfle.

To read the full article, go here.

Interviews With All 7 GOP Candidates For NM Governor

John Block of  Piñon Post has interviewed all 7 GOP candidates for New Mexico governor.

Each one would make a far better governor for the state than the one we have at present. Block did a great job in interviewing them and he deserves our thanks for doing so!

The interviews are linked on a page at Piñon Post. 

To access it, go here.

Sheriff Warns Of Anti-Gun Governor On Biden’s VP Short List

Above, Sheriff Tony Mace addresses the 2nd Amendment Rally in Santa Fe on January 31. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Cibola County's Sheriff Tony Mace certainly does get around.

He was recently interviewed about New Mexico Gov. "Malevolent Michelle" Lujan Grisham being on Joe Biden's "short list" of potential vice presidential running mates and he warns that she has a decidedly anti-gun outlook.

According to Bearing Arms:

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has emerged on the short list of potential running mates for Joe Biden, according to CNBC, and now one of the state’s most outspoken sheriffs is speaking out against the idea. Citing her “government experience and her deep background in health and aging,” the network paints a glowing portrait of the governor, including her efforts to impose new restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms in the state. 

On today’s Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co, one of those sheriffs sits down with me to talk about Grisham’s record, and why he believes it would be a big mistake to put her a heartbeat away from the presidency if Biden wins in November. Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace is a Democrat himself, though a decidedly conservative one, and he’s long objected to Grisham’s gun control agenda as an unconstitutional overreach that does nothing to reduce violent crime while infringing on the rights of state residents. Mace helped lead the push for counties to declare themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries, and he’s one of many sheriffs who vocally opposed the governor’s push for a red flag law as well. 

Now Grisham is pushing a police reform bill, and Mace says that during a recent special session of the legislature called by the governor, members of the public were not allowed inside the Capitol to testify or lobby for or against the legislation. The sheriff says, however, that several members of Moms Demand Action were spotted inside the building speaking with lawmakers about the bill. Gun control groups have embraced the idea that “police violence is gun violence” while still pushing for new non-violent felony offenses that would be enforced by armed police officers.

To read more and view Sheriff Mace's interview video, go here. 

G-FEST Stuff

Above, toys galore in the Dealers Room. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Genre conventions usually have many things for attendees to see and do. These include panel discussions, movies, dealers room, games and other activities for people to spend their time and part with their cash.

Here's some of the things that G-FEST XXVI had:

Above, Godzilla in the Murray Bros. Caddyshack bar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Akira Takarada in the hotel lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Mothra looks different. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Dealers Room

Autograph Tables

Above, Akira Takarada. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, directors Shusuke Kaneko and Yoshikazu Ishii chat. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Modelers Room

 History of G-FEST Room

Panel Discussions and Interviews

Above, Akira Takarada interview panel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Shusuke Kaneko interview panel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Collect All Monsters panel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Bringing Godzilla Down To Size with Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whatever Became of...Art Bell?

Above, Art Bell.

There's no mystery on this "Whatever Became Of...? posting.

Art Bell, who hosted a late night radio talk show that focused on the paranormal, died last April 13 at his home in (what he called) "the Kingdom of Nye". I used to listen to his show while working the "graveyard shift" back in the 1990s.

It was revealed last August that his cause of death was an accidental prescription drug overdose.

From Fox News:

The cause of death for radio host Art Bell, famous for his show “Coast to Coast AM” and its "X-Files"-flavored focus on the paranormal, has been revealed as an accidental drug overdose. He was 72. 

According to the Nye County Sheriff's office, Bell's death "was the result of multiple drug intoxication from his own lawfully prescribed prescriptions." 

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Bell "had four prescription medications in his system: the opioid oxycodone, the analgesic hydrocodone, diazepam, often marketed as Valium, and carisoprodol, a muscle-relaxant." 

Bell died at his Pahrump, Nev., home, on April 13, Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly announced in a Facebook post to the community. She described him as a “longtime resident” of the area.

For more on Bell's death, go here.

Above, a historic front page of the L.A. Herald-Express from July 1947 on the Roswell Incident.

What prompted this post was that I came across a YouTube posting of a classic 1994 Art Bell Coast To Coast AM show on the flying saucer crash in Roswell, New Mexico. It is an interesting interview and warrants a good listen.

Here it is:

Winnebago's CEO: America's RV Boom

Above, after 3 years, I am still happy with my Winnebago. The Beast at the Beaver (Utah) KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This year, RVs of all kinds and makes are selling in record numbers. In other words, there's a RV boom going on right now.

CNBC has posted a video of an interview with Winnebago Industries CEO Michael Happe on "America's RV Boom".

They posted:

Michael Happe, Winnebago CEO, speaks with CNBC's "Power Lunch" in an exclusive interview about the company's earnings and growth plans.

To see the video, go here. 

Interview About Jack Larson

Above, Jack Larson speaks at the 2014 Superman plaque dedication in Tarzana, California. Photo by Steven Kirk.

Not too long after actor Jack Larson passed away in September 2015, Chris Brockow interviewed several fans, including me, about Jack. The interviews are posted at The Adventures Continue under "Honoring Jack Larson".

Here's my interview:

Chris: When did you first meet Jack?
Armand: I first met Jack when we held the "Superman Week" ceremony at the L.A. County Board of Supervisors on July 10, 2001 and the luncheon that followed.

Chris: What kind of person was he?
Armand: He seemed quiet to some extent, initially. That was my impression. But once you engage him in conversation, he was like the Energizer Bunny. A great story-teller. He was a very gracious and funny person. Humor came naturally to him.

Chris: How did he feel about being Jimmy Olsen?
Armand: He was proud of it. It took him a while to come to terms with it. But with the passing years and a longer perspective that comes with them, he embraced it. He'd do it again, he said.

Chris: Jack did so much more than Jimmy Olsen. In your opinion, what was the best thing he did?
Armand: That's hard to say. He was a superb writer and producer.

Chris: Jack hosted Superman marathons for 4 years on Thanksgiving Day. Why did he stop?
Armand: I caught two years of WOR's marathons and those were fun. He might have continued on had WOR kept them up. At least, that's my feeling about them.

Chris: How did he like being on Superboy?
Armand: He had fun doing that, so I'd say yes.

Chris: How did he like being on Lois and Clark?
Armand: Like the Superboy show, he had fun with it.

Chris: How did he like being in Superman Returns?
Armand: I don't think he liked the long flights to Australia, but he enjoyed doing it. I think he appreciated the nods to the Adventures of Superman while doing the movie and the television shows. He said he would always "carry the banner" for George Reeves.

Chris: Jack seemed to appreciate his fans, was he always like that?
Armand: During my time knowing him, he appreciated his fans very much. He was moved by the expressions of joy that his work brought to his fans.

Chris: Any personal memories you would like to share?
Armand: Nothing that would be considered personal, but here's a true story. During the planning of "Superman Week" in 2001, L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich's deputy had to get a hold of Jack for something and didn't have his contact information. I didn't have it to give it to him. So, on a whim, he checked the White Pages phone book and saw a listing for a Jack Larson in Brentwood. So he gave the phone number a call. A very familiar voice answered. The deputy said, "Well, from the sound of your voice I know that I found the right man!" Jack, even while elderly, still sounded distinctly like Jimmy Olsen.

********************

To read the other interviews, go here.

Trump Planned To Fire Comey

Above, President Donald J. Trump.

President Donald J. Trump sat down for an interview with NBC News' anchor Lester Holt and said that he planned to fire former FBI Director James Comey and was told that he's not under investigation.

According to NBC News:

President Donald Trump, in an exclusive interview Thursday with NBC News' Lester Holt, called ousted FBI chief James Comey a "showboat" and revealed he asked Comey whether he was under investigation for alleged ties to Russia. 

"I actually asked him" if I were under investigation, Trump said, noting that he spoke with Comey once over dinner and twice by phone. 

"I said, if it's possible would you let me know, am I under investigation? He said, 'You are not under investigation.'" 

"I know I'm not under investigation," Trump told Holt during the 31-minute White House interview. 

The president also said he supports a full investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election last year, saying he wants the probe to be done "absolutely properly."

On Comey's firing:

The president reiterated his claim that he had been planning to fire Comey even before he received Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's recommendation to do so. 

"He's a showboat, he's grandstander, the FBI has been in turmoil," Trump said of Comey in his wide-ranging interview with Holt. "You know that, I know that. Everybody knows that. You take a look at the FBI a year ago, it was in virtual turmoil, less than a year ago. It hasn't recovered from that."

To read more and view videos of the interview, go here.