Alaska's Tough Warrior, Ted Stevens

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin paid tribute to Sen. Ted Stevens in a Facebook post:

It’s with great sadness that Todd and I hear the reports coming in of Senator Ted Stevens’ passing in the plane crash near Dillingham. In our land of towering mountains and larger than life characters, none were larger than the man who in 2000 was voted “Alaskan of the Century.” This decorated World War II pilot was a warrior and a true champion of Alaska.

In 40 years of service in the U.S. Senate, he fought tenaciously for Alaska’s future. Alaskans know how much we owe to Senator Stevens, but all Americans owe him a debt of gratitude for his leadership on many issues, including the crucial energy issues that fuel American prosperity. Two years ago, he sat at my kitchen table over a salmon lunch, and we talked about our long anticipated Alaska natural gas pipeline and our mutual commitment to have the Last Frontier’s rich resources contribute to America’s quest for energy independence.

Our Senator was also known for spearheading efforts to ensure equality in education, and his Title IX legislation allowed girls to be on a level playing field in the athletic arena.

Our hearts and prayers are with the Stevens family and the families of the other victims of the crash.

- Sarah Palin

Done For Today!

Above, on Interstate 5 north of Valencia. Normally, I don't wear suits when doing scene investigations (a t-shirt and bluejeans are preferred), but I went directly there from a court meeting. Photo courtesy of CALTRANS.

Today started early (for me, anyway) as I had an 8:30 mandatory settlement conference at the Chatsworth Superior Court.

The plaintiff/claimant was attending a funeral at a San Fernando Valley cemetery when she claimed her foot went into an open, but hidden lawn flower vase/container on a grave. She fell and broke both ankles (she apparently landed on a headstone and broke the other ankle). The demand is over $600k, the cemetery's carrier's offer (based on the cost to defend) is $25k. The cemetery claims the vase was upside down with the solid part facing upwards and that she wasn't watching where she was going. They accept no liability.

As one would expect, neither side would budge on their demands and offers. I was there to represent the insurer. The matter goes to trial in November.

From there, I headed off to an area north of Valencia, California to photograph an accident scene that involved a semi truck and a Lexus passenger vehicle. You can guess which vehicle won that encounter.

I sent my activity sheets and photos off to the boss and made myself lunch when I got home. So now it's kickback time for the rest of the day, which will include a visit by Amber.

Favorite TV Episodes.com Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Video

Above, Yuu Asakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Favorite TV Episodes.com has picked up the slideshow video (gee, maybe I should have made the video much earlier) on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

To see their site with the video, go here.

Bambi Meets Godzilla

Last night's deer encounter made me think of this: 

UPDATE: After posting this, I received this message in an email from an actress friend:

Somehow I knew that was coming....lol!

That gave me a good chuckle!

Plans Gone Astray

Last night's excitement with the deer encounter kind of messed up my plans for today.

I went to bed around 3:00 in the morning, only to wake up around 6:30. I stayed up for a bit and then went back to bed around 7:00. I slept until around 11:00.

I was planning to dump a lot of accumulated papers and whatnot into the trash today. After getting up, I received two claim assignments (no problem there, I can use the money) that I had to attend to today at the California Highway Patrol.

After this, I figured on doing the house-cleaning tomorrow. Well, another claim assignment came in as I was finishing up the two for today. This one is to attend a mandatory settlement conference in Santa Clarita before a judge. I haven't been to a settlement conference for a while, but they are fun to do. While up there, I'll be doing a scene investigation on another claim (got to remember to bring my camera) on Interstate 5.

Despite the sleep I got today, I am still tired. I'll probably go to bed early tonight as I have to be in Santa Clarita at 8:30.

Looks like I'll have to put off house-cleaning for another week.

Patricia Neal Dies of Cancer

Above, Paul Newman and Patricia Neal in "Hud."

We've lost another great actress.

The Seattle Times reported:

Patricia Neal, best known for her roles in "Hud" (for which she won an Oscar), "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "The Fountainhead" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still," died yesterday of cancer, at her home in Martha's Vineyard. She was 84.

Her memorable line in the 1951 The Day The Earth Stood Still (below, left), "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!" will live forever in motion picture history.



She also played a nurse girlfriend to John Wayne in In Harm's Way (1965). She also starred with Wayne in Operation Pacific in 1951.

She had a long time marriage to screenwriter Roald Dahl (You Only Live Twice (1967)) until their divorce.

Mustang Meets Bambi

I had an "interesting" ride home from work in Malibu tonight.

I was heading to the San Fernando Valley from Malibu on Malibu Canyon Road when a deer decided to j-walk in front of me. I hit the brakes, but hit the deer.

A loud thud was heard on impact and suddenly I lost all electrical power to my car, a 1989 Ford Mustang. After rolling from the impact, the deer got up and ran off. Meanwhile, I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the car.

I managed to roll the car to the shoulder off the road (well, most of it). My immediate thought was that the fuel cut-off switch Fords have was the culprit. I popped the trunk and when I did, the lights came on. So, I figured I could start it and gave it a try. No dice! No power again.

I tried the cut-off switch and it did nothing. So I called the Auto Club.

While waiting for the Auto Club, I popped the hood and found that the impact with the deer knocked one of my battery cables off the battery. I replaced it onto the battery terminal, and lo and behold, I had full power!

I cancelled the Auto Club service and was merrily (not exactly, I was a little shaken up) on my way home. Also, the impact with the deer did no damage to the front end of the Mustang. Lucky for me!

It was also my good fortune that the encounter happened at a wide section of the road. Otherwise, I might have skidded off over the side and down 100-200 feet into the canyon.

UPDATE: My claims adjusting boss called me this morning (with two new assignments) and I told her what happened. She said her brother once hit a deer and totalled his vehicle.

In my claims work, I've had vehicle vs. deer claims in the past. I am aware that people have been killed in these (especially when the deer's body goes into the windshield).

I consider myself lucky: no damage, no injuries. Don't know about the deer. I haven't heard from its attorney.

"Baby," R.I.P.

"Baby," my mom's parakeet (the above video was from my cell phone a year ago) was just an ordinary green-colored parakeet, but he gave her many hours of entertainment during her final years.

When she died in January, my cousin Ashley took him into their home in Wildomar, California. He seemed to thrive and Ashley's husband Tony worked with him the most.

Last night, Baby seemed perfectly fine when they did their usual routine. They covered his cage when they went to bed. Sometime during the night, Baby died unexpectedly. He was only about 2-3 years old.

This would have devastated my mom. She seemed to have bad luck with birds for the past few years. Parrots, cockatiels, canaries and, now, a parakeet met an early death. Birds are funny. Quite often, they hide the fact that they are even ill. Many times, it isn't apparent that the bird is sick until just before the end. It may be that this is an ancient defense mechanism so that other birds won't "finish him off" in the wild.

We had a parakeet that we got in the early 1960s and it lived until 1974. They don't seem to make them like they used to.

Maybe he's now with my mom.

What a year. I am really getting tired of receiving bad news.

Congratulations, Karlos Borloff!

Left, Karlos Borloff receives a chest examination by Haruo Nakajima as Robert Scott Field looks on in 2008. Photo by Armand Vaquer.









Good friend and The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan supporter Karlos Borloff and his band made it into the top 5 in the KISS opening act voting competition!

The final winner will be chosen by KISS. By making it into the top five bands, Borloff is in an excellent position to be the final choice by the band.

For details on the competition, go here.

Congratulations, Karlos Borloff!

Wild Parrots In Malibu

Yesterday, I saw something unusual for Southern California.

As I was leaving the clubhouse of one of the communities I have to patrol, I heard some loud squawking. I looked up and there was a flock (about 15-20) of wild parrots flying overhead. They all landed in a nearby tree.

The photo below is of the tree. The parrots were green in color, and they blended in with the tree, so they were very hard to see. All I could see was one sitting on top. Unfortunately, all I had was my cell phone camera, and the photo came out very pixelated when using the zoom. I circled the visible parrot.



After I took the picture, I approached the tree and they got startled and took flight.

One other time I saw a flock of wild parrots in Southern California. About a year ago, I saw about 20-30 of them in the Monterey Hills section of Los Angeles.

Advertising Monster Japan Travel Guide

An interesting email was received yesterday from Jessie Lilley, who is currently the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, now owned by Phil Kim.

Her email contained the magazine's advertising rate sheet. The rates are reasonable, given that the magazine has a print run of around 40,000 copies and is distributed by Diamond as well as other, but smaller, distributors for newsstands. They have a number of advertising options available.

I sent Jessie a note indicating my interest for an ad for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. I am looking at November, when the funds will be available for advertising in Famous Monsters and other publications.

She indicated in a reply email that November would be ideal as it is "issue 253 which will hit the street in mid to late January."

I met Phil Kim a year ago at Monsterpalooza and he seems to be a very nice guy and one I could do business with.

Hiroshima: A-Bombing 65th Anniversary

Above, the mushroom cloud rises above Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

Today marks the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.

It was on Monday, August 6, 1945, at 8:15 AM, that the bomb, dubbed "Little Boy" was carried to its final destination by the B-29, Enola Gay. The bomb exploded several hundred feet above the city, causing widespread damage.

The blast initially killed an estimated 80,000 people. The after-effects, injury and radiation poisoning brought the casualty toll to 90,000-140,000.

Several days later, a second a-bomb was dropped on the city of Nakasaki on the island of Kyushu. Japan surrendered soon after, thus ending World War II.

I visited Hiroshima in August 2004, almost to the day of the 59th anniversary with G-TOUR (comprised of 60 Godzilla fans).

Above, the Atomic Dome in August 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Today, there is little evidence of the bombing with the only physical reminder is the Atomic Dome, pictured above. The Hiroshima Peace Museum at Peace Memorial Park contains exhibits of the bombing.

The atomic bombings were a major influence of the Godzilla character.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan contains travel information Hiroshima and Nakasaki.

Mild Summer In L.A., So Far

The summer has been a mild one in Los Angeles, so far.

I can count the total number of times I had to switch on the air conditioning in the house on one hand. Not that I'm complaining! This is a big savings on my electric bill as I have central air.

Right now in Tarzana, the thermometer is showing 60 degrees in the shade.

Also, I have to put on a jacket at night while at work in Malibu. Plus, some recent nights have been foggy.

Economic Recovery Losing Momentum

The online edition of the Wall Street Journal reports that the unemployment rate held steady at 9.5%, "a further sign the economic recovery may be losing momentum."



They report:

Nonfarm payrolls fell by 131,000 last month as the rise in private-sector employment was not enough to make up for the government jobs lost, the U.S. Labor Department said Friday. Only 71,000 private-sector jobs were added last month while 143,000 temporary workers on the 2010 census were let go.

After the worst recession in decades, the recovery that began in July 2009 has recently been losing momentum, but it's hard to say if it's just a temporary slowdown or if the economy could start to contract again.

To read the full article, go here.

This is happening as First Lady Michelle Obama vacations in Spain on the backs of the taxpayers. She's is beginning to be called Marie Antoinette.

If you think this is bad, just wait for what happens in January when taxes are hiked!

How's that hope and change working out for you?

Brad Sherman To Face Buzzsaw Again

There's one thing I have to give Rep. Brad Sherman credit for, and that's holding another town hall meeting in his district after going through buzzsaws during the last couple of them and putting his foot into his mouth.

I received this in an email from Sherman's office (click on image to view larger):



Last month, Sherman held a town hall meeting at a Jewish temple in which his operatives, along with rent-a-cop thugs and renegade LAPD officers, accosted his GOP opponent Mark Reed.

Then, he held another town hall meeting at Reseda High School in which Sherman said he wasn't aware of the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case, which made the national news and the radio talk shows.

That's why I have to give Sherman credit for facing the buzzsaw again on August 29.

Now, let's see if he has the cojones to agree to a one-on-one debate with Mark Reed. Thus far, he hasn't. Mark Reed's ancestors (he has Native American lineage) would probably call Sherman "Chief Bald Chicken."

"Elvis Only" Ends Work Week

I know my work week is over in my "parachute" job in Malibu when the Elvis Only radio show comes on in the Los Angeles market on KRTH-101 FM at midnight Sunday nights (well, technically, Monday morning).

Elvis Only is a syndicated one-hour show of Elvis Presley music and is produced and hosted by Jay Gordon.

According to the Elvis Only website:

Elvis Only - the all-Elvis hour – the only syndicated radio show of its kind - hosted by Jay Gordon, one of the world’s most recognized Elvis Experts. For more than 20 years, Elvis Only has consistently delivered passionate, loyal listeners to major market radio stations across the nation.

Elvis Only is an interesting show. Besides playing Elvis's music from all points of his career, it also provides song trivia, such as the song writers and other cover versions.

As my work shift ends at 1:00 am, the final hour of the final day of my work week is made enjoyable by this program.

I was able to visit Presley's home, Graceland, back in 2001. Here's some photos of that visit.

For more information, including a list of stations carrying Elvis Only, go here.

On The Rancho's Remodel...

Readers of the old Rancho here (if you want to call a two-and-a-half-year-old blog "old") like the new look.

Some message samples (the names have been removed to protect the innocent):

"Your site looks good Armand."

"Hey Armand! I'm liking the overhaul. Looks nice!"

"Two thumbs up from me."

"Very nice changes to your blog. At least this is a way to communicate with you by reading it when you send it out. One of these days we still need to get together for lunch or dinner."

"I like the new look and features. Best regards."

There will, most likely, be some minor tweaks here and there. But this is essentially how the old Rancho will look.

Lupita Tovar Celebrates 100th Birthday

Above, Lupita Tovar is about to get bitten by Count Dracula (Carlos Villarías) in Universal's Spanish language version of "Dracula" in 1931.

This one sure fell under my radar!

Actress Lupita Tovar celebrated her 100th birthday July 27. Who is Lupita Tovar?

According to Wikipedia:

Lupita Tovar (born July 27, 1910) is a Mexican actress, best known for her starring role in the 1931 Spanish language version of Dracula, filmed in Los Angeles by Universal Pictures at night using the same sets as the Bela Lugosi version, but with a different cast and director.

Tovar was born in Oaxaca, Mexico.

She played Eva (the "Mina" role played by Helen Chandler in the Lugosi version) to Carlos Villarías' Count Dracula. Both the Lugosi and Spanish language version of Dracula are available on DVD.

Many critics and fans say that the Spanish version of Dracula is technically better than the Tod Browning/Lugosi version. It does make better use of the sets.

Happy (belated) Birthday!

Obamacare Gets A Big Black Eye From Missouri Voters

Yesterday's elections gave President Obama and the Democrat Party a big black eye.

Voters in Missouri decided overwhelmingly to reject a key element of the recently passed health care reform bill.

Nearly 73 percent of voters approved Proposition C, a ballot initiative that says Missouri residents do not have to purchase health insurance or pay an annual fine to the federal government, as the new federal healthcare law states. It is not clear if states have the authority to override a federal law in such a manner, but legislatures in Virginia, Georgia, Idaho, Arizona and Louisiana have passed similar bills, which are all expected to be challenged in court.

I'd say those states have an excellent chance of prevailing as there's no constitutional authority for the federal government to mandate the purchase of a product or levy a fine if people don't.

[Special thanks to Bob Kerns.]

Clawmark Toys Has Autographed Copies of Haruo Nakajima's New Book

Diane Dougherty of Clawmark Toys just let me know that they have six autographed copies of Haruo Nakajima's new book, My Kaiju Life - The Original Godzilla Suit Actor Haruo Nakajima, available at their website.

They are making plans to meet with Mr. Nakajima and his daughter Sonoe to get more autographed copies to meet the expected demand.

To order, go here.

Greg Smith, For Responsive and Responsible Representation For Kansas House District 22

The polls are now closed in the state of Kansas, and the candidates of both parties are on pins and needles over tonight's primary election results.


Right, Greg Smith, his wife Missey with their daughter Kelsey.

Fortunately, in Kansas House District 22, which encompasses Overland Park, Kansas, GOP candidate Greg Smith ran unopposed in the Republican primary. He will face Democrat incumbent Lisa Benlon in the general election campaign.

Benlon is decidedly an Obama liberal. In recent ratings:

Benlon has received from the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund a grade of F (with grades ranging from a high of A+ to a low of F). This puts her in with the gun-grabbers wing of the the Democrat Party.

She has also received a rating of 10 (out of 100) from the Americans for Prosperity- Kansas Chapter (formerly The Kansas Taxpayer's Network), a taxpayers' rights organization. She's definitely not a friend of Kansas taxpayers.

Greg Smith is a first-time candidate and the only first-timer who has achieved legislative success in Kansas as well as in other states with the Kelsey Smith Act. The Kelsey Smith Act requires cell phone providers to cooperate with law enforcement in missing persons cases.

Smith's daughter Kelsey was kidnapped and murdered in June 2007 after leaving a Target department store in Overland Park. She was found by law enforcement after her cell phone provider provided searchers with her cell phone ping data several days after her abduction. She would have been found sooner had her cell phone provider provided this data earlier.

Greg Smith is running on a conservative issues platform. His campaign website has an issues page. To see where Greg Smith stands on the issues, go here.

I generally don't endorse candidates in other states, but this year I made an exception as I have already enthusiastically endorsed Greg Smith for the Kansas House.

New Look For The Rancho

Notice something different about this blog?

I got tired of the same-old, same-old. So, I decided to try something new in how this blog looks. Waddya think?

Since the title of this blog is "Armand's Rancho Del Cielo" ("rancho del cielo" means "ranch in the sky"), one cannot get any more sky than outer space. The name is a homage to former President Ronald Reagan's beloved ranch near Santa Barbara, California.

Before I started re-doing the look of the blog, I found a photo (it was from August 2003 at the TV Land Convention in Burbank) of Noel Neill and me.

Noel is still recuperating from the fall that fractured her hip and the surgery to repair it. She is now at a rehabilitation facility and is expected to make a full recovery.

Any updates on Noel's condition, naturally will be posted here.

Lugosi Wines: The Count May Just Drink This One

Here's a little something for wine connoisseurs and Bela Lugosi fans: Lugosi Wines!

The Lugosi Family, headed by Bela G. Lugosi (son of Bela "Dracula" Lugosi), now is offering wines with Bela Lugosi's image on the label.

According to the Lugosi Wines website:

Bela Lugosi created his unique characterization of Count Dracula on the Broadway stage in 1927 and brought it to the screen in 1931. One of the first members of the Screen Actors Guild, he was a true American film pioneer. Although Count Dracula never “drank” wine, Bela Lugosi, the man, had impeccable taste in wines. With the creation of the Bela Lugosi brand wines, the Lugosi family pays tribute to their patriarch, a man of distinction, while acknowledging the icon that will forever be - Dracula.
Continuing the family’s enthusiasm for wine inspired by Bela Lugosi, Lugosi Wines will seek varietals sourced from superior wine-growing regions.

For more information on Lugosi Wines, go here.

Maxine Waters In Hot Water Over Ethics Violations

California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, is in hot water over ethics violations according to a House Ethics Committee panel.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

WASHINGTON — In accusing Rep. Maxine Waters (D- Los Angeles) of violating House ethics rules, congressional investigators have focused on a meeting she arranged with Treasury officials that they say centered on the fortunes of a single bank — one with ties to her husband.

Three months after Waters called Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to set up the meeting during the financial crisis, OneUnited Bank received $12 million in bailout funds.

Waters' husband, Sidney Williams, served on the bank board from 2004 to 2008 and at the time of the Sept. 9, 2008, meeting was a stockholder in the bank, according to a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics made public Monday.

Waters' husband was on the bank board until April 21, 2008, according to the report. According to Waters' 2008 financial disclosure report, Williams had two investments in OneUnited that were valued between $500,000 and $1 million.

This follows on the heels of the ethics violations of Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY. A bipartisan House investigative committee formally charged Rangel, who represents the 15th District in Manhattan, with 13 ethics violations last Thursday.

Looks like Maxine's chickens are coming home to roost.

Mitch Miller Dies At 99

Mitch Miller, the host and sing-along leader of his early-1960s television show, Sing Along With Mitch, has died at 99.

The Washington Post is reporting:

Mitch Miller, a musician and record-company executive who became one of the 20th century's most influential forces in popular music as the producer who launched the recording careers of singers Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis and Patti Page, died July 31 at a hospital in New York. He was 99.

Mr. Miller was a talented conductor and oboist who became a recording star in the 1950s and 1960s, with dozens of defiantly backward-looking "sing-along" albums that sold millions of copies. As the host of a popular television show in the early 1960s, "Sing Along With Mitch," he has been credited by some with being the inventor of karaoke.

Sing Along With Mitch was not exactly a show my family watched, but I do remember it being advertised and talked about. The show ran from 1961 to 1966.

To read the full article, go here.

Yolike.com Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Slideshow Video

Above, Yuu Asakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yolike.com has picked up the YouTube slideshow video on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is tailored to fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy films.

To view their site, go here.

Niigata, Maybe?

Since I am planning to take a vacation trip to Japan this Fall, I am now considering where I want to go and see.

Naturally, I will be spending some time in Tokyo to visit friends and to do more kaiju location research and photography along with some promoting of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. But I would like to go somewhere in Japan that I have not been to in my five previous trips.

Right now, I am contemplating taking a few days to see Niigata and the area around it. Niigata is in central Honshu and is on the Sea of Japan side of the island. Niigata has onsens, sake, sushi, mountains, beaches, museums and many other attractions.

Niigata has a casualness about it that is a different pace of life than Tokyo. There is also a burgeoning arts community in Niigata. Niigata is also known for its rice, seafood and sake. Sounds like a nice place to soak up some culture!

At present, I am thinking about Niigata, but if anyone reading this has other ideas, I'm open to them!

(Note: The link in the third paragraph is to Niigata's tourist website.)

There IS a God!

It is hard to believe it's August already. While it may be August on the calendar, it doesn't seem that way weather-wise.

For the past several nights, I had to put on a jacket at work in Malibu as it became cold and foggy. Even the usually boiling San Fernando Valley has been cooler than usual. Last week we did have a heat wave, but that lasted only a few days. It has only been in the 80s for the past several days. Right now it is only 60 degrees outside.

I was sweating bullets a few of days ago as I found myself short on funds to cover this month's rent. However, there is a God as two checks arrived in the mail on Friday, one from my insurance job and one from ComiXpress (for sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan). While those helped close the gap, I still found myself a little bit short (looks like I spent too much on groceries) and was going to borrow the difference from my cousin on a very short-term basis as I was expecting another check in the coming week.

Proving once again that there is a God, that check showed up in yesterday's mail! That was totally unexpected!

Funny thing, I had a feeling that it all was going to work out in the end anyway.

Note: Proving that Texans have a sense of humor, the photo at top is of a mailbox somewhere in Texas. A friend sent the photo to me.