Chick Stuff: First Episode of "Two Ladies In A Car"

Above, Cae Camille (left) and Melissa Cyrnek.

I just returned from my local Starbucks coffee joint to use their WiFi to view the first episode of Two Ladies In A Car, "Can I Still Buy My Nail Polish?"

The episode has the ladies out hitting stores to buy nail polish. It seems that the store who carries the polish won't sell it to the general public and they have to find a store that carries it and would sell it to them.

The video has the women in their car bantering about anything and everything that happens to pop up (including a commentary about a Hispanic lady selling cherries on the street with access to her rather difficult, at best).

Although corny, it is also very cute. Both Cae Camille and Melissa Cyrnek seemed perfectly natural and at no time did either look directly into the camera. In fact, they both acted as if they probably forgot it was even there. I was impressed with this.

They also sounded natural with no faux "Valley Girl" accent stuff.

(Confession: I may be a little biased, since Melissa is a friend, but this is my honest opinion.)

While viewing the video, I had on my headphones (to blot out any extraneous noise from other Starbucks patrons and to hear more clearly what's being said). I got a kick out of the sound effects that would pop up at times when one of the ladies said something of special note. A type of gun was mentioned and then the sound effect of a gunshot was heard. Clever!

The video was about nine minutes long. I am looking forward to the next episode.

Nice work, ladies!

Christine Nguyen On "The Grid" Thursday

Actress, model and spokesmodel Christine Nguyen will be featured in Thursday's episode of The Grid.

Right, Donald F. Glut and Christine Nguyen at the "Boobs & Blood" Film Festival. Photo courtesy of Donald F. Glut.








Producer-director Donald F. Glut passed on this information:

The IFC show "The Grid" featuring the "BOOBS & BLOOD" Christine segment will be on this coming Thursday 28th at 7:45pm ET. The episode repeats 6 times throughout the week.

From The Grid's website:

The Grid is a weekly rundown of what's trending in Indie Culture. The Grid recommends movies, music, games, gadgets, and viral videos worth your time and attention. The Grid is comprised of constantly changing topics, ideas, products, information, and headlines. Our Host Jesse Thorn and a cast of noteworthy Experts share their off-beat recommendations every Thursday at 7:45pm (est).

Christine appeared in Glut's The Mummy's Kiss: Second Dynasty.

Two Ladies In A Car

A good friend of mine, Melissa Cyrnek, has a new website with Cae Camille called Two Ladies In A Car.

Here's what it's about:



Two Ladies In A Car is a new webseries of adventures of two Southern California ladies in a car.

. . . the road hums an affection of harmony. Miles traveled, tell a story and navigate the streets with humor, dash and lovely. And the friendship shared with your ladies, well, that is one of steel, sprinkled with a little cinnamon and sugar.

Left, Cae Camille and Melissa Cyrnek.














The site includes:

A Webseries Adventure - home page.

Roadtrip In Progress - episode videos.

Pit Stops - listing of episodes.

Lady In Car - featuring The Lady Game contest.

A permanent link is at the top of the blog page for easy access.

Check out Two Ladies In A Car at www.twoladiesinacar.com today!

Dollar Hits New 15-Year Low Against Japanese Yen

The dollar has hit a new 15-year low against the Japanese yen, according to MarketWatch.com:

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The U.S. dollar tumbled across the board Monday, pushing the greenback to a fresh 15-year low against the Japanese yen, as the outcome of the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 nations gave traders no reason to stop selling the U.S. currency.

Against the Japanese yen, the dollar /quotes/comstock/21o!x:susdjpy (USDYEN 80.8200, -0.6100, -0.7491%) bought ¥80.75, down from ¥81.43 late Friday.

It fell as low as ¥80.39, according to FactSet Research, not far off the historical record low of ¥79.75, hit on April 19, 1995.

This does not bode well for potential tourists to Japan or for Japanese exporters.

To read the full MarketWatch article, go here.

The Week Ahead

This has been the wettest October in recent memory in L.A. It either drizzled or rained the whole time I was at work in Malibu yesterday evening. And it rained in the San Fernando Valley last night.



The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is continuing to sell. I received some new sales numbers from ComiXpress.com this morning. I am grateful for the reception it has received.




The election is a week and a day away and the Democrats are facing a debacle. They are getting desperate and are trying to smear their Republican opponents. Brad Sherman, who refuses to debate GOP candidate Mark Reed, dipped into his million-dollar war chest (from his union boss allies) and is now sending out smear mailers. The man has no shame. Since Sherman is on the wrong side of every issue and cannot defend the indefensible, all he can do is smear his opponent with lies.

I am doing what I can to present the truth. The week ahead will be interesting.

Brad Sherman Won't Debate Reed On The Issues, Resorts To Smear Mailers

One can always tell when a Democrat is in the fight for his political life. They get desperate and they send out last-minute smear mailers.

Brad Sherman, true to from, sent out a smear mailer attacking GOP candidate Mark Read about a bogus gun charge. Sherman, who refuses to debate Reed on the issues face-to-face and man-to-man, resorted to a direct-mail attack. He can't even get his facts correct.

The Reed campaign has responded to Sherman's attack mailer:

Brad Sherman has sent his constituents a mailer attacking Mark Reed. He has accused Mark of using taxpayer money to pay for a Public Defender to represent him in an appeals case. This case is in regard to the fact that Mark did not have a permit for a 75 year-old gun that he purchased in 1974, when he was 18.

Mark has admitted to having this unpermitted gun and has since gotten the proper permit. The gun was used as a prop in the movie industry.

Brad Sherman's October surprise attack is absolutely baseless. Sherman is accusing Mark Reed of retaining Public Defender services at no charge. However Mark will be paying for his court appointed attorney once the case is closed. Mark is also aware of the approximate court costs to be incurred: $3,500.00 as of now.

Concerning Brad Sherman's baseless attacks:

Mark has never owned the weapon shown in Sherman's flyer and it is not the weapon for which he had no permit. The actual weapon is an 1800 replica stagecoach pistol shotgun (see photo).

Brad Sherman's claim that Mark will not be able to take his seat in the Congress is false and absurd. As an attorney he should know better. Lack of a gun permit is a simple misdemeanor, and the only court imposed condition is that Mark can't own a weapon for three years. He is free to travel anywhere.

Regarding Sherman's offensive personal attack on Mark, impugning his success as a businessman, the truth is simple: whereas Sherman is sitting on a million dollar-plus campaign fund, Mark's commitment to campaigning for the 27th District seat in Congress during the last two years has limited Mark's income for the last two years.

Mark challenges Brad Sherman to define the meaning of "successful businessman," this coming from someone who has gorged himself at the public trough for over 20 years-a man who obviously feels he is entitled to his office! If one runs a business and makes money to support oneself and one's family, you have, by definition, a successful business. Apparently, Brad Sherman doesn't see it that way. After all, Sherman has been living off the taxpayer to the tune of $175,000 annually. Brad Sherman is out of touch regarding the difficulties of living day-to-day.

Brad Sherman is using this issue to distract from his abysmal voting record and he continues to hide from a debate about the real issues facing the 27th Congressional District of California, and the public in general. Considering a congressional record as bad as Brad Sherman's, I would be running from it too. Remember, Sherman voted to triple the Deficit by voting for Tarp, Obamacare, the failed Stimulus program and every other spending bill that came out of the Pelosi/Obama agenda.

Brad Sherman can easily sit back and use his million-dollar warchest to send out smear mailers (you can expect more, no doubt), but it is an act of a coward to refuse to debate his opponent on the issues. Brad Sherman is showing that he is a mama's boy coward by sending out mailers filled with lies. He wouldn't dare say it to Reed's face.

UPDATE: Sherman's campaign committee is also sending out emails with the same distorted smears. I received one today.

College Professor Obsessed With Godzilla

An article appeared at The Dallas Morning News online website on a college professor who has a "monstrous obsession with Godzilla":

Along his torn-up trail, the menacing brute also has created some major Godzilla geeks. One of them is Dr. William Tsutsui, the recently appointed dean of SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, whose obsession with Godzilla goes beyond campy special effects.

As he was growing up, his childhood fascination gave way to scholarly interpretation – and Tsutsui came to see the globally recognized monster as cultural ambassador, the therapeutic creation of a postwar Japan.

"I realized there was something more there than just a guy in a rubber suit," said Tsutsui, 47.

Tsutsui wrote the book, Godzilla On My Mind several years ago and appeared last summer at G-FEST.

To read the full article, go here.

Las Vegas' 15% Unemployment Rate Sinking Reid's Campaign

Nevada's GOP U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle pummeled Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid over Nevada's economic problems. The Angle campaign released new ads focusing on Nevada's unemployment news and placed the responsibility into the laps of President Obama and Sen. Harry Reid.




Fox News reports:

As President Obama swung by Las Vegas Friday night to rally support for the Democrat who is the prime target of Republicans this November, fresh economic data showed Nevada's jobless rate held at 14.4 percent, the worst in the nation. Reid might have been able to cast that as an improvement, since it marked the first time since January that number did not rise -- however, the jobless rate in the state's economic nerve center, Las Vegas, soared to a record high of 15 percent.

Angle's campaign released a statement overnight thanking Obama for his visit, claiming it helped her campaign raise $200,000 in online contributions.

Reid's role in passing the massive spending and Obamacare bills is hurting him badly. Obama is not popular in Nevada, particularly in Las Vegas.

Last year, Obama, in a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Ind., said that executives of failing financial institutions should use federal bailout money responsibly and that they cannot "take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers' dime."

Then, this year, Obama said this about Las Vegas:

"You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college."

Last month, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said he recently learned that Obama's comments cost the city over 200 conventions.

Nevadans voters would be idiots to vote to return Reid to the senate.

To read the full article, go here.

Union Fires Worker Over USS George H.W. Bush Clothing

A union worker working in setting up a stage for President Obama's appearance today at the University of Southern California was fired by a union boss for wearing a cap and sweatshirt of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush.

The union boss asked that the worker, identified as Duane Hammet, remove his hat and turn his sweatshirt inside out. Hammet refused.

According to Big Hollywood.com:

The IATSE (Local 33) union fired the worker even after he explained the shirt to his bosses. The shirt didn’t explicitly support George H.W Bush but that of the aircraft carrier named after the former President and the aircraft carrier his son has served on for the past many years and is currently deployed.

The stage at USC was for the campaign appearance of Obama supporting Democrat candidates such as Jerry Brown and Sen. Barbara Boxer.

It appears that the union thuggery state of Obama reared its ugly head again.

Goldgrif's Channel Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Video

Goldgrif's Channel has picked up the YouTube slideshow video of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Also, it is listed as one of Goldgrif's favorites! (Can't say I blame them, as the video features the lovely Yuu Asakura!)

To see the website, go here.





Left, Yuu Asakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Juan Williams Axed By National Public Radio

Political pundit/correspondent Juan Williams violated liberal National Public Radio's (NPR) policy of political correctness when he said on the O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel:

I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country. But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous.

By being so political incorrect, Williams was terminated following a discussion on the dilemma between fighting jihadists and fears about average Muslims.

I guess if a correspondent doesn't tow the liberal line, he'll get the ax. Talk about intolerance! Thus far, the reaction over the firing of Williams has been against NPR.

Williams is also a political analyst for Fox News.

Brad Sherman: Bought and Paid

If Brad Sherman wins reelection, it would be because of his cash advantage. It is amazing that he needs so much money considering he's in a "safe" gerrymandered Democrat district.

According to a recent report:

2010 Race: California District 27

Brad Sherman (D) *
Raised: $1,478,101
Spent: $664,873
Cash on Hand: $2,906,441
Last Report: September 30, 2010

PAC contributions $455,718 (31%)
Individual contributions $931,172 (63%)
Candidate self-financing $0 (0%)
Other $91,211 (6%)

Mark Steven Reed, Sr (R)
Raised: $68,062
Spent: $30,528
Cash on Hand: $37,532
Last Report: September 30, 2010

Sherman received his biggest contributions from the following:

Top Contributors

Contributor - Total - Indivs - PACs
Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers $75,000 $0 $75,000
American Assn for Justice $74,000 $0 $74,000
Carpenters & Joiners Union $72,500 $0 $72,500
Credit Union National Assn $72,069 $6,500 $65,569
Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union $71,500 $0 $71,500
Teamsters Union $68,000 $0 $68,000
United Auto Workers $68,000 $0 $68,000
National Assn of Realtors $67,750 $1,000 $66,750
American Institute of CPAs $64,000 $0 $64,000
American Fedn of St/Cnty/Munic Employees $59,000 $0 $59,000
Operating Engineers Union $58,000 $0 $58,000
Laborers Union $56,500 $0 $56,500
United Food & Commercial Workers Union $52,500 $0 $52,500
Time Warner $51,900 $39,400 $12,500
Specialty Merchandise Corp $50,600 $50,600 $0
American Federation of Teachers $46,531 $0 $46,531
American Postal Workers Union $44,000 $0 $44,000
Deloitte & Touche $43,750 $750 $43,000
Grobstein, Horwath & Co $43,533 $43,533 $0
Service Employees International Union $42,200 $0 $42,200

Brad Sherman, a congressman money can buy! And it's primarily union money. Small wonder, Sherman introduced a bill to eliminate Right-To-Work laws.

This is from today's Investor's Business Daily:

A California congressman wants to eliminate right-to-work laws in 22 states where workers don't have to join unions. If even-higher unemployment is his goal, he has the right idea.

Rep. Brad Sherman, a Democrat who represents a large part of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, has introduced a bill that would repeal right-to-work statutes. These laws let workers employed at organized companies choose for themselves if they're going to join the union or pay union dues. In the 28 states without right-to-work laws, workers are forced to join the union if their employer has been organized.

The depths to which lawmakers beholden to unions are willing to descend are almost bottomless, and labor is the second biggest contributor to Congressman Sherman's campaign in the current cycle. He wants to keep that 100% AFL-CIO rating and seems to have no compunction about wrecking jobs elsewhere (California is not a right-to-work state) to keep his union support.

No wonder the union bosses love this guy!

To read the full IBD article, go here.

Why Brad Sherman Is In Trouble

According to the Mark Reed for Congress campaign, their last poll showed Reed at two points behind incumbent Brad Sherman. This is within the margin of error. New poll results are expected Friday.

In a supposed "safe" Democrat district, Sherman is in trouble if he can't out-poll a political unknown.

There are reasons for this. The Reed campaign issued this statement today:

BRAD SHERMAN KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU???

It seems Brad Sherman doesn't really care what you, the electorate, thinks. After all, Sherman turned his back on 72% of the people in the 27th District who did not want Obamacare. He also voted for Tarp, the failed Stimulus bill, Cap & Trade, the Financial Regulation bill, all against the will of the majority of the American people.

Apparently, Mr. Sherman feels he knows what is better for you than you do. Sherman must have been the lone Congressman to have the read 2,700 plus pages of the healthcare legislation in the short time before it was pushed through Congress.

Obamacare was conceived behind closed doors, without the transparency that Obama had promised. But that didn't bother Sherman, who further violated the people's trust by voting for something he had not fully read or understood. He listened to Pelosi who said, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."

Who would vote on a bill before knowing what is in it? Brad Sherman did.

Mark Reed's pledge to you is that he will not vote on a bill that he has not read and understood. He also pledges to do the will of the people and not allow his office to turn into a rubber stamp the way Sherman has.

The power belongs to "We, the people." Mark Reed views that as a sacred trust. He will take the rubber stamp out of Brad Sherman's hands and return the power where it belongs....to the people of the 27th District.

A new Rasmussen poll shows the following:

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that most Likely Voters think their representative in Congress does not deserve reelection if he or she voted for the national health care law, the auto bailouts or the $787-billion economic stimulus plan.

(To see the full Rasmussen Report, go here.)

Brad Sherman is in trouble because he voted for the Obamacare law, the auto bailouts and the $787-billion economic stimulus plan. That's why he refuses to debate Mark Reed, he would be forced to defend his votes.

It must be tough to defend the indefensible.

Movie Night

Tonight was movie night at home. With thunder, lightning and heavy rains outside, I decided to kick back at home and just watch 3 movies I picked up at my local CD Trader store (they specialize in new and used CDs and DVDs at discounted prices) today.

The movies I picked up were The Godfather Part III (1990), Elvis On Tour (1972) and Star Trek (2009).

Star Trek



I started my movie-watching in the afternoon with J. J. Abrams' Star Trek. I missed it during its initial release last year. This is the movie in which the original crew of Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Scotty, "Bones" McCoy and others were re-cast with young actors to re-boot the franchise. Leonard Nimoy appears as an elderly Ambassador Spock, who finds himself sucked into a black hole that takes him back in time when his crewmates are brought together for the first time on the USS Enterprise. It is interesting that Spock can exist twice at the same time (not to mention the time paradoxes involved). In science-fiction, if a person is transported to a time where he/she already lives, one would disappear.

This Star Trek movie was quite enjoyable. The special effects were dazzling. I am looking forward to the next installment. My grade: A.

Elvis On Tour



Last month, Elvis On Tour, the 1972 documentary of Elvis Presley's concert tours of 15 cities in April 1972 was released for the first time on Blu-Ray and DVD. I bought the DVD. I already have an earlier VHS of this movie with the original Johnny B. Goode opening. Due to copyrights issues, that opening had to be changed for this release.

Elvis On Tour is the only Elvis movie to win an award: The 1972 Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary. It effectively uses split screen montage shots of concert footage (as did 1970s Woodstock movie). Martin Scorsese supervised the montage sequences. My grade: A.

The Godfather, Part III



This 1990 movie of Mario Puzo's Corleone family did not impress me when I first saw it upon its original release. I hadn't seen it since, until today when I bought the DVD. The first two The Godfather movies are among my favorites.

I have to admit I enjoyed it a lot more this time. Al Pacino is one of my favorite actors. For some reason, the story flowed better in this viewing. Sofia Coppola's acting is still the "weakest link" of the movie, but I didn't let that bother me. She is a far better producer and director (Lost In Translation (2002)) than an actor. I actually found her to be cuter now than back in 1990. She seems to have hardly aged in 20 years since this movie to Lost In Translation (she's in the extras about the making of that movie).

Although Part III is not as good as the first two, it is a worthy wrap-up to them. My grade: B+.

Johnny Sheffield Dies At 79

Above, Johnny Sheffield in a publicity photo as Bomba, the Jungle Boy.

Johnny Sheffield, who became the son of Johnny Weissmuller's Tarzan, died of a heart attack. He was 79.

The Celebrity Cafe reported:

Former child actor Johnny Sheffield, who is best known for playing Boy in the Tarzan movie series during the late 1930s and ‘40s, died of a heart attack at his home in Chula Vista, California last Friday, the LA Times has confirmed. The late actor’s widow, Patty, has stated that Johnny suffered a heart attack four hours after falling off a ladder while pruning a palm tree.

“He was a jungle boy to the end,” Patty said.

Following his stint in the Tarzan movies, Sheffield starred in his own jungle movie series as Bomba, The Jungle Boy. He made 12 Bomba movies from the late-1940s to the early 1950s.

A local Los Angeles television station played the Bomba movies in the early 1960s daily during the summer months. They were entertaining little movies.

He later retired from acting and took up real estate.

Tom Bosley Dead At 83

Sad news today: actor Tom Bosley has died at age 83.

People.com reports:

Tom Bosley the folksy father of Richie Cunningham on the '70s sitcom about the '50s, ABC's Happy Days, died Tuesday in his Palm Springs, Calif., home, of a staph infection. On Oct. 1 he had turned 83.

Before finding fame on the small screene, Bosley won a Tony for starring as the beloved New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in the Puliter-Prize-winning 1959 musical Fiorello!. He also made a memorable mark in the 1964 Peter Sellers cult comedy The World of Henry Orient, as the too-understanding husband of Angela Lansbury's character.

Bosley was also the host of the television special, Superman, Super-Star! which featured Noel Neill, Jack Larson and special effects supervisor Si Simonson of the Adventures of Superman.

Mark Reed vs. Brad Sherman: An Upset In The Making?

Last night, I did a late-night literature drop of Mark Reed for Congress campaign materials at my apartment complex. This is the period (two weeks out from election day) where people begin to focus on the election and made their decisions on whom to vote for.

Mark Reed emailed me with, "Armand, thank you for your support and suggestions."

Reed also added that their next poll results will be available this coming Friday. He said, "Our last poll before the media buy had us two points down."

That's pretty darn good considering that this district is considered a "safe" Democrat district and he's a relative unknown (and it's within the margin of error). But this is a very unusual year as the Democrats passed laws and programs that were strongly opposed by the people. Despite protests over Obamacare, the stimulous (porkulous) and other idiotic schemes, those protests fell on deaf ears and the Democrats are facing an election bloodbath. The incumbent, Brad Sherman, has been a rubber-stamp in his support for the Obama socialist agenda. The earlier poll results confirms this.

The Democrat agenda is proving to be a financial disaster and Brad Sherman, by supporting it with his votes on the House floor, is also responsible for it.

The next two weeks in the campaign are critical, if you can donate to the campaign, please go to www.markreedforcongress.com. Even $10 or $20 will be a big help!

There could be an upset in the making! Be a part of it!

Obama Photos: "They Look Demonic" Says Rush

Photos released by the White House of President Obama, while campaigning for Democrats over the weekend, prompted talkshow host Rush Limbaugh to remark during his program today:

These pictures, they look demonic. And I don't say this lightly.

There are a couple pictures, and the eyes, I'm not saying anything here, but just look!

It is strange that these pictures would be released ... it's very, very, very strange.

Maybe Obama is a sith lord as I mentioned during the '08 campaign.

Mark Reed vs. Brad Sherman

The Mark Reed For Congress campaign has sent out this news release along with a video ad:

IS CONGRESSMAN BRAD SHERMAN RUNNING SCARED???

Los Angeles, CA -- Brad Sherman, U.S. Congressman in the 27th District of California, seems to be running scared from his opponent, Mark Reed, because Sherman still refuses to debate him. In fact, Sherman is now playing the word game and calling a candidate forum with the League of Women Voters a "debate" in order to try and hide his refusal to have an official public debate. Mr. Sherman, you should get your facts straight since the League of Women Voters states it is a forum, which is not a debate. Voters must wonder what Sherman is so afraid of by not wanting to publicly debate Mark Reed....could it be Sherman's record of rubber stamping the Obama-Pelosi agenda?

These organizations have invited Congressman Sherman and Mark Reed to debate. Sherman has refused all requests, stating these organizations are unacceptable to host a debate: American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Neighborhood Councils, Chambers of Commerce, Panorama City High School and Pierce Community College, to name a few.

Sherman must feel he has not one thing to gain by having an official public debate and allowing the electorate of the 27th District to make up its own mind. It is indeed a shame to see yet another incumbent believe they don't have to be accountable to the people they represent.

Mark Reed, who is a businessman, rancher and actor, is also one of only two Native Americans running for federal office during the 2010 mid-terms.

I responded to the Reed campaign as follows:

Good ad! While it is good to bring up the debate issue, in the long run, the voters won't really care about it. It is the economy, the economy and the economy.

Hit hard on the issues, Sherman has given you plenty of ammo for this!

Indeed, Brad Sherman's votes and positions on the stimulous (porkulous), Obamacare, cap-and-trade and other issues are perfect targets for the Reed campaign. Sherman is wrong on every issue. The Reed campaign needs to hit hard on these issues in the next two weeks. It is the issues that will sway traditional Democrat voters into voting for Reed on November 2.

Today

Sunny Southern California is not so sunny this morning. I woke up to rainy weather. That's okay, we can use it and it helps my breathing (the water tamps down the airborne pollens and pollutants).

Right, a review copy of "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" is en route to Nagoya, Japan.

More rain is predicted for tonight and I am supposed to go out on a dinner date. We'll see. I may cancel. I detest driving in rain, especially in L.A. whose drivers can't seem to be able to drive in rainy conditions.

A few chores to do today, including sending a copy of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan to Nagoya, Japan to a reviewer and paying bills. For the first time in a while, I have several hundred left over after the bills were paid.

After having my morning coffee, I chewed on a few pieces of peppery beef jerky. Following this, I had a glass of orange juice. The jerky flavor in my mouth made the orange juice taste different, but it was very good! Give it a try!

The election is two weeks away. It appears that a GOP landslide is in the making. Speaking of the election, I'm going to do a literature drop of campaign materials for Mark Reed, my congressional candidate, at my apartment building today.

I received word that Christine Nguyen is at Warner Bros. today being fitted for a new movie. I'll have to get details from her.

That's it for now!

Today's Bizarro

In case you missed Bizarro this morning...






Thanks to Jim Nolt of The Adventures Continue for sending this to me.

G-TOUR 2: Some Details and Problems

Right, Fukuoka Tower is to be one of the stops of G-TOUR 2.

Additional details on G-TOUR 2 have been published in G-FAN, some of which have been posted on the Internet.

Jay Grymyr posted this at the Monster Zero message board:

The full details are in the latest G-FAN.

The trip will be August 2-12, 2011, with kaiju-related stops in Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Mt. Aso, Nagoya, Lake Biwa, and more. Akira Takarada may have some involvement, depending on his schedule. The price is ¥248,500 ($2,400-2,900 depending on the exchange rate).

The listed stops are well-worth a visit. I visited many of these sites during my 2007 Japan trip. J.D. Lees expressed to me at the time that those would be excellent places to visit during a possible G-TOUR 2. I cannot disagree with him there.

However, it is the timing of the tour and the costs involved that I have to question. I voiced the opinion that a G-TOUR 2 would have a better chance for success (with more participants) if it were scheduled in 2012 (at least) instead of 2011.

Here's the reasons for my doubts:

The costs posted (provided what Grymyr posted is accurate) is in Japanese yen. Right now, the foreign exchange rate is a hair over 81 yen/dollar. Using the Universal Currency Converter, ¥248,500 converted into U.S. dollars is as follows:

248,500.00 JPY = 3,054.48 USD

Tying the price to the yen is a mistake.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you are aware that I keep an eye on the dollar-yen exchange rates. When I went to Japan in April 2007, I was able to get 116 yen per dollar exchanged. That's 35 yen per dollar more than what can be obtained today. Last week, the dollar hit a 15-year record low.

Keep in mind that the exchange rate will fluctuate, and the rate above is today's rate. The dollar/yen exchange rate could improve in the dollar's favor over the next few months, or, it could also worsen. Nobody knows! If the cost of the tour is actually in yen, smart people will just sit on their money (if they have any) to see if the exchange rate improves so they can buy into it cheaper. Still, there are no guarantees that the rates will improve. All one can do now is cross their fingers.

Additionally, since we are now in mid-October, that leaves 2 1/2 months left in this year and maybe 6-7 months in 2011 for people to save for the trip (keep in mind that people have to pay weeks in advance of the departure date for tours).

For couples and people with children, having this short period of time to save will make it virtually impossible (or exceedingly difficult) for them to save (unless, of course, they can tap into Bill Gates's bank account).

It was mentioned previously that the tour rate does not include the round-trip airfare from the U.S. to Japan. Unless this has changed, one can easily look at an additional $800-1,200 more (per person) they have to come up with in addition to the tour price. G-TOUR 2004's price included round-trip airfare from LAX to Narita.

As we are aware, the world economy is in bad shape and people in the U.S. are still losing jobs and homes continue to be foreclosed on. Plus, unless congress and the president act, the Bush tax cuts will expire in January and people will be socked with a tax hike. So far, the Democrats have given very little (just lip service) indication of preserving the tax cuts. This will also deprive people of disposable income to pay for a tour if the cuts are allowed to expire.

Getting back to the itinerary that was posted: All these stops are excellent ones to visit on a tour. If one has never been to Japan before, these will give the visitor a good variety of Japanese places to see. Tokyo is way different than Kyoto or Fukuoka. The local dialects are different (just like people from the New England states and from the deep South in the U.S.). The cuisines are also different.

As I said before, if J.D. can pull this off, God bless him. But, at present, I don't see how he can get the required minimum attendees (even if lowered to 25 people) to go. This will be interesting to watch.

[Note: Since posting this I checked the tour's website at G-FAN.com and airfare is not included in the tour package.]

Barbara Billingsley, TV's June Cleaver, Dies At 94

Above, the cast from "Leave It To Beaver."

Barbara Billingsley, "June Cleaver" in the television show Leave It To Beaver, died yesterday at age 94.

The New York Times reported:

Barbara Billingsley, who as June Cleaver on the television series “Leave It to Beaver” personified a Hollywood postwar family ideal of the ever-sweet, ever-helpful suburban stay-at-home mom, died Saturday. She was 94.

A family spokeswoman, Judy Twersky, said that Ms. Billingsley had died of polymyalgia, a rheumatoid disease, at her home in Santa Monica, Calif.

From 1957 to 1963 and in decades of reruns, the glamorous June, who wore pearls and high heels at home, could be counted on to help her husband, Ward (Hugh Beaumont), get their son Theodore, better known as Beaver (Jerry Mathers), and his older brother, Wally (Tony Dow), out of countless minor jams, whether an alligator in the basement or a horse in the garage.

To read the full article, go here.

California Propositions and Judicial Recommendations

Above, a 1980 Reagan campaign poster. It's time to make California great again!

Here's what California ballot propositions to vote for and against. Also, the following judges up for election are recommended. If a judge is not on the recommendation list, vote against them.

On the ballot propositions:

19: Legalization of Marijuana. No. We've already enough problems with drunk drivers and people who use cell phones or text while driving. The federal government is already making noises about prosecuting pot users under federal law even if this passes.

20: Redistricting of Congressional Districts. Yes. End gerrymandering of congressional districts.

21: $18 Vehicle License Surcharge. No. The politicians are trying to raise the car taxes when you register your vehicle.

22: Prohibition of the taking of transportation funds redevelopment or local government projects by the state. Yes.

23: Suspends Global Warming Control Law. Yes. If this doesn't pass, we can look forward to $9.00/gallon gasoline prices and further job losses. Global warming is bogus.

24: Repeals Legislation Allowing Business Tax Liability. No. Business climate is horrible enough as it is. We need to foster a better business climate in Califoria so they can expand and hire. This is one that teachers unions are trying to pass. They've already squandered the money they've receive through earlier bond measures.

25: Budget Vote Change. No. Why make it easier for the Sacramento politicians to raise taxes? This is a no-brainer.

26: Requires Fee Approvals With 2/3 Vote. Yes. The politicians have been raising fees on us without voter approval for years. This is another no-brainer.

27: Eliminates Commission On Redistricting. No. The politicians want to have the power to draw their own district boundaries back. Another no-brainer.

Judicial Recommendations:

Superior Court:

Office 28: Randy Hammock

Office 117: Alan Schneider

State Supreme Court:

No recommendations.

U.S Court of Appeal Justice:

Victoria Chaney
Steven Suzukawa
Paul H. Coffee
Orville Armstrong
Frank Jackson
Elizabeth Grimes

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Larry Aceves

L.A. County Assessor: John Y. Wong

Laurel and Hardy Locations Tour November 13

Above, Billy Gilbert, Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in the classic "The Music Box." "The Music Box" stairs are a part of the tour.

The "Way Out West" Tent (Los Angeles) of the Sons of the Desert (the Laurel and Hardy fan organization) will be conducting a tour of Laurel and Hardy locations throughout the Los Angeles area.

I went on this tour twice (back in the 1980s) and they were a lot of fun.

The "Way Out West" Tent sent the following information:

Details on our upcoming tour of Laurel & Hardy film locations are now available. Buses will depart Media Park in downtown Culver City at 9 a.m., on Saturday November 13. The tour will last over 6 hours and will include locations from over 10 different films.

Registration forms are available starting today at:
http://www.wayoutwest.org/tour/2010tour.pdf

Prices are $40 per person, and include:
_ lunch, beverages, and snacks
- souvenir tour program with "then" photos of all the locations we visit
- one seat on a small, air conditioned bus with good views for all
- video clips from the films when we visit each location

We will visit popular locations from the following films:
- Berth Marks
- Hats Off
- The Hoose-Gow
- Hog Wild (two sites)
- Liberty
- The Lucky Dog
- Men O’ War
- The Music Box
- The Second Hundred Years
- Towed in a Hole
Plus:
- Oliver Hardy’s grave.
- Stan Laurel’s grave.

Media Park is located between Venice Boulevard and Culver Boulevard, in Culver City. We will meet on the Culver Boulevard side of the park. Parking is available on the opposite side of Culver Boulevard, in the Ince Parking Structure. Parking will be $1 per hour, with the first two hours free.

Additional information about the tour can be found online at:
http://www.wayoutwest.org/tour/

I highly recommend taking this tour!

California State and Federal Office Recommendations

Time to win another one for The Gipper! Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tuesday, November 2 is Election Day. In California, state and officials are up for election as are state ballot propositions (I'll deal with the propositions in another post).

These are the following recommendations for state and federal elected officials:

Governor: Meg Whitman. She's not a conservative by any stretch, but she has business experience and may actually do a good job. Jerry Brown, her Democrat opponent, is a wacko whose last terms as governor got California on the road to the present mess. His judicial appointments were horrible (remember Rose Bird on the state supreme court?), he caused the Medfly fiasco and Cal-Trans was a zoo. California does not need a return to "Governor Moonbeam."

Lieutenant Governor: No recommendation. The "Republican" is turncoat Abel Maldonaldo. He broke ranks with the GOP caucus in the state senate and voted with the Democrats to raise taxes. I will probably vote for Pamela Brown, the Libertarian candidate.

Secretary of State: Damon Dunn. He's a small business owner and knows all about the red tape that stifles small businesses.

Controller: Tony Strickland. He'll make a good state controller.

Treasurer: Mimi Walters. She'll be a far better treasurer than political dinosaur Lockyer.

Attorney General: Steve Cooley. Strong on fighting crime.

Insurance Commissioner: Mike Villines. Not a strong conservative, but better than a leftist in this office.

Member, Board of Equalization, 4th District: No recommendation. I will probably vote for the Libertarian candidate as there's no Republican on the ballot.

United States Senator: Carly Fiorina. Easily a far better choice than that dimwit leftist Barbara Boxer.

United States Representative, 27th District (San Fernando Valley): Mark Reed. A strong conservative, Reed would make an excellent congressman. Brad Sherman, the incumbent, is a clueless, witless and arrogant dolt.

Member of the State Assembly 41st District (San Fernando Valley): Terry Rathbun. We need to clean house in Sacramento and the incumbent, Julia Brownley, is part of the problem of having a majority of big-spending liberals who have bankrupted California.

As I mentioned, recommendations for the state ballot propositions will come later. I will also make recommendations for judicial offices then.

Dollar Hits New 15-Year Low Against Yen

The dollar hit a new 15-year low this week against the Japanese yen.

According to the Associated Press:

TOKYO — The dollar fell to a fresh 15-year-low against the yen in Tokyo on Thursday amid growing speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve will ease monetary policy next month.

The U.S. currency was quoted at 81.07 yen briefly in late Thursday trading in Tokyo and was trading around 81.10 yen around 7:30 p.m. (1030 GMT; 6:30 a.m. EST).

Dollar-selling accelerated in Asia following Singapore's surprise move to widen the trading band of the Singapore dollar. The island nation's central bank, known as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said Thursday that it will continue with a "modest and gradual" appreciation of the Singapore dollar.

The dollar's continuing decline against the yen — nearing a post-World War II low of 79.75 yen set in 1995 — led the Bank of Japan to act last month to stem the yen's rise by buying dollars — it's first intervention in the currency market in six years.

It appears that the Bank of Japan's intervention last month didn't do what was hoped. This, of course, makes Japanese exports more expensive and vacationers to Japan receive less yen per dollar when they exchange their currency. This does not help Japan's tourist industry. However, this does help Japanese tourists to America as they get more dollars when they exchange currencies.

To read the full article, go here.

States' Lawsuits Against Obamacare Can Proceed, Judge Rules

Reuters is reporting that 20-state lawsuits against Obamacare may proceed:

U.S. states can proceed with a lawsuit seeking to overturn President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare reform law, a Florida judge ruled on Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson had already indicated at a hearing last month that he could not uphold parts of a motion by the Justice Department to dismiss the lawsuit, led by Florida and 19 other states.

To read more on the decision, go here.