When Eugene McCarthy Endorsed Ronald Reagan For President

Above, Eugene McCarthy during his 1968 presidential campaign.

I was thumbing through former Ronald Reagan aide Michael K. Deaver's book A Different Drummer yesterday and found a little tidbit of political trivia. The book is about Deaver's thirty years of working for Ronald Reagan.

During the 1980 presidential campaign against President Jimmy Carter, Reagan was barnstorming the Midwest. Reagan, at this point, was slightly behind Carter in the polls. Deaver was receiving messages that former Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy (March 29, 1916 – December 10, 2005), one of the most respected liberal Democrats, wanted a private meeting with Reagan.

Deaver "couldn't understand why this icon of the left would want to meet with the new Mr. Conservative." It was Eugene McCarty's surprise showing in the 1968 New Hampshire Primary that caused President Lyndon Johnson to withdraw from the 1968 presidential campaign.

When the Reagan party arrived at their hotel, there was Eugene McCarthy sitting by himself in the lobby.

McCarthy approached Reagan and said, "Governor, I'd like to talk to you in private if that's okay." Reagan nodded and shook his hand and they went into Reagan's room. Deaver "instinctively" followed them in. McCarthy didn't seem to mind. Deaver stayed long enough to hear McCarthy tell Reagan that he wanted to formally endorse him for president. McCarthy gave his reasons for wanting to support Reagan and ditch Carter.

Above, Ronald and Nancy Reagan at Los Angeles International Airport following the 1980 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Reagan was appreciative and after some small talk, McCarthy departed with Deaver escorting him to his car. During the walk to the car, Deaver said to him, "What you said in there makes some sense, Senator. But what's the real reason you're endorsing Ronald Reagan?"

At the car, McCarthy looked Deaver in the eye and said, "I'll tell you why. It's because he is the only man since Harry Truman who won't confuse the job with the man."

Monster Japan Travel Guide Slideshow Video In "Tours N Travels"

Above, Miki Hayashi with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tours N Travels has pages of Japan travel videos. Included in their pages of travel videos is The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan slideshow video.

Tours N Travels has travel-related videos of vacation destinations for virtually anywhere in the world.

To view their site, go here.

Dollar Slipping Against Yen

Lately, the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen exchange rate hovered around 80-82 yen per every dollar exchanged. It wasn't getting any better, but it wasn't getting any worse.

Until now.

This past week, the dollar started slipping with forecasters fearing a repeat of March.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--An onslaught of forced buying linked to options helped fuel the yen's violent rally in March. Now, some in the market fear a rerun of that scenario. The question is how abrupt the currency's moves may be this time.

"It's a big debate," says David Gary, New York-based head of foreign-exchange derivatives at Deutsche Bank AG. "There are definitely multiple opinions."

On Wednesday, one dollar bought Y79.79, just below Y80, a key level for Japanese authorities, who worry a strong yen will make it harder for quake-hit Japanese exporters to sell their goods abroad.

Mr. Gary says he expected the dollar/yen exchange rate to "start accelerating to the downside on a break of 80, and more so below 78.50." A gauge of jitters in the currency markets on Wednesday suggests some traders are bracing for a sudden slide in dollar/yen.

To read the full article, go here.

Today's exchange rate between the dollar and yen (source: Universal Currency Converter):

1.00 USD = 80.3100 JPY

Besides the problems this causes Japanese exporters that the Wall Street Journal article stated, it also makes it harder for Americans to afford traveling to Japan. Many Japan-based tourism companies tie their prices to the exchange rate as does the JR Rail Passes. This makes them more expensive.

The dollar's slippage is also causing concern to China, who owns much of the U.S. debt.

According to this article from the U.K. Daily Mail:

China, which holds $1.2 trillion of the U.S. deficit, has cracked the whip to make sure Washington can pay up amid fears America is already defaulting.

A Chinese ratings house yesterday accused the United States of defaulting, just one day after Beijing urged Washington to put its fiscal house in order.

'In our opinion, the United States has already been defaulting,' Guan Jianzhong, president of Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. Ltd., the only Chinese agency that gives sovereign ratings, was quoted by the Global Times saying.

Washington had already defaulted on its loans by allowing the dollar to weaken against other currencies - eroding the wealth of creditors including China, Guan said, according to the AFP.

It appears that the Chinese aren't happy with the Obama Administration's economic policies. They are not impressed with "hope and change." Adding $14+ trillion to the national debt since 2009 isn't exactly getting one's fiscal house in order!

This comes at a bad time as the travel season is beginning.

Encyclopedia.com Picks Up Slideshow Video On Monster Japan Travel Guide

HighBeam Research, Inc.'s Encyclopedia.com has picked up the YouTube slideshow video on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

I don't know how long it has been posted there as it isn't indicated on the page. I received a notice earlier today.

To go to the website, go here.



Right, Miki Hayashi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Superman's New Look

Well, here's a better look at Superman's "new look" that DC Comics is unveiling:



(Click on image to view larger.)

Facially, at least he looks like Superman in this image. But the costume really wouldn't attract my interest (most importantly to DC, my dollars) if I were their "target audience."

The most radical part of the new costume is the missing red trunks and those hideous boots. Are those boots supposed to be metallic or something?

According to the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex page:

In most DC Comics, Superman is getting a costume makeover, that, as shown at the right, gives him a slightly more cosmic look (the lined blue costume and red belt and boots suggest alien-tech sleekness, and then there’s that higher, band collar) and a less Speedo-informed fashion sensibility (he loses the red trunks that he’s been wearing since the FDR years).

Sorry DC, this doesn't do it for me nor does it impress me. This excites me like the new Coke disaster of the 1980s.

(Thanks to Steve Brant for alerting me to this.)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum

Above, the main building of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Much as I like Tokyo, I do try to leave it to see other parts of Japan whenever I visit the country.

One place visitors should see is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum .

The city of Hiroshima was the first city to be the target of an atomic bomb. Seeing Hiroshima as it is today, one would never guess that the city was destroyed by the atomic bomb.

Above, the museum contains these dioramas of "before and after" views of Hiroshima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On August 6, 1945, a newly-developed atomic bomb (named "Little Boy") was dropped from the B-29 bomber Enola Gay at 8:15 a.m. over Hiroshima during World War II. The bomb was detonated at the detonation height of about 1,900 feet (580 m) above the city. About 70,000–80,000 people were killed immediately and another 70,000 people were injured. More died over the years of radiation-related illnesses.

Above, the memorial cenotaph with the stone chest in the center which contains the registry of names of persons who were killed from the bombing. It currently contains 221,893 names. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park were established to memorialize those who perished from the atomic bomb attack and to work for world peace so that atomic and nuclear weapons are never used during war again.

Above, across the Motoyasu River from Peace Memorial Park is the A-Bomb Dome. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In August 2004, I visited Peace Memorial Park and Museum (nearly 59 years to the day of the bombing) during G-TOUR.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan contains information on Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum on page 44 as the A-Bomb Dome was briefly shown in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Also, the a-bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were inspirations for Godzilla.

A visit to Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima Island would be worth the journey.

Tokyo Sky Tree Open To Visitors May 22

Above the Tokyo Sky Tree from Asakusa last December. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo Sky Tree, now nearing completion as "the world’s tallest self-standing tower," will be opened to visitors on May 22, 2012, according to the Tobu Tower Sky Tree Company.

There will be two observation decks for visitors to view Tokyo from:

1.) 350 meter observation deck at 2,000 yen.

2.) 450 meter observation deck for an additional 1,000 yen.

The decks will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Tokyo Sky Tree is scheduled to be completed in February and is located in the Sumida Ward of Tokyo. It will stand 634-meters when completed. It will be replacing Tokyo Tower as Tokyo's primary broadcast tower.

Now We're In War #4

So now we're in war #4. It has been reported that U.S. forces are bombing targets in Yemen.

Whose side are we on? Who are the "good guys"? Who are the "bad guys"?

So now we're at war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and now Yemen. Where's the outcry from the Left?

Ten Reasons To Visit Japan This Summer

Above, the O-Torii Gate at Itsukushima on Miyajima Island near Hiroshima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

eTurboNews has an interesting article on "10 Reasons To Visit Japan This Summer." The source for the article is the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

The article begins with:

Most of Japan is back to normal following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March. Many parts of Japan, including popular holiday destinations such as Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji, Nagasaki and Okinawa, incurred no disruption to infrastructure and everything in these areas has continuously operated as normal.

Tokyo is back to normal with trains once again running like clockwork, water safe to drink and the beer and yogurt shortages now over (yes, there were temporary shortages due to packaging factories having been in the earthquake-hit region!).

The FCO has said it is safe to travel to Tokyo and beyond in Japan since 5th April, yet UK visitors to Japan have dropped by around 50%. With the full reopening of the Tohoku bullet train line on 29 April, the situation for visitors is virtually back to normal in all of Japan, including most of the Tohoku Region (the area in northeast Japan where the earthquake and tsunami occurred).

The ten reasons are excellent ones (I'm not posting them here, so you'll have to read the article).

To view the article, go here.

Happy Birthday, Kaneko-san!

Above, Shusuke Kaneko (left) at the 2003 G-FEST. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Right now, it's June 8 in Tokyo, Japan.

It is also director Shusuke Kaneko's 56th birthday.

Kaneko, as Japanese science-fiction fans know, was the director of the Gamera trilogy of the 1990s: Gamera, Guardian of the Universe; Gamera 2; and Gamera 3. He also directed Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (known in fan circles as GMK) in 2001 (by the way, the 10th anniversary of the film's release is coming up at the end of the year).

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kaneko in Chicago in 2003 when he made a surprise visit to G-FEST.

Happy Birthday, Kaneko-san!

Old Nichigeki Theater Photo

Back on May 15, I did a write-up of the Toho Nichigeki Theater in Tokyo.

There was one photo I was going to use with the article but decided not to. So, for your viewing pleasure, here's the photo:



(Click on image to view larger.)

The theater is long-gone and has been replaced by the Yurakucho Mullion Building.

Weiner: In Touch With His Inner Monkey

Rep. Anthony Weiner said his acts were stupid and he wasn't thinking. This is possible as this from Salon indicates:

"Men who send off penis pictures probably aren't thinking at all, they're responding to an unconscious, evolutionary urge likely inherited from our primate ancestors: male monkeys and apes routinely display their penis (usually erect) to females to indicate sexual interest," cognitive neuroscientist Ogi Ogas told Salon.

So, in other words, Weiner was getting in touch with his inner monkey. Makes sense.

Travel Industry Today Picks Up Press Release On Monster Japan Travel Guide

Above, Miki Hayashi with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travel Industry Today picked up the press release the new press service I started using sent out.

The website is "An EIN News Service For Travel Industry Professionals." Member travel industry professionals will be receiving the release through the site or through emailed bulletins. This is a big help in getting the word out about The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan in the travel/tourism industy.

Travel Industry News describes itself:

This travel media monitoring service is used by thousands of companies, institutions and global professionals worldwide who need to identify up-to-the-minute news on topics vital to their businesses from more than 7,300 worldwide sources.

To view their posting, go here.

Jimi Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth

Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading. The books I've reading have been reading have been primarily biographies and non-fiction books of historical events.

The latest read was Sharon Lawrence's 2004 biography on Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth (HarperCollins). Actually, the read was a revisit to the book. When the mood moves me and if I haven't read a book for a while, I'll pull it from my bookcase and read it again.

Lawrence started out as a United Press International reporter at the wire service's Los Angeles bureau. She met Hendrix at a concert at the Anaheim Convention Center in 1968. She became Hendrix's friend and confidant for the remainder of Hendrix's life. Her last conversation with him was within 24 hours of his untimely death on September 18, 1970 in London.

The book begins with her meeting Hendrix and goes through his childhood in Seattle, Washington, the highs and lows of his success as rock's premier guitarist, his death (she was one of the first to interview Monika Dannemann two days after Hendrix died in her flat in London), to all the legal battles of the Hendrix family members over rights to his music and contests over father Al Hendrix's will.

Above, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

What makes this book important is that Lawrence kept notes and tapes of her conversations with Hendrix. He was a good-natured soul who only wanted to make music but was plagued by shoddy management and leeches claiming rights to his music. Hendrix had a bad habit of signing contracts with undesirable people that later led to numerous lawsuits. These lawsuits caused great anguish to Hendrix and may have led to his death. Lawrence thinks Hendrix may have given up and his death was suicide, not an accident.

Hendrix's father Al Hendrix and stepsister Janie don't come out very flattering in this book. Lawrence describes in detail how Janie manipulated Al Hendrix in putting her in control over the Hendrix's music legacy (she is described as using the family company, Experience Hendrix, as a personal "ATM machine" to the detriment of other family members). Al was more interested in the money when his son died. All these problems could have been avoided had Jimi Hendrix left a will.

By all rights, the two children of Jimi Hendrix, Tamika Laurice James and James Henrik Daniel Sundquist (a.k.a. Jimi Hendrix Jr.), are the rightful heirs to Hendrix's legacy. But they were screwed out of their inheritance.

If this book isn't the "definitive" book on Hendrix, it comes very close to it.

See this Guitar International interview with Sharon Lawrence by going here.

Weiner Confesses To Being An Online Flasher

While blogging about the Seattle Experience Music/Science Fiction Museums, Rep. Anthony Weiner's press conference was on the radio.

Weiner admitted that the photo he Tweeted days ago was him, and that he sent it (and more). He also apologized for lying to the press. He accepted "responsibility" but refuses to resign.

The man admitted to being an online flasher (there's no other way to say it). He should do the honorable thing and resign.

Seattle Science Fiction Museum

Text and Photos by Armand Vaquer

Above, the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, Washington.

Back in February 2005, I was about to start a new job. So before I did, I decided to take a little trip up to Seattle, Washington to visit friends and see some of the city's attractions.

They included the Space Needle (left over from the 1962 Seattle World's Fair), the underground city, Jimi Hendrix's grave (in nearby Renton) and the Experience Music/Science Fiction Museums.

Above, the Space Needle is just a short walk away from the Space Museum.

I went to the Experience Music Museum and the Science Fiction Museum (they are connected to each other). They are in the shadow of the Space Needle. I enjoyed the Experience Music Museum (it gets its name from Hendrix's band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience). It had a great exhibit on the late guitar genius, which includes the clothes Hendrix wore at the Isle of Wight festival. At the time, it also had a temporary exhibit on Bob Dylan. It is well worth a visit alone (that's provided you're not interested in science-fiction).

The Science Fiction Museum was also enjoyable. It had opened the year before. Star Wars, television science fiction (Lost In Space, etc.) and 1950s sci-fi were all well-represented in the museum's exhibits.

Unfortunately, at the time there was very little on Japanese science-fiction. There was a reproduction of a Godzilla poster and a X-Plus Godzilla statue (if memory serves, it was the Godzilla from Godzilla vs. The Thing (known in Japan as Mothra vs. Godzilla from 1964) and not much else.

Before leaving the museum, I left a copy of the current issue of G-Fan with the front desk for the museum's director. I also followed up with a letter, upon returning home, to the director offering to assist in acquiring items related to Japanese sci-fi for the museum. I never received a reply.

I haven't been back to the museum since 2005, so I don't know if they've added anything to their Japanese sci-fi collection.



Before leaving, I bought a metal figure of Gort (above) from the original (and best) The Day The Earth Stood Still.

If one is a fan of science-fiction movies, a visit to the Science-Fiction Museum is a must.

For more information on the Experience Music/Science Fiction Museums, go here.

The Hopeful Monster Article on Monster Japan Travel Guide

Above, Miki Hayashi with The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Hopeful Monster blog has posed an article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan today.

It is a well-written blog and is worth a look and your support.

To view the article, go here.

Remembering Peter Graves and James Arness

This was sent to me this morning by Gary Grossman:



(Click on image to view larger.)

Tokyo-Edo Radio Project Interview

A 45-minute interview with Hans Karlsson of the Tokyo-Edo Radio Project has been completed. The interview tonight was intended as a preliminary "warm-up" interview, subject to approval by the heads of the project (with the broadcast interview to be done later). However, Karlsson did indicate that tonight's interview may be edited/condensed for broadcast. They will let me know what they decide to do in any case, and I will pass the word.

The interview focused on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, the locations/landmarks used in various movies as well as a discussion on how Godzilla, Gamera and other Japanese monsters became popular in Western countries.

We went into detail on the Americanized Godzilla, King of the Monsters! and its importance in making the Godzilla character popular in countries outside of Japan. We also discussed how Raymond Burr was directed by Terry Morse at Visual Drama studios in Los Angeles and that a plaque now marks the site's historical significance.

I had fun with the interview.

Visit Kyoto

Above, Kyoto and Tokyo are connected by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen.

Photos by Armand Vaquer

If one is interested in Japanese history, they should pay a visit to Kyoto.

One of the stops of 2004's G-TOUR was the city of Kyoto. We had traveled there by shinkansen (bullet train) from Atami. We stayed at the Gimmond Hotel while we were in Kyoto.

Kyoto has plenty to see. And here are some of the places we visited.

Heian Jingu Shrine

Above, Heian Jingu Shrine.

The Heian Jingu Shrine was built in 1895 for the 1,100th anniversary of the establishment of Heiankyō (the old name of Kyoto). The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Kanmu and Emperor Kōmei.

The shrine has beautiful gardens and the Soryu-ike pond, which features the Garyu-kyo, a walkway consisting of stone pillars that served as foundation stones for the girders of Sanjo Ohashi and Gojo Ohashi, two famous bridges in the Kyoto city center. The stone walkway was featured in the movie Lost In Translation in a scene of Scarlett Johannson stepping across the pond.

Nijo Castle

Above, Nijo Castle gate.

Nijo Castle was built in 1626 with the primary purpose as a symbol of power of the Shogunate to both allies and enemies. The castle is noted for its Nightingale Floors which are designed to creak and squeak whenever walked upon. The floors prevented anyone from sneaking around in the castle without being heard. This is to warn the occupants of possible attack by assassins. Nijo Castle also has beautiful gardens to stroll through and photograph.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)

Above, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion.

Kinkaku-ji or "Golden Pavilion" started out originally as a villa called Kitayama-dai. It was later purchased by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and transformed into the Kinkaku-ji complex. Following Yoshimitsu's death, the building was converted into a Zen temple. Kinkaku-ji is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kyoto.

The temple was burnt down on July 2, 1950 by a monk named Hayashi Yoken, who then attempted suicide on the hill behind the building. He survived and was taken into custody. The temple was rebuilt in 1955. The temple received a new coating as well as gilding with gold-leaf (thicker than the original gilding). The renovation was completed in 1987.

One other attraction we stopped at was Kiyomizu-dera, which was featured briefly in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II in 1993. A detailed article was posted previously. To view it, go here. Kiyomizu-dera is covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Other Kyoto attractions include the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijo Jinya, Nishiki Market and Honganji Temples.

Getting to Kyoto (Source: Japan-Guide.com)

Tokyo and Kyoto are connected with each other by the JR Tokaido Shinkansen. Nozomi trains require about 140 minutes to reach Kyoto from Tokyo, Hikari trains about 160 minutes and Kodama trains about four hours.

The regular one way fare from Tokyo to Kyoto is 12,710 yen by non-reserved seat on any train, around 13,200 yen by reserved seat on Hikari or Kodama trains and around 13,500 yen by reserved seat on a Nozomi train. A 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs about the same as regular round trip tickets. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on Hikari and Kodama trains, but not on Nozomi trains.

Interview With Jim Beaver

Above, Jim Beaver.

Over at the George Reeves Forever website, actor/writer Jim Beaver (HBO's Deadwood) was recently interviewed by Susan Schnitzer (he is the widower of Cecily Adams, who was an actress and casting agent and, also, the daughter of Get Smart star Don Adams).

In the interview, Beaver discusses his life, career, his research (for a book) on Adventures of Superman star George Reeves and the death of Cecily. Kudos to Schnitzer for an interesting interview. It is an excellent read.

I was alerted to the interview by Superman/George Reeves historian Chuck Harter this afternoon (I would have eventually come across it myself, but I spent most of this morning/early afternoon resting after working the graveyard shift last night).

To read the interview, go here.

Above, following the Superman Week ceremony at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in July 2001 are, from left, Lou Koza, Jan Alan Henderson, Armand Vaquer, Stephanie Shayne Parkin, Chuck Harter, Betty Shayne, Jim Beaver and Jim Nolt. Photo courtesy of Lou Koza.

Additionally, Beaver mentions Harter's book on the timeline of the events leading up to the death of George Reeves in the interview. Current status: Harter is now in the process of re-formatting his manuscript (around 200 pages, so far) for presentation as well as adding more information and photographs.

James Arness Dies At 88

Above, James Arness as The Thing From Another World.

James Arness, who gained fame as Marshal Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke for 20 years, died today of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, California. He was 88.

Gunsmoke ran on CBS starting in 1955 until 1975. Arness was recommended for the role of Matt Dillon by John Wayne after Wayne turned down an offer to play the role himself.

Arness was the older brother of actor Peter Graves, who died last October.

Left, Arness in Them.

Arness also appeared in two 1950s science-fiction classics: Them, about giant mutated ants and in Howard Hawks' The Thing From Another World as the alien.

John Edwards: The Breck Girl Indicted

Former Democratic Presidential candidate John "The Breck Girl" Edwards has been indicted.

WRAL.com reports:

Raleigh, N.C. — A federal grand jury on Friday indicted two-time Democratic presidential candidate and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards. He is charged with four counts of illegal campaign contributions, one count of conspiracy and one count of false statements.

A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he is expected to appear in federal court in Winston-Salem at 2:30 p.m. Friday and plead not guilty.

If convicted, Edwards faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge. He faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count of accepting and receiving illegal campaign contributions and a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the charge of concealing the alleged illegal donations.

If convicted, it will be interesting to see how Edwards enjoys prison life once his fellow inmates find out about his "Breck Girl" nickname.

To read the full article, go here.

Web Radio Interview From "Old Town" Tokyo In The Works

The Visit Japan article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has caught the attention of the Tokyo-Edo Radio Project.

I am currently discussing a proposed interview with Hans Karlsson of Tokyo-Edo Radio Project and working on setting up a "warm-up" interview session before we do the actual interview.

The Tokyo-Edo Radio Project is based in Asakusa, Tokyo. According to Karlsson, "We have a radio show at http://tokyoedoradio.org/, covering Tokyo, including tourism issues."

Once things are finalized, an announcement will be made on the date and time so you can tune in. From what I gather from their website, the program can be accessed from there or via iTunes. I will report on any additional access information once it is received.

Going Nuts At DC Comics

DC Comics has gone nuts!

It has been reported that the comic book company is totally revamping its entire super-hero line of comic books.

According to National Post.com:

DC, the comic-book arm of Warner Bros., is rebooting its entire line of comics this fall, and is restarting all their series with a new issue No. 1.

Going forward, all new issues of DC comics will be released the same day in digital form via apps (on devices such as the iPad) and on the DC website.

The DC Universe includes characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Green Lantern among others.

The new issues will attempt to update the heroes for the 21st century, and will notably play with their ages in several cases.

According to the Toronto Star:

DC’s revamped collection will start with “Justice League” No. 1, which will reunite the classic (albeit freshly minted) lineup of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern. It will be written by DC's chief creative officer Geoff Johns and illustrated by co-publisher Jim Lee, the first time the acclaimed comic book duo have collaborated together.

I've never been a fan of Jim Lee's artwork. His 2006 Wonder Woman costume design is horrible (see picture at top). Looking at his artwork over the years gives me the impression that he flunked anatomy art classes or just skipped them altogether.

Accompanying the article is a picture of Superman with a caption stating that Superman may become younger or get a whole new costume. From the picture above by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, Superman does look younger (looks like SuperBOY) and his costume has changed. He still has his red cape, but he appears to have a collar(!) and lost his red trunks (will they show up in a new Anthony Weiner photo?). This is crazy! The costume is iconic and is embedded in American folklore. Looks like Jim Lee messed that up big time! To put it bluntly, Superman's new costume looks like crap!

All this is complicated, especially in the case of Superman. The heirs of Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Jerome Shuster have regained some ownership of the Superman character, but a recent article in Variety indicates that Superman may be legally split in two. Certain aspects may be owned by the heirs, while others would be retained by DC Comics if this comes to pass. It would be tragic if it came to this (two Supermen). Why can't DC and the heirs sit down and hammer out an agreement/partnership? This is getting weirder and weirder!

Some have speculated that these changes were made with their litigation involving the Siegel/Shuster heirs in mind.

Thank goodness I've given up reading comic books long ago. But these changes seem unnecessary and radical.

A thumb's down from here!

Top 10 Travel Destinations for the Ultimate Movie Buff

After working the night shift, I came home to find an email about a topic that I enjoy: movie locations!

It is from the Online College Blog and School Reviews. They begin their list of the Top 10 Travel Destinations for the Ultimate Movie Buff with:

Traveling to far-flung movie locations is nothing new: there’s actually a whole field of people who dedicate themselves to such pursuits, and they’re usually called "set-jetters." The good news is that there are hundreds of great locations to visit; the bad news is that a lot of them are in New York or Los Angeles, two cities that are horribly overused in movies and overrated as tourist destinations. Yet it’s possible to see the world and get your pop culture fix at the same time, as long as you know where to look and what to watch. Some of these destinations can be reached via road trip, but the rest are going to take a serious plane ride (or two). Don’t let that stop you, though. They’re all worth the journey.

Unfortunately, their list of movie locations does not include any from Japan. Still, it is an interesting list. I've been to number 3 on the list.

To check it out, go here.

Weiner Making Himself Look Guilty

Rep. Anthony Weiner seems to be digging himself deeper into a hole on "Weinergate."

According to an article from the Village Voice blog:

With evasive answers and all-around awkwardness, Anthony Weiner is making sure #Weinergate doesn't go away any time soon, as we guessed it might yesterday before a head-smackingly bad press conference made the guy look guilty as hell. This afternoon, Weiner told Luke Russert of NBC News that he "didn't send that picture out," but when pushed to clarify -- "That's not a picture of you?" Russert followed-up -- made things way worse. "You know, I can't say with certitude," Weiner said. That means it's his penis, doesn't it?

C'mon! Every guy knows what his, uh, junk looks like ("like the back of your hand").

This little scandal is getting hilarious. Even some liberal sites are starting to think that the photo is of Weiner's wiener. The Village Voice isn't exactly what one would call a conservative-friendly publicatation.

Probably the only person really happy about this is former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. This story got his problems off the front page (at least for a while).

To read the full article, go here.

UPDATE: Weiner was interviewed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer:

WOLF BLITZER, CNN: "Have you ever taken a picture like this of yourself?"

REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D-NY): "I can tell you this, that there are -- I have photographs. I don't know what photographs are out there in the world of me. I don't know what have been manipulated and doctored and we're going to try to find out what happened. But the most important reason I want to find out what happened is to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Obviously somebody got access to my account. That's bad. They sent a picture that makes fun of the name Weiner. I get it. Touche."

Couldn't he just say "no"?

Starbucks In Japan

Above, the Shibuya Crossing Starbucks with its second floor dining room with a bird's eye view of the crossing.

During my six trips to Japan, I've always managed to satisfy my need for an occasional cup of coffee even though Japan is more of a tea-oriented country.

Thankfully, there are several coffee chains in Japan. They include Starbucks, Becker's, Tully's and others. The Starbucks at Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo has a dining room that has a bird's eye view of the crossing (it was even used in the movie Lost In Translation) and a Starbucks in Nagasaki is located in the harbor area and was an easy two-minute walk from my hotel. And, a Starbucks was situated at Hakata Station and around the corner from my hotel in Fukuoka.

Japan Today has an interesting article on Starbucks:

When Starbucks opened its first store in Japan in Ginza in the summer of 1996, it redefined the coffee-drinking culture in Japan. The Seattle-based company now has 920 stores in Japan and is on track to open another 50 by the end of this year.

In Japan, Starbucks (which is named after the first mate in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick”) operates as a joint venture between Sazaby League and Starbucks Coffee International. Japan was the company’s first overseas market and remains its most profitable outside North America.

During my last trip to Japan (December 2010), I stopped at a Ginza Starbucks (photo above) that was located in the basement level of a shopping mall. I don't think it was the aforementioned "first store."

One thing I found out about Starbucks in Japan, Starbucks gift cards from the U.S. aren't usable. I tried to use one in 2006 at the Shibuya Crossing. When I handed it to the cashier, she had no idea what it was. By the way, my usual Starbucks beverage of choice is their hot Caffe Mocha with whipped cream.

To read the Japan Today article, go here.