7.0 Earthquake Hits N.E. Japan

A 7.0 earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Honshu, the main island of Japan today.

According to the USGS:

OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Distances 212 km (131 miles) E of Sendai, Honshu, Japan
239 km (148 miles) ENE of Iwaki, Honshu, Japan
250 km (155 miles) E of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan
409 km (254 miles) NE of TOKYO, Japan

The quake struck on Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 10:57:12 AM at epicenter. A tsunami warning was issued but later withdrawn.

UPDATE: The magnitude has been upgraded to a 7.3.

Chuck Harter and Michael J. Hayde: New Harry Langdon Biography

A new forthcoming book “LITTLE ELF: A Celebration of Harry Langdon” by Chuck Harter & Michael J. Hayde, is being published by BearManor Media.

The book is a biography of Langdon, one of the comedy geniuses of the silent movie era.

The Harry Langdon website, Feet of Mud has an excerpt from the new book.

Hayde is the author of "Flights of Fantasy: The Unauthorized But True Story of Radio & TV's Adventures of Superman" and Harter is putting the finishing touches on a George Reeves (television's first Superman) biography.

To see the excerpt, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide In Cyberspace Living

The Japan Travel Guides page of Cyberspace Living also has picked up the release "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan vs. The Japanese Media."

Based in the United Kingdom, Cyberspace Living covers such subjects as shopping, electronics, entertainment, travel, sports & recreation and many others.

To view the site, go here.


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

Monster Japan Travel Guide In Silobreaker

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

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan was recently featured on the Silobreaker Showbiz Search page.

Silobreaker's Background page states:

Founded in 2005, Silobreaker is an internet and technology company who offers products and services that aggregate, analyze, contextualize and bring meaning to the ever-increasing amount of digital information.

To see the site, go here.

Tarzanarealestate.net Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Release

Since I started using a press release distribution service, I've been tracking the Internet to see who picks up the news releases I send out through them.

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

Today, I found that a local Tarzana real estate website picked up the release, "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan vs. The Japanese Media."

Tarzanarealestate.net picked up the release headline and posted a link. It is in the "Tarzana News" section.

I currently reside in Tarzana, California (since 1998) which is the location of Tarzan author Edgar Rice Burroughs' former Tarzana Ranch. Burroughs later subdivided the property and sold parcels for residential development. In 1927, the community was renamed Tarzana in honor of Burroughs and his famous literary and movie character.

To see the website, go here.

Betty Ford Dies At 93

I just received this:

Betty Ford, 93, a self-proclaimed "ordinary" woman who never cared for political life but made a liberating adventure out of her 30 months as first lady, died Friday, The Washington Post has confirmed.

For more go here.

Terms of En-deer-ment

It was a slightly hazy night last night in the hills above Burbank, and I did remember to bring my camera.

I didn't see any bucks (male deer) this time, but I did manage to get some pictures of a couple of does (female deer).

First off, here's some shots of the view I enjoy while working (click on photos to view larger):

Above, Bob Hope Airport.

Above and below, two ladies having breakfast of someone's front yard plants.



Above, Bob Hope Airport.

Above, a view of Burbank looking toward Mount Lee (where the Hollywood Sign is located on its south face).

Above, a zoom shot of the Burbank Marriott Hotel and Convention Center (where Monsterpalooza is held).

Teaser Trailer: "The Undefeated"

Teaser trailer for The Undefeated:

The Undefeated Teaser Trailer from Dain Valverde on Vimeo.

Thanks to Breitbart.tv.

A Little Reminder...

Above, Kinokuniya's sign is plainly visible above the stage during a New Year's Day celebration in Weller Court.

Now that we're in the summer vacation season, if you are contemplating a trip to Japan to see those landmarks and locations shown in the movies, The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is just for you.



If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, you can pick up the guide at the Kinokuniya Bookstore in downtown L.A.'s Little Tokyo. You can find it in their Japan travel section.

Kinokuniya is located in Weller Court at 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka #205, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3847. Phone (213) 687-4480.

Janice Hahn's Gangbang

Democrat congressional candidate and L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's past association with hired gang members is blowing up in her face less than a week before the special election in the 36th C.D.

Fox 11 in Los Angeles reports:

Los Angeles - The FOX 11 News investigation that's at the center of a heated political battle in the South Bay.

Next week in a special election, voters will choose between Janice Hahn and Craig Huey for the 36th Congressional District.

Huey supporters have been going door to door with copies of an investigation reported by our Chris Blatchford three years ago about Janice Hahn.

Last week, Hahn's attorneys sent us a cease and desist demand to stop us from doing a followup story, but we've decided it's important to set the record straight.

Gang Intervention Money Controversy Not Over Yet: MyFoxLA.com

It appears Janice Hahn's gangbang problem sinking her campaign.

Read more: http://www.myfoxla.com/dpp/news/local/gang-intervention-money-controversy-20110707#ixzz1RVIPaYqt

Burbank Deer

I patrolled Burbank Hills last night (I'll be there tonight) and early this morning I saw about 4 male deer (bucks) on one of the residential streets.

Their antlers were in various stages of growth. It is interesting that the males keep to themselves as do the females (does).



I tried to get some pictures of them with my cell phone, but it was still too dark for decent photos.

The accompanying pictures are of the females I saw on the same street last week. I'll try to remember to bring my camera tonight.

"KansasCutie" Remembered

Back in 2007, I was following the Kelsey Smith kidnapping and murder case and joined the Websleuths message boards. During the months that ensued, I became friends with a number of people on the boards. One was a girl from Kansas. Her handle was "KansasCutie."

Today, for the first time in months, I was perusing my friends list on my profile page and saw the shocking words "Rest In Peace" under KansasCutie's name. Checking further, I found that she died in September 2009 from a brain aneurysm. She was only 22. Her last Websleuths activity was on 09-05-2009 at 10:30 AM.

At that time, I was dealing with my mother's final illness and passing, so I didn't go over to Websleuths to learn the news when it was announced on February 23, 2010.

KC, as many of us called her, had aspired to be a dance choreographer until injuries from a car accident ended those plans. She then decided to go into law. We used to talk about her studies, her car accident, crime cases and life in general. She had a sweet personality and was so full of life. Her handle fit her perfectly.

One of the last messages I received from KC came on May 9, 2009. She wrote:

Hey there! I'm doing great....finals this week and then its offically summer! How have you been!?

It is hard to believe that 4 months later she left this mortal coil.

The last message I sent KC was on November 15, 2009, when nobody at Websleuths knew she had passed away two months previously:

KC: Go to the Political Pavilion. Kelsey's dad is running for the KS House of Representatives!

Unfortunately, I never got to know her real name (I never asked). No matter. Life just got sadder anyway.

R.I.P., KC.

********

UPDATE (7/6/11): KC did post that her first name was Brittaney.

********

UPDATE (7/7/11): Her actual name was Ashley Mirsepasi. This is her obituary from KU:
http://www.kansan.com/news/2009/sep/15/mirsepasi/

Left, a picture KC sent me. If the picture at top is her actual photo, then who's this? This and other photos of the same girl were claimed to be KansasCutie (i.e., Ashley).

No Justice For Caylee

Casey Anthony has been found not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony, today.

She was also found not guilty of manslaughter and child abuse charges. All she was found guilty of were the charges of lying to the police.

Not since O. J. Simpson was found not guilty of the Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murders in Los Angeles has a jury verdict in a murder trial that received national attention has been so shocking.

It just shows that California isn't only state with a stupid jury pool.

Summer in SFV

Another Independence Day has come and gone and I had to work during it. That's okay, the holiday pay will come in mighty handy!

Summer has finally hit the San Fernando Valley. On the way to work, I noticed a Walgreen's temperature sign read 96 degrees. At this was at 3:45 in the afternoon. For a while, it looked as though we could have had thundershowers as the sky clouded up and it was humid. Must be one of those monsoons up from Mexico.

Thankfully, the security office at the premises has a powerful air conditioner and I was able to cool off between patrols in the "super-charged golf cart."

At nightfall, fireworks can be seen and heard all around. At least I was able to get a free fireworks show.

Unfortunately, one dimwit was setting off skyrockets two buildings to the east of my apartment after midnight. Wonder what line he stood in when brains were handed out?

Now to get through the rest of the summer.

Akihabara Electric Town

If one is a "computer geek" or just love electronics in general, the place to go to in Tokyo is Akihabara.

Akihabara (more famously known as Akihabara Electric Town) is the main shopping center for electronic, computer, anime and otaku goods. Akihabara Station is a stop for the JR Yamanote Line (this is the train line that circles around central Tokyo).



According to Japan-Guide.com:

Hundreds of electronics shops, ranging from tiny one man stalls specializing in a particular electronic component to large electronics retailers, line the main Chuo Dori street and the crowded side streets around Akihabara. They offer everything from the newest computers, cameras, televisions, mobile phones, electronics parts and home appliances to second-hand goods and electronic junk.

Note that some of the electronics on sale are only intended for use in Japan due to voltage and other technical differences, Japanese language documentation and limited warranties. However, several stores also feature a selection of international models intended for overseas use, and most also offer duty free shopping to foreign tourists on purchases of over 10,000 yen (passport required).

I first visited Akihabara in April 2007 and found it easy to lose track of time while just browsing around the stores. It is a very colorful section of Tokyo which makes Akihabara a photographer's paradise.

When visiting Tokyo, be sure to pay a visit to Akihabara Electric Town.

Mothra's 50th Anniversary

Above, studio workers walk past a mural of 1961's Mothra down the driveway from the main entrance of Toho Studios. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Another kaiju in Toho's stable is seeing an anniversary in July: Mothra!

July 30th will mark the winged wonder's 50th anniversary.

According to Evan Brehany's Tokusatsu Eiga Times blog, the anniversary will be noted in Japan with special movie screenings and a new book.

To see Evan's write-up on Mothra's 50th anniversary, go here.

Reagan Statues Unveiled In London and Budapest

Former President Ronald Reagan has been honored with statues in two countries.

LONDON

Today, a statue near the U.S. Embassy in London was unveiled. The ceremony was attended by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Foreign Secretary William Hague in London's Grosvenor Square.

Secretary Hague read a message on behalf of Thatcher, Reagan's friend and ally:

“Ronald Reagan was a great president and a great man - a true leader for our times. He held clear principles and acted upon them with purpose.

"Through his strength and his conviction he brought millions of people to freedom as the Iron Curtain finally came down.

"It was a pleasure to be his colleague and his friend, and I hope that this statue will be a reminder to future generations of the debt we owe him."

Above, the statue of Reagan was unveiled today in London in celebration of his centennial.

BUDAPEST

Last week, a statue of Reagan in mid-stride was unveiled in Budapest, Hungary honoring for his role in helping to end communism.

The bronze statue of the 40th president was erected in Budapest at Freedom Square, near the U.S. Embassy.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice unveiled the statue.

Above, the Reagan statue in Budapest Hungary.

Melodika.net Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Article

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

Music website Melodika.net has posted the article "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan vs. The Japanese Media."

Meldika.net is a website that covers all genres of music: folk, rock, rap, country, classical, techo, jazz, African, metal, punk, pop, hip-hop, Christian, rhythm, swing and others.

They apparently cover travel-related stories since they posted the article on the travel guide to Japanese monster locations and landmarks.

To view the site, go here.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

Hakusan Park, Niigata

Last December, I took a side trip for a few days to Niigata, Japan. I had never been to the Sea of Japan side of Honshu before, so I picked Niigata as the place to visit.

While in Niigata, one of the places I visited was Hakusan Park. The park was built in 1873 as Japan's first municipal park. Niigata residents find Hakusan Park an excellent place to unwind and relax.

Above, a ceremony being conducted at Hakusan Shrine.

Hakusan Park also includes Hakusan Shrine ("Hakusan-sama"). It is said that this Shinto shrine is "known as the god of marriage. If you visit here and worship, you may succeeded in love."

Above, an Akita statue.

The park is landscaped in a Dutch style with ponds, hills and much greenery. The park contains ume trees, cherry blossoms, wisteria and lotus plants.



Statues, plaques and a row of torii gates can be found at the park.

Above, a row of torii gates at one of the entrances to the park.

To get to Niigata from Tokyo, take the Joetsu-Shinkansen. Travel times range from 1 hour, 40 minutes to 2 hours, 10 minutes. It depends upon which train that is taken.

Jerry Brown Smiling Over Kool Aid?

For the fun of it, I was Googling through images of Governor Jerry Brown.

As I was scrolling down the pages of pictures, I noticed that the man never seems to smile. There's lots of pictures of Brown, young and old, and he always seems to have the expression like he smells something bad.

Finally, I came to a photo of a smiling Jerry Brown. Oddly, it is a picture of Brown with Jim Jones of Jonestown, Guyana and Kool Aid fame from the 1970s:

Auto-mobli.info Posts Monster Japan Travel Guide Article

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

Auto-mobli.info has posted the article, "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan vs. The Japanese Media."

Auto-mobli is an automotive website that also includes travel information.

To see the site, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide In Getwayspots Travel Site

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

Getawayspots.info is running the press release "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan vs. The Japanese Media" on their website.

Getawayspots.info is a travel-related website.

To see the site, go here.

Jerry Brown and The Fruit Fly

What is the significance of this button?



The button depicts Governor Jerry Brown as a fruit fly. Back in the early 1980s, some agricultural areas of California found they were infested by the Mediterranean fruit fly. It was then Gov. Jerry Brown's vacillation in taking effective action in dealing with the crisis that almost ruined the state's agricultural industry. The inaction on Brown's part torpedoed his 1982 campaign for U.S. Senate. He was soundly defeated by Pete Wilson.

For the full story, go here.

Oh, yes. The button came out around 1982. I have a few of them in my collection.

Governor Moonbeam and California Democrats Screw Website Owners!

Governor Moonbeam (a.k.a. Jerry Brown) and his Democrat cohorts were salivating over the prospect of getting their paws on boatloads of tax revenue from Internet retailers such as Amazon.com.

Before the ink was even dry on the bill Brown signed into law the other day requiring Internet retailers (especially ones based out of California) to collect sales taxes, Amazon.com pulled out of California.

According to Investors.com:

California Gov. Jerry Brown thought he'd found a honey pot of revenues by taxing Amazon's Internet sales. He obviously didn't realize whom he was picking a fight with.

As Brown was signing the law, which aims to tax out-of-state Internet sales, online retailing giant Amazon was sending letters to thousands of California website owners terminating its affiliate marketing program so as to avoid paying that tax.

As a result, the law that Brown thinks will raise $200 million a year and that local retailers claim will bring fairness to the retailing world will do neither.

The Amazons of the world can simply drop their affiliate programs to avoid having to collect state sales taxes, leaving consumers free to buy without paying them.

The only people hurt by this ham-fisted money grab are the affiliates — mainly small businesses that help Amazon and other Web retailers sell their products for a small commission. The Orange County Register reports these affiliates' revenues could fall by as much as 30%.

The article goes on to state that California and other states thought they found a way to skirt a Supreme Court decision:

There's a bigger issue at stake here, though. Ever since the catalog was invented, states have tried to force out-of-state retailers to pay their sales taxes. The matter went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1992 ruled that doing so violated the interstate commerce clause.

Now states think they've found a way around this restriction by vastly expanding the definition of "presence" in a state to include online marketing affiliates. New York pioneered this "Amazon tax," followed by Rhode Island, North Carolina, Illinois, Arkansas, Connecticut and now California. In every case except New York — which the online retailer is suing — Amazon dropped its affiliate program rather than play along.

In other words, if you have a website that contains Amazon.com ads and you are located in California, the affiliate program with Amazon would pay you for every hit on an Amazon ad that someone perusing your website makes. Now that is gone. This will also affect other companies who have similar programs. There goes that revenue website owners received! Also, there goes that income California website owners pay the state when filing their state income tax returns! I doubt Governor Moonbeam and the Democrat legislature thought of that!

Looks like the Supreme Court will have to take this matter up again.

Nice old guy that Governor Moonbeam is, isn't he?

Japan Times: Boosting Japan's Flagging Tourism

Above, the Bandai Bridge in Niigata, Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An article has been posted over at The Japan Times on "Boosting Japan's Flagging Tourism."

The article rehashes the numbers of foreign tourists between last year and this year's after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. I've already posted those numbers so I won't go over them again.

However, the article has a number of suggestions for reviving tourism to Japan.

They include:

The Japanese government, travel agencies, tourism associations, tourism-related businesses, transportation companies and local governments should work together to make Japanese tourism more attractive.

The top task at hand is for the government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. to bring the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant's reactors in Fukushima under control as fast as possible.

The government also must disseminate accurate information as quickly as possible on the efforts being made to end the nuclear crisis, on radiation levels in various areas of Japan and on the progress being made to rebuild infrastructure in the areas of Tohoku that were devastated by the earthquake and tsunami.

Many visitors comment that they have been most impressed with the beauty and culture of Japan and the hospitality of its people. But Japan has its share of downsides, including high costs and difficult-to-understand information on transportation and tourist attractions.

Tourism agencies should put together travel packages suitable for a wide range of budgets. Maps and signs should be written in a manner that is easy to understand for non-Japanese.

Tour guides should at the very least be fluent in English, if not additional foreign languages, and people working at sites popular with tourists, including temples, shrines, restaurants and bars, should be capable of giving brief explanations in English.

To read the full article, go here.

Jessie Lilley Departing "Famous Monsters of Filmland"

Above, Famous Monsters #253, where my ad first appeared.

It was bound to happen.

Jessie Lilley has announced that she is departing as editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine so she can re-start Mondo Cult magazine.

Lilley's statement:

Hey everybody! I’ve been with FM for over a year and it’s time to move on. I’m moving on to get Mondo Cult back on the stands. I’ll be finishing up Retro 71 and the door is open for possibly doing more Retros, but we’ll see how it goes as time goes by. My... heart lies with Retro and the more classic films, as you all know so there I am going. This has been a great year for me, and I hope also for Phil and the rest of the staff. I'm handing the editing reins over to him and wish him much luck and Godspeed. I hope I'll see you all in the pages of Mondo Cult 3 by the end of the year. - Jessie Lilley

Above, Famous Monsters #254, where my ad made its second appearance.

I worked with Jessie Lilley on my FM ads for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan and during the process we exchanged numerous emails, some of which weren't business-related (and most often hilarious). She was a joy to work with and was a big help in the process of ad placement.

Above, the ad as created by Archie Waugh.

As I posted at the Classic Horror Film Board forum:

I'm going to miss Jessie's emails from FM. Good luck, Jessie! (You know where to find me.)

L.A. Parking Ticket Fix Scandal Involves Janice Hahn

A big corruption scandal is brewing in the City of Los Angeles and congressional candidate Janice Hahn is involved over dismissed parking tickets.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

Despite claims by many top Los Angeles officials that they had never heard of a special service to review parking citations, newly released documents show several City Council offices benefited from the so-called Gold Card Desk by securing dozens of ticket dismissals.

Officials disbanded the Gold Card Desk in May amid public outrage that the city had a special unit that took care of parking citations.

Though some of the dismissals appeared to be routine and justified, many had little information on why the citations were canceled.

Terri McKinnon, an assistant to Councilwoman Janice Hahn, contacted the transportation department in August 2008 to have about 150 citations dismissed because of problems with new machines installed at a parking lot in her district, the records show. A Hahn spokesman said the citations were properly dismissed.

Really? Were any of the dismissed parking tickets those of Hahn's donors?

There's "no comprehensive policies or procedures in place to substantiate the dismissal of 43% of the 1,026 dismissed tickets" according to the controller's audit report. Any program that does not have documentation to justify a dismissal raises red flags that the program may have been abused and corrupted.

And the Contra Costa Times reports:

More than 40 percent of the parking citations dismissed by City Hall's controversial Gold Card Desk were dropped without explanation, according to a final audit of the program released Thursday.

A review of the tickets, issued from 2008-2010, show that 75 percent of the requests for dismissal came from the Department of Transportation, and the rest came from City Council and other city offices.

In August 2008, for instance, DOT interim General Manager Amir Sedadi asked that 150 tickets be dismissed because of a glitch in a parking kiosk in San Pedro. The tickets apparently weren't dismissed quickly enough, prompting follow-up emails from City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's office.

City officials have some explaining to do, especially Councilwoman Janice Hahn, since she is running for congress in a July 12 special election in the 36th Congressional District. This news could not have come at a worse time for the Hahn campaign since the special election is 12 days away.