The Fat Lady's Number Is Still Far Away

It isn't over in the GOP race for the Republican presidential nomination as former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum swept the Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado contests last night.

Santorum hit the right note when he said, "I am not the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I am the conservative alternative to Barack Obama!" He emphasized freedom over nanny government. He also said that God-given rights cannot be taken away, but rights given by the government can.

It ain't over until the fat lady sings. That is still far off as last night's results show.

Another Great Month In The Making

January was a great month for sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Thankfully, sales have not tapered off as they are still coming in over at ComiXpress.com. Could they be from all the business cards that were picked up from my table at January's Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention?

Too bad ComiXpress doesn't provide the geographic area of each book sale.

Japan's Foreign Ministry Inviting Overseas Bloggers To Quake Zone

Above, one of the tiny islands off Matsushima Bay.

An interesting news item from The Mainichi Daily News caught my attention:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's Foreign Ministry is inviting prominent overseas bloggers and twitterers to visit areas devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The ministry has launched the initiative to revive the tourist industry in quake-hit northeastern Japan. It wants foreign guests to write about the progress made in rebuilding disaster-ravaged communities and let the world know that the area still remains an appealing holiday destination.

This is an excellent idea. Although it doesn't make up for the defunct plan to give away 10,000 round-trip flights to foreigners, it does make sense to have bloggers from around the world to see for themselves the progress Japan has made in the quake disaster zone.

Above, Armand at Godaido Temple at Matsushima Bay in 2006.

I visited Sendai and Matsushima, both hit hard by the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami, back in April 2006. It would be interesting to see both areas now to see how they compare to when I last visited.

Above, the statue of Date Masamune at the site of Sendai Castle.

The article also states:

The ministry aims to invite a total of over 10 such communicators by the end of March.

Well, I am willing to take a trip to the quake devastation zone and report on it. This operator is standing by!

To read the full article go here.

Catholic Church Declares War On Obamacare

The U.S. Roman Catholic Church has declared war on Obamacare.

From Heritage.org:

It is a rare moment indeed when faith denominations of all stripes unite together in common cause, and it is rarer still when that cause is a political one, with a sole piece of legislation as its principal target. But when that law eviscerates the very foundation of religious liberty in America as protected under the First Amendment, it should not be surprising that Catholics and Jews, charismatic evangelical Christians, and mainline Lutherans alike find common cause in defense of their liberties.

Such is the case with the firestorm of opposition to Obamacare and the Obama Administration’s attack on religious liberty. Under a new Obamacare mandate issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the White House is mandating that many religious employers, with the exception of churches, provide health care coverage for contraception — including abortion-inducing drugs — thereby trampling upon their constitutionally guaranteed free exercise of religion. And it is this mandate that has caused a vehement response in churches and synagogues across the country.

Yesterday, the head of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, warned that the nation’s 70 million Catholics are ready to go to war with the Administration’s dictates, saying “Never before, unprecedented in American history, for the federal government to line up against the Roman Catholic Church. This is going to be fought out with lawsuits, with court decisions, and, dare I say it, maybe even in the streets.”

Finally, more people are waking up to the fact that Obamacare is not in the best interests of the American people and that it tramples on their constitutional rights.

To read more, go here.

2012 Marks 20 Years Since "Death of Superman"

It doesn't seem possible that this year marks 20 years since Superman died.

Well, not really. It was in 1992 that the story arc involving a mysterious new villain named Doomsday appeared. His story spread over several months involving Action Comics, Superman, Adventures of Superman and Superman: Man of Steel. And it also involved issues of Justice League America.

The finale came in Superman #75, the comic book where Superman gave his last breath. That issue came out in two editions: the regular street edition and a special polybagged edition (that also contained a mourning armband).

It was a period of slow news and the publicity machine of DC Comics roared into gear and people by the thousands, many who never picked up a comic book in their lives and some who haven't for years, lined up at comic book stores to buy Superman #75. My dad was even caught up in this frenzy and bought several copies of both editions.

Following "The Death of Superman" story arc, the comic books began a new story arc called "Funeral for a Friend," which dealt with the world's reaction to the death of Superman. This was followed by the "Reign of the Supermen" story arc where four "Supermen" show up and readers had to figure out if any of them were the real Superman, whose body was stolen from its tomb.

Ultimately, none of the four Supermen were the real one and the story ended with the return of the real Superman, now sporting long hair.

Many people had the misconception that Superman #75 would be a goldmine as an investment. It is not.

Last year, DC Comics completely revamped their entire line of comics, including this Superman (usually referred to the "Modern Age" Superman). The Modern Age Superman has been dumped for a new Superman (with a modified costume, sans red trunks).

Bill Hinzman, Zombie No. 1, Dies At 75

Bill Hinzman, the "graveyard zombie" (or Zombie No. 1) in George A. Romero's 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead, has died of cancer at 75.

MSNBC.com wrote:

His character, dubbed the Graveyard Zombie, makes an appearance early in the film, staggering towards brother and sister Barbara and Johnny in a cemetery, and killing Johnny. The line, "They're coming to get you, Barbara" is famously delivered by Johnny just before Hinzman comes after the siblings.

Hinzman was a popular guest at various horror and science-fiction conventions over the years. He would pose for photographs with fans.

The Very Best Books for Every Travel Destination

Above, Sensoji (Asakusa Kannon Temple) in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An interesting topic came to my attention overnight. It is from AccreditedOnlineColleges.com.

Before heading off to places afar for vacationing, you may want to pack up a book or two to read that relates to your destination.

Here's list by region of books for your consideration. It's called “The Very Best Books for Every Travel Destination.” The list is impressive.

Here's the introduction to the list:

While any book can transport you to another place and time, some do such a good job of conveying a sense of place that you feel like you’ve been to a country or a city, even if you never have. Of course, when you’re really hoping to travel to another place soon, it can be a good idea to take in one of these great reads to get a feeling for the atmosphere and history of your destination (though books of this sort are excellent tools for armchair tourism as well) before you go. Luckily, there are numerous reads rife with rich descriptions of locales around the world, bringing to life places far-flung, long gone, or even close to home. So whether you’re looking for the perfect literary travel accompaniment or just want to explore the world from your couch, pick up one of these amazing reads to experience the Paris of Hemingway, the Dublin of Joyce, or the American South of Faulkner.

To read the list, go here.

A-Bomb Dome: Before and After

Before the atomic bomb blast in August 1945, the A-Bomb Dome was known as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.

I visted the A-Bomb Dome in August 2004 (almost 59 years to the day of the bombing).

I came across a photo of the A-Bomb Dome, taken in 1933, from roughly the same vantage point as a photo I took during my visit.

As the photos have almost identical vantage point views, I thought it would be interesting to post both of them here.

Here's the photo of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall from 1933:



And here's the photo I took in 2004 of the A-Bomb Dome from almost the same vantage point as the one above:



As the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was one of the inspirations for Godzilla and, also, the A-Bomb Dome was shown in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), the A-Bomb Dome is featured in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

For more information on the A-Bomb Dome, go here.

Pictures of Japan.info Lists Monster Japan Travel Guide

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

Pictures of Japan.info has listed The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan in their Japan Travel Book Section.

The website is a great source for travel information to the Land of the Rising Sun.

To view the site, go here.

Superbowl

Gotta maintain the peace in my household.

Exhibition Of Power

Clocking over another year in one's life causes a person to think back on past adventures or incidents (at least it does it to me). The following happened when I was 19 and living in Hawthorne, California. It came to mind this week. I posted this back in 2005 at my high school alumni Feedback forum:

For the borrowed car story thread, here's one: Cougar Mitch Geriminsky (HHS '72) borrowed his brother Les's (HHS '74) 1968 Chevy Bel Air. It was all souped up. One night in 1975, Mitch and I were driving home in it on Hawthorne Blvd. in Lawndale. We stopped at a signal near the Lawndale Pet Hospital. A guy in another souped-up car pulled alongside of us. Both drivers looked at each other and started revving up their engines. Suddenly, we get the red lights from a sheriff's car and both Mitch and the other driver were arrested for "exhibition of power" or some such. The officer told me to drive the car home. So I did. This was about 1:30 am. When I got home, I went to wake my parents up to tell them what happened. I was met with riotous laughter from both of my parents. They were both asleep and when I told them Mitch was arrested for "exhibition of power," they thought I meant that Mitch was arrested for exhibitionism. That's why they both started laughing. I ended up calling Mitch's dad and he had to go bail him out. The charge was later dropped, though. To his dying day, my Dad still laughed about that night.

Good times!

Spotlight On Atami Castle

Atami Castle, at the seacoast city of Atami, Japan, is an attraction built in 1959 in the Momoyama architectural style when the city was enjoying its heyday as a tourist town.

Atami is less than two hours away from Tokyo by car and it also is accessible by shinkansen. The castle is not a traditional castle as it was built for tourism.

The hilltop castle contains a museum which includes an exhibit of an old samurai homestead . Visitors may find temporary exhibits when visiting the castle.

Above, a view of Oshima Island from Atami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The castle is 160 meters in height (about 525 feet) and the observation deck at the top offers superb views of the surrounding countryside and ocean. Also, Oshima Island (featured in Return of Godzilla (1984)) can be seen from Atami.

Above, Atami Castle from the harbor of Atami City. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Atami Castle was the location for the end of the battle between Godzilla and King Kong in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

Atami has several hot spring (onsen) resorts to further entice visitors.

Atami is featured on page 35 in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Happy Birthday George A. Romero!

There's another birthday of note for today.

Producer George A. Romero was born February 4, 1940 in New York City. He is best known as the producer and director of the 1968 zombie cult classic, Night of the Living Dead (photo below) in which the freshly dead have been re-animated and go on killing rampages.



Following Night of the Living Dead, Romero made other movies but they were less successful than Night.

According to Wikipedia:

In 1978, Romero returned to the zombie genre with Dawn of the Dead (1978). Shot on a budget of just $500,000, the film earned over $55 million worldwide and was named one of the top cult films by Entertainment Weekly in 2003. Romero made a third entry in his "Dead Series" with Day of the Dead (1985).

Happy Birthday George A. Romero!

Happy Birthday, Christine Nguyen!

There is one birthday that's easy or me to remember: Christine Nguyen's.

Tomorrow is her birthday. The reason it's easy for me to remember, it is also mine.

As far as I know, she's the only person I know who was also born on February 4 (I may have a relative who was born on February 4, but I am not sure on that). Last year Christine referred to me as her "birthday buddy."

Happy Birthday, Christine!



Photo courtesy of Christine Nguyen.

Greg Smith For Senate Website

Kansas State Representative Greg Smith, R-Overland Park, now has a separate website for his campaign for the Kansas State Senate, District 8.

Greg is the father of Kelsey Smith who, five years ago this coming June, garnered national attention from her kidnapping and murder. To honor his daughter and to educate young women on personal safety, the Smith family founded the Kelsey Smith Foundation (a.k.a. Kelsey's Army).

If elected, Greg would provide principled, conservative leadership to the Kansas State Senate.

To access his site, go here.

Painting Has Obama Trampling Constitution

This is sure to make liberals unhappy.

From CBS Las Vegas:

Provo, Utah (CBS Las Vegas) - In front of the White House a man is sitting on a park bench in the throes of depression. He is surrounded by 43 presidents. In the forefront, purposefully ignoring the depressed man is President Obama, whose right foot is stepping on the Constitution. James Madison is next to Obama, pleading with him to stop.

This tableau is called “The Forgotten Man”, a painting by Jon McNaughton, an artist who is known for his politically-charged work.

The painting, which uses objects such as discarded dollar bills as symbols and scraps of paper with individual constitutional amendments scrawled onto them, has been making the rounds across the Internet.

Liberals are all for artistic expression, except when they get skewered.

To read more about it, go here.

Ben Gazzara Dies At 81

The New York Times reported today that actor Ben Gazzara has died of pancreatic cancer:

Ben Gazzara, an intense actor whose long career included playing Brick in the original “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” on Broadway, roles in influential films by John Cassavetes and work with several generations of top Hollywood directors, died on Friday afternoon in Manhattan. He was 81.

He died of pancreatic cancer at Bellevue Hospital Center, his lawyer, Jay Julien, said. Mr. Gazzara lived in Manhattan.

To read the full story go here.

Yikes! The IRS Is Coming After Frequent Flyers!

The federal government, in its insatiable appetite for more of your hard-earned money, is now going to tax the living daylights out of frequent flyers.

According to the KYPost.com:

Frequent flyers across the country are howling mad over a letter Citibank is sending to many of its customers.

The Los Angeles Times says the letter informs customers that the frequent flyer miles it hands out with many accounts and credit cards are taxable as income, and that it will be reporting the information to the IRS this year.

Some Citibank customers are now complaining that they will owe tax on $600 of income because they received 25,000 frequent flier miles as a bonus for opening an account or credit card. This means they will owe the IRS more than $150, even if they never end up using those miles.

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

Read more: http://www.kypost.com/dpp/money/consumer/dont_waste_your_money/your-frequent-flier-miles-may-be-taxable1327443919257#ixzz1lKyFCs00

Dinner With Karlos Borloff: Outtakes

Above, Jerry Moore as "Karlos Borloff" (with Vixxa Violet) on Monster Madhouse.

Here's some "outtakes" photos of the night I went out to dinner with Jerry "Karlos Borloff" Moore (of Monster Madhouse) and Don Glut in Burbank.

Above, dinner at a Burbank Italian eatery. The flash didn't go off.

Above, it looks like they're saying, "Ooooh, really?!"

Above, Jerry and Don having a "serious" discussion in Don's kitchen.

Above, since Jerry couldn't take Don's home back to Virginia with him, he captured it on video instead.

Above, the serious discussion that really wasn't between Don, Jerry's fiancee Marta and Jerry.

Mitra Videos Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Slideshow Video

The YouTube slideshow video of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has been picked up by Mitra Videos.

On their page, they posted:

This page contains a list of videos from Google, Youtube, and Amazon about fictional locations in the godzilla films. We also provide some recomendation so you can surf the internet faster and fun.

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

On their "About Us" page, they posted:

Mitra Videos help you surf videos on any topic: arts, business, computers, cultures, economics, environment, health, home, internet, politics, recreation, science, social sciences, society, sports, etc.

To view their site, go here.

Obama's Fantasyland

President Obama is the gift that keeps on giving.

Recently, he spoke in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Walt Disney World in Florida with his Telepromptors displayed in all their glory. Apparently, his handlers felt the castle made for a good backdrop. These guys sure aren't politically deft on backdrops as was President Reagan's Michael K. Deaver!

But all it does is give people (like me) material to use whenever Obama makes a ridiculous statement or tells bald-faced lies such as:

"I’ve done more for Israel’s security than any President ever."

"I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven’t resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it."

“Every idea that we’ve put forward are ones that traditionally have been supported by Democrats and Republicans alike.”

"There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay. With the deficit we inherited, the cost of the crisis we face, and the long-term challenges we must meet, it has never been more important to ensure that as our economy recovers, we do what it takes to bring this deficit down."

You get the picture.

Anyway, a big thank-you to the White House for the photo!

In Zuma Beach

Above, Zuma Beach at dusk. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Busy day.

First up, I had a Mandatory Settlement Conference in Chatsworth this morning on an insurance claim in my insurance adjusting job. Fortunately, we settled with the claimant so the expense of a trial has been avoided.

Next, I am working my second job in Zuma Beach (Malibu) covering for someone. I can't complain about the scenery. I'll be there the next several nights (except Saturday, which is my birthday).

What's up with the pink(!) jeans or sweat shirts Malibu high school boys are wearing?

Luckily, there's a couple of movie stars where I'm at and we'll occasionally talk movies.

Gundam Front Tokyo To Open April 19

There's a new theme park opening in Tokyo. It's called Gundam Front Tokyo.

According to the Japan Times:

A theme park featuring popular "anime" series "Mobile Suit Gundam" will open on April 19 in Tokyo's Odaiba district.

According to Bandai Co., the new theme park, named Gundam Front Tokyo, will have a huge dome-shaped screen showing images of Gundam, the venerated fighting robot in the popular series, and rare documents related to the series' production will be on display.

The most "Gundam" I've ever done was to pose in a Gundam uniform on the Gundam Lift at the old Bandai Museum (below).




To read the full article, go here.

Family Of Brian Terry Files $25 Million Claim

I am pleased to see that the family of Brian Terry initiated this.

From Fox News:

The family of murdered Border Patrol agent Brian Terry has filed a $25 million wrongful death claim against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives claiming Terry was killed with AK-47s that were knowingly sold under the Fast and Furious gunrunning probe to a straw purchaser for drug cartels.

In a 65-page complaint, filed in Arizona state court on Wednesday, attorneys for the family claim ATF "wrongdoing" in Operation Fast and Furious.

“ATF's failures were not only negligent but in violation of ATF's own policies and procedures," the complaint claims.

The family has also filed a claim against the Lone Wolf Trading Company seeking unspecified damages for negligence in selling the weapons to the purchaser and aiding and abetting in Mexican drug cartels’ conduct.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/01/family-murdered-border-patrol-agent-files-25m-suit-against-atf/#ixzz1lBp0g9kd

In a related story, the Beaufort Observer reported that new documents released last week show that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder lied to Congress.

They report:

A new release of documents from the Justice Department January 27, 2011 show conclusively that Eric Holder lied to Congress when he said he did not know about Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's being killed by Fast and Furious guns until "weeks" later.

To read the full story go here.

I hope the Terry family wins and Holder gets thrown in jail.

Atomic Bomb Dome Passes Structural Inspection

Above, the Atomic Bomb Dome sits next to the Motoyasu River in Hiroshima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, Japan received a structural clean bill of health recently.

The Dome is Hiroshima's symbol of the August 6, 1945 atomic bombing and is inspected periodically for any structural problems. It is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. At the time of the bombing, it was the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.

Tsukiji Fish Market: Better Get There Soon!

Above, yours truly behind a clapboard in front of a Tsukiji sushi restaurant.

One of the highlights of my December 2010 Japan trip to promote The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan was a visit to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.

The Japan Times Online has an article on the fish market with plenty of tidbits on its history.

According to the article:

Edo's [Edo was Tokyo's former name] main fish markets were located in Nihonbashi, but they were moved to Tsukiji after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Prior to that move, Tsukiji, still set off from the city by a canal, served as a designated Restricted Foreign Settlement, a concession in the wake of U.S. Cmdr. Matthew Perry's forceful opening of Japan that led to 1854's Convention of Kanagawa. The American School in Japan, Rikkyo (St. Paul's) University and Seiroka (St. Luke's) Hospital all spent their early years in Tsukiji, though only St. Luke's remains there now.

Along with the famous fish market, Tsukiji also boasts shops and restaurants that serve the freshest sushi dishes that can be found.

If you plan a future trip to Japan, a visit to Tsukiji Fish Market should be included on your itinerary. You'd better do it soon as the fish market is set to relocate in 2015.

Above, a Tsukiji fish vendor.

The writer inquired about this:

Will the market relocate to Toyosu in Koto Ward, the allegedly polluted former site of Tokyo Gas? Management head of the new market development Yuki Ono, 49, says it will. "Land decontamination has begun, and the move will commence in 2014," she says. "Tsukiji will close by March of 2015."

So, if you want to see the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, you'd better get there by 2015!

To read the full article, go here.

California To Run Out Of Cash Early March

California is $2.6 billion in debt again (no surprise)

According to the Sacramento Bee:

California will run out of cash by early March if the state does not take swift action to find $3.3 billion through payment delays and borrowing, according to a letter state Controller John Chiang sent to state lawmakers today.

The announcement is surprising since lawmakers previously believed the state had enough cash to last through the fiscal year that ends in June.

But Chiang said additional cash management solutions are needed because state tax revenues are $2.6 billion less than what Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers assumed in their optimistic budget last year. Meanwhile, Chiang said, the state is spending $2.6 billion more than state leaders planned on.

Oops! Where did the money go? Leave it to the state's Democrats (who control the state government) to royally screw things up!

American Airlines To Cut Up To 15,000 Jobs

Things aren't looking good over at American Airlines.

According to a news story from Dallas/Fort Worth's NBC 5:

NBC 5 has learned that Fort Worth-based American Airlines may cut between 10,000 and 15,000 jobs across the company.

Sources familiar with the plan said they company plans to announce the cuts during a meeting Wednesday morning in Fort Worth.

The airline filed bankruptcy last November.

To read the full story, go here.