"Little Elf: A Celebration of Harry Langdon" Garners Excellent Reviews

LITTLE ELF: A Celebration of Harry Langdon by Chuck Harter and Michael J. Hayde has been getting excellent reviews. The latest is by a very pleased customer at Amazon.com.

B. Mckernan wrote (in part):

Finally, the definitive book has arrived about one of the greatest comic actors of the silent--and sound--era, Harry Langdon. Ranking with Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd, Harry Langdon was a superstar with a unique and appealing persona known as the "Little Elf." A master of pantomime, Langdon was adored by movie audiences and was a top attraction for many years. He smoothly transitioned to "talkies" and continued to work right up until his death in 1944.

This book should be required reading for every college-level film class, as it comprehensively describes the journey of a tremendous cinema talent from birth to death and provides a fascinating "snapshot" of American popular entertainment as it existed during a formative period of its history. "Little Elf" is highly recommended.

Tim Greer posted this review at Silentcomedians.com:

Today was the day- LITTLE ELF was delivered this morning! Let me just say, WOW... I almost needed help carrying it because it's SO thick. I've spent a little time thumbing through it but there is so much more info here, it's going to be a while until I get through it all. It's like an encyclopedia edition on Langdon. I obviously haven't even begun to take in everything, but it's loaded with stills, posters, scripts, reviews, ads, etc.

Whatever you need to do to purchase this book, DO IT!... Collect change off the street, sell your belongings, get a part time job, whatever it takes. This book is simply unbelievable and you won't be disappointed!

Congratulations to Harter and Hayde for this achievement!

Livestream: Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives At Reagan Library

Use this link: http://www.reaganfoundation.org/live-webcasts.aspx

Happy Independence Day!

The Gadsden Flag

History of the Gadsden Flag

July Already

Above, sunset in Malibu.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Independence Day is already upon us. It seems like only yesterday that it was January and I was at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention.

I have to work tomorrow (good ol' holiday pay) but the family will be gathering this Saturday in Lake Elsinore, so we'll celebrate then.

Another payment is on the way from ComiXpress for sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. I generally wait and let the amount build up before requesting payment. This'll be the third for this year.

Have a safe and sane Fourth of July!

Japan Immigration Policy To Change?

Foreigners (or non-Japanese (NJ)) living and working in Japan have felt discriminated over rights and benefits. Although legal residents, there are establishments around Japan to this day with "Japanese Only" or "No Foreigners" signs. Sounds like the Deep South before the Civil Rights act of 1964, doesn't it?

Generally, in order to even live in Japan a NJ either has to marry a Japanese national or be sponsored by a Japanese company (minimum requirement: a Bachelor's degree). (There are some exceptions.)

All this may be changing if a new immigration policy is worked out and implimented. There's a lot of self-interest involved.

The Japan Times reported:

Last month the Japanese government took baby steps toward an official immigration policy. Ten ministries and several specialist "people of awareness" (yūshikisha) held meetings aimed at creating a "coexistence society" (kyōsei shakai) within which non-Japanese (NJ) would be "accepted" (uke ire).

This is a positive change from the past two decades, when Japan cultivated an unofficial unskilled labor visa regime that a) imported NJ as cheap work units to keep Japanese factories from going bankrupt or moving overseas, and then b) saw NJ as an inconvenient unemployment statistic, fixable by canceling visas or buying them tickets home (JBC, Apr. 7, 2009).

Yes, we've seen this kyōsei sloganeering before. Remember the empty "kokusaika" internationalization mantra of Japan's '80s bubble era?

But this time the government is serious. Sponsored by the Cabinet, these meetings are considering assimilationist ideas suggested by local governments and ignored for a decade.

Why? Attendees acknowledged that Japan needs NJ to revitalize its future economy.

It will be interesting to see if anything positive comes from this. Only time will tell.

To read more, go here.

Using Sake To Boost Japan's Tourism

Above, the JR Niigata Station has a great sake gift shop of local brews.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One has to give Japan a lot of credit for coming up with new (and not-so-new) ideas to boost tourism.

The latest is using the national alcohol to promote tourism.

According to The Asahi Shimbun:

Move over cars and high tech. Japan, long renowned for its innovative autos and gadgets, now hopes to turn sake and other local spirits into export hits as well.

Tokyo looks to make its traditional rice wine part of national growth strategy, aiming at an overseas marketing push to help bring tourism and investment to struggling rural areas.

When I was in Niigata two years ago, I picked up some of the local sake to bring home. I saved one bottle of rice sake for when my 2011 crop check arrived in the mail. Once it did, my roomie and I popped the sake bottle open to celebrate.

Since then, when we go out for sushi, we make sure to include sake with the meal.

The idea sounds like a good one and it just might work!

To read more, go here.

10 Reasons TV Commercials are Less Effective Nowadays

Above, George "Superman" Reeves pitching Kellogg's Frosted Flakes in the 1950s.

Advertising and marketing have been interesting topics to me. So when I was contacted about "10 Reasons TV Commercials are Less Effective Nowadays," I couldn't resist passing it along.

It starts out with:

Years ago having a strategically placed television advertisement was like marketing gold. However, a recent survey showed that 78% of advertising executives and marketers feel the effectiveness of traditional 30 second television spots is waning. Here are 10 of the reasons why advertisers are considering other methods of marketing to offset the cost of television advertisements:

To see the list, go here.

The Japan Times: Recovery of Japan Tourism

Above, Osaka Castle, featured in "Godzilla Raids Again."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan Times has an editorial on Japan tourism entitled, "Recovery of Japan Tourism."

It begins with:

The 2012 white book on tourism endorsed by the Cabinet on June 15 shows that foreign tourists are once again visiting Japan. The Japanese government has a plan to attract 18 million tourists from abroad by 2016. To ensure its success, it will be vital to utilize not only historic sites and places of natural beauty but also events and attractions in urban areas.

Training personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to interact effectively with visitors from overseas will also be important, as will improving information and access for tourist attractions, and related tourism infrastructure.

While it is good to set such an ambitious goal of 18 million visitors, the state of currency exchange is a problem that has to be solved if Japan wants to draw more Americans to the country. The same goes for other foreign currencies whose purchasing power has diminished over the past few years due to the high cost of the yen.

Above, Kyoto from Kiyomizu-dera.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Currently, the rate of exchange between the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen is hovering around 79-80 yen per dollar exchanged. This is slightly better than it had been a few months ago, but it is a far cry from the rate I received in 2007 of 116 yen per dollar.

The Japanese tourism industry should also "think outside the box" to entice tourists who have special cultural interests such as manga, anime and kaiju. Some travel agencies are already tailoring tours to manga and anime fans, but fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies are still being neglected.

That is why The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan can be a useful means for tour companies to tailor tours to movie location sites and landmarks. There'd be some overlap as some of the sites and landmarks are already a tour stop (such as Osaka Castle at top and Kiyomizu-dera above) or close by to other attractions. The guide was designed to be usable by tourists and tour companies.

To read the full editorial, go here.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Above, one of the ampitheaters of Bryce Canyon.  Can you spot Thor's Hammer and Queen Victoria?

Text and photos by Armand Vaquer

Summertime is here and if you are wondering what to do for rest and recreation, here's an idea for you to consider.

One of my favorite national parks to visit is Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.

What is Bryce Canyon?

From the National Park Service's website on Bryce:

Bryce Canyon, famous for its worldly unique geology, consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The erosional force of frost-wedging and the dissolving power of rainwater have shaped the colorful limestone rock of the Claron Formation into bizarre shapes, including slot canyons, windows, fins, and spires called "hoodoos".

Bryce Canyon is not a canyon in the true sense of the word. As the above stated, Bryce is carved on the edges of a plateau.

If you are fond of rock formations and pine trees, Bryce Canyon is the place to visit. Occasionally, a summer thunderstorm will roll in and offer spectacular electrical shows over the park.

Bryce Canyon National Park is a long all-day drive from Los Angeles (the route from Los Angeles will take you through Las Vegas, Nevada). We generally would stay a few days in Zion National Park (another favorite) first and then move on for a few days to Bryce.

We've camped at Bryce Canyon and we've also stayed in a cabin at the Bryce Canyon Lodge (below). Speaking of the Bryce Canyon Lodge, they serve excellent meals there (if you don't feel like cooking). Organized tours of Bryce can be obtained at the Lodge as well as hiking on the canyon rim or inside the Bryce Canyon Ampitheater.

The Lodge has a bookstore as well as a gift shop to serve your souvenir needs.

Bryce Canyon offers horseback and mule rides during the spring, summer and fall seasons. The rides to choose from are 2-hour or 4-hour rides into Bryce Canyon Ampitheater and the Peek-A-Boo Loop trail. For reservations or information on trail rides, go to their website at www.canyonrides.com. For reservations, write or call Canyon Trail Rides, P.O. Box 128, Tropic, UT 84776, 435/679-8665.

The Bryce Canyon Visitor Center offers great programs and exibits on the park. At night, the park rangers will also put on a program at the campgrounds ampitheaters.

The website for Bryce Canyon National Park is at http://www.nps.gov/brca/.

Consider visiting Bryce Canyon National Park. You'll love it!

Japan National Tourism Organization

The best resource for potential tourists to Japan is the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

From the JNTO website:

What is JNTO ?

Official Name: Japan National Tourism Organization
Established: 1964
Purpose: To further international exchange through tourism

Activities

JNTO is involved in a broad range of activities promoting travel to Japan through various activities overseas as well as tourism-promoting activities in Japan.

Our activities include:

1. Operating Tourist Information Centers in Japan for foreign visitors
2. Arranging reception facilities for foreign visitors
3. Promoting international conventions and trade fairs
4. Operating offices in key cities around the world
5. Conducting tourism-related research
6. Publishing travel literature and videos about Japan

Activities by Overseas Offices

JNTO maintains 13 offices in key cities around the world, through which a wide range of tourism-related promotions are carried out. Each overseas office is responsible for promoting travel and tourism to Japan; one of the most important functions is to help the travel industry encourage their clients to visit Japan.

The activities of the overseas JNTO offices include:

1. Providing up-to-date information on travel to and in Japan
2. Participating in local travel fairs and exhibitions
3. Assisting in developing tours to Japan
4. Supplying free brochures to the travel industry
5. Lending display materials, prize-winning films and
video tapes for travel professionals to show to their clients

Above, Nakamise Street in Asakusa, Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer

Before each trip to Japan I've made, I went to the JNTO website to order maps of the cities I planned to visit along with brochures and booklets for lodging and attractions.

They usually send the requested materials within a week after placing my request.

Besides brochures and maps, tourists can also find transportation, accommodations, festivals & events, shopping & dining, travel tips and many others.

To visit JNTO, go here: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

Japan Tourism Agency

Regular readers of this blog will notice occasional references to the Japan Tourism Agency. To satisfy your curiosity (if you are curious) here is what the Japan Tourism Agency is about.

According to their website:

The Japan Tourism Agency was inaugurated on October 1, 2008. The Japanese government is currently working to enhance tourism-related measures, towards the ultimate goal of creating a tourism nation. The JTA was newly established as an organization to serve as the hub for these efforts, and drive their deployment.

In addition to carrying out measures to expand international tourism exchange such as the Visit Japan Campaign, the JTA works to prepare a national environment friendly to tourist travel. This includes creating appealing tourist destinations in Japan, upgrading tourism industries to fit traveler needs, promoting training and utilization of talent in the tourism field, encouraging the Japanese people to take vacations, and preparing safety measures for Japanese travelers abroad.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism established the Japan Tourism Agency “to promote the creation of a tourism nation in a comprehensive yet organized manner."

ANIME EXPO 2012 PRESENTS THE PREMIERE OF THE “MUVLUV” SERIES FIRST TV ANIME

Source:  Anime Expo News Release

LOS ANGELES (June 30, 2012) Anime Expo 2012 (AX) -- North America’s largest anime, manga and Japanese pop culture celebration -- will present the highly-anticipated premiere of Total Eclipse” on July 1 -- the same day the anime debuts on TV in Japan. Kouki Yoshimune, the anime’s executive producer will appear in a special panel discussion in conjunction with the screening. In addition vocalists featured on the show, Minami Kuribayashi and ayami, will perform in live concert at Anime Expo when it returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center from June 29 – July 2, 2012.

"The stars were truly in alignment to allow Anime Expo to give our attendees the chance to see the first episode of “MuvLuv” on the very same day fans in Japan will view it,” said Marc Perez, CEO of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, the non-profit that produces Anime Expo.

“Total Eclipse” will be produced by Kouki Yoshimune whose previous productions include “MuvLuv” Series. Based on the popular “MuvLuv” PC Game and visual novel, the anime’s main story takes place in Alaska and its main character, Yuuya Bridges, is Japanese-American.  The simultaneous Japanese and American debuts echo the global essence of the anime’s narrative.

Minami Kuribayashi has performed songs for many anime series, including “Carnival Phantasm,” “Infinite Stratos,” “Katanagatari,” “Medaka Box,” “Mobile Suit Gundam AGE,” and “Rumbling Hearts.” The singer ayami performed on the opening theme song “Freedom” for “Battle Spirits: Heroes” as a vocalist with the musical group RAMM.

The “Total Eclipse” production team joins the previously announced Anime Expo 2012 line-up that includes composer joins the previously announced Anime Expo 2012 line-up that includes composer Yuki Kajiura/”FictionJunction;” anime-inspired heavy metal band ANIMETAL USA; Culture Japan’s Danny Choo; Fate/Zero” creative team Hikaru Konda, Ei Aoki and Rikiya Koyama; Madhouse creative team Morio Asaka, Kunihiko Hamada and Takuya Tsunoki;, animation director Tatsuo Sato; voice actors Ryo Horikawa, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Jamie Marchi, Monica Rial, and Steve Blum; Japanese pop star LiSA, Lolita fashion designer Cyril Lumboy, Lolita model Misako Aoki; Tokyo-based Gallery of Fantastic Art and popular cosplayer Jessica Nigri.

About Anime Expo

Now in its 21st year, Anime Expo is North America's largest celebration of anime, manga and Japanese pop culture. Anime Expo gives fans the rare opportunity to meet and hear from some of the most famous anime, manga, musical, game and fashion artists from Japan. AX 2012 will feature an exciting schedule of exclusive screenings; artists' panels; live concerts; cosplay, dance parties, karaoke and video competitions; non-stop video gaming and unsurpassed shopping from more than 300 vendors. AX 2012 takes place June 29 – July 2, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. To register or for more information, please visit www.anime-expo.org. Connect with Anime Expo on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.

About the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property, Anime Expo®. For more information, please visit www.spja.org.

Truman Grandson To Visit A-Bomb Cities In Japan

Above, the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Three years from August will mark 70 years since President Harry S. Truman gave the go-ahead to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki thus ending World War II.

The Japan Times is reporting that a grandson of Truman will be visting both cities for research on a book he is writing.

According to the article:

WASHINGTON — A grandson of the late U.S. President Harry Truman plans to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both devastated by U.S. atomic bombings in 1945, as "a good starting point" for writing a book about the bomb sites.

Clifton Truman Daniel, who revealed his plan in a recent interview, will visit the cities in August with his wife and two sons to attend the annul peace memorial ceremonies.

This will be the first time for a relative of Truman, who gave the go-ahead to use the atomic bombs, to visit the cities.

Asked whether the decision to drop the atomic bombs was right or wrong, Daniel, 55, said that is a "very hard question."

I've visited both cities (Hiroshima in 2004 and Nagasaki in 2007) and found the museums and memorial parks in each to be quite sobering.

Above, the Hypocenter Memorial in Nagasaki.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

However, as the bombings were an inspiration to the Godzilla character, both cities' peace parks are included in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. The Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome was briefly seen in 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. I recommend visiting either (or both) to anyone planning to visit Japan.

To read the full article, go here.

Get A Gundam Hotel Room!

Above, Armand on the Gundam Lift at the Bandai Museum.

Fans of Gundam characters can now get a hotel room decorated in a Gundam motif.

The Japan Times reported:

Grand Pacific Le Daiba, a hotel in Minato Ward, Tokyo, will be offering three guest rooms starting Friday with interior decorations featuring characters from the popular "Mobile Suit Gundam" animated series.

Gundam Front Tokyo, which features a huge, life-size Gundam statue and a museum, opened April 19 in the neighborhood and has turned out to be a popular attraction. The hotel's campaign is part of an effort in the area to take advantage of Gundam's popularity.

For more, go here.

Changing of The Guard At Toho L.A.

Yukio Kotaki's tenure as general manager of Toho Co., Ltd.'s Los Angeles office is ending next week.

He will be returning to Tokyo, Japan next week to rejoin his family (they returned to Japan about a year ago) and will be taking on a new position at Toho's International Business Department.  He has been the Los Angeles office's general manager for the past five years.

I spoke with him today and he is looking forward to returning to Japan and reunite with his family.

His successor at the Los Angeles office will be Masaki Fujiwara.

Best wishes go out to Mr. Kotaki on his return to Japan and his new company position.

Communing With Owls

Sometimes, working the graveyard shift can be fun.

A little while ago, while parked at a cul de sac in the Burbank hills, a couple of owls were screeching nearby. I decided to do my own owl bird call ("who-who who who" is how it goes).

After doing this, one came over to where I was parked and perched himself/herself on the arm of the nearby streetlight (12' in front of me).

He/she sat there a for several minutes and looked down at me and continued screeching. Then, the mate flew by and it took off and followed.

I got a fairly good look at it and it appeared to be a Great Horned Owl that is indigenous to Southern California.  It looked like the one in the photo (above left).

Report: Comic Con Will Unveil Legendary's Godzilla

There's been hardly any information on Legendary Pictures/Warner Brothers' Godzilla project for quite some time.

That is about to change if a report from Latino Review is accurate.

In their post, they claim that Legendary's vision of the Big G will be unveiled at Comic Con in two weeks:

You know what big Hall H surprise Legendary is bringing along with Pacific Rim? 

Ready?

GODZILLA!

Not only is Legendary bringing the Lizard to comic con but get this, I hear the presentation is SICK! I’m not going to get into specific spoiler territory because then what’s the point of attending the panel, but take this one to the bank. 

Godzilla will stomp both the audio and video systems within Hall H two weeks from this Saturday! I’ll be there to witness it myself. I can already envision them shutting down the lights, hearing Godzilla’s roar, and the crowd going wild! 

Anyway, Max Borenstein is currently re-writing the script from David Goyer. Gareth Edwards is directing.

If this report is accurate, G-fans will want to be in San Diego for the unveiling.

To see the full post, go here.

Foreigners Avoiding Tohoku Region

Above, Matsushima Bay.  Photo by Armand Vaquer

While the Japanese tourism industry has been recovering pretty well in general, it isn't the case for the Tohoku region.

The Jakarta Post reported:

Many foreign tourists are avoiding trips to the disaster-hit prefectures of Iwate, Fukushima and Miyagi due to lingering concerns about radioactive contamination and fears that another major earthquake or tsunami could strike the Tohoku region.

The number of tourists to the prefectures plunged after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Although Japanese visitors have gradually returned in growing numbers, the same cannot be said for visitors from overseas. The number of foreigners staying overnight in the prefectures nose-dived to about 90,000 in 2011 from about 330,000 in 2010.

It likely will take more time before visitor numbers return to the level seen before the March 11, 2011, disaster.

The Tohoku region has much to offer in scenic beauty, particularly Matsushima Bay. It has been often compared to Carmel, California in scenic beauty.

The businesses who cater to tourists need visitors to stay afloat. I would urge potential Japan visitors to go there.

To read the full article, go here.

Angry Citizens Donating To Romney Campaign After ObamaCare Decision

The Supreme Court's decision on upholding ObamaCare drove angry citizens to contribute to the Mitt Romney campaign in droves. It is estimated that the campaign took in over $2 million in contributions today.

I received this email from the campaign:

Armand,

When President Obama assumed office three years ago, he had a Democrat-controlled House and Senate and ample opportunities to make good on his promises of "hope" and "change."

Instead of focusing on the economy, President Obama decided to make job-killing, big government, $2 trillion Obamacare his top priority. The White House "assumed a recovery was under way" and decided that fixing the economy was "no longer their top priority."

Rather than helping job creators, Obamacare hurts job creators:

• Obamacare contains the largest tax increase in nearly two decades.
• Obamacare will raise taxes by hundreds of billions of dollars over its first 10 years.
• Nearly 3/4 of small business owners blame Obamacare for impeding job creation.

Regardless of the Supreme Court's decision on its constitutionality, Obamacare is still bad policy. Obamacare will raise taxes on job creators, send jobs abroad, and hinder small business hiring.

Mitt Romney has his priorities straight. On day one, he will take immediate action to repeal and replace Obamacare with real reform that empowers individuals and frees job creators from the burdens this President has imposed on them.

Mitt Romney will do on his first day in office what the Supreme Court didn't do on the last day of its session. But first, it's up to you to repeal Obamacare by replacing Obama.

Let's hold Barack Obama accountable -- donate $10 or more to make him a one-term president:

https://secure.mittromney.com/donate/one-term-fund/?SC=INTOTF009

Thanks.

Matt Rhoades
Campaign Manager
Romney for President

House Votes Holder In Contempt

At least today wasn't a total loss.

The Washington Post reported:

The House of Representatives voted 255 to 67 to make Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. the first sitting attorney general in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress for withholding documents requested as part of a congressional investigation into Operation "Fast and Furious."

Seventeen Democrats joined the Republican majority in voting for contempt.

Supreme Court: ObamaCare A "Tax"

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the biggest tax increase in the history of the world.  The vote was 5-4.  Chief Justice Roberts voted with the liberals.

Barack Obama and the Democrats lied by saying the ObamaCare individual mandate is "not a tax." The morning talk shows have been playing the sound clip of Obama saying this.

The Court found otherwise. They deemed it a tax.  We have been deceived and betrayed.

Now the federal government has the power to dictate what people must buy. Anyone just breathing are forced into this. The Supreme Court essentially rubber-stamped tyranny. There will be no limits on federal power. All Congress has to do is call it a tax!

As Rush Limbaugh said, "This was a stealth tax!"

Unless we elect a new president and a conservative Congress, this will definitely bankrupt this country. This will lead to a single-payer system. It will also kill jobs. Just watch!

We have to work even harder to elect Mitt Romney president and defeat as many Democrats in the House and Senate as possible. That is our only option available to get ObamaCare repealed.

Western Farm Press: Ruling Renews Agriculture’s Call For Reliable Labor Law

Western Farm Press.com posted:

Agricultural leaders contend the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Arizona’s controversial immigration law means industry organizations must continue to push Congress to modify farmworker laws to provide a more reliable and legal labor supply for businesses including agriculture.

“The Supreme Court ruling means that we’ll continue to keep our nose to the grindstone and work with Congress and our elected leaders for positive farm labor changes,” said Kevin Rogers, a Mesa, Ariz., farmer and Arizona Farm Bureau Federation president. 

“The bottom line is the federal government needs to step up and fix the visa labor program so we can have the needed legal workers in this country for agriculture and other industries.”

This I totally agree with.  Having a guest worker program that will supply agriculture with a reliable labor workforce and would go a long way to solving the illegal immigration problem.

Illegal immigrants come here to work to support themselves and their families.  Unfortunately, although I can sympathize with them, there are no controls on the numbers who are coming in and how long they stay.

One way to fix this would be to have offices in Mexico set up where guest workers can register, be pre-screened (to make sure no undesirables come in) and be given work visas with specific time periods for work.  If guest workers come to work for specific time periods and then leave the country, they guarantee that (in subsequent years) they will be allowed back in again.  If they don't follow the rules, they won't be allowed in.  If a guest worker fulfills five years of compliance, they can receive more perks.  This would be a further incentive for them to comply.

It could be the modern version of the old Bracero Program, which was:

The Bracero Program (named for the Spanish term bracero, "strong-arm") was a series of laws and diplomatic agreements, initiated by an August 1942 exchange of diplomatic notes between the United States and Mexico, for the importation of temporary contract laborers from Mexico to the United States.

(Source: Wikipedia)

This would control the numbers of foreign nationals entering the country and supply agriculture with a reliable labor workforce.  As an owner of farm property, I am keenly aware of the need to have the labor to handle the fall crop harvests.

Today Will Be "Verrrrrry Interesting!"

In a few hours, the U.S. Supreme Count will announce its ruling on whether or not all or none of the provisions of ObamaCare is constitutional.  Either way, it will be interesting to see what transpires following the ruling.

The House of Representatives will vote on the contempt of Congress resolution on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for not providing the documents requested by the House oversight committee on the botched "Fast and Furious" gun-walking operation that led to the murder of border agent Brian Terry and about 200 Mexican citizens.  Several Democrats have indicated that they will vote for the resolution.

One has to ask, what Hispanic, in his or her right mind, would vote to re-elect an administration who allowed hundreds of guns into Mexico to fall in the hands of drug cartels?

Today is going to be a very interesting news day!

Doris Singleton Dies At 92

Actress Doris Singleton has died at age 92, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

She is best known as Carolyn Appleby on I Love Lucy.

The Hollywood Reporter posted:

A native of New York City, Singleton appeared on many other TV shows, including as a regular on 1955's The Great Gildersleeve and 1960-61's Angel and roles in Adventures of Superman, Hogan's Heroes, My Three Sons (amazingly, as two recurring characters), Hazel, The Munsters, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Marcus Welby, M.D., Phyllis, Days of Our Lives and Dynasty.

Singleton appeared in the Adventures of Superman's 1953 episode, "The Jungle Devil" and in the I Love Lucy episode "Lucy Meets Superman" that featured the guest appearance of George Reeves.

To read The Hollywood Reporter article, go here.

Emi Ito, one of The Peanuts, dies at 71

Some sad news has been reported at Kyodo News:

Emi Ito, one of the identical twin sisters comprising Japanese pop duo The Peanuts, who graced TV shows and films mainly in the 1960s, died on June 15, people close to her said Wednesday. She was 71. 

In 1961, they appeared in the movie "Mothra," featuring a moth monster, and released many hit songs such as "Koi no Bakansu" (Vacation of Love). The duo quit in 1975.

To read the full article, go here.

Who writes their headlines?

I spotted this most unfortunate headline at News On Japan:

Japan police probe man who cooked own genitals 

I'll refrain from making any comments. 

20 Years of "Godzilla vs. Mothra"

An example on how quickly time marches on is by noting that 2012 marks 20 years since Toho's Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) was produced and released.  It was released in Japan on December 12, 1992.

Here's what Wikipedia says about it:

Godzilla vs. Mothra (ゴジラ対モスラ, Gojira tai Mosura) is a 1992 Japanese Science Fiction Kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Takao Okawara with special effects by Koichi Kawakita, the film starred Tetsuya Bessho, Satomi Kobayashi and Akiji Kobayashi. The 19th installment in the Godzilla series of films, the film remains the highest grossing film of the entire Godzilla series (unadjusted for inflation). [I'd hazard a guess that King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) is still the boxoffice champ if adjusted for inflation. - A.]  After the success of the previous year's Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, Toho decided to bring back their second most famous creation Mothra into the new series. Composer Akira Ifukube's score won a Japanese Academy Award. The film was the second highest grossing film in Japan in 1993, second only to the Hollywood film Jurassic Park.  

The film was released straight to video in the United States in 1998 by Tristar as Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth.

Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The movie also introduced a new kaiju: Battra.  The big battle in the movie took place on the oceanfront of Yokohama, Japan.   The structures demolished include the Cosmo Clock Ferris Wheel at the Yokohama Cosmo World amusement park and the crescent-shaped InterContinental Yokohama Grand Hotel (photo above).  These are covered on pages 19-20 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan (which will also tell you how to get there).

It is somewhat incredible that this year will mark 20 years since the movie was made and released. Time does fly by!

Jonathan Frid Honored At Daytime Emmys Ceremony

Above, Jonathan Frid.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Dark Shadows News blog reported on a number of items in connection to the 1960s classic soap opera (or spook opera).

One of which was this item:

• The recent 39th Daytime Emmys paid tribute to departed Dark Shadows star Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins) as part of last Saturday's awards ceremony. Jonathan was included in the traditional In Memoriam montage, represented with a photograph from House of Dark Shadows.

This was nice to hear.  I was wondering if the Daytime Emmys would honor Frid or if any of the daytime soap opera magazines would carry any articles (so far, I haven't heard of any).  At least the Emmys came through.

The blog has other news, including one that says 40 episodes are now available for viewing online.

To read the full article, go here.

I wonder if next year's Academy Awards show will also include Jonathan Frid in their memorial montage.  I won't hold my breath on that one.