Good Riddance, Lee Baca!

As I write this, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is announcing his resignation from office on live television.

All I can say is, "Good Riddance!"

Baca has been an incompetent boob in office. He first caught my ire back in 1998 when he backed Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's ordinance banning gun shows on county property, i.e., the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, where the Great Western Gun Show was held for decades.

I remember attending one meeting of the Board of Supervisors where the ordinance was discussed and Baca was grilled by Supervisor Mike Antonovich. Baca couldn't give a straight answer when asked why he is supporting the gun show ban when his department had a recruitment booth at the gun show.

Unfortunately, the liberal majority on the Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance.

The Los Angeles Times earlier reported:

L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca, who faced a tough battle for reelection amid scandals in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, plans to annouce his retirement, law enforcement sources told The Times. 

Baca's decision comes a month after federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against 18 current and former sheriff's deputies accused of beating jail inmates and visitors, trying to intimidate an FBI agent and other crimes following an investigation of corruption inside the nation's largest jail system. 

The timing of his announcement remains unclear. But it was confirmed by multiple sources, all of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The last great sheriff L.A. County had was Sheriff John!

Above, George Reeves and Sheriff John.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sheriff-baca-plans-to-retire-source-say-20140106,0,2296941.story#ixzz2pjm6TMfZ

Japan, Things Coming Together

Above, a view down the Sumida River from Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things are progressing for the upcoming trip to Japan.

Besides working on more material for an updated The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, I will also be assisting Jonathan Bellés with interviews for his documentary, Godzilla & Hiroshima: The Rise of Kaiju Eiga.

I will also have a luncheon meeting with two executives of JapanTravel (formerly JapanTourist), the Japan travel-oriented website that I contribute to (the trip will also provide me with some material for future articles there) in the Roppongi section of Tokyo.

The Japan Daily Picks Up 2 Blog Posts

The Japan Daily has picked up two recent blog posts of mine.

The first one is on the story of the Tokyo subway necktie and the other is the story on the Yomiuri Shimbun's 9.9 million circulation.

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Ob☭m☭Care Logo

Here's a logo (or font) conservatives (or people who oppose socialized medicine) can use:

Ob☭m☭Care

Tokyo Subway Map Necktie

Above, the Ginza Line sign in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With a trip to Japan in the not-too-distant future for me, an article on the Tokyo subway system caught my attention since I will be riding the subway trains.

Posted over at RocketNews24, the article is about a unique way of checking a map of Tokyo's subway system.

They wrote:

Even for those living in Tokyo, its plate-of-spaghetti-like tangle of train lines can be overwhelming to navigate. Worse for visitors, it’s hard not to get lost, but you also don’t want to walk around gawking at a map like some touristy chump. So, for basically anyone in Tokyo, we humbly present the Subway Map Necktie. 

100 percent silk, the Subway Map Tie (or “Necktie” as they’re always referred to in Japan) has a full-color map of the Tokyo subway system printed on its lining. When you’re on the go and unsure where to change trains, forget about your smartphone–just take a peek under your tie!

Since subway maps are available for free at any Tokyo subway station, I think the ¥6,090 ($58.00 U.S.) price tag is one I will pass up. At least they come in several different patterns.

Still, it is an inventive way to get your bearings while navigating the Tokyo subway system.

To read the full article, go here.

Yomiuri Shimbun Has 9.9 Million Circulation

Three years ago, the Yomiuri Shimbun's ran the above article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Today, the Tokyo Reporter posted on Twitter that the Yomiuri Shimbun's morning edition has the largest circulation. The Asahi Shimbun is number 2 in circulation.

Here's what the Tokyo Reporter Tweeted:

Circulation of Yomiuri Shimbun 9,938,209 (morning edition). Asahi is no. two (7,635,549).

Nearly ten million circulation! That's impressive! 

January 2014 Airfare Price Check

Above, Nagasaki Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're now into the new year and this will be the first airfare check for economy airfares for flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Narita International Airport (NRT).

Yesterday's Los Angeles Times Travel Section listed their high and low fares from LAX to NRT as $1,351 to $1,891 of these airlines: ANA, American, Delta, JAL, Korean, Malaysian, Singapore and United. These high and low fares do not include taxes and fees.

As usual, I went to my favorite source for airline tickets, GatewayLAX, and the lowest airfare (depart January 13 and return January 20) they came up with was this:

From my experience a month ago in purchasing my Japan airline tickets, the fees and taxes will boost the price about another $600 (thank Uncle Sam and the airlines for this). So, figure the final price will be in the $800 neighborhood. Still, that's a lot better than the lowest airfare the Los Angeles Times came up with.

It is interesting that I requested a non-stop search, but they still came up with a stopover in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The next airfare price check will be in February.

Note: If one wants to go to Osaka instead of Tokyo, Air China has a special round-trip fare of $834, which includes all taxes and fees. It is subject to availability and travel can be any day of the week between February 20 and May 20. For information: (800) 882-8122 or www.airchina.us.

NHK World To Expand With More Japan Content

NHK World is going to expand its basic program block in 2014.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

NHK has decided to review the program lineup of NHK World TV and expand its basic program block from four hours to six hours in fiscal 2014 to offer more original Japan content, sources said. 

It will be the first time in five years for the public broadcaster’s international TV service for non-Japanese viewers to come under a large-scale review. 

NHK World TV first went on air in 1995, and its 24-hour broadcasts began in 1999. In 2008, all the programs shown on World TV started broadcasting in English. As of the end of October last year, the service was available to about 270 million households in 140 countries and regions around the world.

I usually try to watch NHK World in the evenings. I find their programs more interesting than the drivel that is shown on American networks. Expanding their program block from four to six hours, and with more original Japan content, is good news.

To read more, go here.

Celebrating George Reeves's 100th Birthday

Above, George Reeves as Superman in 1957.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Adventures of Superman star George Reeves.

He was born George Keefer Brewer in Woolstock, Iowa on January 5, 1914.

Actor and biographer Jim Beaver posted a long tribute to Reeves. I hope he doesn't mind me posting this snippet of his tribute. He captures what many fans feel about Reeves.

He was an average actor, from the evidence available. He was quite capable of very good work, yet nothing we can see suggests the range or depth or style of an Olivier or a Brando or a Mitchum (nor the opportunities they got). It's said he was quite a good stage actor, but few there are now who can attest to that first-hand. In films, even his best director, probably Fred Zinneman in FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, realized nothing astounding from him (though, admittedly, little Reeves ever did on film could be considered a truly meaty or artistically complex role). Nothing makes George Reeves particularly special as an actor. Nothing except... him. ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN was a fun show, but we're not talking BREAKING BAD here, or THE SOPRANOS. It was a show that had some appeal for adults but was mainly designed as entertainment for children, who ate it up with a shovel. In all probability, the show would have had its success even with another actor in the title role. And yet, it didn't. It had George Reeves, for his better or worse fortune. And he brought something to the part that lingers, something that even his colleagues among the baby boom's childhood heroic icons (THE LONE RANGER's Clayton Moore, ZORRO's Guy Williams, et al) couldn't compete with. Superman fans didn't just admire Reeves in his portrayal, they loved him. More importantly, he gave them a sense that he loved them. More than talent, more than appearance, more than any other gift, Reeves's ability to connect through the camera to his young audience transcends his role and the work of others in the genre. Reeves's natural geniality and warmth, something remarked on by virtually every single person I ever interviewed, reached out through the lens and washed over his youthful followers in a way that lives with them still in their older years. That warmth, combined with the melancholy associated with his untimely death, puts George Reeves in a very special place for an awful lot of people now in their 60s and 70s. No, he hasn't the world-wide absolute familiarity that still clings to Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. But for some, maybe only hundreds or thousands rather than millions, he is a far bigger star and a far bigger role model.

As I've reached a point in my career where generosity is something I'm able to offer instead of ask for, I don't believe I've ever considered a loan or a gift without the memory of reading in my youth how widely known George Reeves was for his generosity. In the years since, in my research, I've encountered hundreds of people who told me how he helped them, privately, without fanfare or expectation. He was, once he achieved real fame, unstinting with his time for charitable causes. Without consciously modeling myself on him, but without ever failing to think of him when confronted with the opportunity or challenge to be useful, he has been a role model for my own life. His reputation among friends and colleagues for cheerfulness and gregariousness and loyalty colors my own approach to people. No, he's not the only light I illuminate my life by, but he's one of the brighter lamps. In the decades I've researched his life, I've usually always enjoyed his work and appreciated his talents as far as they went and as far as they were well-displayed. But what has always drawn me to him and to his story has been the innate goodness of the man. He could be wild, he could be bawdy (sometimes very bawdy), he was a two-fisted drinker and not always a responsible one. His life was in some aspects far rowdier and profligate than the straight-up character he's most famous for playing, yet he loved life and he loved people and he did his utmost to show that love and to act on it. So whether he could out-act Gielgud or whether he's as famous as Elvis is beside the point. I started out researching the life and death of the guy who played Superman on my favorite childhood show, and came to realize I was really finding out some things about how to live, through the life of a man who was pretty good at it.

The facts of how Reeves died are just that, facts. The interpretations are as many as there are interpreters. There's some mystery, in the sense of there being things no one seems to know, but even if every single thing were known, there would always be wide division as to what "really" happened. The circumstances of Reeves's death are important to his biographer, and I've done wide-ranging research into them. But I want to pause here to celebrate on a significant anniversary the birth of a man I long ago ceased to be simply a fan of, one I've grown to care about as a human being, one I've come to look up to and look to for example. I don't idolize George Reeves. I admire him. And that seems quite the right way for this old baby boomer to see his childhood idol.
As I've reached a point in my career where generosity is something I'm able to offer instead of ask for, I don't believe I've ever considered a loan or a gift without the memory of reading in my youth how widely known George Reeves was for his generosity. In the years since, in my research, I've encountered hundreds of people who told me how he helped them, privately, without fanfare or expectation. He was, once he achieved real fame, unstinting with his time for charitable causes. Without consciously modeling myself on him, but without ever failing to think of him when confronted with the opportunity or challenge to be useful, he has been a role model for my own life. His reputation among friends and colleagues for cheerfulness and gregariousness and loyalty colors my own approach to people. No, he's not the only light I illuminate my life by, but he's one of the brighter lamps. In the decades I've researched his life, I've usually always enjoyed his work and appreciated his talents as far as they went and as far as they were well-displayed. But what has always drawn me to him and to his story has been the innate goodness of the man. He could be wild, he could be bawdy (sometimes very bawdy), he was a two-fisted drinker and not always a responsible one. His life was in some aspects far rowdier and profligate than the straight-up character he's most famous for playing, yet he loved life and he loved people and he did his utmost to show that love and to act on it. So whether he could out-act Gielgud or whether he's as famous as Elvis is beside the point. I started out researching the life and death of the guy who played Superman on my favorite childhood show, and came to realize I was really finding out some things about how to live, through the life of a man who was pretty good at it. 

The facts of how Reeves died are just that, facts. The interpretations are as many as there are interpreters. There's some mystery, in the sense of there being things no one seems to know, but even if every single thing were known, there would always be wide division as to what "really" happened. The circumstances of Reeves's death are important to his biographer, and I've done wide-ranging research into them. But I want to pause here to celebrate on a significant anniversary the birth of a man I long ago ceased to be simply a fan of, one I've grown to care about as a human being, one I've come to look up to and look to for example. I don't idolize George Reeves. I admire him. And that seems quite the right way for this old baby boomer to see his childhood idol.

Warlord Motonari At Miyajima

Above, the Great Torii gate and the Itsukushima Shrine. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one decides to pay a visit to Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park, they should take some time to go visit nearby Miyajima (officially, it is Itsukushima Island).

The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) has posted an interesting article on some Miyajima history,

It starts with:

MIYAJIMA, Hiroshima—I’m a big fan of feudal warlord Mori Motonari (1497-1571). 

Despite being geographically sandwiched between two bigger forces—the Amago clan in Izumo (now Shimane Prefecture) and the Ouchi clan in Yamaguchi Prefecture—Motonari rose from a small domain lord of Yoshida in Aki (now Hiroshima Prefecture) to become a powerful daimyo feudal lord who governed the Chugoku region. I’m fascinated by his resilient rise to glory. 

I visited Miyajima, which is regarded as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan, to get a sense of the most crucial moment Motonari experienced in his life.

In 1555, at the age of 59 by the Japanese method of counting age, Motonari fought against Sue Harukata (1521-1555) on the island. Harukata had overthrown Ouchi Yoshitaka, who had indulged in a luxurious life. Motonari’s military force was vastly outnumbered by the forces of Harukata, who had taken over the mighty Ouchi clan.

I visited Miyajima (located in the Inland Sea of Japan) in 2004. It is a very scenic place to see and I recommend a visit to anyone, whether they are interested in Japanese history or not.

To read the full article, go here. 

Al Plastino's JFK Art Shown To Son and Daughter At DC Entertainment

Above, Al Plastino's daughter MaryAnn (second from left) and son Fred (far right) at
DC Entertainment with the Al Plastino JFK artwork. Photo: Al Plastino Facebook page.

Members of the Al Plastino family recently were able to get an up-close look at the original artwork Plastino drew for the 1964 Superman story, "Superman's Mission For President Kennedy" at DC Entertainment's offices in New York City.

DC bought the artwork and it will be (it may have already been done) donated to the John F. Kennedy Library.

It is still somewhat a mystery as to how the pages weren't donated 50 years ago and how they ended up in the hands of a private party. A recent post at Al Plastino's Facebook page hints that the pages were stolen years ago.

Plastino's daughter MaryAnn said that DC will make (or made) scans of the artwork the the Plastino family.

I am pleased to see that this story has a happy, but bittersweet ending (due to Al Plastino's death before the pages were acquired by DC Entertainment).

Steven Seagal, Governor of Arizona?

Above, Steven Seagal.

The father of Heisei Gamera trilogy star Ayako Fujitani, Steven Seagal, is considering a run for Governor of Arizona.

According to the New York Daily News:

PHOENIX -- Action-movie star Steven Seagal says he is considering a run for Arizona governor. 

The "Marked for Death" actor told KNXV-TV that he is considering a shot at the state's highest office and has had a talk about the bid with the self-proclaimed toughest sheriff in America.

Above, Gamera and Ayako Fujitani in 1995.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/steven-segal-run-arizona-governor-article-1.1566546#ixzz2pUdHXbAE

Are Japan's Train Photography Enthusiasts Losing Their Social Graces?

Above, a 300 Series (now retired) shinkansen at Tokyo Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

RocketNews24 has an interesting article with videos on some crazy train buffs. I initially thought it would be a humorous article, but it is actually a bit disturbing that grown men and women are going nuts at train stations trying to get that perfect train photo. The writer is concerned that if this behavior continues, train photography in stations would be banned.

They start with:

Back in the day you might have called them “train otaku” but they would have preferred “tetsudo fan” a Japanese translation of the British “railfan” label for those who enjoy riding, viewing, and appreciating everything about railway transportation. 

Around the turn of the millennium a new Japanese term for train buffs arose: tetsu (iron).  The name also has many derivatives such as “tetsuko” for a female train enthusiast, and “hitetsu” (non-ferrous) for people who are train laymen. Two main groups of tetsu are noritetsu (iron riders) and toritetsu (iron filmers). 

The latter of these two are the focus now, as there has been an increasingly troubling trend of rude and dangerous behavior from what many would assume to be the tranquil hobby of train photography.

They then provide five video examples of people getting out of hand while trying to shoot photographs.

To read the article and see the videos, go here.

Turner Classic Movies To Celebrate The 100th Birthday of George Reeves

Above, George Reeves in "Tear Gas Squad."

Celebrating the 100th birthday of television's first Superman, George Reeves, Turner Classic Movies will be showcasing several of his movies Sunday, January 5. Reeves was born January 5, 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa.

The movies they will be showing:

 TCM Sun, Jan 5, 10:00 AM Father Is a Prince
 TCM Sun, Jan 5, 11:00 AM Always a Bride
 TCM Sun, Jan 5, 12:00 PM Tear Gas Squad
 TCM Sun, Jan 5, 1:00 PM Jungle Jim

Above, George Reeves as Superman in 1953.

A big "thank-you" to Dennis Hayes for the tip!

For more, go here.

Airline CEOs Forecast The Next 100 Years of Air Travel

Above, a PSA jet about to take off.

My first flight was in 2074 aboard a Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Boeing 727 when I left San Jose, California to Los Angeles following a Republican State Convention. The cost of that one-way flight was around $35.00.

Today, one-way flights from San Jose to Los Angeles have gone up a bit to around $58.00 (not counting taxes and fees) and PSA is no longer around (it operated from 1949 to 1988). Airlines now are charging for conveniences that were once free (or part of the airfare). Those and other fees plus taxes have gone through the roof.

Japan Today has posted an article on what is in store for commercial aviation in the next 100 years according to airline CEOs.

Here's a snippet from the article:

Wednesday marked the 100th anniversary of the first commercial flight: a 23-minute hop across Florida’s Tampa Bay. The St Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line was subsidized by St Petersburg officials who wanted more winter tourists in their city. The alternative: an 11-hour train ride from Tampa. 

Pilot Tony Jannus had room for just one passenger, who sat next to him in the open cockpit. Three months later — when tourism season ended — so did the subsidy. The airline had carried 1,204 passengers but would never fly again. 

With the anniversary in mind, The Associated Press reached out to today’s aviation leaders to see what they are predicting for the future of flying. Answers have been edited for length and clarity.

To see what airline CEOs are saying what's in store for the next 100 years, go here.

The Travel Daily Picks Up "Godzilla On Harumi-Dori" Post

Above, the old Nichigeki Theater once stood on the property
where the Yurakucho Mullion Building now stands at Harumi-Dori.

The Travel Daily online newspaper picked up the blog post of "Godzilla On Harumi-Dori." They jumped on that quick as I posted it about six hours ago in the wee hours of the night.

It is located in their Art & Entertainment section.

To view it, go here.

Time Marched On

People under 40 generally don't have a concept of the passage of time. They may have a little bit of an idea, but once they get past 40, they start noticing that time seems to go by quicker and things that seemed like "only yesterday" actually happened decades before.

To me, it seems like yesterday that I was still in college and working in political campaigns. One of them was the 1973 Special Election in the old 67th Assembly District. In that campaign, Gardena City Councilman Paul Bannai beat Torrance City Treasurer Thomas Rupert. Rupert, a Democrat, tried to carpetbag his way into the California State Assembly by renting an apartment in the district. Once this came out, Bannai, a Republican, beat Rupert pretty handily. What was more remarkable, the district was fairly solidly Democrat.

I worked in Bannai's district office as a field representative following his election.

I ran into Bannai at the New Year's Day celebration in Little Tokyo. He is a spry 93 year old. When he first ran for the State Assembly, he was younger than I am now.

It also seems like "almost yesterday" that I took a vacation trip up to Sacramento in 1977. There, Bannai and I sat down in his Capitol office for the following photo:

And here we are 37 years later:

Amazing how time flies!

More ObamaCare Liars

"If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period." - President Barack Obama.

Barack Obama wasn't the only one who lied about ObamaCare:

"In fact, one of our core principles is that if you like the health care you have, you can keep it.” (Sen. Harry Reid, Cong Record, S.8642, 8/3/09)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “If you like your insurance, you keep it.” (U.S. Senate, Finance Committee, Bill Mark-Up, 9/29/09)

“We believe and we stand by this if you like your current plan, you will keep it, plain and simple.” (Sen. Durbin, C Record, S.6401, 6/10/09)

SEN. MARK BEGICH (D-Alaska): "If you got a doctor...an insurance program...you want...keep it." (Townhall 7/27/09)

Rep. Tony Cárdenas:  "If you have insurance right now, your plan stays the same. This means if you get your health insurance through work, if you have Medicare or if you are a member of California Healthy Families, you keep that coverage."

Rep. Kathy Castor: "Nothing in this bill will force you to drop your current coverage. Rest assured, if you like your health insurance, you can keep it." (Press Release, 7/31/2009)

Rep. Jim Langevin: "Keep your doctor, and your current plan, if you like them." (Newsletter, 8/10/2009)

Rep. John Larson: "I am committed to health care reform that allows you to keep your current plan if you like it, reform that puts you and your doctor in charge of your care. The cost of inaction on health care will continue to debilitate our families, small businesses, and our nation." (Press Release, 8/24/2009)

Rep. Sander Levin: "If you like your current health plan, you will be able to keep it.  But it is clear that our nation wants us to fix what's not working by reducing costs, increasing prevention, improving quality, and covering uninsured Americans," said Rep. Levin." (Press Release, 6/9/2009)

Rep. George Miller: "If you get insurance through your job or have Medicare, you don't need to do anything – you can keep your insurance." (Blog Post, 9/30/2013)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz: "Let me be clear: if you like your current plan, you'll be able to keep it. Rather, we will build on our current system, so we can give you the freedom to choose what works best for you and your family. If you like your doctor, keep your doctor. If you like your current plan, keep your current plan. If you don't, or if you don't have one, then get one that works for you." (Press Release, 7/1/2009)

For more liars, go here.

Yurakucho Fire Interrupts Shinkansen Service

Above, the Yurakucho Mullion Building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Speaking of the Yurakucho Mullion Building (two blog posts ago), a fire near the building broke out early today interrupting bullet train (shinkansen) service.

According to News On Japan:

The fire broke out in the early hours of Friday in a building near JR Yurakucho Station and spread to three other buildings nearby, according to East Japan Railway Co. and Central Japan Railway Co. 

To read the News On Japan article, which includes a news video of the fire (you can see the Yurakucho Mullion Building right next to the building that's on fire), go here.

Tokyo's "Toxkiji Fish Market" Still Set To Open In 2016

Above, the Tsukiji Fish Market. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo is pressing ahead with their planned move of the Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the top tourist attractions in the city. The current facility was first opened in 1935.

The plan is to move the fish market by 2016. But the move has been complicated due to the toxins in the soil at the planned new location. Those toxins have to be completely removed before the new fish market facility can be built.

According to eTurboNews:

Now, almost 80 years later, the city plans to move the market to a new location and give the popular tourist draw what advocates say is a badly-need technological update. 

But not everyone is happy about the move away from prime-real estate in the centre of the teeming metropolis. 

Relocating the market and building to a modern facility about 40 percent larger with state-of-the-art refrigeration will cost upwards of $3.8-billion. 

And the move, now scheduled for 2016, has been marred by revelations of heavy soil contamination at the site, once formerly a gas plant about 2.3-kilometres away. That has saddled Tokyo with more than half a billion dollars in cleanup costs at the less-than-central location.

It looks like tourists have about two more years left to see the historic Tsukiji Fish Market before it is closed down and the occupants move to the new location. Will the new facility be called the "Toxkiji Fish Market"?

To read the full article, go here.

Godzilla On Harumi-Dori

This photo from Return of Godzilla (a.k.a. Godzilla) (1984) is circulating around on Twitter. Godzilla is seen at the shinkansen tracks on Harumi-Dori that divides Hibiya and Ginza in Tokyo.

A different photo of Godzilla had been floating around and I posted it here. In that photo, Godzilla was approaching the Yurakucho Mullion Building. With that photo, I included a shot of the real Harumi-Dori and the Yurakucho Mullion Building that I took on a previous trip to Tokyo.

Here it is again:

This location/landmark is covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 28.

Amazon's New Version Vertical Banner

While perusing The Drudge Report a little while ago, I saw a new version of Amazon's Kindle Store's vertical banner for the ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. It is a tad narrower than the old version.

Here's the new version:

And here's the old version:

Meanwhile, At The Blue Whale...

While in Little Tokyo's Weller Court yesterday, my attention was drawn to a sign on the top floor of the building.

The sign said "Blue Whale."

This is the sign:

Above, the Blue Whale sign in Little Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Upon seeing the sign, it immediately reminded me of the tavern in Collinsport, Maine on the daytime soap, Dark Shadows.

Above, the "Dark Shadows" Blue Whale.

Above, thought dead, Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) shows up at
the Blue Whale, much to Barnabas Collins's (Jonathan Frid) discomfort.

More Little Tokyo Oshogatsu 2014 Pictures

Here are more photos from Little Tokyo's Oshogatsu celebration yesterday:

Above, former Assemblyman Paul Bannai and the crowd await the opening ceremonies. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the taiko drummers during the kick-off of Oshogatsu.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Ellison Onizuka/Challenger memorial towers over the festivities.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the sake barrels were just broken seconds before this shot.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view of the crowd from outside of Weller Court.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, one Miss Kimono contestant looks a little apprehensive.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Little Tokyo's Oshogatsu 2014

Above, a taiko drummer performs at the opening ceremonies. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As planned, I headed to Little Tokyo in downtown Los Angeles this morning for their annual Oshogatsu celebration.

It is nice to get out and about and browse around the different shops in Little Tokyo and the various booths set up for the festival.

Above, the taiko drummers in Weller Court. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The opening ceremonies were held in Weller Court which included taiko drummers. The festival was officially opened once the ceremonial sake barrels were broken.

Above, former Assemblyman Paul Bannai and Armand.

While there, I had a reunion with a former boss, former California State Assemblyman Paul T. Bannai. At 93, he is still active (sort of a "Nisei Energizer Bunny") and he was running round shooting photographs. He was elected as a California State Assemblyman in a special election in 1973 in the Hawthorne-Gardena-Lawndale areas of Los Angeles County. I served in his district office as Field Representative. He was finally defeated in 1980 (as a Republican, it was amazing that he was in office so long in a predominately Democrat district). Following this, he became Chief Memorial Affairs Director for the National Cemetery System of the Veterans Administration. He was appointed to this position by President Reagan.

A block away, the Kimono Club's Miss Kimono contest was held in the courtyard of the Japanese Village Plaza.

Above, contestants of the Miss Kimono Contest. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I mentioned previously, there were many booths set up for the festival, including those for cell phones, arts & crafts, Little Tokyo Historical Society and Japanese food & drinks. Anime Jungle had some Bandai 6" Godzilla toys for sale at their booth.

Above, Anime Jungle's booth. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There were many things I was tempted to buy, but I figured I'd wait until I am in Japan before going on a spending spree. I did manage to buy a 2014 Japanese calendar and five sets of chopsticks.

Above, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent one of his troops to recruit for
foot soldiers to defend the Senkaku Islands against China. Just kidding.
Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I managed to conduct some business while in Little Tokyo. I spoke with Kinokuniya Books and they want me to contact them once the updated The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is ready. They carry the current edition.

If you happen to be in Los Angeles during next year's New Year's Day, it would be worth your while to attend the Little Tokyo Oshogatsu.

2014: The Year of the Godzilla?

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2014 is the Year of the Horse. It officially starts January 31, 2014 (the Lunar New Year/Spring Festival of China).

But most fans of a certain giant Japanese monster feel that 2014 will be the Year of the Godzilla, since the Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Godzilla will be released to theaters in May. By all indications, the producers seem be doing everything right (this time, Godzilla looks like Godzilla).

Funny thing, fans were saying the same thing back in 1998 when the TriStar debacle Godzilla was about to be released. But, due to the movie being a critical flop (although it did make over $300 million worldwide), that didn't pan out so well.

The upcoming movie has a better chance of making this the Year of the Godzilla. We'll see.

Looney Left Report: Bye-Bye Incandescent Light Bulbs

2014 is now upon us and that brings to us lowly serfs a complete ban on incandescent light bulbs.

Yes, you heard that right. The light bulb as we knew them are now banned and we have to buy those unsafe and expensive fluorescent bulbs to light up our homes. Those bulbs don't seem to last any longer than the old incandescent ones. I've had several burn out within a year. Weren't they supposed to last five years or longer?

According to Newsmax.com:

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Incandescent light bulbs, which have been in use in the United States for more than a century, are on their way out in the new year. The federal government has prohibited their manufacture and import starting Wednesday. 

The latest ban covers 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs. The 100-watt and 75-watt varieties had already been phased out. The bans were signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act. 

Opponents of the law protest that the government is making decisions for consumers rather than letting the marketplace determine the products people want. 

"When we make a purchase, it's about quality, price, how much money we have now, can I use that money for a better investment? I don't need the government to say that I am making the incorrect decision and therefore I should buy energy-efficient products," said Daren Bakst, research fellow in agricultural policy at the Heritage Foundation.

He decries the light-bulb ban as representing heightened government overreach. 

"The light-bulb issue is about a complete ban of a product. It's overkill. Now you have something you can no longer buy. That's really indefensible," he said.

We can thank the Looney Left (passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress and Senate) and former President George W. Bush (we can't blame Obama for this) for this stupid law. Speaking of laws, 40,000 have gone into effect starting today. Just what we need.

Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/energy-ban-government-rights/2013/12/31/id/544637#ixzz2p9t378UW

Nakajima Birthday Greetings Received

Above, Haruo Nakajima and Armand in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Sonoe Nakajima has sent an email acknowledging the first batch of birthday greetings:

Hi Armand

A Happy New Year
Thank you for many messages to father.
I am going to go to San Francisco from February 6.

Sonoe

As I said, those were the first batch of birthday greetings. Feel free to add yours by going here.