Waterfalls

Since buying The Beast last year, I have managed to see several waterfalls during my travels. I even saw one during the Hawaii trip in May.

Here's a collection of waterfall photos:

Yellowstone National Park, June 2015

Above, Lower Yellowstone Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Upper Yellowstone Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Gibbon Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yosemite National Park, April 2016

Above, Bridalveil Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the bottom of Lower Yosemite Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hawaii's Big Island, May 2016

Above and below, waterfalls near Hilo, Hawaii as seen aboard
 Blue Hawaiian Helicopters tour. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yokosuka: Godzilla Slide and the Battleship Mikasa

Above, the Godzilla slide at Kurihama Flower World. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For Godzilla fans, a visit to the Kurihama Flower World in Yokosuka to see the Godzilla slide is one of those "must-do" things while in Japan. But there's something more to see while in Yokosuka.

Along with the Godzilla slide, Yokosuka is the home of the only remaining pre-dreadnought battleship surviving in the world. It is also worth a visit while in Yokosuka.

According to CNET:

An hour south of Tokyo, on the edge of the bay is a piece of history unique in the world. Embedded in concrete just a few feet from the water is the 114-year-old battleship Mikasa. It's the only surviving pre-dreadnought battleship, not to mention one of the only Imperial navy vessels still intact from that era. 

After 21 years in service, the Mikasa was decommissioned, but not scrapped. Instead she was preserved at the request of the Japanese government, with her engines and armament removed, and her hull encased in concrete. 

After several extensive restorations, the Mikasa today is a museum ship, and a fascinating look back into turn-of-the-last century naval design.

The Godzilla slide is spotlighted on page 32 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

To read more, go here.

New App Translates Rail Announcements for Tourists

Above, a cleaning crew waiting to begin cleaning a shinkansen train at Tokyo Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan continues to come up with innovative ways to make things easier for visitors. The newest is an app that will translate train station announcements and send them in text messages.

According to an article in the BBC website:

A new mobile app could make life easier for foreign tourists in Japan by turning loudspeaker announcements into text in their own language. 

The free app, called Omotenashi Guide, is currently in the testing phase and is designed to work without an internet connection, the the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reports. It works by picking up a signal embedded in loudspeaker announcements, turning the audio into text in Japanese - for locals who may have hearing difficulties - and six other languages, including English, Spanish and Korean. It'll be trialled later this month at bullet train stations in Tokyo, Hamamatsu and Kyoto, and is also being tested in shopping centres and airports.

To read more, go here.

Sengoku Photo Studio Samurai

Above, yours truly at a photo studio in Asakusa last year. Photo by Studio Nanairo.

Last October, I did a little indulging and went to a photo studio in Asakusa for a photo shoot. It was a fun experience to be photographed as a samurai. 

RocketNews 24 has posted that there's a new photo studio in Tokyo's Shibuya district that just opened who can turn just about anyone into a fierce samurai.

They wrote:

Japan’s Sengoku period was, in many ways, the archetypical era of the samurai. During its roughly 150 years, Japan’s most storied warriors clashed with one another in a dramatic struggle to unify the country. 

But while the Sengoku period ended some four centuries ago, it was only last week that Tokyo saw the opening of Samurai, which bills itself as the “Sengoku photo studio.” 

Upon arriving at Samurai, located in the Yoyogi neighborhood, customers shed their modern garb and change into suits of samurai armor. Since many Japanese history buffs have an individual warlord they feel a particular affinity for, the sets are modeled after the iconic battlefield outfits of warlords including Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Sanada Yukimura.

To read more, go here. 

The Trump Store's 48 Hour Sale

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Clint Eastwood Blasts "Pussy Generation"

Above, Clint Eastwood at the 1980 Reagan-Bush Victory Party at the Century Plaza Hotel. Photo by Paul Evans.

It is a good and safe bet that there were lots of jaws dropping in some quarters after actor Clint Eastwood blasted the current generation in a not-so-politically correct way.

According to the Washington Times:

Legendary actor and film director Clint Eastwood fell short of endorsing Donald Trump for president, but acknowledged the Republican presidential nominee is “onto something” for not being afraid to speak his mind. 

“He’s onto something, because secretly everybody’s getting tired of political correctness, kissing up,” Mr. Eastwood, 86, told Esquire magazine in an interview published Wednesday. “That’s the kiss-ass generation we’re in right now. We’re really in a pussy generation. Everybody’s walking on eggshells.”

I can't say I disagree.

To read more, go here. 

The One Place Spared From Godzilla's Wrath

Above, the main gate at the Nijubashi Bridge of the Imperial Palace. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla has stomped in and around Tokyo a number of times, beginning with his first appearance in 1954. But there's one place in Tokyo that has been spared of any attacks.

According to RocketNews 24:

There’s just one place in Tokyo this mascot of mayhem always seems to spare.

Over the last six decades, Godzilla has destroyed Tokyo dozens of times, and while his career has seen many exhilarating highs (remember that time he fought a giant space moth?!) and lows (ill-advised American remake with Ferris Bueller, mediocre American remake with Walter White, those times he had an annoying son, the franchise’s ‘Scrappy-Doo’ moment), one thing has remained consistent since his first cinematic outing in 1954. So far, the iconic monster has shown no interest in destroying the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. 

Above, the Nijubashi Bridge. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Serious Godzilla fans have been familiar of this tidbit of trivia for years. It is out of respect for the Emperor and the Imperial family that Godzilla has never attacked the Imperial Palace. The National Diet Building, where Japan's national government meets, hasn't been so lucky. It has been demolished several times over the years by kaiju.

The Palace was one of the stops for the 2004 G-TOUR, I first visited the Imperial Palace in 2001.

To read more, go here. 

Getting Framed!

Above, one of the frame styles we considered. This one was
"first runner-up" during the final review. Photo by Armand Vaquer,

Today was a productive one and, I'm pleased to say, a fun day.

Asya Lipovetskaya and I went over to the picture framing shop to pick out a frame for the portrait she painted of me.

We must have looked at over 60 different styles of frames. It was a difficult process. The one frame we both immediately liked was no longer available. The clerk warned us ahead of time that we may like the only one what was no longer available. She was right!

Above, Asya has her methods of studying how a frame works on a painting. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

So, we continued looking. We spent about an hour and a half trying to decide on a frame that would enhance and compliment the painting. When we came down to the last two, one turned out to be one of the three I was shown a few days ago (I also posted it).

We placed the sample on all four corners and studied it. Asya and I were stumped. We could not decide which of the two works best. We asked the clerk for her opinion and she pointed out a few things why one works better than the other.

Above, the chosen frame. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the decision was mine, as I have to live with it, I made the decision. What a relief!

After I put down 50% and completed the paperwork, we headed off to Crazy Tokyo Sushi for dinner. We were both pleased with the choice.

Above, the chosen frame style on the painting. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Actually, we had fun doing this! The time went by pretty fast.

After an enjoyable dinner, I took Asya home (in the Olympic-Robertson area of L.A.).

The framing will be done about a week from tomorrow.

TRUMP'S RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAILED LEADERSHIP

Donald J. Trump responded to President Obama's "unfit" remark of yesterday:

STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAILED LEADERSHIP 

"Obama-Clinton have single-handedly destabilized the Middle East, handed Iraq, Libya and Syria to ISIS, and allowed our personnel to be slaughtered at Benghazi. Then they put Iran on the path to nuclear weapons. Then they allowed dozens of veterans to die waiting for medical care that never came. 

Hillary Clinton put the whole country at risk with her illegal email server, deleted evidence of her crime, and lied repeatedly about her conduct which endangered us all. They released criminal aliens into our country who killed one innocent American after another -- like Sarah Root and Kate Steinle -- and have repeatedly admitted migrants later implicated in terrorism. They have produced the worst recovery since the Great Depression. They have shipped millions of our best jobs overseas to appease their global special interests. They have betrayed our security and our workers, and Hillary Clinton has proven herself unfit to serve in any government office. 

She is reckless with her emails, reckless with regime change, and reckless with American lives. Our nation has been humiliated abroad and compromised by radical Islam brought onto our shores. We need change now." 

-Donald J. Trump

What The Original Godzilla Looks Like In Modern Tokyo

Above, Godzilla peers over Shinjuku rooftops. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla fans have been aware for the last 30 years or so that the need to bump up Godzilla's size was due to the modern high-rise skyline of Tokyo.

Originally, Godzilla stood 50 meters tall. But, but today's standards, that is puny in comparison to the buildings of the metropolis.

Godzilla was beefed up to around 80 meters, and later to 100 meters in the Heisei series (1984-1995).

RocketNews 24 has an article with photos of what the original Godzilla would look like in modern Tokyo.

They begin with:

When Legendary Pictures gave Godzilla an American reboot in 2014, it also made him bigger than ever, as he stood 108 meters (354 feet) tall in that film. Then, when original owners Toho announced they were bringing the King of the Monsters back to Japan for the just-released Shin Godzilla (also known as Godzilla Resurgence), he grew yet again, with the world-famous creature being 118.5 meters tall in his latest outing. 

This might seem like a bit of a friendly rivalry between production companies as they try to one-up each another in creating kaiju on the grandest scale, but the truth is that Godzilla has been growing progressively larger for decades. See, while Tokyo has been a large, bustling city since Japan’s feudal era of the 17th century, architectural and economic limits meant that it wasn’t always as studded with skyscrapers as it is now. When Godzilla made his screen debut in 1954, the capital’s skyline was far lower and less dense than it is today, and as such the movie’s star was smaller in stature as well, with a modest (by modern kaiju standards) height of 50 meters. 

Granted, that’s still pretty huge, as far as atomic fire-breathing lizards go. But while that height would have enabled him to peer over the buildings of 1950s Tokyo, Godzilla would find his lines of sight severely impaired by the city’s present-day urban jungle, as demonstrated in this tweet from @FUKUBLOG.

Size does matter.

To read more, go here. 

Sen. Greg Smith and Other Conservatives Lose Primaries To RINOs

Above, Sen. Greg Smith of Kansas.

One has to sometimes wonder what drives the electorate to vote the way they do. Today is one of those times.

Kansas State Senator Greg Smith, along with several other conservative legislators, lost their primary bids last night.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

TOPEKA, Kan.—A top Senate leader and at least 10 other conservative Kansas legislators have lost their seats as moderate Republicans made GOP primary races a referendum on education funding and the state's persistent budget woes. 

Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce was among the lawmakers ousted amid a backlash against Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and his allies. 

Besides Mr. Bruce, the conservative senators who were unseated were Tom Arpke, of Salina; Forrest Knox, of Altoona; Jeff Melcher, of Leawood; Larry Powell, of Garden City; and Greg Smith, of Overland Park. All are allies of Gov. Brownback.

That is one of the reasons that I don't trust moderate Republicans. They would find any excuse to stab conservatives in the back during a primary or, failing that, support a Democrat in the general election.

Word has reached me that Smith's opponent, Dinah Sykes, ran a well-funded campaign (teacher's union money?). It will be interesting to see where her campaign contributions came from.

We are also seeing this on the national scale as moderates (RINOs) are backing Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.

Sen. Smith served his community and state well. I was proud to support him. I hope this setback is only temporary and that he'll jump back into the arena.

To read more, go here.

Noel Neill Tribute

Tomorrow will mark one month since the passing of actress Noel Neill.

Brad Shey created this "Breakfast Table In Heaven" and thought I would share it. He calls it, "A "Kellogg's Breakfast" Reunion".

Movie Monster Series Godzilla 2016 Vinyl Figure Has Arrived

Above, the Bandai Movie Monster Series Godzilla 2016 Vinyl Figure. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Bandai Movie Monster Series Godzilla 2016 Vinyl Figure has arrived today. It is the Shin Godzilla (or Godzilla Resurgence) figure.

I finally broke down and bought one. I've been slowing down on buying Godzilla and other kaiju toys since space at La Casa Vaquer is limited.

It is a nice 6" figure and it sure does have a long tail!

Here's some more photos:

JTB Offers Weddings On Mt. Fuji For Foreign Tourists

Above, a bullet train view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you are about to get married, but are stumped as to where to hold the wedding ceremony, here's an idea to make "that special day" even more special.

The Japan Times reported:

Major travel agency JTB Corp. has launched a package tour that allows tourists from overseas to hold a wedding ceremony on Mount Fuji, dressed in traditional kimono. 

The tour, named Wedding above Clouds at Mount Fuji in Japan, is being offered by the company’s regional unit, JTB Tokyo Metropolitan Corp. 

During the two-day tour, the wedding ceremony will be held at Komitake Shrine at Mount Fuji’s fifth station, which is located at an elevation of 2,340 meters.

Sound intriguing? To read more, go here. 

Spiked Drink Crime On The Rise In Roppongi, Kabukicho

Above, the Roppongi entertainment and nightlife district of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan, in general, is relatively a very safe place, but no country is 100% crime-free.

There is a disturbing trend in some of Tokyo's entertainment districts.

According to The Tokyo Reporter:

TOKYO (TR) – The Embassy of the United States issued a warning to its citizens on Tuesday regarding continuing reports of theft or fraud that result from “drink spiking” incidents taking place at bars and clubs in major entertainment areas of the metropolis. 

“Some of Tokyo’s entertainment and nightlife districts — in particular, the Roppongi and Kabukicho areas — have a higher level of crime compared to other parts of the city,” the warning said. “The Embassy recommends that you use caution in all entertainment and nightlife districts throughout Japan. Complaints of robberies committed after a victim has been drugged from a spiked drink are increasing. The Embassy also receives reports of credit card fraud, extortion, and even assault in these districts.”

In any place, it is best to use caution and, if possible, when going to any entertainment and nightlife districts, bring a buddy.

To read more, go here. 

Godzilla To Come To Life At Universal Studios Japan

Above, Godzilla in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since Toho Studios in the Setagaya district of Tokyo is a 100% working studio with no rides, tours or attractions (except for the Godzilla and Seven Samurai murals and the Godzilla statue, what would be the next best thing?

According to Malay Mail Online:

TOKYO, Aug 2 — Universal Studios Japan has revealed an all-new, 4D attraction set to debut at next year’s “Universal Cool Japan 2017” event, which will bring the Japanese legend of “Godzilla” to life. 

The Osaka-based resort revealed yesterday, August 1 that it will debut the multi-sensory experience “Godzilla: The Real 4D” early next year (at a date to be announced later), while the Universal Cool Japan 2017 event kicks off January 13, 2017. 

The attraction, based on the hit franchise, will see guests personally confront a giant, 118.5-meter-tall “Godzilla” rampaging through the city.

To read more, go here.

"It has A LOT of Potential!"

Today, I went to a local art frame shop to get some frame ideas for the painting.

Fortunately, the painting is a standard size (24" x 30"), so framing will be easy. That is, if I want to go with a "ready-made" frame.

We did look at some frame styles for custom framing. Three of them seemed the most appropriate:

Above, the order of preference: 1. The one on the left. 2. The one on the right. 3. The one in the middle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

First off, I showed the framer photographs of the painting. He said it was very well done and that I found a "very good" artist in Asya. He said the painting has "a lot of potential." As Asya is young, she could very well become famous in the years ahead. With that, he said, the value of the painting could go up. I hadn't thought of that. But it is something to think about.

He asked, "Did she sign it?" I said yes. He then said that will be a big help later on. The painting could conceivably "last centuries" and if Asya becomes a famous artist over the years, having her signature on it will greatly add to the valuation way down the road.

He asked me how much did she charge for it. I told him and he said that was a "very reasonable" price. He then told me that a customer had a portrait done and he was charged $8,000 for the work by the artist. He also had a clause in the commission agreement that if he didn't like the painting, he can refuse to pay. The customer didn't like the painting, so he didn't pay for it. But, he had the artist do another painting and, this time, he liked it and paid for it. I paid nowhere near $8,000 for mine. 

He told me of another customer who brought in two "canvasses". The customer stretched out the first canvass on the table. It was a painting of the customer and his wife during the time of their wedding. He asked the framer for a knife. He took the knife and then proceeded to cut the painting in a big 'X'. The framer asked, "Why did you do that?!" The customer responded, "I just divorced her and she took me for $3 million!" Ouch!

The second canvas the customer brought in was of he and his girlfriend. That one he had framed. My response was, "That is one guy who should get a prenuptial agreement!" (if he remarries).

Above, of these two frame styles, I prefer the one on the left. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While I was looking over the frame styles, I took some photos of three I liked the best. The framer and I agreed that the painting shouldn't be overwhelmed by a frame. It deserves a frame that would compliment it and bring it out. The photos of the frame that accompany this blog post are the ones I am considering. I sent them to Asya to get her opinion.

Above, another possibility. I also like this one. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

He asked me what were my instructions to Asya. I told him that I gave her "free-rein" and to "have fun with it."  He told me that was the best thing I could have done for her. He said, "You gave her room to breathe without pressure or deadlines." He feels the result reflects that. I told him that I was an art major at one time and "put myself in her shoes" and I would have preferred to work in the same way.

We had an enjoyable visit. Besides discussing the frames and the other customers, we also talked about the Barnabas Collins portrait from Dark Shadows and the Oscar Wilde story, The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

July Better Than June

Above, The Beast at the Manzanar visitor center parking lot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Where the heck is this year going? It seems almost recently that we were in January. Now we're in August.

While the first half of the year was rather crappy (with some exceptions), at least the second half started out better. At least July was a better month than June was.

July began with my cousin's annual 4th of July (held on July 2) bash down in Wildomar, California. It was great to see family members in a festive mood.

Above, a meadow in Devil's Postpile National Monument. Photo by Armnd Vaquer.

Following that, Jes and I went to the Ventura Beach RV Resort for a few days of relaxation. She had never camped in an RV before and she enjoyed it.

After this, I headed up the Owens Valley in the Eastern Sierra with my cat Sierra and visited places that I hadn't been to before such as Manzanar Relocation Camp, Devil's Postpile National Monument, Mammoth Lakes and Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park. I am happy that I'm getting plenty of use out of The Beast.

Above, at Japantown in West Los Angeles. Photo by Anastasia Lipovetskaya.

I commissioned a portrait in July and it was only completed a few days ago. I am working on holding an "unveiling party" to be held in the not-too-distant-future.

I bought DVD sets of Dallas and finished watching Seasons One through Three. Yesterday, I picked up Season Four (the "Who shot J.R.?" storyline) and now in the middle of side one of disc one. It is fun watching my onetime favorite television show after all these years, especially the insults J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) threw at people ("Sue Ellen, you're a drunk, a tramp, and an unfit mother.") Classic!

That reminds me. There's still some legal matters to attend to this month, but I feel confident that I will prevail in them. Most, if not all, were forced by the actions of a couple of female jackasses. There's not much to do except to deal with them and move on.

July ended with an enjoyable dinner at Maria's Italian Kitchen in Encino with Dawn. We'll see how August shapes up.