Media Cover-Up Of Climategate

A tale of destroyed documents, fraud, conspiracy and the misuse of millions of government dollars would seem to have all the juicy ingredients of a scandal that journalists would kill to cover. However, the mainstream media apparently doesn't think that Climategate is news. ABC News hasn't deemed the story newsworthy. Neither has CBS nor NBC. If Americans only got their news from the networks, they would not know about the global-warming fraud or would merely think there was a simple misunderstanding about what scientists meant in some vague e-mails.

Thus began an article from the Washington Times on the lack of news coverage by the mainstream or, (as Rush Limbaugh calls them) the state-run media, on the growing scandal over the hacked emails of scientists who manipulated data on global warming.

It is obvious that the media is in bed with the liberals on the climate change issue and would not cover any news that exposes the issue as a fraud. A lot of public policy hinges on whether or not alleged climate change is caused by man, if it is even happening at all. (There's been no global warming since 1998.) Obama's cap-and-trade (i.e., cap and tax) legislation is dependent on the climate change issue.

To read the full article, go here.

Funny Of The Day

My cousin sent me this:

Getting "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" At Comixpress

Now that The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is completed and is now in the hands of Comixpress (as of yesterday), my attention turns to making sure information on ordering goes out.

Most comic books shops obtain their books through Diamond Distributors (they also distribute G-FAN). They are the "big daddy" of the comics industry distribution-wise. However, there are smaller distributors out there.

At Comixpress, a company founded by comic book creators, they also provide publishing services for small-press magazines, besides comic books. Orders can be directly made through them. In some cases, shipping is free and they never run out of stock.

They have a page explaining how retailers can buy books at wholesale. To see their retailer distribution page, go here.

Also, people wishing to buy particular books can also do so at Comixpress.

When The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is ready, it will be listed on their online store. So you may want to periodically peruse their store listings to see when it becomes available.

Fred Olen Ray Movies' DVD Box Art Revealed

Above, Christine Nguyen graces the DVD cover of "Bikini Jones."

The DVD box art of three of Fred Olen Ray's "Bikini series" have been revealed. Bikini Frankenstein, Bikini Jones and Twilight Vamps: Lust At First Bite, all with Christine Nguyen, have been covered previously on this blog.

Above, "Bikini Frankenstein."

Above, Christine Nguyen and friends take a bite out of "Twilight Vamps: Lust At First Bite."

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" At Comixpress

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan is completed and has been sent to Comixpress for publication today.

Thanks to Martin Arlt of Mad Scientist magazine for the referral (he should get a nice discount on his next edition's order).

So it is now in the talented hands of Comixpress. I will post here when it is available. Thanks for your interest and, also, patience!

Trying To Figure Out The Liberal Mindset

President Obama addressed the nation from West Point (he should have spoken in the Oval Office as the setting he chose is not presidential, in my view) on Afghanistan. He announced that he is sending additional forces of 30,000.

I heard part of his speech, which seemed to be a continuance of his childish habit of blaming the Bush Administration.

Outside of that, he seemed to upset his liberal base. One friend posted that it was "the nail in the coffin of his presidency." I thought he already did that with his stimulous and other socialist policies. Curious, I asked why he and the liberal wing of the Democrat Party are so upset.

I received this reply:

"Armand: I'm upset because 53 million-plus people voted for "change" and aren't getting it. Apart from torture, he hasn't rescinded a single Bush action, not even FISA. Instead of winding down the war, he's escalating it, against all historical precedence. He's in bed with Wall Street and the bankers, and thrown most of his supporters (most notably gays) under the bus while sucking up to the GOP, who've stated on the record that they wll stop at nothing to destroy his presidency. Hell, he can't even get Lieberman and the Blue Dogs to toe the line on health care. We thought we were voting for Samuel L. Jackson, and instead we got Wayne Brady."

This is interesting. I don't presume that the above totally represents the liberal point-of-view, but it gives an idea on the liberal state of mind.

I have some liberal friends. We can agree on some things like movies, and they are (for the most part) good people. But I really have to wonder about the liberal mindset.

On the first sentence about voting for "change," I find the comment curious. Here, they're on the verge of getting the beginnings (if Obamacare/Pelosicare passes) of their dreamed-about socialist (or Marxist) "utopia" in America. And they're already crying the blues?! Wasn't the Afghanistan war the "just war"? After all, weren't we attacked by bin Laden, who was aided by the Taliban? Wasn't the purpose for going into Afghanistan to destroy the terrorist network? Have they forgotten the 3,000-plus people murdered in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.? This appears to me that the liberals have forgotten September 11, 2001 and have reverted back to a September 10, 2001 mentality.

As for being in bed with Wall Street and the bankers, this is a bit of a twist as the stimulous (which hasn't worked) and other Democrat massive spending sprees were to "revive the economy and prevent another Great Depression." Now, taking a walk down Memory Lane, these were opposed by Republicans, particularly the conservatives. Isn't the GOP the supposed "party of Wall Street"? Seems to be the other way around.

On Sen. Joe Lieberman and the "Blue Dog Democrats," they are concerned that Obamacare/Pelosicare is too big and too expensive. They're right! These proposals are particularly insane since were are in a bad recession (caused by the Democrats and their policies of extending sub-prime loans to people who didn't qualify for conventional loans, need I remind you). Never mind that their proposed health care "reform" is unconstitutional and would be a government takeover of one-sixth of the economy. This president has spent more money (money the government doesn't have, by the way) than all previous presidents combined in his first year in office. I think Joe Lieberman and others have good reason to be concerned over this madness. Obama and the Democrat-congress are piling on debt that can never be re-paid and could even cause this country to collapse! (For the record, I was not pleased with George W. Bush's spending either, and have said so.) Some feel that's their secret plan so they can change the country into their concept of a socialist utopia.

Yet the liberals are crying over fighting the "just war." It boggles the mind. I have to wonder what planet the libs came from.

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

Final Ad Received

Received the final ad for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. Now I have decide on ad page placements and write up the directions to Comixpress accordingly.

So it appears that after almost two years of work and all, the Guide is about to "go live."

"Incantations"

"Incantations" from Mike Oldfield's Exposed Tour in 1979.

Dollar Sinking Against The Yen

Ouch! I took a look at today's currency exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and the Japanese Yen and it is bad (and seems to be getting worse).

Today's rate:

1 US Dollar (USD) = 86.6554 Japanese Yen (JPY)

Source: International Currency Converter

To keep this in proper perspective, I got 116 yen for every dollar I exchanged two years ago. That's a 30 yen difference!

Now is not the time to get the most value for your dollars.

Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda

Reviewed by Armand Vaquer

Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda
Author: Peter H. Brothers
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN 978-1-4490-2771-1

Since I’ve had four days off from work for the Thanksgiving holiday, when I wasn’t working on The Monster Movie Fan’s Guide To Japan, I read Peter H. Brothers’s new biography/filmography on Japanese director Ishiro Honda. It is titled, Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda.

Ishiro Honda was the director of the 1954 movie that ushered in the golden age of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy films: Godzilla. He went on to direct other science-fiction classics such as Rodan: The Flying Monster, The Mysterians, Battle In Outer Space, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Mothra and many others.

As in the case of the book Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters by August Ragone, this book was written by a fan. Although a fan, Brothers does not mince words on things he likes about a given movie or the things he doesn’t like about said movie. This is good as he does not come off like a fawning fanboy. For example, he described the farewell scene at the airport in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964) as “a boring and stagnant affair.” So, if you’re looking for a critical analysis of Honda’s movies, both good and bad, you’ve come to the right book. He also discusses each of Honda's movies with quite a bit of wry humor.

Originally, the book was going to be published by Midnight Marquee, but due to time delays in getting a contract out and the publishing schedule, Brothers decided that he wanted his book out sooner rather than later.

So he checked out AuthorHouse, a self-publishing publisher, and decided to go through them.

In my initial perusal of the book at a gathering at Brothers’s home in Agoura Hills, I came away impressed at their professionalism in their set-up of the book, including the cover. While they are a self-publisher, they do have arrangements with retailers and have a marketing staff to market the book. This does not leave the author “alone in the woods” to fend for himself.

Within days of publication, Amazon.com offered the book on their website. This is far better than having to, as some may get the impression when dealing in self-publishing, market and promote a self-published book on one’s own time and dime. AuthorHouse also provided review copies of the book.

A few things would have improved the book. One, is having an index. There are two schools of thought on having an index: first, it makes it easier for the reader to locate items of interest. Second, by not having an index, it forces the reader to actually read the book. You decide which school you belong to.

Having photographs also would have improved it. Brothers originally planned to include photographs (at least one for each movie covered), but due to rights issues and costs, it was decided to forego photographs. He discusses his book at length in an interview in an upcoming issue of G-FAN. Although it would have been an improvement, most people who would be buying the book are already familiar enough with the movies that photographs aren’t critical.

Overall, I think the buyer will find this book useful and interesting. My grade: A.

Oh, The Irony!

My sense of humor, being what it is (and I make no apologies for it), can see humor in mundane things. I spotted something today on the ground in the supermarket's parking lot that gave me a good laugh.

This is Rep. Brad Sherman:



And this is what his campaign committee (I presume) hands out:



Oh, the ironies of life!

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan: Movin' Right Along

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan: Movin' Right Along

Fortunately for me, I have four days off from work for Thanksgiving and I put the time to good use in working on the travel guide.



I managed to get the ads set up (the deadline cut-off is Tuesday, December 1). I should be receiving one tonight via email from horror host Karlos Borloff of Monster Madhouse. Speaking of Karlos, he sent me a message last night that said,

VERY EXCITED ABOUT YER GUIDE BOOK, AND WE NEED TO PREPARE A LOVELY AD FOR THE WEBSITE...AND A NICE REPEATABLE 30 SECOND OR ONE MINUTE SPOT (BOTH) FOR THE WEB AND TV USAGE. I CAN GET A TON OF HORROR HOSTS ACROSS USA TO RUN THEM...

Karlos Borloff is one cool cat! He has been busy editing his videos and is releasing DVDs and other goodies (more on this when I receive the information from him for posting here).

It appears that I will be done with the guide this coming week and then it'll go to Comixpress for publication.

So, we're movin' right along!

Jonathan Frid Turns 85

Above, Jonathan Frid in 1984. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A pop-culture icon will be celebrating his birthday this coming week.

Next Wednesday, December 2, actor Jonathan Frid will become 85-years-young. Frid is best remembered as the 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins in the 1966 - 1971 gothic soap opera Dark Shadows.

Baby-boomers around at that time would race home from school in the afternoon to catch the latest installment of the show. Dark Shadows originally was conceived to be a gothic soap opera embodied by paperback book illustrations of a damsel looking fearful with a looming spooky mansion in the background.

At first, the show garnered enemic ratings. So producer Dan Curtis added some supernatural elements (ghosts, a woman phoenix, etc.). It helped the ratings a little but the show was still in danger of being cancelled.

Figuring that he had nothing to lose, Curtis decided to introduce the Barnabas Collins character. Canadian-born Jonathan Frid was chosen to play the vampire for about thirteen weeks. But he became so popular with viewers that it was decided to keep him on. In a way, the vampire became a national hero. A flashback story was presented when governess Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke) was taken back into time via a seance. This story showed how Barnabas became a vampire.

Above, Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins.

As the show progressed, Barnabas became the star of the show and Frid attained star billing along with veteran actress Joan Bennett (who played matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard). Other supernatural characters such as witches, warlocks, werewolves were introduced during the show's run.

IMDB decribes Jonathan Frid's career (I cannot vouch for the accuracy) as follows:

Jonathan Frid's career in drama began when he first "offered his soul" to the theater as a young boy at a preparatory school in Ontario, Canada. Following his graduation from McMaster University, he attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and later earned a Master's Degree in Directing from the Yale School of Drama. Mr. Frid was a leading actor in English and Canadian repertory and went on to work in many of the most celebrated regional theaters in the United States, including the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, and the American Shakespeare Festival under the direction of John Houseman, performing with Katharine Hepburn in "Much Ado About Nothing". He has appeared in major roles on-and-off Broadway, in such productions as "Roar Like A Dove", "Murder in the Cathedral" and "Wait Until Dark". But, it was Mr. Frid's portrayal of a complex, conflicted vampire on ABC-TV's daytime drama series "Dark Shadows" (1966) (co-starring with Joan Bennett) and in the subsequent motion picture "House of Dark Shadows" (1970) that earned him a place as an icon of American popular culture. His other film credits include co-starring roles in "The Devil's Daughter" (1973) (TV) (with Shelley Winters) and "Seizure" (1974) (Oliver Stone's directorial debut). In 1986, Mr. Frid joined the Broadway production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" (co-starring with Jean Stapleton). He won critical acclaim for his villainous turn as the homicidal nephew and spent ten months with the play's national tour. That same year, Mr. Frid founded his own production company, "Clunes Associates", to create and tour a series of one-man readers' theater shows across North America. Mr. Frid continues to perform his one-man shows, now under the banner of "Charity Associates", to raise money for a variety of charities. Combining the arts of his voice and his zest for entertaining", as one critic put it. In June of 2000, Mr. Frid returned to the traditional professional stage in the play "Mass Appeal" at the Stirling Festival Theatre in Stirling, Ontario.

Now retired from acting, Frid spends much of his time working on his website in which he posts his musings on his career, current events and personalities and answers queries from fans. He has also returned to making appearances at annual Dark Shadows Festivals after a hiatus of several years.

Above, Dark Shadows cast members have a reunion at the 1989 Dark Shadows Festival. Photo by Armand Vaquer

He is still sharp as a tack, but grouses over the inconveniences of aging. I had the pleasure of meeting Frid at one of the earliest Dark Shadows Festivals in 1984. The photo of Frid at top of this article was one I took at that festival.

Frid is tentatively planning on attending the 2010 Dark Shadows Festival in California next summer. He has started an online store at his website and plans to have items available for sale at the festival.

A big "Happy Birthday" to Jonathan Frid!

Happy Birthday, Noel!

Above, with Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, Noel Neill addresses the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors during the "Superman Week" celebration.

Noel Neill, the original Lois Lane, is celebrating her 89th birthday today. She was born November 25, 1920 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Happy Birthday, Noel!

Britain Blasts Obama's Dithering

Ministers in the British government are upset over President Obama's "dithering" of the Afghanistan war.

The U.K. Daily Telegraph is reporting:

Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, has blamed Barack Obama and the United States for the decline in British public support for the war in Afghanistan.

Senior British Government sources have become increasingly frustrated with Mr. Obama’s “dithering” on Afghanistan, the Daily Telegraph disclosed earlier this month, with several former British defence chiefs echoing the concerns.

But Mr. Ainsworth is the first Government minister to express in public what amounts to personal criticism of the US president’s leadership over the conflict which has so far cost 235 British lives.

Polls show most voters now want an early withdrawal, following the death of 98 British service personnel this year alone.

Ministers say the mission is vital to stop international terrorists using Afghanistan as a base, but Gordon Brown has promised an “exit strategy” that could start next year.

The Defence Secretary’s blunt remarks about the US threaten to strain further a transatlantic relationship already under pressure over the British release of the Lockerbie bomber and Mr Obama’s decision to snub Mr. Brown at the United Nations in September.

Wasn't it President Obama the one who said that he will repair our relations with allies and other nations? Wasn't it President Obama who also said that the relations were caused by the Bush Administration? Didn't he also say that he will approach diplomacy with other nations based on mutual respect?

It appears that the prediction of many of us that the election of Obama will be, in effect, Jimmy Carter's second term is coming true.

To read the Telegraph's full article, go here.

Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda

My copy of Peter H. Brothers' Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda arrived in the mailbox today. I'll be reading it over during my four-day Thanksgiving holiday.

As I mentioned in a previous blog article, I perused the book at Pete's home two weekends ago and I was impressed with the finished result.

Payback For Treachery: Abel Maldonado Appointed Lt. Governor

Last night on the Jay Leno show, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nominated State Senator Abel Maldonado, the poster boy for why RINOs aren't to be trusted, to replace John Garamendi as lieutenant governor.

The state senate has to approve the appointment for it to take effect.

As many Californians recall, Maldonado's vote was the deciding vote last February for a more than $12 billion tax increase on Californians, the largest state tax increase in U.S. history. This tax increase, right smack in the middle of a recession, did absolutely nothing to fix California's finances.

Now Maldonado is being rewarded for this treachery. If he should decide to run for lieutenant governor next year, it is doubtful he would survive the GOP primary.

J. D. Lees Was Right

On the global warming matter, as an aside, a few years ago G-FAN editor and publisher J. D. Lees (who is a high school science teacher in Canada) wrote in the magazine that climate change was bogus.

His comment drew some flak from those who either didn't agree with his point-of-view or just didn't want real life injected into a magazine on Japanese science-fiction and fantasy films.

With the release of the hacked emails from scientists claiming global warming is manmade (notice how they ignore the fact that the earth has been cooling since 1998), it appears that J. D. Lees was right.

Who is having the last laugh now?

Emails Expose Global Warming Fraud

Just as many of us have always known, the issue of climate change (i.e., global warming) is a total fraud promoted by the radical left, the mainstream leftist media and scientists with a leftist agenda.

Hacked emails from pro-climate change scientists show that they manipulated the data on the alleged global warming to fit their findings, ignored contrary data and claimed opponents of "disinformation."

The Canada Free Press (amongst other news organizations) writes:

We now know Gore’s errors are based on the global warming fraud orchestrated by a few scientists centered round Phil Jones, Director of the CRU. Emails between those climate scientists, identified by Professor Wegman as publishing together and peer reviewing each other’s work disclose the complete manipulation of climate science and the Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Bishop Hill provides a useful summation of some of the outrageous comments and actions. What is missing is the nasty vindictive tone that permeates almost every item.

To read the full article, go here.

The Wall Street Journal also writes (their site includes a link to the emails):

In the emails, which date to 1996, researchers in the U.S. and the U.K. repeatedly take issue with climate research at odds with their own findings. In some cases, they discuss ways to rebut what they call "disinformation" using new articles in scientific journals or popular Web sites.

The emails include discussions of apparent efforts to make sure that reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations group that monitors climate science, include their own views and exclude others. In addition, emails show that climate scientists declined to make their data available to scientists whose views they disagreed with.

To read the WSJ's full article, go here.

This blows to smithereens Al Gore's propaganda and his money-making ventures in promoting government controls in the name of "saving the environment."

A Revisit To "Godzilla 2000"

Above, the U.S. poster for "Godzilla 2000."

This last week, my boss asked to borrow my DVD of Godzilla 2000. I handed it to him Friday.

Last night, I was in a mood to watch a Godzilla movie. I've purposely kept from watching them for a few months. I decided to watch the Japanese version of Godzilla 2000: Millennium. It's been the first time in years I've sat down to watch it through.

Although in many respects (editing, sound, etc.) the U.S. version is better (overseen by Mike Schlesinger), I found myself enjoying this revisit to the start of the third Godzilla series. It actually wears much better than the second (or Heisei) series of Godzilla movies from the 1990s (with the possible exception of Return of Godzilla or Godzilla 1985).

I feel the acting was much better than the 1990s films and Toho took some daring steps in special effects. Some worked great, others didn't. At least they tried to be a little bolder with the effects.

Having Godzilla bumped back down to about 50 meters in height made for more realistic and detailed miniatures. The big flaw of the 1990s movies was that Godzilla was beefed up to 100 meters, and the miniatures had to be scaled down accordingly. This didn't allow for much detailing in the miniatures and it made them look fake.

Although there was much criticism about Godzilla not being shown in the movie for about 30 minutes, the story was still compelling enough that I didn't miss him all that much during the duration. The characters were more interesting than the later films featuring military people (male and female) with personal issues.

I first saw Godzilla 2000 on opening day in 2000 at the Mann's Theater in Tarzana. (That theater is now gone. It was torn down a few years ago.) It was a packed house with lots of kids with their day camp groups. They relished the movie. So did I. After all, it was the first wide theatrical release of a Japanese Godzilla movie since Godzilla 1985, which I saw at a drive-in on a warm summer night. I went for other screenings of the movie in the weeks that followed. It was Godzilla as he was meant to be seen: on the big screen!

Maybe I'll re-watch the rest of the series in order over the next few weeks.

Monsterpalooza 2010

(Click on images to see larger.)

Author Peter H. Brothers and I are currently discussing having a table at the 2010 Monsterpalooza show in Burbank, California in April.

At the table, Pete would be selling his new biography/filmography on Godzilla director Ishiro Honda, Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda:



And I would be selling The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan:



Perhaps, if J. D. Lees is interested, we can also have available back issues (or even the current issue) of G-FAN there as well.

I attended this year's show last May and it was one of the best horror genre shows I've ever attended. I am looking forward to next year's show. Representation of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy films was sparse at the last show, so this will help remedy that at next year's show.

David Frum On Sarah Palin: "Powerful Sexual Signals"

Pseudo-conservative David Frum said something silly about Sarah Palin on PBS in an interview with Judy Woodruff:

"This is a woman who has got into a position of leadership by sending very powerful sexual signals."

Besides being a silly statement, it has bad grammar as well. This guy came from Harvard University?

At least it's a good laugh!

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan: Get Your Ads In!

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan: Get Your Ads In!

As I have received the PDF file of the layouts, we're about ready to go.

All the changes/corrections/additions have been made and all that needs to be done is to get the advertising inserted. This part would be done by Comixpress at their plant. I am extending the deadline to Tuesday, December 1.

As mentioned previously:

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has ad space available. Advertising should be related to Japanese science fiction or Japan travel. This is a one-shot publication.

Suitable businesses include:

1.) Airlines

2.) Travel Agencies

3.) Tour operators

4.) Japanese toy or model kit dealers

5.) Japanese science-fiction and fantasy DVD dealers

6.) Japanese hotel, ryokan, onsen and attractions operators

7.) Japanese visitor and convention bureaus

8.) Dealers of Japanese books, magazines and products

Ad rates are as follows (very reasonable):

Half-page: $75.00

Quarter page: $45.00

All you need to do is have your camera-ready ad (minimum 300 dpi) to me. Email me at AMVaquer@aol.com if interested and for payment information.

Also, if space allows, your ad will be placed in at least two locations!

Or, if you prefer, just send your business card with your check for $20.00 payable to Armand Vaquer, 18618 Collins St., #105, Tarzana, CA 91356 USA and we'll scan it to the layout!

What the fans are saying about The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan:

"Sounds like a terrific idea. Best of luck with it, Armand."

"I would buy that in a second. I would love to visit the sites associated with our beloved Godzilla films. Your book would be an invaluable reference."

"I'd buy that and send one to my friend who's living in Japan right now as a school teacher."

"This is a great idea! I only wish I had it a couple of months ago in Japan. I had a great time in Japan though… it was every thing I dreamed and more! When will this hit the stands? I’m returning to Japan next year, but this time no Kyoto…, just Tokyo."

"Looks really cool! Too bad this didn't come out sooner as I'm leaving for Japan in less than 36 hours!"

"Armand!! That is totally awesome!! Love it!!"

"Looks great! Put me down for one."

"Could of used this on my trip here now! But maybe next time. One suggestion if I may. Please add small detailed maps and Train or subway info. That would help out a lot. I know finding some places for us was difficult because of this. Good Luck with it."

As mentioned before, this is a one-shot publication, but it could be periodically updated with more information or, as it happens in any industry, changes in pricing for hotels, ryokans or attractions. If new editions are done, the earliest I would anticipate doing so would be in about a couple of years from now.

So, if you're sitting on the fence, now's the time to be a part of this informative and historial travel guide!

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Layouts Arrived!

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Layouts Arrived!

The final layouts arrived in the mail yesterday from J. D. Lees.

Now all I have to do is review them and plan out the advertising inserts. Unfortunately, they were sent as a .pdm file, which is a file program my Windows XP can't open.

I am checking with Comixpress to see if they can and send me a review version that my infernal machine can open. Sometimes things just don't happen all that easy!

Also, I received an email from the Japan Times:

Your "Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" sounds like an interesting story. We would like to know if you will be in Japan over the Christmas/New Year period and willing to make yourself available for one day to talk to one of our writers and show him around the sites. We are interested in running a half page (broadsheet) story with photos on some of the locations mentioned in your guide.

I wish I could do this, but right now the personal funding isn't on-hand to accomplish a trip at present.

UPDATE (11/20/09): J. D. sent me the layouts in PDF format (this is what Comixpress needs anyway) last evening. I am pleased at the results and the corrections/additions I requested were done.

I also learned something new last night. During our email exchange, I said, "Domo arigato gozaimasu!" (That's "thank you very much" in Japanese.) J. D. responded with, "Don't touch the mustache!"

I replied with something silly (not knowing what he meant). And his response was,
"Just in case you didn't know, "Don't touch the moustache" is the way of remembering "do itashimashite" or "Don't mention it" in Japanese."

So one learns something new everyday!

Iran's Barbarians Hand Down Death Sentences To 5 More Protestors

The Associated Press reported:

Iran has sentenced five people to death over the unrest that followed the country's disputed June presidential election, state television reported Tuesday.

At least three others caught up in the turmoil have received death sentences previously.

Iran began a mass trial in August of prominent opposition figures and activists, accusing them of a range of charges from rioting to spying and plotting what authorities have called a "soft revolution" to topple the country's Islamic rulers.

This shows once again that the barbaric rulers of Iran won't tolerate dissent among its citizens and should be denounced.

Looney Left Report: Holder Consulted With Wife and Brother

Looney Left Report: Holder Consulted With Wife and Brother

Attorney General Eric Holder was interviewed by PBS's Jim Lehrer on his decision to bring 9/11 terrorists to New York to stand trial in civilian court.

This incredible exchange took place during the interview:

JIM LEHRER: Who did you consult while making this decision?

ERIC HOLDER: I talked to the prosecutors in the Justice Department, prosecutors from the Department of Defense, people on the staff here at the Justice Department, people at Defense, a whole variety of people, who shared ideas, thoughts, gave cautionary ideas as well, and, using all of that, came up with the decision that we announced just earlier today.

JIM LEHRER: Did you run it by President Obama?

ERIC HOLDER: Just informed him of the decision.

He's a person who believes that a president's supposed to have hands off with his Justice Department. He's a good lawyer. And there are times when I would like to involve him maybe a little more, but his view is that, in those things that are in the province of the attorney general, all he needs to be is informed.

JIM LEHRER: So, you just told him what your decision was; you didn't say, "What do you think about it, Mr. President?"

ERIC HOLDER: Nope. Told him last night -- or had relayed to him what I was going to do last night while he was on Air Force One on his way to Asia.

JIM LEHRER: Did you talk to anybody outside the government?

ERIC HOLDER: I talked to my wife...

JIM LEHRER: Yes? OK.

ERIC HOLDER: ... about what she thought. And I actually talked to my brother, who's a retired Port Authority police officer who served...

JIM LEHRER: Oh, is that right? Yes.

Holder didn't talk to prosecutors, constitutional scholars or attorneys?! And he made the decision without consulting with President Obama first and just told him his decision?! Either he's a liar (to cover the President's ass) or he's a clueless numbskull! And his only outside consultations were with his wife and brother?!

Above, Eric Holder and Barack Obama.

Okay, if the trial goes forward in civilian court, with full constitutional rights granted on the defendants, all they need to do to get off is to tell the jury that, 1.) their Miranda Rights weren't read to them; and, 2.) their confessions were obtained via torture (i.e., waterboarding).

Eric Holder just showed that he's unfit to be U.S. Attorney General. He's a flaming idiot! Unless Obama reverses this decision, he's equally an idiot.

Greg Smith For Kansas House of Representatives

Above, Greg, Kelsey and Missey Smith.

Ever since I began to follow the Kelsey Smith case of Overland Park, Kansas from the beginning in June 2007, there has not been too many happy surprises.

However, I saw a Twitter post by Kelsey's dad, Greg Smith, just a few minutes ago and what he wrote came as a big, but very pleasant surprise to me: he's filed his papers to become a Republican candidate for the Kansas House of Representatives in District 22!

I have to confess, I am a big admirer of Greg Smith and his family. From the beginning of the nightmare of Kelsey's kidnapping and murder, Greg worked tirelessly within the community to first find his daughter and then to bring her killer to justice. He didn't stop there. He and his wife Missey started the Kelsey Smith Foundation to educate young women on how to protect themselves against predators, so they won't meet the horrible fate Kelsey did. They have traveled around their state and around the country to speak to groups, large and small, on self-protection.

They also saw to it that the Kelsey Smith Act was enacted in Kansas and are working so that other states pass similar laws that require cell phone companies to fully cooperate with law enforcement agencies in kidnapping cases.

The energy and determination Greg displayed tells me that he would be a great asset to the Kansas House of Representatives. If I lived in Kansas, I would unhesitantly vote for Greg Smith. He's a doer, not a talker.

From Greg's campaign website:

Greg Smith is running for the Kansas Legislature because he realizes that both political parties have abandoned core conservative principles: fiscal responsibility; limited government; and accountability. These principles need to be restored. Greg is the candidate who best represents the values and people of the 22nd District.

Is this an endorsement of Greg Smith for the Kansas House of Representatives in District 22? You bet it is!

If you would like to donate to Greg's campaign or become a volunteer, please go to his campaign website: http://www.gregsmithforkansas.com

We've An Idiot In The White House!

Looney Left Report: We've An Idiot In The White House!

by Armand Vaquer

The Los Angeles Times began their editorial on President Obama's decision to bring 9/11 terrorists to New York to stand trial in civilian court began with this:

The decision to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other accused 9/11 conspirators in the civilian judicial system shows a commitment to the rule of law.

No, the decision only shows that President Obama and his radical-left advisors (including Attorney General Eric Holder) are idiots. It is not surprising that the Times would give that view since they are owned by the Chicago Tribune Corp., sycophants of President Obama.

In practice and by tradition, no prisoner-of-war or enemy combatants have ever been granted constitutional rights or stood trial in a civilian courtroom. They've all been tried by military tribunals. People who think that a conviction is a slam dunk are living in a dream world. Just ask the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

There's a reason why Guantanamo Bay's prison was set up, it was established so that foreign enemies could not lay claim to "constitutional rights" by stepping foot on U.S. soil.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said this on Fox News Sunday:

“This seems to be an overconcern with the rights of terrorists and a lack of concern for the rights of the public.”

And over on ABC's This Week, Giuliani said:

“In this particular case, we’re reaching out to give terrorists a benefit that’s unnecessary. In fact, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, when he was first arrested, asked to be brought to New York. I didn’t think we were in the business of granting the requests of terrorists.

“It seems to me that the Obama administration is getting away from the fact that we’re at war with these terrorists. They no longer use the term, ‘War on Terror.’”

Giuliani, as you may recall, was the incumbent mayor of New York City on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center was attacked.

There's hardly been a week when Obama or someone from his administration has not said or done something stupid that angers people. Small wonder his approval numbers are sinking.

This also will cause unnecessary security issues for New York.

The only people who are happy with Obama's decision are the radical nutjobs at the ACLU and the extreme leftists of the Democrat Party.

Sheer idiocy!