PETA Slaughtering Dogs and Cats

Above, my two cats Buttons and Siren.

Ever since I can remember, my family has always had animals in our household. I've always enjoyed pets and animals in general. Last week, I found an injured snake in the middle of a residential street in Burbank. I moved it out of the street.

So I find this to be disturbing (from PETAkillsanimals.com):

Animal lovers worldwide now have access to more than a decade's worth of evidence showing that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) kills thousands of defenseless pets at its Virginia headquarters. Since 1998, PETA has opted to "put down" 25,840 adoptable dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens instead of finding them "forever homes."

PETA's "Animal Record" report for 2010, which the animal rights group itself filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shows that PETA employees killed 94 percent of the dogs and cats in their care last year. During all of 2010, PETA found adoptive homes for just 44 pets.

Just 44 dogs and cats—out of the 2,345 PETA took in. Those numbers are abysmal, and they and offer little hope for homeless animals to escape perishing on PETA's version of "death row."

This is a slaughterhouse. I have to thank talk show host Mark Levin for bringing this to people's attention.

PETA raises money from do-gooders claiming to be saving animals. Instead, they are literally picking up animals and killing them in their vans!

To view the PETAkillsanimals.com website, go here.

Mutantkind.com Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide Press Release

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

Mutantkind.com (I like that name!) has picked up the press release on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

The site describes itself as a place "Where Mutants Can Connect With Their Own Kind."

In their "About Us" page, they posted:

Mutantkind is a social network that connects mutants with mutants. Mutants use Mutantkind to interact with friends, upload photos, post blogs and forum items, join Leagues and learn more about other mutants from around the world.

It looks like a fun site.

To see their posting, go here.

Japan's Tourism Struggle

Above, the pagoda in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Washington Post published an article a few days ago on Japan's continuing struggle in attracting foreign tourists due to the "triple catastrophe" of March 11.

It is a good article by Chico Harlan (a name that evokes "What do you get when you cross Col. Sanders with Chico Marx?") refuting a lot of what the mainstream media in the U.S. hysterically reported immediately after the earthquake, tsunami and radiation problems.

The article starts with:

Beth Reiber, the freelance writer responsible for the set of Frommer’s guidebooks on Japan, felt lucky just to get on the plane. Her editors had canceled plans to publish a Tokyo guidebook for 2012, thinking it didn’t make sense to spend all that money to publish a book that nobody would buy.

But Reiber pushed back and gave them the same message that Japan is struggling to give the world: Tokyo remains radiation-free and just as safe as always.

The problems with the Japan travel industry following the quake stems from the mistaken fears that the whole country is contaminated with radioactivity. According to the article, the quake changed Japan's "image" of being a safe country, resulting in a 62% drop in foreign tourism in April. The May figures haven't been released as yet.

If people would bother to look at a geographic map of Japan, they'd see that Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Mt. Fuji, and Okinawa are far away from the affected area.

The article correctly points out:

Much of this is founded on misperception: A region was battered, not all of Japan. But the March 11 disaster has dealt a severe blow to a tourism industry the nation had been counting on to help offset static domestic consumer demand due to a shrinking population.

Regular readers of this blog are aware that I have been "beating the drums" for Japan tourism.

It is interesting to note that Frommer’s was considering canceling their Tokyo guidebook for 2012. Frommer’s is one of the premier guidebook companies for worldwide travel destinations.

I did notice a "pause" in sales for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan in the wake of the disaster. But due to using a new (for me at least) press release distribution company and a pre-vacation season discount in May, sales are now back up again. No throwing in the towel here!

It is also interesting that Frommer's was skittish in publishing their Tokyo guide, since they are a corporation and should have the resources to detect trends for Japan travel. And, they should know better (and I am just a one-man operation in comparison). Couldn't they tell from their own maps that the affected region (Tohoku) is far to the north of Kantu (to give just one example)? Maybe Frommer's should listen to Ms. Rieber more often.

To read the full article, go here.

Sonorika.com Picks Up Monster Japan Travel Guide

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

The United Kingdom's Sonorika.com picked up the Japan Visitor article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Sonorika.com contains articles on travel, music, art and other features. It is available in multiple languages.

To see the site, go here.

Father's Day Lunch

Had an enjoyable sushi Father's Day lunch courtesy of my daughter Amber at Kabuki Japanese Restaurant in Woodland Hills.

Happy Father's Day!

Above, my dad at Weeping Rock at Zion National Park in 1980.

Today is Father's Day.

It is one of those holidays (or, observances) where one more acutely misses those who have passed on. It is even more true if one's family was close-knit as ours was.

Although it has been ten and a half years since my dad died of cancer, it still seems unreal that he's been gone that long (and it seems just as unreal my mom has been gone about a year and a half). Memories are still vivid. I can still remember things he said or did. Some funny (and some no-so-funny) incidents of the past.

One thing about losing parents is that I am still catching myself wanting to call them up on the phone. My mom especially so, since her passing was more recent. I remember a time after my dad died I was about to consult with him on some car problem I was having and catching myself. Last year, for a fleeting moment I thought about calling my mom after meeting Shirley MacLaine. Again, I had to catch myself. It is a weird feeling.

I know a lot of people who have lost a parent or family member over the past two years and I can imagine that they are going through the same thing.

Although this day is Father's Day, and time is set aside to remember mine, I think of him and my mom every day. In practice, at least for me anyway, every day is Father's Day and Mother's Day. Thank goodness for the invention of home video (and previously, 8mm home movie film) so I can still see and hear their voices. (If you don't have a home video camera, get one!)

If you are lucky to still have your parents, make sure you enjoy them while you still can because someday they won't be here except in memory.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy a lunch with my daughter Amber.

Happy Father's Day!

Anime Expo 2011

Anime Expo 2011 opens July 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles. The Expo runs from Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4.

Last year, Anime Expo drew over 45,000 attendees. The show began in 1992 that drew 1,750. Previously, Anime Expo was held at the Long Beach Convention Center and the Anaheim Convention Center.

Anime Expo (AX) showcases the latest anime-related products and representatives of anime production companies and manga publishers will be in attendance.

Danny Choo, television personality, blogger and anime enthusiast, will be special guest at AX. He hosts Culture Japan, a television show that presents Japanese pop culture to the world.

For more information on Anime Expo, go here.

Japan Tourism Industry Targets Anime Fans

Above, anime characters aren't difficult to find in Japan as this Niigata tour bus demonstrates.

Japan's tourisn industry is beginning to think "outside of the box" in coming up with ways to lure foreign tourists to Japan. Japan's tourism industry was hit hard by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Breitbart.com reported today:

TOKYO, June 17 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The Japan National Tourism Organization said Friday it has compiled an English-language map that introduces tourism spots and theme parks related to Japanese "anime" as part of efforts to attract more foreign tourists.

I have advocated that the Japanese tourism industry also market tours to Japan to fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies.

JNTO's targeting of the anime fan market seems to be a good start. However, anime fans tend to be younger than the baby-boomer generation (i.e., people with travel money) whose first exposure to Japanese pop culture were through Japanese science-fiction movies.

To read the full article, go here.

First Goodyear Blimp Fatality In 85 Years

(Special thanks to blimp expert Robert McArthur.)

Above, the "Spirit of Safety."

The first Goodyear blimp fatality in 85 years occurred Sunday in Germany.

The Goodyear blimp was ironically named "The Spirit of Safety."



The DAPD news agency reported:

Photographer Joachim Storch told media that the blimp — The Spirit of Safety — missed its designated landing spot at Reichelsheim airfield in central Germany on Sunday evening, causing its engine to slam into the ground.

The pilot yelled "We had an accident!" followed by "I crashed the airship!" as the smell of fire crept through the blimp, Storch told the DAPD news agency on Monday.

Storch and two other passengers, a man and woman from a TV crew, leapt 7 feet (2 meters) to safety.

The sudden loss of weight caused the ship to shoot into the air, where it burst into flames, killing the pilot who remained in the cabin.

The gasoline-powered engine caught fire after hitting the ground. The fire then spread to the helium-filled envelope.

John Edwards Mugshot

Call him "Breck Girl" or "Silky Pony," but no matter what one calls former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, just call him indicted.

Edwards pleaded not guilty in early June after a federal grand jury indicted him on six counts, including conspiracy, issuing false statements and violating campaign contribution laws.

He is accused of using campaign money to cover up an affair with Rielle Hunter.

Barbershop Talk

Living in or near Tinseltown (i.e., Hollywood) does have its advantages. Sometimes one gets to hear industry scuttlebutt (possibly) before it hits the newspapers.

This morning, my long-delayed visit to the barbershop finally came to pass (I couldn't stand it anymore) this morning. While getting myself a haircut, another customer came in and was seated at the chair next to mine.

He works in some capacity in the movie industry (I think he said he's a sculptor) and said that he has to scramble around for work. Then he dropped a bombshell.

He said that the Walt Disney Company is about to lay off 300 to 500 workers!

Ouch! That's a lot of people who will be out of work. I did see a June 6 news item about Disney laying off 250 workers globally, but what I heard this morning was local.

It seems that hope & change is not exactly working out for those in an industry who are predominantly liberal and are Democrat/Obama supporters.

Instead of "spreading the wealth," they're going so see "spreading the misery."

Happy Birthday, Miki!

Above, one of many photographs taken of Miki for promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Since publishing The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan, it has been my good fortune in meeting and working with a many wonderful people over the past year and a half.

One of which is model Miki Hayashi.

Last year, through writer, filmmaker and dinosaur expert Donald F. Glut, I was able to secure the services of two topnotch models, Yuu Asakura and Miki Hayashi.

After coming home from work tonight, I found out that today's Miki's birthday.

Besides being a model, Miki is a university student living in the Long Beach area. She is originally from Kyoto, Japan.

Above, following our photo-shoot, Miki and I had a "wrap" lunch at Crazy Tokyo Sushi.

I first met Miki last February (although we had spoken on the phone a few times prior) when we did our photo-shoot. I found her to be a very nice person and easy to work with.

Then, last April, I was scheduled to present a talk on monster movie locations in Japan at this year's Monsterpalooza in Burbank. My daughter Amber was going to assist me, but came down with a nasty flu a few weeks before Monsterpalooza. She stil wasn't fully recovered when Monsterpalooza approached.

So, I called Miki and she agreed to pitch in and assist me. Am I ever grateful for that!

While at Monsterpalooza, I introduced her to "Mr. Godzilla" himself, Haruo Nakajima and to master monster suit-maker, Shinichi Wakasa.

Above, Miki with Haruo Nakajima at Monsterpalooza.

So, here's a big Happy Birthday to Miki! Happy Birthday, Miki!

A Visit To Japan's Imperial Palace

Text and Photos by Armand Vaquer

Above, one of the Imperial Palace moats.

One of the main tourist attractions in Tokyo is the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace is located in the Chiyoda area of Tokyo and close to Tokyo Station. It is an easy walk from Hibiya. I first visited the Imperial Palace during my first trip to Japan in 2001.

Above, one of the moats that surround the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace is the home of Japan's Emperor. The current Emperor is Emperor Akihito (or Emperor Showa). The Imperial Palace is a park-like area that is built on the the former location of Edo Castle in central Tokyo. The main palace grounds are surrounded by moats and is fortified by massive stone walls.

Above, the Nijubashi Bridge.

Above, the main gate to the Imperial Palace.

The palace complex includes the Imperial Residence, Imperial Household Agency, Biological Laboratory, Chōwaden Reception Hall, Imperial Palace Plaza and East Gardens. The East Gardens are open to the public on designated days.

Above, a guard tower near the East Gate.

The main entrance to the Imperial Palace is accessed by the Nijubashi Bridge. Don't try getting through as the gate is manned by guards.

Above, one of the gates that leads into the Imperial Palace property from the government center.

For more detailed information on the Imperial Palace, go here.

When Eugene McCarthy Endorsed Ronald Reagan For President

Above, Eugene McCarthy during his 1968 presidential campaign.

I was thumbing through former Ronald Reagan aide Michael K. Deaver's book A Different Drummer yesterday and found a little tidbit of political trivia. The book is about Deaver's thirty years of working for Ronald Reagan.

During the 1980 presidential campaign against President Jimmy Carter, Reagan was barnstorming the Midwest. Reagan, at this point, was slightly behind Carter in the polls. Deaver was receiving messages that former Minnesota U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy (March 29, 1916 – December 10, 2005), one of the most respected liberal Democrats, wanted a private meeting with Reagan.

Deaver "couldn't understand why this icon of the left would want to meet with the new Mr. Conservative." It was Eugene McCarty's surprise showing in the 1968 New Hampshire Primary that caused President Lyndon Johnson to withdraw from the 1968 presidential campaign.

When the Reagan party arrived at their hotel, there was Eugene McCarthy sitting by himself in the lobby.

McCarthy approached Reagan and said, "Governor, I'd like to talk to you in private if that's okay." Reagan nodded and shook his hand and they went into Reagan's room. Deaver "instinctively" followed them in. McCarthy didn't seem to mind. Deaver stayed long enough to hear McCarthy tell Reagan that he wanted to formally endorse him for president. McCarthy gave his reasons for wanting to support Reagan and ditch Carter.

Above, Ronald and Nancy Reagan at Los Angeles International Airport following the 1980 Republican National Convention. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Reagan was appreciative and after some small talk, McCarthy departed with Deaver escorting him to his car. During the walk to the car, Deaver said to him, "What you said in there makes some sense, Senator. But what's the real reason you're endorsing Ronald Reagan?"

At the car, McCarthy looked Deaver in the eye and said, "I'll tell you why. It's because he is the only man since Harry Truman who won't confuse the job with the man."

Monster Japan Travel Guide Slideshow Video In "Tours N Travels"

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

Tours N Travels has pages of Japan travel videos. Included in their pages of travel videos is The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan slideshow video.

Tours N Travels has travel-related videos of vacation destinations for virtually anywhere in the world.

To view their site, go here.

Dollar Slipping Against Yen

Lately, the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen exchange rate hovered around 80-82 yen per every dollar exchanged. It wasn't getting any better, but it wasn't getting any worse.

Until now.

This past week, the dollar started slipping with forecasters fearing a repeat of March.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--An onslaught of forced buying linked to options helped fuel the yen's violent rally in March. Now, some in the market fear a rerun of that scenario. The question is how abrupt the currency's moves may be this time.

"It's a big debate," says David Gary, New York-based head of foreign-exchange derivatives at Deutsche Bank AG. "There are definitely multiple opinions."

On Wednesday, one dollar bought Y79.79, just below Y80, a key level for Japanese authorities, who worry a strong yen will make it harder for quake-hit Japanese exporters to sell their goods abroad.

Mr. Gary says he expected the dollar/yen exchange rate to "start accelerating to the downside on a break of 80, and more so below 78.50." A gauge of jitters in the currency markets on Wednesday suggests some traders are bracing for a sudden slide in dollar/yen.

To read the full article, go here.

Today's exchange rate between the dollar and yen (source: Universal Currency Converter):

1.00 USD = 80.3100 JPY

Besides the problems this causes Japanese exporters that the Wall Street Journal article stated, it also makes it harder for Americans to afford traveling to Japan. Many Japan-based tourism companies tie their prices to the exchange rate as does the JR Rail Passes. This makes them more expensive.

The dollar's slippage is also causing concern to China, who owns much of the U.S. debt.

According to this article from the U.K. Daily Mail:

China, which holds $1.2 trillion of the U.S. deficit, has cracked the whip to make sure Washington can pay up amid fears America is already defaulting.

A Chinese ratings house yesterday accused the United States of defaulting, just one day after Beijing urged Washington to put its fiscal house in order.

'In our opinion, the United States has already been defaulting,' Guan Jianzhong, president of Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. Ltd., the only Chinese agency that gives sovereign ratings, was quoted by the Global Times saying.

Washington had already defaulted on its loans by allowing the dollar to weaken against other currencies - eroding the wealth of creditors including China, Guan said, according to the AFP.

It appears that the Chinese aren't happy with the Obama Administration's economic policies. They are not impressed with "hope and change." Adding $14+ trillion to the national debt since 2009 isn't exactly getting one's fiscal house in order!

This comes at a bad time as the travel season is beginning.

Encyclopedia.com Picks Up Slideshow Video On Monster Japan Travel Guide

HighBeam Research, Inc.'s Encyclopedia.com has picked up the YouTube slideshow video on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

I don't know how long it has been posted there as it isn't indicated on the page. I received a notice earlier today.

To go to the website, go here.



Right, Miki Hayashi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Superman's New Look

Well, here's a better look at Superman's "new look" that DC Comics is unveiling:



(Click on image to view larger.)

Facially, at least he looks like Superman in this image. But the costume really wouldn't attract my interest (most importantly to DC, my dollars) if I were their "target audience."

The most radical part of the new costume is the missing red trunks and those hideous boots. Are those boots supposed to be metallic or something?

According to the Los Angeles Times' Hero Complex page:

In most DC Comics, Superman is getting a costume makeover, that, as shown at the right, gives him a slightly more cosmic look (the lined blue costume and red belt and boots suggest alien-tech sleekness, and then there’s that higher, band collar) and a less Speedo-informed fashion sensibility (he loses the red trunks that he’s been wearing since the FDR years).

Sorry DC, this doesn't do it for me nor does it impress me. This excites me like the new Coke disaster of the 1980s.

(Thanks to Steve Brant for alerting me to this.)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum

Above, the main building of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Much as I like Tokyo, I do try to leave it to see other parts of Japan whenever I visit the country.

One place visitors should see is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum .

The city of Hiroshima was the first city to be the target of an atomic bomb. Seeing Hiroshima as it is today, one would never guess that the city was destroyed by the atomic bomb.

Above, the museum contains these dioramas of "before and after" views of Hiroshima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

On August 6, 1945, a newly-developed atomic bomb (named "Little Boy") was dropped from the B-29 bomber Enola Gay at 8:15 a.m. over Hiroshima during World War II. The bomb was detonated at the detonation height of about 1,900 feet (580 m) above the city. About 70,000–80,000 people were killed immediately and another 70,000 people were injured. More died over the years of radiation-related illnesses.

Above, the memorial cenotaph with the stone chest in the center which contains the registry of names of persons who were killed from the bombing. It currently contains 221,893 names. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Peace Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park were established to memorialize those who perished from the atomic bomb attack and to work for world peace so that atomic and nuclear weapons are never used during war again.

Above, across the Motoyasu River from Peace Memorial Park is the A-Bomb Dome. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In August 2004, I visited Peace Memorial Park and Museum (nearly 59 years to the day of the bombing) during G-TOUR.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan contains information on Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum on page 44 as the A-Bomb Dome was briefly shown in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). Also, the a-bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were inspirations for Godzilla.

A visit to Hiroshima and nearby Miyajima Island would be worth the journey.

Tokyo Sky Tree Open To Visitors May 22

Above the Tokyo Sky Tree from Asakusa last December. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo Sky Tree, now nearing completion as "the world’s tallest self-standing tower," will be opened to visitors on May 22, 2012, according to the Tobu Tower Sky Tree Company.

There will be two observation decks for visitors to view Tokyo from:

1.) 350 meter observation deck at 2,000 yen.

2.) 450 meter observation deck for an additional 1,000 yen.

The decks will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Tokyo Sky Tree is scheduled to be completed in February and is located in the Sumida Ward of Tokyo. It will stand 634-meters when completed. It will be replacing Tokyo Tower as Tokyo's primary broadcast tower.

Now We're In War #4

So now we're in war #4. It has been reported that U.S. forces are bombing targets in Yemen.

Whose side are we on? Who are the "good guys"? Who are the "bad guys"?

So now we're at war in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and now Yemen. Where's the outcry from the Left?

Ten Reasons To Visit Japan This Summer

Above, the O-Torii Gate at Itsukushima on Miyajima Island near Hiroshima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

eTurboNews has an interesting article on "10 Reasons To Visit Japan This Summer." The source for the article is the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).

The article begins with:

Most of Japan is back to normal following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on 11 March. Many parts of Japan, including popular holiday destinations such as Hokkaido, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Mt. Fuji, Nagasaki and Okinawa, incurred no disruption to infrastructure and everything in these areas has continuously operated as normal.

Tokyo is back to normal with trains once again running like clockwork, water safe to drink and the beer and yogurt shortages now over (yes, there were temporary shortages due to packaging factories having been in the earthquake-hit region!).

The FCO has said it is safe to travel to Tokyo and beyond in Japan since 5th April, yet UK visitors to Japan have dropped by around 50%. With the full reopening of the Tohoku bullet train line on 29 April, the situation for visitors is virtually back to normal in all of Japan, including most of the Tohoku Region (the area in northeast Japan where the earthquake and tsunami occurred).

The ten reasons are excellent ones (I'm not posting them here, so you'll have to read the article).

To view the article, go here.

Happy Birthday, Kaneko-san!

Above, Shusuke Kaneko (left) at the 2003 G-FEST. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Right now, it's June 8 in Tokyo, Japan.

It is also director Shusuke Kaneko's 56th birthday.

Kaneko, as Japanese science-fiction fans know, was the director of the Gamera trilogy of the 1990s: Gamera, Guardian of the Universe; Gamera 2; and Gamera 3. He also directed Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (known in fan circles as GMK) in 2001 (by the way, the 10th anniversary of the film's release is coming up at the end of the year).

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kaneko in Chicago in 2003 when he made a surprise visit to G-FEST.

Happy Birthday, Kaneko-san!

Old Nichigeki Theater Photo

Back on May 15, I did a write-up of the Toho Nichigeki Theater in Tokyo.

There was one photo I was going to use with the article but decided not to. So, for your viewing pleasure, here's the photo:



(Click on image to view larger.)

The theater is long-gone and has been replaced by the Yurakucho Mullion Building.

Weiner: In Touch With His Inner Monkey

Rep. Anthony Weiner said his acts were stupid and he wasn't thinking. This is possible as this from Salon indicates:

"Men who send off penis pictures probably aren't thinking at all, they're responding to an unconscious, evolutionary urge likely inherited from our primate ancestors: male monkeys and apes routinely display their penis (usually erect) to females to indicate sexual interest," cognitive neuroscientist Ogi Ogas told Salon.

So, in other words, Weiner was getting in touch with his inner monkey. Makes sense.

Travel Industry Today Picks Up Press Release On Monster Japan Travel Guide

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

Travel Industry Today picked up the press release the new press service I started using sent out.

The website is "An EIN News Service For Travel Industry Professionals." Member travel industry professionals will be receiving the release through the site or through emailed bulletins. This is a big help in getting the word out about The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan in the travel/tourism industy.

Travel Industry News describes itself:

This travel media monitoring service is used by thousands of companies, institutions and global professionals worldwide who need to identify up-to-the-minute news on topics vital to their businesses from more than 7,300 worldwide sources.

To view their posting, go here.

Jimi Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth

Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading. The books I've reading have been reading have been primarily biographies and non-fiction books of historical events.

The latest read was Sharon Lawrence's 2004 biography on Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix: The Man, The Magic, The Truth (HarperCollins). Actually, the read was a revisit to the book. When the mood moves me and if I haven't read a book for a while, I'll pull it from my bookcase and read it again.

Lawrence started out as a United Press International reporter at the wire service's Los Angeles bureau. She met Hendrix at a concert at the Anaheim Convention Center in 1968. She became Hendrix's friend and confidant for the remainder of Hendrix's life. Her last conversation with him was within 24 hours of his untimely death on September 18, 1970 in London.

The book begins with her meeting Hendrix and goes through his childhood in Seattle, Washington, the highs and lows of his success as rock's premier guitarist, his death (she was one of the first to interview Monika Dannemann two days after Hendrix died in her flat in London), to all the legal battles of the Hendrix family members over rights to his music and contests over father Al Hendrix's will.

Above, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Miles at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

What makes this book important is that Lawrence kept notes and tapes of her conversations with Hendrix. He was a good-natured soul who only wanted to make music but was plagued by shoddy management and leeches claiming rights to his music. Hendrix had a bad habit of signing contracts with undesirable people that later led to numerous lawsuits. These lawsuits caused great anguish to Hendrix and may have led to his death. Lawrence thinks Hendrix may have given up and his death was suicide, not an accident.

Hendrix's father Al Hendrix and stepsister Janie don't come out very flattering in this book. Lawrence describes in detail how Janie manipulated Al Hendrix in putting her in control over the Hendrix's music legacy (she is described as using the family company, Experience Hendrix, as a personal "ATM machine" to the detriment of other family members). Al was more interested in the money when his son died. All these problems could have been avoided had Jimi Hendrix left a will.

By all rights, the two children of Jimi Hendrix, Tamika Laurice James and James Henrik Daniel Sundquist (a.k.a. Jimi Hendrix Jr.), are the rightful heirs to Hendrix's legacy. But they were screwed out of their inheritance.

If this book isn't the "definitive" book on Hendrix, it comes very close to it.

See this Guitar International interview with Sharon Lawrence by going here.

Weiner Confesses To Being An Online Flasher

While blogging about the Seattle Experience Music/Science Fiction Museums, Rep. Anthony Weiner's press conference was on the radio.

Weiner admitted that the photo he Tweeted days ago was him, and that he sent it (and more). He also apologized for lying to the press. He accepted "responsibility" but refuses to resign.

The man admitted to being an online flasher (there's no other way to say it). He should do the honorable thing and resign.