Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Down

On This Day In History
1945: Emperor Hirohito announces Japan's surrender

Quote Of The Day
"Unite your total strength, to be devoted to construction for the future. Cultivate the ways of rectitude, foster nobility of spirit, and work with resolution - so that you may enhance the innate glory of the imperial state and keep pace with the progress of the world."
(Emperor Hirohito)

The Japanese people certainly took Emperor Hirohito at his word. No better example of that is the incredible Shinkansen train. I took a bike ride to Kotoen to watch the Nozomi N-700 which runs between Osaka and Hakata. I do this every summer.

Just like on Tuesday, I watched another science fiction movie last night that I avoided watching when it was released because I feared it would taint my love of the original. This remake was not as good as the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still. No fault of Will Smith, who gave a bravura performance. No fault of the SPFX artists who did an amazing job of creating an empty and derelict New York City. Sadly, their stunning work was let down by the C.G. animation department responsible for the Darkseekers. Watching Will Smith fight them was like watching someone play a shoot-em-up video game. Consequently, there was no tension, excitement or emotional engagement whatsoever during the action scenes, which was a major let down in what could have been a very tense and exciting film. Charlton Heston's original scared the pants off me when I watched it on T.V., I remember. Can you guess the film?

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