I’m not afraid of ghosts or any kind of monster created by Hollywood. In fact, horror movies are more comedic because I laugh at the silly makeup and the contrived silver bullet solutions to get rid of the bad guys. And (did you notice?) because of their heavy makeup and costume, the monsters always move ever so slowly? Yet, by some miracle, the poor damsel runs as fast as she can but somehow the monsters always catches up with her. I think the directors come from the same Film School and follow the same predictable template. What is it that makes people want to be scared in the first place? My first cousin grew up watching horror movies and she frightened very easily. But did that stop her from watching those movies? Nooooo! Of course not. In my neighborhood you can spot the Hispanic households by their front lawn Halloween skeleton decorations. And some of them spend a small fortune just to out-scare their competition. Some people really like the dark side.

I had a strange and very vivid dream last night: I had just parked my van outside the arrival area of an airport in a third world country. There was a mess of tourists who had just arrived and they were looking for a ride to their hotel. One of the expats asked me if I knew anyone who could drive them to their destination. And I said “sure, I can do that … I can take 6 of you and your luggage in my van … just wait here.”

Japan may not have a caste system like India but I think their careers are dictated by the same job as their ancestors before them. If you are born in a family that cooks, chances are, that’s what you will be doing for the rest of your life. It’s so unlike America where every kid can grow up to be president. With their lack of ambition comes the contentment and determination to do their best in whatever their profession. I'm sure this is slowly changing as Japan faces a negative population growth.

As you read this email, I will be somewhere in the streets of Japan. But I know some of you guys need to get your TGIF Joke to start your Friday so here you go. TGIF!

The last and only time I was there was decades ago when I was still single. I was working for my Dad mining 5 ton marble blocks in Bulacan (a province in Northern Philippines). At one point, our little company was the number one Philippine marble exporter to Nagoya, Japan. Ken Y*, the president of Sekigahara (our Japanese customer) invited us to visit his factory which was/is arguably the largest stone installation company in the world. Sekigahara supplies polished stone tiles, tables and sidings for prestigious buildings all over the world. The company specializes in a “book ending” technique which meant installing beautiful veined marble tiles side by side to look like it was one continuous piece.

Now if they come up with a “Survivors Senior Edition: Outlast, Outplay, Drop Dead,” maybe then I’d consider it. Wouldn’t that be fun? Old people with wrinkled tattoos running in their flabby underwear, checking their blood pressure before a physical challenge; jumping over hoops with their oxygen tanks; playing chess instead of solving puzzles; going through a maze without their glasses; shouting their instructions because everyone is deaf; fence-fighting with their canes; and eating without their dentures.

These past few weeks have been a Repair Nightmare for me. My computer broke down; so my old programs had to be reinstalled and some of them were no longer compatible with my new operating system --- so I had to search for alternative programs and learn how to use them; then my colored monitor lost its red and everything looked blue and green; my cell phone stopped ringing and I missed several calls; then my car tires began to wobble; then my clock radio died; (and while all these were happening, I was suddenly flooded with work). Sanity was hanging by a thread.

This week I worked on an article (you can see it here at TravelingBoy.com) about a famous Imagineering artist named Sam McKim. I never knew the artist’s name but I recognized his style in several books and movies released by Walt Disney. Boy, did this project take me back to my childhood.

The news media’s credibility has never been so low … and justifiably so. They are guilty of spreading lies they never apologized for and omitting the truth. Are you aware of the billions of dollars allegedly stolen by corrupt politicians this year alone? From Day Care to Medicare, from NGOs to UFOs, from vaccinations to assassinations -- we live in a world of confusion.

This has been a super busy, physically-draining week and the heat here in Los Angeles didn't help any. I spend most of my time indoors so last Saturday I got my first taste of the heat. I helped represent the La Habra Art Gallery and rode an SUV "float" at the weekend-long Corn Festival (which was sponsored by the local Lion's Club).