Etc...

Bye now; thanks for watching

Imagine that you've just arrived in Tokyo and flipped on the TV set in your hotel room to see what's on. Let's say one channel offers news, another a game show, while a cooking program is on a third, and a sports report is on a fourth. And the same personality seems to be the host of each. But, of course, that would be silly, right? Wrong. Well, sort of wrong, anyway. In fact, there is such a person, and his name is Norio Minorikawa – or, as he's known to his fans, Montamino. He is Japan's Wolf Blitzer, Regis Philbin, and Bob Costas all rolled into one. As far as the Guinness Book of World Records is concerned, Minorikawa spends more time in front of the camera per week than anyone else in the medium. He's the presenter for 11 different programs: among them news, talk shows, Japan's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the wildlife series "Amazing Animals," and "All-Out TV," on which he dispenses advice and opinions on lifestyle, health, and relationship issues. According to Guinness, that's a total of 21-3/4 hours, which means he has little need (or opportunity) to remove his makeup as he hustles from one set to the next. Not surprisingly, he wasn't at a loss for words when Guinness awarded him a certificate in that category at a ceremony earlier this week. "I'm touched," he said. "I want to [retire] talking."