It’s already December 5th again. Everyone knows that I’m obsessed with holidays and St. Nicholas Day is one of my favorites. Most people have heard David Sedaris‘ story about Santa Claus vs. St. Nicholas and maybe some of us know that he was a Greek bishop in present-day Turkey who became the patron saint of … Continue reading It’s the Eve of St. Nicholas Day
Happy December, Happy Holidays, and Happy War on Christmas! I’m sure, by now, you’ve heard of the supposed War on Christmas. It’s one of the biggest bugbears of so-called Conservatives. I say, “so-called” because the first people to declare War on Christmas were the Puritans who banned Christmas in the Massachusetts Colony in 1659 and … Continue reading Happy Holidays — The War on Christmas Edition
I’m not sure how widespread the practice of telling, reading, and watching ghost stories is on Christmas Eve, nor when it began. The custom appears to be almost unknown to most of my fellow Angelenos — despite, you know, the most famous Christmas story, Charles Dickens‘s A Christmas Carol, containing new fewer than four ghosts. … Continue reading Christmas Ghost Stories On Film
In the US, it seems like every month has some sort of literary observance. January is home to National Science Fiction, National Thesaurus Day, and Library Shelfie Day. February is National Library Lovers Month and includes Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week, Library Lovers Day, and Freelance Writers Appreciation Week. The cavalcade continues all the way … Continue reading Literary Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION Until the visit that Una and I took to San Clemente this past weekend, I don’t think that I’d ever visited the place. I’m not entirely sure because nearly all of my trips south on the 5 have ended in Mexico and the stretch of freeway between South Orange County and San Diego County has blended … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — San Clemente, The Spanish Village in Orange County
Happy St. Nicholas Day! For your enjoyment, a little somethin’ to break the monotony of all that hardcore Christmas that has gotten to be a little bit out of control… Santa Claus (1898) was directed by George Albert Smith (Weary Willie, Making Sausages), a former portrait photographer and member of the UK‘s Brighton Set. … Continue reading Silent night – Christmas movies of the silent era
Last year I posted an entry about St. Nicholas and the rather unsavory company he keeps. Child murderers, demons and hags (oh my). Well, the Krampus proved very popular, earning me another nickname that has stuck around throughout the year. The Krampus is a demon that, with the approval of kindly St. Nick, terrorizes bad … Continue reading Happy Krampusnacht!
INTRODUCTION The Tongva are a people indigenous to the American Southwest. When the European conquest of that region began, they were the dominant people in what came to be known as the Los Angeles Basin. At that time, their realm spanned more than 3,000 square kilometers of land and sea. For over 1,000 years, had … Continue reading No Enclave — Tongva Los Angeles
UKRAINE Ukraine (Україна) is the second-largest country in Europe, after Russia. It has a population of 41.2 million, making it the eighth-most populous country in Europe. The nation’s capital and its most populous municipality is the ancient city of Kyiv. What’s now Ukraine has been inhabited by Homo sapiens since at least 32,000 BCE. The … Continue reading No Enclave — Ukrainian Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION Before the Spanish invasion of the region, what’s now California enjoyed the highest human population density north of what is today Mexico. Today, Los Angeles is home to more people of Native ancestry than any other metropolitan area in the US, a population which includes peoples indigenous to Southern California as well as people … Continue reading No Enclave — Chumash Los Angeles
Eric Brightwell 