INTRODUCTION Today is the birthday of PBS and also Teachers' Day. For any reader that might not know, PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is a non-profit American public broadcasting television network headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It was founded on this date (5 October, 1970), 42 years ago, in 1970, after the termination of its predecessor, National Educational … Continue reading “I Like Big Bird” – Happy Birthday, PBS, and Happy Teachers’ Day
Author: Eric Brightwell
Eric Brightwell is an essayist, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener. He lives in Los Angeles, not because he was born here, but because he chose to... for all of the things for which its famous: its verticality, its mass transit, its diversity, its schools, its liminal spaces, its architecture, its wildlife, its museums, its night markets, its cinemas, its theaters, its enclaves, its restaurants, its bars, its libraries, &c
Introduction to Subcultural Anthropology: Paninaro
On this day (22 September), 1986, the Pet Shop Boys released the single "Suburbia" b/w "Paninaro," which introduced an Italian subculture to the wider world. It was certainly my introduction. Paninari (the plural of Paninaro) were an Italian youth subculture in the 1980s. Their name came from the word "panino," Italian for "bread." La Stampa branded them that due to the … Continue reading Introduction to Subcultural Anthropology: Paninaro
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring El Sereno, Last of the Independent
INTRODUCTION Normally for my Los Angeles and Orange County neighborhood blogs, I spend a day (two in the case of Highland Park) exploring and seeing as much as I can and then write about it. For El Sereno, however, I had two whole weeks to explore. I was house-sitting for a couple, staying in their … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring El Sereno, Last of the Independent
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A happy birthday, of sorts, to radio
As regular readers of my blog (if there is such a thing) probably know, I’m a bit of a radio junkie – spending many hours every day listening to Old Time Radio dramas, public radio, AM radio and podcasts. Therefore it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 20 August is a pretty big deal to … Continue reading A happy birthday, of sorts, to radio
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Herman Stein – Architect of the Sound of Science-Fiction
Though his name isn’t widely recognized, Herman Stein was a very influential American composer. Though he composed hundreds of film scores, he was most influential in for his work within the genres of horror and science-fiction. Some of his most recognized scores were created for Creature from the black lagoon, The incredible shrinking man, It … Continue reading Herman Stein – Architect of the Sound of Science-Fiction
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Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring Along the Orange Line Extension
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** The Metro Orange Line extension opened on the 30th of June, less than two weeks after the opening of the final two stations (Culver City and Farmdale) of … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring Along the Orange Line Extension
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The 17th Central Avenue Jazz Festival
THE CENTRAL AVENUE JAZZ FESTIVAL Every year for the past 17 years, during the last weekend in July, LA residents and visitors are treated to the preeminent jazz event on the West Coast with The Central Avenue Jazz Festival. It’s free and open to the public – last year, 35,000 attended. The focus, of course, … Continue reading The 17th Central Avenue Jazz Festival
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Southern California Night Markets – the Return of the 626
The first 626 Night Market was a victim of its own, unanticipated success. Taiwanese-American organizers Jonny and Janet Hwang struggled to get enough vendors to commit even after lowering fees to the point that they expected to lose money. The Facebook page had about 2,000 fans a couple of weeks before its debut but … Continue reading Southern California Night Markets – the Return of the 626
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Altadena, the Community of the Deodars
INTRODUCTION TO ALTADENA When people hear the disyllabic sounds, “alta” and “dena,” I would wager that most of them think of the well-known City of Industry-based Alta Dena Dairy, which was started by the three, Missouri-born Stueve Brothers in Monrovia, California in 1945. Oddly, more than five minutes of internet research hadn’t helped me figure out … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Altadena, the Community of the Deodars
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Los Angeles’s AM Radio
REMEMBER RADIO? If you're at all like me, when you're in the mood to listen to music, radio is one of the least likely places you turn. There was a time (1983 till around 2000) when the radio was the primary source of my exposure to new music. When I moved to LA in 1999, … Continue reading Los Angeles’s AM Radio
Eric Brightwell 