Taix will serve its last meal on 29 March 2026 โ the birthday of famed post-Impressionist, Georges Seurat. I have always enjoyed my visits to Taix, whether for food, drinks, friendship, or to see Australian legends, the Cannanes, perform at a banquet room there, as I did back in 2015. Itโs a place that I … Continue reading Au revoir, Taix… or, more likely, Adieu
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Happy Birthday “Los Angeles”; Land of History, Myths, Villages, and 19 Million Metropolitans in Search of Suburbia
INTRODUCTION Screenshot of Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's map of Los Angeles County and Southern Califonria Los Angeles was founded on this day, 18 February, in 1850. A majority of insufferable pedants will have just jumped to the comments to let me know how wrong I am and that โLos Anglelesโ refers not the Los Angeles … Continue reading Happy Birthday “Los Angeles”; Land of History, Myths, Villages, and 19 Million Metropolitans in Search of Suburbia
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Chinatowns, Soft Power, and the Lunar New Year
Happy Lunar New Year -- the year of the Fire Horse! The Lunar New Year widely celebrated in Korea, Mongolia, Ryukyu, Taiwan, Tibet, and Vietnam... and historically, Japan. Although China is a diverse country and with people such as the Dai, Miao, Kazakhs, and Uyghurs (who mark other dates as the beginning of the new … Continue reading Chinatowns, Soft Power, and the Lunar New Year
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No Enclave — New Zealander Los Angeles
New Zealand is a volcanic archipelago in the South Pacific. The remote land was notably the last major landmass to be settled by humans (about four centuries after Iceland). Although Australia is home to the largest diaspora population of New Zealanders (or โKiwisโ), by a significant margin, Los Angeles is home to the largest population … Continue reading No Enclave — New Zealander Los Angeles
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Music Biographies — Eddie Cantor
In the 2000s, Amoeba Music enlisted an army of writers and data entry people to work on an ambitious website that was meant to be a sort of combination of Allmusic, Apple Music, Discogs, Wikipedia, and more. Despite investing a tremendous amount of time, labor and money, the site, as envisioned, never got off the ground. In 2020 โ without so … Continue reading Music Biographies — Eddie Cantor
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Old Time Radio — The Fat Man Debuted Today, on 21 January, 1946
The Fat Man was a popular radio detective drama that debuted on this date (21 January) in 1946. It starred J. Scott Smart as the titular detective who, although best known as "the Fat Man," was actually named Brad Runyon. His deep, resonant, rich, and slightly theatrical voice was occasionally described as "fruity," which fit … Continue reading Old Time Radio — The Fat Man Debuted Today, on 21 January, 1946
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No Enclave — Inuit Los Angeles
Inuit flags, clockwise from upper left: Nunavut, Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), Nunatsiav, Invialuit, and Nunavik 7 November was International Inuit Day (Inuktitut: แแแแฆ แ แแแแ) and, back then. I got to wondering what, if any, presence Inuit have had in Los Angeles. I didnโt have anything ready for publication on that date, though, so I set it … Continue reading No Enclave — Inuit Los Angeles
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Ask Silver Lake โ SB 79 and Silver Lakeโs Historic Transit-Oriented Mid-Rises
This piece was originally written for โAsk Silver Lake.โ โAsk Silver Lakeโ is dedicated to exploring the history and insights of our community. If you have questions or ideas youโd like us to consider, please drop a comment or send them to outreach@silverlakenc.org. On 10 October 2025, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act was signed into … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake โ SB 79 and Silver Lakeโs Historic Transit-Oriented Mid-Rises
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Music Biographies — Babasonicos
In the 2000s,ย Amoeba Musicย enlisted an army of writers and data entry people to work on an ambitious website that was meant to be a sort of combination ofย Allmusic,ย Apple Music,ย Discogs,ย Wikipedia, and more. Despite investing a tremendous amount of time, labor and money, the site, as envisioned, never got off the ground. In 2020 โ without so … Continue reading Music Biographies — Babasonicos
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Introduction to the Music of ๅฐค้ (Yu Yar) for the Use of the English-Speaking World
ๅฐค้ (Yu Yar) is a pioneering figure of the Mandopop and Hokkien music scenes. Rendering her name variously as Yu Ya, Yu Yar, Yลซya, or Yuyar; international audiences recognize her as a foundational 'idol' singer. Her 1970 mega-hit, ๅพไบๅช่ฝๅๅณ, ("The Past Can Only Be Remembered") defined an era and paved the way for the image-conscious … Continue reading Introduction to the Music of ๅฐค้ (Yu Yar) for the Use of the English-Speaking World
Eric Brightwell 