In honor of this lovely weather we're having here in Los Angeles, I'm going to blog about the so-called Raincoat scene. Before Goth -- for that matter, before New Grave, Dark Wave, Cold Wave or any of those other overly specific scenes (that I will dutifully write about in time), the British music press took to … Continue reading Famous Grey Raincoat — or — Silly Goth, Vampires Are for Kids!
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Colombian-Americans – Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
In the US, the word "Latino" is used often, regardless of accuracy, as shorthand for a region's dominant Latino population. In the southwest it usually means "Mexican," in the northeast it means "Puerto Rican" and in Florida, "Cuban." Indeed, those are the three largest populations of Latino-Americanos in the country, although it goes without saying … Continue reading Colombian-Americans – Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
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Happy Birthday, Winsor McCay!
Today is the birthday of artist, animator and vaudevillian Winsor McCay, who, were he still alive, would be 139 -- or 144 years old… more on that later. Like many animation pioneers, McCay's work has been largely overshadowed by his better known successors, Walt Disney and the Fleischer Brothers. But if it weren't for McCay, … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Winsor McCay!
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Made in Taiwan – Taiwanese Cinema and Television
Taiwan’s official status is complicated. Some view it as a renegade region of China, others as the sole legitimate government of the mainland (the Republic of China). Still others believe it to be an island with a unique history stretching back tens of thousands of years and with a distinct culture influenced by Austronesian, Han, and Japanese history, … Continue reading Made in Taiwan – Taiwanese Cinema and Television
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Out of Africa – Austro-Melanesian History, Culture and Music
Once upon a time, one or two hundred thousand years ago or so, anatomically human beings appeared on the scene in Africa. About 60,000 years ago, there may have been as many as 5,000 people living on the planet. A number, possibly around 150, decided to cross the Red Sea... following the lead of their … Continue reading Out of Africa – Austro-Melanesian History, Culture and Music
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Austronesia – Don’t Tease Ya
Until recently, Austronesian wasn't a self-designation. The name comes from Latin auster (south wind) plus Greek nêsos (island). Of course, historically, Inuits and Aztecs never referred to themselves, in collective solidarity, as "Indians" or "Native Americans," but that doesn't mean we can't see similarities now. Having just just returned from Taiwan, I've observed a growing pride by some Taiwanese Austronesians … Continue reading Austronesia – Don’t Tease Ya
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Lizards of Ahs — Happy Lizard Day!
Lizards are a large, diverse group of reptiles. Around 3800 species live on land and in sea, on every continent except Antarctica. They range in size from geckos and chameleons (as small as a few centimeters) to komodo dragons (nearly three meters). Their used to be mosasaurs, which reached 17 meters! They proved to be too … Continue reading Lizards of Ahs — Happy Lizard Day!
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Mars – The Red Planet in Games, Movies and Television
A lot of people come up to me and say, "Love the blog, especially the ones about moons, planets and dwarf planets in film, music, video games, &c... so why haven't you done one on Mars?" Actually, no one said that and I just never did one until now because I figured it would be … Continue reading Mars – The Red Planet in Games, Movies and Television
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Xu DaRocha – Painter, Photographer, Chinese TV & Cinema Veteran… and Dumpling Lover
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage, an occasion I marked by seeking interviews with several Asian-American artists (like Roommate's Ken Lambert) and blogging about Asian neighborhoods and such… One interview I attempted to land was Chinese-American artist Xu Darocha, now giving a whole new meaning to the concept of “Asian time” by getting her responses to … Continue reading Xu DaRocha – Painter, Photographer, Chinese TV & Cinema Veteran… and Dumpling Lover
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The Radio Geek’s Guide to American Public Radio
I recently saw a petition to get the US government to fully fund PBS and NPR. Now, I'm sure the writers of this petition have nothing against other public radio producers, NPR's competitors Pacifica, PRI and APM. All compete for airtime against each other and locally produced material, as well as foreign public radio producers BBC and CBC. … Continue reading The Radio Geek’s Guide to American Public Radio
