I am utterly gutted to hear that Huell Howser has passed away. I heard the news as I was writing about my exploration of Irvine for this blog, and simultaneously planning on exploring the route of the Expo Line Phase II tomorrow. If it weren’t for Huell, I may not have had the idea of … Continue reading That’s not amazing — California’s Gold, Huell Howser, has passed away
Happy (belated) birthday, Joe Orton
Yesterday, had he not died in 1967, would've been the 79th birthday of my favorite, English, comic playwright, Joe Orton (provided he didn't pass away for some other reason in the intermediate years). Saffron Lane council estate being built in 1927 John Kingsley "Joe" Orton was born 1 January in Leicester to William A Orton and Elsie … Continue reading Happy (belated) birthday, Joe Orton
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And drouthy neibors, neibors meet – Drinking and dining and drinking at the Tam o’ Shanter Inn
Tomorrow I'm dining at the Tam o' Shanter Inn in the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Atwater Village. I needed to write about something and haven't yet been able to finish my piece about Irvine so here you go... A tam o' shanter is a 19th century nickname for a traditional sort of brimless, usually wool, … Continue reading And drouthy neibors, neibors meet – Drinking and dining and drinking at the Tam o’ Shanter Inn
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Happy birthday, Edvard Munch
Today is the 149th birthday of Norwegian painter and printmaker, Edvard Munch. Munch was born 12 December in the village of Ådalsbruk in Løten, in 1863. His father was a doctor named Christian Munch and his mother was Laura Catherine Bjølstad. He was often ill as a child and reportedly drew to occupy his considerable … Continue reading Happy birthday, Edvard Munch
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California Fool’s Gold — A North Orange County Primer
SHE HAD ORANGE RIBBONS IN HER HAIR -- NORTH ORANGE COUNTY It comes as something of a dismaying surprise to me how casually many seemingly intelligent Angelenos freely dismiss Orange County. Iv'e grown used to (if still somewhat surprised by) the out-dated chauvinistic attitude of New Yorkers and San Franciscans. But while those widely and … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A North Orange County Primer
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Piko Piko – A look at Picopop on the 34th birthday of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s debut
Back in 1978, on 25 November, pioneering Japanese group, Yellow Magic Orchestra released their influential, eponymous, debut full-length. The album and group are widely credited with being very influential on the development of several music genres, including ambient, chiptune, electro, hip hop, house, J-pop, synthpop, and techno, to name a few. The band (also known as YMO) were … Continue reading Piko Piko – A look at Picopop on the 34th birthday of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s debut
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Nobody Drives in LA — Silver Line Stroll from Union Station to El Monte
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 Silver Line opened on 13 December 2009, more than four years after the Orange Line, Metro's only other Metro Transitway (or Metro Liner). Despite its silvery paint … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Silver Line Stroll from Union Station to El Monte
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Nature’s a language, can’t you read? — Seasons in the Southland
A FEW GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT ANGELENOS While I caution anyone attempting to make generalizations about a group as diverse and large as the 13 million or so people known as “Angelenos,” I have nonetheless made a couple of observations about a much smaller subsection, my Los Angeles friends, that I have to assume share more widely-held views with … Continue reading Nature’s a language, can’t you read? — Seasons in the Southland
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My maiden voyage on the RMS Queen Mary
The other day I went to the RMS Queen Mary for birthday drinks for Lynn Garrett’s birthday. Lynn is the founder and head honcho at Hidden Los Angeles. As the name suggests, Hidden Los Angeles is a highly useful guide to Los Angeles for Angelenos and visitors who presumably have no interest in (or interests … Continue reading My maiden voyage on the RMS Queen Mary
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California Fool’s Gold — A San Fernando Valley Primer
WHERE THE WEST BEGINS AND THE SUNSET ENDS -- THE VALLEY There are numerous valleys in Los Angeles County: the Antelope, Crescenta, Hungry, Peace, Pomona, Puente, San Gabriel, Santa Clara River, and Santa Clarita, to name a few of the better known ones. However, when one hears mention of The Valley it is almost universally recognized as a … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A San Fernando Valley Primer
Eric Brightwell 