Today is the 57th birthday of X Minus One, a science fiction anthology that debuted on NBC radio on 24 April 1955. It began as a sort-of revival of pioneering sci-fi program, Dimension X and the first fifteen episodes were remakes from that series. The remainder of the episodes were originals from staff writers Ernest … Continue reading Happy Birthday, X Minus One – radio’s greatest sci-fi anthology!
Restored and renovated Rancho Los Alamitos ready to return
Members of the press were recently treated to a preview of the historic Rancho Los Alamitos, in Long Beach. The public re-opening will take place on June 10 although special events will afford interested parties an opportunity to enjoy the site before then. Rancho Los Alamitos is a deeply significant historic site – home to … Continue reading Restored and renovated Rancho Los Alamitos ready to return
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Happy Birthday to Night Watch – radio’s first reality show
With a few, shining exceptions (Blind Date, COPS, ElimiDate, Jersey Shore, Joe Millionaire, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Shahs of Sunset, The Bachelor, The Real World seasons 1 and 2 (true stor-ay!), and maybe a couple dozen others, tops) I hate reality television. To me, most reality shows are endurance-defying and totally … Continue reading Happy Birthday to Night Watch – radio’s first reality show
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California Fool’s Gold — A Hollywood Primer
HOLLYWOOD SWINGING Hollywood is famous around the world as the one-time center of the American film industry. Although Hollywood isn't the original home of the west coast film industry (nearby Edendale in Echo Park and Sycamore Grove in Highland Park both have stronger claims to that distinction), Hollywood has for almost a century continued to serve … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A Hollywood Primer
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All-Female Bands of the Early 20th Century
Female singers have been popular since ancient times. Earlier this year a tomb was discovered in Egypt housing the earthly remains of Nehmes Bastet, a singer who lived and died some 2,900 years ago -- around the time of Carthage's founding and that the Iron Age was making big waves in Central Europe. To date, she's … Continue reading All-Female Bands of the Early 20th Century
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Lincoln Heights, The Pueblo’s Bedroom
LINCOLN HEIGHTS Lincoln Heights one of the main neighborhoods of Los Angeles's Eastside. Across the Los Angeles River, it's neighbored by Downtown's Chinatown, North Industrial District (Dog Town), Civic Support, and Mideast Los Angeles's Elysian Park and Elysian Valley to the west and northwest, respectively. It's neighbored the Northeast Los Angeles's Cypress Park and Montecito Heights to the north; and fellow Eastside neighborhoods Boyle … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Lincoln Heights, The Pueblo’s Bedroom
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No Enclave — An Overview of Black Los Angeles
Diversity has long been part of the fabric of Los Angeles and Southern California. Humans first arrived here at least 13,000 years ago and more than twenty Native American nations made their home here before the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish pueblo of Los Angeles was itself founded by people of Native, African, European, and mixed ancestries and … Continue reading No Enclave — An Overview of Black Los Angeles
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Those only live to get radical – or – Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll
A new compilation of SoCal bands titled Who invented the Mirror has just been released and is available exclusively at Amoeba. One of the bands featured thereon, Those, recently released their debut, We Cure Nothing, just before Christmas. The name of the band, Those (assuming it's the plural pronoun of "that" and not the village … Continue reading Those only live to get radical – or – Little hand says it’s time to rock and roll
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Happy MLK Day – Yo, whatever happened to peace?
Today the USA celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As we all know, Dr. King preached nonviolent activism in the global civil rights movement. Ironically, the other two persons honored with national holidays are Christopher Columbus and George Washington, two powerful slaveowners who advocated (and in Washington's case, waged) genocidal violence against people who fought for … Continue reading Happy MLK Day – Yo, whatever happened to peace?
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Happy Birthday, The Life of Riley! – or – What a revoltin’ development this is!
On 16 January1944, The Life of Riley, premiered on the Blue Network (later ABC). The Life of Riley began with an audition taping on 25 July 1943 after its creation by Irving Brecher. Over the course of roughly 320 episodes, it established itself as one of the most enduringly funny sitcoms on Old Time Radio. … Continue reading Happy Birthday, The Life of Riley! – or – What a revoltin’ development this is!
Eric Brightwell 