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
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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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
GREETINGS FROM SANTA ANA Santa Ana is the county seat and most populous city in Orange County. Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Maps of Santa Ana Santa Ana is surrounded by Garden Grove to the northwest, Anaheim to the north, Orange to the northeast, Tustin to the east, Irvine to the southeast, Costa Mesa to the … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Little Ethiopia (ሊትል ኢትዮጵያ)
LITTLE ETHIOPIA - ሊትል ኢትዮጵያ This blog entry is about the Midtown neighborhood of Little Ethiopia. I was accompanied on my adventure to the hood by Aussie filmmaker, Diana Ward. LOCATION OF LITTLE ETHIOPIA Little Ethiopia is a small, one block stretch in Midtown's Carthay district. It's situated along Fairfax between Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive. It's … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Little Ethiopia (ሊትል ኢትዮጵያ)
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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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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Burbank
This blog entry is about the Los Angeles County community of Burbank. Burbank from the Verdugos For this episode, I was accompanied in the CARDIS by frequent traveling companion, Tim Shimbles. We were originally to be accompanied by Matt Masocco, but he was called into Amoeba to work at the last minute. It was a hot, muggy day in … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Burbank
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks from Mulholland This blog is about the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sherman Oaks. To vote for other communities (as many as you'd like) to be the subject of future entries, leave a comment. Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's hand-drawn map of Sherman Oaks, available on art prints and a variety of merchandise Sherman Oaks … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Sherman Oaks
Eric Brightwell 