Visiting Orange Countys Little Seoul -- Happy Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month at the Amoeblog

Visiting Orange Countys Little Seoul -- Happy Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month



Drive down Garden Grove Boulevard with your windows up (paying proper attention to the road in front of you) and you might not notice that you're passing through Little Seoul. There are no banners, memorials, murals, monuments or that many fluttering South Korean flags. Pass through on a bus and maybe you'll notice the Hangul signs and blue tile roofs. The best way to experience Little Seoul, despite some drawbacks, is by walking in it – although your hair might pick up the smell like bulgogi by the end of your ramble. The other day I headed over there to explore it, accompanied by Una Zipagan and host of the excellent Notebook on Cities and Culture podcast, Colin Marshall. 

Visiting Little Saigon -- Happy Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month at the Amoeblog

Visiting Little Saigon -- Happy Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month



Orange County's Little Saigon is the oldest, biggest, most populous, and baddest Vietnamese-American enclave. Asian Pacific-American Heritage Month seemed like the perfect time to explore, with the help of two guides.

Italo-disco singer Savage is coming to Southern California

Italo-disco singer Savage is coming to Southern California



80s Italo-disco legend Savage is coming to Southern California. Following the lead of Den Harrow, Fancy, Fred Ventura, Gazebo, Ken Laszlo, Lian Ross, Linda Jo Rizzo, he'll be playing where the Italo action is centered -- in Little Saigon!

Tears in your beers -- Country tunes for Tax Day

Tears in your beers -- Country tunes for Tax Day



Tax Day is here. The less said about them the better... but what about songs about taxes?

Ziv Television and a brief history of syndicated television in America

Ziv Television and a brief history of syndicated television in America



Nowadays, thanks mostly to cable and online television, there's better stuff on the small screen than in most multiplexes... and then there's syndicated television, the PG-rated grindhouse of the small screen, which first became a thing this month back in 1949.

Taking Public Transit to the Beach

It may be chilly and windy today (perfect for flying kites) but it's officially spring and in Southern California, the beach beckons. Although many Angelenos are holding their breath waiting for a "Subway to the Sea" that won't arrive until sometime after 2035, there is (despite the suggestion to the contrary) a massive public transit network that can take you to every corner of the Southern California coast today (or this weekend). Here's how.

The Rural Upsurge -- A Brief History of Country Cool and Uncool at the Amoeblog

The Rural Upsurge -- A Brief History of Country Cool and Uncool



Why are there so many goofy rural reality shows on TV right now? 43 years ago, in March 1971, TV was similarly dominated by rural stereotypes but -- in an attempt to appeal to younger audiences with money to burn -- most of them were given the axe. Since then, country-themed entertainment has come and gone, occasionally attempting to crossover to rural and urban crowds.