Johnson gained little notice in his life, but his songs — quoted by the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin — helped ignite rock ‘n’ roll.
Source: www.nytimes.com
Overlooked No More: Robert Johnson, Bluesman Whose Life Was a Riddle
Author: Andy Ludlum
The Mammoths of Ventura County
This story is about four mammoths, the extinct Ice Age relatives of modern elephants. Three of the mammoths lived their days in Ventura County.
Source: Museum of Ventura County
Neil Young’s Lonely Quest to Save Music
He says low-quality streaming is hurting our songs and our brains. Is he right?
Source: www.nytimes.com
Early Ventura County’s Newspaper Wars
Early Ventura County newspapers offered one of the few ways to connect pioneer communities with stories, opinions, and news of the day. The first newspapers in Ventura County were all closely identified with political parties and had unyielding editors who loved to rile up the community and often teetered on the edge of libel.
Source: Museum of Ventura County
Listening to D-Day 75 Years Ago
Today is the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and the Battle of Normandy. On this day in 1944 and the summer that followed, soldiers from all over the world came to Normandy to fight Nazism and re-establish freedom.
Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing during the Battle of Normandy. This figure includes over 209,000 Allied casualties.
Five years ago, for the 70th anniversary of D-Day, KFWB News 980 in Los Angeles was able to air recordings made of the station on the night of the D-day invasion. The programs had not been heard in Los Angeles since they were broadcast live in 1944.
This first story describes the effort to restore these delicate pieces of broadcast history:
The second story describes the reactions of Los Angeles residents when news of the D-Day invasion reached them:
Both stories were broadcast on KFWB News 980 and feature the voice of my friend, the very talented Paul Lowe.
Oops Toyota!!
Mona Lisa’s Last Visit
I remember it was difficult to get close enough to see. I wasn’t that old, and I didn’t have enough size to muscle my way through the crowd. She was high up on a wall, higher than you’d expect to see a painting in a museum. And she was in a bullet proof case. But somehow, her sly smile shown through the thick glass. It was unmistakable, it was the Mona Lisa.
Continue reading “Mona Lisa’s Last Visit”How a dark and incomprehensible Game of Thrones episode exposed the limits of streaming technology
How did one of the most anticipated television events of the year turn into an incoherent anti-climax for viewers? What went wrong with the latest Game of Thrones episode? Did the creators of the show make a grave technical error or is this an illustration of the limits to streaming technology?
Source: newatlas.com
Stealing Gold from the Old Don of Rancho El Conejo
By Andy Ludlum, Museum Volunteer
Don José De la Guerra y Noriega was known to everyone as “El Capitán.” He was already one of the richest men in California in 1822 when he petitioned the last Spanish governor to grant him one half of Rancho El Conejo.
Source: Museum of Ventura County
Update: Sick of those long paper receipts? California lawmakers are weighing a bill to ban them
California lawmakers are mulling a bill that would require retailers and other businesses to give customers e-receipts by default, replacing the paper printouts that consume resources and are difficult to recycle. The bill will have its first hearing on Monday at 2 p.m.
Source: latimes.com