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An Encyclopedia of Los Angeles

“There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl...

As Contemporary as the Cell Phone

Johann Sebastien Bach was fooling around on the great organ in the Leipzig Cathedral when he composed the most hair-raising sounds ever...

The Well-Tempered Mind of J.S. Bach

Thomas Jefferson played violin and was familiar with the music of Vivaldi, Handel and Mozart, but it’s unlikely he ever heard of Johann...

George Frederick Handel - Superstar

George Frederick Handel was German--and a contemporary of Johann Sebastion Bach--who lived most of his adult life in London. Unlike...

A Middle-Class Invention

"England is a nation of shopkeepers." Thus spake Napoleon. Napoleon Bonaparte wasn't being complimentary. It was a put-down, his way of...

Eric Clapton--a tribute

Who knew? While the Beatles (raised on American Rock 'n' Roll) were perfecting their sound in the waterfront clubs of Hamburg, Germany,...

Roger McGuinn—an appreciation

My two sons were surprised. None of their high schools friends had ever heard of the Byrds. They’d heard of the Beatles—of course—and...

What Everyone Needs Most

When I was 12-years old, my brother brought home from the library “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Judging by...

Richard Nisley, On His Birthday

From Richard's son, Bill: My father's birthday was in August. I care about my father, and I care about all life. I, of course, have known...

Ordering Up A New World

Book Review: The Infidel and the Professor, by Dennis C. Rasmussen The “infidel” is David Hume and “the professor” is Adam Smith, two...

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