Digital Ink Los Angeles

What causes us to search for a New World?

A new route to the Far East spice trade? Nah.

Desire to spread the word of God, like the Dominican and Jesuit missionaries of the 18th Century? Not likely.

Escape from nuclear Armageddon or biological malaise? Maybe.

Discovery of raw materials and new water sources? More than likely.

The recent opening of the billion-dollar CityCenter in Las Vegas is a boastful nod to New World capitalism and its achievements, with the tagline: “Capital of the New World.”

What gives? Films like The Road, Armageddon, Cloverfield, and WALL-E portend the destruction of Earth.

Does Hollywood know something we don’t? One thing for certain, James Cameron won’t be directing my escape ship. And it’ll probably be pretty obvious we’re “not in Kansas anymore.”

Remember that song from the 70s, Children of the Sun?

“‘People of the earth can you hear me?’
came a voice from the sky on that magical night.
And in the colors of a thousand sunsets,
they traveled to the world on a silvery light…”

In 3-D, of course.

Administrator 21st Century Culture, 70s, Earth, Movies and Cinema, Social Responsibility, The New World aliens, armageddon, Avatar, Earth, entertainment, hope, people, social

Afrika Bambaattaa, Soul Sonic Force, Egyptian Lover, Mantronix, Run DMC, LL Cool J, and EPMD are break-beat, hip-hop geniuses from the 70s through the 80s.

Everything hip-hop music has become starts with the sampling, looping, and remixing achievements of these forefathers.

Nary a piece of fresh cardboard has been dropped on pavement without a break, hyphy, or crunk dancer knowing these beats.

Boom, pop, boom, boom, pop. Repeat. Got a rock it, don’t stop it. Got a rock it, don’t stop.

Lesson #1: How a Black Spades gang member from the Bronx figured out a way to escape his tenement nightmare via the electronica of Soul Sonic Force and their search for a Planet Rock.

Rock, rock, to the Planet Rock, don’t stop.

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Administrator 21st Century Culture, 70s, 80s, Aural Pleasure, Stylio, The Good Life bass, beats, entertainment, fun, GOOD, goodness, hear, hip-hop, music, pleasure, rap, social, sonic, sounds

Thanks to and credit to Sport Illustrated’s photographer, Heinz Kluetmeier, for this 1979 photo insert from 30 years ago.

They called him the Tyler Rose. His leg strength — the weight and fury of those tree trunks churning, jersey #20 at Texas and #34 with the Oilers — Earl Campbell was a perfect blend of balance, strength and speed.

His career with the NCAA’s Texas Longhorns and NFL’s Houston Oilers is a thing of legend — a powerful display of leg strength and nimble feet that make Big Earl the most feared Running Back in history.

Earl was born in 1955 in Tyler, Texas, the sixth of eleven children. When Earl was 11 years old, his father died. Some people say this made Big Earl become a man at a young age.

Well, after leading his Tyler High team to a Texas State Championship, Barry Switzer said he should have gone straight to the pros. In his senior season at Texas in 1977, Earl was awarded the Heisman Trophy, having led the nation in rushing with 1,744 yards. Earl’s best NFL season was 1980. In 15 games with the Houston Oilers he had 373 carries for 1,934 yards, at an average of 5.2 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns.

Watch this YouTube video showing the Power and Force of Earl Campbell with a football in his hands.

For this kind of spirit and human strength, a hero, if not superhero, mythic status, must be offered the Tyler Rose. #34 in the program, #1 in our football hearts.

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Administrator 1%, 70s, 80s, Athletes as Artists, Heroes, The Good Life athlete, athletics, feet, football, force, GOOD, hero, Heroes, heroic, legend, Longhorns, NCAA, NFL, Oilers, power, strength, superGOOD, superhero, Texas

September 21, 1970 was the first episode — 39 years ago tonight. Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith were the originals, with Frank Gifford replacing Jackson in 1971.

Take a look at this classic original footage of the 1978 Monday Night Football “Pro Bowl” episode.

Or the groovy headphone check from a 1973 MNF introduction to the game. Here as the YouTube video:

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Administrator 70s, Athletes as Artists, The Good Life advertising, America, athletes, athletics, economy, entertainment, football, network, NFL, social, sports

Nearing its 30th Anniversary, Carl Reiner’s The Jerk still holds a relevant platform for discussing what it really means to be a jerk. In every sense of the word, including stupidity and ill will.

Congressman Joe “You Lie!” Wilson, Rock-n-Roller Ike Turner, Professional Footballer Terrell Owens, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez are a few who come to mind as potential “jerk”-type figures worthy of some note.

But Steve Martin’s frank and crass representation of The Jerk goes well beyond the oft-used term to a deeper understanding of what stereotypes, ignorance, bigotry, and demagoguery can produce when someone seeks to be a product of rude and mindless sociopathic behavior.

My favorite quotes from The Jerk:

Mother: Navin, it’s your birthday, and it’s time you knew. You’re not our natural-born child.
Navin R. Johnson: I’m not? You mean I’m gonna STAY this color?

Motel Guest: Don’t call that dog “lifesaver;” call him “shithead”.

Navin R. Johnson: First I get my name in the phone book and now I’m on your ass. You know, I’ll bet more people see that than the phone book.

Navin R. Johnson: Lord loves a workin’ man; don’t trust whitey; see a doctor and get rid of it.

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Administrator 21st Century Culture, 70s, Movies and Cinema, Social Responsibility 70s, America, awareness, bigotry, cinema, comedy, film, humor, jerk, Joe Wilson, laughs, movies, politics, race, social

The Cherokee word for “Fire” is a-tsi-la

Northern Los Angeles is on a-tsi-la right now.

The Los Angeles Times coverage has been pretty good.

Thanks to the LA County Fire Department for saving lives and risking their own.

Michael Martin Murphy had a big hit in the 70s called Wildfire — even though it’s about a horse named Wildfire lost in a blizzard , it still seems appropriate at this time.

Administrator 70s, Earth, Fire, Heroes, Social Responsibility, Water California, catastrophe, danger, Fire, firefighters, forest, heat, inferno, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, risk, social, wildfire

The abysmal Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball are at it again. With a record of 46-66, they are 20 games below .500.

That’s just 2009, so far. The Pirates are the worst franchise in all of professional sports, with even a close-second Los Angeles Clippers having had winning seasons in 2005-2006.

After the 1992 season, manager Jim Leyland was hoping to rebuild the team with younger, more hungry players. In a flummox to Pirates fans, their team has been unable to come up with a winning season since, accumulating a 16-year losing streak.

This current losing season streak has tied the Philadelphia Phillies, who had losing seasons from 1933–48, the longest in any of the country’s four major professional sports leagues.

Bring back Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Kent Tekulve, Phil Garner, Bill Madlock, and Omar Moreno. And Three Rivers Stadium.

Thirty Years since the “We Are Fam-i-ly” cheers, and the funny box hats.

Miss some Big Willie. And Three Rivers, of course.

Administrator 70s, Athletes as Artists, baseball America, athletes, athletics, baseball, champions, competition, courage, Major League Baseball, Pittsburgh, popular, soul, spirit, sports