California rare earths are making a worldwide comeback in 2012.
China mines most of the rare earth minerals that keep our modern world functioning, but the communist nation has now begun to limit global exports.
China's attempt to manipulate the global rare earth minerals market has caused the price of rare earths to skyrocket, so a long-shuttered mine in California is re-opening for business.
The rare earths pit mine in the Southern California desert will begin mining and initially exporting 100,000 tons after a decade of dormancy.
The California property, known as Mountain Pass, was owned by Chevron but was no longer cost effective to compete with China.
Additionally, there were problems with permits and unresolved environmental issues.
Molycorp Minerals purchased the mine in 2008 and the company aims to run a cleaner, less expensive and more profitable operation.
The 17 elements that rare earth minerals comprise are naturally combined in the rocks, so each element needs to be separated from the others.
Rare earths are used in military equipment, from night vision goggles to fighter aircraft to precision-guided munitions. The minerals are valuable in the production of cell phones, hybrid cars, wind turbines and computers as well.
Molycorp will open the Southern California plant next year and projects production of 40,000 tons of rare earth minerals each year from San Bernardino County.
China may initially compete with California in the global market, but the communist country will eventually become a California rare earths customer when its own supply is depleted.
Ronald Reagan Scholarships are available to those who want to finish a college or university education with financial help honoring the life of the legendary Californian, American and world leader.
Before he was a radio star, movie star, TV star, union president, Governor, President and The Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan was a college student with a dream.
Do you know a college-bound student in need of funds for college tuition, room and board while earning a bachelors degree at an accredited U.S. college or university with the help of a Ronald Reagan scholarship?
Honoring the legacy of Ronald Wilson Reagan, these scholarship programs reward college-bound students with financial help for higher education:
GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program
For 2011 graduates of U.S. high schools.
From GE and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Renewable scholarships of $10,000/year.
Application deadline | March 2011
Reagan Presidential Foundation Scholars Program
For 2011 graduates of Ventura County, California high schools.
From the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Scholarships of varied amounts.
Application Deadline | March 2011
USS Ronald Reagan Scholarship
For navy affiliates of the USS Ronald Reagan CVN 76 and family members.
From The Reagan Legacy Foundation.
Scholarships of up to $1,000.
Application deadline | May 2011
President Ronald Reagan Scholarship
For CA Republican female undergraduate PoliSci, Communication, Law major.
From the California Federation of Republican Women.
Scholarship of $2,000.
Application Deadline | August 2011
Ronald Reagan College Leaders Scholarship Program
For undergraduate promoters of freedom, US values and the Constitution.
From The Phillips Foundation.
Renewable scholarships of up to $7,500/year.
Application deadline | January 2012
Throughout his many successful careers, Reagan promoted his philosophy of opportunity through education. In a fitting tribute to one of the greatest figures in world history, caring organizations offer scholarships in Reagan's honor today.
Ronald Reagan's greatest dream for mankind was the liberation of the human mind.
Californiality stands with Michael Reagan in thanking the following for their compassionate support for young leaders of the future:
General Electric
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation
Nancy Reagan
Reagan Legacy Foundation
Reagan Library Simi Valley
Phillips Foundation
California Federation of Republican Women
If you know a student demonstrating leadership abilities, integrity and citizenship, who needs a little financial push up the education ladder, be a hero and let them know that The Gipper is still lending a friendly helping hand.
The California Godzilla Lizard that terrorized Riverside was arrested by cops and Southern Californians are now safe to resume daily life.
An animal control officer and a Riverside police officer captured the 5-foot-long reptile, which authorities describe as a 45-pound black-throated monitor lizard.
John Welsh, from Riverside County Animal Services, exclaimed: "The residents were freaking out because here's the Godzilla-like creature walking down the sidewalk."
Shrieks and screams were definitely heard in Riverside.
Southern California cell phones and texts were abuzz with warnings of the carnivorous African monster on the streets of Riverside.
The gigantic, shocking reptile was captured with a catch-pole normally used to seize dogs.
Speaking of dogs, I tried to get an exclusive interview with the chihuahua in the photo, but he didn't want to "stick around for dinner". Me neither. Buh-BYE!
When officers attempted to take the Godzilla lizard into custody, it started hissing and swinging its tail, but brave officers manhandled the beast into an animal control vehicle.
California nightmare over. Alert the governor.
In the Golden State, it's actually legal to own one of these Godzilla lizards.
Authorities suspect that the Riverside Godzilla may be (gasp) somebody's pet that escaped -- and they're calling for the owner to bail it out of lizard jail.
Russell Ord, an Australian firefighter, is being heralded as a hero for his daring rescue of a surfer near Half Moon Bay in Northern California over the weekend.
Just south of San Francisco, a surfer nearly died after an impact by a rogue killer wave at the world-famous surfing locale called Mavericks, a spot known for big waves.
Twenty surfers were riding 15 foot waves when they were stunned by twin walls of water at double height. Witnesses have reported varying heights from 30 to 40 feet.
While trying to escape with their lives from the two huge sets, many surfers were wiped out --- including 30-year-old Jacob Trette whose lungs filled with water.
Trette, an experienced surfer but Mavericks newbie, was suddenly pinned-under by a demon wave and tossed about like a rag doll repeatedly to the point of unconsciousness.
Trette was pulled from a Pacific hell in a daring rescue by Russell Ord, the fearless Australian, who was nearby on a jet ski.
Ord, a firefighter and photographer from Western Australia, rushed Trette atop the jet ski to the shore where he cleared the surfer's airways and performed CPR.
"He was full of water," said Ord.
Jacob Trette was flown to Stanford University Medical Center where a coma was induced. 72 hours later, the surfer is responsive and many are calling it a miracle.
Russell Ord held back emotions as he recalled, "I actually thought he was dead for sure. I was really surprised when we got him to shore that he had a pulse. I was pretty happy about that."
Because Ord was on a jet ski, the Australian firefighter was able to save the life of Jacob and rescue even more surfers, though 'personal water craft' are illegal around Half Moon Bay.
Ord said, "I didn't even know jet skis were banned from the area. I rang-up a surfer from the area and seen if we could get his ski. After the fact, I found out that skis were banned, and it's pretty hard to believe."
Ord feels that having access to rescue jet skis is "critical", especially in light of the emergency at Mavericks where he rescued several surfers.
Russell Ord is a professional surf photographer who opened his first gallery in Cowaramup, Western Australia.
"Ordy" is a down-to-earth, humble guy who enjoys a simple life with wife Catherine and family Kalani, Tavian and Ayla, all of whom are very proud of him.
Californiality joins with Californians and Australians in prayer for the continued recovery of surfer Jacob Trette, and in thanking and congratulating Russell Ord, the Pride of Australia.
The Mamas & The Papas were a Grammy-winning 1960s Los Angeles-based pop vocal group that invented a new California sound in popular music.
Also referred to as The Mama's and The Papa's (or simply as Mamas and Papas), the group recorded hit albums and singles from 1965 to 1971.
So far, the band has sold 100-million recordings globally and their songs are still selling today.
The four Southern California musicians were the first sexually integrated musical group in history to hit the top of the music charts at #1. The Mamas & The Papas were all about gender equality before the Women's Liberation Movement began.
The group's four-part harmonies accompanied the songwriting of John Phillips with a sound never heard before --- and from a type of group never seen before. The Mamas & The Papas defined the word 'hip' in the '60s.
Aside from their timeless anthem, "California Dreamin", what makes the legacy and legend of The Mamas & The Papas so enduring?
Four very distinctive individuals came together for a brief period of time to cause a musical, cultural and social earthquake in California that still perpetuates shockwaves around the world:
THE HITMAKER
John Phillips was the songwriter, creator, organizer, director, producer, arranger and genius behind one of California's most globally influential trends. In addition to orchestrating The Mamas & The Papas' ascent to #1 on both the album charts and singles charts, 'Papa John' will forever be remembered for creating the Monterey Pop Festival and the Summer of Love.
THE ROMANTIC
Denny Doherty was the sensitive crooner with a voice that charmed millions of record buyers worldwide. The singer's teen-idol looks earned 'Papa Denny' adoration from teenage girls who pronounced him "cuter than any of The Beatles". He went on to a career as a solo artist and as the host of TV shows after his days as the California Dreamboat of The Mamas & The Papas.
THE SUPERMODEL
Michelle Phillips was the blonde and beautiful definition of the California Girl in the '60s who became a Hollywood movie and TV actress. A Southern California native, 'Mama Michelle' was targeted by paparazzi cameras, and her 'hippie chick' look was copied by millions of young females around the world. Michelle is the last surviving member of The Mamas & The Papas.
THE SUPERSTAR Cass Elliot was the funny, outspoken and politically-active Grand Diva with one of the most recognizable voices in music history. 'Mama Cass' went on to a stellar career as a solo artist, performer and actress who dominated TV screens, winning hearts along the way. Since her death in the '70s, Cass Elliot remains the most beloved member of The Mamas & The Papas.
This was a pop group which, in the conventional sense, was never supposed to 'make it'. In 1965, most successful musical acts were scrubbed, tailored and polished to artificial perfection. John, Denny, Michelle and Cass made their debut wearing thrift shop chic'.
Terms like "hip", "groovy" and "outta sight" sounded like alien language to a shocked 'establishment' who heard WOMEN singing from the Sunset Strip about 'getting high' and 'getting it on'.
No wonder the first Mamas & Papas album was entitled, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears.
"California Sun" is a 2011 California song by Greek recording artist Digital Alkemist from the album Fuga Magica.
Digital Alkemist, real name Costantinos "Costas" Chrysogelos, teamed with female vocalist Chara Kotsali in Athens, Greece, to record "California Sun".
The song's downtempo electronic sound interprets the reactions of one who visits sunny Los Angeles and finds their head full of noise.
According to the lyrics, L.A. is a city full of limos, mansions and lies, but where "the California sun will always shine".
Amid exquisite electronic production from Digital Alkemist, "California Sun" features '60s hippie-style flute and guitar work that lends a free and natural feeling to heavier lyrics.
Brian Eno meets Michelle Phillips at My Big Fat Greek Wedding at Venice Beach. Clear enough?
One of the great new songs about California, the mood is dark, mellow and cynically insightful --- yet still willing to work on a tan.
Eclectically bipolar, but cool.
I totally dig this Greek musical interpretation of Southern California from Digital Alkemist.
Edie Sedgwick was a legendary socialite, heiress, model and actress born in Santa Barbara, California.
Sedgwick was known as 1965's 'It Girl', 'The Girl of the Year', and Vogue magazine's 'Youthquaker'.
Edie Sedgwick was the California girl who ruled the Big Apple with Andy Warhol and became a 1960s pop culture icon.
Edie, born Edith Minturn Sedgwick, was from a famous, wealthy and well-connected family.
Her forefather, William Ellery, signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and Edie was the cousin of today's award-winning Hollywood actress Kyra Sedgwick.
Despite her family's financial fortune and high social status, Edie led a troubled life. She developed anorexia during teenage and battled with Bulimia and mental illness for the rest of her life.
Sedgwick was raised on her family's California ranches, where she was home-schooled by nannies.
At age 13, Edie started boarding school near San Francisco but was soon taken out because of her anorexia, which had her down to 89 pounds.
After Edie's family admitted her to a New York rehab facility, she met legendary artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol in 1965.
She became a regular at Warhol's New York studio The Factory before he put Sedgwick in his movies, Vinyland Horse.
Sedgwick's cameo appearances in the two films garnered so much interest that Warhol decided to create starring roles for Edie.
Warhol took Sedgwick to the opening of his exhibit in Paris, France. After returning to New York, Warhol gave Sedgwick a starring role in the films, Kitchen and Beauty No. 2.
As Sedgwick's popularity exploded, the paparazzi followed the new star and her unusual California-style fashions. When Andy Warhol dubbed Edie Sedgwick his "Superstar", the pair were constantly photographed everywhere.
Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol made more films together, like Outer and Inner Space, Prison, Lupe, and Afternoon. Warhol declared that the only time he was ever truly in love was with Edie.
After a falling-out with Warhol, Sedgwick became close to music legend Bob Dylan, whose child she aborted --- according to her brother.
In 1967, Sedgwick began shooting the movie, Ciao! Manhattan. After initial film footage was shot in New York, Sedgwick's deteriorating physical and mental health landed her back home in California for treatment.
In 1969, after being arrested on drug charges, Edie Sedgwick was hospitalized in a Santa Barbara psychiatric ward where she met fellow patient Michael Post, whom she married in July 1971.
On November 15, 1971, Sedgwick attended a Santa Barbara Museum fashion show, then a party afterward. The next morning, Edie Sedgwick was found dead of a prescription drug overdose. She was only 28 years old.
As a kid who lived only 20 minutes down the 101 from Sedgwick in 1971, I remember our local community's reaction. It was a sad day. Such a waste of native California beauty, talent and youth.
Sedgwick is buried next to her mom in Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley, near the Neverland Ranch of Michael Jackson.
Edie Sedgwick has impacted popular culture, with many songs, books and movies written about her life. Hollywood superstar Warren Beatty even purchased the rights to Edie's life story in the '80s.
Sedgwick was portrayed by Jennifer Rubin in the 1991 film The Doors, and Sienna Miller played Sedgwick in the 2006 film Factory Girl.
This blog knows a thing or two about iconic femme fatales from personal experience. It's hard to hang on during such a wild roller coaster ride. Living on the edge is an exciting rush, but California Freedom is all about BALANCE.
Let the life of Edie Sedgwick, glamorous as it was, be a lesson to young and ambitious Californians.
Expensive California ZIP codes are abundant, but which ZIP codes are the most expensive ZIP codes in California for 2011?
All who read this California ZIP codes reference post are looking to purchase the most expensive California real estate that money can buy, naturally. Glad to help.
Just pick a town you like and buy a couple of California luxury homes in 2011. Go for the gusto. Consider yourself invited to the best wealthy lifestyle on earth.
We've got a chilled glass of champagne and the finest caviar waiting for you on the veranda just in time for a spectacular California sunset.
Join us. Live with us in decadent splendor. Become one of the Beautiful People. Isn't it time to turn your California Dream into a reality? Don't you deserve to live in an enviable community with expensive median home prices?
Grab your own multi-million dollar mansion in California, one of the world's most expensive real estate markets --- where the sun always shines, your neighbors are all supermodels, and everybody loves you.
List of Top 50 Most Expensive California ZIP Codes 2011
91008 | $4.28 M | Bradbury
94027 | $4.02 M | Atherton
90274 | $3.90 M | Rolling Hills
90210 | $3.69 M | Beverly Hills
94920 | $3.29 M | Belvedere
93108 | $3.16 M | Montecito
92067 | $3.08 M | Rancho Santa Fe
91302 | $3.07 M | Hidden Hills
94022 | $3.06 M | Los Altos Hills
94022 | $3.05 M | Los Altos
92661 | $3.04 M | Newport Beach
94024 | $2.99 M | Los Altos Hills
94024 | $2.98 M | Los Altos
94010 | $2.95 M | Hillsborough
90265 | $2.74 M | Malibu
92662 | $2.57 M | Newport Beach
94957 | $2.53 M | Ross
94028 | $2.52 M | Portola Valley
90077 | $2.36 M | Los Angeles
92657 | $2.35 M | Newport Coast
90402 | $2.34 M | Santa Monica
93953 | $2.31 M | Pebble Beach
95030 | $2.30 M | Los Gatos
94062 | $2.23 M | Woodside
90272 | $2.14 M | Pacific Palisades
94528 | $2.12 M | Diablo
94920 | $2.05 M | Tiburon
92625 | $2.02 M | Corona Del Mar
92651 | $1.95 M | Laguna Beach
94588 | $1.94 M | Danville
90274 | $1.93 M | Palos Verdes Estates
94904 | $1.92 M | Kentfield
91108 | $1.90 M | San Marino
92091 | $1.86 M | Rancho Santa Fe
92118 | $1.85 M | Coronado
94970 | $1.80 M | Stinson Beach
94301 | $1.74 M | Palo Alto
94611 | $1.72 M | Piedmont
90049 | $1.70 M | Los Angeles
92037 | $1.69 M | La Jolla
93460 | $1.68 M | Santa Ynez
95070 | $1.67 M | Saratoga
95030 | $1.66 M | Monte Sereno
90266 | $1.65 M | Manhattan Beach
92014 | $1.63 M | Del Mar
94123 | $1.62 M | San Francisco
94506 | $1.61 M | Blackhawk
93066 | $1.57 M | Somis
90212 | $1.23 M | Beverly Hills
90000 | $1.20 M | Californiality*
*Okay, so #50 is the tiny town of Californiality, which has only one resident, me, but I live in one heck of a luxurious blog. At $1.2 million, it's a steal.
Luxury real estate. Mega-mansions. Moguls and movie stars. Plastic surgeons and shrinks who give you the 'good pills'.
That, my friends, makes California's expensive property values go up --- and keeps those property taxes rolling in like a tsunami.
Expensive California ZIP codes are hot status symbols in 2011. Grab one for yourself, then join us on the beach.
Southern California identical twin sisters Inez Harries of Sylmar and Venice Shaw of Newbury Park are celebrating their 100th birthday together.
The two Pasadena natives were born in January 1911, and the identical twins were raised in various Southern California cities around Los Angeles.
As girls, the twins dressed the same, double-dated, shared friends, and worked for the same company when the two became adults.
After both married, the two couples shared vacations, good times and countless memories as a foursome.
The look-alike twin sisters even posed in matching pink polka-dots for their San Fernando High School Class of 1929 senior picture.
The twin centenarians still share the same tastes in 2011, and they both insist that fellow native Californian Carol Burnett is the best entertainer of all time.
94 years ago, little Inez and Venice sang from a float in the 1917 Rose Parade, dressed as identical poinsettias --- reportedly a huge hit.
The strong twin sisters survived the 1918 Flu, the Great Depression and the San Fernando Flood of 1938 before living through WWI and WWII and every war since.
What is the longevity secret of the identical twins who have made it all the way to the century mark?
"We ate well, even during the Great Depression," said Harries, who still participates in weekly exercise classes at 100 years old and sites the Bible as her favorite book.
Inez Harries and Venice Shaw have just been presented with official proclamations from the City of Burbank, which is celebrating its own centennial in 2011.
The identical twin California girls still call each other several times a day to chat and share life. On their close relationship as twin sisters over the last 100 years, Inez Harries expressed herself emotionally.
"I think it's wonderful we've always had each other all these years."
The #1 California blog congratulates Inez and Venice --- California's enduring Golden Girls.
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California is open again after a $19-million renovation with a new exhibit called Revolution: The First 2,000 Years of Computing.
The all-new museum is the Mecca for all things Silicon Valley. An important California cultural landmark, the museum is the biggest institution devoted to computer history on earth.
The museum is ready to accommodate excited visitors from around the world, and tourism is expected to be unprecedented.
"There are very few places to go and actually see what Silicon Valley does," said Len Shustek, chairman of the Computer History Museum.
Now visitors can enjoy a 25,000-foot gallery with 1,100 artifacts that creatively showcase the two-millennia-long history of computing, plus many exciting exhibits:
The Abacus
The Slide Rule
Antikythera Mechanism
Analog Computers
Punch Cards
Moore's Law
Boolean Logic
The Telegraph
Mainframe Computers
Personal Computers
Gaming
Data Storage
The Internet
Tablet Computing
Artificial Intelligence
CDC 6600
IBM RAMAC Disk Drive
Apple II
IBM 7030
Babbage Difference Engine
DEC PDP-1
Mobile Computing
Future Technology
The Computer History Museum is proud of its 100 multimedia displays which present computer history on video --- in the actual voices of those who made history.
This is not just a museum for die-hard geeks only --- take it from the #1 California blog.
Grandparents and 9-year-old kids will be equally amazed by the Computer History Museum, its user-friendliness, and its fun-factor.
Malibu is a California paradise, complete with blue skies, palm trees, surfers, celebrities and --- of course --- The Beautiful People.
Sometimes, the only thing that can save your sanity is a little instant Malibu rehab.
Last year was a busy one for the #1 California blog (and the California blogger) without any break in the action. The ups and downs of an election year with a roller coaster economy can take its toll.
Feeling exhausted, depleted and numbed by L.A. life, I wanted to just run away. Stuck in morning rush hour traffic, I started feeling like I was living in 'Hell-A' instead of L-A.
To sleep for a month sounded tempting, though I began noticing the blue sky and rather warm temperature. I turned on the stereo and heard Courtney Love singing these head-changing words:
Come on, be alive again
Don't lay down and die
Hey, hey
You know what to do
Drive away to Malibu
A warm morning with blue skies in Malibu? Why not? Who cares if it's Wednesday?
I got out of traffic and took one of the canyon roads. I made it to Malibu in 25 minutes. The casually chic' mogul and megastar mecca was even more beautiful than the last time I cruised the Pacific Coast Highway.
When the fresh ocean breeze hit my face, I knew I was in for some instant Malibu rehab. I knew that Courtney Love wouldn't steer me wrong. I was not disappointed.
I'm not sure if Malibu's visual appeal is produced by Technicolor or Deluxe, but great job, dudes!
The feel, the vibe, and the 'moving picture postcard' effect was intoxicating and kind of hypnotic.
What? Intoxicating rehab? Yes. I felt at peace, and I felt high. Even though I've enjoyed Malibu thousands of times since 1966, it never stops being agelessly beautiful.
No wonder there are so many celebrity rehab facilities in Malibu. Such an alluring, spellbinding geographic spot causes on-the-spot epiphanies. Malibu is no 'dark night of the soul', though. It is reflection, truth and inspiration in broad daylight.
Sure, there are a lot of things going on all at once in California, and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. Disasters, divisions and diabolical developments seem endless.
As long as surfers skim the tops of perfect waves, and as long as seagulls sing their happy songs, there will always be a Malibu to escape to for rest, relaxation and rehabilitation.
Thousands of years ago, the first Native Americans traveled across the continent and stopped here when they had found their Shangri-La... their Utopia... their Eden.
Malibu hasn't really changed that much over the centuries. What you see is pretty much what you get --- naturally gorgeous scenery made by God for our enjoyment.
Paradise is for everyone in Malibu. Thanks for the tip, Courtney!
David Nelson, son of TV icons Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, brother of rock legend Ricky Nelson, and uncle of the rock group Nelson, has died in Los Angeles.
Nelson was an accomplished actor, producer and director whose star is on the Walk of Fame at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood, California.
David Nelson starred, along with his wife, mother, father and brother in the legendary megahit TV sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet for an astounding 14 seasons.
The first 'reality show' in history, Ozzie and Harriet depicted the 'perfect' Southern California family of the '50s and '60s. The show was so fake it was fantastic! I watched it for years as a kid and loved it.
Ozzie and Harriet Nelson were like human parent prototypes, and the Nelsons set the tone for social norms of their time. Little brother Ricky Nelson grabbed most of the attention as a teenage rock star, but David Nelson was cool.
Being the oldest in my own family, I always related more to David Nelson. Ricky's sleepy-eyed singing may have pulled-in all the chicks, but David was the responsible 'good son' who always accomplished great things.
David Nelson, the longest surviving member of the Nelson TV family, is now gone, but our favorite TV family is now reunited in Heaven. The adventures of Ozzie and Harriet are now happening in another dimension.
The #1 California blog extends condolences, and may God bless the Nelson family.
California music can be extremely eclectic. The 'California Sound' is hard to define, but 'world-surf-lounge' comes pretty close to defining what the best California music is about today.
Caballero Del Mar is a very hip album of cool California music by Primal Sky, a group founded by songwriter/producer/surfer Tim Smith in a Central Coast surfing community.
The 13-track album expertly merges many musical sounds that are unique to the Golden State with just enough international spice.
Surf guitars, spaghetti westerns and Tijuana horns are spiked with well-placed accents from the Middle East, Asia, Mexico and South America with techno-chill 'lounge' effects.
This is one of those atmospheric albums for the headphones, totally.
Caballero Del Mar is a well-produced trip through California's last seven decades all at once. Primal Sky's music is very bizarre and highly addictive, like California itself.
The album was painstakingly recorded and produced over several years at Painted Sky Studios in Los Osos, California, combining both old and new mixing technologies.
Caballero Del Mar was released in 2008 and is already a classic.
I must confess, I have been a little possessive of this album. I listen to it regularly and, in fact, the CD plays in the background during the writing of the most motivational posts on this blog.
The best California music always triggers great memories and images of life in the Golden State. This particular album covers it all, from the desert to the beach. It is musical modern art which, during moments, nods to other artists like:
Sweetwater
Henry Mancini
The B-52s
Hugo Montenegro
Enigma
Jethro Tull
Santana
Jean-Luc Ponty
Chuck Mangione
The Tijuana Brass
Brazil '66
The Ventures
Dick Dale
Cusco
Ennio Morricone
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Primal Sky's album is as eclectic as this blog is, no doubt about that.
In addition to being the official album of Californiality, Primal Sky's Caballero Del Mar has had its songs featured in a number of popular surfing film soundtracks --- too cool for words.
Songwriter and producer Tim Smith is also an experienced independent promoter of recording artists Rod Stewart, Hall and Oates, Clay Aiken and Herb Alpert.
Trumpet maestro Herb Alpert's influence is all over Primal Sky's album, which includes both vocal and instrumental songs.
Smith, a Southern California native from the Mojave Desert, is a single father of two kids. He is also a military veteran who has worked within San Joaquin Valley political campaigns and, of course, he still loves surfing.
With such a varied background as Tim Smith's, it makes sense that his songwriting and music production would be full of variety.
A culmination of Smith's lifetime of cultural, philosophical and musical diversity, Caballero Del Mar can't help but be different from every other album.
My middle-aged buddies are crazy about the album. Their teenage kids, however, are secretly burning their parents' copies of Caballero Del Mar and sharing the cool tunes with their friends too.
The best California music is ageless, after all.
Caballero Del Marby Primal Skyprovides the best California music available on any single album.
"California Sunrise" is a 2011 California song by the rock band Dirty Gold from San Diego.
An ode to classic Southern California beach culture, the video for "California Sunrise" quickly became an Internet smash hit.
Dirty Gold is a teenage band consisting of San Diego high school students Lincoln Ballif, John Ballif and Grant Nassif.
Dirty Gold describe their very cool musical sound as an eclectic combination of the following music genres:
Afro Beat
Experimental
Beach Pop
Surf Pop
"California Sunrise" is a single from Dirty Gold's EP, From Treasures Hidden.
I will admit that it's hard to pinpoint what 'slot' a California song like "California Sunrise" fits into but, hey, who cares? The song is Californiacentrically hip. I totally dig it.
You know, there's always hope for California's future when our cool young people use their talents and imaginations to create something which folks around the world enjoy.
Dirty Gold has a tremendous Southern California vibe --- and the group knows how to convey it. Very cool, indeed.
California's Mozilla Firefox has surpassed Microsoft's Internet Explorer to become Europe's #1 web browser as 2011 begins with a bang.
The Mountain View, California-based Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation are celebrating another victory for Silicon Valley, now that Europe has been conquered by Firefox.
Internet Explorer's market share dropped to 37.5-percent last month while Firefox held on strongly at 38.1-percent of market share.
The competing California-based Google Chrome web browser captured 14.58-percent of the market, beating rivals Safari and Opera.
IE's European decline was influenced by the European Union's decision to provide Microsoft Windows users in the E.U. with a 'web browser ballot box' last March after finding that Seattle-based Microsoft had "abused their market dominance".
While the IE browser is still the top choice for most users, Microsoft's Internet Explorer global market share has dropped from a high of 67-percent down to 47-percent.
"In California" is a 2001 song by recording artist Neko Case. One of the most brutally honest songs about California, it communicates the disappointment with Los Angeles of songwriter Lisa Marr.
In a situation that has become an L.A. cliche', songwriter Marr finds herself in the thick of La La Land. After dreaming of Hollywood success, the songwriter discovers that California is no easy paradise.
I an ironically humorous twist, she ends up living in Koreatown, accompanied by car alarms --- not exactly a songwriter's California Dream.
"In California" is a great California song, though. In the end, the songwriter is still willing to give L.A. another shot even though she feels alienated and homesick.
#1 California Poem on the Internet Exclusively on Californiality.com
"I AM CALIFORNIA"
I am the creative genesis persisting amid chaos; the idea made manifest.
I am the eternal state of "becoming".
Ever changing, morphing and mutating, my essence reflects the mind of my Creator.
Purity, perfection and productivity are my principles.
I am innovation; the perennially new. I am relentless forward momentum.
I am the unity of the spiritual, the mental and the physical. I am symmetry and balance.
I am the created who recreates; the blessed who blesses; the beloved who loves without prejudice.
I am expression; the vision seen; the voice heard; the thought interpreted.
Races, religions and cultures are my colors, hues and shades. Variety is my lifeblood.
I am the portrait of humanity which beckons an impassioned brush stroke from every hand.
I am relationship; always conversing, sharing, belonging, reciprocating, accepting and providing.
I am contrary; an oasis in the desert; order from chaos; beauty from ashes; hope from despair; unity from diversity; light from darkness.
I am information, communication, technology and intelligence always seeking Wisdom.
Ever the student of the Eternal, I instruct willing minds through my failures and successes.
I am the experience; the be-in; the adventure; the journey; the trip. I am interactivity and participation.
I am the ultimate; the zenith; the apex; the extreme; the max. Limitless minds are my companions into the timeless unknown.
I am to be merged with; not to simply be admired from afar. My visions are to be shared; my dreams are to be realized; my desires are to be consummated.
I am the fruit of ambition, effort and achievement. I am the rarest wine to be tasted, savored and thoroughly enjoyed, not merely collected.
Golden, priceless and breathtaking, I am the star-studded dream, the quaking vision, and the imagination on fire.
provides the best California music available on any single album.
