The Signal from Santa Clarita, California • 16

B6 THE SIGNAL, Saturday, November 26, 2005 LUJL 1XJX XI IX V2.LL IX 'XX I IP' 0' iff JuLwJ7 Co-star Ralph Macchio says he 'was a truly generous actor, a gifted comic, and an even greater friend; -1 -1 I AV I I vT? my" iV By Tim Molloy ASSIX'IATI Pkcss Writer LOS ANGELES Actor Pat Morita, ho was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr. Miyagi in "The Karate Kid," has died. I le was 73. There were conflicting reports about the cause of death. His daughter Aly Morita said he died Thursday of heart failure at a Las Vegas hospital; longtime manager Arnold.

Soloway said the actor died of kidney failure at a hospital while awaiting a transplant. His wife of 12 years, Evelyn, said in a statement that her husband, who first rose to fame with a role on "Happy Days," had "dedicated his entire life to acting and comedy." In 1984, he appeared in the role that would define his career and spawn countless affectionate imitations. As Kesuke Miyagi, the mentor to Ralph Macchio's "Daniel-san," be taught karate while trying to catch flies with chopsticks and offering such advice as "wax on, wax off" to guide Daniel through chores to improve his skills. Morita said in a 1986 interview with The Associated Press he was billed as Noriyuki (Pat) Morita in the film because producer Jerry Weintraub wanted him to sound more ethnic. He said he used the billing because it was "the only name my parents gave me." He lost the 1 984 best supporting actor award to Haing S.

Ngor, who appeared in "The Killing Fields." Morita "was a truly generous actor, a gifted comic, and an even greater friend," Macchio said in a statement, "He had touched so many lives with his vast body of work. It was both my honor and privilege to have worked with him and create a bit of cinema magic together. My life is all the richer for having known him. I will miss his genuine friendship." "Forever my Sensei," Macchio added, referring to Morita's role in "The Karate Kid." For years, Morita played small and sometimes ing roles in such films as "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and TV series such as "The Odd Couple" and "Green Acres." His first breakthrough came with "Happy Days," and he followed with his own brief series, "Mr. and Tina." "The Karate Kid," led to three sequels, the last of which, 1994's "The Next Karate Kid," paired him with a young Hilary Swank.

Morita was prolific outside of the "Karate Kid" series as well, appearing in "Honeymoon in Vegas," "Spy Hard," "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "The Center of the World." He also provided the voice for a character in the Disney movie "Mulan" in 1998. Born in northern California on June 28, 1932, the son of migrant fruit pickers, Morita most of his early years in the hospital with spinal tuberculosis. He later recovered only to be sent to a Japanese-American internment camp in Arizona during World War II. "One day I was an invalid," he recalled in a 1989 AP interview. 'The next day I was public enemy No.

1 being escorted to an internment camp by an FBI agent wearing a piece." After the war, Morita's family tried to repair their finances by operating a Sacramento restaurant. It was there that Morita first tried his comedy on patrons. Because prospects for a Japanese-American standup comic seemed poor, Morita found steady work in computers at Aerojet General. But at age 30 he entered show business full time. "Only in America could you get away with the kind of comedy I did," he commented.

"If I tr ied it in Japan before the war, it would have been considered blasphemy, and I would have ended in leg irons. Morita was to be buried at Palm Green Valley Mortuary and Cemetery. He is survived by his wife and three daughters from previous marriages, Aly Morita said. Associated Press Actor Pat Morita poses for a photo in this 1986 file photo. Morita, whose portrayal of the wise and dry-witted Mr.

Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" earned him an Oscar; nomination, has died. He was 73. Portable Music Players Inspire New Wave of DJs 7 Top players in the digital music game NOTE: Sampla product Images are nol to scale with each other Apple's iPod series represents more than 70 percent of the overall market for MP3 players. Manufacturer market share for portable digital music players it i r3UV VSJ Tf Creative iRiver Rio Apple SanDisk i i i 1 i Percentages January to August, 2005 czzz By Martha Irvine AP National CHICAGO The jukebox at the bar Brian Toro manages isn't gathering dust just yet but it may only be a matter of time. The popular nightspot is among a growing number of places across the country where people can bring their iPods and other portable music players and, for as long as the bartender allows, share their personal favorites with the crowd.

"Everybody wants to be a DJ," says Toro, a 29-year-old Californ-ian who recently moved to Chicago and now manages Bar Louie in the city's Gold Coast neighbor-htxxl. "People enjoy having a little control in their lives." Even Toro now brings in his music player so he can crank up rock and punk tunes for customers. He'll also let others play just about anything "even if it's country" as long as the music is upbeat. The trend, which is catching on from Washington, D.C., to San Pedro, is a reflection of just how portable music has become and how sharing it with others is becoming easier than ever, partly due to new products aimed at amateur DJs. SOURCE: NPD Group Numark Industries, for instance, is out with a mixing device that allows users with two iPods to segue one song into the next.

It's fairly basic stuff and not something necessarily aimed at professional DJs. Some professional DJs say they're waiting for technology that would enable them to perform on a single portable player all the creative mixing and "scratching" they do with vinyl albums. Already, many do so using software and a laptop, or larger MP3CD player consoles made by such companies as Denon. But in the era of rapidly shrinking electronics, people want their gear as portable and light- weight as possible. For amateurs, a basic iPod or other small portable player and a simple hookup into a bar's sound system suffices.

That's how it works at the Common Ground Bar and Grill in the Allston section of Boston, where amateurs can sign up to play 15-minute sets during "mp3j night" every Wednesday. Depending on the crowd, it might be a "chill night," with customers playing mellow jazz or obscure electronica, says Shannon Bullard, a 22-year-old Emerson College student who can often be found at the bar with her iPcxl. Other times, someone might be inspired, as her boyfriend was AP recently, to play a high-powered rock mix with everything from Bon Jo'vi to Journey. "I've been here some nights when people dance. It's always something different," says Bullard, who also heard the crowd groan one night when someone played a cheesy remake of a popular tune by The Smiths.

4 "It's still one of those things where if you play the latest song, you're cool and in the know," she says. Experts who track technology trends say they're not surprised people are sharing more music in public. "It's the same thing as sharing a hot new 45 or tape or CD," says Susan Barnes, associate director of the Lab for Social Computing at Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York. She also sees it as more proof that while some have accused a new wave of music listeners of shutting out the world with their headphones technology is actually encourag- Associated Press Brian Toro, who manages Bar Louie, adjusts his IPod while at work on Oct. 18 in Chicago.

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