There are many things that can go wrong in the course of our lives. For the most part, we overcome them and soldier on. Of the many misfortunes transpired within our forgotten pasts, there is one particular pathos that we can never seem to fully erase. We never forget the day we lost our bike. Continue reading
When my parents bought their home 30 years ago, the front and back yards were barren. I don’t remember that, because by the time I came around the yard was lovely. The trees, plants and grass Papá Chepe (my grandfather) planted had grown perfectly.
As a gardener and former farm worker, he was quite experienced when it came to working the land. In the front lawn, he planted grass, several small pine trees which divided our lawn from our neighbor’s property, sávila, bushes, flowers, maguey and the prized mulberry tree known as La Mora.
Continue reading
Rolo submits this video asking the obvious question, what exactly do worms have to do with organ donation? I can’t figure it out. DMV- leading the way in surreal advertising.
“Por la Quince hehehehe,†sums up the latest installment of Casa 0101’s production of “El Verde.†That’s because “La Quinceanera,†played by Ramona Pilar Gonzales, steals the show in an unexpected turn of events. Gonzales does a terrific job of playing “El Verdes,â€Anthony Aguilar, most nefarious foe. Like any scorned woman, she is driven by the heart ache of a past lover, detective Johnny Angel, Gabriel Guillen. This is the fourth installment in this on going serious revolving around the origins of the shows major characters “El Verde†and “La Quinceaneraâ€.
A few weeks ago, I had breakfast with a friend at a restaurant in South Gate. After breakfast, we were in the parking lot, saying our goodbyes and all the pleasantries, when all of a sudden she asked me, “What’s that noise?”
“The plane?”
“Yes, the planes!”
“Oh yeah, I live under the approach to LAX.”
“So you’ve heard this every day of your life?”
“Yeah, but it’s not bad. You get used to it. Besides, I don’t live in Lennox, where the planes are about a hundred feet above.” Continue reading
Coelhos Negros-Belo Horizonte, Brasil
I know a lot of people hate on myspace and for good reason, there are millions of kids, teenagers and adults who spend waste way too much of their computer time on the site. But like all things in the world, things are what you make of them and personally, I’ve been able to use myspace for what it was originally intended to be, a social networking site. In fact through one of my numerous myspace pages, :dos lunares, I’ve met and visited Gypsy music fans in Mexico City and hosted Gypsy music DJs from Switzerland here in Los Angeles. Besides using the site as intended, it’s also allowed me to pursue some of my not so flattering tendencies. I can be, how would one put it, extremely curious (okay, nosey) and a tad bit voyeuristic. And I must admit, myspace can provide hours of satisfying entertainment. What I often search for are the strange little subcultures that exist in the world but are not widely known. I’ve spent many a night visiting pages of friends and friends of friends that have included: almost-out-of-the-closet cholos, bizarre art groups, French nu-ravers, Romani gangstas and hardcore Anarchists. And I have to say, I’ve learned so much!
“Amazonas, que viva America Latina”
I have to hand it to those crazy fools that can ignore all common sense and have no problem saying me vale madre to any troublesome situation or issue that might arise. It must be kinda liberating to be able to ignore the concept of responsibility and consequences, and it either requires some hardcore guts or just a total lack of reason. Whatever it is, sometimes I wish I could be that carefree, at least in a small dose. Ignoring the flashing lights from the cops behind me. Tossing aside the 3 day “pay or quit” notice from the landlord. Cooking up those week-old beans even though my nose sez no. Saying “fuck this, I Quit!” after yet another ridiculous request from that overbearing boss with a little man complex. I guess I am a bit familiar with that last one, but still, I wish I could add a few more “a la brava” tricks to my repertoire. Like for instance, this superb example above of some young ladies saying mind-yer-own-business on the Hollywood freeway.
(This next post was submitted by reader and commenter Dorit, a piece that highlights some of the ways White Americans perceive the Others.)
I am the offspring of a Celt and a Hillbilly. Thus I am a white-American. And when stripped of the accoutrements of my current tribe (make up, hair color from a bottle, costume and the like) I look just like many of the gazillion people who inhabit our great nation. Some of whom (not all of course) get their news from the fear mongers at Fox News (how can a network that gave us Married with Children, the Simpson’s and King of the Hill give us such right wing rubbish?). And being that I am White-American and to some extent look like them or people they are use to being around, these folks will talk to me and will share with me their demented ideas, fueled more by the AM talk radio, cable news and political TV ads than actual interactions with people unfamiliar to them. And after talking to or overhearing a few of them during a family trip to Sea World California, I can testify:
Ugly Americanism is alive and well.
“Before you can get to the cho-cha, you have to talk about the panza.”
The Panza Monologues are traveling from San Antonio to Los Angeles this coming Saturday night. It will be a one-woman performance, based on women’s testimonios of their experiences—all told though “panza positive politics.†This is the only performance scheduled in L.A. It promises to be a great show. And admission is free!
Saturday, August 2
7pm
Plaza de la Raza
3540 North Mission Road
Los Angeles, CA
Continue reading