José Lozano: Creating art of the buffoon—the darker side of humor

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Artist José Lozano was born in Los Angeles, but early in his life lived in Ciudad Juárez, México the birthplace of his mother.   In Juárez he was exposed to the cultural icons that are now part of his artwork—bad Mexican cinema, fotonovelas, phantasm folk lore, lucha, comic books, boleros y rancheras and the flavors of the Juárez landscape. His family core returned to East LA when he was 8, where he attended public school and began to draw.   Later, through formal art training, he captured the essence that is his personal finger print as an artist. Continue reading

Anti-establishment shopping

It’s that time of year again. One way or another we all end up shopping for ourselves or for others. There’s no denying it. So why not spend your feria in your local communities and support local. Buy some great home made jewelry that is ONE OF A KIND, art, clothes and even light switches. I gave one to Aldesmadre last year :-) There’s IMIX in Eagle Rock, which Chimatli wrote about and Nahui Ohlin in Echo Park tambien, but there’s also a few sales that are popping up. So buy local and support artist who do their thing and if you see something nice, don’t think twice about getting it because chances are you’ll never see it again. A mistake I won’t make again. And remember, if you know of something going on, put it up on the comments. Happy HoliDAZE !!

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Continuing to preserve Wyvernwood

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This Thursday, residents from Wyvernwood will be giving visual presentations on the importance of the community there. This looks like it’s going to be a great event because as the flier says, this is all from the residents themselves. If you need to catch up with what’s going, read Chuy’s 90023 blog spot about it. Here’s more from their statement:

The Wyvernwood Garden Apartments was developed in 1938-39 and was the first large scale garden apartment complex in Los Angeles. Determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, not only is Wyvernwood architecturally significant, but it also reflects the cultural heritage of the neighborhood, where the residents have created a strong sense of place and belonging. The original design intent has been realized, having fostered a close-knit, multi-generational community among its residents, many of whom have stayed for decades, intermarried and started their own families. As in many parts of the city, the apartments were racially segregated for decades, until the first Latina/o family moved in during the 1960s. Today, Wyvernwood is predominantly Latina/o.

However, residents are in danger of losing their homes. In January 2008, owner Fifteen Group announced plans for a $2 billion development that would replace all 1,100 rental apartments and over twenty acres of open space with four times the density, including new condominiums, rentals, retail and commercial space. Come out to show your support of the Wyvernwood community and participate in a unique event where residents will be sharing their own stories and oral histories through multi-media presentations. Comité de la Esperanza (an active resident group of 25 years) will lead a procession/vigil to the event starting at 6pm, which will begin on-site at Wyvernwood at 2802 Camulos Place (near 8th and Soto). The presentations will follow at 7:30pm inside gymnasium at the Costello Recreation Center (3141 E. Olympic Blvd). At 9pm residents will return to Wyvernwood in procession.

Resistance Is Fertile: Dumb? Found It!

“She’s the epi… epitome of conservativeness…if the republican party doesn’t back her, it doesn’t matter because she’s gone get the presidency!”

“We do need to have profiling. I mean, the politically correctness has got to get out now. I mean, we are americans. She sticks up for the american people not for other people. We’re first, other people last.”

Did you get that? The “Other people.” Dumbfounded. This video is comedy gold. Well, maybe not. I thought of John Taylor Gatto’s book Dumbing Us Down. I thought of the hundreds of seniors at Roosevelt High who read at fifth grade level. I thought how in Mexico or Cuba, I am almost shocked at the level of discourse, because I don’t experience that level often with the strangers I meet here. When was the last time you were asked about Twain and Emerson and Langston Hughes? “So what, those are poor countries. USA #1!” What’s my point? Don’t have one, but I have a question:

Who are these people? Is this “middle america”? The “heartland of america.” Are those racist terms still used? Where are we? We, of the barrio? In the buttland? Where is this wonderful place, so often called “america?” Never been there.

Was it the editing? Why can’t they form complete sentences? I mean, uhm, well, uhm… Here are some of the greatest unintended one-liners in the history of media, in all their mostly monosyllabic glory. The Steelers dude is timeless.

Don’t get me right, that shit’s also right here in east los, en masse! Am I castigating mi gente? Everybody is mi gente, numskull! I’m fucking tired of people talking without saying anything. I said I’m tired! What chew gone do, blame lausd? Please. You with your ipod and latest fashion bullshit, but can’t give directions to save your life. “Uhm…Duh…I dunno…like, two blocks, no no three, then uhm…” Shit! And I’m not even talking about high school students!

I want to thank Mrs. Pa(l)in for helping cast a bright light on the dim bulbs. These suckers support her ignorance. “Hey, look, someone as stupid as meself can be president, she don’t know shit like me, she gots my vote. Go Sarah Go.” I know there are videos of the current president’s supporters, but he knows how to formulate common sentences. How elitist of me? Me and my City Terrace uppity ways, barrio couture, and plastic spoon upbringing. Is a complete sentence a bad thing? What about a thought? Fuck!

Am I being too harsh? I’ve been called that before, in fact, on this blog. Like all my other posts, I could give a… uhm… huh…anda…uhm…

Is she the dumbest national politician in recent memory? Can we forget the guy who said, “I hear there’s rumors on the internets,” “One of the things I’ve used on The google…” and “… you’re working hard to put food on your family” Hell no! But, it’s her time, she can lead a confederacy of dunces, can’t she? Who else could constantly use progress as a verb? Kills me every time. Party on, Garth!
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It didn’t take long…

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Eastside Gold Line train at 3rd near Rowan

Just read this on the LA Now blog:

L.A. NOW
Southern California — this just in
2 injured in collision between car, Gold Line train
November 26, 2009 | 11:05 pm

Two people suffered minor injuries this evening when their car collided with a Gold Line Metro train in East Los Angeles, authorities said.

The car turned in front of the eastbound train at a crossing near 3rd Street and Rowan Avenue about 8:20 p.m., said Sheriff’s Lt. Greg Hinkle. The two occupants of the car complained of pain and were taken to a hospital, he said.

A California Highway Patrol officer said the pair were riding in a Chevy Malibu, which was towed after the crash.

The one passenger on the train was uninjured.

— Jack Leonard

LA Eastside contributor Browne Molyneux pointed out some of the safety issues of the Eastside Gold Line Extension back in August. In particular she pointed out the nearby intersection where the above accident took place and asked why there weren’t more safeguards like crossing bars. Many of us felt that it would take an accident or worse for Metro to implement some of these much needed changes. How many accidents it will take before the area gets the consideration the residents of South Pasadena received?

RANFLAS

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One thing that amazes me is the customization that people do to their cars. I’ve seen $100 Pontiacs with $2000 rims, Japanese cars with disintegrating white body kits, Off Road trucks the size of my house, but nothing tops this kind of custom. Mama Capanita has a bad ass ice cream truck, nice combination of colors.  I wonder how many people could fit in there?

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GDL/LA: books y suavitel


Promo video for the Guadalajara Bookfair

As some of you might know, The City of Los Angeles is the invited guest at this year’s La Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara appropriately taking place in Guadalajara, Mexico this weekend. There will be quite a few Eastside and other Los Angeles writers and artists heading down to participate in the various musical offerings, panel discussions and lectures. In particular, the Vexing exhibition will be making an appearance and artists Sandra de la Loza and Shizu Saldamando will be presenting Eighteen With a Bullet.

I recently returned from a trip to Guadalajara and have a warning for those heading down for the events. The GDL airport does not have x-ray equipment to search your checked-in luggage on your way back. Passenger luggage is picked through and examined by young, tough women with immaculate eye make-up who dig and pull your items from the suitcase in full view of everyone in the airport lobby. Be prepared and don’t end up like the poor ranchero who made a whole line of people gasp when a large homegrown camote was discovered and pulled out from the recesses of his bursting suitcase.

In case you are wondering what Guadalajara and Los Angeles have in common (that is, besides the hundreds of thousands of people that consider both of these cities home) you can buy Suavitel in both places. The guy who tried to bring his camote to Los Angeles obviously didn’t know this because the luggage examiner also pulled out a large bottle of the laundry detergent from his suitcase only to have the line of Tapatio-Angeleno passengers tsk tsk his ignorance. Hey, these things are good to know, right?

Just came across this blog following some of the LA folks in Guadalajara: Blogalajara, Vexico.

Resistance Is Fertile: Over Their Heads And Far Away

I saw a clip of this “event” in Minneapolis with some yahoo teabagger saying, “This is not racism. It’s about the rule of law.” They still think that shit flies, like some 1950’s sheriff in Southern Ole Miss. When you hear “the rule of law,” you better protect your gonads, hold on to your wallet and hide the kids. Spewing fake christian platitudes means somebody gonna get crucified and it’s usually one of a darker hue.

I read about “Robert Erickson” and his “speech” and immediately thought of John Brown and Richard Pryor. That’s how my brain malfunctions. This “performance” is high larry us. Downtown Freddie Brown, Snooky Pryor, anybody with Brown skin or anybody with priors would laugh.

This “current wave of immigrant bashing…” I always like that “current wave” idea. This “wave” is going on half a millenium. No shit it’s current, cuz it ain’t never abated. “Erickson” ain’t Frederick Douglass 1852 throwing down about the 4th of July or Thoreau defending John Brown’s honor 1859, but we in the age of diminishing vocabulary, and while pranking a “crowd” of “European immigrants,” he did fine (despite the bad recording). The lack of cheers when fools realize they’ve been duped is invigorating, especially when dealing with a bunch of clowns. Cheers from those who, when not referring to an athletic competition, see “race” as a verb and not a noun. “Columbus Go Home.” Resistance is Fertile!

Here is the end of his speech:

I say it’s time for us to say enough is enough! Are you with me? Are you with me? Let’s send these European immigrants back where they came from! I don’t care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian! European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinous crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery! It’s time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land!
I want more workplace raids, starting with the big banks downtown. There are thousands of illegals working in those buildings, hiding in their offices, and taking Dakota jobs. Let’s round them up and ship them out. Then we need to hit them at home where they sleep. I don’t care if we separate families, they should have known better when they came here illegally! (editor note: i think i pissed my pants!)
If we aren’t able to stand up to these European immigrants, who can we stand up to? We need to send every one of them back home, right now.
Thank you very much, and we’ll see you in the streets!
Columbus Go Home! Columbus Go Home! Columbus Go Home!

Here is the complete text of his “speech.”