I was driving by the park on Spring when I saw this long line, might as well check it out. It turns out all these poor souls are waiting for a chance to get some cheese and bread. La Crisis deepens.
La Crisis: Bread and Cheese Line
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Author Archives: EL CHAVO!
La Linea de Odio
I guess someone should have mentioned it here earlier, this whole thing with Gloria Molina asking for the new Eastside extension to be named in Spanish, but I didn’t think it was a big deal. I keep forgetting about the hatred people have for Spanish and Spanish speakers. In 2009. In a city of mostly Latinos, where half speak Spanish. I was planning on being outraged at the backwardness, call some assholes out, but fuck it, who cares? It’s just the monolingual ethnic white enclaves grasping at anything as they build up the virtual gates to stave off the inevitable: you will have to accept us. And the way we speak. Oh, I bet they are longing for those restrictive covenants now.
This shit is old and tired and repetitive. I’m used to it. I grew up with it. A second class citizen in my own country. My primary language mocked, derided, condemned. Taking the brunt of irritation as some annoyed monolingual bureaucrat is forced to talk through a child to communicate with his Spanish speaking parents. Authority figures that treat you like a criminal just because of an East Los accent. Newbies to the city thinking I’m the foreigner since they don’t recognize that accent. Even as other romance languages signify upscale. Yet a symbolic gesture to recognize one of the main languages on the Eastside, somehow that’s considered offensive? Efaak eyuu.
I’m not going to get mad. Para tal baboso, sus babosadas. Look it up.
What you don’t understand is that we have defensive mechanisms, built from experience, to deal with this continued attack on our identity. What you don’t understand is that your streak of hostility will not touch us.
Sas!
Swapmeetero Music
On the way into the venerable Rosemead swapmeet, we get soothed by the melancholy sounds of a man and his accordion, singing for us to “let him cry, because he’s wounded”. Actually, he’s just singing an old favorite “Dejenme Llorar” by Los Freddy’s, a popular hit in the 70’s but which resonates just a bit more since this musico appears to be blind.
Entrance line, accordion, crying, wounds, tips, 75¢ entrance fees, tickets, ticket takers: it all happens so fast that you can only get a snippet. Probably the musico doesn’t care, it’s the way he makes his money. But still, I could have waited a bit to catch some more. Oh well, la vida sigue pasando, en chinga y de aprisa.
Festive Balloons
If you’re planning to throw a real party sometime soon, might I suggest you invest a buck or two for a few balloons? (If you insist -yet again- on just breaking out your Trader Joe’s stash for that predictable spread of cheese n shit n crackers n wine, then you can skip the balloons.) Them gassy rubber orbs always scream festive-ness, they can brighten up anything! For example, this box that reads “No drugs or money kept in box, blood and urine specimens only” is 4 times as cheerful as it would be under normal conditions. Yay! Party!
A few more “specimen” after the jump.
Chago Ahogadas
Puppets & Paralegal
La Crisis. Hitting hard but inspiring creativity, and some interesting career mixing. For example:
Majestic Vic at myspace. Magic shows – Face Painting – Balloon Animals – Puppets – Games
& Paralegal Services.
Best of luck to you Majestic Vic.
Almost Over
It’s almost Easter (it’s some religious holiday where I think some vato rises from the dead?) and there are two fun things you are likely not to do after this Sunday. So this is a heads up; indulge while you can!
First up: the smushing of the hollow chocolate bunnies. Oh, don’t act like you don’t, everyone does it. Maybe it’s revenge for having the reality of the world come crashing down at a young age, realizing that it’s all about illusions and hollowness. Or maybe I’m just a jerk. But how can one not resist exposing a lie? Click ahead for the truth!
Creeping Bunny
Saving Los Angeles from Becoming a First World City
Many of America’s cities are in the crapper thanks to years of policy that’s favored suburbanites and their wasteful consumption habits. And LA has suffered the glut of gentrifying jerks looking for a lifestyle instead of a place to live. Buildings turned into condos, markets turned into fancy t-shirt shops, restaurants with one word names. It’s like some invasion by rich asshole foreigners, quickly turning Los Angeles into a First World City, instead of an American city. But this trend is reversible and the opportunity to clean up this city, and get rid of all the cleaned-up-ness, is achievable.
What’s the difference between a First World City and an American City? Let me show you the signs.
El Tepeyac to Test New Vegan Menu
I’d heard from a few people that Manuel was considering changing up the menu at El Tepeyac, adding some healthier options and smaller portions, due in no small part to some health issues with some employees and the growing trend of vegetarianism on the Eastside. But apparently, a daughter of one of the cooks recently turned vegan and had an influence on Manuel, cuz he’s actually gone to an all vegan menu! At least for the time being, as he’s waiting to see what the reaction will be from long time fans of the place. “I think they might not be too happy, but it’s good for them” Manuel said. I sure hope it catches on, we can use some healthier Mexican-American food over here. I made sure to get there to try out some of the new items. Click ahead to see the tasty new menu!
Westside 10A: The Boot
Over on this side of the river, a boot on a car for failure to pay the “I don’t own a garage” tax otherwise known as a parking ticket, is quite the common sight. Occasionally, you even see people contemplating if they can take it off themselves, looking at the lock, checking out where it’s clamped. When the money is low the last thing you want to do is throw it away. Which is the reason you never paid your tickets, which lead to the clamp that’s gonna cost you an extra $150, which if you don’t pay in time is gonna mean your ride will get towed and then you are truly jodido. The non-poor rarely realize how expensive it is to be poor. And no, being broke is not poor. When you can no longer call the parents or your other unspecified “resources” to bail you out, then you’ll start finding out what it means to be poor. And by the looks of this fancy BMW/Benz/whatever the fuck it is with a boot, seems people will start getting acquainted with the concept of without fairly soon!
(Update 3/28: Another picture to admire added to end of post!)
Caca o Deli?
Is it just me, or does this soon to open Mexicatessen place in Eagle Rock have a name that’s bound to be a source of many jokes, especially for those that speak Spanish? Or am I the only simpleton with a Jr High sense of humor? I’m just saying…