Category Archives: Analysis

Break Out Reporter for The El Paso Times in Boyle Heights Saturday

Posted on by
Reply

prayer4JuarezIMAGE2

Last weekend of art activism– A Prayer for Juarez closes.  This Friday and Saturday doors open at 7:15pm for final viewing of the protest art exhibit. Casa 0101 Annex, 2102 1st Street, Boyle Heights.  All events are FREE!

Friday, March 26, Film  Screening of El Traspatio/Backyard from Mexico. Not yet released in the US.  Stars Jimmy Smits & Ana de la Reguera. [Mexico, 2009 – 122 mins].  Screening starts at 8pm

Saturday, March 27, Award Winning Reporter Diana Washington Valdez updates us on the latest from Ciudad Juarez, from an insider’s point of view. Starts at 8pm.

Diana Washington Valdez, an investigative reporter for the El Paso Times, has covered the murders in Ciudad Juarez since 2001. In her book The Killing Fields: Harvest of Women, Washington Valdez contends the killings are part of a circuit of parties hosted by prominent Juarez citizens. Former FBI official Frank Evans said, “Diana Washington Valdez is a witness to the truth.” Ms. Washington Valdez has taken the message about the femicides in Ciudad Juarez to 30 cities in the United States and other countries. She is featured in the documentary Border Echoes, produced by Lorena Mendez Quiroga of Los Angeles and in Bajo Juarez by Alejandra Sanchez and Jose Cordero. Both films feature author Washington Valdez’ examinations of the Texas-Mexico border atrocities. Diana Washington Valdez has been interviewed for features on CNN, the New York Times, Aljazeera, Televisa, Channel 4 (London, England), and other news media.
Continue reading →

Be safe on the Blue Line or el$e

Posted on by
2

I’m all for safety on the road, on foot, bike and train. I’m always cautious of my surroundings and always look twice before I cross, however not everyone adheres to these safety measures and Metro along with the LASD and LAPD want to make sure everyone does abide by the rules and be safe on the road or when going Metro. So, tomorrow morning (3-23-2010) they will be holding police check points all along the Metro Blue Line starting from the 7th street stop all along to Washington Station. They will be there starting from 7 a.m. and be checking up that people aren’t making illegal turns, people driving while talking/texting on their phones and jaywalkers. I got a jaywalking ticket once because I crossed when the hand was flashing red. At least that’t what the officer said and god knows there’s no arguing with the LAPD because that hand went red HALF WAY THROUGH me crossing. What was I suppose to do ? Walk back to the other side ? I hope the $175 fine paved some roads or fixed some parking meter.

Anywho, just thought I’d give everyone that rides the Blue Line in those areas or drives by the heads up. The city is hurting for money so they’ll squeeze every dime outta ya. To be more specific, $175 for jaywalking to $436 for red light violations. HOWEVER, I will note that this isn’t some random thing Metro and the police decided to do, Metro wants to reduce the number of deaths and accidents along these stations. Here is their analysis and break down of how the public just needs more education on safety issues. As a long time Blue Line rider all I can say is that, if you get caught breaking the law or being unsafe, then you deserve the fine.

Kicks

Posted on by
12

One of the first lessons I learned about life back when I was a wee little Random Hero was that you had to rock the right shoes. I have two distinct memories etched in my psyche about this. I was in the third grade and my mom bought me a new pair of shoes from pay less. They were a pair of Raider shoes. They had the team colors, logo and everything and I remember friends telling me, “Aww cool. Raider shoes.” Later on in junior high I learned that you got clowned on for having pay less shoes because it implied your ass was po’. I remember being in gym class in junior high and these two guys were making fun of people for their looks and/or clothes. I was sitting down next to them minding my own business and one of the guys starts eye balling me. He looks me up and down and thinks about making fun of me, but the guy next to him looks me up and down too and stops at my feet. He see’s that I have some Jason Kidd Nikes and says, “nah he’s cool.” As shallow and materialistic as it is, having the right kind of shoes makes or breaks a person sometimes. For some of us, sneakers are way more than just things we wear because we need to, it’s an extension of who we are and what we represent.

Continue reading →

March 12 & 13 A Prayer for Juarez Program, 8pm to 10pm–FREE!

Posted on by
Reply

prayer4JuarezIMAGE2

All take place at Casa 0101 (a new spot– 1 block east from the old spot), 2102 1st Street, Boyle Heights.  Both days of art protest are free! Also, another opportunity to check out the Juarez protest art exhibit.

Friday, March 12, 8pm to 10pm

Writer/performer Claudia Rodriguez

Discussion with Dr. Ana Nogales on Human Trafficking

Music performance by Ramona Gonzalez & Carlos Zelaya

Music Performance by Big Joe Hurt

Saturday, March 13, 8pm to 10pm

Poets: Maestras Gloria Alvarez & Judith Terzi, Poetess of the Water

UCLA Professor & Chair of Chicano Studies Alicia Gaspar de Alba reading from her book, Desert Blood, followed by Q&A.

Writer/Poet Consuelo Flores, reading from her art activism work on Juarez, followed by Q&A

New performance by artist Vibiana Aparicio Chamberlin!

Writer/performer reina alexandra prado

New performance by Liliflor Kozmica & SPACE Intruderz!

Next week March 19 & 20, film screenings FREE! Señorita Extraviada, on March 19 & Border Echoes on March 20, 8pm to 10pm on each day

A march on March 4th

Posted on by
23

16

The following is what I felt; what I saw. I lay no claim to objectivity: this is going to be heavy-handed. I am a student at CSULA. Been so for almost a decade. I have seen first hand the corrosion of the quality of resources, services, and education. I took no part in the organization of anything for March 4th. I was merely a participant at the march, as well as doing some acts of solidarity with the NO-CUTS COALITION at CSULA previous to the march. My lack of engagement was probably due to my tendency to not want to be an activist and also my perpetual business. As a student/worker, one is in a place that is extremely vulnerable: when one is not working, one is studying; and when one is not doing either of those, one is busy trying to get-by. This is a perfect place for the State and Global Capitalism to have us in: a place in limbo. The report continues after the jump…
Continue reading →

CSUN Protest

Posted on by
13

In the end, 6 students were arrested and one 72 yr old professor was pushed by police, and fell on her arm, breaking it.

We had a month build up on campus for this day. Chicana/o Studies had a teach in on Feb. 3 and began telling our students that today, March 4th the whole State was going to protest.
Continue reading →

Botanica de Amor wrap up

Posted on by
1

photo 4

For the second year in a row Self Help Graphics auctioned off some of the most eligible bachelors this side of the river. Can you believe that someone was bought off for $600 !?!?!? Yeah, $600 and I’m not talking about monopoly money here folks. Never in my life have I seen to women out bid each other like that. It was madness I tell ya, but all for a good cause, SHG. Here’s a few pics I took of the day and a quick rundown.

Continue reading →

Is Villaraigosa Creating a “Police State” in LA?

Posted on by
35

DSC_0016

On Saturday morning I had coffee with a Los Angeles city worker, who (among other of his colleagues), is disturbed at the direction city leadership is laying out the LA Game-‘o-Life board. This week Mayor Villaraigosa said regarding the economic crisis fueled job cuts, “I don’t do this because I want to, I do this because I must.” Within this “a man must do what a man must do” blanket statement are also choices. In a city of approximately 40,000 city workers, there are 10,000 police and between 5,000 & 6,000 in the fire department, making them 40% of the city workforce. LA city workers have been appraised that Villaraigosa wants to focus on public safety first, translated means that other services in the city will suffer, but not the police forces.

Across my desk this week were dialogues about student actions being planned regarding the cuts in education, the closing of more parks in the city, the dissolution of the city’s Cultural Affairs Department (I got somewhere around 50 email petitions, which helped overturned this plan—gracias artistas!), an alarming price increase menu on traffic tickets with added rules (drivers beware!), gentrification plans to mow down more eastside historic buildings, and Pearl Art Store selling everything at 75% off (looks like they are going down).

As the students have noted in their various cries for continued funding, this city spends more on prisons and those who can imprison us, than things that can uplift us as a humanity, such as community spaces, art and education. I cringe to think what sort of summer we are headed for in LA. More negative places to be pushed into, armed monitors of humans to catch you erring, climbing prices on everything, mom and pops closing all around us, polluted city drinking water, no jobs, gas that cost more than a blood transfusion and no light at the end of the tunnel. My free-thinking art friends say “let the whole thing crash, we have survived worse.” I am starting to picture myself teaching an impromptu class to eager students on the street corner where they have been locked out of their schools.

Go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Your friendly neighborhood council is having elections

Posted on by
4

photo

With the city on the brink of anarchy and devastation, here is your chance to do something about it. By joining your local neighborhood city council. Fellow Boyle Heightian, “Rob” notified me about the  elections that are going to be taking place from March through June all over the city. How cool is that ? Neighborhood councils act as the eyes and ears of the the City council and of the council members in keeping up with what’s going on in the streets, but from the looks of things you would think that community blogs, like this one, are the new eyes and ears of the city. Anyway, having covered council meetings at school, I have some grasp and understanding as to how the councils work, the power they have and the positive changes they can make, with the right people in place. That and having utter contempt for Roberts rules of order. I motion to stick it where the sun don’t shine. I digress from my point, which is why you should join your neighborhood council or at the very least, be more active and show up to meetings.

Continue reading →

Another regular day in the barrio

Posted on by
14


View Larger Map

I cannot make this stuff up folks. My girl, Xicanisma pointed me to this most random and ironic scene of what a regular day in Boyle Heights looks like. Think about it ? This is the google car that goes around mapping things with that camera on top of the car, incognito. Yet, it manages to catch something like this, police officers stopping to a person who may or may not be a cholo, you can make that up for yourself. Having him get into pat down position. The address on here is 2030 E. 1st Things like this make the barrio look bad and might scare off potential investors who wanna develop, but that’s just the way things are here in Boyle Heights.

Boyle Heights on Lockdown

Posted on by
19

lapd tape

If it’s one thing I’ve learned in life is that you don’t fuck with the Police. When interacting with standered issued street soldiers, you gotta be honest, to the point and most importantly not shoot at them. Ever. As of noon today, LAPD officers involved in a drug bust, possibly at a home on Michigan and Matthews NOT CONFIRMED, were shot at. I CAN’T CONFIRM that officers were hit, just shot at. However, considering that everything is on lock down from Wabash all along Mott all the way through Michigan. Then all along Michigan through Breed st. Then all along Breed up to Cesar Chavez continuing along Chavez to Fairmount, with traffic diverted all along First st. and Wabash. They got everything on lock down son. Now that you know what’s up, here’s some pics and my twitter feed as I made my way to First st. passing by and seeing all the craziness unfold.

Continue reading →