Dia de los Muertos 2010

Considering how I got a lot of positive feed back from last years impromptu Day of the Dead guide, I was debating whether or not to make another this year too. I mean, I do have a life beyond my random ramblings on this here bloggito. But then again, I love DOD and I love sharing the tradition and parties with as many people as I can. My homework will still be there after I finish. So here it is, your 2010 Dia de los Muertos guide to events you probably already know about and some you may have missed. Also, Day of the Dead is also election day. So, after you vote between a @#!*% and a turd, which I won’t get into lest I be called childish names again, start making your way to Self Help Graphics for the original Dia de los Muertos celebration, going on its 37th year and it’s free. Free !! You can also print and wear this kick @#!*% mask made by Cuéntame, the ¡Latino Instigators!, for a get out the vote campaign. I think it’s hilarious because if you can vote and don’t for whatever reason you have, then you are a cabron and you have no right to complain about how bad things are either. Also, most of these events are pretty self explanatory, soo I’m gonna cut corners and just copy and paste info with flyers and pics really. Anyway, enough jibba-jabber, on to the festivities

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Day of the Dead Workshops for the WHOLE familia start THIS Saturday in ELA!

I know that Random Hero has posted the cold hard facts about Self Help Graphics & Art’s Day of the Dead workshops starting this Saturday at 11am (right below this).  All his data you can get from FBing Self Help Graphics or going to their website.  VyalONE’s Saturday aerosol spray-paint class has made a sign announcing this  fact too (see Random’s blog).  Random always says he can write better, if he gets paid for it.  Me?  I have a passion for art and everything Self Help Graphics, so I will give you a more personal account as to why this is one of the greatest events taking place in the heart of East LA.  Above (and below when you click on “more”)) are some images of joyous Day of the Dead workshops past and the kind of artisan skills you and your little ones can gain by attending. Continue reading

Peel Here 2010 “Brace Yourself”

Read my review for Peel Here 2007 here

Read my preview for Peel Here 2008 here

PEEL HERE is an unbiased forum for sticker and paste-up artist, we feature large scale sticker art in a gallery setting, along with interactive modules for our guests to slap stickers and add their tag. We will feature a MASSIVE STICKER WALL, STREET FURNITURE, STICKER TRADING ZONE, as well as “Open Call Submission” Sticker Installation.

This year our theme is “BRACE YOURSELF!” which is inspired by and focuses on the current social, political, economic and environmental climate we live in today. Brace Yourself! the urban underground speaks. It’s time to get sticky.

Saturday, July 17th, 6 p.m. to midnight. The Exhibit will run through July 31st at Self Help Graphics and Art

Featured Artists:
ROBBIE CONAL – THE LONDON POLICE – GERMS – SMEAR – ASHES57 – MAN ONE – OLIVE 47 CHAZ BOJORQUEZ – BRANDY FLOWER – ENIK ONE – TIMOI – VYAL ONE – ERNESTO YERENA – SAND ONE – FAVIANNA RODRIGUEZ – SHARK TOOF – CAT CULT – CHOICE ROYCE – TOOFLY- DR NUSE 89 – DMN – JESSEROBOT – SKET ONE – STICKY BANDITS – SPRFKR – BRIAN EWING – AKO – JAXIE JAX – MCA – DEWEY TAFOYA – KATHIA DUNGPLATA – DOUGLAS MILES – MAD ONE – EVOKER – SHARK TOOF – ROBOTS WILL KILL – MODERN DAY MONSTER – RAH TEN – FLYING FORTRESS – VINCENT VALDEZ – NOMADÉ

Brace Yourself Installation by PHANTOM STREET ARTIST

Live Art Paper Fashion by
DIANE GAMBOA

Live Screen Printing by
HIT & RUN CREW

BRACE YOURSELF! Installation by
THE PHANTOM STREET ARTIST

Come out and enjoy the live music and DJ’s:
DJ TOKS
DJ BROHMEINI
AC The PD

Bands:
THE SIRENS
THE LEAF BLOWERS
TURBO MEX
FOUR WAY HIT
ELECTRIC CURRENT ECCENTRIC KAOS

Admission is $5 – all ages
First 100 guests receive a free Stick Rick’s gift bag

Bring stickers to add the to the MASSIVE STICKER WALL and trade with new friends in the PEEL HERE TRADING ZONE!

Anime Expo 2010

The Anime Expo. Next to the San Diego Comic-Con, it’s one of the biggest cons here in the west coast. Kids, their parents and Otakus like myself, come from far and wide to get their anime on. Like any other convention, the Anime Expo brings together fans of all levels into one single city for one weekend to share in their love and passion for all things Japanese, but mostly the anime. BHHappa talked about this fandom a while back and even though it hasn’t been accepted or welcomed in the past, Eastern and anime  influences can be seen all over the place these days. It’s cool to like anime now thanks to Hollywood and Disney. But there’s still a deeper, darker level of fandom seldomly seem by others.

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Look Cool Pooping Your Pants

What do you get the modern hipster baby that still poops his pants? Why, fancy designer diapers to distract you from the wafting aromas! By the time you’ve snapped out of the temporary yet recurring horror that humanity is being flushed into oblivion by the same gaggle of fools that control most of the production of our necessities, the squishy bottomed baby has been removed from your work counter, with maybe a few unseen specimens left behind. But the baby looked cool.

Yup, the tagline really is “the coolest you’ll look pooping your pants” and the jean label reads “little bowel movers” or something like that. Oh haha, let’s all laugh at the cuteness that is yet another reason why our society doesn’t work. Giggle, Giggle!

If you’re a parent, you better not buy these. Don’t make me have to mock your baby.

A few yards from this fine example of Modern American Living…

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Macy’s Throws it’s Sombrero into the ELA Market!

Macy’s Department store has acquired a small department store which had been struggling for many years and finally closed its doors in December of 2007. The First Street Store aka La Primera at 3640 East First Street, was the only department store in East LA for 70 years and (according to business sources) way over due for a make over.  Xavier von Dido, Regional VP of Marketing for the Macy’s stores, was quoted as saying, “I am so proud to be part of the team initiating this mega deal for the community of East LA.”

Macy's of ELA will be a beautiful contribution to the community. Architect's rendering above.

According to von Dido, Macy’s is planning a fresh array of Hispanic feeling products that will have mass appeal to the forward looking East LA consumer. “If these products go well in East LA,” von Dido said, “we will look towards a national and international saturation campaign of similar products.”
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Kicks

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.

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Things to do this weekend

back seat of bus

Is it me  or am I doing these, “go check this out this weekend” post more and more often. It’s just me because these are all events YOU HAVE TO GO CHECK OUT THIS WEEKEND. I’m serious. A lot of them are free or relatively free. This weekend though, I will be part of one 🙂 See that picture of people on the bus, I made that 🙂 No too shabby if I say soo myself. The event where my stuff will be on sale is on the list of events so check it out if you can 🙂 The list is going to be broken down by day, since these events are  starting Thursday and ending on Sunday.

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Calavera Fashion Show & Walking Altars 2009

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Okay, so I know I’m kinda late with this post. I mean, we already got a post up about Tropico de Nopal’s Calavera Fashion Show but seriously, what’s a full-time working gal who just came back from two fabulous weeks in Mexico supposed to do? Stay up late to edit photos and try and figure out which artist did which creation? Yeah, I guess so…(sigh).

Anyways, I’m not sure who the target audience for this fashion show is supposed to be. I don’t think it’s me, so I will refrain (or at least try to) from commenting too much on what I saw that night. I mostly went to support friends and to stand for hours in uncomfortable shoes and endure the constant leaning and pushing of a young girl behind me (who I hope was drunk because there was no other good reason for her getting all up in my personal space the way she did) but I digress…On to the fashion show!

By the way, my camera was being totally uncooperative that night.  It’s a cheap little thing not well equipped for nighttime photography so pardon the blurriness. Or just consider the fuzzy photos my artistic touch.  It won’t be the last time you stretch your notions of artistic good taste in this post!

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