BookSale. Two words together that make me smile, kinda like job and blow. I got up on Saturday morning, a lazy morning, the best kind. Exercise, wash clothes, check e-mail, blah blah. Looked at my calendar and saw that the week of April 12 – 18 was highlighted. Of course, National Library Week! Ok, they weren’t highlighted, just kidding. I promise.
Sed, Fruit Punch and Animal
This is Sed, Fruit Punch and Animal. This is a Photoshopped/Illustrated version designed by friend and local artist, Benny Gonzalez. We’re planning to make stickers, patches and shirts.
I found these guys on First Street near Evergreen Cemetery. It was winter – January of 2008 – in sunny Boyle Heights . While driving east on 1st, I spotted the trio walking past Haru Florist with their $5 pizza from Little Caesar’s. I just so happened to have my digital point-and-shoot camera and turned the corner to stop this fashionably dressed bunch for a photo op. I remember the conversation vaguely but it went something along the lines of this.
Victoria: “Hey guys. Can I take a picture of you? I know it may seem weird but I saw you walking from like 50 feet away and I just had to stop because you guys are dressed so freakin’ cool.”
Fruit Punch: “Yeah. Sure.”
Sed: “Yeah, so how do you want us to pose?”
Victoria: “However. Just stand against the wall. So are you guys off-track? You go to Roosevelt?”
Fruit Punch: “Nah… (laughs)”
Animal: “Yeah, we go to another school.”
As I took their picture, I wondered what minority laws I was breaking by taking their picture. I also wondered what laws they might have broken. I wonder what laws I’m breaking now by posting their picture.
Link to original photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/victoriaemk/2657976077/in/pool-laeastside
JonSons Market
4820 Whittier Boulevard between Fetterly & Fraser Avenues, East Los Angeles
Brooklyn & Matthews Avenue, East Los Angeles
Whittier Blvd. & Lorena, East Los Angeles
Whittier Blvd. & 20th Street, Montebello
Every payday my dad would give my mom her expense allowance for the week.
I recall that it was about $25 for all the groceries and necessities our household might need. My mom would grumble about what a cheapskate my dad was and she’d have to always supplement that allowance with her meager earnings from her seamstress job at Jod’is Sportswear sweatshop factory on Whittier Bl. & Vancouver Ave…. Continue reading
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.
Who remembers watching this show? That was some funny shit!
I don’t know what I did or what I said but whatever it is, someone out there loves me and is watching out for me. Today was an unusual day that could have taken a turn for the worse, but thanks to the Metro Freeway Service Patrol, it ended nicely. My friend calls me up asking me to help her take one of the dogs to the vet because the cabeson broke his leg last week. We get there, drop him off and make our way to a gas station because my friend didn’t put oil in her car and it was smoking harder than a hipster at an art show. ZING!!
“The greatest thing you have is your self image, a positive opinion of yourself.
You must never let anyone take it from you.”
-Jaime Escalante, Educator
Decorative inscription at Eastside Metro Gold Line Station, 3rd Street & Mednick.
When I first saw Made in L.A. last year after it won an Emmy, it hit a soft spot in me to say the least. When my father first came to this country way back in the ’90s to pave the way for the rest of the family to make it over, he worked in one of those garment factories. I remember those days because of where we lived, how we lived and my father telling us later on, in his drunken ramblings, how much he hated that work when he was doing it. Yet, he did it and put up with it because that was what he needed to do in order to get the job done, so to speak.
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OMG just got back from the most awesome game Dodger game ever!!! This was the biggest crowd at Dodger Stadium for an opener: 57,099.
So my day started at 8am when I was ready to go to Dodger Stadium. My dad and I got there at about 8:30 and we were fifth in line for where our car was.. well there I was so excited that I couldn’t even read my book or study for my test that I have in about a few hours LOL… well walking around seeing the tailgaters it was pretty cool. My dad and I started talking to those around us and then people started parking right next to us, which is a left turn lane, every one was annoyed (well those that were heading to work LOL) so a couple next to us ask if it was ok I told them yes they can leave their car there. Suddenly with those annoyed patrons one women hit another car while trying to make a left, it was pretty funny. Then the cops came trying to be all tough and saying that they were about to tow away the cars parked right next to us.
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Over ten years ago I was at the right place at the right time to help set up the Tierra de la Culebra. We would go move out rocks, pull weeds and practice danza Azteca there. One day when it really wasn’t that cloudy, the danza leader said we were going to dance until it rained. It rained within 5 minutes of us dancing hard. I will never forget that day and the magical place it happened. The other day I re-visited and these are some pics I took.
the culebra head
Good Friday, Jesus Christ crucified for for speaking the truth to the money changers in the temple, it’s said he died for our sins. Who’s going to die for our latest sins?
Will there be a resurrection this time or is it the end of civilization as we know it? People freaking out all over the country and killing their perceived demons. As an old viejito once said “Society is losing our minds!”
Maybe the old David Bowie song was a clue to our present circumstance.
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I can’t believe it’s been a year since this blog started !!! Damn time flies by so fast, I don’t even know where it went. I remember when Chavo and the rest of the crew started this blog and I was like “whoa !? this blog amazing !! It’s all that and a bag of chips (90s slang).” I then remember reading that Chavo was looking for writers for the blog and I emailed him about writing and a few weeks later it was on. Now one year later, here I am. Stronger, smarter and humbled to be with so many talented artist, writers and all around great people that I’ve ever met. I’ve personally grown and developed in soo many ways that I can’t believe it myself sometimes. It truly is a pleasure to be in cahoots with everyone on this blog and interacting with the people responsible for making this possible, our readers. If it wasn’t for everyone who reads and comments, passionately at times, on this blog, none of it would be possible. Gracias to all of you as well. I can’t wait to see what the next year will bring in terms of future post, discussions and keeping people in check who claim the Eastside is in other parts of town. Trucha cabrones !!!!