Those of us close to E.L.A. and who know it first-hand are likely to view with pride the more positive aspects of our communities and recognize the successes rather than dwell on the failures. Nevertheless, we seem to perpetually suffer from dismal public perceptions that tend to focus on the negative. Continue reading
Hmmm, the Spanish Basketball and Tennis teams have a weird sense of humor. I wonder if this goes over well at the Beijing Olympics?
“Estamos preparados para China” was the quoted caption on this pic.
For once I’m speechless.
While walking in Echo Park today, I discovered this little free fold-out map & shopping guide…. Continue reading
There is a trend among immigrants that shows that more and more of them are moving to more mid-western areas of the U.S. rather than living in major cities like Los Angeles. My family is proof of that. This weekend I’m visiting my parents here in the greatness that is Utah after leaving the nest egg to find my own way through life a year ago. There’s nothing like a 14 hour road trip to calm the mind and spirits. It’s also a good time to reflect and rethink things in life like school, work, relationships and all that good stuff. The change of scenery and clean air certainly are a welcomed changed as well. Life in L.A. is hard and fast. It’ll drain you of your youth and spirit and leave you a husk of a person bitter and brittle. That’s why they decided to move.
There are many things that can go wrong in the course of our lives. For the most part, we overcome them and soldier on. Of the many misfortunes transpired within our forgotten pasts, there is one particular pathos that we can never seem to fully erase. We never forget the day we lost our bike. Continue reading
When my parents bought their home 30 years ago, the front and back yards were barren. I don’t remember that, because by the time I came around the yard was lovely. The trees, plants and grass Papá Chepe (my grandfather) planted had grown perfectly.
As a gardener and former farm worker, he was quite experienced when it came to working the land. In the front lawn, he planted grass, several small pine trees which divided our lawn from our neighbor’s property, sávila, bushes, flowers, maguey and the prized mulberry tree known as La Mora.
Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I had breakfast with a friend at a restaurant in South Gate. After breakfast, we were in the parking lot, saying our goodbyes and all the pleasantries, when all of a sudden she asked me, “What’s that noise?”
“The plane?”
“Yes, the planes!”
“Oh yeah, I live under the approach to LAX.”
“So you’ve heard this every day of your life?”
“Yeah, but it’s not bad. You get used to it. Besides, I don’t live in Lennox, where the planes are about a hundred feet above.” Continue reading
(This next post was submitted by reader and commenter Dorit, a piece that highlights some of the ways White Americans perceive the Others.)
I am the offspring of a Celt and a Hillbilly. Thus I am a white-American. And when stripped of the accoutrements of my current tribe (make up, hair color from a bottle, costume and the like) I look just like many of the gazillion people who inhabit our great nation. Some of whom (not all of course) get their news from the fear mongers at Fox News (how can a network that gave us Married with Children, the Simpson’s and King of the Hill give us such right wing rubbish?). And being that I am White-American and to some extent look like them or people they are use to being around, these folks will talk to me and will share with me their demented ideas, fueled more by the AM talk radio, cable news and political TV ads than actual interactions with people unfamiliar to them. And after talking to or overhearing a few of them during a family trip to Sea World California, I can testify:
Ugly Americanism is alive and well.
 Say hello to my little friend, Passer Domesticus AKA chirpy-boy or as the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services knows him, A0968416  N  . I found chirpy-boy Friday night while walking back home when I saw him/her in the corner of my eye. Chirpy-boy was on the floor next to a wall. I walked up to him/her and instead of flying away, he/she bounced away and that’s when I knew something was wrong with him/her. I chased him/her a little bit more to make sure and he/she could fly away and he/she didn’t. I also noticed how small chirpy-boy is, so I knew he/she was still a baby. I managed to corner chirpy-boy and grab him/her with my hand. In my hand I could feel all of chirpy-boys body trembling and his heart pounding. It felt as if my whole hand was throbbing at a high rate. At the same time when I picked up chirpy-boy he/she screamed and bit my palm as hard as he/she could, it didn’t hurt. One thing you have to understand about me is that I’m an animal advocate,lover and owner of a black lab (Harley Quinn) that saved my life and helped me lose 20 lbs. Animals and advocating for their welfare is something close to my heart. I have written about the horrors of puppy mills/pet stores, at my schools news paper and have helped other’s realize/understand that if they decided to take in an animal, adopting is always the best bet. (This could go on for days so yeah, I’ll stop now). With chirpy-boy in one hand and my birthday cake on the other, I headed home and made arrangements for chirpy-boy spending the night until the morning, when I would take him to the North Central Animal Shelter.Â
REPORT FROM SAN DIEGO COMIC CON
Days Three, Four, Five, Six, – Quien Chingáos Sabe?……
By Al Desmadre
San Diego, CA, Sunday July 27, 2008
Ahh, another year, another Comic Con come and gone. Only sweet memories remain, lingering like the pungent aromas of the Nerd Herds even now fading from these Cheesy Nacho littered halls of the great San Diego Convention Center…. Continue reading
San Diego Comic-Con 2008, Day Two,
Thursday July 24, 2008
By Al Desmadre
San Diego, CA.
Complete sensory overload compounded by unyielding waves of costumed humanity funneling themselves through row after row of vendors, mobbing displays containing everything imaginable from the worlds of Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Games, Toys, Posters, Books, Clothing, Jewelry, Art, Television, Movies and Comic Books. Presentations for every upcoming multimedia release and more promotional swag than you’ll ever know what to do with. And if you try to see it all in one day, you’ll go Mad. Continue reading
San Diego Comic-Con 2008, Day One,
Wednesday July 23, 2008
By Al Desmadre
San Diego, CA.
The first thing that strikes me about coming to Comic-Con in San Diego, is the stark human contrasts one sees in everyday settings during this week. Generally speaking, San Diego is a conservative, laid back, kind of military oriented type of town. At my hotel, mainly you see a lot of old white guys smoking cigars and talking about golf and boats. Continue reading
