No On 8 Demonstration-November 8, 2008, Silver Lake, CA
JESUS WAS COOL. IT’S HIS FAN CLUB THAT’S FUCKED UP.
The supporters and opponents of Prop 8 include diverse backgrounds and agendas. Tonight’s demonstration inspired some thoughts regarding the religious based opposition to legalizing same sex marriage. Continue reading
That there are a lot of peeps running around with scarves, thick hats, Uggs boots and other “winter” wear???
WTF?!!?!?
Just because it is October and ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘Ugly Betty’ (East coast shows) are experiencing cooler weather don’t mean we need to dress the part here on the West coast!!!
It is 90 something degrees and these peeps make me feel hotter just by looking at them in their winter wear.
Which reminds me how I want to kick people who put fake snow around Christmas time when its 90 degrees!!!
Mother Nature doesn’t follow our calendars, we should follow her cues.
So Cal. embrace our weather, which yes doesn’t change much. Don’t like it? Please leave and go freeze.
Us children of the Sun and lizard people like it just fine.
Ever since I’ve moved back to the (Lincoln) Heights in July I’ve had this ice cream truck from hell come ’round. Continue reading
I took a little walk the other day to enjoy the crisp Fall air and just to see how my neighborhood was doing…. Continue reading
Artist Harry Gamboa, Jr. said when he was a boy in East Los Angeles, all the streets were filled with beautiful trees, but in the 1960’s they were cut down to accommodate the Los Angeles Police’s helicopter surveillance program.  Remnants of what the trees may have looked like still exist on Cesar E. Chavez boulevard, on a strip between Evergreen and Indiana, which by the way, is flanked by a jogging path and the oldest cemetery in Los Angeles (see the first picture above).  These non-native Ficus Trees, a distant relative to Fig Trees, provide a great source of nutritional support to the wildlife in the area, cool fresh air during the hot summers and somewhat of a sound barrier from the traffic, to us residents.  I have lived here for a few years now, and have noticed the diligent pruning of the trees on my corner, several times a year.  On further investigation, it appears that the City of Los Angeles maintains the Ficus Trees on my corner excessively stubby year long, to give traffic visibility to a privately owned billboard situated between four trees (see the second picture above).  When the whole nation is looking at ways to keep our country “green”, I wonder why the community of Boyle Heights has to relinquish nature to corporate commercialism.
Standard issued street soldiers. That’s how I refer to cops after I heard Henry Rollings use those very words to describe them and at times that’s what they are. My first post on here was about a check point and me talking trash and putting the cops in bad light. Fellow bloggers and readers have also expressed their dislike of authority figures whether it’s from personal experience of just hearing about they’re oppression from other’s who have gone through it. However recent events have changed my view of officers. It only takes one bad apple to ruin the rest and leave a bad taste in your mouth. Over the weekend I was threatened with a knife over my stupid phone. You can read the whole story on my personal blog. During the whole incident I was dumb founded by the help that came my way. A person actually took a stand and did something about what happened to me. A random stranger became my Random Hero and went out of his way to make sure that the mocoso who threatened me with a knife was caught by the MTA sheriffs. That’s another thing, the sheriffs actually showed up on time and caught the mocoso as he tried to make a run for it. To me, it feels like too much of a big deal was made for a stupid phone. None the less, what happened to me that Friday night at the railway station will stay with me. I myself have helped other’s in need when no one else would help them. Maybe it was karma returning the favor, La Virgen looking out for me like she always does or something completely different. What ever it was, I’m grateful and appreciative for those who helped me, even though I may have lost my faith in them and talked trash about them. It’s easy to condemn other’s and just go about living your life not caring about anyone else. that’s why it does my heart good to know that THERE ARE people out there who actually give a rat ass about their fellow human beings. That being said, that’s the last time I bad mouth the jura. And remember, there will come a day when we will be in need of a Random Hero, because even a Hero needs saving sometimes.
Cumbia Record @ East Los Angeles Swap Meet (note the tambor head)
Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!
In a moment of historic drama in the Capitol and on Wall Street, the House of Representatives voted to reject a $700 billion rescue of the financial industry. ~ New York TimesÂ
BAILOUT FAILS; STOCKS PLUNGE Dow Loses 777 Points After Vote ~ New York TimesÂ
Washington Mutual Bank Failure Biggest in U.S. History ~ LA Times
On my way home Sunday from work I made it a point to stop by store and take a picture of it. It seems that “La Crisis” just keeps getting worse and worse. Even if that Obama poster is a bargain at $14.99, I’d rather use that money to buy food. I may not know much about the stock market or fully grasp what’s going on right now, but I do know that it’s going to get worse before it gets better. On the brighter side of things, “The Doyers” are in the playoffs. One way or another I feel a riot coming on.
Photo Credit: Cynthia Goldsmith
I don’t believe in flu shots. I’ve never had one and I don’t plan on getting one any time soon either. Specially since I just finished getting over it this weekend. My thing about the flu shot is that eventually the virus will mutate into an extremely viral form that can have the potential to kill anyone regardless of age or health status. Except last year I got the “Super Flu” and I was down for a month. I found this really cool interactive description of how a super flu is born and how we get it. Still, I prefer to get over it the old fashion way, building up my immune system and kicking it’s ass. This practice works for me because I only get sick once a year. My body takes about three days to get rid of la gripa and it happens in 4 stages:
1. Body/head aches, congested and generally feeling caca
2. The water works start and a handkerchief becomes my best friend
3. My throat feels as if I was the lead signer of a death metal band and every time I cough my body aches
4. I’m back to normal, but still expelling what’s left over Â
I remember way back when the hoods of Lincoln Heights, Highland Park, Happy Valley, Cypress Park, El Sereno, and Glassel Park really didn’t have a moniker to say: this is ____! But in the past year or so I’ve heard many an utterance of the acronym “NELA.” Now, I had in the past said “NorthEast L.A.” or even write it that way. Hell I even thought I made it up, but assuming their is a collective unconsiousness we folks in our part of the Eastside have come up with the same acronym. NOW people say NELA as in Neh-Luh. That my friend is pretty chido in my book.
Before I had to say oh, “I live north of East L.A., across the tracks.” Now I can assuredly say I live in NELA.
Just when I was feeling really pissed off at all the Babósos who keep insisting on appropriating the Eastside name (recent examples: edenexibition.com, theeastsiderla.com.) I came across this little gem today, posted on a Silver Lake street sign. Thank you God, for slapping down that sticker for me! Hallelujah!
You’d be surprised at some of the ideas non-Mexican people have about Mexican-Americans. Continue reading
