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Don’t let not having money bring you down. All you need is love AND you can still have a Happy Holidays with stuff, maybe not new stuff, but free stuff (continues click more…)
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Unemployment is at 8.3 % in California. That’s pretty insane. And that doesn’t include people who have stopped looking for work or are underemployed (working parttime for peanuts) or business owners who are going under.
Can you hear the screams.
I can.
Now the counties that are especially hurting: 24% unemployment in Imperial County. In Yuba County it is at 12% and there are lots of places already at 10% and/or creeping towards 10%.
California isn’t the only place hurting. Michigan (Detroit auto industry) 9.3% and Rhode Island is also at 9.3%. Continue reading
Blog in critical condition................
Many blogs disappearances or locking are met with sadness, but sometimes certain blogs have lived through their usefulness. Unlike TV shows though, some blogs keep going long after their usefulness has ended. The LA Times Homicide Report blog a vehicle that I have always hated has finally been put in a home.
Reasons this blog annoyed me.
1. Wasn’t going to solve crime. You would think the LAPD would be embarrassed about all of those dead people, but dead poor people don’t make the real newspaper, so they weren’t that concerned. The Homicide Report blog was just a blog. Being in the Homicide blog meant that you didn’t matter. I always joked when I died I was going to be in the Homicide Report blog, maybe it wasn’t so much a joke, but you know an acknowledgement of my non anything status.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.†First Amendment, US Constitution.
Last Thursday on November 6, my boyfriend’s (BusTard) first amendment rights were violated in the name allegedly of Homeland Security. He was taking pictures of Sheriffs that do nothing at the rail stations, but harass people not polluting the environment with their cars. For doing this he was rewarded with being arrested and taken to LA Country Jail where he got to spend the remainder of his day.
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Now that I’ve done my community service.
I always said if America got to the point where we had a president of other than white descendent that I would never do that thing where I refuse to even entertain the idea that people who look like me could be jerks, well that day happened last Tuesday and I also think I can probably ice skate in hell.
Black people we need to talk. I am not excusing the total racist, vile crap that has come out since Prop 8. That’s not right.
BUT…70% of black people voting yes on a prejudice law. Now I understand that we are not magical or special or fantastical, but god damn are we stupid?
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Feelings on Prop 8.
I’m upset that it did pass. Gay rights is a civil rights issue. I am not surprised that it passed, but that doesn’t stop me from being pissed about it.
I’m also angry about how the LA Times focus in regards to this seems to be just on black people. Just in this wide swath. Why aren’t we divided into different demographics like educated or Christian or blue collar? Why are we not individuals like how white people are viewed as individuals in the LA Times?
Kevin Roderick LA Observed (a long time comrade of people at the LA Times) makes a point to say 70% of the black population voted for Yes on 8 (over and over and over again), but fails to point out that we are six percent of California.
But on the other hand he doesn’t link one blog by an African-American writer (I’m pretty sure that was on purpose), though he does link blogs that talk about African-Americans celebrating, in African-American sections of LA after the Obama win.
If the black issue was such a concern to him then why not at least do that.
I took the Purple Line to the 720 to an art event on Sunday.
And this happened:
I was pouring myself some wine and a woman said, “That’s a beautiful dress you have on.â€Â I said thanks. She went on to say it was the first time she had been at this particular establishment on Wilshire Blvd. I told her I went to this particular establishment all of them time, well rather used to.
I said the place had lots of events. Art talks, poetry, jazz…she then stopped me.
“Oh I like jazz, but I don’t like rap music, sorry. I don’t like it.â€
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I had written this serious post about crap you already know. Coupons, going back to school, roommates, moving back in with your parents and then I thought of something. We’re in La La Land.
Image is EVERYTHING!!!
This is why so many of us get in a hole in the first place, so I decided to give you advice on how to survive economic harsh times, yet keep your rep firmly in place. Being eccentric and bat-shit crazy always sounds better on paper than just poor.
If you are going down the economic ladder, do it with insane style!!!
One thing you can do is join a cult. Cults are always accepting new members. And many cults have a crash pad. When you have no money you isolate yourself from your friends and family anyway, so you’re ripe for a cult. Yeah you might have to do animal sacrifices, but if you aren’t a vegetarian this won’t be a problem and also there are animal friendly cults that just sacrifice people, though those kinds of cults are Continue reading
Gustavo Dudamel (Photo: Marco Anelli) from NY Mag
(Retraction: A reader has confirmed my wrongness. It was Jayce Ogren with a shaved head.)
My boyfriend and I went to a free LA Phil concert at Disney Hall and we got a real treat, Gustavo Dudamel was conducting! (Or someone who looked alot like him with a shaved head.) How very generous of him. Jayce Ogren was scheduled to conduct and from where I was sitting it looked like Gustavo. Gustavo conducting at that event would be like Brad Pitt introducing one his movies at the Arclight on a random Tuesday matinee.
This weekend I came upon a gem of an article in the LA Times that described what steps you should take when you’re unemployed.
And here are a smidgen of some of the great tips:
“Leftovers are also great — I have barbecued chicken today, and tomorrow it’s in my enchiladas and then it’s in a chicken salad,” said Marguerite Womack, director of economic and workforce development for United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
I’ve seen the United Way office. It is next to the Starbucks where a policeman harassed me for looking homeless. There is a big sign by that building around 5th street in downtown and on the building it says: Don’t give the homeless money, because they’ll just ask for more…ok it doesn’t say that exactly, but pretty close.
Here’s another crumb of advice:
Jessica Hodgdon, 24, was out of work recently for six months. To save money, she moved into the East Los Angeles apartment of a friend, who waived rent in exchange for Hodgdon’s help cooking and cleaning.
Free rent please.
“Last night, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accepted the nomination to the vice-presidency at the Republican National Convention.
Originally the buzz about Palin, focused on her having a vagina. Her presence was analyzed as a calculated McCain strategy to lure disgruntled, hard core Hillary Clinton supporters.
Then the shift went internal, to her uterus, her identity as a mother to five, the youngest with some form of developmental delay, and a 17 year old daughter, unmarried and pregnant.
So what does this Palin parranda of information and analysis mean to mamis of color, Latina mamis like me? Not surprisingly, nada.
Sarah Palin wants to put herself out there as “every womanâ€. She wants to be seen as “just your average hockey momâ€, and other mommies see themselves and their reality reflected through Palin, except, mamis of color, that is.”
excerpt by Maegan “La Mala†Ortiz, Racialicious from the post: Mccain’s VP pick Palin and the Politica and Privilege of White Woman’hood/ Mommy’hood
I was going to go to the SiteLA’s (SiteLA is a Quicksilver marketing campaign) Heya party on Friday, August 22nd.
The transportation event sponsored by Toyota??!!!! I know. How could I NOT comment on that? How can I NOT make fun of SiteLA (I’ve got nothing to lose I’m not in Quicksilver’s demographic. Black girls don’t surf.) I think it’s fab that inspired people who are getting nonunion wages to make a very long commercial are doing inspiring things, but come on.
On Friday evening I was going there to make fun of the “random†coolness (and get free beer,) but then I got an email with a bit from Tina Dupuy.