"It's a shame what they did to those people who lived there."

If I haven't said it already, but I am a Dodger fan. Yet, sometimes I have to wonder about what was once underneath Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was at one point a poor, mostly Latino neighborhood. Both my parents were raised in the area just downhill from the stadium in an area that, to this day, I have difficult time describing to someone. It’s nestled between Elysian Valley and Echo Park, but I always remember it being called its barrio name--"Frogtown." Some people get, some just get more confused.

Raising my father is this neighborhood, my grandmother remembers Chavez Ravine quite well. I always remember she would say, "It's a shame what they did to those people who lived there."

Some have forgotten what the city destroyed to build Dodger Stadium. However, some are making sure it’s never forgotten. In an article in the L.A. Times, Vincent Valdez documented the event in his artwork, but not on canvas. Try a '53 Chevy lowrider ice-cream truck.

Los Angeles Times
A M B Y on Flickr
Dept. Special of Collections/UCLA Library

A goldmine of humor

Ah, the internet. What wonderful things we find. It can shock us, make us cry, sadden us and, most important, make us laugh. I have stumbled onto a goldmine of humor - enter Wikiality. This spoof of Wikipedia was born from Comedy Central's Colbert Report. What a wonderful site it is.
Just to get the ball rolling, check out these links: Conservatives, Liberals, American, George W. Bush.
Warning: These are not for those easily offended.

He has a wide stance

They have just released the tapes of Sen. Larry Craig’s interrogation after his arrest for soliciting sex. And I’m sure the words of the interrogating police officer express the feelings of some around the nation.

OFFICER: I just, I just. I guess, I guess I'm gonna say I'm just disappointed in you sir. I'm just really am. I expect this from the guy that we get out of the hood. I mean people vote for you.
CRAIG: Yes, they do.
OFFICER: Unbelievable, unbelievable.
CRAIG: I'm a respectable person and I don't do these kinds of...
OFFICER: and (INAUDIBLE) respect right now though.
CRAIG: But I didn't use my left hand.
OFFICER: I thought that you...
CRAIG: I reached down with my right hand like this to pick up a piece of paper.
OFFICER: Was your gold ring on your right hand at anytime today?
CRAIG: Of course not, try to get it off, look at it.
OFFICER: Okay. Then it was your left hand. I saw it with my own eyes.
CRAIG: All right, you saw something that didn't happen.
OFFICER: Embarrassing, embarrassing. No wonder why we're going down the tubes. Anything to add?
DETECTIVE: Uh, no.
OFFICER: Embarrassing. Date is 6/11/07 at 1236 interview is done.
CRAIG: Okay.

I'm back!

I have missed this. My only unrestricted writing outlet. While I have been writing very much lately, it seems all of it has been correspondence. I have plenty of things to blog about because I have been keeping a mental notebook of ideas. This blog will probably change. My Emo moments will probably fewer. Also, I have a new idea for a totally unrelated blog that I have been collecting material for all summer. I'll make it public when I feel it's ready.

No smoking!

I can't help but laugh every time I walk pass this sign.But I can't study quantum mechanics unless I'm smoking a stogie. You can't do anything fun no more.

Please standby

To the few people who do read this blog, consider this blog on standby. Sorry people.

In order to simply my life for the next few weeks, I will be severely limiting my computer use. This does not mean I will not update. But, most likely, new posts will be short and infrequent.

This too shall pass

The smell of salty air, sand between my toes, and the of sound crashing waves put me in such a calm state. I could not live without the comfort of knowing that the beach is close by. It is an escape for me.

There are too many good memories, many childhood memories. My mother use to take my family to the beach all the time. I will never forget building sand castles, body boarding, digging for crabs, eating egg sandwiches, and eating Jack-in-the-Box curly fries before we left for home. Curly fries were a delicacy to us.

(Sorry, I did not take this photo. I'm not that good. But it is nice though.)

Within the past few years, I found a small, rather secluded beach I love. When I say small I mean it, about 500ft. When the tide is low the beach has some beautiful tide pools you can see.


One of my best friends, Carmen, went with me. We both took photos. She is a much better photographer than me and I still have to see her photos. These photos here are the pick of the litter in my opinion.


Here's another photo I wanted to throw in.